#Ask me to write and you shall receive

[changingplumbob]

Tell us your 3 fave OC ships and the song(s) or other media you associate with them. They can be your own OCs or the OCs of someone else (it's more fun if you include someone else!) Pass this on to 3 others (on or off anon) and let's keep the game going!

Strap in folks! Somebody asked me to talk about love (my favourite thing after cats) so I'm going to go for it! I'm going to do 3 ships of other simmers (I'm afraid I won't say what media I associate with these as I don't want to misrepresent any characters) and 3 ships of my sims because "Hang the code! And hang the rules! They're more like guidelines anyway" (yes, Pirates of the Caribbean is still going around in my head)

Other's Amazing OC 🚢 (so hard to pick)

Vlad and Ji Ho by @satureja13. I am a big fan of romance that takes its time and these two fit that. Check out their writing if you haven't already as there are several sweet couples trying to find their way in the world. If you're searching for a song for them well... the story pieces come with music to get you in the headspace.

2. Victor and Yuri by @stargazer-sims. I've only just met these two recently but I love them already. To me true couples support each other, and the devotion these two have for one another is shown in the writing.

3. Excuse me while I do 3 for number 3 because I'm indecisive. Zinnia and Momo by @belsasim. Young love is adorable! Who knows what these two have ahead but I'm excited to see how it goes. Erick and Noemi by @matchalovertrait. I love a couple that cheer on each other's dreams, and these two do that. REDACTED and REDACTED by @simmerbeans. The 7th generation is so sweet and that's all I'll say because no spoilers here!

My Beloved OC 🚢

Reece and Samir. I love these two because they communicate with each other. It drives me insane when couples go through problems created by not just sitting down and having a proper conversation. Yes they're on the spicy end of the spectrum, I wrote a mini TedTalk for @daedriyth about why, but beyond the spice they are pretty damn devoted to each other.

Song: Suburban Legends by Taylor Swift because I listened to it loads when writing them actually getting together so in my head, there's a connection.

I didn't come here to make friends We were born to be suburban legends When you hold me, it holds me together And you kiss me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever

2. Rahul and Cassandra. Rahul came along and showed Cassandra a life beyond the expectations of being part of the Goth family. They have moved to the country and together are working on raising their kids (and still want more kids). Rahul wants to give Cassandra the large loving family that neither of them felt they had growing up.

Song: Beautiful Day by Joshua Radin because the it sounds like them. It's about connecting back to nature, shrugging off the negative, and making a peaceful home where you are.

Gonna climb that hill behind my house See what this place is all about Cause from above it all, you can't help but say It's gonna be a beautiful day

3. Keira and Marta. Keira was getting over a teenage romance when she met Marta. The two clicked, Marta is a romantic and Keira has the soulmate aspiration. Marta may have an abusive ex but Keira has proposed and is longing to make a love nest with the girl who helps her feel good about herself.

Song: Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha ft. Florid Georgia Line because they took their time when they started their relationship. Keira was still very new at dating and Marta was wary after it took her so long to realise her ex Liam was treating her like trash.

No need to go nowhere fast Let's enjoy right here where we at Who knows where this road is supposed to lead We got nothing but time

Happy Valentines Day from New Zealand

[blindmagdalena]

honestly i love imagining the reader trying to ride homelander for the first time and him moaning/being overstimulated when she sits on him and her forgetting who he is for a second and going 'shit, did i hurt you?' and him just. being so conflicted by that phrase. of course a human can't ever hurt him and you should watch your tone but also... it's nice you care so much for him. makes him feel cared for, in a way

18+! Given the sounds he makes, no one could blame you for mistaking one for pain. That sharp gasp and the breathless keening moan that follows it.

"Oh fuck," you breathe, hand braced on his bare chest, legs tightly bracketing his hips. He's sweltering beneath you, holding your hips in trembling hands. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

He opens his pleasure-bleary eyes, confused.

