#which is freakin wild

[barebevil]

having a dilemma which relates to a piece of erotic fiction im currently writing and its that i cant tell if i am being confronted with the fact that i only know a limited amount of moves or if i simply need to accept that there just is but a finite amount of ways to say "she licked it" and move on

[nightrae13]

I got heartbroken at prom and did not talk to that person I forced myself to go out in my comfort zone just to be friends with until we graduated. that. 😂😅 Prom was a dramatic day for ending your happy eras ngl. I'm just happy I looked amazing in the pictures esp bc I'm at the center lol

Still, it was pretty crowded with mostly dancing, so I can see how most who rather mind their own business would find boring lol. I just did my best to enjoy the moment because it does not happen every day and it was expensive lol

[squareanon]

.

[sorrowfulrosebud]

Hi! I have a request.

Okay so 1-A bakugou end’s up to the future. Where he sees that he has a family with reader and sees what a simp he will become🫣

And how would future bakugou and reader (+ the kids) react to meeting him.

(You can choose if past bakugou knows reader or not)

I’m sorry if it’s confusing,

It was safe to say that Katsuki was beyond pissed. He was certain that at this point he was never going to fully get your attention, not with that damned Todoroki always swooping in before he can even look your way.

==================================

The cacophony of grunts from the students plundered against the walls of Gym Gamma. It was self-improvement day and Aizawa was NOT letting anyone rest.

“Keep it up class. Those who fail to break some sort of barrier today will receive double homework for a week. I’m looking at you, Kaminari,” Aizawa grinned evilly. You let out a giggle at Kaminari’s audible gulp before Aizawa shot you a glare.

Katsuki was busy increasing the flow of his AP shot; he thought that if he could increase his sweat, he could increase the speed of which the blasts sped out. The poor rock he was blasting was finally on its last legs, all before that IDIOT Kaminari accidentally bumped into him and caused a rockslide, directly above the platform that you were training on.

“Hey, watch!-” he yelled in a panic. He saw fear flash through your eyes as he willed his body to move. Thankfully for you and begrudgingly for him, a smooth glacier of ice barricaded you from being concussed with Bakugou’s debris.

Todoroki hopped his way from his platform to you and placed his hand on your shoulder.

“Are you alright? You aren’t hurt are you?” Todoroki asked, examining your head for injuries. You shook him off you with a nervous smile.

“Thank you for stopping the debris Todo, but I’m fine. It was shock, I’m not hurt,” you reassured him gently. Todoroki gave you another once over before seeing where the damage came had arrived from.

“I would recommend being more careful next time, Bakugou. Someone could have gotten really hurt,” Todoroki gave him a meaningful glare as Katsuki fought every vein pop in his neck at his implications. Kaminari let out a guffaw, before he let out a squeak of terror at the animalistic look on Katsuki’s face.

“Laugh. Again. I. Freakin’. Dare. You,” he strained angrily through gritted teeth.

“O-okay Kaachan!” Kaminari speedily ran away from the threat as Katsuki stared at the back of your head. Well, now he was in a bad mood.

==================================

Katsuki was the first one in the changing room, and the first one out. He trudged his way to the UA dorms so he could shower and forget the whole day. He couldn’t stand the idea of being teased right now, not when he was so careless to the point that you nearly got concussed. Well, that never would have happened if Dunce Face watched where he was going…

Katsuki was torn from his thoughts as he barged past another student.

“Hey, watch where you’re fucking!-”

And just like that, Katsuki fell to the ground.

==================================

It took Katsuki a long time to start stirring from his sleep. It was a gradual process, but somehow he managed to tear the sleep from his body as he was poked and shaken incessantly by someone. Katsuki jumped up immediately in surprise, throwing a blast at his assailant. His assailant was no match for him though, springing back and using their quirk to restrain him.

Katsuki wiggled in his restraints like a wild animal, snapping and snarling.

“What the hell do you want with me you bastards! Let me the hell go or I’ll fucking kill you!” He snarled with purpose. A soft giggle filled his ears. A familiar giggle.

Soft (S/C) skin filtered through his still blurry vision until he saw… you.

You were at least a good 20 years older, some laughter lines he didn’t remember seeing (not that he definitely doesn’t scan you every time you’re close to him), as well as new scars.

Your eyes had aged too, the bags slightly more prominent but you were still you. You had four small children gathered around the bed gawking at the teen. The smallest was in your lap, seemingly frightened of Katsuki.

“Easy there tiger, you just woke up. I found you in the street asleep, so I took you to a hospital to see if you’re okay,” you offered an explanation that only answered some of his questions.

“Who the damned hell are you?? Why the hell am I here?? Argh, damnit! Let me out of these shitty restraints!” He demanded. Your face hardened in an instant as you glared at him.

“Hey, no fucking swearing in front of my children! If you’re going to talk and ask questions, you need to be respectful. You’re frightening my son with your endless shouts, so what’s your name and we can call your parents to come collect you.”

Katsuki let himself be still for a moment, glowering at you before relaxing his pose.

“My name is Katsuki Bakugou. I was hit by a quirk on my way to the UA’s dorms, I fell asleep I think, and the next thing I know is I’m in a hospital bed surrounded by someone who looks like a classmate of mine,” Katsuki growled. Your face grew a look of puzzlement.

“D-did you say… Katsuki Bakugou? As in, explosion quirk, super goal oriented, current number 2 hero?” You questioned him worriedly.

Katsuki gave you a strange look. How the hell would you know about that stuff??

“I’m only a high school student so I can’t be the number two hero yet, but everything else is true. Look, here’s my quirk,” he said as he let off a few sparks. The small children around the bed looked on in awe at the sight as you chewed your nails.

Katsuki looked back up to you and saw your expression.

“Why?” He asked.

You gulped.

“Because I’m married to Katsuki Bakugou.”

==================================

“Baby, I need you to come to the hospital in Kyoto, it’s an emergency! What? No, me and the kids are fine, we-. Hey, I told you we’re okay, but you have to be here as soon as you can. I’ll send you the details. I love you, see you in a bit.” You hung up the phone with an ashen face as you made your way back to your chair. Your children were bombarding Katsuki with questions, all too weird for Katsuki to answer.

“Papa, why are there two of you?”

“Daddy, why don’t you remember us? Did we do something bad?”

“Dad, why do you look so young? Where are all of your cool scars?”

“Alright kids, give the kid some space. We obviously need to get this fixed somehow. How we’re gonna do that is beyond me though,” you massaged your temples with a sigh. You glanced back up to young Katsuki.

“You’re definitely not a clone or something? Not some sort of fanboy who cosplays in his spare time?” You asked him, half joking.

Katsuki snorted.

“No, I don’t cosplay heroes. I beat them in the hero ranks to show them that I’m the best!” He exclaims.

“God, you even sound like my husband. I’m getting more and more convinced that this is some sort of weird time shift,” you stopped speaking as soon as a muscular figure pulls himself through the door. Katsuki physically stills.

It was him, but older.

At first, older Katsuki didn’t give him a look in. He scrambled over to you, kissing you deeply before checking you over for injuries.

“Where are you hurt?? Are you alright?? Speak to me??” He demanded. You carefully push him off you and rub your thumb on his cheek.

“Sweetie, I told you I’m fine. See, even the quadruplets are fine. We have a major problem though, and I don’t know how we’re going to solve it,” you gestured to younger Katsuki. Older Katsuki glares at younger Katsuki before a look for confusion befalls his face.

Katsuki looked… older. His face was more structured, yet still maintained some of his puppy fat. Scars littered his face, the most noticeable a large triangle that went from the middle of his cheek to the underside of his neck. His hair was shorter too, buzzed at the side. He towered over you easily and his pecs looked even bigger than before. Taunt muscles flexed at the threat to his wife and children.

“Can someone explain what the fuck happened?”

“Katsuki, stop fucking swearing!”

==================================

Until he was back to his current time, you had pleaded with your husband to let him stay. Older Katsuki agreed when his babies started pleading too, chubby cheeks wobbling with unshed tears at the idea of their older daddy throwing out their younger daddy.

And for the last few days, he had lived with you and his (?) children. Older Katsuki was mostly at work when he woke up, and he wouldn’t see him unless he stayed up past his bedtime (he could never compromise his sleep).

He spent some time babysitting your children, the quads. The eldest, Akira, was a total carbon copy of him, apart from his hair texture and colour. He was so bold when facing younger Katsuki, asking him questions and hiding his siblings behind him when they properly met.

The second eldest daughter, Aika, was more like you; shy and reserved but very playful all the same. She was a more balanced mixed of the two of you (?).

Your third daughter, Kokoro, was a pain in his ass. She constantly played tricks on Katsuki, taunting him and making mean jokes (all before she was shut down with your stare).

And finally, your littlest quadruplet Keiko, was honestly kinda his favourite in the strangest way; he was so different to his siblings it was unreal. He was the smallest, most sensitive of the bunch. In a way, he reminded him of Deku when they were kids, but with his colour hair.

The morning of the third day, you sat him down with your children at the breakfast table and grilled him a fry up. Each of your children were giggling happily in their high chairs, scrambled eggs and ketchup smeared around each mouth. Katsuki let out a small smile when Keiko offered him a piece of toast from his plate before denying it with a “no thanks squirt, your ma is making me some”.

“Well, good news! I found the person who you described and asked them how long the quirk should last. You should be back to your own time by next week, maybe even earlier if you’re lucky,” you smiled as you flipped the sizzling bacon in the pan.

Katsuki was scarfing the breakfast like there was no tomorrow, up until you said that he should be home sometime by next week.

That’s good, he thought. I really want to know something though, I might as well take advantage of the situation.

He looked up at you, one burning question on his mind.

“I bet you’re wondering how me and … well, I suppose you got together, huh?” You grinned at him.

“How could you tell that’s what I was thinking?” He demanded. You let out a laugh.

“Katsuki hun, I’ve been married to you, er, him for over 15 years. I know all of your little tricks and tells, so don’t even try hiding them,” you offered more bacon to him. He accepted, before you turned your attention to the kids in their high chairs.

“Let me clean up my mucky little pups up first and we’ll talk after I’ve dropped them off at daycare.”

==================================

It was a pleasant day, Katsuki noted. After dropping off the children at the daycare and added cuddles from the babies, you did as you promised and hurried Katsuki to the couch with a photo book.

“See here, this is a photo I took of us at our first date. You were so nervous, your hand kept popping and you had to keep wiping your hand,” you laughed fondly at the memory. Katsuki peered at the photos with a strange feeling lying in his tummy. Is this why he felt so nervous around younger you all of the time?

“Oh! And here, this was our trip with the class to France! I had said something about the croissants being delicious, and you took that as a challenge. I was eating the croissants you made for days,” you let out another laugh as you recounted tales of your relationship.

Katsuki stared at you for a solid 5 seconds. You stared at him back until his face hardened and he turned himself away. You placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Is something the matter hun?” You pried carefully. Damnit, you even knew the right nicknames to make him feel all weak inside.

“Just… why the hell would you go out with someone like me, hah? I’m loud, I’m obnoxious, I can be pretty freakin’ mean, so why? Why would you ever let me have a home with you?! Why would you ever let me grow a family with you?!? Why do you seem so happy, even though there’s a chance I may never come back?!?” He was borderline yelling at the end of his lament, tears threatening to plop onto the pages of the photo album.

You hugged Katsuki tightly, fingers playing with the baby hairs on the nape of his neck, all soft and gentle.

“Katsuki… I have no idea how far you’re into the relationship with younger me, but I’m going to let you in on a secret. I had a crush on you since our first day. I thought you were so strong and handsome, although you had some angst problems. Even after that, I always admired you from afar.

It hasn’t always been easy with you, as I’m sure you’re aware of. You can be loud and mean, and that has caused some rifts in our relationship, but,” you lifted his head up and cleared some tears.

“You’re also dedicated. You found ways to make up for your mistakes, and I always forgave you for them. I wanted a family with you because I love you, er, older Katsuki. We’re so blessed to have the quadruplets, even if they’re little pains sometimes. And yeah, there isn’t a day that goes by when I’m not panicked beyond all belief when you’re at work, but I wouldn’t stop you because it’s your dream.”

Katsuki looked at you. Your eyes held nothing but sincerity as he smoothed his breathing.

“Now come on, let’s go make some spicy noodles. My husband will be back soon.”

==================================

Katsuki helped you diligently in the kitchen, chopping vegetables with renewed vigour. Older Katsuki trudged through the door with a loud grunt, you immediately dropping the pan on the hob to give him a welcome home hug.

“Welcome back baby, how was work? It was nice that Kiri offered to cover your shift,” you rambled happily into his neck. Katsuki let out a barking laugh at your clinginess as he picked you up and kissed you, making you squeal in surprise.

Younger Katsuki stared at your display; is this how you’re going to be in the future? Allowing him to kiss your neck when he comes home from work, cooking his favourite meals, keeping your home in tact?

“Oi, quit starin at my wife you pervert,” older Katsuki barked before you slapped his chest playfully.

“Leave him be, he’s literally you, you big dumb dumb. I’ve been letting him in on some of our dates and stuff so he can seduce younger me into wanting you,” you teased. Both Katsuki’s huffed simultaneously, earning a laugh from you. You wriggled yourself out of his grip and led him to the dining room where the meal you and younger Katsuki created.

You kissed his cheek as you went to fetch him a drink, leaving both Katsuki’s by themselves.

Older Katsuki stared menacingly at his younger self before clearing his throat.

“Listen brat, we need to fuckin’ talk,” he starts, rearranging himself on the chair and nudging the other chair adjacent to him. Younger Katsuki did so with hesitation.

“I’m fuckin’ tellin’ ya now, if you do anything that wrecks what I have now, I’m gonna come back in time to kick your ass,” he growls lowly.

“I love that damned woman more than anything in this godforesaken planet, as well as my little pack of brats. I would do anything for them, and I’ll be damned if you do anything that fucks that up for me,” he glares at him. Younger Katsuki slowly put two and two together and looked pointedly at the scar on his cheek. Older Katsuki knew where he was looking immediately.

