#I promise to do at least one of them

[introspectivememories]

thinking about shanks and buggy and how the love was there!!! it was there and it was clear and it was real and it was tangible and it still was not enough!!! the love was there when they grew up together and the love was there when they traveled the world together and the love was there when shanks gave up on the one piece for buggy and the love was there when shanks dived into the ocean to save buggy and the love was there when they promised to go to raftel together on their own ships and the love was there when they lived together in loguetown in the hiatus before roger died and the love was there when buggy damaged luffy's hat and the love was there still when they saw each other at marineford after two decades and shanks still trusted buggy to get the strawhat back to luffy and the love was there still, still, still, when rogers' body was cooling on the execution stand and his blood was being washed away by the rain and shanks put out his hand, palm faced up in supplication, and said "i'm not going after the one piece" and said the words he's been saying since he was a child, a plea, a prayer, "come with me buggy" and buggy who had given up on his hopes and dreams, crushed under the promise of shanks' shining future and his brilliant potential, humiliated by his cowardice and his belief in his would-be king, his friend, his brother, his shanks, slaps his hand away, closes his ears to the plea, the prayer, the devotion shanks is saying, and said "i'll never come with you!" the love was there still and it was not enough.

[emry-stars-oc]

Now that mermay is over. I have more mermay content. Much thanks to my buddy silvermasquerade who I wanted to talk about a mermaid au with (specifically their twin oc girlies who feature heavily here) and who had a hundred good ideas because now I’m terminally obsessed

So what if there were merfolk dolphins and they lived in an aquarium that does shows and stuff and most of them have an assigned human “handler” to help manage things and maybe to perform with. I think the merfolk are mostly like rescues or relocations?? At any rate the current set up of humans they work with are largely tolerable and even likeable so that’s a plus 🙏 and yes I’m unlearning embarrassment so you get to see my whole sketchbook layouts

(In this specific au the list of names and animals on the top left (above) are the merms, the right side list is the reverse timeline but we’ll get to that later)

Anyway I’ll put some ‘who’s who’ + rambles under the cut, for now @silvermasquerade GET OVER HERE I HAVE YOUR CHILDREN AND SECRET OTHER ART

Ok so. The merfolk are: silvermasquerade’s girls Adaline and Alyssa, the two black haired dusky dolphins

Alyssa (ponytail)’s human is Bo, Adaline won’t take an assigned handler but if she needs an assistant for her performances she’ll borrow someone (usually also Bo). They’re beautiful and so much fun to play dolls with and I love them. I also love forcing Bo and Alyssa to get through the initial absolute refusal to cooperate bc once they figure each other out they are so funny to me

(The rest of these aren’t going to have pics accompanying them because I’m hitting image limit smh)

My contributions to the merms are Quinton, the spotted dolphin who’s (current) human is a yet un-designed and completely un-introduced dude named Rhydian (annoying, sometimes pretends that the merfolk aren’t as sentient as they are bc it’s ‘convenient for him’). Luckily I’m thinking Q eventually gets put with Kallistos instead, who’s one of his besties in canon. He’s also mercilessly, lovingly teased for not being overly subtle by merfolk standards with how intrigued he is by Alyssa’s handler

Estes, a nondescript seal who doesn’t perform atm but ended up taking to one of the employees (Lolo) who was therefore given defacto responsibility of Estes bc she’s so snappy with anyone else. Lolo also happens to be someone that frequently helps train new employees so when Taorna is hired, he also accidentally gets on Estes’ good side. Oops 💕

Mercer, the unreasonably large orca that was brought in who also doesn’t yet perform because they have no one to work with him on it. He’s not quite built for the elegant types of shows they put on anyway, if they ever do a pirate drama he’d make a great sea monster tho.

And Liana, the common dolphin with the yellow ribbon in her hair. Her handler is Ambrose (eyepatch guy) which means she’s almost immediately teased/razzed by the other merfolk for how well the two of them get along. “He’s handsome and kind and -“ “girl please. he’s a HUMAN” but you best believe they are the media darlings and look so cute in their matching costumes

One day I’ll draw them with their humans bc you absolutely have not seen the last of them, I’m obsessed almost to the point of concern, I also need to figure out how to get Betony in here fr. If you thought Mercer towered over them before oh boy

[l-in-the-light]

Trafalgar Law and his rare friendships (Law and closeness series part 4)

Let's venture into less explored territory. And we will start with no one else but our beloved Kinemon!

They met at Punk Hazard, Kinemon doing some rampage and Law was sent by Caesar to stop him. At first he cut him up into three pieces apparently, but I think Kin is colorizing here a lot.

Because let's take a look at his awesome feats. He might be cut into pieces, but he's still a decent threat despite that! I think Law started by cutting Kinemon in half, then got surprised he still tried to fight him, and then he cut off his head as well only to realize that even the head alone is probably bouncing around as well! So he caught it, but in the meantime the legs already run somewhere else and the torso escaped Law on his way back to lab somehow which is where Brook finds it later. And Law was probably like "screw it, I don't have time for this" and left it be for now. But I bet it wasn't "letting his torso to rot, and feed legs to wild beasts" like Kinemon claims. After all his legs turned out to be just fine lol. And we know by now that Kin's legs just run off on their own aimlessly, so this is probably what actually happened.

