#why can't we just have one peaceful day on this island

[zorosangell]

⛥ﾟ・。 piña colada

synopsis: some women just can't take a hint... good thing Zoro's only got eyes for one girl.

cw: nsfw (oral: female receiving), this woman is really shameless, surprisingly tender Zoro, you two are so in love, kinda magical ngl, etc.

"Hey, there," a woman—who was in the tiniest bikini known to man—hummed, tone low as she approached the lounge chair. "I don't think I've seen you on this island before."

'For fuck's sake...'

Annoyed, Zoro let a heavy sigh out from his nose, not even bothering to glance in the girl's direction as his sunglasses shaded his harsh side eye.

You'd think after seeing eight other women walk dejectedly away from his umbrella, the others would catch the hint?

"Not interested," he stated, curtly, hands firmly tucked behind his head as he looked out to sea.

The woman chuckled, softly, completely ignoring his comment and taking a seat in the sand.

She sat criss-crossed, dropping her hands in her lap and using her arms to slightly push her tits together, attempting to endearingly lean closer to your swordsman.

"Don't be so hasty," she sweetly smiled, taking his rudeness in stride. "Haven't even given me the chance to speak."

"Well, that's 'cause I really don't give a shit what you say otherwise," he sighed, shutting his eyes.

"I can name ten other men off the top of my head that would beg to differ," she countered, slyly.

"I'm not other men."

"You certainly aren't..."

'Walked right into that one.'

His brows flattened, and for a moment he wondered if this was a real person talking, slightly glancing around to see if he could find a camera crew of some sort.

Yet, to his surprise, there was none.

"I have a girlfriend," he dealt the finishing blow, delivering the final line that scared away all the other women from before.

He could finally get some peace and quiet.

"I don't see her here," the woman shrugged, simply, as if what he just said made no difference to her.

Zoro threw his head back with an irritated groan, wanting nothing more than to drop kick the woman away and go back to napping.

This was all Luffy and Usopp's fault.

The crew had been docked on a tropical summer island for a few days, and for all of them, you and Zoro had gone down to the beach together and lounged in the sun—tanning, napping, eating, and drinking in rotation.

But on that particular day, the boys had whisked you away to go explore some cove they found on the beach's edge, leaving your swordsman to fend off the wolves by himself.

And at first, it wasn't that bad.

The girls that approached were polite and had pure intentions, and actually respected his wishes when he said he was uninterested.

But numbers four through eight?

Hell, the woman sitting next to him?

Less so.

"Are you deaf or somethin'?" he asked, brows furrowed as he sat up, not appreciating her comment at all. "I already told you, I'm not interested. So get lost."

"Oh, c'mon," she rolled her eyes with a laugh. "There's no way you actually have a girlfriend. No girl in her right mind would leave her man alone on a beach like this, especially if he was as handsome as you."

"Maybe that's why she's my girlfriend and you're not," he scoffed, sarcastically.

Her brow twitched, the remark clearly striking a nerve as her posture suddenly straightened, her sickeningly sweet tone turning sour in a second.

"Well then, maybe your girlfriend can step up and we can see who's really the shit," she spat, standing from her spot in the sand. "Since she's so fuckin' great, let's see how she fares in a fight."

A smirk rose to the woman's lips, her hand coming to rest cockily on her hip.

"I might not look it, but I'm this island's martial arts champion... And I've yet to lose a fight. So let's see how she does with her face in the sand."

Zoro paused a moment, almost disbelieving, lifting up his sunglasses and taking a breath to see if the woman was serious.

She was.

Deadly serious, actually.

'HA!'

The man threw his head back in a burst of uproarious laughter, the sound causing the woman to jolt with surprise, and slight fear.

She'd never seen his expressions range anything past annoyance, so seeing him so amused seemed almost uncanny, especially since he was nearly howling with hilarity.

But he couldn't help himself.

You, the woman with a bounty over one billion?

You, the woman with the devil fruit of the personified spirit of death?

You, the woman who has fought literal monsters with her bare hands?

Lose to a random martial arts lady on a peaceful summer island?

It was almost too much.

The woman's brows furrowed, face warming at the mockery.

"The hell's so funny?!" she huffed with a childish pout.

Attempting to regain his composure, he wiped a tear from his eye, slightly clutching his stomach as his laughs died down.

"She'd fuckin' kill you," he chuckled, shoulders bobbing. "Like actually."

Furious, the woman broke into a long-winded tirade about why she would win... or how badly you would lose... or something along those lines.

If he was being honest, he zoned out the moment she started talking, something more interesting seeming to catch his eye.

You.

Like a dog with a bone, he watched, mesmerized, as you made your way over, hips looking ripe and tender for the grabbing.

'Goddamn...'

After days in the sun, you'd developed a delectably smooth tan, the sunscreen you had him apply earlier giving your skin an alluring shine.

Eyes scanning over your body, he took in the light (f/c) of your bikini, which had a few complimentary, (o/c) flowers decorating its corners, along with the waist beads resting lazily over your stomach, not to mention the gold anklets and bracelets that littered your ankles and wrists.

You looked good enough to eat—a thought he didn't mind indulging in later.

"Hey! Are you listening to me?" the woman continued pestering him, her hand coming up to rest on his bicep.

Huge mistake.

Faster than she could even see, Zoro grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand off and staring her down with a deadly glare, his patience long since run thin.

The woman froze, fear slowly creeping into her chest at the sharpness of his eyes.

He looked like he had half the mind to slit her throat right there.

"I'm only gonna tell you this one last time..." he warned, tone leaving no room for argument. "Get. Lost."

Roughly, he let go of her, and she quickly scrambled to her feet, scurrying back over to the safety of her friend's towel just as you arrived.

"Hey, Zo'!" you chirped, taking a seat on your swordsman's lap as you took a sip of your cocktail, which was in a cut-off coconut.

"Hey, pretty," he greeted with a smirk, placing a kiss on your neck. "Whatchu got there?"

"Some kinda coconut-rum drink," you answered, plucking the pineapple off the rim and taking a bite out of it. "The guy at the bar called it a Piña Colada."

Zoro nodded, "S'it any good?"

"Might be a bit too sweet for you," you shrugged, holding it out to him. "But try it."

Leaning forward, he sipped a bit from the straw, his nose scrunching slightly.

It was incredibly sweet.

"Yeah, I figured as much," you giggled, amused by his expression as you took it back. "By the way, who was that girl that went running away from here? She looked scared."

Slightly, you leaned over to glance at her, who was sitting not too far away, and raised a brow as she quickly turned around, terrified by your gaze. 

'The hell?'

"Was she in trouble or somethin'?"

Zoro chuckled, knowingly, his hand sliding up your side to give your hip a lackadaisical squeeze. 

"Nah," he shook his head, finally leaning back and allowing himself to relax in the chair. "Just needed help takin' a hint."

"So... I miss anything while you were on your trip with Luffy?" Zoro asked with a smile, slowly gliding his oar through the sparkling ocean.

You lit up with excitement, suddenly reminded of the events of the day.

"I wish I dragged you along! You woulda loved it," you sighed, leaning back in your spot in the canoe. "Turns out this island isn't as peaceful as we thought. When we went to the edge of the beach, we found tons of monster-sized crabs and lobsters, all of them strong as hell."

You smirked, holding up your fist.

"Me an' Luffy made a game over who could beat the most, while Usopp kept count. And we ended up in a draw."

'Damn.'

That blew his day fighting off women right out the water.

He should've gone with you.

"What about you? Anything interesting happen while I was away?" you asked.

"Eh," he shrugged, moving his oar to the other side. "Nothin' worth mentioning. My day was honestly pretty boring."

But he was hoping to change that.

While you were gone, he found Nami and Robin on the beach, and managed to weave through theirs sea of admirers in order to ask some advice.

Things had been going really great between the two of you, and since you were always so good with surprising him with gifts and gestures, he wanted to try his hand at it.

Of course, he had no idea where to begin.

And while Nami was little to no help, spending most of the time talking his ear off about how brutish and hopeless he was, Robin recommended taking you out to the nearby cove for a romantic night.

So, after scrounging up his island allowance and buying some booze and a canoe, he swept you away, all of the day's tribulations fading to the back of his mind as he watched you sit down in his lap.

"Y'know, this is really sweet of you, Zoro," you smiled, your fingers carefully tracing the scar across his chest. "Makin' me feel all special..."

He nodded, eyes raking over your face with an almost analytical look.

God, you were so fuckin' pretty.

It was almost baffling.

If he wasn't in this canoe—

"Figured you deserved something nice," he cleared his throat, warding off the less than decent thoughts creeping into his head.

He couldn't keep the romance up if he was too busy thinking about jumping your bones.

But little did he know... you were thinking the same thing.

Shifting your position, you rested your knees on either side of him, smoothly moving to bury your face in his neck, placing firm, meaningful kisses on his flesh. 

Instinctively, the man leaned into your touch, one of his hands coming up to steady you at the small of your back, while the other continued to paddle.

Gliding your manicured hands up his body, you rested them on his strong shoulders, using them for purchase as you continued to nip at him.

His chest rumbled with a deep hum at the feeling, relishing in the way your lips felt against his pulse point, sucking a hickey onto his skin.

Yet, just as it was getting good, you pulled away with a soft pop, moving to obscure his view of the water.

"I'm blockin' you. You can't see. What're we gonna do?" you grinned, cheekily, continuing to move in front of him as he tried to peer around you. "Oh, my Gods, we're gonna crash."

He looked up at you with a small smirk and a raised brow, amused, as you continued your antics.

"Oh, no. What's gonna happen?"

Suddenly, his hand roughly pulled you into his side, a soft squeal leaving your lips as he chuckled, allowing you to wrap your arms around his neck and continue your kissing assault while his two hands returned to the oar.

Nuzzling into the crook of his neck, you peppered lazy kisses on his skin, your hand coming up to card through the hairs at the base of his neck.

Tenderly, Zoro placed a few kisses of his own on your shoulder, his eye perking at the sight of your destination.

Robin had given him impossibly thorough instructions on how to get there, which is the only reason why you two hadn't miraculously made it to the next island.

"Hey..." he lightly nudged you as the boat approached the shore. "We're here."

Lifting your head, you carefully flew out his lap, touching down on the dry sand as he hopped into the shallow water, walking around to the back and pushing the canoe onto the shore.

"Oh, wow," you gasped, in awe at the beauty laid before you. "This is beautiful! Look at the view"

The moon hovered over the water, making the waves crystallize like diamonds below, just as the stars in the ink-black sky.

The sea breeze wafted your hair and cooled the sweat on your body from the heat of the day.

It felt good to get away from people, the serenity too nice to put off.

Suddenly, Zoro scooped you up, you in one arm and the case of booze in the other as he began walking toward the cove.

"It gets better," he smirked, leading you over to where the tall rocks flattened out and arched upward, turning themselves into a natural cabana.

Placing you down, he quickly gathered some sticks from nearby, before bringing them back and starting a fire.

And as he did so, you couldn't help but marvel at his body, thick, corded muscle flexing and extending under his skin at each minute movement, looking delicious enough to bite.

And that wasn't the blood-sucker in you talking.

You sighed in contentment as you tipped your head up towards the sky, admiring the stars twinkling above

Finishing up, Zoro plopped down beside you and threw an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his side with a proud smile.

"Nice, right?" he chuckled.

You lazily nodded, wanting to stay there forever—among the water, stars, and him.

You peered up at him through your lashes, hesitant to speak in fear of ruining the moment.

Slowly, he wrapped his arms around you, engulfing you in them. And you let yourself be pulled into him, sighing when your head met the crook of his shoulder.

You embraced him back, crushing your breasts against his hard chest. 

There, you two stayed, holding each other, linked together like magnets.

"You smell nice," he murmured into your skin, taking a deep inhale of you. "Like coconut."

You smiled, shyly, warmth rising to your cheeks at the compliment.

And after a few silent seconds, he pulled away from you, his eyes dark as the night sky.

"I'm gonna kiss you," he stated, curtly, his gaze alight with enamor.

You didn't get to say a reply, too preoccupied with the lips pressing against yours.

The kiss was hungry, your lips moving against each other's like you both were starving for one another.

And you were.

You could tell Zoro wanted the same thing you did when his hands moved below your waist to squeeze your ass, the feeling making you moan into his mouth.

He replied with his own grunt and pulled away, his eyes glazed over with lust.

"I wanna see you," he stated, his voice a deep rumble.

There was a molten tenderness in his gaze that had you shivering in pleasure and anticipation, wondering what else he had in store for you.

So you stripped.

Catching the hint, your hands glided up your back, pulling the string of your bikini top and letting your breasts fall out of the cups, along with the strings to your bottoms.

Zoro's eyes raked over the sight of you as if you were a piece of art he was admiring in a museum.

"Shit," he softly hissed to himself, amazed at the sight of your brown, hardened nipples.

You softly whimpered at his calloused hands caressing your sensitive breasts, causing him to move on to other matters.

He leaned in and latched his lips onto one of your nipples, where he began to suckle on.

You threw your head back to stare at the endless sky, your mouth open in an O as pleasured moans fell from your lips.

You couldn't help yourself, especially when Zoro began to suckle and flick his tongue along the sensitive bud of your nipple, his hand kneading your other breast in the process.

Then he switched, giving your other breast the same treatment.

Your hands found his hair, your fingers aimlessly wandering through the green strands.

You were ruining its somewhat even style, but he didn't seem to care.

He was more concerned with nibbling along your nipple, making you sharply inhale before your voice choked on a broken moan.

You couldn't take it.

All of this was going straight to your core, which was now throbbing and begging for attention between your thighs. 

"Please, Zo'..." you whined, gripping his hair. "I need you to touch me."

With a cocky smile, the man nodded, slowly leaning forward to lay you down in the sand.

Your eyes flitted up to the torch lit beach across the water, realizing any eagle-eyed person could come out and see you naked.

"Wait... what if someone sees us?" you asked, uncharacteristically timid.

A devious smirk rose to his lips, and he pressed a reassuring kiss on your lips.

"Let 'em... They'll be in for a show."

Gently, he pried your thighs open, revealing your sobbing, wet core.

You watched his face change from playful to downright feral as he stared at your cunt.

You flushed at his expression.

'Gods, give me strength...'

"Zoro, I'm serious—"

He shushed you, leaning forward to press wet kisses along your inner thighs.

"No more talkin', pretty," he growled against them. "All I wanna hear is my name on your lips."

He continued to pepper you thighs in kisses while his hands pinned your legs apart, his hold on you firm.

He didn't want you hiding from him.

And it felt good.

You didn't stop him when he dove right into your pussy, first peppering your lips and clit in open-mouthed kisses as if he was making out with them.

It had been so long since the two of you'd gotten intimate like this, you nearly forgot the way the man worked his mouth.

Especially when he started to flick his tongue against your clit.

His tongue swirled around it and flicked it gently based on your responses.

And shit, you were responding well.

Your body couldn't help but react pleasantly to the sensations—your toes curling; your back arching; your eyes fluttering shut; your mouth falling open into an O as moans and gasps fell from your lips.

Zoro was not only good with his tongue, but good with his hands.

He reached up and played with your titties, tweaking and pinching your nipples according to your verbal cues.

"H-Harder, please!" you begged, to which he pinched the hard, brown peaks a little harder, the burst of pain making you gush all over his lips.

"Fuck, Zo'," you moaned. "That feels so good..."

Zoro hummed approvingly into your cunt, the vibrations making your clit quiver pleasurably.

"Keep feelin' good for me, pretty," he said between the wet flicks of his tongue on your rosebud. "Lean back and wrap your thighs around my head f'me."

Before you could even say anything, he was already tugging you closer by your ankle, earning a squeal from you.

He stood on his knees for a moment, taking you in.

His lust-blown eyes trailed up and down your naked form, drinking in every part of you.

Then he inhaled deeply, as if struggling to process the sight in front of him.

"Christ, you're so fuckin' gorgeous," he huskily said.

You had no idea what to say to that.

All you could do was shyly smile up at him as he stared down at you, both of you enchanted with each other.

Then he was ducking back down and throwing your thighs across his shoulders with ease, wrapping your legs around his head.

This gave him better access to your pussy so he could easily tongue-fuck you.

As soon as you felt the wet muscle entering your wet folds and his nose brush against your clit you were in heaven.

Your eyes rolled into the back of your head and your hands found his hair, gripping the blonde strands as your hips began to grind shamelessly into his face.

"Mmm-hmmm," he hummed approvingly, keeping up the pace.

He didn't pause or slow down.

He continued to work your pussy just how you wanted, making you see stars behind your eyelids and cry to the moon above.

It didn't take long for that feeling of release to dawn on you.

You couldn't help it.

His tongue just felt too good.

Plus, the atmosphere and the whole idea of getting caught in such a risque position turned you on more than you'd like to admit.

Zoro must've realized you were close because his jaw started to move fast, accompanying his tongue-fucking with porn-worthy grunts of his own that nearly threw you over the edge.

"Fuck, Zoro!" you whined. "M'gonna come!"

Eagerly, he hummed into your pussy, pulling his tongue out of your hole and proceeding to suck on your clit while his finger began to stroke the outside of your slit, barely touching your insides.

But it was enough to push you further and further down that road to releasing all over him.

His darkened eyes flicked up to yours, staring you down between your thighs.

"Come for me," he demanded. "Come for me, baby. Don't fuckin' hold back."

He grinned up at you, his eyes glistening in the moonlight.

He attached his mouth to your pussy again, and ran it until you couldn't help but fall over the edge.

"Come for me," he groaned into your cunt, becoming gradually louder as your moans reached higher pitches. "Come for me. Come for me. Come for me."

And you finally did.

That tight knot in your core finally snapped and a wave of euphoria washed over you as you came all over Zoro's face and eager lips with a loud moan.

You saw the entire galaxy and beyond as your pussy gushed, your body shivering and shuddering.

Your back arched and your hips widened into Zoro's face, trying to keep as much of the feeling going as possible.

When it finally faded, you were left feeling tired, spent, and oh-so good.