“I, we, got this scar during a villain attack. (Y/N) took the brats to the park after a stupid fucking fight we had, and a villain attacked them out of nowhere. Luckily, I was patrolling there and stopped them from hurting them, so I took the blow in her place. I would do it a million times over for her,” his voice audibly softens whilst talking about you, eyes downcast to the large scar on his cheek.

He touches it almost fondly, as if he was proud of the scare. Knowing Katsuki, he probably was. He looked back up at younger Katsuki, who had a contemplating look.

“So…. Please. Don’t hurt her younger self in any way. I wouldn’t be able to survive without her. If you argue, hold your tongue even if you’re right. Treasure her. Make her feel like she’s the most incredible woman in the damned world, cos she fuckin is,” he finished with a doleful look in his eyes.

“…okay. I’ll, I’ll try,” younger Katsuki promised. Older Katsuki nodded and cleared his throat as you walked into the room. You presented the bottle of beer with a happy grin and a kiss on the cheek and a ruffle of the hair for younger Katsuki.

Fuck, he was smitten.

==================================

“Daddies, watch me!” Aika grunted loudly as she successfully tiptoed from one end of the couch to another. Older Katsuki clapped and whooped in adoration whilst younger Katsuki looked on in pride.

“That’s my little ballerina! You’re gonna be the most graceful dancer ever, pumpkin!” Older Katsuki cheered, sweeping her up on his shoulder and making her squeal.

Kokoro looked on in jealousy with a pout on her face before a brilliant idea struck her. She toddled back to the couch and attempted the exact same feat as her sister, except on the back of the couch.

Keiko sat below her and watched her with a fearful expression.

“Papas, watch me! I can do it better than Aik-AAAAA!” She shrieked as she went to fall on the cushions of the couch, and subsequently Keiko. Keiko let out a scared cry as younger Katsuki swooped in to save him, carrying him in his left arm and catching Kokoro diligently in his right.

Keiko sobbed loudly into Katsuki’s broad shoulder, clinging to him with impressive strength. He nestled in as close as he could, passing Kokoro to his older self as he tried shushing Keiko.

“There there brat, you’re okay. Shhh, it’s okay, I’ve got you,” he murmured softly into his ear. He tried rocking him softly in his arms the same way you did and he was slowly left with a hiccuping, sleepy toddler.

“Damnit Kokoro, this is why I tell you to be careful! Every time you try to show Aika up, you end up hurting someone and yourself. Are you hurt, Keiko?” Older Katsuki asked Keiko. Keiko shook his little head into younger Katsuki’s neck.

Kokoro started tearing up at older Katsuki’s tone and looked down in shame. He visibly softened at his daughter’s tears and wiped them away with his fingers.

“Just be more careful, okay pumpkin?” He said firmly. Kokoro nodded and offered Keiko an apology.

==================================

The next time Katsuki woke up, it was in a hospital bed. Specifically, Recovery Girl’s clinic. The light filtered through the blinds, hitting Katsuki in the face and making him stir.

IV wires and tubes fed into him and made it hell to try to sit up, before he saw a sleeping figure near his knees.

It was younger you.

He nudged you with his knee in order to wake you up. You looked dreadful; massive eye bags, lips nibbled red raw, sniffly pink nose like you hadn’t stopped crying.

“Oh my god, you’re awake! I’ll go get Recovery Girl!” As you moved to get her, Katsuki grabbed your hand.

“W-what…,” his voice felt strange, like it wasn’t his.

“What the damned hell happened?” He croaked out.

Your face saddens as you looked away.

“You seemed really upset after our last training session, so I went after you to find you. You had collapsed just outside of the Height’s Alliance building and you wouldn’t wake up whatsoever,” your voice cracks. Katsuki let out an “oh”.

You gained your composure before looking at Katsuki again.

“So, how do you feel? Is anything hurt? What happened?” You interrogated him. Katsuki rolled his eyes at your pestering before a sly grin crossed his face.

“Why, were ya worried about me?” He teased and watched as your face turned a bright pink. You flapped your hands around in a panic.

“It’s just because you’re my classmate is all! You wouldn’t wake up, and I didn’t want you to stay like this for ages!” You rambled in a worried state. Katsuki let out a gruff laugh before wincing at his voice.

Well, better shoot my shot, he thought.

“Well, I’ll tell ya what. Go out with me this Saturday and I’ll tell ya everything,” he promised.

The pink in your face told him everything that he needed to know.

[mktskii]

—Explosive Fixation

part two.

—Synopsis: Bakugou's pride takes a massive hit when he finds himself drawn to someone outside the hero course—the best support course student he’s ever met, and the person who couldn’t care less about him. What starts as begrudging respect (and annoyance) slowly turns into something he can’t ignore. Now, if only his stupid gauntlets would stop breaking long enough for him to figure out how to deal with these frustrating, unfamiliar feelings.

—Pairing: Bakugou Katsuki x AFAB + Support Course!Reader.

—Genre: Slow-burn romance, slice-of-life.

—Tags: Enemies-to-lovers, banter, RBF reader, grumpy x grumpier, miscommunication, one-sided crush, support course expertise, Bakugou struggling with feelings, Bakugou crushing on reader so hard, reader is tired of everyone's shit, reader does not take Bakugou serious AT all.

Bakugou finding himself crushing on someone from the support course? The very idea would have Bakugou ready to throw himself into an explosion, especially since you're not even in the hero course. How did this happen? You're just a regular student from the support department, not some flashy hero-in-training. Hell, you don’t even try to impress people! Bakugou's Bakugou—so why, out of all the people, is he suddenly caught up in the fact that he likes you like that?

It all started with his gauntlets, which were, as always, broken after another insane training session. This time, however, Hatsume Mei was busy with a massive backlog of orders. So, when he stormed into the support lab to demand a quick fix, Hatsume just waved him off with a nonchalant “go ask them” and pointed to you, buried under a mountain of tools and gear. You were known in the department, even beyond that. People whispered that you were better than Hatsume herself when it came to making support items, which was already wild because Hatsume was a freakin' genius. But here’s the kicker—you didn’t want the attention. You didn’t care for the praise or even the stress of constant requests for new gear. Okay, fine. Maybe you do a little. And when Bakugou, the most demanding, arrogant student in the entire school, barged into your workspace, his booming voice interrupting your flow, you quite literally did not want to put up with his shit. “Get out.” Your voice was cold, indifferent, and to the point. Bakugou had expected, well, anything else—maybe some stammering or apologies and you dropping everything and fixing his gauntlets like he demanded. But this? Definitely not this complete lack of interest. He was fuming. “Do you know who the hell I am?” he growled.

Your eyes barely flicked up from the blueprint you were studying, annoyance clear in your expression. “Yeah. And I don’t care. Get out of my workspace.”

Needless to say, Bakugou had never been kicked out of anywhere before, and the fact that you banned him from ever asking for your help? Or, more correctly, fixing his stuff? That hit harder than any villain could. When he ranted to Kirishima, expecting him to agree with how crazy you were for doing all that, Kirishima was disappointed in him—actually disappointed for screwing up such a basic request. You? You were the best at what you do, and somehow, Bakugou had managed to ruin his only chance at getting you to fix his gauntlets.

Bakugou, in classic Bakugou fashion, decides to fix his gauntlets himself. He sketched up the mechanics of his gauntlets, so how hard could it be? Turns out, really freaking hard. Not only does he botch the repair, but his malfunctioning gauntlets accidentally explode during class, damaging some of his classmates and earning him the wrath of Aizawa and everyone else. He’s pissed—at himself, at his classmates, and mostly at the fact that he can’t get those damn gauntlets fixed without swallowing his pride and asking you.

The next time he sees you, it’s different. He doesn’t storm into your workspace like last time. He’s gritting his teeth, practically seething, but he still manages to blurt out, “Sorry for bein' an asshole. Fix this… please.” It sounds like the word “please” burns his tongue, but he says it.

You stare at him for a moment, and give him a sharp scoff but take his gauntlets. As you examined them, you muttered curses under your breath about “egotistical hero course jerks” and “time-wasting nonsense.” But, despite your annoyance, you went above and beyond. You reinforced his original design, making it stronger, lighter, and more streamlined for better control. When you handed them back, they didn’t look any different on the outside, but Bakugou could feel the difference the moment he tried them on. They were perfect.

For once, he didn’t have anything to complain about.

That’s when the “crush” began creeping in—though he’d rather die than admit it. Suddenly, he found himself making excuses to come back. His gauntlets were “damaged” again because he never knew just when to stop training. His headphones were “broken” (even though they weren’t). His phone “shattered” for no reason. Every stupid thing he could think of, he brought to you, just to have another interaction.

But the funniest part? You never gave him the satisfaction of a reaction. Your resting bitch face (legendary, by the way) stayed neutral, and your voice remained flat, devoid of excitement. You rolled your eyes, cursed under your breath, and muttered sarcastic comments as you fixed whatever Bakugou brought you. If anyone pissed you off, especially Bakugou, you'd mutter high-pitched imitations of their voice while glaring out of the corner of your eye, making him feel oddly uncertain—like he was the one out of place for once.

He hated it. You were smart. You matched his freakish drive to perfect your craft. And worst of all—you looked too good. Even after explosions from Hatsume’s latest disaster left you covered in soot, your tired, messy look didn’t detract from how attractive you were. It pissed him off.

But here’s the thing—he was still a dick. Despite the fact that he’d come back over and over, pretending his gauntlets needed another fix or inventing some nonsense reason to see you, he would never admit to liking you and, so, he’d go out of his way to piss you off just because, well, he can. So, hell no. He was not falling for some support course student who barely gave him the time of day.

...Right?

That’s what Bakugou kept telling himself, anyway, even as he found himself lingering a bit too long in the lab, watching you work with laser focus, unaware of the chaos happening in his head.

Reblogs and comments are appreciated <3

[spennsrs]

spencer having his partner on his stream!?

❍⌇─➭ CAN U IMAGINE HOW SOFT HE WLD BE ﹀﹀ ︵↷

we are going full headcanons mode stay with me here

okay so imagine if you will: spencer playing games and interacting with chat, giggling and having a time

and here comes you, coming home from a long day of work, so excited to see your boy !! your spence!!

spence knows you're coming over, so purposefully has one of the headphones off his ear so he could hear the door and chat is ONTO HIM

to be clear, his chat doesn't just know you, they ADORE you

so when he hears the door opening and your keys jingling down onto the counter, spencer is all smiles and rushes out a hurried "be back, chat" and then he's GONE

all you see is a flash of his curls before you are wrapped in a bone crushing hug and an onslaught of kisses all over your face

oh he is talkative

"hi babe" "missed you so much" "i'm so glad you're here" "my beloved"

and there's a moment of silent bliss as you hold onto each other, his fingers gripping the hem of your shirt to keep you close, your arms around his neck in a hug, eyes closed and just enjoying each other

....

and then spencer remembers he's streaming

so he pulls away from your embrace, much to both of your dismay, but boy is still CHEESIN'

"baby, i know you just came home... but do you wanna make a little appearance on the stream? y'know chat will love seeing ya"

and you hesitate before smiling softly and nodding gently and then

he is tugging you along, he's like a damn kid on christmas cause as much as his chat loves you, he loves showing you off.... absolutely basks in the attention and how ppl will say shit in chat like "ur s/o is soooo cute spence!" "one chance [y/n] i beg" "[y/n] manning the stream real????" "[y/n] nation we are eatin GOOD"

you pull up a chair to sit beside him, leaning against him, fingers absentmindedly playing with his or his hoodie sleeve or his hair as he games and talks to chat

watching him in his element reminds you why you love this dork, and you can't help but press a kiss to his cheek

and of course chat goes WILD

spencer can't help but grin and his cheeks go pink before looking at you....

"that's pretty freakin' romantic of you, dude. careful, twitch might ban me if they see this"

in which you hit his chest and go back to snuggling into his arm as he games

overall... he loves having you on stream <3

[eff-plays]

Found some really good analysis of Astarion having 10 Charisma on a Youtube video, plus comparisons to a bard Tav because bard supremacy.

Text version under the cut!

Youtube comment from user TF2CrunchyFrog:

Astarion having a default Charisma of only 10 feels like the biggest joke of the entire game. Like, the one characters whose background story as a vampire spawn involves is him having spent the past 170 years being basically prostituted by Cazador his vampire master, being forced to rely on seduction and manipulation to survive, the guy that even various NPCs and even the Narrator remark about how beautiful he is canonically... But instead of the game devs making him a Bard, he's the DEX-based Rogue (I mean, he's a darn good Rogue, but) with the potential Arcane Trickster subclass (which needs INT as base attribute). When I played an Origin run as Astarion, I respecced him slightly and lowered his CON from 15 to 14 and his WIS from 13 to 12 and used that to upgrade his CHA to 12. Astarion being a Rogue is the anomaly here... because when did he learn that? If he was a magistrate while alive -- although the writers chucked the rest of his tentative background story from the earliest stages of the games back in 2020 into the dumpster and changed "corrupt" into "tragic", which gave him more depth, so maybe him claiming at first meeting that he's a magistrate in Baldur's Gate is him serving you a double-lie instead of just a single lie (as he hasn't been whatever profession or status he had while alive for the past nearly 200 years).