And this is how Strawhats find Kin. I guess Kinemon was still causing a lot of trouble despite being only a head. Maybe he tried to bite Law? Anyway, he must have been really *mad* to cut him up into that many tiny pieces. I think Kinemon was behaving like a little shit. It's important to mention Law never did that to anyone else before.

And he attempts to do the same to Tashigi who is also trying to bounce around while being cut in half.

Yeah, Kinemon and Law started off on a great note there. But I think Kin earned Law's respect for that, because this is probably what Kin shouted at him while being cut into smaller and smaller pieces:

And Law shoved his head into some closed off room, instead of giving it to Caesar. I think he was trying to spare him and hoping he can restore him back later on.

As soon as they both end up on Strawhats ship, Kinemon already treats Law with respect! It's no longer "that warlord" but "Law-dono".

It seems that despite what Kinemon says, Law actually earned his respect back there already. He even tried to catch his name or the title to know who he is.

It's so sweet he's already asking Law to give him a ride to Zou and before he can get an answer Luffy butts-in haha.

He's always listening carefully to Law's plan in Dressrosa and keeps closely with his assigned group. And yes, it's implied that Law was the one who strategically seperated the groups.

Kin is the first one to raise a concern to stick to the plan and not waste any time. He understands the stakes but won't venture off on his own, instead making sure the whole group knows what to do. That's because they left before Law finished going over the plan again. Kinemon took it on himself to make sure "they got the memo", so to speak.

Kin's also the one who seems most worried about Law, probably because when he almost rescued him he realized in what kind of terrible state he was. "Answer me!!" there is a lot of concern there he didn't show for any of the Strawhats yet, but he did for Law.

His idea to distract and cause some chaos by disguising himself was also something Law would approve of.

On Barto's ship Kin is already taking care of the dangers ahead of others, because he's aware his friends are still recoving from their injuries.

Kinemon never forgets that Strawhats and Law are in alliance and are two seperate crews. He asks Law specifically for help as well, clearly surprising him with that request. Kin's amazement seems to be very genuine and he is very polite in how he asks for help.

And then alliance happens, they bump fists together I bet Law must have braced himself for it and Luffy declares "Being in alliance means we're friends!". This is the moment Luffy defines what Kinemon and Law's relationship is supposed to be from now on: friendship. And of course Law is annoyed about that, it should be up to him to decide stuff like that! Luffy doesn't care though, pushing Law's boundaries further for him.

Law already takes on his role in the alliance, assuring Kin they will be safe in his submarine and no one will be able to suddenly attack them on his watch. Now this is a turn of 180 degrees, Law takes them as his own personal responsibility from now on, gives emotional reassurance and basically saying "count on me" but with different words. He already succumbed to the fate Luffy bestowed upon him.

And take a look at this. There is team Luffy, team Nekomamushi, Team Inuarashi and Team Kinemon. Do you know what that means? Yes, Law handed the leadership over the group to Kinemon! Meanwhile himself taking the role of a support and protection. And this trend will continue all the way in Wano as well.

Apparently he visited Kinemon at the castle ruins every single day. Most likely worried about his health condition.

Law apologized immediately to Kinemon the moment the other asks what's going on. Even takes the blame for himself, but also takes extra time to reassure Kin that his part of the plan is unaffected and no one knows about the samurais. I think it's implied again that it was Law who seperated the tasks in each group meanwhile taking a supervisor role himself. He told Kinemon to find Akazaya samurais and they had a whole operation going on in the background with gathering supplies of weapons and food, bit by bit, while officially putting the blame on some third party. Knowing Kinemon he wouldn't be smart enough to think of it this way, so Law at the very least helped him organize stuff. Besides we don't see Kinemon running around and making sure everything works out: that's Law actually, checking up with all the groups and resolving any potential crisis situations (like when he warned Sanji of trouble and took it on himself to lead the whole group to safety). Besides we have Sanji's words for proof when Law apologized to Kinemon: "What kind of shoddy operation are you running, Law?!" which is pretty direct in pointing out who the actual mastermind is behind the Wano's battle.

Seeing how Kin also wasn't the smartest at reading the coded picture message about the raid, I think it was originally Law's idea as well that the message should be some sort of code only people involved would understand. The raid picture also mentions meeting up at a port specifically, and that seems to be a reoccuring point plan in every of Law's plans ever since Rocky PORT Incident. Even in Dressrosa and Punk Hazard the chosen meeting points for all seperated groups were told to be specific ports.

When it turns out there was a traitor in the midst of their core team, it's Law who seems to have taken it on himself to dig up information from Hawkins. Interestingly enough every last samurai arrives for the raid despite that every single bridge in the country had been destroyed. I have no evidence but I think it's likely Law helped all those people travel to the "true" meeting spot. After all we didn't see him for days before the raid, and while many fans believed Law turned into a snitch, the raid itself denies it: Law was from the very beginning to the very end on the alliance's side. But then why didn't he take credit for what he did to make the raid a success? Well, he didn't take any credit at all before either, giving it all to Kinemon, so why would he start to take it for himself suddenly?

