#you don't have to like any of these ships but you don't need to be such a fucking asshole about it.

[zanarkandfayth]

I'm just answering these because I want to, and skipping the ones that wouldn't be relevant or I don't feel like answering lmao

01. How many fics have you worked on since January? Hmm, five? I finished the Noct & Gladio one, I've been working on the rewrite of the aftermath one, I started the one inspired by @quartzguts fic Lost Signal (go fucking read this if you haven't), I did some more backstory for the college au, and I edited the secret one.

02. What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? I've been trying to do a sliiiightly closer POV than before. I think it came out nicely enough in the Noct & Gladio fic. Definitely a challenge for me though.

05. What ships captured your heart? Ignoct still has my heart forever and always, but I've definitely had a growing fondness for Gladnoct. More platonic than romantic but I don't mind the romantic.

07. Did you write for any new fandoms or ships this year? I mean I guess the Noct & Gladio fic is the first time I've written a fic centered on the two of them. I thought about writing a fic for Sword AF, and for Breath of the Wild, but I didn't. I'm unlikely to for either fandom, tbh. Too many for ffxv to focus on.

08. What fic meant the most to you to write? Aftermath fic, even though I'm not finished with it. I've been basically writing it since 2019 and it's the most in-depth fic I've ever written and I've put so much fucking work into it and it's over 600K I'm super proud of it even if it's slowly killing me and the fandom will be 100% dead by the time I'm done.

09. What fic made you feel the happiest to work on? college au, my self-indulgent beloved. I have no idea if I'll ever successfully write you, but I love you nonetheless.

10. What fic was the most satisfying to finish writing? lmao I only finished the Noct & Gladio one so I guess that by default.

11. What fic was the most difficult to write? the one inspired by Lost Signal. I have it all plotted out and I'm excited to write it but fuuuuck when I tried back in the summer it was not cooperating. and then writer's block just came knocking in general. I've got one finished chapter and I low-key hate it so I'm trying to ease back into things with working on my rewrite of aftermath fic before I attempt this fic again.

12. What fic was the easiest to write? I mean the Noct & Gladio one was pretty easy to write once I kicked my own ass and stopped procrastinating on the battle scene lol.

14. What were your go-to writing songs? I like to listen to a lot of EDM stuff. Especially Industrial but other stuff too. KMFDM, Assemblage 23, Lost Signal, Neuroticfish, Rotersand, Seabound, Lionhearts, Covenant, Wolfsheim, Acretongue, Michael FK... I also listened to Linkin Park and the Ori and the Blind Forest soundtrack.

15. What was the hardest fic to title? only two fics got titled this year... the secret one I ain't sharing lmao and the Noct & Gladio one, which was actually hard to title. Ameliorate. It fits but I kinda hate it ngl. I couldn't think of anything better. I still can't. It's whatever.

16. What's your favorite title of the year? the secret one. I'm so mean for it but as soon as I was done editing I knew I HAD to make that the title. I'm sorry my beloved blorbo. it was just too perfect lmao. one of my mutuals knows what I'm talking about XD it's all good.

21. What's something that surprised you while you were working on a fic? Did it change the story? my ass in 2019: I already wrote a lot of Noct dissociating in Under Grey Skies, I don't need to do it in aftermath fic. my ass in 2024: huh, Noct doesn't dissociate enough in this fic. soooo I guess now that's gonna be a thing. it has very much changed the story, several scenes have been changed/added for it and I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with it yet but that's why I'm writing without posting for now. wasn't expecting to do it but we'll see what happens.

22. What writing programs did you use? Did you write by hand? no to by hand, I only sometimes do that for notes/plotting. I use scrivener <3333 I bit the bullet at the start of this year and used the money I had left from selling my car/after buying a freezer to upgrade to scrivener 3 and though I miss some things from scrivener 1, I mostly like it. I've gotten a lot more into the organisational features and it's been a godsend for making the rewrite of aftermath manageable.

25. How did you recharge between fics? Killed myself 100%ing breath of the wild. including all 900 fucking korok seeds. and then started playing tears of the kingdom with the intention of 100%ing that too but fuck me upgrading the armour was such a fucking slog even with duping diamonds for rupees and I still don't even have all of the sets collected and the koroks are more annoying this time and hhhhhhh I went back to fic to recharge from that fucking game.

28. If this were an awards show, who would you thank? @ivorydice for letting me endlessly ramble about my fics and helping me with plotting some of them. @quartzguts for writing an amazing fic that has inspired me with one of my own that I will write and finish eventually hrgh. @smallest-turtle for also letting me ramble that one time and for stabbing me in the heart with painful headcanons that made me think more about my own. literally anyone who's read my fics regardless of whether they've left kudos or comments or bookmarked them. anyone who talks to me. anyone who likes my venting as support. all my mutuals for being my mutuals even if we've never had a single interaction.

29. What's left on your to-do list for 2024? to just keep pecking away at the rewrite of aftermath fic. by the end of today I should have 38 of 62 chapters rewritten... send help T^T

30. What would you like to write next year? I just wanna finish aftermath fic for the love of god. pls. also the fic inspired by Lost Signal, and I'd like to maaaaaaaybe (big maybe) write a companion fic to the Noct & Gladio fic, showing Ignis & Prompto's hunt, but I don't actually have any ideas for it rn. so we'll see.

A slightly revised version of last year's questions! Two ways to play: Reblog and have your followers send you numbers, or answer the whole list!

How many fics have you worked on since January?

What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year?

What piece of media inspired you the most? (This can be the fandom you wrote the most for, the one that spawned the most ideas, the one you thought about the most, etc.)

How many fandoms did you write for this year?

What ships captured your heart?

What characters captured your heart?

Did you write for any new fandoms or ships this year?

What fic meant the most to you to write?

What fic made you feel the happiest to work on?

What fic was the most satisfying to finish writing?

What fic was the most difficult to write?

What fic was the easiest to write?

What were your shortest and longest fics posted this year?

What were your go-to writing songs?

What was the hardest fic to title?

What's your favorite title of the year?

Share your favorite opening line

Share your favorite ending line

Share your favorite piece of dialogue

Share your funniest line

What's something that surprised you while you were working on a fic? Did it change the story?

What writing programs did you use? Did you write by hand?

If you had to choose one, what was THE most satisfying writing moment of your year?

Did you do anything special to celebrate finishing a fic?

How did you recharge between fics?

Did you create fanworks other than fic?

How many events did you take part in? (bangs, exchanges, ship weeks, zines, prompt memes, they all count!)

If this were an awards show, who would you thank?

What's left on your to-do list for 2024?

What would you like to write next year?

[beuxwhoyouare]

Bewildering

The Skreat escape pod crash landing on Earth one night caused chaos in more ways than one. Several people’s lives were altered forever by the events that immediately followed the ships blazing destruction. It was dark as sirens blared through the night heading towards the blaze.

I woke up by the shrieking sounds of alarms approaching. We crashed on some foreign planet after the sudden attack. My biggest fear was being captured on this planet, what if they were the ones that attacked us? What if they took me and tortured me for species secrets. I couldn't let them know about Skreats and began slithering as fast as I could through the area lined with bark lined towers.

2 figures approached in the night, but I couldn't focus on identifying features and chose to hide. Suctioning my way up a bark tower, I chose to use my observation skills to determine if they were friendly organisms or foes determined to take me in for experimentation.

"Raph I don't think we should get closer. We should go back to camp and evacuate. It looks like it could lead to a big wild fire," the shorter of the two pleaded with the bigger one.

"Alex, dude. There's no way it wasn't like a giant secret ship or something insane that caused it. Didn't you hear that crazy crash? We gotta see this thing first hand," the taller and much more statured of the two said with a boomy resonance.

The two were going towards the ship crash at a rate faster than I could slithering on this planets gravitational pull. I decided they were my way to observe the site and get there faster. I dropped my suction and aimed to fall on their bags. After detaching, I aimed to fall on the broader one since it seemed like my size would be negligible on him.

After falling onto his bag, he turned around as if he heard something behind him, but by that point I had slid into an opening on the enclosure. We Skreats are very pliable and I made my way into his bag.

The pair of earthlings made their way closer to the ships crash site but by the time they got there bright lights and tape marked off the region. Curiosity struck many trying to get a sight at the alien ship. I peaked out of the bag only to see the blaze. There’s no way any Skreats could have survived such a blast.

Numb. All I felt was numbness as this earthling unknowingly carried me away from the scene. Was I the last Skreat? How does one internalize the idea that you’re the last of your kind? The bag shook and then got flung onto a nearby soft surface after a loud door shut. I flew inside the bag which rocked me back to cognizance. Where am I now? I peaked out of the fabric cage I resided in and saw the taller one walking around a room.

He peered into a doorway that emanated light before pulling out a round red sphere and taking a bite.

He appeared to be preparing earthen sustenance…I should become more accustomed to this if I’m the last Skreat I’ll need to blend in with the earthlings. I left the soft seat the bag was thrown onto and slid my way closer to get a better look.

He threw things into a hot cauldron item over a flame. After a few time sectors he was done and put some of the substance into a bowl, that’s when I lost my grip on some steam and fell into the bowl when he wasn’t aware.

I hid among orange, green, and tan bits of sustenance in the hot salty broth. I stung but I couldn’t risk being caught. Eventually a colder metallic platform came into the bowl and lifted me up to his front facing orifice, despite my protests I got swallowed again without his notice.

I refused to be defeated. I mustered up the energy and detoured before meeting the earthlings digestive acids and headed to his core. I guess you call it a heart.

Once there, I began inserting my tendrils and began spreading myself through his bloodstream. It’s a large task for such a small Skreat like myself to attempt a takeover of a creature this large but I was desperate to live.

The large creature began to notice and clasped hard at his chest. But it was too late for him. Pulse pulse pulse. I could feel his heart pumping and eventually I synced up with it. We were becoming one. It’s a skill of the Skreats but it was my first time doing it. I was scared to do it wrong or worse…kill the host.

I began trying to use my new lungs. A phenomenon that like sounds like gasping for air from those who normally use lungs. Eventually I calmed down and brought the heart pulsing down to a normal seeming speed. All the internal systems seemed to normalize as I calmed the body down.

Except one part of the sizable earthling….

I used the body’s messaging device to take an image for further research later. Then I continued to calm the body down leading the appendage to become more restrained. But a message appeared from someone named Babe. I opened it up to see a slimmer earthling with longer hair. They appeared unclothed with a message saying “can i come over?” I replied with my new fingers “affirmative”.

I continued to try enjoying the sustenance the human made before. Wow these sensations from my new mouth were so vibrant and exhilarating. I wonder what else I can figure out. My new thick fingers fiddled with the bag I came out of nearby. An item flopped out with a bunch of cards, I picked up one with this bodies image.

Raphael James Conrad Lee. Was that his identification? That seems very long and superfluous. Must be why that other human called him Raph before.

A knock came to the door of the housing unit I was in. I approached the door and instead of investigating almost as if the host was on autopilot it turned the knob and a tiny earthling stood there in a see through top piece of clothing and a frilly bottom one. I believe this must be the opposite gender, a woman.

She lunged at me piloting the host and placed her mouth on to mine introducing her anatomy to mine. I reciprocated before she yanked my bottom clothing down. My previously hard appendage revived itself with a mind of its own as the woman placed her mouth on it.

All I saw was her eyes as she moved swiftly. One she placed her mouth on it, it felt like all I could see was colors. Oh my what is this phenomenon. Ohhhhh unhhhhhh. What are these sounds escaping my mouth. Before I knew it, the feeling became overwhelming. I felt something coming. My hosts feet previously firmly planted on the ground, curled its toes. My abdomen contracted and then a RELEASE. I opened my eyes as she wiped something. She placed her mouth on mine again and said “thanks”. Before immediately fleeing.