It'd be laughable if he wasn't so delirious. You? Hurt him? No, it's another matter entirely. He's accustomed to his gloves and his padded suit acting as a barrier to the world, to the overwhelm of sensation, but he has none of that when he's beneath you.

He's completely at the mercy of the wet, clenching heat of you. It's a betrayal of his stamina that he becomes too sensitive to continue long before he's finished with you.

"What? No, nngh, it's... y'just... y'just feel really fucking good," he says, nearly chokes on that last word. "Too good. So much. It's so much."

"Do you want to stop?" You ask, touching his jaw. Your thumb strokes his cheek and he moans for the tenderness of it. For the care. He'd begun to think there wasn't anyone who could witness what he's capable of and still think to treat him gently.

"No! No, just... just stay... Stay like this," he says, holds you still while he recovers.

You oblige him—you always do—and bend over to kiss him. Your lips are slow and loving against his, coaxing. You cup his face with both hands and sit with him inside you, feeling you, tasting you. It's torturous bliss. He slips his tongue into your mouth, greedy for as much as he can get despite the magnitude of it all, and you lick right back into his.

With a smile, you sink down until your chests are pressed together. His hands slide up your back and he wraps his arms around you, embracing you, needing you more than he's never needed anything in his life. Your lips are like velvet against his, slick with spit and kiss swollen. It's so much more than he's ever had, so much more than he knows how to handle.

He comes just like that, without having to move a muscle, his cry swallowed up by your dreamy kisses.

[14dayswithyou]

I'm going to be a little evil :3c /silly

*I have stolen all of their headwear, leaving only FROGGY HAT in his closet.*

"Boy it sure is chilly today. Don't forget to wear a scarf and a hat when you come pick me up, okay [REDACTED]?"

✦゜ANSWERED: I believe in froggy hat [REDACTED] supremacy 🖤🐸

He knew. Of course he knew. [REDACTED]'s security system alerted him the second you stepped foot into his apartment, and it took the dark-haired hacker almost all of his willpower not to rush home and see you. But alas, he had other matters to attend to and messes to clean up here. Things he couldn't risk putting on hold, lest he pay the consequences for them later.

So, [REDACTED] settles for watching you through his cracked phone screen as you try to sneak your way around his apartment. They didn't really understand why you felt the need to be so secretive; you knew your boyfriend would be out for the day, you had his spare keycard and access to the entire 14th floor, and [REDACTED] had made it explicitly clear early on in the relationship that everything he owned was yours completely. Nothing was off limits to you, and that included every inch of his living space.

...And even himself.

Curiously, they watch with keen interest as you quietly slide the door to his walk-in closet open and take in your surroundings once more — making sure that you really were alone in his dimly-lit bedroom. But barely a moment passes before you stride in with a newfound purpose, unzip your backpack, and begin to stash all of his caps and beanies inside.

Well, alright then. If you decided he no longer needed those items, then so be it. He was never one to deny you anything.

But in retrospect, you were honestly doing [REDACTED] a favour. He genuinely didn't really need those items in his possession anymore — especially considering how he had no real reason to conceal his identity from you after all these years of being together.

He could never forget about that pivoted moment in time when you opened up to your beloved hacker about his rather... intense need to watch over you 24/7. And after you had scolded him multiple times for stalking you from darkened corners and alleyways outside your apartment complex, [REDACTED] had all but tried to change his ways. To better themselves for you.

After all, you deserved nothing less.

Glancing back at his phone once more, [REDACTED] takes in every little movement you make as you continue to tuck away his belongings; down to the turn of your head and the flex in your muscles. Not a single twitch or glance goes unnoticed under his watchful gaze — and had the dark-haired man not been so enraptured by your ministrations — he surely would've noticed that it was just about time for him to start packing his tools up and head home.

Home, in time for the date you had planned for the evening.

But the way you purposefully moved around his closet had [REDACTED] in a trance. You were extremely methodical about the things you were swiping from his shelves; neatly packing away all of the headgear, earmuffs, and scarves on display (and even the ones hidden within the depths of his drawers!). Yet... One single item remained in the aftermath of your wake.