BiRios replying to TF2CrunchyFrog:

or all his charm is well…superficial. His skills don’t actually lie there. At least that’s how I took it. He’s all this pomp and circuses but by now it’s just…flat

Raikos100 replying to BiRios:

tbh I agree. Feels like he always not taking things serious, like always joking around, so in a sense you usually don't trust him for anything with his attitude, it's not someone you would trust or take a word irl. Guy tells you "only a sip" and proceeds to suck you dry like a capri sun 😂

samisuhonen9815 replying to TF2CrunchyFrog:

I think he has a 10 in charisma because he is naturally and superficially charming. But in reality, he is not a SKILLED charmer or a smooth talker. Someone who has 16 or more charisma, is a capable of lying, deceiving, performing, even at the cost of one's ego. He/she has the skills to adapt and spin new wild stories on the spot, improvising at all times. I don't think Astarion really has that. He knows how to sound fancy. He knows how to be sarcastic and witty. But he is not someone who can appeal to any person and talk his way out of anything. Say he gets blamed for something. His selfish and defensive instinct would be to insult the person back. A true charisma giga chad is able to see that this sort of behavior will not get him/her what he/she wants. He/she is able to de-escalate the situation and redirect it into a direction that gets the rizzler what he/she wants.

river8783 replying to samisuhonen9815:

Exactly. Playing a bard Tav highlights this difference really well. Half the options listed as solutions during conversations are ones you know Astarion wouldn't think of, or fail miserably at because of all the reasons you listed. He's fun and funny, but also he should thank his lucky stars you're there to talk for him cause he'd be so freakin dead on his own.

[katyawriteswhump]

Omega Found, Omega Lost, part 1

Title: Omega found, Omega lost; Chapter: 1/5; WC: 2372 Rating: M (will be E in later parts); Tags: Steddie, Omega Steve, Alpha Eddie, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff. For whumptober 2024, day 1 prompts: race against the clock, search party, panic attack.

Summary: Newly presented Omega, Steve, gets lost in a storm while out searching for Dustin. Unclaimed and un-mated, he's vulnerable to any predatory Alpha... but he can trust Eddie Munson, right? Whump, whump, whump but also shameless fluff!

Billion x thank you to @wheneverfeasible who kindly enabled the omega-verse fun <3<3<3

Chapter 1: Race against the clock (also here on Ao3)

Steve parked up on the edge of the forest and wandered out, wondering which of the noisy search parties he should tag along with. Icy drizzle lashed his glowing cheeks. The skies churned with clouds that resembled purple-black bruises. The winter storm brewing was nearly as intense as the shitstorm over the missing pups.

"Steve?” Chief Hopper left the group he’d been bossing around and thundered over. “What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Steve wrapped his arms tight around himself. Being yelled at by the most Alpha Alpha in the town pack was super-scary. He lifted his chin defiantly. "Dustin is my friend. I can’t stay on the bench for this."

"Don’t be a fool. Loan Alphas roam these woods at night. You know that, kid. You fall out of step, get left behind? You’re a stripling unmated Omega—you do the math.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lone Alphas are animals who’d as soon spit-roast me alive as hump me. I’ve heard the scary bedtime stories so many times they genuinely make me doze off. Anyhow, they’d be freakin’ brain-dead, evolutionary full-stop Alphas to be skulking around for kicks on a night like this. 

Steve didn’t say any of that, of course. He mumbled towards his boots, “I could come with you?” 

"I can't be looking out for Hawkins’ mouthiest, most hothead Omega, when…"

Steve was never going to win. Even his trump-card reason for joining the search—the walkie-talkie he’d been trying to contact Dustin on for hours—was summarily dismissed.

“We have Lucas’s radio,” said Hopper. “He’s helping with the search.”

“Sinclair? Seriously?” Steve barely kept the whine from his voice. “He’s a pup! Look, I can take care of—"

"Omega, go home."

Steve’s breath jammed in his lungs. Hopper’s deep rumbling growl was pretty much inarguable. As was the arm Hopper slung around him to guide him back toward his car.

Steve drove off. He was so goddamn frustrated, and the worry inside him made his stomach churn as wildly as the clouds. He was nearly home before he slammed to a halt, tyres screeching and skidding.

Screw them all! He was an Omega, not a freakin’ pushover, plus there were pups in danger. Okay, not his pups, and in fact only a few years younger than him. That was total irrelevance. It was his duty as much as anybody’s to look out for them. In fact, presenting as Omega had been a goddamn relief, explaining a lot about his protective instincts toward younger kids.

Oh, and also about Eddie Munson, who’d presented as Alpha the year before Steve presented Omega. 

Simply thinking about Eddie stirred something wild in the pit of his belly. Eddie had been hitting on him, and yeah, Steve was interested. But was Eddie serious?

Eddie Munson never seemed quite serious about anything. Plus, Steve’s parents totally didn’t approve of him… and Steve had no capacity to worry about that mind-fuck tonight.

Dustin was missing. Obsessing over Eddie was making him confused and even more stressed-out, when he ought to be super-pumped to find his younger friend.

He drove back to the fringes of the forest then retrieved his walkie-talkie from the glove compartment. He wrapped himself up in woolly mittens and a scarf—newly knitted by his dad, so it was soft and springy and smelled comfortingly of home—and stomped off in the direction of Skull Rock. He’d a hunch that Dustin was with his girlfriend, so there was a small chance they’d moseyed in that direction, and then…

…Christ, he couldn’t bear to think what might’ve happened.

Steve gritted his teeth against the biting wind. Under the twilight, the fresh snow looked magical, like sweet frosting on the naked branches. He didn’t enjoy it for long. Soon, he waded through drifts that rose to his knees, the dampness soaked through his clothes and seeped into his bones. 

Worse, he wasn’t sure where he was.

He got out his flashlight. Dammit. He figured he knew this part of the forest like the back of his hand. Everything looked crazily different in the snow.

His breath grew short, and the cold burned his chest. Crap, he was scared, but he couldn’t surrender to it. He pulled out his walkie-talkie, removed his mittens to work the thing: “Dustin? Do you copy, you little shit?”

“Steve? Yeah! I copy! Holy crap, you have literally no idea! I’m fiiine, but there was this mammouth search, and…” Fuzzy white noise interrupted Dustin’s voice. Steve caught more snatches: “Suzie… cake… hot chocolate…” 

More white noise. Then nothing. Steve dialled madly, seeking an open channel.

“Dustin? Dustin! Anybody? Do you copy? What the heck? Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Please, come back!”

His radio was dead. Totally dead.

“Shit… Shit!”

The cold stiffened his fingers, hampering his efforts to get it working again. Night shrouded the forest completely, save the occasional flash of a near full moon between the fast-moving clouds. 

Oh God. Oh God. This isn’t happening. I’ve got to get home. I’ve got to get home! 

He pulled his mittens back on, smothered his face in his sodden scarf. He could barely glean the reassuring scent. Madly waving his flashlight around didn’t help, as the snow had healed over his footfalls already. Rooting himself to the spot, his mind began seizing up.

Oh help! Oh God… I can’t… can’t! Not by myself… I can’t… I need… Oh shiiiiiit!

Eddie Munson popped into his head.

Which was kinda screwball, but he’d take it. It wasn’t exactly a vision of Eddie, more of a feeling: an idea of Eddie’s body enveloping him, which set warmth glowing beneath his chilled skin. Steve wiped his eyes, shook himself as if waking from a dream. 

Deep breaths. You can do this, Harrington.

The wind had been behind him on his way, right? Okay, so he had to fight against it to return to his car. He set off, wishing the nasty-ass air would stay still, rather than battering him with slap after slap, much like his increasingly negative thoughts: 

Oh Jesus, he was an idiot! 

He couldn’t even follow his Omega instincts correctly without screwing the hell up. Maybe it would be different if he had an Alpha who wanted to mate with him, rather than dumb teen crushes. If he had a nest of his own, to feather for his pups. Oh God! Was he gonna freeze to death, or…

Oh, shit, shit, shit!

When he was home and safe, it was easy to laugh off scare stories about rogue Alphas. Right now, all he could think of was Tommy H, cackling in his face when he’d first presented Omega:

“You are gonna fuck this up so bad, Harrington. You’re such an airhead, you’ll wind up chained in some cave, breeding machine and fuck toy, till you’re not so pretty, and then…”

SNAP!

For a fleeting heartbeat, the sound alone shocked Steve, ripping him from his fearful thoughts.

Then the searing pain in his ankle tore up his leg and spine, and all but fried his brain.

He collapsed onto his butt in the snow, dropping his flashlight. He blinked through the gloom at the snare around his outstretched left leg. He’d walked straight into an old hunters’ trap or…

Maybe this is how those lone Alphas snare their victims?

The pain gathered pace, forcing him into gasping sobs. He was so cold. So scared. No more than a husk of quivering flesh. He huddled into a ball, small as possible, apart from his trapped and bleeding leg. It felt like every nerve and tendon was being ripped and chewed, over and over, by razor-sharp teeth, while cold gnawed hungrily through the rest of him.

When he tried to think, panic throttled him afresh. All he could do was feel, and all he felt was the all-consuming scorching of the fire and the ice, and… something else… another unendurable agony… a desperate yearning:

Please, Eddie… Alpha… Help me?

…

A strange gut feeling propelled Eddie to go open the door of the trailer. 

Fuck, it was cold! He stepped out, closed the door behind him, and squinted into the darkness. 

To be fair, Eddie liked the snow, and he never felt the cold or the heat too bad. Something about growing up in the trailer, he guessed—ball-shrivelling frigid in the winter, and sweatier in the summer than the contents of his snuggest leather pants.

Then Eddie smelt it, striking through the icy air like lightning. 

Fear. Blood! An Omega in trouble? Yes. And not just any Omega. This was the Omega he’d been crazy about for months. Okay, yeah, Steve had been playing kinda macho, hard to get. On the other hand, Eddie perceived that, deep down, Steve was plain scared of him, and he wasn’t sure how to make that right.

He nearly fled straight into the forest. Then he checked himself and went back inside to throw on a warm jacket and grab a flashlight. Steve was in trouble, crying and vulnerable. Eddie had to find him before some meathead Alpha—or lowlife Beta—got their filthy claws into him.

“Hold on, Baby. I’m a comin’.”

The journey passed in a blur. He muscled his way through the snow like he was the goddamn Hulk, not a rookie Alpha of barely a year, with a slender-for-an-Alpha frame. Before long, the scent that drew him grew overwhelming. Steve’s for sure. Blood, tears and naked fear dampened his usual delicious musk, which was like bananas and cream mingled with something even more potent and “grabby-handy.” 

Yup, Steve usually smelt as addictive as the finest weed he’d ever supped.

Eddie now stood dead still. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled, while he swept his flashlight beam across the snow, and then, “Steve!”

Eddie flung himself forward to where Steve was huddled. The white stuff smothered Steve so completely that, without the scent, Eddie could’ve missed him. Eddie dumped his flashlight and blanketed himself around Steve, shielding him from the storm. Steve tensed, whimpered, and struggled slightly, almost elbowing Eddie off. Eddie braced him tighter, rubbed soothing circles on his back.

“Sssssh, it’s okay, Baby. It’s me. It’s Eddie. I gotcha, I gotcha.”

It pained Eddie to unwind himself even as far as he needed to examine the terrified Omega.

“H-hurts,” whispered Steve, curling into Eddie, burrowing his face into Eddie’s chest. Eddie carefully roamed his hands down Steve’s body, checking for injuries.

His gaze alighted on the dark stains in the snow around Steve’s ankle.

And the metal hunter’s snare, lying by Steve’s leg and half-lost in a drift.

Steve’s hands were bare and bleeding too. Obviously, he’d somehow pried the thing off. Eddie’s blood boiled, while a terrible collapsing sensation in his chest seemed to tell him he’d failed already. 

“P-please don’t eat me,” Steve murmured. “Please help me.”

“Stevie?” He touched his knuckles to Steve’s pale cheek, captured a gaze fogged with pain and fear. “Look at me! Hey? Not gonna hurt you. Jesus, you know that, right?”

Steve kinda nodded, comprehension glinting, then his face crumpled completely, and he started to weakly cry. Eddie folded him against his chest, trying not to move his injured leg then gently tucked Steve’s injured hands under the folds of his jacket.

He must stop any bleeding, and get Steve out of here before he froze to death. The wind whooped ever harder through the trees, the snow battered them in horizontal gusts, and worse, Eddie was rattled, too.

Eddie Munson had never been a hero. 

Right outta the gate, this lousy, hierarchical world had conditioned him to be an outcast, a reject. A nothing. On the other hand, presenting as an Alpha had made some sense to him. After all, each time the world dealt him a crappy card, which was pretty much every day, he’d always been able to flip the bird and cackle like a maniac in its force-conformity face.

Right now, though, he was bordering on losing his shit. And Alphas weren’t supposed to do that, right?

Focus, Munson. First, you need to calm and comfort him.

He gathered Steve closer, so the Omega was huddled halfway into his lap, his head tucked on Eddie’s shoulder. Then Eddie dipped to rub his face in the curve of Steve’s neck—yup, right on that tantalizingly unbroken mating gland—dousing him in his scent. All the while, he shushed and soothed him, till Steve’s whimpers disintegrated into soft sighs.

Then he kept on gently rocking and cuddling him.

Steve’s breaths beat against Eddie's throat, and he sensed the too-fast patter of the Omega's heart. Boy, Steve aced at presenting tough. Right now, stripped bare, Eddie saw only how goddamn fragile he truly was.

“Thank you, Alpha,” murmured Steve, startling Eddie, “D-doesn’t hurt so much. Not c-cold anymore. Can’t feel my leg.”

Okay, that was a touch disturbing.

Once again, Eddie forced himself to focus. Which was harder than ever. This was the first time any Omega had called him Alpha, let alone one he was dippy about. If things were different, he’d have been howling ecstatically toward the next glimpse of the moon. Oh, and revelling in Steve’s ethereal prettiness, the shadow of those long lashes across his porcelain cheek, and the faintest vibration of the Omega’s purrs.

There was also the problematic fact that his knee-jerk notion of ‘comfort’ had been to douse Steve in his scent.

Good call, Munson. Douse first. Think later. When your dick’s gonna do most of the thinking for you.

Nope. This wasn’t a good time for his inner Alpha to dump him with a boner: “Okay, Baby, I’m gonna bind up your ankle, and then I’m gonna get you home.”

“Too tired. Want to sleep here. St-stay here with you.”

Yeah. Then we both die, Sweetheart.