What was that? What is this experience. And why does it feel so good?

I need to understand more about what this appendage does. I wonder if that tiny male human that was with “me” earlier might want to do the same activities with his appendages. I try to recall his identification. Cmon I knew I heard him say it. Lex, Ale, Alex….Alex? Yes.

I picked up the messaging device and snapped an image. I copied the text the woman sent me. “Come over”. Maybe that’s how humans that want that activity communicate it to one another.

Almost immediately the device buzzed.

“Oh bro I didn’t know you rolled like that too?”

What do these words mean? I don’t want him to out me for acting outlandish…okay I can do this.

“Yeah bro. So are you cuming?”

A hand with a thumbs up appeared above the message appeared? What does this mean? So much to learn about this planet. I better start learning if I want to blend in.

The door was never closed after the woman left and a one pound happened on the already opened door. Before I could approach it to see who it was. Alex was there at the door. I could see the same energy the woman had in his eyes. He slammed the door behind him and unclothed himself with haste. He also had an appendage hard like mine, but smaller. Was my body considered an alpha amongst men?

He approached with eagerness but also a tenderness, unlike the woman. I put my mouth on his like she did to me. I was about to show Alex everything I’ve learned about earthlings.

[m4rs-ex3]

ok i'm so terribly sorry to be saying this but i'm kind of ok with sorvus not becoming canon canon

i know we were pretty much all expecting something but it doesn't feel like we were robbed; it doesn't feel like we were teased or led along or, ahem, baited. the show absolutely knows what it has but it's not a case where they choose to ignore it and it's incredibly frustrating. something tdp is very good about is not fully committing to something big (ie rayllum proposal) but gives you enough to satisfy + enough to allow for more future exploration (ie rayllum in episode 5 [sorry i have to make everything about rayllum jk im not sorry]). they take every opportunity to show how much soren and corvus care about each other and their chemistry is an unstoppable force.

in addition to the fact that it is by zero means not not canon even if they're not exactly canon, i think it works with the story. even being the world's biggest shipper who cares about a show's relationships pretty much more than anything else, i low-key hate it when a million couples are thrown in your face at once, especially in finales where it's like "ok the day is saved everyone's found love!!! isn't that so great!!!!!! happy ending!!!!!!!!!!!!!" this was part of the reason i was a little put off by terry's existence in the very beginning because it was just like.... do we really need another couple? even if i didn't dislike their relationship. and that's also why i'm so happy with the way they turned out because i love it when there are relationships that just don't work out (unless i have any sort of attachment to the ship in that case fuck you they should have been together forever [but then again if it feels like the only reason a relationship ends is because the writers said so then i kind of consider that bad writing anyway]). in the case of sorvus, i certainly wouldn't have been opposed if they'd gotten together near the end (especially since rayllum, yk, were already together so it wouldn't have felt they were fighting for attention), but it feels kinda right that they didn't. rayllum is the main event whether you like it or not and i'm very glad that they stuck with that. it wouldn't have exactly been fair to sorvus either, would it?

and, of course, this leaves so much more opportunity for them. especially if we get arc 3, but either way there's no way we won't get something of their quest. so this way they get their own spotlight, and they get way more time to develop to that point (which is another reason i don't believe they should've gotten together in s7 because there was just too much going on and even though their relationship has gotten lots of time it still would've been like "oh! ok! they're together! ok! what's happening!")

at the end of the day they are 110% in love - we know that, tdp knows that, and we don't need to see them make out for it to click (just like s5-early s6 rayllum to harken back to that unavoidable comparison), even if it might've been nice

[gothamite-rambler]

Talia: Okay, if I had Damian in the spring and it’s winter now… I forgot his birthday, didn’t I?

Harley (holding a teacup): Yeah, he said he’s used to it.

Talia (panicked): Oh my God! Quick, what do boys like? Fisher-Price is still a thing, right?

Harley (flatly): Tali, he turned twelve.

Talia (lamenting): I thought he was nine! Okay, I can work with this. I’ll call Bruce—no, no, he’ll be upset that I forgot his birthday and think I don’t care. But I do care! He’s my tifl. I spent thirty-six hours pushing him out of my body! My mind just gets foggy at times.

Harley: Talia.

Talia: If I had remembered, trust me, I’d throw him a party! Plus, I’m a busy woman. I am a businesswoman before I’m a fighter. That’s not me excusing my actions, though. Don’t say it is!

Harley (repeating herself): Talia?

Talia: I need to give him something good—

Harley (raising her voice): TALIA!

Talia (annoyed): What?!

Harley (passing Talia her phone, which is open to the Amazon app): What you see is his wishlist. That’s the stuff he wants as gifts. You don’t have to buy everything, just one or two items.

Talia: Oh bless you, Harley! Huh, he has a lot of books in here. I shall buy them all!

Talia pulled out her phone and began adding every book she saw on his wishlist to her Amazon cart. Harley shrugged, sipping her tea.

Two weeks later, Damian received numerous packages from Amazon filled with the books he had been hoping to get. He blinked, unsure of how to react. But what stood out the most was that Talia had also bought him the ship Lego set he wanted.

Damian: Hm… She really went through my wishlist for this. If she got the notification that the packages were delivered, she should be calling any second now.

His phone rang two seconds later, right on cue. He answered with reluctance.

Damian: Don't speak yet. I just wanted to say thank you for the gifts. Now you can react.

Talia (sweetly): I get you the best because you’re my precious twelve-year-old, and I knew you turned that age, but it’s been crazy busy dealing with business and my father.

Ra's: Hey!

Damian (small smile): Mm-hm, thanks anyways, Mother. I… love you.

Talia: I love you too!

[notebooks-and-laptops]

I genuinely think this is one of the reasons why DA4 was the WORST game to get stuck in production hell.

Looking at the artbook it's clear that even before they shipped DAI they were thinking about DA4 and what would happen within it that led on directly from DAI and the choices the player made. They really DID want to address these things. They planned out fates for individuals left in the fade for example; how we might get to see them again and what happened to them. They planned out returning characters like Calpurnia and Cole and even Imshel who would probably have VERY different dialogue depending on voices you'd made in the previous games. They were thinking about these things; about the effects Tresspasser would have on the world etc.

Da4 needed to be a direct continuation of DAI and made not just as a loosely connected sequel set in the same world (like Da2 is to DAO and DAI is to DA2) but as a true sequel, a part 2 (not in the sense that we play the same character just in the sense that it follows on directly and the choices from DAI really matter and have an impact on DA4) because DAI was basically part of a story. And I get WHY you'd split that in two because DAI is about fighting a big war and da4 was planned to be about a heist sneaky game. And DAI does have a beginning middle and end and it'd be WAY too much work to put both parts in one as they are but...

Then when the game stalled and kept being changed and rewritten, it got further and further away from DAI.

I think this also gets at the heart of why people felt so mad about DAtV only having one choice that really mattered (did you romance Solas? Yes/No). I genuinely don't think people would have cared AS much if DAtV ended up like DA2 in which the stories were pretty divorced from one another with a different set of stakes etc. and a lot of choices in DAO already having HAD a consequence for the player.

But DAtV not incorporating the choices from DAI is crazy because...the DAI choices had not yet been resolved. Wardens, Well, disbanding or keeping the inquisition, the Divine, even who rules Orlais....we hadn't really seen the consequences of those choices yet. And all of them HAD been very much hinted at mattering BIG TIME in the future. So wiping the slate clean with THIS game was more egregious than them doing it with literally ANY other game in the series.

one of the weakest parts about dragon age inquisition (that veilguard worsens in hindsight) is that either none of the decisions you make matter or...they're there to set up the next game.

what happens if you ally/exile the wardens? find out in the next game!

how does drinking from the well affect the inquisitor/morrigan? find out in the next game!

how will your chosen divine reshape the chantry? find out next time on dragon ball z!

well then what am i playing this game for then? outside of the few epilogue slides what did it all matter? and then the next game came out and...

[laauranenn]

in wbk fandom you can't have conversation about the writing, development and complexity, this fandom is overprotective about nii's mid writing, Any comments about his flaw in writing characters or this plot will be shut down , fandom only cares about shipping and yaoi

the side characters especially umemiya are well fleshed out with detailed backstories , everything in the plot literally revolve around umemiya , the antagonists like choji and chika revolved around their obsession with ume , tsubakino and sugishita backstories included ume too ,nii is focusing on exploring umemiya and his past more than his mc Sakura

Nii can't make Sakura the center of the plot, the plot always revolves around the side cast and their issues ,while the problem Sakura has with trusting people has been addressed and nearly settled, the root cause is still left in the wind. It feels like the issue was addressed, but Sakura himself specifically never got his past elaborated on, but there is prime opportunity for angst and character moments, as well as just humanizing Sakura.

Thank you so much for responding!!

When I said I want to have a conversation, I meant it!! I agree that when you've got a fandom for something, the fans tend to be protective of the media and its author, and that shipping is something that is very prominent in fandom spaces.

But for the sake of this conversation, I'm going to do my best to ignore shipping that isn't confirmed or implied in the manga, and I'm going to acknowledge flaws in the writing if the points you bring up are convincing!

(If it becomes relevant, I'll only bring up things such as Endo and Takiishi's relationship and Tsubaki's affection for Umemiya, but I don't think they'll be something I need to really get into. )

I disagree with all the plot revolving solely around Umemiya, despite how relevant he is to most arcs in the manga.

The reason that Umemiya is so relevant, and is so present in the story, is because Sakura is going to take his spot someday. Sakura comes to Furin intending to take the top spot, a position that is currently filled by Umemiya.

For Sakura to make it to the top and it mean something, we need to understand what the position truly entails, and how it came to be. Which is what all the information we get on Umemiya is for. We're learning of his journey to the top and how he has shaped the world and its inhabitants.

For Choji and the Shishitoren arc, I'd like to argue that his obsession with Umemiya is about his position, and not about Umemiya himself. Choji and Umemiya are essentially in the same position, just in different teams. Which is why Choji focuses on Umemiya the way he does.

Choji and Togame share the same notion of power being a means to freedom. Choji latches onto this and decides that he wants to be the strongest, and therefore the freest. But when he reaches his goal of being the strongest, it turns out to not be like how he imagined, and the team takes a turn for the worst because of this.

Umemiya, however, is the strongest of his team. Yet he isn't experiencing the same boredom and despair as Choji is, despite being at the top. This is what Choji is so focused on. It's less about Umemiya as a person and is instead about the position he's in.

Sakura does also play an important role in the Shishitoren arc. The whole conflict likely wouldn't have started, or wouldn't have gone the way it did if it weren't for Sakura being there. Without him, the conflict likely would've been resolved differently.

Sakura and Togame's fight is important for both characters. For Sakura, he has a fight with someone where they both respect each other, likely for the first time. And for Togame, Sakura opens his eyes to the ways he's been acting, the ways he's gone against his own beliefs in order to salvage what is left of Shishitoren.

As for Tsubakino and Sugishita, they've both known him for years and he's played an important part in their lives.

For Tsubakino, Umemiya has been his friend since their first year in junior high. He learns that Tsubakino just wants to be himself and love the things he loves, which Umemiya praises him for, and tells him he's going to help back him up if someone tries to hurt him again. And they've been close friends all the way to where we currently are in the manga! Umemiya shows up in Tsubakino's story because he's relevant. It'd also be a little strange for Tsubakino to be one of the four kings without Umemiya showing up somehow, don't you think?