Here Law rescues the samurais, scolding them for underestimating the sea. Doesn't it look similar to you? Law is rising them up just like Oden did on his execution day. This symbolically proves Law is the actual person carrying the whole battle operation on his back. Just like his full name, Trafalgar Waterloo, should have hinted us all along. His reactions to all the others discussing what's happening are also very telling - Law's the only one not surprised that samurais aren't there yet, that there is a traitor, not even surprised that Kid is there. But he is taken aback about news of Big Mom and Jinbei, because that's some wild cards he didn't know anything about before.

Even though Law protests his submarine isn't samurais garrison, it's pretty clear who samurais themselves think runs their plan in reality. And worthy to notice here: Law no longer calls Kinemon by his full name. It's "Kin" from now on. And how many people did we ever see Law using such an affectionate name for before? With him you're either "something-ya" or a full name basis. Kin is literally the only exception. You can't see it as anything else but affectionate. Throughout Wano they became really close friends.

And of course Law saves Kinemon's skin by coming up with a backup plan on the fly and even decides he will carry the samurais to the back entrance of the island on his submarine. He also allows Kinemon to take the full credit, not really expecting any gratitude. He just sits there in the background, letting others take the spotlight.

And this is a good moment to remind us of what Sengoku told Law about love. It should be unconditional, which means you don't expect anything in return for your help. Law usually operates on "favour for a favour" basis or impersonal alliance level. But in this "alliance" he doesn't even want the credit, doesn't expect anything in return, and breaks his own rule of not calling people in affectionate ways. And does he even get anything for himself from this alliance besides the rise in his own bounty?

Imo there's only one possible conclusion here: Law accepted the condition of the alliance Luffy set up all the way back in Zou, it's supposed to be a friendship. Law indeed fullfilled that condition, he truly became friends with Kin. Of course he still wouldn't admit openly that they're friends, but like always with Law, we need to actually look at his actions and subtext. This friendship wouldn't have happened if friendship with Luffy didn't happen first! After the raid Law doesn't stay at the shogun's palace and instead stays with the ships at the port, but I bet you anything Kinemon ran to him at least once to tell him how grateful he was for his help.

So that's one confirmed friendship of Law we see in the series (besides the one he has with Luffy, but I elaborated on that one all the way back in part 2). The other friendships we can see in the series is that with Bepo, Penguin and Shachi, and Wolf in Law's novel. We know that Law created Hearts Pirates together with them, he doesn't consider Hearts to be his own creation, it's theirs as much as it's Law's. That friendship started off on a sour ground, Penguin and Shachi were bullying Bepo and Law saved him. But they quickly became friends and Law's strength and attitude earned their deepest respect. Penguin and Shachi sometimes allow themselves very cheeky comments ("Captain! You're so sexy now!"), they're also slightly older than him, but despite that they have really big respect for Law and always listen to him, despite sometimes complaining ("Captain got carried away" or "stop him Bepo!!"). They know each other well and as teens they spent a lot of late nights just talking together. They would sacrifice their lives for Law and Law would do the same for them, but he's also not beyond sending them to safety instead and taking all the risk on himself. They often shower Law in compliments, almost like they know he has low self-esteem, but then they know him for 13 years already, of course they would be best friends at this point and know that stuff about him (about his touching trauma probably as well).

Bepo is the only one privileaged with any physical affection, he is Law's safe haven, the last one he allowed himself to keep. The main Hearts also know of Law's past and his full name, as well as the fact he is a D. Of course they also started doing those silly power rangers-like poses when Law introduces his crew and I bet you anything it's a nod to Sora Warrior of the Sea. They're all fanboying the comics together. Law is probably slightly more affectionate with his Hearts than anyone else (which in this case means he allows himself to be a bit more open, but he still keeps some distance from them), but we can see he still acts like a leader for them, trying his best to earn the respect he received. But we also see him worrying about Bepo a lot in Wano when the mink ate a poisoned fish. He almost threw his own raid plan out of the window just because Bepo asked to not leave him alone; clearly they are his firstmost priority. Too bad we don't have that many of their interactions to analyze.

And then we have his friendship with the old man Wolf, inventor from North Blue, who took Law in (spoilers ahead for Law's novel!). At first their relations are mostly "favour for a favour" kind, something that Law knows well because he tends to operate on same basis. So, Law is allowed to stay at Wolf's place if he finds a job and helps with chores and testing the inventions. They take turns preparing the meals. Everything changes when Wolf has an unfortunate accident and Law saves his life. Wolf then asks for a friendship and Law thinks to himself that he can't really refuse a request from someone who doesn't usually do "friendships", he feels honoured with that trust. Wolf still acts as their mentor but it feels more like they became a family. Law is very grateful to Wolf for standing in defense of Penguin and Shachi. Wolf is also the one who teaches young Law how to be a captain and puts it into his head that he needs to take responsibility at all times. In general Wolf acts rather cold and rough, but always shows a kind heart when any of them needs it, and I bet Law took on his habits because that feels a lot like how Law himself acts on many occassions.