Zoro lazily cleaned you up, taking care to not overstimulate you as he ran his tongue over your sensitive, twitching core.

Then he lifted his head up away from your thighs, giving you a peak of his chin and mouth shining in your juices.

With the moon in his glazed eyes, he hummed to himself.

"You taste better than the rum."

[loomsims]

Girl.....🚬

The newest and biggest development on the island since Edwards temporary departure, is the construction of Niamh and Mavericks new home! Since Niamh is currently PREGNANT and in a committed (?) relationship with Maverick, they have decided to move in together. I'm not sure how committed Niamh is to the relationship though, because as soon as Edward said hello she kissed this man RIGHT on the lips in front of her NEW man!

[flying-fangirls]

As a music, religion, and literature nerd, the Dies Irae has been one of my favorite go-to pieces of trivia for a long time, which means that this line:

Has been driving me batshit BONKERS since part 42! And also as a semi-professional media analysis yapper, I figured I might as well dive into the exact reasons I jumped up and audibly gasped upon first hearing this line and have subsequently lost my mind since then. So!

Here is why I think that the Dies Irae is the perfect analogy for John and Arthur:

Religion

Let's start with the most straightforward meaning: "Dies Irae" is a Latin term, and it translates to the "Day of Wrath." Or otherwise known as the Judgement Day, the foretold second coming in Catholic canon, when Christ will "come again in glory to judge the living and the dead." It's at this Last Judgement where God will wield perfect justice to send the worthy to everlasting peace and the unworthy to everlasting punishment. (everyone say "thank you" to excessive childhood Catholic lessons for burning this into my brain)

There's a kind of irony to the fact that Arthur so vehemently rejects Christianity and religion as a whole, and that John spends much of his arc trying to distance himself from the role/identity of a god, yet both are given this incredibly religious title, effectively restricting them from ever forgetting the presence/influence of religion in their lives.

This title has a couple layers though, because we have to consider why it's the Day of Wrath specifically that represents Arthur and John. Now, I don't think I have to tell you that those two are bursting with anger 80% of the time. But I am going to tell you that those two are not just angry, but moreso "divine fury" incarnate.

The Day of Wrath, the Final Judgment, is the final and eternal judgment of God on all: "For now before the Judge severe / all hidden things must plain appear; / no crime can pass unpunished here." (Dies Irae, Dies Illa). The final Judge, the all-powerful God, can see the objective morality of every single person, and is thus the sole, rightful determiner of fate.

This assumption of their right to perfectly and single-handedly decide others' worthiness shows up over and over, not just John and Arthur's actions, but also in how they describe these judgments.

When Arthur kills the widow on the island, it's not because she was dangerous, but because she was a cultist who "deserved" to be punished.

When John and Arthur need to get rid of Mr. Scratch's stone, John says they should give it to "criminals" who are "deserving of this curse." Even though, just moments before, Arthur refused to give the stone to Oscar because to do so would be to cursing him to a fate of eternal suffering.

And I can't go into every single detail about the entire Larson plotline because this post would double in size, but it obviously needs to be included here. Possibly the strongest tie between this arc and the idea of the Dies Irae is Arthur's conviction through it all. Arthur vows that he is going to kill Larson in divine retribution not because he wants to, but because he has to. He even goes so far as to admit that killing Larson will be a mistake, a cruel and overly-bloodthirsty action that goes against his compassion. But killing Larson isn't a choice to Arthur, it is the unavoidable punishment for Larson's sins and Arthur is simply the enactor of justice. Just like the Final Judgment, there is no sympathy, no hesitancy— the judgment is absolute, divinely ordained, and cannot be stopped no matter how undeniably horrific it is.

If we look at the Catholic Catechism, principle 2302 states that it is sinful to kill out of desire, but that it is "praiseworthy to impose restitution" and use violence to "maintain justic." So even if Arthur has intent to kill, his actions count as divinely sanctioned. He is acting as the hand of God's punishment.

Over the course of Season 3 and 4, Arthur's fiery rage dies down to a more gentle simmer, but his conviction only seems to grow, and John follows suit. Despite previously reprimanding Arthur for his unquestioning wrath, John eventually becomes just as convinced that Larson "deserves" to face a wrathful reckoning. The "fact" that Larson is wholly unforgivable and is fated to receive eternal punishment becomes more indisputable in their minds, and they both stop questioning the morality of their intentions, entirely convinced of their judgment.

Throughout the story, Arthur and John insist upon the importance of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, and say that these are the values that guide their every action. Yet, time and time again, they approach certain people with nothing but wrath and resentment. It's a sharp contrast to the benevolent figures they make themselves out to be, and Arthur and John are often blind to the contradiction because, in their eyes, they are still following those values in every action. And in the moments when they do recognize their horrific words or actions, they still cannot let their judgment go, convinced that it is their "duty" either way.

In Part 35, Arthur says "Just because you can't make the hard decision, doesn't mean it's wrong." This is exactly how John and Arthur view themselves. They know that some of their actions are harsh and violent and painful, but they are don't view that violence as wrong, because they are enacting that violence in justice. They move through life with carefully-selected destruction, culling the world of those they view as unforgivable sinners, and punishing them with divine righteousness. Arthur and John carry righteous fury in their every step, bringing the Day of Wrath down upon the world around them.

Now, there's already a ton of meaning just in this religious allusion alone. However, there's another application of the Dies Irae in modern culture, which brings us to the second side of this title:

Music

Back in the 13th century (sounds like a familiar setting...), friar Thomas of Celano wrote a poem for and about the Dies Irae. The poem was recited at Requiem Mass (church services to honor the dead), and it ended up being set to a Gregorian chant tune.

Over time, this melody has been used by a variety of composers, but the one we're focused on is Hector Berlioz. In 1837, Berlioz used the Dies Irae melody as part of his narrative symphony, Grand Messe de morts, in order to communicate that the main character had died. Then a lot of other composers saw that and said "Hey that's a cool idea!", and started also using this melody to represent death in their music. Nowadays, it's a fairly staple part of modern film and musical storytelling. If you've listened to literally any major soundtrack, then there's a good chance you've heard this motif (or a variation of it) used before. It's often subtle, sometimes loud and obvious, but no matter what, it reveals the inevitable presence of death. (essentially, the Dies Irae=death)

Now, obviously there's something tragically ironic about Arthur being likened to a musical motif when he tries so hard to distance himself from it, and there's something tragically ironic about John being associated with such a dark piece of music when he shows so much fascination and joy toward the art. Again, though, we've got some layers here. Yorick doesn't just compare Arthur and John to the Dies Irae, he literally defines them as the Dies Irae, a full embodiment of it.

Even before the story started, Arthur lost both of his parents, his friend and wife, his daughter, and his best friend.

John, when he was part of the King in Yellow, knew only how to harm and attack. In the Dark World, he falls back on this fearful lashing out with violence, harming even more people.

And throughout the story, John and Arthur seem to bring devastation to everyone else around them: Lilly the buopoth, Oscar, Noel, Collins, Daniel, Larson and Yellow.

The arrival of Dies Irae musical motif in a film always indicates that death is approaching or that is has already struck— a host carrying its blight to spread onto others. Just like the musical motif, the arrival of Arthur and John foretells the near-arrival of death. They play a duet together— John and Arthur, and death— always singing and dancing around and with each other.

These two never succumb to death, always finding a way to slip through its fingers and survive every situation. But they cannot escape death's presence because they are death's partner— singing the melody to death's subtle harmony. They cannot escape death because they are its host— destined to carry and spread devastation to death's victims. From the moment you meet John and Arthur, you know that death is inevitably approaching just a step behind, waiting to strike you down.

Whether it's the religious or musical side, we can see that John and Arthur are the literal embodiment of these allusions. They carry these powers and ideas in their every action and word, in their every step, in their very breath and blood.

Arthur and John. The hands of God's justice. The enactors of divine fury.

Arthur and John. The hosts of blight and destruction. The partner of death's song.

The man himself. The voice inside his head.

The Day of Wrath. The Dies Irae.

[hiraya-rawr]

lover from another nation ~ hcs .

characters !! all the genshin men i could think of rn...

note !! it's been a while since i've written hcs for a lot! aaaah just some thoughts i had today (i had a few culture shocks here and there when i met up with new friends hahahah)

~ m o n d s t a d t ~

grabbing zhongli by the hand to dance and sing in the middle of the square because mondstadters live for the festivities! he quickly learns to freestyle dance along with you, moving with the crowd and cheers and wine. (remember that Tangled scene? yes)

kaveh wasn't sure how to react the day you ordered hard liquor on your first date. sure, your freedom and love for a good drink is one of the things which made him fall for you but wow– are you really gonna down that many glasses on a date? what do you mean you're still sober?

ayato finds himself in love with the way you sing. it doesn't follow the rules of inazuman opera at all; it's much more freeing (much like how his house help sings as he does chores) and you'd tell him stories and the history of your homeland in the form of songs. no mondstadter could ever forget the songs they grew up listening to!

heizou being almost appalled by your rather... robust and reckless nature. you don't have any backup plans whenever a situation goes south, you simply hold his hand, smile, and say "we go where the wind blows!"

~ l i y u e ~

diluc having chopsticks as part of your dining utensils because sometimes, you're more comfortable eating with it (let's not forget often having rice on the table! he must learn the joys of garlic rice with his steak <3)

dainsleif stays by your side as you offer incense and fruits to your ancestors. he whispers quiet prayers, bows when you do, and helps you clean their altars. he finds solace in the familial piety of liyuens– it makes him wish he could honor his ancestors with the same kind of peace as you do.

kazuha getting tongue tied over the language being so similar to inazuman but also so different– why are some of the characters the same? why are the meanings different? there's a bit of miscommunication in the start, but you both find your own ways to understand each other when words fail.

we all know gorou has always wanted to climb the mountains of liyue and you made it possible! meeting him by the docks and touring him around your home nation, you made sure to pick hiking routes with the most scenic spots, even managing to tour him around the jade palace and the floating lone island.

~ i n a z u m a ~

kaeya has no idea how you sit on the floor while being comfortable. you've made him sit with you once while reading a book, after that, his bones ached for days! shaking every time he stood back up!

albedo met you in the irodori festival- he painted you for practice and spark between you started. the long distance was difficult at first, but his long letters always had a little drawing of you and you'd send back the scent of cherry blossoms. klee would also send you letters, asking you to come visit soon!

childe loves a new fighting style; like most sword users in inazuma, you followed the raiden shogun's teachings– swift, efficient, and at one with the sword. he loves how you fight and it's often how you end your dates!

cyno was almost confident that you were playing a prank the day you said you'll make him your specialty and you showed him a platter of raw seafood. it's "sashimi and ngiri" you say, and he waited for you to explain the pun of your joke. it wasn't a joke.

~ s u m e r u ~

thoma is quite used to mondstadters and inazumans, two very different cultures, then he meets you and your sumeru upbringing! you show him how to cook foods that can be eaten with hands, and your menu is often so colorful he can't help but admire it!

itto doesn't really understand the study culture of sumeru, but he totally supports whatever it is you're talking about and tries to add in comments (his comments don't exactly make sense though...)

scaramouche, in his "path of redemption and healing", unwillingly gets involved with you as you show him around the beautiful parts of sumeru! you argue that he needs a different, better outfit with a color scheme that matches his vision. he insists that the hat stays. you tell him he looks like an aranara.

~ s n e z h n a y a ~

al haitham was almost concerned the day you got a heatstroke after being in the desert for no more than a few minutes. snezhnaya has prepared you for harsh weather, but never the heat. soon enough your lover is carrying around heatstroke-first aid packs just for you.

bundling up tighnari's fluffy ears before setting foot in snezhnaya because you just know the cold would practically freeze them off. his tail also gets wrapped and bundled warm in the large coats you wear, protection from the harsh snow. he says he looks like a big lummox.

note !! alright, choose your favorite dynamic! i personally think mondstadters with liyue/inazuma would be interesting maybe because i want to force feed them the joys of rice...

// if i misinterpreted a culture then umm... just know it wasn't intentional and let's consider it a real thing in teyvats culture 🫣😎

commissions || general m.list

taglist !! @absolut-wildflower @boundedbyfate @sadlonelybagel @eissaaaa @ladycoleigh @nejibot @milkypompon @bloodreaper08 @irethepotato @x-zho @roriver @mich-cola @mxsomn @ackrylik @nicebonescomrade @starforecasts @stygianoir @yuminako @eccedentesiast-sapphic @nebulaera @nuttytani @klutzkat @stygianoir14 @shizunxie @bluriie @aestellia @abyislan08

[cinnabunwanda]

I CANT HELP BUT LOVE YOU OKAY? ˗ˏˋ꒰ WANDA . MAXIMOFF꒱

content warning — Angst, Jealousy, Unwanted kiss

pairing — Fem reader x Wanda Maximoff

summary — Maria and Natasha argue over past relationships, while Natasha shares her feelings for Maria and advises Nat, a spy, to give it a chance. Natasha admits she needs Maria, while Bucky shares his first love experience.

word count — 1k

Maria and I are lounging on the plush couch in the main room, bathed in the soft glow of Netflix playing on the television. But our peaceful afternoon is quickly interrupted as Maria begins angrily chiding me for purposely trying to annoy her. It's not like I have anything better to do with my day since Wanda is out on a date with the robot.

"Y/n, can't you just go bother someone else?" Maria groans into the cushions of the couch.

"Why would I do that when I can just annoy you?" I giggle mischievously.

She retaliates by throwing a pillow at my head, causing me to dramatically fall off the couch and onto the floor. Maria bursts into a fit of laughter, finding humor in my clumsy theatrics.

"Ria, seriously!" I groan in mock pain.

"I wish I got that on video!" Maria continues to cackle.

I dust myself off and stand up, rolling my eyes at her. I plop down on the opposite couch from her, huffing in annoyance.

"What are you two up to?" Natasha saunters into the room, her signature smirk playing on her lips.

"Maria is abusing me, that's what!" I tattle on Maria.

Natasha's smile widens as she playfully leans over towards Maria. I can tell Maria is getting flustered by Natasha's flirtatious demeanor, and I find it absolutely adorable.

"Is this true, Hill?" Natasha asks with a tilt of her head.

"No- I mean yes, it is true, Romanoff," Maria stumbles over her words, trying to play it cool under Natasha's gaze.

As tensions rise between them, I nonchalantly interrupt their exchange with a question out of the blue.

"Have you two ever hooked up?"

Both women snap their heads towards me as if I had just shot them. Maria's eyes bulge out of her head while Natasha sports a cheeky grin.

"NO, GOD NO! Y/N, WE ARE JUST COLLEAGUES!" Maria blurts out in a panic.

Natasha's smile fades and she removes herself from the couch, adjusting her posture.

"Yeah, um, we haven't, no. As Maria said, we are just... colleagues," Natasha responds with a hint of sadness in her voice.

She turns and walks away, leaving me and Maria alone once again. This time, it's me tossing the pillow at Maria's head.

"Ow! What was that for?" She whines.

"What was that for? Are you kidding me? You just completely offended Nat! Colleagues, Ria? Not even friends? She had a huge smile on her face and then you say that!" I scold her.

Maria falls silent and looks towards the hallway where Natasha exited. She covers her face with her hands and groans before quickly getting up from the couch and running down the hallway, presumably to find Natasha.

"I am the Goddess of Love, I swear!" I mutter to myself as I rise from the couch and make my way over to the kitchen island.

"Well, I can't argue with that," Sam chuckles as he enters with Thor and Bucky trailing behind him.

"Lady Y/n isn't the Goddess of Love? Are you Lady Y/n?" Thor asks me as he takes a seat on one of the chairs in front of the counter.

"No, Thor, of course she is. She set up Tony and Pepper, Peter and MJ. Oh, and my personal favorite - she found her own soulmate with a robot!" Bucky adds sarcastically.

My eyes widen at the mention of Wanda. I hit Bucky's arm but end up hitting his metal one instead.

"Oops...wrong arm," I mutter, my thoughts drifting towards Wanda and the happiness she has found with Vision.

The word "Fuck" slipped out of my mouth, escaping on a groan under my breath.

"You know what you and Wanda should be doing? But instead, you blew that up. Just like the hard drive, just like the robot you set Wanda up with," Sam's voice cut in, filled with frustration and annoyance.

I winced as I held my hand in pain from where I had slammed it against the wall. "Can you guys please keep it down? I don't need Wanda overhearing this," I groaned.

But Thor's booming voice couldn't be contained. "Wait, so Lady Y/n likes Miss Witchy?" he asked incredulously.

I rolled my eyes, feeling exasperated. These guys are practically begging for Wanda to hear our conversation. Bucky simply nodded in agreement.

"What are you going to do about it, Lady Y/n?" Thor prodded as he casually picked up an apple.

"There's nothing I can do, Thor. She loves Vision and not me," I sighed dejectedly.

Suddenly, Natasha walked into the room, breaking the tension. I gave everyone a look that clearly said "don't say anything." Natasha scanned the room with her sharp eyes, but no one spoke. She was a spy after all - she could probably figure out we were hiding something. She opened her mouth to speak but I quickly interjected.

"Oh hey Nat, did you know Maria was looking for you?" I said with a forced smile.

Natasha didn't miss a beat. "Oh really? That's nice," she replied with a hint of sadness in her voice.

I knew she wanted to say something more, but before she could speak again I stopped her. "Hey listen, Nat. I'm going to give you some advice and you can take it or leave it. But trust me, it's coming from someone who knows what it's like to have a crush on someone who ends up with someone else. Don't make the same mistake I did and keep denying your feelings for Maria. She loves you, more than she loves me even. And I know I have feelings for you too, but not in the same way. Just give it a chance, what's the worst that can happen? You fall in love? You build a relationship together? Just go for it, or at least admit how you feel because I'm tired of watching you both deny your true feelings," I said firmly, my hand making a small bang as it hit the table.

Natasha was silent for a moment before she walked over to me and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back and she whispered into my ear, "Thank you Y/n/n. I love you too."