And with Sugishita, Umemiya also plays a similar role. Sugishita gets himself stuck in a spiral of meaningless fights he doesn't even want to be a part of, which Umemiya then saves him from. Umemiya saves him and brings him the peace he wants. This then manifests into his loyalty to Umemiya, as well as his friendship with the four kings.

With Sugishita, this also gives us insight into why he seems to hate Sakura so much. From the start we've known the main reason for it, which is Sakura aiming for Umemiya's spot in the school. But with the most recent chapters, we see why exactly he is so offended by this idea. Umemiya brought Sugishita peace, something that Sakura is actively disrupting. How could someone like Sakura, who's constantly snapping at people, and running into fights possibly measure up to Umemiya and what he's done for Sugishita?

It adds another layer to Sakura and Sugishita's rivalry, which I find incredibly interesting!

It's true that a lot of side characters are getting detailed backstories, while Sakura hasn't really had one yet. But in my opinion, this works out nicely with the way it's executed. It adds to the worldbuilding and makes the characters and the town feel more real, more solid.

I've really enjoyed learning about all the characters, as well as their relationships with each other. It makes Makochi and Furin feel like actual places with actual people, rather than just something that's there to only serve the main character.

As for Sakura's lack of backstory? I can see why you're itching for one, but I can't see it fitting into the story well if we got it right now. I also don't think that there even is a lot to it, not a lot to tell. We've already got a lot of info about Sakura and why he is the way he is, even without a proper backstory.

Even the first chapter makes Sakura's past very clear. He's a boy who's been mistreated for his looks for his entire life. It's brought up a couple times in the first few chapters even.

"How ya look doesn't matter in a fight, that's why I came to Furin"

"This is more like it. This is the right reaction. Everyone is always pushing me away, rejecting me, dismissing me-"

Sakura is someone who's been isolated growing up. This shines through in the way he interacts with others. Sakura is much more confident in a fight, he handles himself better in a fight. But when he interacts with others in a casual setting, he stumbles and gets flustered easily. A lot of the things that show just how alone he's been are subtle or might even be played as jokes, such as the only contact in his phone being a bot that gives you the weather forecast for the day. He also takes things literally. This could be just a trait of his, but it's likely a result of his lack of experience in social situations.

It's a lot of little things that add up. He's slow at texting because he's had nobody to text. He holds a spoon weirdly, likely because nobody corrected him growing up. Doesn't know how to open a Ramune bottle as he's never had one before. (This last one could also just be coincidence, but it all does still add up.)

I'm satisfied with how much we know about Sakura, but I'd love to hear what you'd like to get from a Sakura backstory!! Because it is true we haven't gotten a lot of info on where he was before Makochi.

The lack of backstory for him is because Wind Breaker isn't about his past, it's about him moving forward from it. It's about how Sakura makes a space for himself in Makochi. It's a story about him being accepted, about how a boy hated by all others becomes the hero of the town!

Please do respond again!! Share what you think of what I've said and give me your own observations! I'd love to keep the conversation going :)!!

[elainsgirl]

no cause im tired of everything.

I'm sick of people talking about gwyn like shes the most important character ever. like yall don't actually care about her. they only like her cause shes involved with a batboy which is ridiculous. ("pro gwyneth" like be so fr... we barely know anything about her??? Like I like gwyn but stop making stuff up about her and saying shes saving the world.) that girl didn't show any romantic feelings towards him, so stop forcing it. (not to mention they never talk about emerie... interesting)

why is azriel getting shipped with everyone?? "gwyn is azriel's mate!" "no, its eris" "no, its bryce" "no, its mor" "no, its rhys dead sister" I LAUGH SO HARD AT THESE CAUSE WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THIS FROM???? I bet if azriel breathes next to anyone, they will automatically assume its his mate! leave the guy alone, my gosh.

"his shadows hate elain" just shut up. like fr.

"elain can go to the spring court and be with tamlin while az gets with gwyn and lucien gets with vassa" BAHAHAHAHAH. bro i cant even say anything to this because its ridiculous.

"if az finds his real mate, he will leave elain in a hurry" BRO. why do you guys think this man world revolves around wanting a mate so badly???? yall think so low of him its weird. if he wanted a mate oh so badly... he wouldnt go for elain! get that in your dumb heads!

now with the bonus chapter (elain and az part) im iffy about it. its good at the start but rhys and az argument gave me the ick but I understand what he meant either way. I can see why people didnt like azriel here. but to call him entitled is just WILD! he wasnt wrong questioning the cauldron. like why is he having all these mate behaviors towards elain when she has a mate??? I'd question the cauldron, too. feyre was so real when she said "why not make them mates" because they lowk fit no matter what anyone says.

now this was really irks me. "3 brothers and 3 sisters is so cliche" cliche??? bestie- do you see what we are reading??? the answer to the riddle was "love" out of all things. shut up with that dumb excuse. we have never seen 3 brothers and 3 sisters yet- well I havent. im pretty sure most of you havent either. if you read the BOOKS, you will understand that sjm uses the word 3 a lot. this is just common sense, people love to twist stuff.

Now dont get me wrong, I'll go for elucien or elriel. I dont care. but these gwynriels made me dislike az and gwyn together. like I used to go along with it but now they force it so badly "READ THE BONUS CHAPTER" "DID YOU READ THE BONUS CHAPTER" "maKe suRe yOu rEad iT cArEfuLly" "he chuckled with her" "they glance at eachother" "az and gwyn are going to save the world together" "i hope nesta, emerie, gwyn and az leave and make their own court" < (I fr saw someone say something like this) sister... I literally cringe! just please stop.

btw elriels gwyn isnt evil. stop saying that.

im so sorry for this rant. it just had to be said.

lmfao the need to vent is so real. This fandom TESTS your patience at times.

I think one of my biggest annoyances with Gwynriel is the fact that Gwyn doesn’t even like Azriel that way. Instead of focusing on how far she’s come, her accomplishments etc everything seems to go back to Azriel. If you ever truly look At gwynriel theories and headcanons the focus is always on Az and Gwyn doesn’t have much of a story by herself, she doesn’t lead a story. She is a follower/tag along. I will always say this again and again: If she was that important to the point of having anything to do with the prisons, trove, TT/Gwydion she would have been introduced earlier on in the series. It’s that simple. She has nothing to do w the prison, Koshei or even the daggers/made objects. Everything about gwynriel is forced - from Gwyn and Az having feelings for each other to their plot. Barely anything of that ship makes sense when you truly start to unravel it.

Az is getting shipped with everyone except who he truly wants and thats just comical. I guarantee you, If Az interacted with any other woman - gwynriel shippers would split so fast and some will start shipping him with the new woman.

“His shadows hate elain” … why were they ready to strike Nesta all because she insulted elain? They also speak so can’t they literally just tell Az “hey man, we dont like elain”. Then part of this claim comes from the fact Elain made his shadows skitter which is something Az does himself.

I so want Elain to go to Spring and mention how she finds it stiffling/claustrophobic. Elain going to spring to live there is ignoring everything about her character and only focusing on the fact she likes flowers and by their own logic, Nesta should go to Day and Feyre to a more artistic court.

If Az soley wanted a mate and was so desperate for one - why on earth is he pining for someone WITH A MATE. It literally defeats the purpose of him getting a mate. Also its such a stilt to his character for him to want a mate and then get one. It doesn’t allow character growth and makes the idea of “mates” seem as a prize instead of this romantic connection. If he wanted a mate so badly, this man would be going after women with no mates. Not one that has a mate. The logic behind this arguement is so stupid,

Azriel’s bonus to me parallels Feyre’s whole scene where she questioned the cauldron because of Azriel. It was Sjms way of bringing it back and reminding us of it. Telling us “look! Another character is doubting elucien’s bond! Why is Az questioning the cauldron” etc. The only part of Azriel’s bonus where I got the ick aside from his and gwyns’ awkward conversation- is when he said Lucien doesn’t deserve Elain. I get where that statement was coming from but he isn’t someone to decide who deserves who. This is what doesn’t make sense: antis call Az entitled for simply WONDERING why Elain was given to Lucien, he hs made no move to break elucien up. He hs not forced anything onto Elain. He doesn’t dictate or control her interactions with Lucien, the fact he hadn’t planned a future for them either all show he is far from acting entitled. But eluciens needed a way to make Az seem bad and lucien better hence why latched onto this argument when it doesn’t make sense given what we know about Azriels character, his thoughts, actions and what he said in the bonus.

“3 sisters and 3 brothers is cliche” whilst reading a romantasy series ( a genre filled with repetitive cliches) by an author who claims to be the queen of cliches. Every single fated mates ending up together? Cliche. Omg the trainer and his trainee fell in love? How unique. Its not like that is also a popular trope. I cannot give you any book/s in which 3 sisters end w 3 brothers, I however can pull out multiple books with the fated mates/warriors/trainerxtrainee tropes.

Too bad. Mass loves the IC - There is no reason why Nesta/valkryies and Az would go to another court. Wait - but the night court is Azriels home. Its where he belongs, unlike Elain who has to leave…but now they want Az to leave too? One thing you can trust antis to do is be consistent with their inconsistencies. Honestly, I was open to the idea of gwynriel but genuinely none of their theories or HCs make sense. In a general sense gwynriel is a good ship sure but you can generally ship any two characters together from the series. It doesn’t mean it’s happening & they’ll be endgame.

Gwyn definitely isn’t evil. However I do think she has the potential to become morally grey which im all here for.

[higuchisora]

I usually stay out of shipping discourse (and also fandoms big enough to draw in that discourse) but this needs to be said, I think especially because they're a WLW relationship. A lot of people seem to have blinders on when it comes to Sapphic relationships (when they pay attention to them at all), as if "anything goes" because they're both women.

Like, NO, just because Caitlyn's a feminine-presenting (lesbian) woman does not, in fact, mean she can't exhibit toxic behavior towards her partner, but for some reason if she's with a "tough butch" (aka as some people like to read it, "Male Lite"), all of a sudden physical violence against your partner is A-Okay! And even if it's not? Well, it's clearly the POINT that it's toxic! There's no possible way the writers just fumbled the writing! They were clearly trying to portray a toxic relationship, which is why it happens out of nowhere and no one acknowledges it or shows to any measurable degree the affects of such a toxic relationship on the people involved!

Like even toxic ships MEANT to be toxic show at least 1 person lowkey going off the deep end about it. Pardon me, but isn't the point of toxic ships the TOXICITY of it? To lean into the suffering, or the pain, or the mental/physical/emotional anguish it puts someone in, but also how they just can't let go? How they might not even WANT to let go? Or even how they don't realize, perhaps until it's too late, that there's no escape? Slowly being drawn into the trap?

Have I simply been enjoying my toxic ships incorrectly, or???? Like are intentionally toxic ships not supposed to be written with, you know, intention? Because me, personally, I can tell the difference between a toxic ship and a ship written toxically, and I prefer the former. Because usually, it's actually written well, LOL. It's the difference between Hannibal and a One Direction Wattpad fic.

Caitvi went from a budding decent ship to... banging in a prison cell set to (what was supposed to be) romantic music as Vi "realizes what she wants"??? ("what she wants" being... servicing the classist woman who beat and left her? Pop off I guess.) Like if Caitlyn's supposed to be a master manipulator or something, she really hasn't had to put in that much effort, honestly.

My hottest Arcane take is that a lot of caitvi antis come across as complete wimps whose only exposure to lesbian couples are kids cartoons and vanilla yuri manga. Like I’m fairly certain half an episode of Killing Eve would instantly make these people pass out if caitvi of all ships is their limit for fucked up relationship dynamics. Please I am begging you watch/read more lesbian media made for adults, there’s an entire world out there that you’re missing.