Eddie pressed his lips to Steve’s temple. He thumbed Steve’s damp hair from those huge, befuddled eyes, and let his more protective Alpha instincts lead him:

“You gotta stay awake, Omega,” he growled. “Your Alpha is gonna take care of you, but you gotta come with me and do exactly what I say.”

Chapter 2 on tumblr Chapter 2 on AO3

...

If anybody fancies reading more chapters, which will be posted at intervals throughout the month, I would be happy to tag :) Or follow #katya's omega whump

My endless outpourings of Steve whump can be found on AO3 here :)

[nikibogwater]

I really wish I could've been there for Echoes of Wisdom's story development meetings, because I bet they were absolutely freakin' wild. Like--

"Alright, so we got another Zelda game on our hands here, but this time it's gonna be a little bit different because Zelda is the actual main character, and she's gonna be running around and summoning household objects and monsters to solve puzzles and commit crimes. How do we explain all of this?"

"Well, what if she has a magic wand that summons all the stuff for her? And what if Link was captured by the villain, so now she's on a quest to save him before Hyrule gets destroyed? And what if Hyrule's being torn to pieces by these massive rips in the space-time-continuum that open into an all-consuming void from which there is no escape?"

"Uh, I mean, sure, that could work--"

"And what if we had a villain who is so conceptually horrifying, the only other character in series canon who even comes close to matching it is Majora? WHAT IF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE WAS CONSTRUCTED AS A PRISON TO CONTAIN THIS RAVENOUS ELDRITCH HORROR WHO PREDATES THE GODDESS HYLIA HERSELF???"

"...You do know we're reusing the art direction of the Link's Awakening remake, right?"

"HAHA, YES! IT'S PERFECT!!!!"

[sebaztianlovesgeek]

THE NON CANON PARTS OF THE BLACK BUTLER ANIME IN BOTH SEASON 1 AND 2 AND ALSO THE SPECIALS WERE WILD

(in no particular order)

Ciel hires a random naked dog man who can turn into a giant wolf to be his servant even though he literally does nothing around the manor and just hangs out with Finny all the time

Finny forms a crush on a character we later find out is an angel named Angela and after the dog village arc ends we never hear of his crush again

For the most part the curry arc is the same, but for some reason they decided to change the ending. In the manga Lau and Ranmao killed Nina and her husband, in the anime everyone becomes evil by eating curry, and Sebastian had to feed them all his curry buns to turn them all good again, WHAT??

Sebastian has sex with a Nun in some cult church

Angela took Vincent and Rachel's bodies and stitched them into a weird Frankenstein looking thing because apparently that would combine their souls in the afterlife so they could be together forever

Also the whole thing with Ciel being kidnapped by the cult is never explained despite Queen Victoria and Angela being responsible for the death of his parents, therefore you'd think they'd also be responsible for the whole cult thing? But they would have no reason to sell a 10 year old to be abused by a cult-

Ash (aka Angela because they're the same person) turns Queen Victoria into A FREAKING LOLI

Ciel is framed for drug trafficking

Sebastian is arrested and kept in a torture dungeon for like 3 days where he is BDSM whipped by Angela for some reason

Fred Abberline dies

Fred before he dies mentions he doesn't have any family yet he has a brother who shows up in season 2-

Lau and Ranmao die yet they also show up in season 2

Lizzy gets kidnapped by a doll man and is almost turned into a doll zombie (not a bizarre doll just a doll zombie)

Sebastian ditches Ciel in France for some reason

Ciel finds Undertaker on some random boat and then Undertaker tells him he's gonna freakin' die

London is on fucking fire

Who caused the fire? Pluto. And thats the only part of the story where he is relevant

The final fight between Sebastian and Ash/Angela is fucking awesome though

In season 2 Ciel is just in a suitcase and has amnesia

Alois pokes Hannah's eye out for spilling a drink or something

Ciel and Lizzy try to find a deer or something and everyone thinks they're gonna break up after just 1 argument

Lau even started a gambling thing where people put down their bets on whether or not Ciel and Lizzy were gonna break up

Some weird old lady set random people on fire because she didn't like her husband, for some reason the fire disintegrated the souls so Grell couldn't collect them which doesn't make sense

Some weird bullshit happens on a train with a Pharaoh, a murderer and Sebastian being cool like always

Alois has a dress up party at his house

Soma and Agni cry because Ciel has amnesia

Soma is dressed up as Sherlock Holmes even though black butler takes place before that came out

Lizzy dresses up as a Native American, lets just say she's lucky Twitter didn't exist in the Victorian Era

Kinda like the whole curry thing everyone turns evil except its from music from a magic instrument Hannah plays and not curry, and Sebastian stops it by playing his own music kind of like the final battle in Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks

Alois crossdresses and turns Ciel bi curious

Sebastian and Claude have sexual tension in the lake

Ciel and Alois have a sword fight, Ciel is thrown off a balcony and Alois is stabbed

"PLEASE HELP ME CLAUDE, HELP ME I'M DYING 😭"

We soon find out about Alois' backstory and it's actually quite sad and hits a bit close to home for me, I won't go into detail but the poor kids been through a lot, Alois is genuinely an interesting and kind of well written character its a shame he was put in the non canon pile of shite

Claude then crushed Alois' skull and takes his soul and puts it in a ring

Kids are getting their eyeballs ripped out and apparently Alois is doing all of this, but for some reason Scotland yard THINKS CIEL IS ALOIS WHICH IS SO DUMB BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM EVER SINCE HE BECAME THE QUEENS CORGI GUARD DOG

He is taken to some doctor and is dumped into a pool of gatorade to fuse his and Alois' souls

Ciel's backstory is basically half of Alois' and half of Ciel's and thinks Sebastian killed his brother Luca

Ciel doesn't like Claude because Claude is a goober

Hannah does a weird thing with Ciel she like... Possesses him? And his eyeball appears in her mouth or something? I had no idea what was going on

Soon it is revealed Hannah was the one who ate Luca's soul and is now feeling like a mother figure for Alois because of it

Grell shows up again (yay) and she keeps trying to take sexy photos of Sebastian

Soon Claude and Sebastian end up at a maze thingy and they need to answer trivia questions to get to Alois/Ciel's soul

Soon they go to some demon island and they end up fighting using a demon sword while Ciel and Alois talk about shit in some void

Claude fucking dies (rip goober)

Alois' soul is finally set free and the poor kid gets to be with his little brother again

Hannah turns Ciel into a demon so Sebastian can no longer eat his soul so Sebastian just becomes Ciel's butler for all eternity and I lowkey feel bad for him, because yeah eating childrens souls is wrong but BRO WORKED SO HARD HE LITERALLY BANGED A NUN FOR THIS CHILD AND THIS IS THE THANKS HE GETS??

Ciel and Sebastian fake their death, the end of season 2 and a few years after that the ACTUAL CONTINUATION OF THE CANON PARTS come out

Ciel in wonderland is very silly

Sebastian as the rabbit is hot for some reason, does that make me a furry?

There is a lot of weird fan service, for example Ranmao keeps shoving her boobs and butt into Ciel's face... LADY THAT IS A 13 YEAR OLD YOU CANT DO THAT-

I'm glad it wasn't canon because I love Ranmao and she would never do that in canon

Madame Red as the queen of hearts is very cool

Weebalu already mentioned this but I wish J Michael Tatum (Sebastian's dub voice actor) did a Alice In Wonderland audiobook in the Sebastian voice

The one where Ciel puts on a play for hamlet was funny, the part where they're practicing is funny because its like an actual theatre club

Soma and Agni are the kids who are always eating, Ciel is the kid who just sucks at acting, Grell is the one who is great at acting but is very annoying and Sebastian is the theatre teacher who wants to commit kms because of all of these stupid kids

Ranmao is seaweed

Grell tries to commit incest during the play-

The special where its basically a 'behind the scenes' thing kind of like an actor AU

Sebastian is a fucking 2010's boy band looking lad

Grell is just amazing in this

In the final "trailer" Grell got pregnant, Queen Victoria built a giant robot, Claude tried to destroy the world with the fucking moon, Hannah... Uhhh lets not talk about what she did, a whole load of "I am your father" type plot twists took place and Alois was Ciel and Sebastian's great great great great great great grand-

The special where theres this character who's basically a self insert but she's a white girl so if you're not either of those its kind of hard getting into it (cries in gay guy)

The POV shots look like something out of Dora The Explorer

Soma wants to marry us for some reason, I wouldn't mind that he's cute

We also get kidnapped by Viscous Druitt for no reason and then Sebastian and Grell save us from a boat in the middle OF THE OCEAN

Finally Will The Reaper (I'm sure there are more specials but I'm lazy)

Grelliam galore

Probably one of the best specials because Grell and William are the main focus and they're just the absolute best

[starbabyg]

Swiss Pastries and Friendship Renewals | Nico Hischier

For Demi from your Hockey girlies discord fic exchange bb 💞💞 @wyattjohnston I’m actually making you a mini series bc I love this idea so muchhh and I have this whole plot in place I hope you don’t mind!!

Plus as a bonus here’s a whole playlist for youuu!! 💗💗

₊✮⸜ ༘⋆ ₊✮⸜ ༘⋆ ₊✮⸜ ༘⋆ ₊✮⸜ ༘⋆ ₊✮⸜ ༘⋆ ₊✮⸜ ༘⋆ ₊✮⸜ ༘⋆ ₊✮⸜ ༘⋆ ₊✮⸜ ༘

2019

It was autumn in New Jersey, the weather had gone cold and the leaves were starting to turn auburn. Nico watched people through the shop windows as he walked home. Families shopping for the holidays. Couples laughing as they bonded over fondue and pumpkin spiced cocktails. He thought it was sweet seeing people happily living their lives. He came upon a small coffee shop, looking through the window and seeing someone he knew looked familiar. He could only see her side profile, but in his bones he knew he had seen the girl before. The oh so familiar girl leaned a bit over to grab something out of a bag perched on her shoulder, and Nico knew that it was who he thought it was. Nico made his way into the shop, a new sense of excitement flurrying through him.

“No freakin’ way, Demi?” He came up behind her, a large smile plastered on his face. It had been a while since he had seen anybody from up north, he had only spent a short while there but the memories were still fresh in his mind.

“Oh my god, Nico!” Demi immediately brought him in for a hug, remembering that soft face of his, that smile that he had always adorned. “I haven’t seen you since you left for the states!”

“It’s been a couple years now huh, this is the first time I’m seeing anybody from Halifax. God that group was wild. How is everybody?” Memories of that small Canadian town started to flood his senses. The little bits of nostalgia giving him a sense of glee.

“Yeah, our little group really was something, huh. Everybody is doing their own thing. Stacy and Jonah have a kid now. Yeah, they’re still together. Miles moved to Toronto. You know, everyone just in different places doing different things. I haven’t been that in touch with them either. The old times were good though,” she smiled as she reminisced.

Nico saw the look on Demi’s face, a tad bit somber as she was deep in thought. He felt a bit bad. “How bout we catch up over some coffee and pastries? It’s been a while and you were always my favorite.” Smelling the scent of coffee and what smelled of sweetly burnt sugar, Nico could not resist the temptation of a warm drink on that chilly day. The pastries encased in the display window were no help either.

“That is such a lie Hischier, we were not as close as you were with Evan. Or even Julia. Which, by the way, was that all about? I never got the full story,” she joked, scanning the menu although she already knew what she was going to order.

“Oh? Julia? She was a nice girl, she just used to come off very strong. I didn’t really know how to let her down easy,” Nico scratched the back of his neck as he thought about each awkward encounter after the other.

“That’s Julia, always going after what she wants. I’m a little surprised you didn’t date her though, she was one of the prettiest girls in town.”

“I just liked another girl, that’s all. Julia wasn’t my type,” he shrugged as he walked up to the front counter, “what do you get from here? I’m not much of a coffee guy.”

“I got you,” Demi placed her hand on Nico’s shoulder as she turned towards the barista, “Can I get two caramel brûlée macchiato’s and two apple caramel strudels?” Demi began shuffling through her bag again, pulling out her card, as she attempted to hand it to the barista Nico swiftly snatched it out of her hand. Instead placing his card in the barista’s hand.

“Still fast as ever, huh Hischier,” Demi shook her head as she led Nico to a table in the corner. The coffee shop was tranquil, a good handful of customers murmers living up the joint as some soft holiday music played in the background. The lights were warm and cozy, a bright shade of copper that lit the couple’s faces up. Overall just a nice and homely vibe that Nico could get used to.

“You know me,” he chuckled, pulling her seat out for her to sit, “So what brought you to Jersey out of every state?”

Demi shrugged, “Just more opportunities. Close to New York City. Close to my folks who never left Halifax. I really don’t know if I’m going to be honest.” The question came as a bit of a shocker. Demi herself had never really asked herself why she came to Jersey. It had just happened.

“And how’s it going for you out here?”

Demi thought for a second. Career wise, it wasn’t where she wanted to be. She wanted to fib just a bit, just to make the situation sound a bit better for her, but it was Nico and she felt no reason to lie. “Honestly less than satisfactory. I’ve been doing freelance gigs for this company but I’m not passionate about my work. It’s just being an errand girl for people who aren’t the nicest. The pay is measly compared to cost of living. Lately it’s just work, eat, like thirty minutes of actually doing what I want to do, then sleep.”

“So what do you really want to do?”

Demi was taken aback just a bit, “It’s been a while since I’ve been asked that. I’ve always liked writing. Something in journalism perhaps. Maybe write a book or two. I just want the freedom to be creative with my work.”

“Makes sense, I remember you used to work on the school paper! I used to read your little opinion column!” Nico remembered and pointed his finger excitedly. He could still remember the little pieces, always marked by the ‘written by senior editor Demi’ in little letters under the title.

“No way you used to read my writing Hischier,” Demi felt a bit bashful, covering up her blushing cheeks. “I used to try to hide the paper from the group because I was too embarrassed for them to read it. You know how they got with teasing.”

“Don’t know why you were embarrassed. Your writing was really good, funny too.” Nico was a bit surprised by her reaction. Demi had never been one to be shy or even embarrassed. Always holding up a headstrong attitude even when the group was in major trouble.