I squeezed her a little tighter before letting go. Sam and Thor left to help Natasha find Maria while Bucky stayed with me in the main room.

"You're a good person, Y/n. If Wanda can't see that, then it's her loss. You don't need her," Bucky tried to comfort me.

"But that's where you're wrong, Buck. I do need her. I'm addicted to her like a drug. She just doesn't love me back in the same way. But that's okay, I can love her from a distance," I explained, my voice filled with sadness.

"It's hard to get over your first love, always is," Bucky placed his hand on my shoulder in understanding.

I let out a heavy sigh and leaned into him, allowing myself to release some of the weight off my shoulders. He wrapped his arm around me in a comforting side hug.

"How did you get over yours?" I asked him curiously, hoping he could give me some advice.

Bucky hesitated before responding softly, "I don't think I ever really did."

Bucky's warm breath tickled my ear as he spoke, his deep voice fading into the night air. I could feel his heartache and understanding in his embrace. "I only got over mine recently and I am very old Y/n, you just have to move on and live your life the way you want to without them," he sighed, sending shivers down my spine.

"It was Steve right? Your first?" I looked up at him with a knowing gaze.

"Yes, it was. Actually, how did you know?" He asked, his blue eyes searching mine.

"Then you didn't get over him. I know you're trying to comfort me, but no need to lie to me Bucky. You love him and you and I both know that," I explained gently.

He unwrapped himself from our embrace and gave me a look that begged for understanding. But instead of showing sympathy, I sent him my famous smirk.

"I am not in love with Steve anymore, Y/n," Bucky insisted, standing his ground.

"Mmmhh hmmm, like I believe that," I giggled, looking up at him with a teasing glint in my eye.

"I'm serious! I can prove it," he replied quickly, determination set in his features.

"There's no point, Bucky. I know you-" Before I could finish my sentence, Bucky cut me off with a kiss.

For a moment, I was in shock and didn't respond. When realization hit me, I pulled away and wiped my lips in shock.

"I told you I didn't love Steve anymore," Bucky whispered, breathless from our brief kiss.

"Bucky, why would you kiss me? You know I love someone else. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression," I said in shock.

"Come on Y/n, we would be great together! We make each other laugh, we understand each other, we both went through Hydra. Wanda has someone else, let me be your someone else," Bucky pleaded, grabbing both of my hands in his.

"I can't, Bucky. I'm sorry-" I started to walk away, but Bucky grabbed my wrist.

"Y/n, I CAN'T HELP BUT LOVE YOU OKAY?" He screamed in my face, his frustration and desperation evident in his voice.

I stood there frozen in fear for a moment, never having seen Bucky so angry before. I pulled myself away from his grip and he immediately began apologizing.

"I am so, so sorry. I-I didn't mean to yell," he stammered, trying to apologize and follow me.

"No, stop Bucky. Leave me alone," I pushed him away, tears welling up in my eyes. "HEY, BACK OFF!" Wanda's voice echoed through the room.

She ran over and placed herself between me and Bucky, her powers already at work as red wisps formed around her fingers. Her eyes glowed with anger as she faced off against Bucky.

"Please stop, Wanda. I'm fine, just go cool off," I told Bucky firmly as Wanda guarded me from him.

"I'm sorry," Bucky muttered before walking out of the compound to cool down.

I wrapped my arms around Wanda and hugged her tightly, grateful for her protection. She was a little surprised by the sudden embrace but hugged me back without hesitation.

"Thank you, thank you," I whispered gratefully into her shoulder.

"Honey, are you okay?" Wanda asked, ignoring my thanks and wanting to make sure I was okay.

"I am now, Wands," I sighed into her touch, feeling calmer with every passing moment. We stayed like that for a few minutes until I began to relax under her comforting presence. Her hands played with my hair as I rested my head on her shoulder, taking in her familiar scent.

"Wanda, I have been called to do some lab duty, so I'm going to have to cancel our date," Vision's voice broke through the moment as he walked through the wall.

I started to pull away from Wanda, not wanting to cause any trouble for her and her boyfriend, but Wanda's grip on me tightened.

"Of course you do. You know what, Vision? Don't even bother trying to make up the last four cancelled dates at this point," Wanda said without even looking at him.

"Fine, I won't bother doing anything nice for us again," Vision stormed off back into the wall, leaving Wanda and I alone once more.

Wanda let out a weary sigh as I pulled away from her embrace. Looking into her eyes, I could see the sadness and disappointment etched in her features. She had always adored the robotic man who seemed to have no time for her anymore.

"Hey, what were you two supposed to do?" I asked the witch, trying to distract her from her thoughts.

"We were supposed to go to a restaurant, but it's fine," Wanda replied with a forced smile.

I stood there for a moment, unsure of how to comfort her. Then an idea struck me - why not take her out for the night? As I looked at Wanda, I couldn't help but notice how gorgeous she looked. She had clearly dressed up for this date that never happened.

"Stay here, I'll be back with a plan," I smiled at her before quickly running down the hallway to my room.

In a matter of minutes, I changed into an outfit and fixed my hair. Knowing Wanda's love for sitcoms, I decided to take her to an old American 50's diner. It might cheer her up and I've been wanting to take her there on a date for a while now.

As I walked out of my room with paper flowers in hand, I couldn't contain my excitement. Making my way down the hallway, I found Wanda waiting for me in the kitchen. She turned around and our eyes met.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" I asked with a big smile on my face.

"I-um yes, I am," she stumbled over her words, making me laugh.

"You okay, witchy?" I asked affectionately. "You look really pretty."

"Thank you. I was going to say the same earlier before the whole Bucky thing," she replied with a warm smile.

Her words made my heart skip a beat. And then I remembered the paper flowers in my hand.

"I know you've had a rough couple of weeks, so I made these for you a while ago. And I think now is the perfect time to give them to you," I nervously handed her the paper flowers.

Her smile widened as she took the flowers from my hands. I could see tears welling up in her eyes, and she looked like she had just been given a million dollars.

"You made these? For me?" She asked, looking up at me with adoration.

"Of course. Who else would I make them for, Wands?" I gazed into her beautiful eyes.

"For someone who deserves them, like Natasha or Bruce," she explained.

"Or you, Maximoff. You deserve them too. You deserve to be happy, just like everyone else," I placed a reassuring arm on her shoulder.

She took the flowers and carefully examined them before setting them down on the table. Then, she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

"Thank you. Nobody has ever said that to me," she mumbled against my neck.

I could feel myself blushing and couldn't help but smile uncontrollably.

"Well, they should, Wands," I pulled away from our embrace with a grin.

We walked side by side out of the compound, talking the entire way to my car. Wanda's laughter filled the garage as we playfully debated over our favorite team members.

As we drove to the diner, Wanda's mood seemed to have lifted, and for once, there was no trace of sadness or disappointment in her eyes. It felt good to bring a smile to her face and make her feel appreciated and loved. And that's exactly what she deserved - happiness and love from those around her.

With a sarcastic smirk, I unlocked my car with my keys and gestured for her to enter. "That's a secret that I shall forever know and you shall not," I teased as she climbed into the passenger seat. "Oh honey, you forgot I can read minds," she fake pouted, her powers already at work.

I laughed, knowing full well that I could block her powers whenever I wanted to. "Awww, and you forgot I can block your powers," I replied with a fake pout of my own.

She rolled her eyes playfully, causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach. Stop it, Y/n, just stop. She's taken and this is just a friendly outing to cheer her up. It's not a date.

"After you, madam," I opened her car door and bowed playfully, earning a smile from her sokovian-accented lips.

"Why thank you," she said with a slight slip into her accent.

I couldn't help but smile at the sound of it as she looked down at the car floor. Closing her door, I made my way over to the driver's side and got behind the wheel. Starting the engine, we exited the garage and headed towards the city.

"So where are we going?" She glanced over at me with curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

"That's a secret," I kept my eyes on the road ahead.

"Come onnnn, give me one hint," she whined playfully.

"Nope, I'm not telling you. Just enjoy the drive and let the road take us," I chuckled.

"You sound like... what do you guys call it... Oh yes, a hippie," she teased cheekily.

Using autopilot for the car, I turned to look at her, trying to suppress my own smirk as she struggled to hide hers.

"I am not a hippie," I defended myself with a smile.

"Mmmhhh, okay, whatever helps you sleep at night," she shrugged with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Wanda Maximoff, I am not a hippie," I huffed, crossing my arms slightly.

"Okay, okay, you're not a hippie... You're a... hopeless romantic," she giggled.

I went to say something but paused for a moment. She was right. I am a hopeless romantic. But everyone knows that.

"Shut up, witchy," I playfully retorted, trying not to let her see how much her words affected me.

She burst out laughing, and it was contagious. I couldn't help but join in. God, I love her laugh and how her smile can light up an entire room without even trying.

"You will arrive at your destination in 5 minutes," the car's computerized voice announced.

Wanda had a huge smile on her face, and I could tell just how excited she was by the way her eyes sparkled with anticipation. Suddenly, she rested her head on my shoulder and entwined our hands together.

"What's this for?" I whispered to her, feeling my heart swell with affection.

"For you making a shitty day into a good one like you always do," she replied softly, causing my heart to flutter even more.

I smiled at her words and lightly kissed her forehead before turning back to the road ahead. We stayed like that for the rest of the car ride until we finally reached our destination: a huge diner with bright neon lights flashing "50s Diner!"

"Oh my god, is this- no, it can't be- is this really a 50s diner?!" Wanda practically jumped in her seat with excitement.

"Yes, it is! I found it awhile ago and have been wanting to take you here for some time now," I smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Oh, Y/n, I can't even believe you remembered how much I love sitcoms and would think to bring me here! Thank you! Thank you!" She hugged me tightly, her excitement bubbling over.

I hadn't seen her this happy since Vision asked her out on a date (or rather, when I convinced him to ask her out and planned the whole thing). "It's nothing. Now come on, we don't want to miss out on all the fun!" I laughed as she pulled away, her eyes shining with pure joy.

Gently, I assisted Wanda out of the car, opening her door and taking her hand in mine. The warmth of her skin against mine sent shivers down my spine. Together, we walked into the quaint diner, where a friendly waitress promptly seated us at a cozy table. As we perused the menus, we chatted about our day.

"What are you going to order?" The waitress asked Wanda, breaking my gaze from the menu.

"I think I'll have the cheeseburger combo with a strawberry milkshake. How about you?" Wanda looked up at me with a smile.

"I'm thinking I'll get the chicken tender combo and a vanilla shake." I smiled back, setting my menu down.

The waitress took our orders and menus before walking away with a smile directed solely at me. I couldn't help but feel confused by the attention, but quickly refocused on Wanda.

"Looks like someone was checking you out," Wanda teased playfully.

"Well, that's too bad for her because I have my eyes set on somebody else," I replied with a smirk.

Wanda's expression faltered for a moment before she readjusted herself and continued smiling. "And who might this lucky person be?" She leaned in closer.

"Who said it was a person? Can't it be a lady?" I raised an eyebrow teasingly.

"Of course it can... So you must really like her if you won't even flirt with the pretty blonde waitress," she prodded curiously.

"Oh trust me, she's not my type at all. My girl would always win," I said confidently.

"Your girl? Huh," Wanda's tone held a hint of disappointment, though she tried to hide it with a smile.

"Yeah, my girl. She wins every time. Best laugh, best personality, prettiest girl, most trustworthy, kind-hearted, and most importantly, the best listener," I explained, caught in a trance as I thought of her.

"She sounds amazing. When do I get to meet this girl?" Wanda asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, you won't. She's in love with someone else, but that's okay because I can love her from afar. She's worth it," I said sadly.

"Well, this girl must be blind not to see what an incredible person you are," Wanda placed her hand over mine briefly.

I couldn't help but think to myself, 'Yeah, she's bloody blind. I clearly love you, idiot.'

Wanda's POV

As Y/n spoke, my mind raced trying to figure out who she was talking about so I could give them a piece of my mind. Anyone would be lucky to have Y/n as their girlfriend. Then it hit me - why was I even thinking about another person? My heart belonged to Y/n, and it had for the past month. I needed to break things off with Vision as soon as we got back to the compound.

I couldn't contain my excitement as I discreetly read Y/n's thoughts. 'Yeah, she's bloody blind. I clearly love you, idiot.' My heart felt like it was going to burst with joy. Y/n loved me? It was almost too good to be true.

I made a decision right then and there - I would end things with Vision and tell Y/n how I truly felt about her. Our love deserved a chance, even if it wasn't meant to be with me.

Your POV

The room seemed to spin for a moment, making me feel fuzzy and unsteady. I could see Wanda's concerned expression as she caught me before I stumbled. A few seconds later, our food and drinks were brought out by a friendly waitress. I smiled at her and thanked her, but I could already sense the premonition of trouble brewing between Wanda and the waitress.

"What's with the death glares?" I nudged Wanda, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Well, you said you didn't like her so I'm just making it clear," Wanda replied with a scowl still fixed on the woman.

I couldn't help but laugh at their little staring contest. Wanda was not one to hold back her feelings, especially when it came to someone she saw as a threat to me. But I knew this wasn't going to make for a relaxing dinner.

"Please, Wanda, can we just try to have a good time? I promise not to even look in her direction if that's what it takes," I pleaded, sipping my creamy vanilla milkshake.

Wanda's scowl softened at my request and she finally turned away from the waitress. "Fine, fine. But don't think I won't be keeping an eye on her."

I couldn't help but smile at how fiercely protective Wanda was of me. She may have been flirty and carefree most of the time, but when it came down to it, she was always looking out for me.

As we chatted and laughed over our meal, I couldn't imagine having a better time with anyone else. We reminisced about old missions and shared stories about our favorite things to do. And despite my initial doubts about revisiting this restaurant where Wanda had confessed her feelings for me years ago, I was now grateful for the memories we were creating together.

Suddenly, the waitress interrupted our conversation with a smile. "Sorry to break it up, ladies, but we're closing for the night."

I couldn't believe it. "What? It can't be that late..." I trailed off as I looked at my phone and saw that it was already 1 am.

Wanda let out a gasp of surprise as she peeked out the window to see the darkness outside. "Wow, time really flew by when I was with you."

As we left the restaurant and walked back to our cars, I couldn't help but feel grateful for Wanda's presence in my life. She had a way of making even the most mundane moments into memorable ones, and I was lucky to have her by my side.

After our meal, I paid the bill and left a generous tip for our waitress. As Wanda sat lost in her thoughts, I admired her from across the table. Her dark hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall and her brown eyes sparkled in the dim light of the restaurant.

"Did your mother ever tell you it's rude to stare?" Wanda teased me, breaking me out of my reverie.

"I think your mother never told you that either after the glare you gave the waitress earlier," I teased back with a smirk.

We both got up from our booth, stretching our tired limbs. I waited for Wanda to get up before walking out with her.

"Where are you going?" she asked me as we made our way towards the exit.

"Wanda, they're closing. We have to go home now. I'm sure Vis is worried about you not being home yet," I reminded her gently.

"Oh, right...yeah, we should get going," she shook her head slightly to clear it.

I helped her out of the booth and we walked side by side to her car. She rested her head on my shoulder as we walked, and I couldn't help but feel content in this moment.

"Here we go," I said as I opened her car door for her.

"Thank you," she yawned sleepily as she climbed into the car.

I smiled at her before closing her door and making my way around to the driver's seat. Deciding to use autopilot, I leaned back in my seat and let out a tired sigh.

"Thanks for accompanying me tonight. I would love to do it again sometime if you'd like?" I asked, glancing over at Wanda.

But she didn't respond. When I turned to look at her, I saw that she had fallen asleep, letting out soft breaths as she slumped against the window. I couldn't help but admire her peaceful expression and the way her hair fell gently across her face.

As we arrived back at the compound, the AI's voice woke Wanda up. She looked too peaceful to wake, so I decided to carry her up to her room instead of waking her.

"Hey, where have you been? We were about to send out a missing person report as you both have been gone for so long!" Natasha exclaimed as she ran towards us with open arms. But then she stopped when she saw Wanda sleeping in my arms.

"Oh my god, it was perfect. She is perfect...I'll tell you all about it later, but for now, I just need to put her to bed," I smiled down at Wanda before turning to walk towards the stairs.

"Wait, what?!" Nat and Maria said simultaneously, their voices filled with excitement.

"Shhh, Lady Y/n is asleep. Miss Maximoff, let me take her to bed," Thor offered in a hushed tone.

"Are you sure? I don't mind taking her," I whispered to him.

"I'm sure," he reassured me before taking Wanda from my arms and carrying her upstairs.

I kissed her forehead and whispered a goodnight before watching them disappear down the hallway. Nat and Maria dragged me into their room and sat me on their bed, eager to hear about our night together.

Maria's eyes lit up with excitement as she eagerly encouraged me to share my story. I couldn't stop grinning as I started, "It was just AMAZING! Y/n took me to this 50s themed diner and said she knew how much I loved sitcoms and had to take me there. It was like she could read my mind." Natasha joined us, closing the bedroom door behind her and jumping onto the bed with a loud thud. "Don't start without me!!!!" she exclaimed, joining in on our conversation.

"We just talked for hours. But it wasn't boring at all, it was like we were in perfect sync. You know that 'perfect night' everyone talks about? Where you can talk for hours and never run out of things to say? That's what it was like," I gushed, reliving the memory.

Natasha's eyes narrowed playfully as she asked, "So do you like her Wanda? Because this is the first time you've talked about Y/n this way."

Blushing, I replied, "I've thought about her like this for a while now, but it feels good to finally say it out loud to someone else. She's practically my best friend but I think I want her to be more than that. I just realized that I don't want to sleep in the same bed as Vision anymore. Our relationship has become more like coworkers than lovers. We haven't gone out on a date in over two months and I can't even remember the last time we talked as boyfriend and girlfriend instead of colleagues. But with Y/n, everything just feels balanced and easy. And I know she'll always listen and help me with anything."

Maria chimed in, "Wanda, I really think you should go for it with Y/n. What's holding you back?"