[cryinhell]

No one asked, but here's my updated top ten hellaverse ships (both canon and not)

10) Stella x Striker

What can I say? I love an evil couple. I think these two look pretty hot together, and it's interesting how Striker seems to respect Stella despite hating blue bloods. These two aren't canon, but I wouldn't mind if they were

9) RadioRose

Despite having mixed feelings on Alastor, I think these two are just so cute. Either as a couple or just queer platonic partners, I don't care. Rosie seems to be the only person to make Alastor genuinely smile, and she's the only one who can touch him. There's a special bond there I really like

8) Verosika Mayday x Wally Wackford

So this is the biggest crack ship on this list, but I think in theory, it's so cute. I really want Verosika to be happy, and Wally, despite being a bit of a scammer, is really sweet. I'm totally cool with Verosika ending up with Barbie as well, but I slightly prefer Wally. I wonder if they will have more interactions in future episodes.

7) Fizzmodeus

Is this controversial? Probably. I know Fizzarolli and Asmodeus are so loved in this fandom, so putting them at number 7 is awful...but they aren't my favorite. I do like them, and I think they're really cute! I just have ships I like more, but that doesn't take away how sweet these two can be. Sometimes obnoxiously sweet heh. So yeah, no disrespect to these two

6) M&M

So these two were at first kinda meh for me, but over time, I've grown to love them. They have a pretty healthy relationship, and I always hate when someone bothers Millie for marrying Moxxie or saying Moxxie isn't a good enough husband. These two clearly love and respect each other and clearly grow together with every episode.

5) Staticmoth

Like I said, I love an evil couple. Valentino is a monster, and Vox is deplorable. That doesn't stop me from loving them as a couple and thinking they are cute. I think they both should die, but also would be sad cause come on, they're cute together.

4) Cherrisnake

I love Sir Pentious, I love Cherri Bomb, so obviously, them together is a fun pair. I shipped these two before the show came out and was so excited to see Pen having a crush on Cherri. They kinda remind me of the early versions of M&M, but they need a lot more time. Cherri isn't ready to accept love, and Sir Pentious is well...in a different world. I can't wait to see these two develop and become an actual couple.

3) Adamsapple

So this and Lucilith could be here. Lucifer being happy is the main objective, and its Adamsapple is so fun. They clearly have a history, and there's a lot of feelings. If Adam comes back in season 2, I'd love to see this be fleshed out. I doubt they'd be a couple, but maybe friends? Who knows. I'm fine with this one not being canon, and just something fun in the fandom

2) Stolitz

Stoltiz is pretty important to me because it really got me involved in the fandom. I've been watching Helluva Boss since the beginning, but episode one of season two had me from casual watcher to actual fan. Blitzø is one of the characters I really relate to, and Stolas is just a really well written character. I love the development of these two and they are worth waiting for. I really gotta draw some fanart of them because they are everything

1) Huskerdust

Are you surprised? You must be new. These two are my everything and all time otp in the Hellaverse. I've talked so much about why I love them, and I will continue to do so until I can't any longer. Angel and Husk are not only my favorite characters individually, but their growing friendship and eventual relationship are just so ughhhh. I love these losers, and they will always be number one.

Thanks for reading my nonsense

Have a good one 💜💜

[sunnyie-eve]

49 | Type

Series: Unexpected

Paring: (Matt Sturniolo x OFC Brock!) (Chris Sturniolo x OFC Brock!)

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: Matt jelly

| MASTERLIST |

Today Dani was having a guest on her channel that wasn't any of the boys. Honestly, Matt didn't like who her guest was because he knew how some of her fans were. They shipped her with almost every dude she talked to and knew.

"Did it have to be him?" Matt watches Dani play on her phone as they hung out in her room.

"Do you prefer your brother? You know, the one that everyone at the moment says we would've been a cute couple?" She looks up from her phone to look at him.

"That's stupid because you told him he missed his chance." Matt rolls onto his back, "So they need to stop staying they want it to happen." He adds then says in a mocking tone while making a face, "They would be such a good match for each other. Why can't she just agree to be his?"

"If they only knew I was yours." Dani leans over smiling before giving him a kiss.

"That's the only damn reason I want people to know." He sits up, "You're mine. Not his or anyone else." Dani giggles as he pulls her closer so he can hold her, "If guys wanted to they could try making a move on you because to them you're single."

"They could try but my answer would always be the same. No." She grabs his face to kiss him, "Now, stop pouting about me filming with Carrington." She moves away from him.

When he arrives they get into her car parked in front of the house, "Hi." Dani starts her car video, "I'm sure y'all know Carrington." She adds, "He's my first guest that's not my roommates or brother." She says as he smiles.

"I'm very honored."

"And this is only happening because Jake and Tara talked us into this. This is our first time hanging out alone." She laughs.

"That's why I'm nervous. It's new and I'm never like this." He laughs now, "But it's exciting."

Dani agrees nodding her head going for her phone but she didn't have it with her, "Oh, I forgot something inside." She motions towards the house.

"It's okay." He lets her know.

"I'll be quick." She opens the car door.

"Again, it's okay." He chuckles as she rushes inside. "Yeah, so we're doing this because our friends wanted us to." He starts to talk to the camera by himself, "We said okay. Okay guys. But today... We're here to gossip. What a great way to get to know each other. From what I see and know Dani seems amazing."

"Was I quick?" Dani rejoins Carrington in the car.

"Yeah, I've just been ranting to the viewers." He lets her know.

"Again, I'm sorry. I don't know how I forgot my phone inside."

"It didn't bug me." He says before changing the topic, "You know people said you have a type? Have you seen that?" He asks her.

"What?" She was confused never seeing such a thing.

"Yeah like..."

"How?" She laughs.

"Because when we had that group get together last week at Jake's. We were chatting in the background of a video Jake posted so people say you have a type." He explains to her then sees one on the guys leaving, "Oh look, a triplet is leaving."

"Matt." She waves at him so he waves back.

"But because we talked people think your type is brunettes with blue eyes." Carrington goes back to what they were talking about, "I feel like that is such a reach." He laughs, "Just because you're close to three others that fit that. What do you think?" He asks her.

"Actually, they aren't wrong for once." She giggles.

"So that's actually your type when it comes to looks? Is it the eyes that do it for you?" He gives her a look and she smiles since that was the main thing.

"Some blue eyes are just so beautiful." She tells him, "You, the triplets, Colby's and Sam's. I have dark blue but light ones..." She smiles more as Carrington looks at her.

"I love yours." He lets her know.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's a deep blue." He nods his head.

"But yeah, my ex and everyone I've even had a crush on had light blue eyes." She tells him.

"Now people are gonna assume." He gives her a look and she nods her head rolling her eyes a bit.

"You and the other two."

"Just because someone fits that look doesn't automatically mean you like them. You can find them attractive but you aren't attracted to their personality." He goes on to add what he believes in.

"You completely get it. You and the triplets are good looking but I don't automatically have feelings for y'all."

"That would be odd." He laughs, "It's... Can you imagine just having feelings for someone based on how they look?"

"Good looking but is the biggest red flag." She adds.

"Like it's fine to be attracted to someone but you can't just go off of that. Don't do that guys." Carrington looks right into the camera, "Be smart."

"Be attracted to their personality." Dani does the same, "That's way better than looks."

"Looks are a bonus, guys, trust me." Carrington tells the viewers.

"Personality, looks." Dani makes a top three list, "What's third?" She asks him.

"I don't know." He thinks, "I don't know, you gotta be funny as well." He starts to laugh.

After about another like 20 minutes they finish up then he leaves while Dani goes back inside. Matt was still out and about so Dani got to rest by getting some time alone. With it being quiet Dani decided to take a nap because she woke up at 5:30am for some reason. 

When Matt gets back home, after buying stuff for around the house and food, he goes to Dani's room to see her sleeping. Not having anything to do and bored out of his mind he slides into her bed next to her.

Immediately, his arms slip around her from behind, slotting himself right up against her back. The gentle press of her spine against his chest makes him smile to himself because he can never get enough of how fucking perfectly she fit there. Leaning forward he press his mouth to the soft skin of her shoulder, peppering a few soft kisses there.

Dani hums keeping her eyes shut, "What?" She quietly mumbles still super tired.

"I wanna nap too." He whispers to her as he nudges his nose against the side of her neck. Dani hums in response moving her hand to rest over the one Matt has pressed against her stomach.

Matt grins against her skin. "Love you." His breath warm against her neck. He made sure not to say I this time because he didn't want to scare her again like last time.

Both of them succumb to the comfort of being with one another, "I love you too." She whispers so quietly Matt almost didn't hear her. He stays silent with a smile across his face as his fingers intertwine with hers before allowing himself to fall asleep as well.

[potterblog]

If anyone here would like to join a positive, writer-friendly, newbie-friendly multiship harry potter fanfiction discord server that supports fanfic writers and fanart creators for all ships (especially hp rare pairs, dark ships, hp canon ships, and gen fics without romance), i'm in a really friendly, welcoming, and active 18+ HP fanfiction server made up of multishippers, and our group loves to encourage newbies to writing/fanart to help them get started and feel more comfortable practicing writing and sharing their work, especially those who want to spread appreciation for underappreciated hp ships! (Especially the rare pair ships for Ron, Draco, Snape, Peter, Sirius, Dumbledore, Ginny, Percy, Pansy, Millicent, Astoria, Dudley, Petunia, Lily, etc, HP Next-Gen characters, or any other commonly-bashed characters or ships!)

We are always open to new members joining us, especially if you are shy or self-conscious about your writing or art, and need some encouragement, feedback, or support, or if you just love reccing, sharing, & discussing HP fics and want a friendly chat group to do this with! :) Feel free to DM me privately anytime or comment on this post if you are interested in getting an discord invite link to join this hp fanfic server! 🥰

We regularly hold fun writing activities like round robin stories, fanfic masquerades, and drabble challenges fairly often as well, to help newbies feel comfortable in giving writing a try for the first time! Beginner, intermediate, and experienced writers are all welcome here, as we have many knowledgeable HP fanfic writers in the server who enjoy improving, learning, analyzing, & discussing writing craft! ❤

The main rules of this server is that we don't allow character-bashing, ship-bashing, trope-bashing, fic-bashing, writer-bashing, or canon-bashing in this hp server (since there are many other hp servers that do allow that, so we don't need the negativity here)! We focus more on positivity, discussing & brainstorming interesting new hp fanfic story ideas that are uncommonly explored and rarer uncommon hp ships (inclusive to both canon ships and non-canon ships), giving constructive feedback only when requested, and we love to support each other's works and overall be helpful, share cool resources and links for writers, artists, fanedit creators, readers, etc.

A majority of this server's members are pro-Ron and pro-Draco, pro-Dumbledore, pro-Weasleys, pro-Snape and pro-Marauders, pro-Romione, and supportive towards other ships like Hinny, Lucissa, Drarry, Drastoria, Drinny, Dron, Ronarry, Tomarry, Nevannah, Panville, Drastoria, Romionarry, Dronmione, Dronarry, Percy/Audrey, all canon ships, all HP rare pairs, etc, and we are slash-friendly, femslash-friendly, darkfic-friendly, dark-ship-friendly, OC-fic-friendly, canon-friendly, AU-friendly, gen-fic-friendly, multiship-friendly, Next-Gen-friendly, and so on! And many writers and readers here are open to discovering and appreciating new rare ships, especially for lesser-known side characters in HP! So if you'd like to join our server, if there are any particular characters and ships that you dislike, that's okay but please don't aggressively bash or invalidate anyone's favorite ships, characters, ideas, etc, in negative ways that shut down conversations in the server! (And don't bash canon either please!) We welcome members sharing & writing fanfics with complex characterizations of HP characters including fics with dark, negative, toxic, or evil AU character portrayals compared to canon, but we're not as interested in character-bashing fics from those who dislike HP canon and genuinely hate certain canon characters like any of the Weasleys, Slytherins, Dumbledore, etc, without being able to acknowledge that all humans are complex, flawed, and have the ability to grow and change over time (for the better or the worse).