“Awe, why thank you Hischier. I appreciate that. I wish I could write more now, but juggling these gigs and trying to solidify an actual career out here, it’s just impossible I wish there was something—”

“Order for Demi,” interrupted by the barista, Demi got up for their order. Nico watched as she got up and interacted with the barista, the two of them having a small conversation that ended with laughter. Somehow she was glowing underneath the tungsten lighting. Turning around with tray in her hand, Demi carefully made her way back, cautious as to not spill the two piping hot drinks.

“Okay, this spot has the best fall drinks and the most authentic Swiss pastries in Jersey. I remember you always came to school with a homemade apple strudel, so I had to see you try this one. It’s like fall in a pastry. Apple, caramel, with powdered sugar on top. It’s to dieeee for.”

Nico smiled as he listened to Demi describe the order. It was very thoughtful of her to remember his old favorite school snack all these years later. Watching her place the order down, an idea sparked in his head.

“So first you gotta try the strudel, savor it. Then after try it again and take a sip of your macchiato after.” Demi rested her chin in her hands, just a little too excited to see how her old friend would like the goods from her favorite coffee shop.

Nico did exactly as he was told, lifting the strudel up and taking an ample bite. His senses were then filled with the sweet tang of baked apples, his tongue coated with the spice of cinnamon. Demi nodded, gauging his reaction that she knew he would most definitely have. Nico couldn’t believe that a strudel this good could actually come from a small shop in Jersey. It had tasted just like home. He then grabbed his Macchiato, about to sip it before Demi’s hand jerked it away.

“Oh my gosh, be careful. That thing is piping hot,” she chuckled as she saw Nico’s eyes bulge up. He set the coffee cup down and leaned over to blow it gently. “I know it smells good but you gotta wait a couple minutes so it doesn’t leave your tongue burnt for the rest of the day.”

“You just saved me. I was being a bit hasty huh,” Nico shook his head as he felt a bit bashful. He watched as the cream swirled in the coffee every time he blew into it.

“I’m literally your savior Hischier,” Demi gave him a cheeky wink.

“That means you haven’t changed much from school. You saved everyone’s asses. Always got us out of trouble. Always saved us right before we coulda died. That’s why you were my favorite, you were always the coolest of the group,” he laughed. Now thinking of all the high school shenanigans, all of the times they were yelled at by adults. Caught trespassing. With every time Demi having to mediate and bargain with authority.

“Mmm, makes one of you,” Demi pursed her lips. Her mood shifted a bit as she took a long sip of her macchiato.

“Huh, what d’you mean?” Nico sat there clueless.

“You know everyone else in the group had their closer bonds. Everyone grew up with each other. And I had just moved from Australia the year before you came. They liked me cause I was different and it was a small town, but they didn’t bother to get close to me like they were with each other. And they were all kind of assholes if I’m being real,” Demi shrugged. “Which is why I’m working my ass off out here cause I refuse to go back. I don’t even care if I have to work all day as long as I don’t have to go back there.”

Nico got quiet, only murmuring a little ‘oh’ under his breath. He truly did not know what to say. Just watching Nico sit there in his thoughts, Demi placed her hands on the table. She hated an awkward moment. Couldn’t stand them.

“So how ‘bout some Brunsli cookies? They actually import chocolate from Switzerland and they taste sooo decadent. Just like the chocolate your mother brought you to school that one day. Speaking of your mother, how is she?”

“Oh, she’s fine. Moved back home so I don’t get to see her much except for the off season. She sends me stuff from back home all the time. Especially those chocolates. I can bring you some if you’d like.”

Demi’s eyes lit up, “Really? Those are literally the best chocolates I have ever tasted. You would be a godsend giving me some.” Her mouth started to water at the thought of those chocolates, how they just melt in your mouth. The rich flavor that was better than any American chocolate.

“Of course. You don’t know how many boxes I have in my apartment. My kitchen counter is covered with them. I barely have time to eat them let alone put them away,” Nico jokingly sighed as he pictured his kitchen counter that was literally covered in Läderach and mom- and - pop shop made chocolates.

“Ohhh let me come over to your place and those chocolates will be goneeee. But really, I can help you organize those chocolates and put them away— if you need some assistance.”

“I could use a lotttt of assistance. My life has been hectic for a while now and having those stacks of chocolates out of sight is one less thing to worry about. I’ll even give you all the chocolate from my stockpile that you want.” Nico just

“I mean, I’ll take the chocolates. But I would have done it anyway. You’re my friend. Why wouldn’t I help you out any way I can?” She smiled and took a bite of her pastry, crumbs falling down the sides of her mouth which Nico thought was adorable.

Nico couldn’t help but look at Demi with the admiration he used to look at her back when they were in secondary school. “Honestly people like you are very hard to come across. You surely are a rare breed out here Demi. Nobody is selfless like that anymore. Always asking what’s in it for them.” Demi was like a breath of fresh air to Nico.

“Well duh. It’s Jersey. Everybody out here has a bad attitude,” she rolled her eyes in a joking manner. Although she hoped no native New Jersians heard that because they would surely give her an earful.

“You aren’t wrong,” Nico chuckled and shook his head. He couldn’t help but think about the endless encounters he had faced with rude fans, people in public, and especially people in the industry. It had honestly started to take a toll on him.

“Well you sure are lucky to have found me again huh. The sweetest, kindest, most nicest person in the world,” Demi teased in a sing songy manner. She batted her eyes in the most obvious way. Nico thought she looked like a Disney princess.

Nico just looked at her with admiration, “Why don’t you be my assistant,” he absentmindedly said. “Er— only if you want to. It’s not like you need to—”

“Hischier, Hischier. Calm down. Let me hear you out before you get all anxious on me,” she placed a hand on Nico’s shoulder.

“I’m just saying. It could be beneficial for the both of us. My last assistant was crap. Didn’t help me out in any way but was getting paid handsomely by the Devils. You need a better job. And more time to do what you actually want to. We can help each other out!”

Demi just sat there thinking. ‘It would be a better job than my shithole job. I don’t know about the pay yet but more time to do what I actually want to will help out with my career moves. And it’s just Nico. He’s not that bad. He’d be a better boss than my current one.’

“Okay. I’ll take the job.” She took the leap. Maybe this would be good for her. The change in pace might be just what she needed to get to the next step in her life. Any change in scenery would be better than Demi’s current situation.

“I knew it. It’s fine. I was just suggesting–” Again Nico started with his anxious rambling. If Demi didn’t stop him he would have went on until the coffee shop closed.

“Um, Hischier. Did you not just hear me? I said I’ll take it,” Demi knew Nico wasn’t the best listener but sheesh. How much in his head was he at the moment?

Nico formed a smile, “Oh? I made an offer you couldn’t refuse huh,” he poked at her, speaking in his best east coast accent. It was terrible, but Demi could never tell him that.

“Honestly I could’ve heard a better job pitch from a child. But you’re my friend and you’re cooler than my current boss so why not. I think we could benefit from each other as well. As friends.” But she could tease him still.

“Friends with benefits??”

“Ew, gross. Don’t be gross like that Hischier.”

[sparkly-sediment]

A suggestion for you. The mercs’ s/o massage their chest and the mercs find out they really like that.

If not all then maybe Engineer, Soldier and Sniper :)

ik this isn’t what you’re looking for but

Tf2 Heavy chest hair ripped out headcanons

He’s just an ordinary bear going about his day

Scout, the bastard child, born out of wedlock, is constantly blowing air

Heavy doesn’t give a fuck! He actually like Scout, the kid reminds him of himself as a young man if he wasn’t beaten down by war

It’s after work but pre shower. Everyone is sweaty and grimy and Medic practically has a hard on from the smell of blood

The mercs are crowded in the bathroom but Heavy doesn’t mind. He’s lived in horribly cramped spaces where the only running water was a spicket (which was frozen shut most days)

In communal showers, it’s common decent to not watch someone strip. Every if you’re comfortable with playing with each other’s dicks you still look away for a split second

Unless you’re a fucking freak like most of the mercenaries

Heavy drops his draws and goes to take off his pull over. At the same time, that little scunt Scout is trying to outrun Demo, who is trying snap his ass with a towel

Demo has a lethal whip if I may add

Scout sideswipes Heavy as Heavy has his arms above his head to pull off the sweater

During this critical moment, his Siberian bush of chest hair snags in the zipper. Heavy keeps pulling. Heavy howls and the room stills

GAGGED THEM BITCHES GOOD LIRD Heavy never tweaks out!! He’s big and will Fuck You Up but at his heart is a kind man! An older brother to three strong sisters!!

Heavy swears profusely in Russian. When he puts his arms down, there’s a tiny bald patch visible on his chest and the crowd goes wild. Imagine having your chest hair ripped out and eight other nutjobs start cackling sobbing smacking each other

But they are naked and the slapping stops once Soldier hits to close to a supple ass cheek

Basically, Heavy is fuming for the rest of the shower. Scout does not shower and instead hides and Demo backs up like “ay man don’t hurt papi”

Medic absolutely sticks his finger in the hair hole during sex and they do stop for the night (five minutes then they start freakin)

[imclou]

I JUST WATCHED ARCANE SEASON 2- At least what there is right now and ITS SO FREAKIN GOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDD

And Ive been wondering, has the latest season inspired/given you ideas for your dca arcane au? 👀

IKR OMGGGG IWAS FLOORED

Arcane s2 (subtle) spoilers ahead! There's talk about the Arcane AU too

I was eagerly waiting for s2 to catch (1) details about Piltover and Zaun's streets and (2) possibly a bit of info about the Arcane itself

The first episodes actually confirmed/developped ideas i had written for the AU mainly concerning :

- The Grey

- The pipework system used to keep the Grey out of the streets.

The network spreads for miles and covers almost all of the Undercity. Firelight Y/N grew up in the deepest parts of the Sumps meaning they got to scour the abandonned Mine tunnels and Pipework as much as they liked. Fastforward to today, they're in charge of scouting around some vital areas that lead directly to the Firelights' hideout. These spots are still pretty far from it, however imagine their surprise when some weird enforcer showed up there. No matter how much Y/N tries to keep it out of the Pipes, it comes back, relentlessly, with no sign of fatigue and sometimes upgraded too. It's only a matter of time until it makes its way into their home.

- Wild runes 👀

No spoilers but one thing's for sure : wild runes and corruption will play very important roles in the AU. To the point where I started gathering papers about the ethics of AI and philosophy of sciences (organicism, mechanism, the mind-body problem etc...) of which I'm neither a fan or an expert haha I find philosophy hard to understand but who knows, it looks kinda fun right now :]

[postpunkindustrial]

Plasmatics – Pier 62! VHS tape.

Here is the VHS Tape of in the Fall of 1980 The Plasmatics blew up a pier or blew stuff up on a pier.

Here is guitarist Richie Stotts describing it to journalist Joel Gausten from his blog

“We got a permit from New York City to film a movie, and we were gonna do it on the Pier. We built a stage out there. A real freakin’ stage. It was five feet high and made of plywood, which cost a lot of money. Then we built all phony stage amps and stuff. Even the guitars we played were not really real. Then we went to the studio and recorded the songs we were gonna play. The recorded them without the vocals, because Wendy was gonna sing live. Then we had to get a PA system out there to play the music. Then we had a ramp going off the stage, and behind the stage was the end of the pier and the Hudson River. In the meantime, we didn’t tell New York City that we put posters all around saying that there was going to be a free concert by the Plasmatics. Then we invited Chuck Scarborough and those characters from ABC, NBC, CBS to come down. We did a press release. So we built the stage a couple days before. I built part of that stage, hammering the freakin’ shit in. We built a drum riser, got a cheap drum set, threw it up there. The plan was for us to do the songs, and Wendy would go to the front of the pier, get in the Cadillac, drive the car at us and go up the ramp. Then we’d jump off the stage, everything would explode and the car would hit this barrier in the back. It was a real Cadillac, and we wanted to use that for our next show. We buy these cars, and then we’d drive them to the show and blow them up. Later on, we got a great pyro guy named 'Pyro Pete,' but before him we had a guy named Rob. We didn’t know much about pyro, but Swenson thought Rob was taking care of it. And all Rob did was have 10-gallon tanks cut in half under the stage, and he just poured gasoline in them. This was not what we expected. If the fire department had seen that, it would have been all off. There was a tiff before the show, because we were all nervous. It was wild, because so many people came. My parents actually came to this thing. We rented a helicopter, so we’d come down in the helicopter. We came down and it looked like Woodstock. It was just jam-packed. The police department was there; the fire department was there. It was really exciting, and really exciting because we didn’t really have to worry about playing because it was already taped. (laughs) We went down there, and we played these songs and it was great. Wendy goes and gets the car, drives the car up the stage, jumps out and everybody’s fine. The car goes up the ramp, but doesn’t go up the ramp the way we thought it would. The whole stage blew up, the gasoline tanks worked…but the car just kept going and went right into the river. The whole thing was great!”

You can get the video from my Google Drive HERE

[differentpostrebel]

Lost and Found: A Pirate's Promise

Chapter 44: Whispers in the Woods: The Trap Unveiled

This gif because we find out Sanji was given those cuffs

And this gif because we find out Chopper and Carrot are in the Mirror World.

A/N We are back at it again with a new chapter! Yall when I tell you the vision is visioning, the smut is smutting, and just everything is going wild! Thank you guys for tuning in! Liking, commenting, reblogging, sharing, the whole nine yards! I'm forever grateful. Also remember pudding is 21 here this will add to the plot trust me!.  And now without further ado, let the adventure begin! 

Sanji X Reader, Sanji x Y/N, One Piece x Reader. 

Sanji POV… 

Morning has arrived, and I sit in my room, the sound of Germa soldiers training echoing through the walls. Sighing, I can’t help but feel a mix of anger and disgust. “Just how long do you plan on sitting there?” I ask Reiju, who’s sprawled out on the sofa, looking entirely too comfortable.