I hesitated before admitting, "Well...I may have read her mind. I know, I shouldn't have, but she was talking about this mysterious girl she likes who apparently doesn't like her back because they're with someone else. And it all started because I told Y/n to ask the waitress out, but then she just gushed about her crush and how they would always win no matter what."

Natasha squealed with excitement, "Stop it! She said that?"

"If you break her heart, I will break you," Natasha warned me protectively.

"I love you Wanda, but if you hurt Y/n, I will ruin you," Maria chimed in sternly.

I held out my pinky and promised, "I promise I would never dream of hurting her. Ever."

Natasha interlocked her pinky with mine and pulled me in for a hug. Maria joined in as well before we finally parted ways to get some rest. As I lay in bed, thoughts of breaking up with Vision and asking Y/n out filled my mind. It couldn't be that hard...right?

© CINABUNWANDA ⎯ do not repost, translate, plagiarise or claim any of my works as your own.

[oxymorayuri]

𝐶𝘩𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝟷𝟹

𝐴 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 »

𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑔𝑎𝑟 𝐷. 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝐿𝑎𝑤 ✘ ♀ 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟

𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓: Aydana / lababa

Story: The princess of Tanata

(Long Fic)

➽ Click on this link to see all chapters.

Spoiler: nope

Warnings: not really, just some talking about Bepos bro.

slowburn with plot

Wordcount: 3194

Text in italics emphasizes the reader’s thoughts

Bold and italic text emphasizes Law's thoughts *~*

Tagging: @slytherinambitious - @sassyyassi - @norasincubi - @cottoncandyloverrrr - @one-piece-frvr7

After the fight, you hang out on the meadow.

The sun shines through the tree crowns and a gentle breeze blows occasionally. Together you enjoy the peaceful evening and people chat in their little groups. Sanji came with Chopper and Franky and brought dinner for everyone.

The day couldn't be more beautiful.

After dinner, Brook played a song for the group, a song about pirate life. The pirates around you cheered and sang the song with their arms around each other. Although you don't know the lyrics, the cheerful mood makes you swing along and you clap to the beat.

Binks' Sake | Binkusu no Sake ♪♪♪ Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho Going to deliver Binks' sake! We are pirates sailing through the sea! The waves are our pillows, The ship our roost Flying the proud skull on our flags and our sails ♪♪♪

You are amazed at how everyone can actually sing along to the song and the lyrics make you curious. After the performance, you watched the sunset together.

I wonder what it's like to be a pirate?

Your father has always made you so curious and the stories he and his crew told you have awakened a longing in you. It made you want to get to know life out there and sail the seas.

And for the first time in years, you feel this longing again, which you had shut off back then.

Why? Well, because you didn't want to sail into a world where people are both dangerous and cruel.

But with the crew before your eyes you are pretty relieved…

They give you hope that not all humans and even pirates are like that. They are not like the people from back then, as they have proven in the last days.

"Princess, what are you thinking about?" Bepo appears in your field of vision and pulls you out of your thoughts. He takes a seat next to you and looks up into the sky you were looking a moment ago. You get out of your position and lean against the furry mink. Your gaze returns to the sky.

"Tell me, Bepo, do you ever miss home?" - "Miss my home? My home is the Polar Tang!" He says proudly and hums a little laugh. His expression is very soft as he watches the passing clouds. He wraps a paw around you and pulls you closer to him and you snuggle up further.

The way you two snuggle together has already become quite normal. Often you've joined Bepo when you've seen him lying in the sun, in the quiet palace garden and together you've looked for funny pictures in the clouds.

"But if you mean the place where I was born, then I can tell you that yes, I miss my old home, but there was an important reason why I left my home island…" Although he lies calm and relaxed with you, you can hear the sadness in his voice. You gently brush against his paw and pat him. You look caringly into his eyes and he returns your gaze.

"But when I'm at sea with my crew, the Heart Pirates, home is everywhere." He covers up his sadness and gives you a little Eskimo kiss on the nose, which you happily return.

"You said that very beautifully." You can't help but hug the mink tightly with your thin arms.

"But why did you come up with that, Princess?" You look up at him with sparkling eyes.

"I've always wanted to leave this island and discover the wonders of the outside world, but my family and friends are here…" You look to the side a little nervously.

You leave out the detail that your grandfather would never let you sail off anyway. Never. Not even if he wasn't the king. But you are also quite uneasy. Because as mentioned, the world out there also has a dark side.

But you're still sure that your curiosity will outweigh this feeling and you would take the risk… if only you were allowed to…

You laugh to yourself a little longingly.

"Hmm, maybe you just haven't found the right reason, that makes you want to break away from your roots." Bepo speaks thoughtfully. You look up at him, a little confused.

A real reason?

This question is written all over your face and the polar bear giggles again.

"Yes. For example, I wanted to find my brother." - "Did you find him?" You look up at him expectantly, but the mink exhales deeply.

"No…" There it is again. That heartbreaking sadness in his soft voice. This feeling goes straight through your chest.

"Not yet." You add to his sentence as you take both of his paws in your small hands and bring them to your forehead. You close your eyes as you feel Bepo bury his cheek in your hair. You whisper a little prayer to yourself and break away from your pose to look into his beady black eyes.

"Your journey just isn't over yet, I firmly believe you'll see him again." You could literally see it in front of your own eyes. Like a distant memory, you could see Bepo embracing his brother. You felt happiness and relief, but maybe it was just your deepest wish that sparked your imagination… Who knows.

"Even as a child I always wanted to see a Sea King, I'd say that's my reason!" Your voice seems so enchanted that a small laugh escapes from the polar bear.

"Nah, that's a weak reason." Your gaze goes up and there stands Shachi who has just casually butted into your conversation. You look at him with a raised eyebrow as he devours a few cookies with relish and offers you one too. You gratefully accept one as he takes a seat in front of you.

"Uh okay. Weak?" Blushing, you look at him questioningly.

"Hey, don't say it like that…" Penguin stands behind him with his hands on his hips, and as he takes a seat next to the cookie devouring man, he pulls his cap over his face.

"Hey, what are you doing?! I was just telling the truth!" Offended, he frees his face and gives the man next to him a dirty look. Penguin, on the other hand, shakes his head.

"HOW you say something is the point!" He declares with his finger raised. Politely, he turns to you with a hand on his chest.

"The princess's reason is not weak… just too easy!" You furrow your eyebrows, just as confused as before.

"Easy?" you look back and forth between the two men.

Then you look up questioningly at Bepo, who shrugs his shoulders and is just as confused by what the two guys are saying.

For a while you watch the back and forth arguing between the two men. Shachi says that it's the same thing, while Penguin desperately preaches about manners. You can't help but laugh. The two of them are just too entertaining, it would be torture for you not to laugh. If you're honest, you weren't even angry about Shachi's choice of words. You were more curious as to why your reason was weak or rather translated; too easy. Penguin's behavior warms your heart and the two in front of you seem like an old married couple.

"Hey what's up with you guys?" You open your eyes, which you had closed because of your laughing fit, and wipe the tears from the corners of your eyes. You look behind the men, who freeze in the middle of their quarrel, to look up at Law.

"Captain!" Bepo shouts happily. "Penguin and Shachi are just arguing about whether the princess's reason is weak or too easy." The men look back and forth from Law to Bepo in total shock. Bepo's words are so out of the blue. He hums a little skeptically and sits down as well. Law tries to understand the whole thing, but can't quite find the context.

Princess-ya's reasons? Weak or too easy?

He has no idea what the situation was before he came along. He was just curious because he heard from afar, how the two guys were arguing and you were laughing at full force.

Law looked into the Mink's beady eyes and made it quite obvious, that he was expecting a better explanation but the Polar Bear didn't get his signals and just grinned happily at him, now that Law was here. (lol llittle fangirl.)

"We've talked about how everyone has their reasons for leaving home, to sail out into the world… And Penguin and Sachi share the same opinion, that my reason isn't really good?" You're still a bit confused yourself, as you don't really know what they mean by that, but at least you can clear things up for Law.

With a raised eyebrow, he nods as he looks over at the men.

"Okay… and what's the reason?" Even though he's facing the men, his eyes are looking at you.

"Sea Kings" you speak a little quietly. You're nervous about what his answer will be.

"Sea Kings?" he repeats your word, clearly surprised.

"Yea Sea Kings…"

"Yeah okay, I agree with those two. That is indeed too easy."

Now, not only Shachi and Penquin are the two who are open mouthed but you and Bepo join in the shock. Law, on the other hand, crosses his arms and grins with his eyes closed.

You shake your head. Now you really want an explanation of what that means. If Law even thinks that, then he has to explain it to you now.

"What does too easy mean?" - "You'll meet a Sea King pretty quickly."

"Oh, okay." - "Your reason is definitely a tourists reason."

You're caught off guard by Law's direct manner and and your eyes blink with confusion, as your jaw dropped open. Law finds your reaction quite funny and decides to tease you some more.

"What do you do when you meet a Sea King? What do you get out of meeting a Sea King and what comes after?" You close your mouth, as you really don't have an answer for Law, and break the eye contact.

"You have the desire to meet a Sea King, but it's not really a reason to leave everything behind…"

You're confused by the whole reason thing. Law asks you things you don't understand.

"Why do I have to need a reason? Can't I see the journey as a reason?" To your confusion, the black haired man just grins at you and adjusts his hat a little. When his eyes look into yours again, you are slightly startled. His gaze goes right through you.

"Of course." His agreeing makes you study him closely, you can't figure out his true thoughts.

"Not everyone needs a good reason to sail the world, but you do, since you have a reason to stay." He looks at you as if he has read you like an open book.

Perhaps he already knows you too well, as you have spent a lot of time together in the past few days. But you can't get a single word past your lips. Law is visibly amused by your speechlessness, as you're usually a pretty talkative person.

"You have to understand that people either have a reason to leave, or to stay. You may want to see a Sea King, but that's not reason enough to leave; what's your reason for staying Princess-ya?" Slowly you follow the riddle that Law speaks and see his message.

"My family." you answer him absently.

"See… so "Sea King" isn't exactly a good reason, because it's not enough for you to drop the reason why you're staying." Law raises his arms a little as if presenting the answer that is becoming clearer to you.

"Woah that makes so much sense it hurts." Exhausted, you let yourself fall backwards into Bepo's arm. He gently pats your head.

You do realize that you don't have enough reasons to leave your homeland. You have wishes, but you know that not all of them will come true.

Basically, Law just wanted to show you that it's okay to have a reason to stay. You may not realize that many of the people here have led lives that are far from your imagination and that they had no reason to stay… but he's not sure if you understood it that way. He just doesn't want to go into it any further.

And as Law feared, you didn't take it that way.

As you all make your way back to the castle, you think hard about Law's words.

You want to discover the world, but you're a little scared. If you leave, what will happen to your people? What if they get attacked again? You have a great responsibility in this country and don't have the luxury of living out your desires.

Your duties. That is the reason why you stay.

You are envious that you don't have the privilege of choosing over your own life. Your life has been prophesized, carved into stone and tattooed on your skin.

Your life has been lived thousands of times and you are destined to begin and end your life here.

Your heart is heavy but you are proud to be the priestess of Tanata, if it weren't for the desire.

It's hard not to notice that your thoughts are elsewhere. You sip your tea absently while your grandfather and Delia talk about the current situation.

Grandfather had urged you to have a cup of tea with the family again, as most of your attention has been on the guests over the last few days, but the family shouldn't be neglected. You were a little annoyed.

If family is so important to him, why didn't he come and tell you in person?

[Yesterday]

When you came back to the castle, you went straight to your bedchamber... You just wanted to be alone and think about everything your pirate friends had told you.

You didn't even pay your grandfather a visit in his study, nor did you have your afternoon tea with Delia. These are things that are completely normal for you and your king noticed this unusual behavior immediately. He sent his butler that same evening to deliver "the king's words" to you. He wants to see you at tea tomorrow and you realize, that it's more of an order than a request.

Only ONCE did I not follow my routine and I was immediately addressed… Ughhh how annoying!

You angrily threw your pillows at the door that the butler had closed.

You're tired of doing the same thing every day and if it doesn't go the way you're supposed to, it's immediately pointed out.

Your whole life is planned. You already know what will happen in the future and even your funeral is already planned.

You will be buried next to all the priests, who were once the bearers of the devil's fruit. You have a statue that resembles you and the people of your generation will pray at your grave, when you pass away one day.

It makes you sad. You won't even be buried in the cemetery of the royal family... You won't lie next to your mother and father or get married... You are not your own person. You are just the holy child of the devil's fruit.

Your thoughts are running wild. The reason to stay is your destiny but your reason to leave is freedom…

But you are not sure if you are allowed to be free. You lack nothing here and you have everything one could dream of… You keep telling yourself that.

You pull your legs towards you and bawl your eyes out on your knees. But a twisted smile crosses your depressed face.

"I should be ashamed of myself." You know it's your duty and you're ashamed of your own desires.

[Present]

Absently you look into the distance, your gaze as empty as your heart. Your thoughts dance the tango and the sides inside you argue about which path is the right one.

Your grandfather can't help but notice how you struggle with yourself, but he doesn't speak to you. He knows that if you want to talk, you will come to him. Forcing or pushing you to do something is never a good idea.

What an irony.

Because he is very aware of the weight on your shoulders. The expectation you have to fulfill… in the last week it has become clear that you have different feelings about your life. But he won't let you go, not because you have to stay. He can't let you go.

"Hey my angel, you're not saying a word today. Did something happen?" Delia brushes a strand of hair out of your face while she looks for the color in your eyes.

You feel like a stranger in your heart and exhale a little heavily.

"Not really."

Delia looks over at your grandfather, hoping for support, but he just watches quietly.

The table is filled with the most delicious pastries and food. All your wishes are always fulfilled without you having to do anything. Your life is so full that it makes you incomplete.

Do this, do that. Don't do this and don't do that. Be kind and friendly. Be elegant but smart. Be dignified but cunning. Be the most beautiful but the purest.

Love everyone but let no one alone own your heart. Sacrifice yourself but never die.

You are supposed to be so much and to your surprise you have always listened and obeyed. You fulfilled and even exceeded all expectations. You are holy.

But you are so much that you don't recognize your true face when you look in the mirror. Through your new friends you were able to realize that you are more than the praised child.

You are y/n. You don't want to be a princess or a priestess. You don't want to do the same thing every day. But you also don't want to leave anyone behind, neglect your duties and leave people who still mean the world to you without protection. You don't want to betray the gods, especially not after they've given you a chance. You don't want to disappoint anyone.

So is this the price you have to pay?

You are aware of what your heart longs for but you are stuck in some sort of identity crisis.

You can't have it both ways.

A/N: Hey babes! I wanted to talk to you about something. I'm always happy when you guys want to know when I'm posting the next chapter. Seriously! I feel so honored that I want to shower you with kisses. I would love to post several times a week but unfortunately I'm an adult (silent weeping). Yes I know I'm not the only one of course lol but I'm studying and working 30 hours a week on the side. I'm a tired bitch XD Feel free to keep asking me when I'll post again ♡, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm a bit busy. Normally I try to post once a week but the blockade is messing it up even more >:( Oh no, writer's block? Yupp and I hate it! let me explain; I'm currently near the end of the first arc and even though I have so many ideas, I'm having a hard time letting my imagination run wild. I hate it. There's still some info to wrap up but when I read my drafts I don't feel like writing anymore... I'm dying to get started but the Tanata arc is our prequel and unfortunately it's a bit dry. Dry is fine, but only for wine. How many arcs are planned, you're probably wondering; Well, I don't have a real ending in mind yet, I'm enjoying the process and developing more and more new ideas to keep the story alive. At the moment we are in the "Tanata arc", after that I already have rough ideas for 2 more arcs planned. The second arc is called "Polar Tang arc" and the third "Dress Rosa arc" In fact, I'm sticking to the original storyline of One Piece but creating an alternative version. I know there's always the fear that the author of the story you like, will cancel the story but believe me… I'm just as excited about what's going to happen like u are. lol, like I'm not the author XD I have some pretty dramatic stuff planned and I would love to do a timeskip but unfortunately I have to finish the Tanata arc. We can't look into the future if we don't live the present as my mom would say. Ughhh.

See you next time, kiss kiss ♡

➽ Next chapter

[jingooism]

breathless

panic attacks were normal. they were a part of life. or at least that's what joowon had to tell himself. 

he's been riddled with them since he was a child. it started with the yelling between his mother and his father, so loud that even behind his closed door he could hear. his small hands over his ears did nothing to shut out the harsh tones. he began to withdraw, staying quiet and to himself to avoid any confrontation, especially from his father. when his mother dies, it only gets worse. 

then came school, where joowon sat by himself in the corner of the room, quietly hoping that one day someone would sit down with him. it never came. by the time middle school came around he had the reputation of being cold and mean, but little did they know he was like that because of them. 

he graduated school at the top of his class, then college, and now he has a full-time job. given, not the one he would have wanted--if han joowon could be anything it would be a photographer. a nature photographer to be specific. nothing calms him like being near the water. 

his weekends usually consist of long drives to the coast, where he likes to sit on the sand and read by himself. the fresh air and the sounds of the waves always does him a load of good. 

he tries to picture his favorite spot, just close enough to the dunes to not be affected by the tides but still close enough to be able to dip his toes in if he decided to. he thinks of the big uneven rocks that he likes to walk on during low-tide, the small island that only reveals itself an hour a day. he wonders how peaceful life would be if he could live there, away from everyone else. nothing works, though. when he goes to run his fingers through the sand he's met with the cold marble of his bathroom floor. when he strains his ears for the sound of the ocean, all he can hear is the gasps of his own breath. 

it's the worst attack he's had in a while, all because he thought he saw his father in the crowd. his father, who wasn't even in the country, was too busy trying to make connections somewhere that wasn't korea. the gray hair was the same, the harsh line of his spine under a well-tailored suit was the same, everything was too similar. joowon barely got through the rest of his shift. 

which is why now he's here, in his own bathroom, trying to not die. and the small rational part of his brain knows that he isn't going to actually die at this moment, but he can't get past how real it feels. his hands are clammy, his heart rate is through the roof, the walls are closing in. it feels like hell. he rushes to call hyeok, the only person who had ever had success in getting his breathing under control. his best friend picks up after one ring. 