Wolf definitely became some sort of a rolemodel for him, but there were also few occassions when Law allowed himself to say some really spoiled and cheeky things to him (like: you do the dishes from now on). Law also helps Wolf make a tough decision: to resign from taking responsibility for his son's actions and not to kill him with his own hands, he literally stops his effort by saying "Family shouldn't kill each other". At the end Wolf gives them a partying gift: a yellow submarine, and encourages Law to go out to seas to look for freedom and experience life as he wants. Even 3 years later both of them think of each other fondly, implying that maybe one day Heart Pirates will return to share stories about their adventures.

That's all the canon provides us. Law generally keeps to himself, but in Law's novel he doesn't seem to have any problem to make friendships, every person he saves becomes eventually his friend, which really gives one more argument that there's no way Luffy would be the exception to that rule. But it becomes clear that the older Law gets the more reserved he becomes and doesn't seek out friendships. He probably wouldn't have perceived Kinemon as his friend if not for the condition of the alliance Luffy applied. And this begs to ask about the elephant in the room: why? Why is he that reserved and why did he allow himself to accept Kinemon as friend in the end? I think he felt it's okay to become friends with Kinemon, because he's a samurai thrugh and through. Even if they win and Kin lives, Law would leave Wano and probably never see him again. I guess that made the decision easier on him to some degree.

I have some ideas about possible reasons why Law avoids any new friendships or affectionate bonds with people and instead tries as much as he can to keep it impersonal. He clearly can be a caring and dedicated friend and I don't think his trauma is the only reason why he avoids people. Because there's no reason anymore (after defeating Doffy and Kaido) to not openly admit he made new friends. I will take a closer look at his possible reasons in the next post.

[levemetal]

Day 2: Timeloop / Xiao Qi and Jiu Ge

I am cringe and I am not even free

Feel free to reuse this idea but 24 hours are not enough for me to finish an entire comic. I could have taken the simpler prompt but nOOOOOO timeloop is too tempting. Past me why are we like this

[waterfallofspace]

HEAR ME OUT

A and B haven’t been on a date in AGES so when they get time, A books a super fancy expensive restaurant. As it’s so fancy, the waiter brings a jar of flowers to sit on their table for the ✨ambiance✨ but A is insanely allergic and B begins to think maybe they should leave. However, it’s been ages since they had a date and by the gods A will NOT let this slide.

so this has been sitting in my inbox for over a year, but I've finally done something with it!!~

please forgive my horrid half-assed attempt at some form of vaguely british accent~

feat: sneezing, sniffling, talking, sound effects, etc~

[nabaath-areng]

I have way too many alts that I keep to myself (which is why I generally refrain from posting them), but I'm going to ignore that habit for a moment just because I'm feeling particularly insane about this guy.

[heyimkana]

asking the important question here:

since jinwoo always has his soldiers staying in his shadow and they're constantly like aware of what's happening... what happens when jinwoo is trying to get some with his wife ifyouknowwhatimean

[wackywatchdotcom]

i need to GRAB pomni. i need to throw her like a javelin

[fratboykate]

You sort of hinted at the fact that before Yelena walked in on Kate and Eli they'd been having some sort of issues? What did those last few months of the marriage before the divorce look like?

Kate has never seen her name on a deck like this.

The campaign brief is slick, minimal, embossed. Her face on the first slide: black-and-white, studio-lit, cropped just shy of her wedding ring. That omission isn't an accident.

The brand is the kind you don’t say no to. The kind that calls once…if you’re lucky. Legacy money. Private jet, Hermès wall, double lifetime supply of relevance kind of money. The kind that makes people stop talking about your stadium tours and start whispering about you being cast in Oscar bait alongside Cate Blanchett.

Kate’s agent is vibrating with excitement. Her manager already popped champagne. It isn’t just a win. It's elevation. A yearlong global campaign fronting their women’s line: billboards, Vanity Fair spreads, Paris, Art Basel, Cannes. Ascension into the pantheon.

She’s the dream. Almost. There’s a clause, of course.

They don't call it that. It’s buried thirteen pages into the contract under 'Brand Adjacency & Talent Alignment Parameters'. Legalese for: "we own the version of you we can sell".

Her agent flips through it with the casual speed of someone skimming a familiar minefield.

“It’s standard,” she chirps. “Posting parameters, wardrobe approvals, and this thing…” she taps a page, almost carelessly, “…about public appearances.”

Kate frowns. “What about appearances?”

A hesitation. A fraction of a beat. Enough.

“They’re asking you to keep +1s limited to official talent or brand-approved individuals during campaign windows. Red carpets, galas, press runs. Anything where there will be coverage tied to them.”

Kate stares. Not getting it. Another pause. Then:

“They’d prefer it if it was just you at events.”

Kate chuckles, confused. “Who else would I bring?”

The agent is delicate now, trying to find the words. It clicks for Kate first.

"No."

“It’s about optics. Luxury sells aspiration. And she doesn’t…test aspirational.”

“She’s my wife.”

The agent shrugs. Business, not cruelty.

“She doesn’t photograph the way they want. It’s not a criticism. It’s just data.”

Kate feels the heat rise in her chest.

“She’s not a prop.”

“I know.” A softer tone now. “But this campaign changes everything. It's prestige. Just for a year. A few appearances…And don’t post anything about her immediately before or after sponsored posts.”