Atop one of the lone shelves in the corner, it sits, isolated from the rest of its kind. Worn out yet well loved; it was no more than a novelty item your boyfriend had originally won for you from a crane game. But even after their constant insistence that you should keep it, you rebutted it all by saying it'd look better on him instead — all while pushing the cute, froggy hat back into his hands with a teasing smile.

("If you keep bleaching your hair like that," his real name falls from your lips like sweet nectar, "All of your hair will fall out. When that happens, you can use this to keep your bald head warm!"

"...When that happens? Hmph. You're gettin' cheeky." With a smile of his own, your boyfriend reaches out to gently pinch your cheek. "I haven't touched m'hair in ages.")

So after watching you be so meticulous with the items you were "robbing", the hacker couldn't help but wonder what your main motive was. Why leave that silly, little frog hat alone unless... Did you want him to wear it? You knew [REDACTED] would never say no to you — let alone to a frivolous request — but admittedly, they did find it rather endearing to watch you put in all that effort just for him.

Just like how he used to be... Back before you opened the curtains of his life and brought sunshine into his heart.

Gone are the days of "Ren", when [REDACTED] had to snoop around your apartment just to get any sort of inclination of what your type and interests might be. No longer did [REDACTED] have to "borrow" some of your old clothing to keep himself company on lonely nights; to put them over his pillow and pretend like it was you he was holding close to his chest. He no longer had to steal your presents and tokens out of spite and jealousy — only to return them days later once they noticed how upset it made you.

Too caught up in reminiscing about the past, [REDACTED] had almost missed your swift getaway from his bedroom. Living up to your nickname, you glide down the staircase and across his foyer as if you sprouted angel wings on your back and stroll into the elevator, before closing the door and pulling out your phone.

And just like clockwork, [REDACTED]'s camera feed gets replaced by the bright red and green call buttons that shake and taunt him at the bottom of the screen — alongside the personalised caller photo of you smiling towards the sunset ocean with [REDACTED]'s jacket atop your shoulders. The dark-haired man leaves no room for pause before he's swiping his finger across the screen and eagerly anticipating the sound of your voice.

You greet him in that casual, nonchalant tone of yours, and [REDACTED] had to resist the urge to start recording the call — to save the addictive timbre of your voice for when he needs to hear it the most.

"Man... It sure is chilly today, don't you think?"

There's the familiar sound of tacky elevator music playing in the background, and part of [REDACTED] thinks you're purposefully calling him right now to let him in on your (not so) secret escapades... To let them know where you are.

Or perhaps you were already aware that he knows, if the way you were glancing up at the elevator camera was anything to go by.

Regardless, you don't give away any other telling signs as your beloved hacker watches you through the camera. Your bag is still carefully slung over a shoulder, while one of his old, black university caps received the pleasure of being fiddled with in your hand. Your voice returns once more, and it causes a grin to form on his lips.

"Don't forget to wear a scarf and a hat when you come pick me up, okay?"

There's a newfound teasing lilt in your tone, which has [REDACTED] latching on to your every word with bated breath and scrambling for a reply.

"'Course. Wouldn't miss our date for the world. 'N make sure y'stay warm too, angel." Without missing a beat, he easily takes his place in your little game. "Wouldn't wanna misplace your jacket 'n get cold now, would we?"

Your pixelated smile on the screen gives everything away.

You hear the unmistakable sound of [REDACTED]'s sports motorbike before you see it; watching the corner of your street as he appears from the darkness like a phantom.

And like the gentleman that he is, [REDACTED] doesn't make you stray far from the safety of the streetlamp either. The moment your boyfriend pulls up in front of you, one of his large hands reaches around your waist to draw you near (almost as if he'd gone years without being in your presence), while the other makes quick work of the latch of his helmet. In one swift motion, he pulls it off and rests it against the tank—

Only to reveal that cute, pastel green frog hat sitting atop his head.