We appreciate and enjoy the complexities, nuances, and flaws of all the HP characters in the canon Harry Potter books, and we see HP fanfiction as something different from HP canon that can be equally appreciated without bashing or invalidating HP canon or those who enjoy it! If you are a chill, friendly HP fan who just loves reading well-written stories with interesting what-if scenarios, no matter the pairing or character(s), or you are someone who wants to get into writing HP fanfics for fun, just comment here or DM me if you'd like a discord invite!

If you like both Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy as characters, please comment or reblog this with some fanfic recs featuring them both positively as flawed, nuanced characters without any bashing!

I don't care what ship or what subset of the HP fandom you're from! ❤ This question is for everyone, but especially the multishippers and the gen fic fans! 🥰 Whether you ship both Romione & Dramione, Hinny & Drarry, Ronarry, Dron, Drinny, Tomarry, Remadora, Lucissa, Tedromeda, Jily, Snily, RonLuna, Ronsy, Drastoria, or random rare pairs, or if you're a Snape fan, a Marauders fan, a Weasley fan, a Malfoy fan, a Dursley fan, etc.

I'd love to know your fic recs that are both pro-Ron and pro-Draco! Bonus if these fics are also featuring Dumbledore, Snape, Pettigrew, Sirius, or other interesting & complicated canon characters! 🥰

[eclipsecrowned]

BLOG MOVE!

Long overdue, blog has become a complete mess, Hoping to enter 2025 with some more positive energy by being able to pre-empt blocking some real freaks out there who like to lurk on my page and a better focus on ic!

What this is going to look like:

Fresh transfer to a new blog, though I will slow drip in what people would prefer be transferred over*. Mild rework of muse page to remove muses that no longer or never generated interest. A tighter focus on what sparks joy for me as much as for my partners bc tbh i got kind of exhausted being 'the x person' or not feeling that all muses were regarded as equal in different fandoms.

Timetable:

I'm going to spend the next few days I have off doing the heavy lifting of actual coding/aesthetics/test posting, and so on. Over time, I will be finalizing my carrd to have more in depth information for all muses, as well as the easy-access mobile muse page for people who just want it short or sweet. I also intend to ensure each muse has a fully functional tag system before moving bc these same named bitches w a tbt appended are killing me. Is this Charlotte from B*rserk or Charlotte from Debede? Shut up past Kadi I'm going to kill you. This hopefully means I will be fully ready to go in early-mid January if not a little sooner. For now, I will still be semi-active/lurking here just grabbing everything I need, and will let you all know when that changes.

What's coming with me:

Dynamics/Ships

Headcanons

Most of you hopefully!

Probably most muses

Most fandoms, with a few greatly expanded character-wise

Any threads people want me to transfer*

Any IC or meta asks people want me to transfer*

*The focus at the start is on just setting a new daily writing habit, which means I will likely focus on new threads and asks to start. However, I don't intend to totally abandoned some threads that have been plotted or even just interest me. The main point is that I will put those on the back burner until I can give them the focus and energy they deserve. If there is a thread or ask you want on rotation moving forward, please fill out this form so I can hold on to it :D

If you 100% want to remain mutuals the new blog like this post and I will follow you once it's identifiable as mine/not a bot.

[eggrollforyou]

How Can I Say I Love You Part 2

Law x F!Reader

WC: 4191

CW: angst to fluff, parental/parental figure loss, tooth aching fluff, minor Law backstory spoilers (if you're not caught up through Dressrosa), seems like an OC but I'm too lazy for that, so leader insert 🤣, mutual pining, post time skip 

A/N: Thank you all for patiently waiting for part 2! I'm not super confident on part 2 so feedback would be wonderful!! I hope you enjoy!

Part One

He's chasing after you, running through the thick tropical forest, dodging fallen trees and cutting through vines getting in his way from catching up to you. “Y/N! Wait! I have a safe place to hideout!” he calls out to you hoping to get you to finally stop. You slow down to a jog, breathing heavily, “Well, why the fuck didn't you say that sooner, Law?” you grin at him. “I'll follow you,” you huff. He quickly leads you back toward the shore line, you hear the waves crashing and smell the sea air. Suddenly he stops and puts his hand out. You look at him curiously and he smirks at you, “Room….” You begin to question him, “What are y-” 

“Shambles.”

Suddenly you're in a room with metal walls and it takes you a moment to get your bearings. “Whoa…Law, what the fuck was that?” you ask as you set the heaping bag of stolen goods down on the floor with a loud thud. 

“Still causing mischief, I see,” he chuckles. “Don't worry, we're safe. You're on my ship.” 

“Ship?!”

“The Polar Tang. I'm the Captain of the Heart Pirates, you haven't seen our bounty posters?” he brags, cheeks slightly turning pink as he realizes what he's doing. “Well, look at you,” you beam at him. “Give me a tour!” you practically yell as you lunge forward bringing him into a big hug. You don't see it, but Law’s face and ears are pink at your show of affection. He reaches his arms around you to return the hug, hesitantly, processing as if this were real. He relishes in the smell of you, you smell like the sea with a hint of coconut and amber and his heart swells for a moment. His feelings for you rushing back like a tsunami, like they were a book tucked away on a dusty shelf in the back of a library to be pulled out again. He clears his throat and pulls back quickly, fearing you'll see how he feels for you, even after all these years. “C’mon, I'll show you around,” his voice suddenly stern and serious.

Law gives you a tour of the submarine and as he goes into the most boring explanation of what it takes to operate one, you get lost in your thoughts. He's here, in front of me again. Your heart skips a beat. You were never able to muster the courage to express your feelings for him. He was always brilliant, you knew he'd be able to make it as a pirate and here he was, Captain (and a doctor) to a crew that you could tell he loved, despite his seriousness. The Surgeon of Death. But you still saw the young man that you fell for years ago. Always ready for an adventure, ready for a fight. But he was always softer with you, late at night as you both pointed out constellations to each other, watching for shooting stars. Seeing the universe reflected in his eyes. You snapped out of it when you heard him say they were leaving in the morning. “You're leaving?” He nods. “Um…I have a huge favor to ask, could I hitch a ride to your next stop? Clearly I've exhausted what I could here…” you chuckle as you wring your fingers together nervously. “I won't be a lout, I promise, I'll take on whatever duties I need to earn my keep,” you rattle quickly. 

How could Law ever tell you no? His heart is practically jumping out of his chest, but he has to keep himself in check. Clearing his throat again, “H-how about you just stay with us for a while… A-as long as you need.” he asks nervously, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. “Are you sure?,” he nods,”Thank you, Law! I promise, I won't cause any trouble,” quick to accept before he changes his mind. He smiles warmly at you, “Yea, I’m sure. Let me take you to your quarters.” He shows you where you'll be staying, “Well, I guess this is where I'll leave you. Get some rest. I have a lot of work to do, so I'll be in my office. I'll introduce you to the crew when they return.”

“Thank you, Law. Really….it…it's really nice to see you again,” you say quietly. He nods at you, “It's good to see you too,” and he turns around and walks down the hall to go back to his office. You flop yourself down on the small bed, finally able to take a breath. How in the world does this keep happening? Maybe I should tell him? Your heart aches slightly. What would that accomplish? I'm not staying forever….maybe I should just keep my mouth shut. Back in his office Law contemplates the same quandary. I should tell her….at least it'll help with the regret….oh, who am I fucking kidding?! What does it matter, she's not staying forever…. It's pointless. I shouldn't say anything. He shakes his head at his resolution, but part of him can’t quell the excitement of you being around for just a bit longer. Looking over at his piles of paperwork he takes a deep sigh and pulls a stack in front of him, grabbing the papers on the top. 

Later that evening the entire crew returned to the ship. You giddily greet Bepo, jumping into the big ball of fluff in a warm embrace, “Y/N!!!! Garchu!” he yells as he nuzzles his soft face onto yours, nearly smothering you as you laugh. You give Penguin and Shachi a hug as well. They're still the same silly group you remember fondly. Everyone on the ship is very welcoming, but as soon as Law walks into the galley, their demeanor shifts. They quieten down from their raucous conversations as he looks over the crew giving them a nod. Shachi and Penguin loudly shout, “Captain! Look! It's Y/N,” as they wiggle their eyebrows with sly grins on their faces- as if they didn't know he was the one that brought you on board. He gives them a stern look, trying to hide his mortification. He always tried to hide the depth of his feelings about you but they knew him better than that. 

They constantly teased him, “When are you gonna tell her you like her?!”

“You never know, she might like you too.”

“Don't be a baby!”

He clears his throat, and in a commanding voice you weren’t used to hearing coming out of Law, “Everyone. We have a guest,” he motions to your direction, “Y/N. She'll be with us for a while. I've added her to rotations. The revisions are posted. I expect you all to continue to meet your duties and I expect you all to train her and get her up to speed for the next few weeks.”

“Yes, Captain,” everyone agrees. 

This version of Law looks good on him, you think. And suddenly, you find yourself pining after him again like when you were 15. You fight the blush creeping up your chest and your cheeks. Instead, you distract yourself joking with your old friends through the remainder of dinner. 

Weeks have passed and you've found your rhythm on the ship. In the time you've spent here, you've noticed that Law has grown up to be much more serious. He doesn't joke around much anymore and he's often brooding in his office. Well, you think he's brooding. You don't really know what he does in there, but he spends a lot of time in it. One day you decide to find out, walking up to his door when you were off duty, knocking gently. “Come in,” he calls out. You slowly open the door and poke your head in, “Hi! Just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. You’ve been locked away in here for days and the smell is starting to seep out into the halls.” Law’s eyes grow wide as he tries to nonchalantly hide smelling himself by faking a stretch. You giggle at his reaction and his gaze instantly softens a bit, “O-Oh….yea, I’m good. Just reading,” as he holds up the most recent medical textbook he's drowned himself in. 

You walk in, making your way to his desk, peering over all the scattered reports and journals, “Hmmm..boring! Do you have anything GOOD to read?” you joke. He peers over to his bookshelf, “Not much, I don’t get a lot of time for recreational reading but I have stuff on that shelf. You’re welcome to read anything there….just, don’t let it leave the office please.” You look over the various books, some science fiction, Hmm, never thought he’d be into science fiction, until you see a smaller set, Sora comics. You remember him going on and on about these comics when he was younger. “You still have these?” you snort pulling a few copies out. Law glances over to see what you’re holding. “Well…yea. Those are awesome…just please, be careful with them. They’re hard to come by outside of the North Blue,” he warns. You hum in agreement as you sit down in the chair he has by the bookshelf, “Do you mind?” You ask as you peer over the top of the comic. Law nods, “Go for it.” You both sit in the quiet room, the only discernible sounds are each of you turning pages as you read. It's a quiet comfort. One that turns into a routine after a few weeks. You find yourself more in his office than your own room to relax. He's set up a small corner for you, moving the spare chair over to make space for a small end table. Letting you keep a blanket on the chair. 