“Don’t be mean. Shouldn’t you be happy to see your long-lost sister?” she replies, her legs crossed casually.

“Stop saying that. I cut my ties with you, and I will not repeat myself!” I grit my teeth, trying to suppress the rage bubbling within me.

“I have nothing in common with someone who hangs tasteless art like that,” I say, pointing at the ridiculous portrait of our father that hangs on the wall.

“It’s a celebration of our triumph conquering the North Blue!” Reiju insists, as if that makes it any better. “It’s called The Conquest of the North Blue. It’s Father’s dream to rule over Germa as he once did. It’s funny; I think it’s natural for men to be drawn to power and glory.”

“Look at Ichiji,” she continues, and my blood runs cold. “He was drawn to your crewmate, Princess Y/N, and he is set to marry her.”

The mention of Y/N makes my stomach churn. I can’t shake the image of her with Ichiji, the thought of her being tied to that bastard gnawing at my insides. “I actually met her, too. Quite the personality, she is. She gave Yonji a run for his money before I stepped in and knocked some sense into him,” Reiju says, her tone almost admiring.

“But she is now to be wed to Ichiji, even if she refuses the marriage,” she adds, her voice dripping with amusement. I can feel my fists clenched tightly, my teeth grinding as I suppress the surge of anger rising within me.

“Why don’t you take advantage of your royal blood and seize the day rather than playing with your crewmates?” she taunts, leaning back into the sofa, her eyes glinting with mischief.

“Go to hell,” I snap back, frustration bubbling over.

“Now, now, would you talk that way to these handmaids who await your beck and call?” Reiju smirks as one of the handmaid's steps forward, bowing her head.

“How may we serve... young master?” she says, and for a moment, my heart skips a beat.

“No freakin' way!” I exclaim, my heart pounding in my chest. As heart eyes adorn my eye.

“Why fight your bloodline, dear brother? War is profitable, which is why we live in luxury. Let the minions fight in combat,” Reiju continues, and I can feel my muscles tense at her words.

“Does that not sound appealing?” she adds, gesturing to the handmaid as she pours wine into a glass, her expression smug. “We Vinsmokes have earned that right through the sheer power of our military might. You have that blood in your veins.”

“I don’t give a damn! I’m not getting married! I’m already engaged to Y/N!” I declare, my voice rising. It’s a lie, but it’s the only way I can stand my ground against her taunts.

“Oh? Y/N?” she raises an eyebrow, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Pudding is a fine woman.”

“Okay, and?! She’s nothing like Y/N!” I shoot back, my voice laced with irritation.

“Well, she’s already Ichiji’s bride-to-be, and from what I hear, once she arrives, Ichiji will have her in his quarters until the wedding to get her accustomed to the idea of sharing a bed.” Reiju says, her smile growing wider. “He already has the rings picked out, as well as the floral arrangements for the fiery princess.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Ichiji is planning to move in with her, to have her all to himself. I feel the anger boil within me, my heart racing as I imagine Y/N in Ichiji's clutches. “You’re lying! He wouldn’t dare!” I retort, but deep down, the fear gnaws at me.

“Oh, I assure you, dear brother,” Reiju replies, a smug grin plastered across her face. “Ichiji gets what he wants, and he wants Y/N. Just like Father wants power, and you… you will just have to accept your fate.”

“Never!” I shout, pushing back against the helplessness I feel. “I’ll find a way to stop this. I refuse to let any of you dictate my life or Y/N’s.”

“To tell you the truth, I’m quite fond of her,” Reiju says, her tone teasing. I can feel my teeth grinding together, frustration bubbling to the surface as her words sink in.

Suddenly, the doors to my room swing open, revealing the man I hate the most. “Father, what brings you here?” Reiju asks, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“Are you still in here sulking?” he retorts, dismissively waving his hand as if my feelings are nothing more than a passing breeze.

“You bastard,” I mutter under my breath, my hands clenched into fists in my pockets.

“Show me some respect, son,” he snaps back, his eyes narrowing at me.

“Don’t call me that! I already have a father, and it’s not you!” I shoot back, my voice filled with defiance.

“Seems like you roughed up Yonji a bit, considering he’s strong,” he continues, an infuriating smirk creeping onto his face.

“Well, I guess that makes me stronger,” I say, matching his defiance with my own.

“Why don’t you meet me outside? A real man would use his fists to do the talking,” he challenges, clenching his fists tightly as he steps closer, the tension in the room thickening.

“A real man wouldn’t need to resort to violence to prove his worth,” I reply, my voice steady despite the anger coursing through me. “But if it’s a fight you want, I won’t back down.”

We made it outside, the Germa army encircling us like vultures. “That’s Master Sanji?” one of the soldiers whispers, a mix of awe and skepticism in their voices.

“I trust you’re prepared?” Judge asks, his voice dripping with condescension.

“Anytime you’re ready,” I reply, dismissing him as if he’s just another obstacle in my path.

“Time to duel!” he shouts, launching his blade at me with a speed that demands respect. But I’ve been trained for this moment; I dodge easily, feeling the adrenaline surge through me as the crowd begins to cheer.

“Once the tea party ends, I’m booking it back to my crew! I’m not marrying Pudding; I’m engaged to Y/N!” I yell, determination fueling my every word.

“Ichiji’s bride?! Now you’re just spouting off!” he laughs, swinging his blade again. I sidestep his attack, swiftly landing on the ground with my heart racing.

“This is all about strengthening your forces with Big Mom, right? It wouldn’t matter what I do after,” I pressed, determined to stand my ground.

“You don’t understand! You’ll stain the Vinsmoke name! Big Mom would punish us for treachery!” His voice dripped with frustration, and I could see the anger boiling beneath the surface.

“I don’t care about your family name!” I shot back, my fists clenched tightly. “All I care about is saving my crew and stopping Y/N’s marriage to Ichiji!”

“Y/N?” he sneered, the name sounding bitter on his lips. “ Her marriage to Ichiji is set in stone! Even if it was arranged! Pirate or not, she is still bound to marry!”

“Bound? To what? An arrangement made without her consent?” I countered, feeling the fire ignite within me. “She deserves more than this life, more than what you can offer her!”

The crowd around us was electric, their murmurs of disbelief and intrigue amplifying the tension in the air. Judge swung his blade once more, but I dodged again, feeling the thrill of the fight pulsing through my veins.

“He blocked the blade with his leg,” one of the Germa soldiers remarked, eyes wide with surprise.

“My feeble son I once knew wields Haki now?!” Judge exclaimed, his voice dripping with a mix of disbelief and disdain. I felt my teeth clench in frustration at his mocking tone.

“Fetch a sword!” he yelled, launching one directly at me. The blade spun through the air, glinting ominously in the sunlight.

“Take it. What’s the matter? Surely you haven’t forgotten my teachings,” he spat, as I easily dodged the weapon. I kicked the sword away, sending it flying into the distance.

“If you knew me at all, you’d know I don’t use that crap,” I shot back, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a flick of my lighter. I took a deep drag, feeling the familiar comfort wash over me amidst the chaos. “Get this through your skull: my hands are for cooking only.”

“That’s absurd!” he barked, his frustration palpable. “Unless I’m going to cook you up a meal, I won’t use blades or swords for that matter!” i said.

“Are you still making rat food? Service isn’t fit for royalty!” he retorted, his disdain cutting deep.

“Why resist the marriage?! Don’t you know what’s good for you?!” he shouted as he launched an aerial attack with his Raid Suit. I barely managed to evade his strike, the wind from his attack rushing past me.

The duel continued for a while, our movements a blur of strikes and dodges, the Germa soldiers cheering for my father. But he was relentless, using every trick he had up his sleeve. With a sudden burst of speed, he launched an attack that knocked me to the ground.

“Little Sanji,” I said, “I’ve got something I want to ask: do you owe someone respect just because you’re related by blood? Can’t think of one, huh? I’m sorry.” memories of my suffering flashing through my mind. Just as I was about to retaliate, he seized one of his own Germa soldiers, using him as a shield. My attack faltered as I realized what he was doing.

His electricity crackled to life, sending a shockwave through the air that sent me flying once more. I hit the ground hard, grit and dirt filling my mouth as I spat it out in anger.

After a grueling few minutes, the duel finally came to an end, and I was dragged back to my room, my body aching from the blows I had endured. Reiju was waiting for me, her expression a mix of concern and exasperation as she tended to my wounds.

“I’m surprised... you’re tough as nails,” she remarked, applying a band-aid over my forehead with a gentle touch. “I still can’t believe you’re still the same Sanji. You really are hopeless.”

“You can skip the small talk,” I said, exhaling a cloud of smoke from my cigarette, the familiar sensation offering me a momentary escape from the chaos of my life. “After I’m done with this damn tea party and end Y/N’s marriage, I’m out.”

“Then we will both be free from this curse,” I replied. 

“I was hoping you were less than a scumbag, but you’re just worse. Get out of here; you’re a stranger to me!” I snapped, turning my back to face him. I didn’t want to deal with the remnants of my family ties right now.

“No chance,” Judge’s voice echoed from the doorway, making me tense. “Do I need to remind you that’s my blood in your veins?”

I glared at him, fists clenched, resisting the urge to lash out. “That was just an example of how loyal the Germa soldiers are,” he continued. “Willing to give their lives at a moment's notice, without hesitation.”

“They’re just puppets for you to control,” I spat, my voice low with contempt. “Why the hell do you want to use them? To conquer the North Blue again?”

A smirk crossed his face, his eyes glinting with that familiar arrogance. “Quick with the uptake, aren’t you? By forming this alliance with Big Mom, we’ll strengthen our forces tenfold,” he declared, his voice brimming with pride as if the outcome were inevitable.

“And since the princess happens to be a fighter and warrior, we’ll use her skills as well,” he added, his gaze hardening, as if Y/N’s fate had already been decided. The way he spoke of her, like a tool in his arsenal, only fueled my anger.

"Honestly, I did not intend to ruffle any feathers," Judge began, his voice cold as ice. His eyes gleamed with the same ruthlessness I had grown to despise. "In order to secure this alliance, Big Mom requires a blood relative. Since I wasn’t about to let my sons be used for that demented woman’s lineage, I remembered... years ago, I had another child. You, Sanji, will be the sacrifice. I haven’t changed my opinion of you—you’re still worthless in my eyes."

My stomach twisted in anger, but before I could respond, I heard a faint click. A cold metal sensation wrapped around my wrists, and I looked down to see small, golden cuffs. "What the hell is this?" I spat, my voice rising with alarm.

He grinned, enjoying the confusion on my face. "You remember the collars the Celestial Dragons use on their slaves, don’t you? These work the same way. The cuffs will detonate if you try to run—your hands will be blown to bits," he explained, as if it were a casual conversation.

I could feel my breath quicken as the realization set in. "Take them off!" I shouted, my hands trembling in panic.

He smirked, completely unbothered by my reaction. "Oh no, I don't think so. You value your hands, don't you? For cooking, for fighting, for... Y/N?" He paused, watching my expression change as he mentioned her name. "Ah, yes. You care for her deeply, don't you?"

I froze, dread pooling in my gut.

"See, we have a special hostage—a certain someone Y/N is quite fond of from her training days. Goes by the name King, if I recall correctly." His tone grew darker, more menacing. "If Y/N doesn’t cooperate, he and everyone on that island will be wiped out. She’ll have no choice but to go along with the wedding to Ichiji."

My blood ran cold. He was playing with every piece on the board, ensuring none of us had any escape.

"You’ll marry Pudding," he continued, as if it were the simplest decision. "And Y/N will marry Ichiji. If either of you even think about defying this plan, you’ll lose your hands... and Y/N will lose her loved ones."

I could feel the rage bubbling beneath the surface, but I was trapped, completely powerless. My fists clenched at my sides, the weight of the cuffs heavy against my skin. He had me cornered, and there was nothing I could do.

"You bastard," I whispered, my voice thick with fury and fear.

As the door clicked shut, leaving me alone in my room, my father’s words echoed in my mind. "You and the princess can’t escape." The weight of his declaration felt like chains around my body, suffocating me. The thought of Y/N, bound by this twisted marriage to Ichiji, made my chest tighten. I walked to the balcony, my feet heavy as if the cuffs had already bound more than my hands—they had trapped my soul.

The cool night air hit my face, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me. I leaned against the railing, gripping it so tightly my knuckles turned white. The future looked bleak. No way out for Y/N, no way out for me. Both of us tangled in this nightmare of arranged marriages. I wanted to scream, to break something, to tear down everything that had been forced on us. But all I could do was grip my hair tightly, my fingers trembling with frustration, and yell into the dark sky. "Damn it!" The words echoed, but the hopelessness remained, sinking deeper into me.

Y/N POV… 

I kept running in what felt like circles, my legs covered in dirt and my dress torn and tattered, with a few cuts marring my skin. One of the sleeves hung limply from my shoulder, but I couldn’t stop to assess the damage. I had to find Nami. Ever since Brulee took Carrot and Chopper, Nami had been my only hope, and I wouldn’t abandon her now.

I had tried to help Chopper as much as I could until he insisted I run, his voice trembling with urgency. The weight of my sword pressed against my back felt comforting, a reminder that I could still fight. Along with it, I clutched the small bag holding my two hidden blades and the thigh halter, my resolve growing stronger with every step.

Suddenly, my foot caught on a twisted root, and I stumbled, skinning my knee against the rough ground. I winced in pain, but I couldn't afford to stop. Not now. Not when my friends were in danger. Just then, I felt another shift in the air, a warning that danger was closing in.

I clenched my fist in rage, adrenaline surging through my veins. "That’s it!" I shouted, determination igniting within me. I pressed the red gemstone on my sword, and flames erupted along the blade, casting a fiery glow around me. The heat radiated off the metal, filling me with a sense of power I desperately needed.

With newfound purpose, I slashed through the underbrush, creating a path as the forest began to blaze around me. The flames danced, devouring the foliage in a brilliant display of orange and red, illuminating the darkness and pushing back the shadows that threatened to engulf me.