Kate looks at the clause again. Yelena’s name isn’t on it. But it doesn’t have to be.

After many angry meetings and calls, Kate relents and signs it. Doesn’t tell Yelena.

//

Kate is Kate. So she brings Yelena to the first event anyway.

Her reps don’t find out until Yelena is already in the car, black suit pressed, security detail reassigned, glamour haphazard but present. Damage control starts immediately.

The first time Yelena notices, it’s small. A look. Hushed huddles and frantic texting.

The publicist pulls them aside just before the carpet at an event where Kate is head to toe in the brand. Rushes through the request with a syrupy smile.

"Just talent, if that’s okay."

Kate pastes on a tight, media-trained grin. Then gives Yelena a tighter one.

"I’ll be two minutes," she adds right before kissing her.

Yelena nods. Says nothing. Not because she doesn’t understand. Because she does.

Yelena didn’t want to be there anyway. Kate was who insisted. It damn near started an argument so Yelena ultimately gave in. She would happily avoid these things altogether if she could. She hates carpets. Hates the way people stare. But this one feels different. It's one thing when you don't want to be somewhere. Another entirely when everyone else doesn’t want you there either.

Kate catches it. The hint of something behind Yelena’s eyes. The cold mask slotting into place.

//

It unravels faster than Kate expects.

She asks Yelena to skip a press day. "Long and boring," she says, too breezy.

But Yelena knows that. Which is why she'd scheduled no meetings that day. Press days are agony for Kate. She loathes being rushed between interviews then stuck in those junket rooms alone. She usually begs Yelena to be there. Which is why the blonde now reconfigures her life around being there to run interference, to ground her, to drag her out of rooms when she starts getting punchy.

But this is the first time since they've known each other that Yelena's presence hasn't been borderline demanded. "You're off the hook," Kate says.

Then it’s a charity gala. One they were both invited to. Yelena is certain of it because it’s on her calendar. It’s always been on her calendar. But on the day, as Yelena walks into the chaos that is the glam squad living room take-over to ask when she should be ready…she's told Kate doesn't have a +1. Yelena doesn't question it. Must've been her mistake. Was it?

Then a pre-Golden Globes mixer. Kate tells Yelena she’s not feeling well. She's definitely free to go to the office and deal with the client mess she's been fielding calls for all day. Two hours later, Getty Images posts solo shots of Kate looking rather healthy on a carpet.

There was no anger from Yelena. That would be easier. She just got quiet. Withdrawn. A cool, practiced professional civility creeping into their nights. Yelena stops reaching for her. Stops sitting close enough to touch. The silence starts filling whole rooms.

Kate feels it. But she doesn’t ask. Doesn't want to open a door she knows she locked herself.

Until the email.

Yelena wasn't supposed to see it. Neither of them were. Some junior publicist cc’d Yelena by mistake on a scheduling chain with Kate's glam team.

An internal memo was attached. Brand guidelines. Included: a mandate breakdown. Optics guidelines. Key terms. Something clearly breaking down what the brand was REALLY asking for in that contract clause.

"Prioritize solo imagery where possible." "…and avoid red carpet shots with spouse present." "…pre-approval of any of talent's guests to ensure alignment with brand ethos." "…is too severe." "…not the dream."

//

Kate comes home that night to dinner half-cooked, plates untouched. Yelena seated at the table, elbow propped, iPad glowing across from her.

Kate rushes over to Yelena. Drops into her lap. Wraps her arms around her neck. Kisses her slow. Yelena barely moves.

"Come on," Kate murmurs. "I need a sloppy makeout after the day I've had."

"Surprised you want to touch someone 'not aspirational.'"

Kate freezes. Watches the flatness in her wife’s face.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don’t." Yelena’s voice is low. Controlled. Dangerous.

"I've been gone all day. How could I possibly know what you're mad about?"

Yelena flips the iPad. The email gleaming like a gun barrel. Kate reads it. Goes pale.

“Oh," she says, small. "Fuck."

Yelena says nothing. Kate doesn't move from her lap. Reaches for her hand. Yelena pulls back, just an inch.

“I didn’t want to upset you," Kate adds, desperate.

"You signed it."

"I fought it. I swear. We had meetings…"

"You signed it."

Kate’s voice cracks. “It’s just a few appearances. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Yelena’s eyes are glacier-calm.

"It doesn’t mean anything to you."

"You hate carpets. You hate all of this. I…"

"It’s not about that." Yelena’s voice doesn’t rise. Doesn’t need to. "They said I wasn’t 'the dream'. And you agreed."

“I didn’t…"

"You accepted." Kate’s mouth works. No words come out. "It's our life. And you signed it away for a fucking ad."

Yelena removes Kate from her lap, stands. Walks out of the room without looking back. Kate stays seated at the table, the cold screen still lit up with the words she can’t unsee.

//

The fight doesn’t start on the red carpet.

It starts the way all their worst fights do. With stillness. Silence.