Sometimes when neither of you can focus, you simply chat with a warm drink. There's always a chill in the air being in the submarine, despite the close quarters. But you find comfort in your blanket and with Law's company. Over the weeks, the crew have noticed a change in Law’s behavior. He's less…harsh. He seems happier, despite being as quiet as he usually is. It's a welcome change. 

With all the time you've spent together, you're in Law’s thoughts even more. He wishes he had the courage to say those three little words, but the thought terrifies him. He didn't want the target on his head to shift to yours by mere association. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something happened to you. 

One evening, you were both in his office. Reading, as usual. You made a habit to start buying a few books at every island stop. Adding to Law’s library. You picked up a few books, some silly new romance series the shopkeeper recommended. Maybe it was the book giving you the courage, but you felt like you couldn't hold your feelings back anymore. You peeked over at him, watching him intently as he was lost in his own reading. You loved the way his nose crinkled a little bit when he was reading something that really caught his attention, the way his tongue poked the inside of his cheek, deep in concentration. His raven locks, ruffled and messy from him taking off his hat. 

Your heart fluttered thinking about his hands, how warm they must be. What they would feel like with his fingers intertwined with yours. Suddenly, you break the silence, “Law…” he peers over at you. “Hmm?” He hums.  “Have you…have you had any…. romantic interests?” you ask before you realize what you're saying. Your face suddenly dusted with pink, hoping he can't see your blush in the dim ambient light. Law’s eyes grow wide in surprise, he opens his mouth and closes it again, unsure what to say. He shifts, sitting straight up, “Um…no, not really...there was someone, but….nothing ever happened. Nothing..COULD happen,” he grows quiet. Hoping to keep his answers vague and short so you wouldn't press. “Mmmm,” you ponder. Could he be talking about me? Sure, our time together was short, but everything with him feels so…right. Like this is all second nature…he feels like…home. Law quickly returns his gaze to his book. He was dying to ask you the same but he didn't want to step further into the territory. “Have you ever thought about….us?” you ask pensively, staring in his direction, afraid to make eye contact. Suddenly, Law coughs, “N-no….I, uh, I think I should get to bed. Long day tomorrow,” he gets up quickly. “Stay as long as you'd like,” he grumbles as he hurriedly walks out of the office heading straight to his quarters. You're left dumbfounded in the office. Unsure what happened and unable to collect your thoughts about it. You thought you read him correctly, you thought he liked you and enjoyed your company as much as you enjoyed his. You stand up, fighting hot tears threatening to spill from your eyes. Walking back to your room, completely dejected.

At lunch a few days later, Shachi and Penguin sit down next to you, as you pick at your food, unable to scrounge up much of an appetite. “Y/N, what's up? You seem….upset,” Shachi asks. it startles you out of your thoughts, “OH! It's….nothing. Probably just need some sunshine. Still not used to living in a submarine,” you force a chuckle. They look at each other with a knowing glance but quickly return to looking at you before you notice. “Yeah, it can take some getting used to, but we've only got a few more days left until our next stop, so you'll have the ground beneath your feet soon enough,” Penguin adds. You sigh, “Yeah, I'm sure some sunshine will fix me right up,” forcing a half smile. 

You just wanted to sit and chat with Law but it seemed like he was avoiding you since that night in his office. You wanted to crack a joke and see his smile. He seemed so easily flustered now, you wanted to mess with him, make him laugh. He's changed a lot, you think. I just gotta make it through another few days and I can figure out what I'm doing next. I always thought he might've liked me, but obviously things have changed. We were so young… Maybe my time here is coming to an end. I should think about getting off at the next stop.

Later that evening, it's long after dinner, and you're finally off duty. Sitting in the galley again, playing cards and drinking games with Ikkaku, Shachi, and Penguin. Suddenly, Law comes in to grab a snack and water, taking a break from reading his medical journals. “C’mon! Captain! Take a break with us,” Shachi calls over. Your shoulders tighten and you freeze. You look over and see Law. He makes eye contact with you but quickly breaks it, swallowing the bite of rice ball he was chewing on, “I've got papers t-” he gets cut off by Shachi, “Aw, don't say that. Just a couple games and one drink, Captain, and we'll leave you alone.” You stare, wide-eyed, holding your breath as the rest of the group plead with him. He sighs in defeat, “Okay. Okay.. Just a little bit, and only to shut you up,” he puts his hands up in fake surrender. You let out the breath you didn't realize you were holding when he sits down at the table, giving him a shy but sad smile when he looks at you again. 

As the night goes on, you continue your drinking and card games. It's been several games and drinks but Law is enjoying the break and decides his work can wait a little longer. He relaxes as the alcohol works its way into his system. Before long, it's late into the night. Shachi and Penguin are passed out on the table, Ikkaku has gone to bed, and it's just you and Law. You aren't even sure what card game you're playing anymore, well into the tipsy territory after your 5 beers. “So, what are your plans when your time with us is done?” Law asks quietly, trying to hide how his heart hurts at the thought.  “Um…y’know, I'm not sure. I haven't really gotten that far yet. I just kind of island-hop where I can. I can't really make a ‘normal’ job work. I mean..especially with what I've had to do to make ends meet,” you chuckle. “Yeah…being a wanted thief will put a damper on that,” Law laughs. You suck your teeth, “Tch, yeah, I suppose. But I'm a really good shot, so I pick up odd jobs with other miscreants where I can,” you wink. Your first real smile in days. Law’s heartstrings tug at that smile. He's stolen glances of you around the ship. You've not had a real smile since that night, he can tell they're forced and part of him feels guilty. He's wanted nothing more than to be with you the entire time you've been on the ship. Hug you close, run his hands through your hair, kiss you….tell you how much you meant to him. Should I ask her to join the crew? Should I just tell her how I feel? He thinks about what it would be like to climb into bed with you, pull you into his chest and wake up to your beautiful smile first thing in the morning but suddenly he's snapped from his thoughts as he feels your hand on top of his, not realizing you asked him a question. “Law, you ok?” You ask. “Sorry, I must be tired, what did you say?”

“What are your plans? I mean, you've got being a pirate down, clearly, but do you have a goal in mind?” The warmth from your hand radiates into his and spreads through his body. Suddenly he feels flushed. “I…uh..I have a plan in the works. First, it's gotta start with becoming a Warlord,” he says quickly, snapping himself out of his daydream. “Oh? Warlord, huh? That sounds….dubious, but I'm sure you could pull it off. You've got a great crew, and your devil fruit powers are pretty formidable, I'm sure you'll get there,” you give him a cheeky grin, bumping your shoulder into his, completely forgetting how you scared him off before.

Your actions of getting close to him are bolder, the alcohol leaving all your inhibitions behind. “I look forward to reading about your adventures in the paper, now that I know to look out for the Heart Pirates and their handsome Captain,” your voice practically a whisper. Law's eyes go wide, Did she just say handsome?! You lean forward, steeling your resolve to just kiss him. You're so close to each other, you can feel each other's breath and suddenly, Law coughs, sitting up quickly, “I, uh, I gotta go. Papers to read…reports…goodnight,” he says tight lipped and he's gone before you can blink twice. You're left sitting at the table, heart cracked and slowly bleeding. Fighting the burning tears building up in your eyes, you take a deep breath and wake up Shachi and Penguin, “Get to bed boys, it's late,” as you get up to go to bed. 

Once you make it to your bed, you try to find some comfort and shed your tears into your pillow until sleep takes you. Law stands quietly outside your room with his finger about to tap on your door until he hears you. Heart aching as he hears your sobs and he quietly retreats. You fucking idiot.

Law spends the next few days absolutely avoiding you, you decide. He’s shifted his meal times to eat before the rest of the crew or when he couldn’t swing that, he would eat in his office. When he sees you on the ship, walking toward each other, he immediately veers off or turns around. It hurts you every time and it kills Law every time he sees your face fall because he’s the cause of your pain. And you continued to blame your woeful demeanor on the lack of sunlight. No one bought it but they all kept their comments to themselves. Except for Shachi and Penguin who would occasionally throw a jab at Law wondering if he was EVER going to tell you how he really felt. This is for the best. It’s best for her, it’ll keep her safe. The ship was fast approaching the next island stop to restock. You were spending your last few hours being with your friends, new and old, heart already aching because you would be leaving them, unsure when you’d see them again. When the ship docked, you left with the crew, bag hoisted over your shoulder to head into town. Law looked at you with forlorn eyes, “Are you- are you leaving?” You return his same sad gaze, “Uh, yeah, sorry. I meant to tell you sooner but I couldn't ever pin you down. But I'll be happy to help with this last restock. I'm going with Ikkaku,” as you point to the island. You couldn’t bear to leave just yet. 

You checked into the Inn and deposited your bag, heading back out with Ikkaku to run your final errands with this rag tag group of pirates that you’ve come to love in your time with them. 

“Captain, you’ve GOTTA tell her. This is like the universe screaming at you! You can’t NOT listen to the universe…”Penguin jabs at Law, Shachi standing next to him, arms crossed. They’re both clearly fed up with Law’s inability to deal with his emotions. After all, you were their friend too. Bepo walks up, “Huh? What’s going on guys?”

“We’re trying to convince the Captain to pull his head out of his ass and tell Y/N how he feels,” Shachi tells Bepo. “Oooooh, yea! Captain, PLEASE, ask her to stay! She’s been a great part of the crew,” he practically yells, unable to contain his excitement at the prospect of you staying. Law crosses his arms, “Will you three knock it off?! It’s not that easy…..I mean…she probably wants nothing to do with me at this point. I…I don’t know how to fix this, and she’ll be better off without. She gets into enough trouble on her own as it is, the last thing she needs is my target on her back as well,” he argues. “She can take care of herself, Captain. Why don't you let her make that decision for herself?” Shachi quips back with Penguin nodding in agreement. Law sighs. Ok. Fine. They're right, I have to tell her. 

You were making your way back to the ship after a couple hours running errands with Ikkaku. The closer you got, the harder it was. It meant that you would be walking away from something you grew to cherish so much. All those nights you spent finding your thoughts drifting to Law when you laid out underneath the star lit sky when you were alone, and you managed to find him again, only to leave. It made your body heavy, your chest hurt, feeling like your heart was wrenching. You took in a deep breath. Readying yourself for the goodbye you felt you were forced to make but didn't want to. I never got to say goodbye the last two times. Maybe I can find some closure with a goodbye on my own terms. You set the bags down with Ikkaku on the deck, others ready to grab it, taking them down into the bowels of the ship. Law walks over and clears his throat quietly. Ikkaku looks up, “Oh, hi Captain, I'll, uh, leave you two alone,” she walks off. It's the quietest you've ever seen her. She looks at you with a somber gaze and a half smile. You pull a hand out from behind your back, giving a small wave. 

“Look, Law, it's ok, you don't have to-”

“Y/N,” he sighs, collecting his thoughts, trying to calm his nerves. “I-I….love you. Please…please don't leave. I'm sorry I'm such an idiot…. I've always loved you. I-” you cut him off, jumping onto him. Pressing your lips to his in a fervent kiss. He grabs your body tightly, holding it to him, not leaving any space between you. As you wrap your legs around him, gripping your arms tightly over his shoulders, around his neck. He returns your kiss, pouring all of the feelings he tried to hide away into it. You pull away to breathe, resting your forehead on his as you try to catch your breath. “I love you too, Law.” He presses a long kiss, closing his eyes, to your forehead. “Don't leave, join my crew. Be with me, please. I never stopped thinking about you all these years. Let me show you how much I love you. I'll spend the rest of my days making up for lost time,” he pleads. “I thought you'd never ask,” you smile as he carries you into the ship.