The crackling of the fire was a stark contrast to the pounding of my heart, but I pushed forward, each step fueled by the desire to reunite with Nami and Luffy. The blaze would draw attention—both from those who wished to help and those who sought to harm. But I didn’t care. I was done hiding, done running in circles.

Suddenly, I saw Nami and Luffy with the same giant from before. “Nami! Luffy!, I yelled as I made my way towards them. I hugged Nami and Luffy, relieved that they were okay. Nami begins to tell Luffy how we got separated. “I kept looking for you too, Y/N, alone until darkness fell,” Nami said, her voice carrying a hint of fatigue as she recounted the events.

“That's what matters,” Luffy said, stretching his arms out with a grin. “We’re all back together now! Alrighty then, it’s time to rescue Chopper and Carrot from that lady. Where are they?”

“Everything happened right here,” Nami explained, her eyes scanning the twisted forest. “But someone has to know something.” She turned to the giant looming underground. “Just say something already! Those weird monsters and Brulee didn’t even touch you!”

The giant turned his gaze towards Luffy and me, his curiosity piqued. “By the way, you two look pretty tough.”

Luffy scratched his head. “Thanks, I guess?”

“But what about you?” the giant asked, his attention shifting to Nami.

“Yeah! I’m strong as hell, what of it?” Nami snapped, her confidence unshaken.

The giant finally began to speak, “Well, once those things were given orders, they don’t stop until their task is completed.”

“Then why did they stop chasing us?” Nami asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Well…” I started, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. “I might have set a path on fire to get to you guys...”

Nami’s eyes widened in a mix of surprise and exasperation. “Y/N!”

“Hey, I had to make sure I found you both! It was either that or getting lost in circles,” I defended, still slightly out of breath from all the running.

Luffy laughed, seemingly unbothered. “That’s smart! Good job, Y/N. 

The giant shifted uneasily as he began to explain, “Big Mom has the abilities from consuming the Soul-Soul Fruit. She can manipulate souls, taking fragments of a person’s life. The citizens in Totoland must choose between ‘Life or Leave,’ and when they give up part of their soul—equivalent to one year of their lifespan—everything around them becomes animated.”

He paused, his voice deepening. “We lovingly call these whimsical creatures ‘Homies,’ as they are infused with the essence of people’s souls. That... is the true nature of Totoland.”

I felt my stomach twist at the thought. “I’ll say this again... I hate it here!” I declared, my voice echoing in frustration.

Luffy, frowning, crossed his arms. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?! You’ve been watching us this whole time!”

“Yeah, just spit it out already!” Nami and I demanded together, glaring at the giant.

The giant’s eyes darkened with a mix of sadness and regret. “A very long time ago… Big Mom and I were once married… as husband and wife.”

“WHAT?!” All three of us shouted in unison, utterly shocked by his confession.

I could hardly believe it. This giant, who seemed so detached from everything, was once married to Big Mom? It felt like the entire world had been flipped upside down.

“This is crazy!” I exclaimed, still trying to process the wild revelations.

“So, you and Big Mom were…?” I asked, trailing off in disbelief.

“We even had two daughters together,” the giant continued, his voice filled with sadness. “But we separated. It’s not like me and the Homies are friends or anything; I’m beneath them.”

Suddenly, we heard loud thudding sounds approaching fast.

“What’s going on?” I asked, glancing around as the ground shook beneath us.

“It’s getting closer!” Nami warned, her eyes wide with concern.

“Who’s this guy?” I asked, spotting a figure emerging from the trees.

Someone appeared, yanking the first giant out of the ground by force.

“Get back, you guys!” Luffy shouted as we all stepped back cautiously.

Once the dust settled, we realized something shocking. “He’s not a giant... his head is just too big!” we all said in unison, completely taken aback.

“Don’t think we wouldn’t know you’d be spilling information to the enemy!” a voice growled. It was Cracker, one of Big Mom’s commanders.

“I just wanted to give my blessing to my daughter! I heard she was married!” the giant explained, desperate. “I also heard my daughter ran away… Lola!”

“Lola?!” Nami and I exclaimed at the same time.

“Wait… could it be?” I muttered, turning to Nami.

Nami’s eyes widened in realization. “Lola told us that her mom was a pirate… so it was Big Mom! I can’t believe it. This guy… is Lola’s father?”

Suddenly, a voice from behind shouted, “It’s the bird and the rabbit guy!”

“What?!” I turned, spotting Randolph, the rabbit, and his crane mount approaching.

Before they could get any closer, Cracker used Haki, halting them instantly.

“Wait a second… was that Haki?!” Luffy exclaimed.

“They all screamed in terror!” I added, watching as the homies withered away by Cracker’s presence.

“This is about to be a long, long night, you guys,” I said, gripping the hilt of my sword tightly.

“Well, Randolph…” Cracker began, his voice low and menacing. Suddenly, the rabbit and bird began speaking.

“You mean to tell me they can talk?!” I blurted, bewildered by the absurdity of it all.

Cracker continued, “You know Mama likes to stay ahead of the curve, especially after Strawhat Luffy defeated Doflamingo. And this princess here—” He glanced in my direction. “—also fought with him twice. She assumed Brulee would have trouble, so she sent me.”

Suddenly, Brulee’s voice echoed from afar. “Did my ears deceive me, or did I hear my dear brother correctly?”

“It’s official—I hate it here times three,” I muttered, completely done with the chaos surrounding us.

“It’s the tree monster!” Luffy exclaimed.

“She’s back, huh?” I sighed. “Looks like someone’s asking for a round two.”

“If she ordered me to off them, I would’ve done it!” Brulee hissed, emerging from the shadows.

“That’s right!” the talking tree Homie added. “We are the Seducing Woods team. We would’ve never let a single one of you live.”

I narrowed my eyes at the tree, ready to retaliate. “Listen, Branch,” I said defiantly.

“It’s Brulee!” she snapped back.

“Same thing,” I retorted, gripping the gemstone on my sword, ready to strike. “Looks like you’re really asking for a round two.”

Before I could make my move, Cracker interrupted us, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "It doesn't matter, Brulee. By tomorrow at noon, the Vinsmokes will be arriving at the Whole Cake Chateau, making time a precious commodity. Forming a family connection with the Vinsmokes has been a long-awaited goal that Mama has been working towards. She’ll finally be able to obtain Germa 66's military might and scientific technology," he explained, his eyes gleaming with malice.

I tensed, knowing where this was going.

"And the princess here," Cracker added, his gaze locking onto me, "she’s also set to marry the other Vinsmoke. He’s expecting her there as well."

My heart sank, anger swirling inside me at the mention of the arranged marriage. My grip tightened on my sword. "Over my dead body," I growled.

Nami shot me a worried glance, while Luffy clenched his fists, ready to fight. "We're not letting that happen!" he declared with his usual fire.

Brulee stepped forward, her sneer mocking us. "I know that already," she said with confidence, snapping her fingers as the clones around us shimmered and reverted back into animals. "She turned them back into animals!" Luffy exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Wait a second, how can a tree talk?" Luffy added, confused.

I rolled my eyes. "See? This is why I nicknamed her Branch."

"It’s Brulee!" she snapped back, clearly irritated. "Besides, can a tree do this?" She held up a mirror, revealing Carrot and Chopper trapped inside.

"Luffy!" cried Chopper. "Luffy, Nami, Y/N, come and set us free!" Carrot added, tears in her eyes.

"Carrot! Chopper!" I shouted, stepping closer, my heart racing. "What happened? How did you get in there?" Luffy asked, bewildered.

Brulee smirked. "I took them to my mirror world. I can use a tricky ability, so you'd better be careful." "I’ve got these fools right where I want them," she taunted, suddenly dropping the mirror.

Instinctively, I lunged forward, catching it just before it could shatter on the ground. "I’ve got you guys," I breathed, my grip tight on the fragile surface. Relief washed over me, but it was short-lived.

Out of nowhere, Brulee emerged from the mirror, her fist connecting with my face before I had time to react. Pain shot through my lip as I hit the ground, the mirror slipping from my grasp and shattering into countless pieces.

"Y/N!" Nami screamed, rushing to my side. I groaned, wiping the blood from my mouth as I struggled to my feet, my sword still clenched in my hand.

"What happened?!" Luffy shouted, his voice laced with concern.

"We’re fine!" Carrot’s voice came from the broken shards. "It didn’t hurt us."

"Nothing happened here in the mirror world," Chopper added.

"That’s good news, at least," Luffy sighed, but his fists remained clenched, his eyes narrowed at Brulee.

"Luffy, listen!" Chopper said urgently, his voice echoing from the fragments of the shattered mirror. "We found out something important!"

Just as Chopper was about to reveal something important, Cracker grabbed the giant, ready to strike him down. Luffy quickly intervened.

“Second Gear! Are you ready? Gomu Gomu no… Red Hawk!” Luffy shouted as he lunged at Cracker.

Cracker managed to block the fiery punch, sprouting another arm. “You have a third arm?!” Luffy exclaimed, his excitement showing even in the midst of the battle.

Nami and I exchanged a glance as Luffy continued his relentless attack. “Nami, Y/N! Find a safe spot, okay?” Luffy called out, his eyes never leaving Cracker.

“Right!” we both nodded. I sheathed my sword once more, clutching my bag tightly as we sprinted away. The homies around us began to shift threateningly, but Nami quickly flashed Lola’s vivre card, halting them in their tracks.

“This must be Big Mom’s vivre card,” Nami said, her confidence rising as the homies froze.

"Whoa, Luffy!" Nami shouted as Luffy was knocked back toward us, the tree behind him slashed clean through.

“Damn it, this guy sucks!” Luffy grumbled, shaking off the dirt.

“You shall learn to respect Thousand Arm Cracker!” Cracker roared, tapping his body as even more limbs sprouted.

“This just got weirder,” I muttered.

Luffy continued to engage Cracker, but he was struggling. “Luffy, you can’t turn this into an all-out fight!” Nami warned.

“We need to find Sanji and leave this demented place,” Nami added, her voice laced with urgency.

“And stop my wedding,” I chimed in, determination burning in my eyes.

Cracker turned his gaze toward me, “Insolent brat, gaze upon my swords! Best remember the name—Pretzel!”

“Yeah, no. That’s just going to make me hungry,” I said, feeling my stomach rumble.

“Huh? How can you call it one of a kind when you’re holding six of them?” Nami questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s a good point,” the giant added from the sidelines.

Suddenly, Cracker launched Luffy farther away. Nami and I froze in panic as he disappeared into the distance.

“Oh no!” I exclaimed, watching as Cracker began his pursuit.

“Even Luffy is having a hard time,” Nami muttered in disbelief.

“Hang on, Luffy! We’re coming!” I shouted as we began running toward him, only to be blocked by a massive tree trunk.

“Great, what now?” I groaned, frustrated by yet another obstacle.

Brulee cackled from above. “Not so fast, missy. You forgot—I’m still here.”

I smirked, enjoying the chance to rile her up. “Well, you kind of blend in with the trees, Branch, so it was easy to forget.”

“It’s Brulee!” she snapped, her anger flaring.

“Looks like we have to fight them, Nami,” I said, clenching my fists and activating the electrical and fire charges.

“The Worst Generation, huh? Whoop-de-doo,” Brulee sneered. “You all spout nonsense about your captains becoming King of the Pirates, but it always ends the same way… in despair.”

She continued with a smug look, “You wander into Mama’s territory, and you’ll learn the same lesson Captain Kidd did… the same as Apoo, Gang Bege, and even the Mad Monk Urouge. Only Bege had the sense to join us. The rest? They never even caught a glimpse of Mama.”

The mention of Kidd’s name made my eyes widen in shock. I silently gasped, my heart racing, and Nami noticed, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Y/N…” Nami whispered, trying to piece it together, but I quickly averted my gaze, unwilling to reveal anything just yet. 

Brulee began to talk about Mad Monk Uroge, who had managed to take down one of the four Sweet Generals. “Mama was furious; she sent Brother Cracker to finish the job,” she said, pulling out another mirror and laughing wickedly. “Your friend has nowhere left to run. I imagine he’s on his last breath by now.”

She suddenly dropped the mirror, but it didn’t crack. Instead, it landed in front of me. “She’s gone,” Nami said, fear creeping into her voice. We both leaned closer to the mirror, seeing our reflections distorted by the shimmering surface.

“Nami, get behind me,” I instructed, my heart pounding. Suddenly, the mirror revealed Brulee’s face as she began to step out slowly, her expression twisted in delight. “Listen closely, you’ve reached your final stop in the New World. You want to fight an Emperor? You fools won’t even get close to Mama,” she sneered. “Infiltrating the tea party, stopping these weddings, and then walking out alive with your crewmates? This forest will be your final resting place.”

The mirror began to turn into liquid, and panic surged through me. “Nami, run!” I shouted, but before I could react, Brulee’s hand shot out, grabbing my left leg and pulling me down hard against the ground.

“Welcome to Mirror World! You’re going to love it here!” she cackled, and I thrashed violently, trying to free myself. I lifted my right leg, aiming a tremor kick at her head, but she caught my other leg, twisting me around like a rag doll.

“Oh no, Y/N!” Nami cried out, helpless to intervene as I clawed at the ground, desperately trying to reach for my sword. My fingers dug into the dirt, as I finally reached the hilt of my sword digging it into the ground, gripping it tightly as Brulee’s nails raked against my legs.

“Ahh!” I screamed, a mix of pain and fury coursing through me. “Let me go!”

“Come on, come on! Come to old Brulee!” she taunted, her grip tightening as she tried to pull me towards her. My arms felt like they were slipping away, the weight of her strength bearing down on me. I couldn’t pull out my blades; she’d still try to drag me in!

The once-white fabric of my dress was now stained and torn as I struggled against her grasp. “I can’t wait to teach you a lesson,” she said with a sadistic grin.

“I’m not going to let go!” I shouted back defiantly. “This branch really is annoying!”

“Nami, stay back!” I yelled, not wanting her to get pulled into this mess.