The premiere is for Silent Lane. Kate’s first serious critical darling in years. She admittedly hasn’t always picked the best projects. Always box office mega hits but there have certainly been some critical failures as of late…but this was her way back to proving why she got that Oscar nomination at sixteen. Why she deserved it. Why she should be seen as a serious actress again. This is her redemption arc waiting to be written. She should be on top of the world. Instead, she’s in the back of a black SUV, staring out the window while Yelena sits beside her, stiff as stone.

After all the strangeness, Yelena asked days earlier if she should come. Kate hesitated. Big event. Certainly a brand appearance. She’d be dressed by them. But this was also HER movie premiere. She should have her wife there if she wants. She'll fight with her team about it later. So Kate tells her to come. Of course she should.

But now, here they are. Beside each other in the limo, but not together. Yelena’s body is angled away. Legs crossed toward the door. Hands loose in her lap, too still to be natural.

Kate looks immaculate. A navy satin column of a dress, minimalist glam, a sleek bun so tight it aches. Everything styled, pre-approved, polished within an inch of its life. Everything perfect.

Yelena didn’t even try to match her. Black suit. No tie. Boots polished enough to pass but defiant in every step. She looks exactly like what she feels like: a security guard. An accessory. An afterthought.

They barely speak on the ride. Logistics. Traffic updates. A clipped "you want me to take your phone?" that Kate answers with a nod.

Kate reaches for her hand once. Yelena pretends not to notice.

When they pull up to the carpet, Kate flashes her camera smile. The one that never quite touches her eyes anymore.

The carpet is a machine. Publicists, handlers, photographers barking orders. Kate does her job. Smiles on cue. Turns on the charm. Shifts her body to the best light. Pretends to not be affected by the comments of how luminous, elegant, and statuesque she looks.

Yelena steps back. Keeps behind the line. Where she apparently belongs. She’s never loved being photographed. But Kate always asked. 'Pesters' would be a more appropriate word. Kate is annoying. No two ways about it. And Yelena almost always refuses. Insists it's Kate's moment. Her thing. But more often than not, Kate always teased her into at least one shot. Tonight, she doesn’t.

As uncomfortable as Yelena feels in these places, being asked to be a part of it is nice. Not even being asked felt worse.

Yelena doesn’t push.

When a reporter asks Kate who she brought as a date, she smiles wide and says something charming about bringing nerves as her date tonight. When another asks about her famous ex, arrested for public intoxication last week, Kate gives a tight smile and moves on.

She never once glances at Yelena.

Yelena stands in the background. Watching. Quiet. Armor back up.

Kate feels the coldness like a physical thing.

//

The screening itself is a blur.

Kate sits in the front row with her castmates. Yelena quietly removed herself. Opts to pace the lobby, earpiece in, like an assignment instead.

They walk back to the car hours later in brittle silence.

That's where it broke.

Yelena has one hand on the door when the words come out. Sharp. Petty.

"Could you maybe not look like you’re casing the perimeter for five seconds?"

Yelena freezes. Turns slowly.

"I was casing the perimeter."

"You’re not working tonight."

"I’m never not working."

Kate laughs under her breath. A bitter sound.

"Yeah. I know. Trust me."

Yelena’s jaw flexes once. Twice.

"You've got something you want to say to me?"

Kate turns. Faces her. On the curb, under a battery of hidden lenses and half-dimmed streetlights.

“Why did you even come?” Kate spits. The second she does, she wants to snatch it back. Too late.

Yelena’s mouth twitches. Not a smile. Something sharper. Meaner.

"I came because I was invited." A pause. Soft. Icy. "Barely."

"I said I wanted you here."

"No." Yelena shakes her head once. "You allowed me."

The SUV idles beside them. The driver stares straight ahead. Pretending not to hear.

Kate feels something awful rising in her throat. Fury, shame, heartbreak. Indistinguishable.

"You could’ve said no."

"So could you. When they told you I wasn’t 'the dream'."

"What do you want from me? Huh?" Her voice pitches higher. "I’m sorry the world doesn’t bow down every time you scowl into a camera. I’m sorry luxury brands don't think PTSD chic is aspirational."

The words come out before she can think. A direct hit. Too cruel even for her. Yelena doesn’t move. Doesn't blink.

"Fuck you," Yelena says, dead calm.

Kate steps closer.

"You hate all of this. You hate being with me in public. So what the fuck are we even fighting about?"

Yelena lifts a hand, about to run it through her hair. The motion is caught mid-air. By a camera lens two hundred feet away, the frozen frame looks like a slap waiting to land.

Kate recoils instinctively. Flinches back. Not because she thinks Yelena would hit her…never…but because years of fight training taught her body to react to any sudden movement.

The flash is almost silent. The click isn’t. Neither of them notices. Not yet.

//

Two days later, the photo is printed by a gossip rag.

The captions are merciless:

"Bodyguard Wife Snaps at Kate Bishop During Heated Clash."

"Trouble in Paradise? Kate Bishop Seen Flinching at Premiere Fight."

"Fans Raise Alarms Over Concerning Body Language."

By the time Kate’s team calls an emergency PR meeting, the image has been dissected by strangers in every timezone:

The angry curve of Yelena’s mouth. The frozen tension in Kate’s shoulders. The grainy, damning silhouette of one lifted hand.