Tags: @shy-writer-999 @dreamcastgirl99

Dividers by @cafekitsune

[theotherrookie]

"Neither do I. Unfortunately, she most likely will." Lucien replied, before looking over, "You did an impressive job. I'd dare say Rook's recovery will be speedier entirely thanks to your efforts. It was a pleasure to assist you."

Yes, it was nice to finally have his own sidekick.

"Perhaps it's a downside to his own abilities." he then added, "I've been wondering why he left my shop in such a hurry. I hope the scar I left on his hand never fades and I'm glad he didn't leave you with any either, Russell."

They would recover from this too and perhaps finally gain the upper hand on that toxic moron.

Erica nodded, "Okay." She went right ahead to place Rook on the couch, then worked to remove her helmet and place it nearby. "I'd like some fruit juice if you got it. I'll get Rook out of this thing first, though. We should check that she isn't hurt."

She doubted that was the case, but she felt confirming that would have helped the general mood.

Erica's ears perked up, as the faintest scent of wildflowers caught her attention and she jumped up to greet Veronica. "Hello!"

The ghost lady barely had time to appear before she was hugged by a purring elf. Veronica gently patted her head while she looked around. "I see you all more or less got away. That's a relief."

"That guy messed with Rook's marks! He made her attack Bill." Erica explained, pulling back.

Veronica immediately set off to check Rook's condition. "...Boys."

Mark and Josh hurried over.

"Go help Edmund. The ship crushed on Liberty Island while we were missing."

"Got it. Keep us posted!" Mark said, before hurrying after Josh. Rook's sword was left by the door, as that was clearly the most reasonable place for it to be.

"You don't look too well yourself, Leofric." Veronica added calmly. She felt she didn't need to say more on the matter. Leofric was most likely perfectly aware of his own conditions.

Lucien figured that was a good time to remove the cuff from Rook's wrist, feeling it might interfere with Veronica's magic as well. He quickly stuffed it in his pocket, then took a moment to pull himself together while the room around him stopped spinning.

"Indeed, there might be a spy hiding among us." Lucien agreed, "Not on her own volition, at least. I have a feeling the pieces will start falling in place once we understand when he was able to capture Rook."

"Alright then, hop aboard and hold onto the pirate closest to you." Josh offered a hand up, before getting in position to steer his board. He would stay just above the ground for now, just to be safe.

Mark smiled, "Don't worry. Mama Birb always shows up when you need her!"

Lucien nodded at the question, "Yes, I'm fine and I'm glad this turned out in our favor in the end." He took his gloves off, "I especially liked that he seems to bleed easily."

That was something he would have to keep in mind.

Erica willed her tails to fold over and hold Rook in place against her back. She then stood up and took off effortlessly like she wasn't carrying a whole person at all.

She smiled at Bill's joke once they got to his place. "Thanks, that's very nice! Where can I leave Rook?"

[convexicalcrow]

fic: when the void stares back (ren&false)

a/n: posting a bit late bc i've had family stuff going all weekend oml. written for the @hermitadaymay solstice social event! found out too late that my partner wasn't able to participate in the end due to irl stuffs, so i only have a fic for you, but i hope you still enjoy it. <3

read here, or on ao3

-

"Ren."

"Yes, Falsie?"

"Don't you ever get…"

False walked to the small window in the bridge, watching nothing but stars fill the view. She wasn't sure how to word her thoughts. Perhaps she'd been cooped up here too long, maybe that was it. Certainly, she'd broken the silence because it had grown a little too uncomfortable.

"Don't I ever get what?"

"I dunno, I think maybe I thought space would be … more filled with people or something. I wasn't expecting the silence."

Ren joined her and stood next to her, tail wagging gently behind him. "Yeah, well. It is pretty empty this side of the galaxy. We got another two months travel though, do you want to go back into stasis?"

She scrunched her nose up at the thought. "Oh, it's not that. Besides, someone has to keep you sane out here."

Ren laughed. "I mean, that's very true."

She turned to face him and smiled. "Don't want you hallucinating again, do we?"

"Hey, it was one time! And it was the spores, I promise! I'm all good now!" Ren protested.

False gently moved past him, shaking her head. "I mean, you say that Ren."

"Hey!" Ren pretended to sound offended, but even he knew what he was like. "At least this new planet won't have spores, or so Gigacorp tells me."

"Yeah, but their planetary intel is 20 years behind at this point. I mean, even this ship is old for one of her size. There's so much she can't do that the newer ships can. We wouldn't need to travel an extra two months in a new ship, that's all I'm saying. And the squirtapods create more than enough spores as it is," False said.

"True, true. I've been tinkering behind the scenes on all the blueprints, trying to modernise them, but it's hard. So much of the new tech these days doesn't retrofit easily! It's such a pain!" Ren said.

"At least you're trying. Anyway. Not sure I like the idea of another two months of this, but there's not really much choice there, right? Company policy doesn't let us pilot alone, you know that as well as I," False said.

Ren sat down at a console, pretending to idly check the dials. In reality, they didn't need to do much to run the ship. Grumbot kept it all running well enough with the maintenance drones while they were in stasis and would alert them to any issues. All they had to do was pass the time.

"I dunno, maybe I wish I had…"

Ren's voice faded off. False turned to him. "More people? I think that's it. More people."

Ren idly scratched an ear. "Yeah, I think that's it. More people."

-

This ship was too big for the two of them. A Hermetheus class ship needed a crew of at least 50 to feel in any way full of life. With just the two of them, it felt like they were piloting a casket. Maybe if they had crew in stasis, it might feel okay. She could wake them up to get some more company, take her place while she has some time in stasis as well to keep her own sanity. Instead it was just her and Ren, and the vast emptiness of space.

Had she really signed up for this when she joined Gigacorp? Well, yes, actually. That was the whole reason. Get away from, well. Get away from things. And of course, you didn't need a full crew to scout out planets to colonise. A pair will do. Once they find good planets, then the rest of the group can follow to build up the infrastructure needed for the meganodes or whatever they're called.

She smiled grimly at that thought. She was working for a jumped up telco, of all things. Of course, communications were vitally important in space, she knew that as well as anyone, so it made sense. But it still sounded so silly in her head to be travelling around, finding good planets to put big satellite towers on. Hardly felt glamorous, really. They were tradespeople, electricians, not astronauts. Not that she'd go back, of course.

Her hand clasped around her gun again purely out of habit. It sat at her waist, standard issue Gigacorp weaponry to be used when necessary. It wasn't a very good gun though. It had a janky trigger that False did not like, and its accuracy was atrocious. If there wasn't a sensor in the holster to check the gun was still in there, she'd have ditched it for a proper weapon ages ago. But Gigacorp didn't work like that.

She sat on her bed. She'd been having stasis dreams again. Always tended to happen in the few weeks after leaving stasis. She could tell them apart from regular dreams because they were so strange to her. Figments of places, people, memories of building things and rivers and giant eagles and all sorts. Lots of towers on fire and laboratories she didn't really remember the purpose of. Her sister-

She hadn't thought about her sister in a very long time. Hadn't really seen her since she was a kid anyway. Just remembered her standing in the doorway of a burning ship, telling her to run. So she did. False ran.

She'd dreamed of her before, of course, but not like this. She was her sister, seeing through her eyes. Seeing False leaving her behind. Seeing jail cells and dead scientists and fire and a maniacal laughter. It had shaken her to her core. It was just a dream though, right? Yeah, it was just a dream. Stasis hallucinations to keep her mind busy. That's all it was. Perhaps her hand clutched her gun a little tighter, just in case.

-

False busied herself with inventory. There was still a lot to do before they arrived at the planet, and the sooner they had their equipment and supplies organised, the better. At least, it made False rest easy, and it gave her something to do. Ren usually just took care of the navigation and computers, making sure they had all the supplies on order that they needed. There were always some things they had to order in from Gigacorp, and at least they were finally close enough to tap into the local networks to get more up to date information on the planet they were heading to.

False busied herself in the hangar bay where all the ships were. The exploration ships they would take out to find suitable landing spots needed to be supplied with what would be needed to begin a colony, unpacked from the cargo they'd left with. Sand, dirt, grass, seeds, and, of course, squirtapods and their containment equipment.

The droids were doing the heavy lifting. They were faceless silver things, with simple voices and simple functions. Good enough to maintain a ship at a basic level and lift heavy supplies, but that was about it. But then these droids were as old as the ship itself. A newer ship, and newer droids, would do so much more than they could right now.

She sighed as one of the droids stumbled across a grill and nearly dropped the bag of soil it was carrying. "Oi! Don't you go breaking yourself, or it'll be coming out of our wages!"

"Sorry Ms Symmetry," the droid intoned as it straightened itself up. There was no fluid movement here, just a jerky slow correction to its gait and its foot position as it rebalanced itself.

"Yeah, so you should be. Honestly. You have, like, one job! I have like, sixteen! Get it together!" False said, half-serious, half-laughing at the struggling droid.

She got out of the way once the droid had corrected itself. She didn't really need to supervise them. Grumbot was doing that. But she at least wanted to feel busy, so this was what she did with her time. The thing was, the time would pass faster than she always thought it did. Six weeks very quickly turned into two weeks, and that's when the panic kicked in, even though they were very well prepared.

She sat down on the floor, watching the droids pack the ships up. It occurred to her that Ren was, at least, ten minutes away from her. Maybe twenty if the elevators fucked up like they always did. If something happened to her, something the droids couldn't help with, she was dead. Just, straight up dead. Ren would never get to her in time.

That thought sent a shiver up her spine. She didn't want to die, of course. But they were far too few on a ship that was way too big. The nearest ship could be months away, too. Communications could take days to arrive, if they arrived at all. She tried not to think about this too much. It tended to just make her anxious.

"Falsie, how's the inventory going?" came Ren's voice on the radio, breaking the silence.

"Oh, it's going. Droids are packing up the ships. How's things up there? Still heading on the right track?" False said.

"Yeah, all good up here. You want a break? I'll make you a cuppa tea?" Ren said.

False smiled. "Yeah, sure, be right there."

-

She wasn't, of course, right there. It did take a while to navigate back to the bridge. But she found Ren sitting there with a thermos of tea and a plate of biscuits, a rare treat they'd been saving for months. Thankfully, they had kept well. They'd moved a spare table and chairs into the bridge as there wasn't really anywhere close to take a break or just sit down without risking spilling things onto the consoles. False took a seat and Ren poured her a cup of tea.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ren said.

"Oh, you know, the vastness of space, how alone we are, how we really should have more crew here, the usual." She laughed to dismiss the fears in her head. It was fine. She was fine.

Ren laughed. "Yeah I hear you, hey Falsie? Wish Gigacorp would stop hoarding their money and get us more crew members. There's all those stasis pods going to waste for crying out loud!"

"I just can't imagine it's cheaper or more efficient to run a ship this big with only two people as opposed to like, I dunno, fifty, you know? We could get prepared for landing in a week instead of two months," False said.

Ren sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I know, I know. Look, I have told them this repeatedly, but do they listen? No! Of course not! There's too much of the universe to explore, they can't spare 50 person crews for every ship!"

"No, I mean, it's not like they're the richest and only corporation in the universe. Can't hurt those profit margins though, can we now? That's why we run in old ships. Too expensive to get new ones," False said.

"Yeah, well, there's worse jobs out there for sure. At least we get to see a bunch of different planets though! That's good, right?" Ren said.

"I mean, I guess? But you can do that on your own. You can just buy a ship with a warp drive and you're set. Small ones aren't that expensive anymore if it's just you," False said.