“Pound! Help her!” Nami shouted desperately, trying to rally our ally.

“Let her go, Brulee!” Pound said, almost landing a punch on her. Finally, with a growl of annoyance, Brulee released me, sending me flying into a nearby tree. I landed hard, the impact jarring my body, and I breathed slowly, wincing as her nails had left deep marks in my skin.

“Y/N!” Nami called out, rushing toward me. She helped me back up, concern etched on her face. As we began to walk back toward Pound and Brulee, I stopped her.

“Nami, wait.” I reached for my thigh halter and blades, securing them firmly against my thigh, feeling their familiar power surge through me as the blades glowed a bright white. “Here, take this bag.” I handed her my satchel, and she slung it over her shoulder.

“Thanks a bunch, Pound,” Nami said, a hint of determination in her voice.

“Are you serious? Nice going, Pound! You just committed treason against Mama!” Brulee spat, her tone sharp and accusatory.

“But I didn’t mean to,” Pound stammered, glancing between Nami and Brulee as if trying to gauge the situation.

“You’re dead to us, and soon you’ll be just dead,” Brulee hissed, her voice dripping with malice as she struggled to regain her footing.

Before she could recover, Nami took a step forward, her expression fierce. “Let’s end this!” With a swift motion, she released her Thunderbolt Tempo, the powerful strike illuminating the darkened mirror world. The bolt connected with Brulee, who shrieked in surprise and pain, her body convulsing as the electric energy coursed through her.

Brulee’s form began to shimmer and fade, slowly sinking back into the mirror world, unconscious. “Way to go, Nami!” I exclaimed, patting her on the back as relief washed over me.

“Thanks!” she said, a triumphant grin spreading across her face.

I moved toward where my sword had fallen, retrieving it from the ground and securing it behind me once more. With my sword and blades firmly in place, I felt a sense of readiness surge through me. “That reminds me, are you one of Lola’s friends?” Pound asked, glancing at Nami with curiosity.

Nami nodded, pulling out the Vivre Card that Lola had given her. The card glowed faintly in response to the mention of her friend, causing the surrounding Homies to back away, their eyes wide with recognition.

“Looks like that answers that,” I said, smirking at Nami’s cleverness. “I’ll make sure to put it to good use,” she teased, her confidence growing as she brandished the card like a weapon.

Sanji POV… 

Night had fallen as I gazed out of the castle window from my room, the cool breeze rustling through the curtains. I stared up at the sky, my mind wandering, unable to find peace. My thoughts inevitably drifted to Y/N—the woman I cared for more than I could express. "Has she eaten?" I thought, concern gnawing at me. "Is she safe?" The idea of her trapped in this twisted arrangement made my blood boil. It was cruel, forcing Y/N into this nightmare, using King and those she loved as leverage.

And the worst part? "She doesn't even know." I growled under my breath, taking a drag from my cigarette, the smoke swirling around me in the dimly lit room. The weight of it all pressed on my chest—the deception, the manipulation, the damn Vinsmokes. I couldn’t stand it.

"Trouble sleeping?" came a familiar voice from behind me.

I didn’t bother turning around. “What do you want from me?” I muttered, flicking the ash off my cigarette.

"Give me some credit,” Reiju said, her voice soft but knowing. “Your big sister’s worried about her little brother.”

I scoffed at the sentiment. Worried? About me? That was hard to believe, especially considering everything. She moved closer, leaning against the wall beside me, but my eyes stayed focused on the stars above.

"You excited to see Ichiji and Niji tomorrow?" she asked, and my jaw clenched at the mention of those names. I could feel my blood boiling just thinking about them—the two bastards who had tormented me my entire childhood. Memories flooded back—Ichiji's sneering face as he threw punches, Niji laughing as he kicked me when I was down.

They hadn’t changed. And now Ichiji had dragged Y/N into this mess, planning a wedding ceremony that was as forced as my own.

“It’s been thirteen years since the whole family’s been back together,” Reiju continued, trying to fill the silence, but I wasn’t in the mood for nostalgia. “Tomorrow’s going to be a very busy day. We’re meeting Big Mom at the Whole Cake Chateau for your engagement ceremony with Pudding...”

I nearly crushed the cigarette in my fingers, the rage bubbling up.

“...And then it’ll be Ichiji and Y/N’s engagement ceremony.”

Those words hit me like a punch to the gut. Y/N—my Y/N—was being thrown into a ceremony with that monster, and she didn’t even know the full extent of the situation. The thought of her standing there, unaware of the strings being pulled behind her back, made me sick.

“He’s already having an engagement ceremony without her being there in the first place!” I barked, turning to face Reiju, my voice full of venom. “He’s doing this to make it all look perfect while she’s being trapped in this nightmare!”

Reiju’s face remained impassive, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes. “It’s the way the Vinsmokes work, Sanji. It’s all a game to them.”

I gritted my teeth, my hands balling into fists. “It’s not a game to her. It’s not a game to me.”

There was silence between us for a moment, the tension heavy. My thoughts kept returning to Y/N—how she deserved more than this sick charade. The only thing keeping me going was the hope that we could find a way out of this before it was too late.

Taking another drag of my cigarette, I turned back to the moon, its pale light spilling into the room.Hang in there, Y/N. I thought silently, watching the smoke drift toward the open window. I’ll find a way to save you.

[hellmouthcity]

QUICK FIX - Nebula x Reader

details: fluff oneshot , fem/nby reader. this is somewhat of an AU where nebula sticks around after yondu’s death for a bit

summary: you’re an electrical engineer temporarily hired by the guardians for ship repairs and general weapon tinkering. nebula’s cybernetic arm has been acting up a little lately, so it’s a good thing you’re around to help! if she’ll let you.

You never thought being on a spaceship for not even a month would drive you this insane.

A few weeks back, you got a request to stay on a ship for a little while to be around for emergency repairs, since this band of weirdos seemed to always be having emergencies. When you saw it was the Peter Quill who wanted to hire you, you immediately accepted. Who hasn’t heard of them! It isn’t every day you get to hang out with the Guardians of the freakin’ Galaxy, even if you were just the repair guy.

Unfortunately, the crew here was just as unstable as their ship. It was a wonder how they didn’t blow the whole thing up from impromptu ‘weapon tests’, which consisted of the guardians firing blasters at each other in some twisted game of tag. They were a little rowdy for your taste, but you all got on well enough.

Peter, despite his douchery, was actually a pretty normal guy. He even liked to joke and have fun like your friends back home. He cared a lot about his ship, which you found a little respect in. He’d instruct you on the problems, and you’d find a solution. That always earned you a high-five or a pat on the back. The others seemed to tolerate him, especially Gamora. Your interactions were short and sweet, but she was kind. You noticed her get a little looser whenever Quill was around. It was gross in a sweet way.

On the other hand, Gamora’s sister was as far as you could get from social. She hasn’t said a word to you the entire time you were here. Sometimes you forgot she was even part of the team. On the rare occasions she’d leave her room, she was never around for long. You’d look at her as she passed by sometimes, wondering what she was like under her intimidating black eyes and cold shell.

You didn’t think about that for too long. You could tell her friendship had to be earned, like a wild animal that you had to let come to you. She seemed to be having a few problems lately. Technical difficulties. You heard from Rocket that her cybernetic arm [which you still think is insanely cool] has some problems shifting to weaponry mode. You wondered if she’d approach you about that.

Right now, you were fixing an airlock malfunction at the main port. It was having a problem with sealing properly after it closed. Yet another emergency. With oxygen escaping, and all that. At this point, you were used to all the high-pressure and near life-threatening circumstances. You just worked with your space visor on, which was coming in more and more handy these days. Everyone was in their respective rooms. You were alone out here at last!

There was one little problem though - your blowtorch was fresh out of juice. If only there were someone on this ship with a blowtorch arm modification! And if only it WORKED!!!

You exhaled through your nose at the thought of Nebula suddenly turning up to offer her help. It was the most unlikely thing in the galaxy, probably. No way that would happen. Just as you stood to go inform Quill about you issue, you nearly bumped directly into the girl you least expected to see.

“Ah- geez! You snuck up on me!!” You exclaim, surprised that she seemed to have indirectly read your thoughts. Nebula just looked at you, black eyes seeming to pierce right through you. You shivered. Looks like you had to do the talking. “Um. I’m trying to fix the air lock, but my blowtorch just ran out,” you explained, pulling the trigger to demonstrate. No flame came out. “...and last I checked, there’s no fuel for this on the ship. So, I kind of hit a dead end.”

Still, Nebula said nothing. For a moment, you wondered if she was even capable of speech. Then you heard a weird kind of… grinding sound. Both of your attentions drifted down to Nebula’s arm as it sparked and jittered in an odd way. She grunted, smacking it with her other hand. It sparked even harder, and eventually stopped moving altogether. She couldn’t even move her fingers. She let out a noise of rage, shaking the immobile part. You couldn’t hold in a little giggle. Her head snapped up to face you, and you instantly went silent.

“Is this funny to you?” Nebula demanded, voice deep and serious. You hadn’t heard her voice before. It was powerful and threatening. She meant business, and it felt like you wore pyjamas to the interview. You took a step backwards, a little worried for your own safety. She may not have a functional arm blaster, but she could still knock your lights out.

“No, no, sorry. Very serious.” You said quickly, avoiding her glare. She let out a short sigh, now more closely examining her malfunctioned part. You looked, too. If only she’d let you get in there, you could fix it… “You know, I could try and help you out with that.” You offered nervously, hoping she wouldn’t just turn around storm off.

“What makes you think I need your help?” The luphomoid snapped, jerking her head at you. You dropped your gaze a little. You kind of expected this reaction.

“Well, it’s just… it could be a little hard to repair one-handed, if you planned on doing it yourself.” You tried to reason. She looked at you, eyes narrowed like this was a trick.

“I’m perfectly capable of doing this on my own.” She told you firmly. You nodded, stepping back a little further in surrender.

“Right, understood. Just keep in mind I’m here if you ever need help.” You hoped she’d change her mind, but she wasn’t there with you yet. She just strode past you in the direction of her room, on her way to independently repair her own arm like the badass she is. You smiled to yourself, finding this cyborg a little silly. You crouched back down and decided to take a break. You’d continue in a little. And who knows? Maybe Nebula would change her mind.

Not even 15 minutes later, you heard footsteps heading in your direction. You looked up from the wrench you were adjusting to see Nebula had, as predicted, made a return. It seems she had no such luck in making the repair on her own. She was purposely avoiding looking at you, [working] fist clenched. She was embarrassed!! You decided to pretend like you weren’t expecting it.

“Oh? Back so soon? I would’ve thought you were going to fix your arm yourself!” You teased from where you sat, a little smug. “After all, you’re perfectly capable of doing it yourself.”

“Quiet!” She shouted, making you flinch. Okay, so Nebula’s not a fan of playful sarcasm. Noted. “You offered a service free of charge to me. I would be a fool to decline it.” You looked up at her, nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, that’s true. Glad you came to your senses.” Carefully, like you were trying not to spook a feral creature, you stood. “I knew you couldn’t resist me.” You joked, and Nebula scoffed. She tried to roll her eyes, though it wasn’t exactly noticeable.

“Just do your job.” She spoke bluntly. You offered a smile and started to reach for her arm so you could examine it. She instantly jerked back and you retracted your hand.

“Well, I kind of can’t if you won’t let me see what’s up.” You tried to explain. Nebula’s eyes darted between your eyes and your hand, and she relaxed her shoulders just a little, almost an apologetic look drifting over her face before it was replaced with her signature cold neutrality. Slowly, she approached you and raised her arm, almost defensively. You cautiously reached out and started feeling for some sort of seam where a section could be unscrewed, but this was an odd piece of machinery. It was segmented in a lot of different ways in a lot of different places, so you weren’t really sure how to get a peek inside.

Nebula seemed to notice your confusion, so she sighed and rotated her arm so that her palm was facing upwards. On the underside, you saw a larger rectangle that stood out a bit from the rest of the metal. You quickly bent to collect a tool from your set, then stood to pry the covering off. And wow, was it even more complicated on the inside. You were used to things like this, though. Artificial automation is your jam. It didn’t take long to find the issue.

“Found your problem! Your hydraulic springs have popped out a little. I’m guessing these are what enable your arm to transition so smoothly to different physical states. If these springs undergo a lot of winding up then unwinding in a rapid manner, they can accidentally pop loose and you have to reset them.” You explained, motioning to the issue as you described it. Nebula watched intently as you spoke. “And as for the lack of movement, one of your circuits got tripped. Too much power started flowing through it, I’m guessing when you tried to force your arm to shift. Maybe don’t do that again, for future reference.”

“I see. Can you fix it?” She demanded rather than asked. You went down again to get another tool, returning with a thumbs up upon standing upright again.

“I sure can. This won’t take long,” you went quiet as you went into focus mode, recoiling the spring and even tightening a few loose bolts in other areas. You flipped a breaker off and back on again, and her arm jolted back to life. After applying a little mechanical lubricant, you closed her arm back up. “All clear!”

You confirmed you were done with a little finger-gun motion. Nebula looked at you, then flexed her fingers, which all responded accordingly. Her eyes snapped back up at you in disbelief, and you grinned.

“What did I tell you? I’m good at what I do.” You decided to toot your own horn just a little. But now it was time for the real test. Could her arm shift successfully? The panels and segments started to shift around and change, rounding where her hand was into a little cylinder-like structure. She twitched, and a small, blue flame sprouted from the tip. You looked up at her with wide eyes.

“You were trying to help me this whole time..?” You asked, stunned. She looked away from you, like she was checking if anyone else was near. The coast was clear.

“Guess we’re even.” Nebula said in a different tone that her previous harsh words. Your face crackled into a smile.

“Aw, thanks Neb-”

“If you let anyone one know I won’t hesitate to throw you into space myself. Understood?” She glared directly into your soul, making sure you knew she was serious. But you didn’t feel so threatened anymore. You kept smiling.

“Understood.”