It doesn’t matter that no one raised a hand. It doesn’t matter that no one even shouted.

The story’s already written.

//

Kate doesn’t even want to do the profile.

It was supposed to be fluff. An awards season soft-serve. Glossy photos, pithy quotes, a paragraph about how Silent Lane “marks the triumphant return of Kate Bishop’s serious actress era.” Same shit as always.

But then the photo hit Twitter. Then the gossip sites. Then the hashtags.

Kate Bishop and the Ice Queen. Kate Bishop flinching. Kate Bishop and her terrifying wife.

Then came the studio’s calls. Her publicist’s texts. The agent's gentle knife-twists.

"Spin it." "Humanize it." "Own the narrative." "Get ahead of it."

It takes six days of pressure, but Kate agrees. On one condition: It had to be a real journalist. No gossip vultures. No TikTok puppet. Someone serious. Someone she could actually talk to.

They send a Pulitzer winner. The kind of journalist who always gets The Quote.

//

The interview is at Kate’s house. No stylists. No handlers. No lighting crew. The photoshoot isn't scheduled until the next day.

Kate wears an oversized vintage sweater. No makeup. Hair in a messy bun. She brews the tea herself. No assistants. No staff. She's trying to seem like a real human being. Because she is.

The questions start safe. The film. The stunts. The preparation. The scene everyone can’t stop crying about.

Then the pivot:

"Some people say you act from a place of personal memory," the journalist says, voice gentle. "Was there anyone you thought about when you filmed that scene?"

Kate could lie. Could deflect. Could smile.

Instead, she says: "Yes."

A beat.

"Who?"

Kate stares at her tea. The steam curls up like smoke. Her throat tightens. She speaks. Not all at once. Not smoothly. Broken. Halting. Like confession.

She says Yelena taught her everything about stillness. About silence. About what it meant to hold pain without speaking it. About how some kinds of trauma make you quieter, not louder. About what it means to hold grief in your body like a second skeleton. About holding your ground even when the world wants you to move.

The journalist puts down her pen.

"You know they’re going to print that, right?" She declares, almost apologetic.

Kate nods.

//

The piece runs three weeks later.

"Truth Hurts: Kate Bishop Gets Honest" was the headline.

The cover image is raw: just her face, up close. No filters. No retouching. It looks like she might cry if you stare at it long enough.

Inside, the quotes are like gunshots.

"She taught me stillness." "I learned how to survive watching her survive." "Loving someone who doesn't want to be seen is like shouting into a vacuum."

Taken alone, the words cut one way. Taken out of context, they bleed another.

The internet feasts on it.

Was Kate calling Yelena controlling? Distant? Abusive?

Was she finally speaking her truth?

Was this the first crack in the perfect popstar-actress power couple?

#KateDeservesBetter trends by noon.

But buried in the interview, missed by most, is the line Kate meant to matter most:

"I never felt safer in my life than I do standing behind her."

Behind. Not beside.

That word lodges itself into Yelena like a splinter. She reads it once. Then again. And again.

Not beside her. Behind her. The same way she stood when she was paid to. When she was security, not a wife.

It doesn’t matter how many times Kate said "safe."

The damage is already done.

//

The real detonation isn’t the article as a whole. It’s Kate’s final quote. The one that wasn’t buried at all.

It hits the internet at 8AM. By 8:02 it’s viral. By 10:00, Kate Bishop and Yelena Belova are trending in fifty-two countries.

The quote:

"I’ll say it once, and I won’t say it again: If the price of staying palatable is pretending I’m not in love with a woman, then I don’t want to be palatable anymore."

Raw. Defiant. A scream wrapped in silk.

It reads like a declaration. Like a middle finger to everyone. The brand, the media, the industry, her team, the world.

It should be triumphant. But all the internet sees is blood.

Paparazzi camp outside their home by nightfall. Headlines shift from scandal to tragedy. Speculation metastasizes: Breakup? Divorce? Infidelity? Domestic violence?

Every ugly whisper finds a microphone.

Kate stays home. Turns off her phone. Sits in the quiet wreckage she built.

Yelena’s inbox explodes. Calls, threats, attempts to doxx her family. Her reputation, once quiet and bulletproof, dissolves in real time.

And worst of all?

Yelena doesn’t call Kate. Doesn’t text. Doesn’t come home.

[wolfwarrior142]

Callum has asked Rayla twice now to kill him if he's ever corrupted again. This time as like a barter. And this time, despite looking devastated, she finally (begrudgingly) agrees. And later this season, Callum is cleared of his dark magic corruption, but it also warned that if he does dark magic again it'll overwhelm him.

Man my dreams have already been haunted enough by death foreshadowing I can't take much more of it for these two.

[dugaodna]

this post pissed me off in ways i cant even begin to articulate

[dronebiscuitbat]

Oil is Thicker Then Blood (Part 41)

“I'm home!” He shouted into his and Uzi's apartment with paperwork in his hand, shutting the door securely behind him, although he got no response.

He scanned around the kitchen and the living room, finding an absence of her body heat in any of the visible spaces.

He ducked his head into thier bedroom, where she was also absent, before walking down to where Uzi had set up her workshop, the door was nearly shut, though ajar, he started to pull it open, before Uzi's voice entered his processors, and he stopped in his tracks.