"What do you think I did before Gigacorp? I went to so many cool planets, Falsie! And now I get to do it as a job! It's so awesome! Don't you think it's awesome?" Ren said, the enthusiasm clear in his voice.

"I guess so, maybe. If you like exploring," False said.

"Don't you like exploring? Surely you must like exploring! Why else would you sign up for these missions?" Ren said.

False shrugged and took a sip of her tea. "Sometimes you just need to- Never mind."

"Oh! Also! I finally managed to get some images of the planet we're going to! Current ones!" Ren said.

He got up and headed over to the console to bring up the pictures. He flicked through a series of pictures of the planet's surface. They showed a rocky planet with pockets of ocean and green land. It didn't look promising to False.

"I bet it's another uninhabited world," False said, going to join him.

"It might not be! There could be life there! Life can thrive anywhere!" Ren said enthusiastically.

"Hmm." False was not yet convinced. "It's just, thirteen out of the last fourteen worlds were uninhabited, is all I'm saying."

"Look, not every planet can have abundant intelligent life! That's actually what we're doing here! We go to a planet, see if it can sustain life, and leave that information for Gigacorp to deal with. Then we move on to the next assignment. It's a perfectly fine system," Ren said.

"What do Gigacorp do with all these planets anyway?" False said. "Feels like it's just busy work at this point."

"It's for the Giganodes! It's connecting the Gigaverse together! Why wouldn't you want to be involved with that?" Ren said.

"So what you're saying is that we're the chumps installing satellite. We're doing the boring cable laying gruntwork of the Gigaverse more like," False said. "I'm not paid enough to care that much about the Gigacorp vision, if I'm honest."

"Aww, come on, it's great work we're doing here! Spreading the love of Gigacorp to new and exciting planets!" Ren said.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Ren."

-

False ran her hand over her ship, a small Valkyrie class tucked behind all the Gigacorp vehicles in the hangar. They'd been all over the galaxy together, and she'd smuggled her aboard when she joined Ren as crew. She wasn't as old as the ship they were piloting, but she had a knack for upgrades and repairs, so she was as good as the newest ships out there at the moment. Warp drive, chameleon skin, the works.

She could just fly off. She could get inside, open the doors, and fly off. Leave all of this behind. It wouldn't take much. She could stash enough supplies in here and just go.

She got inside, in spite of herself. It was comfortable in here. She knew this ship better than she knew herself. She always had a stash of emergency supplies in here. Sometimes, it was quicker to take her to rendezvous with supply ships and stations than get their Hermetheus to change course.

It was always nice to get away from the ship for a while. Talk to different people. Catch up with contacts and friends. Upgrade her ship. Profit a little on the side when she could. She knew how to take care of herself. Ren was always fine. She put Grumbot in autopilot and told him not to touch anything, and they were fine.

She sunk into the pilot's chair, her hands going to the controls through muscle memory. The desire to fly away was very strong. But she knew it would pass. Part of the training was dealing with that flight response that came from spending too much time with your partner. She knew it would pass. Just breathe. Find a supply station. Talk to other people. She'd be fine.

She closed her eyes. Imagined saying the words to open the hangar doors. Powering up the ship. Disappearing into the void like she always wanted to do.

She opened her eyes, still sitting in her ship. She shook the itchiness from her body and left, softly touching her nose as she closed the doors and powered down the ship. One day they would fly again. One day. But not today.

-

"Falsie."

"Yes, Ren?"

Ren shifted a little in his chair. "Did you know you'd never see your home again when you joined Gigacorp?"

"I mean." False glanced at him. "To be honest, I'd left home a long time ago. It didn't really worry me. I was already homeless. Best kind of person for these kinds of missions, I think. No attachments."

"Yeah, but like…" Ren paused. "I mean, you can die out here, and who'd even notice? Everyone's so so far away! By the time they get here, we'll just be skellingtons in the sand or something."

"You been having stasis dreams again, hey?" False said. "What's brought all this on?"

"I dunno. I guess the distance kind of just hit me earlier. Seeing how far we are from anywhere, really. I mean, sure there's planets out there close by, but inhabited planets? The last one was the one we left hundreds of light years away, you know?"

"I think you should stop worrying. Nothing much you can do about it. I mean, what do you want me to do? Magically make an inhabited planet appear? If it's getting to you, you can always retire, of course," False said. "Sorry, that sounded mean. But you know what I mean, yeah?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Maybe we should stop at that refuelling station coming up in a couple of days. I think I need to get out of this place for a while. It's doing my head in," Ren said, resigned.

False touched his arm for a moment. "Yeah, maybe we just need to get some time off the ship. Before we get to the planet, of course. We don't actually need to refuel, do we?"

"I mean, it doesn't hurt to get everyone topped up before a mission. And we've been travelling a helluva long time to get here, you know?" Ren said. "And, I dunno, maybe it's a good idea, you know, stock up on anything we need before we land."

"Ren, you don't need to justify it this much. We can just stop there, it's fine," False said.

"Yeah, but, like-"

"Ren, it's fine. We might as well if it's close by. And you clearly need a distraction, so. Maybe we take inventory tomorrow, and then we'll know what to pick up while we're there. Then at least it's a business expense," False said.

"True, true." Ren sighed. "I'll be honest, Falsie, there's really only one thing I want, and it's some actual good stinking food! I'm tired of living off the supplemental day rations! I'm wasting away here, Falsie, I swear!"

False smiled. "You're not wrong. I know why it's there, of course, it's all that will survive the journey, but god, I could do with some actual food."

"We're gonna dine out so stinking good, I promise. So much good food we can take to the planet with us! That'll set us up for a good start," Ren said.

"Yeah, of course," False said.

Ren fell quiet. He got up and went over to the navigation console. False saw him adjust their trajectory to head to the refuelling station. They were lucky one was close by. Sometimes they were months away, and they would have to get by on base power until they got there. Which, to be fair, was not that hard to do with only the two of them. Sometimes, they could go into stasis if there was enough power, but other times, it was just to isolate themselves in a small corner of the ship, power that for life support, and shut down most of the rest of the ship.

It would be nice to be off the ship, though. Talk to some different people. See some different things. Trade in some of the, well. Some of the things she'd collected over the years. If she'd learned anything at all over her lifetime, it was to keep your own money that your employer couldn't touch. You never know when you'll need to make an escape.

[notgonnaedit]

Confusing Feelings

summary: Mira struggles with her feelings, as does Hunter. Meanwhile, Althea thinks they're weird.

Warnings: none

A/n: this was a trade with @dreamsight73! Your OC is awesome and I love her!

The parlor was quiet, save for the soft hum of the music in the background. There had been no jobs for Clone Force 99 for almost a week. Even with Cid giving them everything she had, the team had nothing to do.

Althea sat at the bar, doodling aimlessly with her head resting on her arm. A familiar figure walked over and sat beside her. 

"You're a little young for the bar, wouldn't you say?" Mira asked.

Althea shot her a look. "You're, like, two years older than me," she huffed.

Mira rested her hand on her chest. "I'm actually ten years older than you, but it warms my heart that you think I'm younger."

Althea rolled her lamp-like eyes. "It's probably those potions you brew."

"They're poisons, Thea," the assassin corrected. 

The girl looked up at her. "I'ma medic. And how am I supposed to know what your poisons are if you won't teach me?"

The violet clad woman raised a brow. "Didn't you just say you were a medic?"

Althea huffed. "I still carry a blaster, don't I?"

Mira hummed softly. She knew little of Althea's past, but a girl her age should never have to fight for her life. She would know.  

",I don't know how you keep doing this, kid," a husky voice commented.

Mira was pulled from her thoughts and turned to see Hunter playing dejarik with Omega. The sergeant was losing every game, but he had a content smile on his face. His opponent was suppressing giggles, but was failing.

Hunter leaned back, hands on his knees. "I need a break from this thing."

"No! I'll go easy on you!" Omega practically begged.

A small chuckle escaped Hunter. "Alright, just give me a few minutes." He stood and ruffled the child's curls before walking over to the bar.

Mira's heart fluttered as she watched him. He exuded such confidence and leadership, yet he was always kind to the younger girls. She would never understand why he let her tag along with them, considering his protective nature, but she was grateful nonetheless.

"A little young to be at the bar, aren't you, kiddo?" Hunter asked, setting his hand on Althea's head.

The medic sat up. "Mira said the exact same thing." She huffed before muttering, "I swear, you guys deserve each other."

A nervous laugh left Mira's mouth before she could stop it. Althea looked at her, then at Hunter.

The sergeant had stiffened, and despite the black ink covering half his face, there was a faint red tint. Althea narrowed her eyes. She didn't know Mira too well, but she knew Hunter, and this was weird.

Omega had noticed it as well. She glanced between the sergeant and the assassin before her chocolate hues met Althea's bright ones.

"Riiiiight...." Althea slipped from her stool and moved between the two adults. "I'll just go and see if Tech needs help now."

The pilot had been repairing the ship from their last job with Echo. Wrecker was helping them with the heavy lifting as well.

"I'll go," Omega chimed in, standing to follow the older girl.

"I thought you wanted to play more?" Hunter asked her.

The blonde looked between Mira and her brother. "That's okay."

Great. Mira thought. Just when I couldn't feel any more awkward.

Once the two girls were outside, Althea looked at the younger. "That was weird, right?"

"Definitely!" She agreed. "Why was Hunter looking at her like that?"

Althea frowned. "I don't kn–" She stopped a sudden memory surfacing. "Oh no."

"What is it??" Omega pressed.

"Hunter was looking at her like how my dad would look at my mom." Althea grimaced and stuck her tongue out.

"Your parents?" Omega asked. "That means..."

"He likes her," Althea whispered.

Omega raised a brow. "But you can like people without it being...that. I like you." 

Althea shook her head. "No. He like likes her. Like ‘Lets get married’."

Omega scrunched her nose. "Ew."

"Yeah."

A beat of silence passed between the girls as they approached their ship. Althea put her hand on Omega's shoulder, stopping her. "We can't tell anyone."

"Why not?"

"If Hunter likes Mira but she doesn't like him, it'll break his heart. We can't let it get back to him that we know."

Omega hummed, nodding. Neither girl wanted to see Hunter hurt, so they made an unspoken pact.

Meanwhile, in Cid's parlor, Mira was trying to keep her cool. The girls had left her high and dry, leaving her with an incredibly attractive man she could barely exist around.

"So, they just left," she said in attempt to start conversation.

Hunter kept his gaze on the bar, refusing to meet hers. "Yep."

He always kept his cool during missions and jobs. He never got flustered, yet around Mira it was like he completely forgot how to act.

"Any idea on what the girls are up to?" She asked him.

The sergeant shrugged. "Thea mentioned helping the others on the ship. But I wouldn't be surprised if they found something else to occupy their minds."

"How would you feel about me teaching Althea about poisons?"

Hunter turned his gaze to the assassin before him. "What?"

It was Mira's turn to shrug. "She's been asking me about it lately, but I didn't want to infringe on any rules you had." Her heart rate kicked up. "I mean– I know you guys are close and I didn't want to take away time or anything..."

Hunter stared at the woman. She was asking permission to teach Althea about poisons because she didn't want to break rules or infringe on their relationship?? This had never happened before. Anyone else would have gone behind his back, including his brothers.

She stood there nervously, her beautiful brown eyes watching him warily. Of course she would do something unlike Hunter had ever heard of. She was unlike anyone he had ever met. 

His own heart rate kicked up a notch, his face flushing as he answered her.

"Yeah, I'd think that'd be great."​​​​​​​