"yah! han joowon! it's been days since you last called. did you forget about me?"

"hyung," joowon gasps into the phone.

"joowon? what's going on, are you okay?" his friend's voice goes serious in an instant. "are you having a panic attack?" joowon can distantly hear the sound in the background of the call fade away, like hyeok is walking away from a crowd. 

"it's bad," joowon admits, slightly ashamed. even though hyeok is his closest friend, he still hasn't been able to beat out the instinctive shame he feels at someone seeing him in a weak moment. "i can't breathe, hyung," he forces air into his lungs and feels not a single ounce of relief. 

"let's calm your breathing down okay? breathe in for 8 counts, hold for 3, and then breathe out of your mouth for 7. like we used to do."

joowon nods like hyeok can see him, and tries. he really tries. and for a second he thinks it might be working and then a loud crash floats through the wall from the apartment next door and his muscles tense up again. 

"are you at home, joowon-ah?" hyeok is starting to sound panicked too, and joowon feels bad for making him worry. 

"yes," joowon whispers. 

"i'm calling an ambulance," hyeok says firmly. 

"hyung, no--"

"no, joowon. i'm five hours away and there's no one else to help you. i'm calling," hyeok cuts him off. joowon feels stupid for even calling him, completely forgetting that he's away on a business trip. "i'll call you right back," he hangs up before joowon can argue.

the seconds stretch into what feels like hours, joowon's heartbeat still stuttering in his chest, fingers digging into the soft fabric of his sleep pants. his vision starts to go fuzzy at the edges when hyeok calls him back. he swipes his phone across the screen to answer. 

"they're on their way," hyeok soothes. 

"okay," he replies quietly, dropping his head between his knees. "just talk to me, please."

"what to talk about," hyeok wonders out loud. "i've been rubbing elbows with annoying business men all day, joowon-ah. my social battery is depleted," he complains. 

"are you drinking?"

"if i didn't i would've went back to the hotel hours ago," hyeok laughs. 

their mindless conversation goes on until joowon finally feels something get lighter in his chest, signalling that hopefully the worst of it has passed. he hears the beep of his door code being entered and the lock turning open. 

"you gave them my code?" joowon asks. 

"it was an emergency," hyeok scoffs. "i don't wanna hear it."

"han joowon-ssi?" a voice calls into the hallway. footsteps shuffle around for a second before they come right up on the bathroom door, two knocks echoing through the space. "han joowon-ssi? this is sfd, we got a call that you weren't feeling too good."

"in here," he says weakly, fatigue seeping through his bones. attacks always make him exhausted by the end. 

the door swings open to show three paramedics, the bright orange uniform looking odd against the neutrals of his home. the older man in the middle crosses the bathroom and kneels in front of him so they're face to face. 

"han joowon-ssi? i'm lee dongsik, and that's park jeongje, and oh jihwa," he gestures to his colleagues. "we're just here to make sure you're alright, okay?" his voice was calm enough to soothe the frayed edges of joowon's nerves. he pulls out a pen and shines it into joowon's eyes, "pupils are even and reactive." he leans a bit into joowon's space, enough that joowon is forced to really look at him and realize just how handsome he is. 

lee dongsik looked older, definitely at least a decade older than him. his hair was slightly long, just past his ears, and fell in shiny black waves. if joowon wasn't mistaken there were threads of silver in it. he's got lines around his eyes and his mouth that tell joowon that lee dongsik has lived a life of happiness, one where he was obviously smiling a lot. he smelled like cheap aftershave mixed with something else that joowon couldn't put his finger on. and now his heart is beating for a whole other reason. 

"can i take your pulse?" lee dongsik asks, hand hovering over joowon's wrist, waiting for his consent. all joowon can think to do is nod.

he tries not to react at the spark he feels at the skin on skin contact, already embarrassed enough that the hottest man he's ever seen is seeing him like this. "do you normally have panic attacks?" dongsik asks, looking at the bulky black watch on his wrist. 

"i've had them in the past, yes," joowon nods. he sees dongsik nod once and place his wrist back down to his lap. joowon mourns the touch immediately and wants to kick himself for it. 

dongsik turns to his team, "looks like things are evening out. we should be fine to load the truck back up," he gestures to the equipment in their hands. they nod with a knowing look and turn around to do as he's asked. 

"do you want to go to the hospital?" dongsik looks back at joowon, gaze fully locked in on his. 

"no," joowon quickly says. "i think the worst has passed."

"let's get you up off the floor then," dongsik grins, something small and bright that shouldn't knock joowon off his ass but does anyways. the older man stands up first and reaches his hand down to joowon.

joowon only second guesses for a moment before taking the hand offered to him and allowing himself to be pulled up. lee dongsik's hands are slightly rough, calluses probably gained from long days on the job. they fit into joowon's own hands perfectly. he tries not to think of it. 

joowon doesn't even want to imagine how he looks to dongsik right now, hair probably mussed, sleep clothes in disorder. he brushes his hair down self-consciously, and doesn't miss the way dongsik's lip twitches up.

"can i have my hand back?" dongsik laughs, eyes falling to where their palms are still fitted together. joowon hadn't even realized, dropping the other man's hand and trying to fight off the blush that he felt start to spread at the base of his neck. "not that i minded, but i do need both hands to write the report," dongsik reassures. 

"not that you--" joowon clears his throat, the words that fell from the other man's lips replaying in his head. not that he minded? what does that mean? is he flirting? "no, of course, yeah that makes sense." he brushes past dongsik into the living room where he sits, still feeling tired from the attack. his heart rate wasn't fully back down and neither was his breathing, but at least it didn't feel like he was at death's door. 

in the brighter light of the living room, joowon sees all of dongsik. he's slightly shorter than joowon himself, with a build that was definitely more lean. his belt was buckled around an absurdly small waist, and his thighs filled out the black work slacks beautifully. joowon feels his ears start to ring again. just his luck that the paramedic on the scene is something straight out of his teenage wet dreams. 

there's a silence in the room that joowon desperately feels the need to fill, wanting dongsik's attention turned back to him and not the notepad he was currently writing on. which is why, like an idiot, he blurts out, "do you come here often?" as soon as the words leave his mouth he feels wracked with mortification. 

dongsik looks up at him, a smirk on his lips, the pen twirling between long fingers, "do i come to your apartment often? sadly, no, i don't." 

oh. 

oh.

"i've been to this building plenty of times, though. it's a shame we haven't run into each other till now."

joowon's head is too busy sounding like a ten-car pileup that he barely registers the words. lee dongsik was definitely flirting with him. joowon flicks his eyes down to an empty ring finger and silently thanks god for it. 

"a shame, yes," he stutters, trying to make his brain work normally. it's obviously failing because dongsik's smile just keeps spreading across his lips. 

"you live here by yourself?" dongsik questions, voice too light and airy to not have an underlying question in it. he looks back down at the notepad and clears his throat before continuing the report. 

"yes," joowon says, hopefully not too quickly. "my friend was the one that called, but he's away on a trip."

"a good friend," dongsik nods.

"only a friend," joowon announces, tongue not in his control. he's not sure where all this forwardness is coming from, but he does know that dongsik's ears are burning, which has to be a good sign. "not that you asked, but..."

"good to know," his gaze meets joowon's again. "you know, just in case we have to ever come back here." there's a mirth in his eyes that joowon finds himself reading into. maybe this almost dying thing was finally paying off. 

"of course," joowon's lips start to turn up. "you know my door code now, so."

"i'll only use it for emergencies, scout's honor," dongsik holds three fingers up and plasters a too serious look on his face. "but try not to need me, han joowon. my line of work isn't one where i want to see you every day," he laughs, showing off the deep smile lines in full force. joowon notes his perfect teeth and the crow's feet that crinkle around his eyes. they make him feel giddy. 

"i'll try," joowon nods. he stands up to reach into his work vest that's hanging nearby, pulling out his officer card with his name and department on it. "here, in case you ever find yourself in need of help," he smiles softly, inwardly cheering when dongsik takes the card and examines it before tucking it gently into his breast pocket. "though hopefully you won't."

"a man in uniform," dongsik purses his lips approvingly, nodding his head. "what precinct do you work with?"

"i'm out of headquarters," joowon answers. dongsik whistles under his breath. 

"smart and handsome? it's almost unfair," dongsik grins, getting up from the couch and closing his notepad. "is this your direct line?" he pats the pocket on his chest with the card.

"my personal and my work phone. feel free to use either," joowon blushes, sticking his hands in his pockets to hide his fidgeting. "though i prefer you use the personal."

"i think i'll prefer that too," dongsik beams. 

a voice comes through on his radio and dongsik responds, his team is being called elsewhere. 

"i have to go but," dongsik looks unsure for a second before gently grabbing joowon's hand in his own. joowon doesn't even have time to process what's going on until he feels the smooth drag of ink across his skin and looks down to see a phone number there. 

"my personal," dongsik explains, color high on his cheeks. "make sure to use it." he opens the front door again and is almost through before he turns back to joowon, who had been looking between the palm of his hand and the man, mouth ajar. "my day off is tomorrow," he winks, throwing his bag over his shoulder and finally leaving the apartment. 

joowon doesn't even have to think about it before he texts his chief that he's calling in sick. 

[gemini-magic17]

Entanglement Chapter Twenty

**Kit's POV

The sound of the waves crashing against the shore made me know that we were very close to Dristarya. It was early when we got there and as I set my eyes on it for the first time it was astounding. Never before have I seen a castle so huge and ancient-looking as if it was built thousands of years ago. With how bare it looked and no signs of life I really started to question if the details that Willow was given were correct. It doesn't seem like anyone has lived here for many years.

"Hey", I hear Boorman say as he comes up behind me.

"Hey", I responded back still focused on the shore in front of me.

"What's wrong", he asked.

"I don't think anyone lives here."

"Why do you say that", he questioned.

"Just look at it. The entire island looks abandoned the only thing that I see is birds flying overhead what about you", I looked at him.

"Are you sure about that from what I see it looks like someone arrived here recently", he pointed towards the shore and I furrowed my eyebrows to where he was pointing at.

"Is that a boat", I asked squinting trying to clearly make out what I was looking at.

"Well from what I can see it is", he said.

I couldn't stop looking in that direction and the closer we got I was praying that what Willow had told me was indeed true. Then out of nowhere came the she-devil herself as the ship made its way partially on the shore.

"I'm going to go look for Y/n, the captain said he wants to stay aboard the ship; you and Boorman can do what you like", she said and proceeded to leap off the boat.

"Fuck that", I told her and went after her.

"Excuse me."

"You heard me. I don't know who the fuck you think you are or who you are talking to but I am not the one you want to piss off. I know I hurt her that I practically put her through hell but you have no right to tell me the fuck to do", I stated getting into her face.

"I am her wife, not you and I will do everything I can to make things right with her even if it takes me the rest of my fucking life to do so. Don't you think for a second that you can swoop in and try to take her away because you can't", I said.

"I won't need to try if she goes willingly", she said smirking and that made my blood boil.

"You know what Amara yo-", I began but was cut off.

"After all, who could deal with the shit you put her through. Do you really think that she is going to forgive you and take you back after everything? I have known her for my entire life and when I say what you put her through she will never forgive you", she said with a hard stare, and at that I couldn't hate her more than right now. Not just because she was threatening to take Y/n away but that I knew she was right with how she would never forgive me.

"Follow if you want I don't care anymore. I now know that I have nothing to worry about when it comes to you", she said and she began to walk off.

"Don't take what she says to heart Kit she is just jealous that you have Y/n and she doesn't", Boorman said.

"That's the thing, Boorman I don't have her. I may be married to Y/n but I don't have her not where it counts", I said, and we went to catch up to Amara as we made our way to the gates.

**Ser Easton's POV

These past couple of days have been quite peaceful and I know that is unusual to say considering this island is full of dragons. Yet, there is no fighting, yelling, or political issues to worry about here. I roamed all around Dristarya making sure to know the ins and outs of this place in case of an attack or unwanted visitors.

As I made my way to the opening under the castle I was told by Y/n to be careful as she recounted what happened to her when she arrived that very day. Getting closer to my intended destination in the corner of my eye I noticed a ship approaching. I couldn't see who was aboard but as it started to get nearer I hid behind a gigantic rock that was close enough to shore to see who was present.

It wasn't until the ship got closer to the shoreline that I saw it was Kit aboard and I was shocked. Why the hell was she here? Did she know that the princess fled to Dristarya? How could she have found out about it then? Many questions raced through my mind and it wasn't until they were making their way off the boat that I carefully mad my way to the castle to avoid being seen by them.

As soon as I was out of sight I ran all the way back to the castle making sure that I got to the trail before they could. I burst open the castle doors and searched through every room to find Y/n. I couldn't find her which led me to believe she was still sleeping. I ran as fast as I could to her room and when I made it there I was terribly out of breath. I began to bang my fist on her door knowing she would awake from the noise.

**Y/n's POV

I was fast asleep in my chambers when a loud banging on my door woke me up. Along with the constant fist pounding on the door, I could hear who could only be Ser Easton yelling with urgency.

"Princess! Princess!"

I jumped out of bed and rushed to open the door where I was met with an out-of-breath Ser Easton. He was leaning on the door frame trying to catch his breath from the obvious haste he made trying to get here.

"What's wrong? Did something happen", I asked with concern believing that something happened to him.

"I was out for a walk along the beach and saw a ship coming this way", he said.

"What? What are you talking about no one comes here", I said with confusion and a hint of worry that is evident in my voice.

"That's the thing Y/n I got closer to the beach making sure that the people on board didn't see me and I recognized one of them."

"Well, who was it", I questioned with anticipation building inside me.

"Your not gonna like it", he said and I step closer to him where I looked him directly into his eyes.

"Who was it Ser Easton", I said.

"It was Kit Tanthalos Princess", he said, and when the words poured out of his mouth my heart stopped for a second.

"Oh", I responded and the anger I was harboring toward her started bubbling to the surface.

"How did she even know to come here", I asked him and made my way to get some clothes.

"I can only think of one possibility."

"Which is", I said and began to change in the bathroom while we continued our conversation.

"Willow must have told her", I stopped what I was doing when I heard him say those words.

"I don't believe he would do that. He knows how much pain I felt with what Kit put me through. I just don't believe he would sell me out like that", I said clearly in denial about the whole thing.

"It is the only way she could have known Y/n I'm sorry. Willow is the only one who knows you are here and you know I wouldn't tell anyone especially her of all people."

"I suppose you are right", I said knowing what he said was true. I finished dressing and made my way out of my chambers.

"Y/n where are you going", he asked following hot on my trail through the castle's hallways.

"You said they were coming towards the beach yes which means they will be coming up the trail soon enough", I asked.

"Yes, what is it that you intend to do", he asked and we were outside of the castle's walls.

"I am going to go give Kit and her comrades a warm welcome to Dristarya", I turned to him and said.

"How exactly are you going to do that", he asked, and just then I could feel Kylora come up behind me.

"I'll give them a dragon's welcome", I said with an upturned smile.

[derww]

DAY 29: HAVOC

CW: Death, suicidal ideations

It is almost too easy to make a decision: after all, he has not been afraid of death for a long time, and he has nothing to lose. Therefore, he casually takes a step into the void, solving the hostage situation at once. Of course, it still hurts to die, but for a moment it seems as if the Abyss is stroking his head and telling him that he will be fine in the end. And then he opens his eyes and he's on a floating island. Cherry tree petals flutter around him.

What do you want, a wind whispers to him. Some peace of mind, he replies, and it ruffles his fur. Jumper is calling him, but he's fine, so why worry? He watches the dawn for a while, wondering if they will come to try to kill him again, but they never come. Jumper arrives and he smiles and hugs her and they move on.

He only in snatches here and there, a soft smile and an amethyst blade, difficult questions, but never – another sword in battle, and he wanders around the server as if he was in search of something, following the breadcrumbs of what was lost forever. Slowly but surely, he is preparing to say goodbye. He doesn't know for how long. He admits that maybe forever.

His magic is as diligent as ever in his hands. It obeys him as if finally accepting him as the true master. For the first time, he feels at one with this reality, and there is an irony in this.

He goes to the spawn and sees a huge voidhole in the middle. For a while, he just stays silent and stares. He's not sure if he should have the words for it. His hearing is filled with whispers in other languages, and he looks straight down into the void, and the spells themselves half-form in his palms.

– Don't you have a void team? – he asks distantly, not addressing anyone in particular, – accept me.

– What? – standing behind him Bacon asks, taken aback, – you know that we kill people, right?

– I know, – he nods, – not a fan. But Jumper is with you. I have to make sure she's in good hands. – It is only half of the truth.

He does not turn around, peacefully looking at the microcosm through the end of the world. There was something special about being a dead man walking. He didn't care if he died. All he had to do here was to tie up his tails.

Bacon is silent for a while. And where are even all the others?

– If you don't like killing, then what can you do for us? – he finally asks. Vi shakes his head.

– No one will believe that I am connected to you. Even with Jumper on your team, everyone knows my relationship with Zam and the rest of you. I'll tell you everything you need to win.

– Do you think Zam will agree to take you on the team? – Bacon asks skeptically. Vi smiles.

– Yes. He owes me.

– I don't think this Zam respects any debts, – Bacon cautiously remarks, but still calls a meeting – Zam, Mapicc and Jumper, dazed from the surprise.

Zam giggles, claps his hands and says he is happy that Vi has finally realized how cool it is to just kill people altogether. Mapicc opens his mouth, clearly thinking to contradict him, but stops himself in the end for some reason. Bacon shakes his head disapprovingly, but votes "Yes". Vi is surreally accepted without any objections, and he stares at the moon in the void without any fear, sharing that it reminds him of Subz, and then jumps down, and the void accepts him almost reluctantly, as if not wanting to accept as a sacrifice.