“Right there where you left it, lying upside down.”

Uzi was… singing?

“When you finally find it, you'll see how it's faded-”

She sounded so peaceful, so beautiful, her voice was low but even, toned perfectly for whatever song she was singing, he pushed open the door lightly, just to peer inside.

-the underside is lighter when you turn it around.”

Tera was holding onto her, she'd clearly been upset over something, but Uzi had a hand cording through her daughters hair, holding her against her core, letting both her singing and the core-beat sooth whatever had made her upset. The office chair Uzi had been using was nearly in the center of the room, clearly pushed out from it's usual place.

“Everything stays, right where you left it. Everything stays, but it still changes.”

His core wanted to soar out of his chest, watching his girlfriend, the love of his life, singing a lullaby to their daughter was doing a lot to him, once again a pleasant, warm haze fell over him.

He had made a great choice in mate.

Huh?

“Ever so slightly, daily and nightly. In little ways, when everything stays.” Uzi finished, holding Tera close, both drones were purring, though the droneling much more softly, Uzi then let out a light, bat-like chitter, before catching herself and grumbling.

“Stupid solver bullshit…”

She caught N in her perifrial vision and she stood shock still, a growing blush on her face after being caught, N didn't wether it was because it was her singing or the chirping.

“N! How- uh, how long have you been home?” She asked, not quite meeting his gaze, and standing up with Tera in tow, now sound asleep, arms thrown over Uzi's shoulder.

“Long enough… I didn't know you could sing.” He took a step forward, the warm, lovely feeling in his processors not going away, if anything, it grew in intensity the closer he got.

“I can't.” She huffed, clearly embarrassed by it.

“Are you kidding? you sounded beautiful, where did you get that song from?”

Uzi seemed to blush more heavily at his question, suddenly taking great interest in the floor.

“Don't laugh?”

‘I'd never Biscuit.”

“It was from a cartoon I watched when I was little…”

N thought for a moment, before an adoring smile took over his face, he hurriedly closed the gap between them, scooping her up in a loving embrace, thier visors clinked together, resting their foreheads on the other as every drone in the room let out their respective core vibrations.

“That is so cute.”

“I'm- I'm not.” She tried to stammer out, but even her typical edginess seemed to be drowned out by whatever… fuzziness was happening in her processors right now.

“You so are.” The smile never left his face, the urge to nuzzle her face took over, so he did, sending sparks flying between their faces, Uzi was visibly fighting against the strange display of affection, but soon gave in and joined him, sending even more static to dance between their visors.

“I love you.” N hummed, pulling back from their nuzzle if only so he could look down at her, he felt as though he was looking at utter perfection, a fallen angel given drone form.

Yours…

Mine…

“I love you too.” She had no trouble saying it now, it left her mouth just as easily as his name or “Bite me.” She curled into his neck, Tera held between them gently, if anything, the droneling purred louder, clearly not at all disturbed by her parents movements.

Reluctantly, he sat her down back into the chair, going down to his knees to rest his head on her lap, looking up at her like she was a deity of some kind, she looked… almost confused.

She felt it too, the hazy, all encompassing feeling of… rightness. She had almost let herself be washed away by it, but her will was stronger than that, she was also still slightly wary of it, being any sort of out of control had never turned out well for her, even if this time it felt anything but bad.

“N?” She asked, voice sounding like it was full of cotton, he blinked before slowly lifting his head up, being more eye level with here.

“Mm?”

“What… are we doing right now?”

He blinked again before he realized he didn't remember what he'd been doing for the last minute.

“D-dunno…” Then they both blinked, the haze over both of them gone, N found himself blushing at his position, before standing up and backing away.

What the heck was that about?

Next ->

[i-dont-even-know-by-this-point]

Idk guys something about a Beauty and the Beast Helnik AU is really tickling my brainworms (spoilers ahead for CK)

Not a 1-for-1 adaptation — I think it’d be interesting if, like in SoC, they both got stranded together somewhere rather than Matthias holding her hostage for the whole thing… or at least, it’s got something to do with the drüskelle & Nina getting captured, and then they end up stranded somewhere afterwards, like in the book.

Anyway, it could work quite well with Matthias (beast) learning from Nina (Belle) and changing his views about Grisha and stuff. Maybe he got cursed by a Grisha or something? Maybe Nina has something to do with why he’s in whatever beasty situation he’s in?

It might also be interesting if Nina is actively being pursued by drüskelle, and that’s what drives her into staying with Matthias — a lesser of two evils kind of thing? Maybe?

And then the parallels with ahem… the Beast getting killed at the end… BUT! The Beast survives so Matthias can too. He will. He must. He— [machine gun fire]

[madaqueue]

hm . managed to turn my quick little drabble idea into a character study on the transformation of ajax into childe . hmmmm

[warcats-cat]

Ok, I've now written two self indulgent self insert fanfics (loosely for EPIC but like a modern au...). Now the question is, do I post them?

Does my need for validation outweigh my self-consciousness?

[heir-of-the-chair]

Guys. Guys please listen to the band Haunted Like Human. Please I need someone to freak out over their music with please!