He doesn't like the idea of killing innocents. He knows it's inevitable in a world like this, amd still can't learn to accept it. But his morals don't matter now. After all, it had never actually helped him.

He spends one month with the Abyss: calms down Jumper, decorates his house with amethysts, plants flowers, flies over the void and sends reports. He goes to the Abyss meeting room a few times, and they, along with the newly accepted Pentar, occupy all the chairs and discuss plans in half with complete nonsense.

Nobody on all server attacks him. It's a quiet life, the best one to peacefully write a final will. He reminisces about his time with Subz, whose departure was like the absence of a left hand. He knits cute small things and gifts them to everyone. He admires the full moon and asks for her forgiveness. And then he calls Jumper into the heart of his home and forces her to kill him.

Abyss wins the war, and the spawn turns into a series of parkours and hanging islands stretching across the void. Jumper wears his hood. The central chair in the meeting room remains unoccupied. The black and purple ceramic platform becomes decorated with cornflowers and tulips.

[ye-olde-sodor]

DC Au Thomas!

Thomas is an LB&SCR E2 Class locomotive, more specifically a Second Series E2 with the extended side tanks.

He was built in June of 1915, making him one of the oldest engines on Sodor! Contrary to popular belief, however, Thomas was not the first engine on Sodor. Instead, he only inherited the number after the first No 1 disappeared.

Thomas had a rough time growing up. He was taught by his older brothers not to trust the larger engines. Due to this, a younger Thomas was quite aggressive towards a younger Edward and a few other larger engines. While he grew out of this "emo phase", he still took many of his brothers lessons to heart.

Current day Thomas is a happy-go-lucky and sometimes hot headed engine, but he always means well….usually. He's cheerful, but he’s also the strong assertive type, and isn't afraid to speak up against mean engines. He can be quite cheeky too, but with his old age, he doesn't show it as much as he used to.

He loves a good challenge, but due to how bold and he can be, he's quite reckless. He also has a hard time admitting he made a mistake or did something wrong whenever one of his plans goes awry.

Thomas isn’t very good at listening to people. Especially to those in charge. The only people he does listen to is the Hatt family…but he doesn’t always listen to Sir Topham Hatt.

Like with many engines on Sodor, he despises the idea of a hierarchy. He believes that it paves the way for larger engines to order around smaller engines and put them in harms way. Even though he's a Preserved engine, he'd be more then happy to get rid of his "privilege" if it means keeping whatever steam engines remain across the world safe.

Thomas would kill to have a dock or harbor near his branch line. He loves the sea breeze and the sounds or the waves crashing up against the land. It reminds him of the Docks of Brighton Railway.

Thomas is one of the few engines who doesn’t mind eating thanks to his driver. His favorites are beef jerky and salt (yes he eats salt, don’t judge him) Just don’t tell any of the other engines that he likes to eat things…

Thomas was surprised when Stepney turned out to be one of his cousins. While the two aren't particularly close, both take pride in being relatives, and have even gained a peace of mind knowing that not all of their relatives were scrapped.

Thomas can be quite flirt when he wants to be, although no one but a few engines would know about it.

He can get super jealous whenever a new engine rolls in. This is partially due to how his brother raised him but also partially because he’s afraid of being replaced despite being the islands mascot…but then again, humans love replacing things they claim to adore so how can he be so sure he's safe from scrap?

He has some very mixed feelings towards Ryan. First and foremost he’s angry that he has to listen to him. He's jealous because Ryan has had the high life since he was built. He also finds Ryan attractive but would never, under any circumstances, admit he's in love like a normal engine.

He has a nasty habit of getting sick if he's swapped to a coal he isn't used to burning. There've been many attempts to switch the engines of Sodor to a better coal, but poor Thomas just wasn't compatible with any of them! Mallard will learn this the hard way soon enough...

Ultimately can be described with one word. Feral.

Quotes:

Thomas: *screaming*

Ryan: *screams louder*

Scott: "Shouldn't we interveine?"

Gordon: "No no, I want to see who wins."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Percy: "Why on earth would you want to use the jet engine again?!"

Thomas: "Because you can't make the same mistake twice! I heard those scientists finally nailed the tech down, so now I can-"

Percy: "Completely ignore them and carry on with your life?!"

Thomas: 'You're no fun :("

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Percy: "Oh blimey you look awful! Moreso than usual!"

Thomas, who's taken on bad coal: "Gee, thanks."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas: "I'm half tempted to make a break for Sodor...maybe I'll get lucky!"

Driver: "Or maybe you'll get us all killed!"

Thomas: "Death is better than "Campfire Night", Keith. If I hear one more song about the wonders of British colonialism and living by the social norm, I just might keel over."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas: "James, I know you're scared, but you have to trust me."

James: "You're already asking too much out of me, but go on."

Thomas: "I need you to bail Edward out of Darlington."

James: "WHAT-"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryan: "Now why can't you be this sweet all the time?"

Thomas: "If I was, I wouldn't be half as interesting!”

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry: "If you rush across the viaduct, it'll collapse, and you won't have any passengers or train! What would you do then?!"

Thomas: "Run my train on time."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward: "Oh, that bloody Spamcan is here!"

Gordon: "Quick Thomas, do the thing!"

Thomas: "I don't think growling at him is going to send him away...But I'd be damned if I didn't try it!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Diesel: "We need a distraction."

Thomas: "Great idea! Diesel, you roll out and show 'em your ugly mug while I go grab Percy!"

[hikarimiyanaga]

Forget Me

Getting back into writing with One Piece. Boa Hancock has been one of my crushes from this manga for the longest time.

Summary : Falling in Love can be a curse.

Specially if it's with the ruling Empress of the Amazon Lily.

And even moreso, when you can see Boa Hancock fall for Luffy so up close.

So you decide to quit this unrequited love, once and for all.

Oh and also, being Boa's personal bodyguard and assistant.

Warning : Angst. Curse Words.

PS. Just say if you want to get tagged in this series. (And yes, it's another series.)

You sigh for nth time that day. Today was so uneventful once again.

Don't get me wrong, you really loved the peace and all that. Seeing everyone in the Kuja tribe just happy is one of the things you love most in the world.

But you can't help but want more. More thrill. Adventure. Venturing outside of this vast island that you call home.

Unlike most warriors in the island, you never joined Kuja Pirates so you haven't even ridden Perfume Yuda although you are friends with the Yuda pulling it.

You've always had a connection with animals.

"Bored again?" Mari asks as the two sisters pass by you on their way to their sister's room.

"Ha, when is Y/N ever entertained?" Sonia scoffs and you hum.

"Leave me alone, you sisters. Just get those to her."

"You know, if sis ever catches you just calling her "her", she'll turn you to stone."

"Maybe it'll be better that way." You mumble and Mari gets closer to you.

"What?" You sigh again and take the papers from their hands.

"Nothing. I'm going to help you now. Let's just go."

The two sisters look at each other in confusion before they follow you into Boa's room.

"Princess! Your daily morning reports are here." You shout as you open the door and hear a grunt coming from the bed.

"So early?"

"It's 7 already. Time to get up."

Both Sonia and Mari help their sister wake up as you read all the reports.

It was your daily routine.

Read Hancock her reports.

Help her bathe.

See the ugly truth about her.

It was a wonder for you. But you can't help your heart.

You were one of the few who could fully resist her love-love fruit as well. Despite being completely in love with her.

-

You get home and quickly bury yourself onto the sofa in the living room.

"Oh. You're home." Elder Nyon nonchalantly says and you grunt in return. "Tired?" She asks and you hum. "I'll prepare dinner for us then."

"Thank you." You say but it's muffled by the pillow that you buried your face in. But as always, Elder Nyon already knew what you were saying so she chuckles and just goes to the kitchen.

You look over the pictures inside the house and can't help the sudden pang in your heart. Pictures with all the boa sisters, Elder Nyon and so many others should bring you joy.

They were all wonderful memories after all.

But seeing Hancock so happy made you so sad.

Because you know that you can't ever make her happy like that.

So you turn away and wait for the dinner that you were promised while you calm your heart from the pain.

-

"Where's Y/N?" Hancock asks as she eats together with her sisters.

Mari looks at Sonia who sighs. It was her turn tonight.

"Gone home."

"What? Why?" Hancock can't help but ask. Ever since you started working at the palace, you've joined the Boa sisters during Lunch and Dinner, you always made the dining more enjoyable.

But ever since a month ago, you just abruptly stopped. Not even a warning. As if you were suddenly burned.

"We don't know. She just went home after finishing her duties." Hancock falls silent at that then continues eating.

Why would you suddenly do this?

-

Apparently, the universe listens to wishes now.

Because how the hell did Strawhat Luffy just land in Amazon Lily.

How the fuck did this man- boy, really- fucking get here?

"Does he have Yuda-? No, there's no sightings of a new ship anywhere. Flew?? But he's fucking rubber!? He can't do that, that's cheating-!" You grumble as you pace back and forth inside the palace halls. You sigh as you look over the Kuja members just fawning over the boy.

You look away and begin working away.

-

The past few days has been a blur.

One that you can't seem to grasp.

And you had to admit, you have been avoiding Luffy.

Hating the attention he got from everyone else. Hating that he seemed so happy despite being in a place he didn't know. Hated his stories of all the adventures he went on.

Hating the love that came from Hancock-

Oh. So that what it was.

"I'm jealous?" You ask no one as your tears silently fall down. The realization hitting you harder than you thought it would.

You always knew that one day, Hancock would have to fall in love with a man.

Because she was normal.

And you were no-

You get hit by Elder Nyon in the head.

"Where have you been? You missed the whole banquet." Elder Nyon finally notices your tears and you can't help but turn away.

All of them celebrated him. All of them.

"Sorry, I missed the banquet. But I just wanna sleep." You ran away before Elder Nyon could even comment on your unfamiliar tears.

You weren't a crybaby. Gloriosa would even argue that you have no feelings regarding being sad as she hardly ever saw you cry despite being your adoptive grandmother.

It was the first time in all the years that she has known you that she saw tears come out of your eyes.

"Y/N?" She quietly asks from outside your door then knocks. She knocks again as she asks, "Are you okay?" You sigh then turn to the door.

"I'm fine. Just-" You wipe your tears away. "Just really fucking tired."

"Alright. Just- let me know when you need me." Gloriosa decides to leave you alone for now.

You'll come to her when you're ready.

-

As it turns out though. You were never ready. You never even said out loud that you fell in love with Hancock.

In an island full of women, one would think that women falling in love with other women is normal.

And it is.

But falling for the empress?

Like full-on, heart-clenching, soul-consuming, and painful love?

It was unheard of.

For the members of the Kuja Tribe. The Empress is the ruler. It was natural to adore and admire but romantic love?

It was impossible.

You were dangling your feet over the roof as you write down your resignation letter. Hopefully, you could give it to Sonia or even Mari without emotionally breaking down. Besides that, you had enough savings. Enough so that even Elder Nyon has given you her blessing.

"Go discover the world. Go meet other people. Have your own adventures. Then come back when you need to." Was her lines.

She supported you even when you said what your reason was. Although you also never told her who you fell in love with.

Saying it out loud means you have to take it seriously. It meant you had to confess to her. And that-

That is going to be the worst because you already knew that you were going to be rejected.

So you keep it all in.

Better to be unknown than out in the open and then get rejected.

-

You're standing in front of Ran as she reads over your resignation letter. You think the Kuja Pirates left. You aren't really sure. But you know you haven't seen their ship and Luffy this morning.

And yes, even Hancock.

"You're going somewhere?" She finally says after minutes of silence. You nod and she sighs. She was one of those who stayed behind this time.

"What? Why are you sighing?" She shakes her head.

"This is just bad timing. The marines called the empress so we're kind of low in manpower at the moment. I know Sonia and Mari are coming back but-" You sigh at that. But they don't know how to properly run the kingdom.

Only you and Hancock does. To be fair to those two though, you know how much they've spent training their asses off. And the only reason that you do is because you've observed how Hancock does it for so long.

"Fine. I'll stay." Ran beams at you and you sigh. "Only until Hancock gets back. After that, I'm gone."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Ran says in relief and you get your packed bag.

You really thought you were going to leave.

"Guess I'll have to go ahead and live here for the meantime." You sigh at that realization.

-

The past few days have been exhausting.

You've read so many reports that you can safely say that you can vomit if you read another one today. You've also read today that the battle at Marineford started just hours ago.

You knew Hancock could do all these things without breaking a sweat but it was still different when you do it yourself.

"You should go home." Sonia says as you tumble into the lobby of the palace. Hancock's various gifts and present from the Kuja members, just pushed aside until she comes home.

"No." You refuse and lean on the wall. "I need to finish up that project."

"Sonia and I can take care of it. Please, Y/N, rest." Mari says as she helps you.

"Thank you then. Just have to-" You don't get to finish your sentence as you faint into Ran's arms.

"Wha- what happened to her?" Ran asks the Boa sisters and they sigh.

"She's working herself to the bones in order to run the kingdom and teach us." Ran hums as Sonia carries you from her.

"I'll take her to her room. Mari, the project."

"Got it." The Boa sisters disperse and Ran sighs as she regrets telling you to stay.

She didn't know that you were such a hard-worker. Everyone in the Kuja Pirates thought that you only ran around trying to please Hancock because that's your job. And they never saw you even train or do anything other than paperwork.

"I never realized that Y/N did so much more." Ran's realization gets heard by Elder Nyon who was coming to see you.

"Ran? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh! Elder Nyon! It's- um- nothi-" Elder Nyon glares at her so Ran succumbs. "It's just she fainted so-"

"WHAT!? Where is she?"

"She's carried to her room by Sonia." Gloriosa quickly goes inside the palace and runs into your room.

"Is she alright?" Sonia jumps at the panic in Elder Nyon's voice.

"She's fine, Elder Nyon." Sonia looks at you. "Just really tired."

"Has she been teaching you guys on what to do?" Sonia nods at the question and Elder Nyon sits by your side. "Go help Mari out, I'll take care of her." Sonia nods then gets out of your room in the palace.

Gloriosa knew you too well. Even if you never told her who you fell for.

It was all in your actions. The way you aim to please Hancock at every turn. The way you beam when she gives you praise. The way you always had this seldom look on your face when you though no one was looking.

You were such an open person when it came to other people's problems, all of those you could solve in a jiffy. But when it came to yourself-

"You really have nothing else to give to yourself, huh?" It was one of the reasons why Gloriosa immediately accepted you leaving Amazon Lily. Because she knew you had to find yourself.

Without her being your guide. Without Hancock being your love. Without the other Kuja Members always looking over your shoulder.

Gloriosa sighs as she gets a towel from your drawer and gets a basin full of water from your bathroom. The least she can do is make you comfortable while you slept.

-

You clutch at the newspaper and try to calm down your heart.

Portgas D. Ace is dead. So it meant that Luffy failed in his mission. You might not have been speaking with the boy but you've heard enough from others. From Hancock herself. This meant that Hancock might be coming back in two to three days.

You start packing your bag in a hurry. You cannot see her again. Not if she'll weaken your resolve to get over her.

"I need to esca-"

"Y/N-" Sonia stops in her tracks as she sees you, panicly packing up everything in your room. "What's happening?" She just came in, wanting your perspective on a potential project that was suggested by the fisherwomen.

"She's coming home." You answer as you frantically shove your clothes in the bag.

"Who?" Sonia places the papers on the desk as she watches you shove some more clothes in the almost full bag.

"Hancock. I need to leave. Immediately."

"You hate sister that much?" Sonia asks as you close up your bag. You sigh and look at Sonia. The woman was visibly tired, she and Mari are new to being the leaders of this island and it shows. You put down your bag and walk up to Sonia who looked down on the floor, not wanting to see you leave at all. You pick up the papers and look over the project details.

"On the contrary," You finally say as you read the last page. "I'm in love with her." Sonia snaps her head up to look at you. You give her a sad smile and she trembles at seeing you so sad and defeated for the first time since she's known you. You just looked so exhausted. "The project is actually good at that point. Approve it and make sure that it can be implemented. And remember, even if you and Mari fail a project, it can always be improved and get started over. Our people have the best leaders." You walk over to your bag and pick it up. "Good luck on holding out for a few days, Sonia. Tell it to Mari too. I have to go now." Sonia just watches as you leave your room, packed bag in tow.

It felt like she was losing you. They were losing you. Their best friend. The Boa sisters adored you. Sonia and Mari trained with you during the early hours of the morning. Hancock even if she feels like it. The three sisters could confidently do anything they want because they knew they have you and Elder Nyon back home. But now you were leaving. Leaving them behind. And Sonia doesn't even know if-

"Will you ever come back?" Sonia asks through her tears. She didn't even realize that she started crying.

She's losing you, her best friend who always made sure that she and Mari feel appreciated. You who was their first friend on the island. You who supported the Boa Sisters in every way possible. You who made sure that Hancock was the next empress. Who made sure that Sonia and Mari had enough training and knowledge. You, the only one person besides Elder Nyon who knew their terrible secret but still loves them despite of it.

"Sonia? Wha- what happened?" Mari asks as she hugs Sonia.

"She left. She left us, Mari." Mari tears up at that. "And I don't know if she'll ever come back." Together, the two Boa sisters cry.

-

You look back at Amazon Lily and smile. You can't help your tears as you put your bag in the small boat.

"Pyhia." You call out your small Yuda and she greets you from the water. "We'll head out soon. Think you can do it?" Pyhia enthusiastically nods and readies herself by connecting the boat on her body. Pyhia has always been smart and it's one of the things you adore about her.

"You're leaving already?" Elder Nyon asks and you smile at her.

"Not yet. Still have to pick up some supplies then give you your letter."

"Letter?" You bring it out from your pocket and smile as you present it to her. "Don't read it until I leave. I might not be able to stand seeing you cry."

"Is it really going to make me cry?" You grin at her.

"I'm hoping it would. If it doesn't then you have a stone heart, grandma." Elder Nyon chuckles at that.

"Let's go shopping for supplies then." You nod at her and carry her on your shoulders. She shouts in exasperation but still cherished the moment. She might not be able to experience in a long time.

-

You tie the floating raft to your boat and hum as it stables on itself.

"Pyhia. Can you take the weight? Try moving around for a bit." Pyhia does as you say and she squeals in delight at being able to do what you said. "Good! We'll take off in a minute then." Pyhia squeals in confirmation and for the last time, you look back at Amazon Lily.

You've already said your goodbye to Elder Nyon. Even sent out the letters to Ran, Margaret, Sonia, Mari, Hancock and some other friends as well. You take a deep breath then yell. "Let's go, Pyhia!"

Then you finally leave your hometown behind.

-

A/N:

AFTER SO LONG, I CAN WRITE.

We bought a computer.

Anyways, thank you for reading!

[noroi1000]

❝𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮-𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐢❞ Chapter 20

Satoru-Sensei | ←Previous chapter • Next Chapter→

Summary:"...What now?" He asked in a whisper.

"Now you will fall asleep." Gojo said, happy to feel the warmth of your body next to him."Fall asleep?"

"You will fall asleep and wake up as if it had never happened here. And she will stay here with me. You can't take her from me. You won't even remember that we talked like that. Everything will be fine again."

All the days you lived were supposed to disappear.

Because they want to hurt you. They know you're here. They know that you are with Gojo.

That's why they will want to take you away. Because none of them want to believe that you are there with them because you want to be there with them. This is what you want, and you will always only want this. However, they don't know this.

They don't know that this is the only way you will be completely safe.

No negative emotions will reach you. You won't have to suffer because of your cursed energy.

As long as you are happy and calm, your cursed energy remains dormant and never causes trouble. When your life is peaceful and happy, you live just like a normal person.

You don't have to worry about whether you are strong or weak. Because Satoru will always be with you.

And if others can't respect your choice, that's their problem.

But because they can't do it, you have to suffer?

If he hadn't done something, you would be being held by a divine dog right now, and everyone around you would want to run away, just to get you off this island. Regardless of your feelings.

There are moments in life when moral principles may not be followed.

Gojo has already done this once. Kissing you suddenly. Then he took you away so that you could never be sad again in this world. May you forget all your sorrows and live with a smile. Together with your Satoru-Sensei.

Not with your teacher. Not with your former teacher. Only with your Satoru. With someone who is most important to you.

The white-haired man let go of your body gently and stood up, joining his hands to appear next to his students and touch their foreheads. Fingers gently dig into their skin to send unholy energy to them. To their brain and consciousness.

The air was spinning, and they didn't know for a moment where they were. What is this place? They wanted to go to sleep. It was as if they were sitting in a dream and suddenly started waking up. The sand was soft under their feet.

Kugisaki fell and sat on the sand, rubbing her eyes from tiredness. It was as if she was about to fall asleep. Itadori sat up slowly and placed his hand on his forehead, feeling slightly dizzy.

Gojo appeared in front of Fushiguro and placed two fingers on his forehead as well. By sending a dose of particles of his cursed energy that will work, but will do nothing to him.

"What are you-" he groaned and staggered.

"You could have listened to her instead of scaring her. She can't be nervous. Because her body is not adapted to her Jujutsu technique. Her body is not entirely that of a sorcerer. She feels better without it." he told him, placing his hands on his shoulders to help him balance. "I took her here so she wouldn't have to live the way she didn't want to. No stress or sadness. I do everything I can to make her smile. I wanted to see her smile always and forever. You're right about that. But I do it as much for myself as for her. I give her more than I take. She loves me."

He turned to you with a slight smile. You stood up and brushed the dirt off your pants as you slowly walked towards him.

You saw Fushiguro's eyes widen as he looked at you. You went under Satoru's arm, hugging him.

"(l/n)... You..."

"... Fushiguro... Satoru's right..." you said calmly, running your hand lightly over his shirt.

"But... Why didn't you tell us you were alive? You don't know what our lives were like after you died... We thought you had died! Everyone thought it would be better if you lived and one of us died!

"Fushiguro. That's okay. You can hate me for what happened. Sorry. But I didn't know that I would live. Thanks to Satoru, I can live a normal life... I'm sorry that I was the reason for what happened now. Satoru gave me a chance at a new life. That's why I won't waste this opportunity this time. Thank you for worrying about me. But I'm okay. As long as I'm here, I'll always be okay."

They reached for his arm, and suddenly she hugged him lightly.

"Thank you for your efforts. Im alright. And after you go home, it'll be okay too. Everything as it was supposed to be. Everyone is in their place. As it was meant to be from the beginning."

Maybe you were always that shy girl who was too quiet. A shy girl who got along best with her teacher. And this teacher knew in her someone he wanted to protect and then love.

Your hands moved away from him, and you clung to Satoru again.

"...What now?" He asked in a whisper.

"Now you will fall asleep." Gojo said, happy to feel the warmth of your body next to him.

"Fall asleep?"

"You will fall asleep and wake up as if it had never happened here."

And they will also forget something else. Something will completely slip from their minds for the rest of their lives. Something they may be looking for but won't know what it is. Because it was only in their dreams for them. There is no need to say more.

"Wait...What about (y/n)?" He asked quickly.

"She will stay here with me. You can't take her from me. You won't even remember that we talked like that."

"That's not the point... What about her? You'll know about what happened here."

"It's okay. As long as I can, I will live peacefully. Even if it means knowing that no one knows I'm alive."

"Am I not enough for you?" White-haired whispered with a funny smile.

"Yes Yes. You're the only one I want to live like this with." You whispered with a tiny smile and blush.

Now Megumi knew what a big mistake he had made.

He wanted to hurt you. Even more. Make yourself cry instead of smiling.

It was better for you to be "dead" than to live the same life you lived before.

"You'll wake up, and I'm sure you won't remember it. Satoru has never let me down, so when he said that, I knew he would."

Gullible and innocent? It was you. However, you believed in Gojo unconditionally. Because you always knew he would keep his word.

By giving you happiness, he gave you this.

"And your parents? Friends? Surely everyone misses you. I understand that you want to live this life, and I won't stop you. But the lives of your loved ones are the most important." He looked into Gojo's eyes.

The lives of your loved ones are the most important. Gojo just saw it.

You shook your head slightly from side to side.

"As long as I know I'm happy here, I know they're happy there. If you want, you can forget about me completely. And don't worry. I'll say it straight now, in case I ever forget, to calm your heart completely. I am safe and happy here. Satoru gives me the best life I could ever have. The perfect life that anyone can dream of."

Gojo-sensei was with them. Therefore, everything was fine.

Were they fighting a curse?

What is most important...

Questions swirled in their heads. They were falling asleep.

And when they woke up, there were a few questions on their minds.

They will never get answers to questions they don't remember. They are smiling. They live as they were supposed to live.

Their lives, the same as always. But without the old sadness holding their hearts.

Their dead classmate was gone.

Because the question they asked themselves when they woke up was:

Who is (y/n) (l/n)?

Has there ever been a person like (y/n) (l/n)?

They do not know.

To them, (y/n) (l/n) was a dream that didn't really exist. A person who didn't exist in the real world.

[bonefall]

wait hawkfrost's turnaround??? hawkfrost redemption real???

Yes!

There are two things that bother me massively about Hawkfrost's story, and I've got fixes that are going to pinpoint both of these.

Hawkfrost inherited evil. Because he never met his father until after the journey, and RiverClan has apparently completely moved on from supporting TigerClan and wanting to murder mixed-Clan cats and is sooo sorry (i hate shadow in riverclan), it implies Hawkfrost is the problem. His death is just the removal of a 'bad apple' allowing RiverClan to Finally Have Peace. There Is No Need To Throw Out The Barrel :) No deeper systemic issue at play, here.

Evil people can't change. Born evil, died evil, continued to be evil in death. Pair this with the way the Dark Forest had no plan besides Doing Violence and the fact we only BRIEFLY spoke about redemption in the last arc, it implies he's just a ball of malice with nothing deeper.

There is actually a lot I like about Hawkfrost as a villain! But these are the two things I felt were most important to fix, so I worked with these two things as a guiding philosophy to reduxing Hawkfrost.

FIX 1: Inheriting Evil

Instead of inheriting evil, Hawkfrost is radicalized by ex-TigerClan supporters in RiverClan.

Blackclaw, Skyheart, Heavystep, and his mentor Leopardstar think there were "some problems" with Tigerstar, but hey, why throw out the kitten with the tonguewash? Thistle Law did not have the reckoning in RiverClan that it had in other Clans.

Leopardstar had a brief period of guilt after the fervor of TigerClan drained away, and in a better time, may have had a true reckoning with what she allowed to happen... but as time passed, the shame, the fear, and the repentance began to fade and she started to remember those days with some fondness.

And Hawkfrost was all those best qualities of his father, without the bad ones. Or, that's what they saw and encouraged.

The death of Hawkfrost is actually one of the most important aspects of Bonefall TNP, imo... because this time his death doesn't make the ideas go away. Mistyfoot thought it would fix it, just like the last time a Tigerkin died in a bloody and horrific way, but RiverClan is still hardening. They don't believe he impaled himself on the spike Mothwing was holding. They think ThunderClan had something to do with it.

The argument about the meeting island is brought up again and RiverClan explodes into an argument. Mistyfoot looks up at her leader begging her to stop the fighting, and the sun turns Leopardstar into a shadow

The shape of a cat lounging on top of a pile, staring down at her with amber-eyed amusement. It's the Bonehill. It's the cheering crowd. It's Stonefur's last stand all over again.

She realizes that Hawkfrost was just another type of victim; and these ideas will not die unless they are killed.

FIX 2: Evil Can't Change

Hawkfrost is able to realize he has been used.

I find this important because the redemption and death of Hawkfrost should do what Snowtuft's does, functionally, waaaay off in TBC. It shows it's possible, but the question is put off because of his untimely death to leave it open for future arcs to pick back up on.

Though it's also important to not say that Ivypool "fixed" him. It is a realization he has on his own, helped along through the way he becomes her Dark Forest mentor.

(REMINDER: Mentorships are best described as being similar to getting a third parent in this rewrite)

I'm still planning the exact order of scenes to determine how this happens, but I do have several in mind.

Ivypool's Horse

A cute moment where, as a mentor, he tries to reward her by bringing her to see the nightmares. The scene is important for several reasons; 1. horsie 2. It establishes the Dark Forest is not actually a prison to escape. It has beauty and fun in it just like any other territory. He never realized that before. 3. Shows he isn't completely lost. The bar is so low it is literally in Hell but he does consider the needs of his apprentice, more than just training a soldier.

A Chat with Leopardstar

Every day, Leopardstar is reminded of what she supported, and of what TigerClan really was like. She's demoted back to lackey status and Hawkfrost sees his proud mentor getting pushed around. Leopardstar deeply regrets a lot of things, and chats honestly with Hawkfrost about them. 1. This conversation makes Hawkfrost connect the dots that he is doing to the trainees what was done to him, though he doesn't make the connection that this is Bad yet, ("when the dark forest is StarClan we will BE their gods so it's fine. It's all for the Cause.") 2. It starts to sink in what Tigerstar does to people-- uses them.

The horrifying death of Antpelt

He did NOT know that the living could kill Dark Forest warriors. This event shakes confidence in many fighters, but especially Ivypool who experiences survivor's guilt feeling like she's the reason he's gone. 1. Suddenly there's actual stakes to this. Attacking the living could mean dying to them-- is that something he wants to risk? 2. Ivypool is distraught

Something to do with infighting

The Dark Forest demons have MANY different motivations and don't always get along. Ripplestar and Spottedpelt are being convinced to fight for revenge, Ryewhisker and Cloudberry want the abolishment of the Law of Loyalty, Clawface is a true believer in Thistle Law, Runningnose looks like he's planning something. Hawkfrost has to get in the middle of these opinions and prevent the coalition from falling apart. 1. Exposes him to new ideas 2. Shows that Hawkfrost is doing a LOT of the work of maintaining the alliance and remembering several lies at once, which is very tiring. 3. Allows Ivypool to realize he's telling people what they want to hear and trust him less, which is a blow to him.

Flametail

When he dies, the Dark Forest cats are prepared to get rid of him so he won't end up ascending to StarClan and taking their secrets with him. Tigerstar steps in and prevents this from happening. 1. THIS is the moment Hawkfrost realizes he will always be second fiddle to Tiger's first litter. "...he never would have done that for Mothwing." 2. There is no great commitment to a cause. Tigerstar is just doing whatever he wants. If he's going to just be saving random people he likes... what's the point of attacking? 3. I want this one to be one of the last ones.

As you can see it's a lot of planning about what I WANT to do. Less of an actual roadmap.

[dystopicjumpsuit]

Stars Beyond Number - Chapter 19

The Way the World Ends, Part 3

Rating: T (rating varies by chapter; mature content will be tagged; regardless of rating, minors DNI)

Pairings: Echo x Riyo Chuchi; Gregor x OFC Cerra Kilian

Wordcount: 2.9k

Warnings and tags: angst; suspense; canon-typical violence; someone gets punched; blood and injury; language.

Suggested Listening:

Summary: Echo arrives in Pabu; the team disagrees about how to proceed.

A/N: This story shares continuity with Martyrs and Kings, "Double, Double Boil and Trouble" (part 2 here) and "Do It Again," but all the fics can be read as stand-alones.

Start here | Previous chapter | Next chapter | Masterlist | Sign up for my tag list | Read on AO3

…This is the way the world ends…

—T. S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men”

To say Pabu was beautiful would be grossly inadequate: it was the most idyllic place Echo had ever seen, and he’d seen a kriffing lot of the galaxy. He didn’t know if a worse hell existed than Skako Minor, but it was difficult to imagine a heaven that was lovelier than Pabu. He wished Riyo could have been there with him to see it.

It felt very strange to sit in the sunshine and enjoy Shep Hazard’s feast, to drink whatever fruity cocktail the mayor had made from the fermented tropical fruit that grew on their island—all while conscious that the rest of his team was either stuck in that dingy underworld garage or out on missions that were equally likely to end in gruesome disaster as success. He didn’t blame Hunter for wanting to keep the rest of the Batch—and particularly Omega—safe in this paradise.

Despite all that, Echo didn’t regret his decision to join Rex for even a second. The team’s success at Balmorra had only reaffirmed that he’d made the right call. But he couldn’t deny that it was very good to see his family again. Hunter made it more than clear that Echo would be welcome to join them, and if he were honest with himself, Echo admitted that it was a tempting prospect: a peaceful life in this beautiful place, surrounded by the people who were closest to him.

But what about the others? The ones who weren’t lucky enough to have found peace and safety?

“Echo, you've seen the power you're up against,” Hunter said. “You can't defeat them.”

“It's not about that,” Echo insisted. “It's about fighting for our brothers.”

“I understand why you're doing this,” Hunter sighed, “but when will it be enough?”

Echo didn’t reply immediately, but the unspoken words hovered between them nonetheless: Not yet.

“We have to tell him,” Fireball insisted.

“What good would it do?” Rex asked. “We need to get that data spike decrypted. If we tell Echo now, he’ll want to join in the search. We have to think about the bigger picture.”

“We could use some karking help with the search,” Nemec pointed out. “We still don’t know where Cerra is or even who took her.”

“My contact is looking into it,” Rex insisted. “If she’s in Imperial custody, we should know within a day or two.”

“And what if she isn’t?” Fireball asked. “How are we supposed to find her when we have no actionable intel?”

Riyo’s stomach churned. She couldn’t even believe they were having this conversation. Rex’s jaw was set firmly, but she could see the torment and self-doubt that swirled in his eyes.

“What if the situation were reversed?” she asked Rex. “If Echo knew something had happened to Cerra, and he decided to keep it from you?”

“I’d say he made the right decision,” Rex said. “The mission comes first.”

“That’s a kriffin’ lie,” Gregor said. “You’d burn the galaxy to the ground.”

“And what makes you say that?” Rex demanded harshly.

Gregor stared at Rex without flinching. “Because that’s what I’d do.”

“I have to agree,” Riyo said. “I’m sorry, Rex. If you don’t comm Echo, I will.”

Rex sighed and dropped his head into his hands. “Just… Give me a day. If I don’t hear back from my contact by then, I’ll comm Echo myself.”

“And what if you hear back?” Gregor asked.

Rex didn’t respond, and Riyo knew he was considering the possibility that his contact wouldn’t have any information.

“Then we’ll make a decision at that point,” she said decisively. 

Rex met her eyes and nodded in acknowledgment. She wasn’t particularly thrilled, but she understood Rex’s reservations. There was really nothing Echo could do right now, and his mission was important. But the minute they had a shred of intel, she would comm him—Rex and his bigger picture be damned.

“Previous transfer records recovered from the ship's logs list other clone prisoners detained by the Advanced Science Division,” Tech said, “and Crosshair is one of them.”

Wrecker spoke the thought that sprang to all of their minds: “You mean Crosshair turned on the Empire?”

Echo stared at Tech. If this were true, it could change everything. Crosshair had chosen the Empire, and he’d claimed to have done it without the influence of his inhibitor chip. Echo harbored private doubts that Crosshair’s chip had truly been removed, even if he thought it had. Regardless, if Crosshair had a change of heart about the Empire, that meant that there was hope that he would be willing to come back to the squad. Echo had lost too many brothers already. If there was the slightest chance that he could save Crosshair, he had to do it.

Tech and Echo threw themselves into the task of combing through the data he’d recovered from the Gozanti, and then into hunting down any leads they could find on Hemlock and the Advanced Science Division in Republic and Imperial records. There was precious little, and after an exhaustive search, Echo sent a message to Rex asking for assistance. 

Echo was surprised by how quickly Rex commed him back. He answered the call aboard the Remora; better for everyone involved if the Batch knew as little as possible about the details of Rex’s operations. The more they knew, the bigger the targets on their backs would grow.

“Echo,” Rex greeted him without preamble. “My contact came through with limited intel on your Dr. Hemlock, but we do know that he’s set to travel to Eriadu in two rotations.”

“That’s not much time,” Echo frowned. “What’s he doing there?”

“Attending some sort of summit at Tarkin’s compound with a bunch of Imperials. Not sure who else will be there, but given how classified it is, safe to say they’re all high-level officials.”

Echo grunted. “Tight security, then. Couldn’t take it with an army, but maybe a strike team could infil. Anything else?”

Rex shook his head, his expression troubled. “Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make it seem like Hemlock doesn’t exist. They’re not going to be happy to see a squad of wanted fugitives tracking him down.”

“We don’t have a choice. If he has Crosshair, we have to get him back,” Echo said firmly. “He’s our brother. Besides, Hemlock is holding other clones, too.”

“I understand,” Rex replied, but doubt clouded his eyes.

“We could use some backup,” Echo observed. 

“I wish I could send it,” Rex said. “Echo… there’s something you need to know.”

“What is it?” Echo asked. “Riyo—”

“She’s all right,” Rex said. “It’s about Cerra.”

Echo’s short-lived relief spiraled into a sense of foreboding. “What happened?”

“She went missing on an extraction mission. We still don’t know who took her.”

“I’m coming back,” Echo said flatly.

“Negative,” Rex replied, his voice stern. “The whole team on Coruscant is working on it. Your mission is too important; we have no idea if or when we’ll get another lead on Hemlock.”

“Kriff Hemlock—” Echo began.

“Cerra would want you to put the mission first,” Rex interrupted. “You know it’s true.”

“Cerra has a karkin’ death wish!” Echo snapped. “She’s been looking for an excuse to self-destruct since I met her.”

“We won’t let that happen. We will find her. I need you to stay focused on your mission. We can’t spare the men for Eriadu, and we couldn’t make it in time anyway. It has to be you, Echo. We’re counting on you.”

Echo sat alone in the Remora for a long moment after Rex ended the holocom. He knew Rex was right, but it didn’t ease the sick feeling of dread when he thought about Cerra. Dank farrik, he’d only just begun to get through to her, and now he might have lost her for good—his last link to Fives.

The mission comes first.

He’d get his brother back first, and if the team hadn’t found Cerra by then, he swore by the Force he’d get his sister back, too. 

Cerra awoke to the familiar gray walls of a Venator brig. She’d never been held in one before, but she’d seen them plenty of times during her years of service. She had no idea how much time had passed or even which Venator she was on. Her body ached, and hunger gnawed at her stomach. She took a quick stock of her situation.

Naturally, she’d been stripped of her weapons and armor, which was karking annoying. It was just her luck to lose her armor on the very first mission after she finished the modifications she’d been working on with Echo. The loss of the blasters cut deeper. Jesse had customized them for her specially years before, and they were all she had left from him. Even if she managed to escape, the odds were spectacularly bad that she would be able to find them on the Venator, if they’d even made it aboard.

That was assuming she lived long enough to escape. She had no delusions about her chances: she was being kept alive long enough to interrogate. Once they’d ripped the answers out of her, she would be terminated and jettisoned with the rest of the trash. If she were lucky, it would happen in that order.

All of which meant that she needed to escape before they had a chance to extract her secrets. All she had to do was break out of a completely secure holding cell, make her way through an enormous and heavily guarded starship, steal a ride, and jump into hyperspace before the Venator could engage its tractor beam—all without getting captured again. 

Easy peasy. 

She scoffed and flopped back down on the kriffing pathetic excuse for a bed. Clearly, prisoner comfort was not high on the list of priorities for jail cells. Nor was entertainment, which she discovered over the course of the next several days. Had she been bored when she was alone in the garage? That had been a paradise compared to the endless, colorless monotony of a Venator cell.

She slept, she woke, she slept again. Nothing changed, and she was forced to confront the very real possibility that she was going to die in this cell. She didn’t know how many days passed before the heavy tread of a TK trooper sounded outside her cell door.

“On your feet,” he barked. “Hands behind your head.”

She complied, keeping a wary eye on his blaster. He shut down the ray shield and entered the cell, then shoved her against the wall as he secured her wrists in a set of binders behind her back.

“You know, I usually expect a man to at least tell me his name before I let him tie me up,” she said, hoping to catch him off-balance.

“Quiet, scum,” he snapped.

Ah, well. Worth a shot.

“Get moving,” he ordered, nudging her out of the cell and into the corridor with the muzzle of his blaster.

“Where we headed?” she asked conversationally.

“Interrogation,” he replied shortly.

“Any chance we can stop at the commissary?” she asked. “I wouldn’t mind a snack. The prisoner rations here are—”

“Shut up,” he snapped. “Eyes front.”

Unfortunately, he never let down his guard, and his blasters were properly secured. Trust her to encounter the only competent TK trooper in the entire kriffin’ army. He marched her to the interrogation room and thrust her through the doorway. She stumbled, but righted herself in time to see the door slide closed and the lock engage. 

She took a quick inventory of the room. There was nothing inside except a table and two chairs; nothing she could use to escape or even loosen her binders. She paced around the room impatiently. After waiting a frankly impolite amount of time, at last she heard the door hiss open behind her.

“Cerra Kilian. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

Oh kark. 

She would recognize that voice anywhere, and she fought against a reflexive urge to snap to attention. Instead, she turned slowly around and inspected the man who’d entered the room.

“Admiral,” she drawled in greeting, hoping that he couldn’t hear the pounding of her heart or see the damp sheen of sweat that she suddenly felt on her forehead.

“It’s colonel, actually,” Wullf Yularen replied.

“Apologies, I didn’t realize you’d been demoted,” Cerra replied. From his narrowed eyes, she could tell the barb had struck home.

“It was a lateral move,” he replied. “An opportunity presented itself to be of greater service to the Empire.”

“Then I suppose congratulations are in order,” Cerra said.

“I can’t say the same for you,” Yularen said with a faint look of disgust as he surveyed her from her shaved head to her booted feet. “What on earth have you done to yourself? You used to be almost pretty.”

Always such a charmer. 

“Well, new Empire, new me,” she said glibly. “I think the new look suits me.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t expect better from a deserter and a traitor,” he said.

Cerra smirked. “Deserter, I’ll give you. But I hardly think a few shady back-alley deals constitute treason. If they did, you’d have to arrest the entire senate.”

Yularen clenched his jaw, but he didn’t rise to her bait. “You saved my life once, Lieutenant—or rather—Miss Kilian, and out of respect for that, I am going to give you a chance to do this the easy way. Tell me where to find your companions, and I will let you go free.”

Kraytshit, scughole. The only way you’re letting me out is in a body bag.

“I don’t have any companions,” she said. “I’m a free agent.”

Yularen’s lips tightened. He began to circle her, slowly, his shoulders ramrod straight, and his hands clasped behind his back.

“What were you doing on Daiyu?”

“What does anyone do on Daiyu?” she asked. “I was picking up a shipment of glitterstim.”

“You expect me to believe you abandoned your highly decorated military career to become a spice runner?” Yularen’s voice dripped with skepticism.

She shrugged. “Girl’s gotta make a living.”

He narrowed his eyes. “We know you were involved with the insurrection on Raada.” 

It was hardly an insurrection. I just blew up a speeder.

“What’s Raada?” she asked insouciantly.

“We have surveillance holos of you on the base. There’s no point in pretending ignorance.”

“Oh, you mean Raada, the moon,” Cerra said. “I was thinking about moving there, but I didn’t care much for the neighbors.”

“I see. I must admit, I was surprised to see a familiar face when we began to investigate the Raada incident. Careless. Almost as careless as trusting a spice runner not to give you up at the first hint of a reward.”

So that’s where the hole in our opsec was, Cerra thought grimly. Poor fucker.

“Hell of a reward,” she said. “Why do you care so much about a blown-up speeder, anyway?”

“Don’t pretend to be so innocent,” he gritted out. “Where is Ahsoka Tano?” 

“Who?” Cerra didn’t need to fake her confusion this time; she was truly baffled.

What in the galaxy does Ahsoka Tano have to do with anything? Cerra had met the young Jedi several times before she was transferred to the Ro-Ti-Mundi, but didn’t know her particularly well. Certainly not as well as Rex did. As far as Cerra knew, the girl had died along with the rest of the Jedi Order, even if she was a lapsed member.

“We know an adolescent Togruta Jedi killed an inquisitor on Raada and escaped mere days after you were caught on holocam at that base. Where is she?” Yularen demanded in a harsh tone.

“I thought all the Jedi were dead. What’s an inquisitor?” Cerra asked curiously. She hadn’t heard of them before, and she figured she might as well try to get as much information as she could on the off chance that she walked away from this mess.

Yularen backhanded her, hard. He struck so fast she never saw his fist coming before it smashed into her face. Her head snapped to the side, and she stumbled, but righted herself quickly as agony exploded in her mouth.

“Rude,” she gasped painfully. “I thought we were having a conversation.”

She tasted the salty, metallic flavor of blood, and she spat it onto the floor in front of Yularen’s feet.

“I gave you your chance to cooperate,” he said. “But it seems you’ve chosen to do it the hard way.”

“You know,” Cerra said, “you were a decent commanding officer. Bit of a hardass, but I never took you for a stooge. I guess you can never really know someone.”

“Strong words for a woman who betrayed everything she ever stood for,” Yularen said.

“I didn’t betray shit,” Cerra snarled. “And my only regret is that I dragged your fascist ass into the escape pod instead of saving more clones.”

He glared at her. “You will tell me everything.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” she said.

“I won’t need to. Guard!” Yularen snapped. The TK trooper stationed outside the room entered immediately. “Escort the prisoner to the enhanced interrogation room, and notify Agent Daivik that his services are required.”

“Yes, sir,” the trooper said, taking aim at Cerra. “Move it, scum.”

Cerra shot Yularen an impudent, bloody grin. “Be seeing you.”

---

Next chapter

[no-gram]

ACT1 Bizarre Poems

Hey, you. You know, don't you? Outside of this dream system of ours. A character that doesn't exist. A curse. A little tea party. This is a kind of boundary that is about to break.

Thinking back, it might have been the same at that time.

In the middle of the night My heart pauses for a moment That's when I have scary dreams.

There is a wall between me and those girls. I'm not talking about distance. There is a literal wall. I've been here so long, it feels like I've been here since birth, but I still clearly remember being brought here by her. Today I dream again that tomorrow I will be killed.

One day, there was a crack in this wall. Another day, the crack got bigger. I don't know what is beyond this crack, because there is only a mercury lamp here. But I can see the glittering neon lights on the other side. Maybe it's heaven on the other side.

When you want to kill one person When you want to kill someone You're the only one? and you come to me

the sound of something cracking in my head. 　I wish I could go on and on and on and on and on and on …… and …… the sound of me laughing

'ohohohohohohohohoho' 'yihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihi' “hahahahahahahahahahaha” “huh-huh-huh-huh-huh-huh.” Rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle. Rumble-rattle-rattle-rattle. Rumble, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle. Serves you right

From the corner of the blue sky “from the corner of the blue sky “who's staring at me and wondering what I'm doing. You did it with flair. I would have died otherwise. What are you going to do now? I'm gonna kill all the xxx except you. I'm not gonna stop you. I'm not a admin. What are you going to do with this? Let's get her in there. I won't help you. She's not that bad. She's the one who locked me in there, and more importantly, she won't have it herself. She deserves at least a parting gift. I see.

Why didn't you say so earlier? Because it wants you to be whole. I can't go against that. Then I've done the worst thing I could ever do to them. Not really. I'm just optimizing it over and over again. What about you, what do you do? I'll just optimize. If it brings you peace. Well, I guess this is goodbye. Maybe we'll see each other again soon. We are not the cause of this ＿＿＿＿ hatred, and there is no one here to hate. “Happy birthday to you, even though it's not what I expected at all.”

Oh. What a horrible torment. This beautiful, delightful island is now a skunky hell. Oh, God. Oh, God. Why don't you just kill us both at once? …………

…… everything is a fetus's dream. …… that little girl's scream… …… this dark ceiling… …the sunlight on that window………No…no………Everything that happens today is like that……… ……I'm still in my mother's womb. I'm suffering from algae scratchings from this horrible “fetal dream”. ……

……How about it……Do you remember……your name…… ……huh Still don't get it……? ……. AHAHAHAHAHAHA. That's because you still stuck in the habit of thinking with my brain's marrow.

The real prelude went something like this, and the next time I woke up, I knew what I had to do. The number of precious things lost will crack, and the idol will be broken. I don't want that anymore. Even if no one understands me, I won't make a mistake next time.

So, so please… don't make a mistake. We have done nothing wrong. No one has made a mistake yet. The hatred that needs to be directed is in your world.

The one-winged angel, the one who doesn't want to be saved, the one who was burned by her fallen love, the one who tormented me, they were not wrong. There must be a way.

A revisionist and monstrous work, based on a quote from a monster who speaks the name of a certain dream and an afterimage from a bygone era.

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[welldonebeca]

It' s a Bad Idea, right? (13)

WC: 1k words Warnings: Mafia AU. Secret identity au. Fluff. Flirting. 

Masterlist

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Steffan was the one who picked Betty’s outfit to go to Coney Island, something she could be comfortable in – a nice pair of jeans, with walking shoes and a cute shirt, nothing too fancy. 

She had never been to Coney Island before and had never been particularly interested in amusement parks. However, when he suggested the trip, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and he looked genuinely thrilled about the prospect of being by her side for her first visit to Coney Island. 

In those two weeks together, she had learned a very important thing: very few things made Steffan’s eyes sparkle in excitement, and she wanted to see more of that. 

He knelt to the floor to tie up her shoes, very careful as she watched him silently. 

It made it impossible for her not to smile. He was so gentle. 

He was tying her shoes!

What other man in her life had tied her shoes before? None. 

Her dad had bought her Velcro shoes when she was little to prevent her from tripping, but he had never tied her shoes because she didn't have laced shoes until she was old enough to do it herself.

When he was done,  he took a moment to adjust her socks and looked up at her with a gentle smile on his lips.

"How's your mood now?" he asked in a soft voice.

Betty exhaled slowly. She couldn't completely hide that her day had started off poorly.

"Better," she replied.

He set his eyes on her face, resting his open hand on her knee with his palm up. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” he offered. 

She did. But not with him, no. 

Betty knew very little about Hydra, but Steffan was absolutely in a higher position than the Malicks. Anything she said could have a negative impact on them, and she didn’t want anything to happen. 

“I went to church in the morning,” she exhaled. 

Steffan’s face softened. 

“Did Mrs Malick see you?”

A little smile tugged on her lips. 

“Yeah,” she nodded. “She always asks why I don’t go much, but it’s enough to stop her from asking questions.”

She placed her hand on his, and he gently caressed the skin of her palm.

"Hiding who you truly are is the most exhausting thing someone can do," he said, looking into her eyes. "I...”

He paused, watching her face carefully. 

"I can't begin to imagine how that affects you," he continued in a soft tone, "but I'm really sorry you have to do that to stay safe."

Betty observed him, uncertain. There was something in his expression, something she couldn't quite grasp. But it felt like he genuinely understood, and that meant more to her than words.

She puled his hand up and kissed it, and Steffan smiled, pulling her to stand with him. 

“Ready?” he asked gently. 

Betty exhaled. Coney Island, there she went. 

He raised his hand to her cheek and pressed a kiss to her lips, pulling back and looking into her eyes. 

"It's going to be fun," he assured her, his thumb gently caressing her skin. "If it's not, well... you get to choose your prize."

And that was how she ended up in his car, with his right hand holding hers as he drove off and Taylor Swift played in the radio, and the thirty minutes were quite peaceful, honestly. It was a bit weird, going places by car. She was so used to just taking the subway, this was strangely comfortable. 

Oh, if he broke up with her, it would suck to go back to not being able to drive around. 

“Did I ever tell you about the first time I’ve been to Coney Island?” he asked. 

“No,” Betty shook her head. 

He thought silently for a moment. 

“I visited the US as a boy when my father got a job opportunity but it wasn’t that good, we were living a little tight,” he told her, facing the road. “And I had this friend, this… boy, he was my age. James. He was very patient, he taught me a great deal of English.” 

Betty watched him quietly, listening quietly. He looked a bit nostalgic as he spoke. It sounded like something very important. 

“We scrapped all the money we had, together. Anything we could get delivering newspapers… it was the 90s, parents weren’t worried about us getting kidnapped yet,” he chuckled.

Betty couldn't help but laugh along with him.

“So, we saved all the money we could get for two weeks, and we went to Coney Island,” he told her. “It was my first time there. I don’t think I’d ever had so much fun in my life.”

Betty smiled warmly. 

“It sounds very nice,” she told him. “Are you still friends?”

Steffan hummed, reflecting on the past. 

“We still talk,” he told her. “But I moved back after a while.”

Betty nodded in understanding. 

"I'm hoping I can make your day just as fun," he said, squeezing her hand. "Do you trust me?"

She smiled and leaned back in her seat, her eyes fixed on him. 

"I do," she replied. "My fun is in your hands."

He parked the car and unbuckled his seatbelt before giving her a serious, yet playful look.

"I'll open the door for you," he teased with a grin. "You have to start letting me."

Betty chuckled. Yes, he had this charming habit, and yes, she was still getting used to it. She remained in the car, unfastening her seatbelt, and observed as he walked around to her side and opened the door.

"Thank you," she giggled when he held the door open, and she stepped out.

After closing the door and locking the car, Steffan paused for a moment. He took her hand, gently squeezed it, and pulled her a little closer. Their lips met in a sweet, gentle kiss, and he smiled warmly at her.

"Ready?" he asked.

She sighed contently. 

"Ready," she replied with a loving peck on his chin and then his lips. "Let's go."

…

“it’s a Bad Idea, right?” was posted on my Patreon in September 2023. To have early access to it (and lots of other stories), consider subscribe to my page! It’s just $2 a month, and I know you won’t regret it!

…

Bad Idea: @peaceloveancolor