He can't help but smile when you do; clearly pleased that he went through with your silly request. At that, you let out a low hum of appreciation as you lean against your boyfriend's chest, and [REDACTED] returns the favour by bending down and pressing a chaste kiss against the crown of your head as well.

"...Think y'could give this unworthy prince another kiss, love?" Your beloved boyfriend leans in closer until your lips are millimetres away from touching, "Otherwise I might stay cursed t'live in this froggy form forever."

[missviviii]

i’m absolutely obsessed with grumpy x sunshine ship dynamic so i would love to see if you could write about mizu having a partner who is super energetic and excited while she’s always annoyed.

maybe at first mizu didn’t care for the reader at first but ringo insists on having reader tag along (maybe they are a healer or archer? it doesn’t matter to me!) then mizu slowly starts liking the reader the more she gets to know her? but reader is oblivious and doesn’t pick up on the hints even though it’s obvious mizu like her

sorry it’s so long 😭 i’m so in love with mizu it’s not funny i’m in the trenches right now

a/n: oooh alright!! 🫶 i love this ideaa

.

“The Sunshine to the Darkness”

warning(s): swearing

summary: poor mizu has been dropping hints here and there but you, my dear reader, are oblivious to them.

——————————————————————————

You stumbled across Mizu that very day she was fighting the Four Fangs. You were an archer, a rather good one at that. But what were your arrows to their swords? So you stayed in the distance, raining down arrows upon them when they got too close to Mizu.

Mizu could not tell who was helping her, distracting the Four Fangs long enough for her to attack them off guard. Yet she was grateful for your help, you managed to save her from quite a few blows that would’ve put her in a much worse condition.

You were doing fine staying back from the fight, that was until you saw a man (Taigen) approaching Mizu just as she killed Bloodsoaked Chiaki and badly wounded. You thought he was going to kill her the moment she fell unconscious from her injuries and blood loss, so you jumped into action. You shot at him, sending an arrow his way, in which he managed to dodge at the last minute.

Ringo appeared just then, tackling Taigen to the ground and demanding to know what happened to Mizu. You hopped off the rocks you were standing on and jumped onto the ground, running over to Mizu and checking her injuries.

“Is my master okay?! Oh no, he needs medicine and help!” Ringo said as he lifted Mizu onto his back. He told you to come and follow him and keep Mizu sitting upright on the horse while they went to a nearby abandoned temple to tend to Mizu’s injuries. You sat on a horse, Mizu behind you with her arms around your waist.

Her eyes opened weakly, finding herself now on a horse and her head lying on someone’s shoulder. You. Mizu looked down, noticing the bow on your side. So you are that archer Mizu thought. And then her tired eyes closed once again.

Mizu woke up once again, this time on a bedroll with you hovering over her with a concerned look. You gasped, realizing she’s up. “You’re awake! Oh my goodness, I thought you were dead!” You loudly exclaimed, helping her sit up. Mizu groaned, both from the pain and your loud voice.

“Gah, shut up, will you? So loud..” Mizu grumbled as Ringo walked over to her and handed her a bowl of medicine to drink. You sheepishly smiled, whispering a soft ‘sorry’ before you stood up and walked over to her clothes. She looked at you. That smile, that little smile. Why did it make her stomach do jumps and flips?

“Here, I sewed up your clothes again. They were ripped and in bad condition so I thought I’d fix them for you.” You placed her clothes, neatly folded, beside her. Mizu looked at you, but didn’t say a word. You hummed, waving Ringo goodbye before you walked outside to see what was Taigen doing.

Ringo looked at Mizu, who was drinking her medicine with a disgusted look on her face. “Master, I think they should stick around with us! They would make a great addition to the team, and they can use the bow and arrow!” Ringo was excited, if you joined the team, you could travel with them and help Mizu! Mizu looked at him, a bit annoyed he’d suggest to drag another person when she could barely stand him.

But somehow, Ringo managed to convince Mizu. Eventually, she reluctantly agreed, allowing you to tag along. Ringo was ecstatic since he liked having you around. Mizu acted like she was annoyed and tried not to pay attention to your shenanigans, but the thing is, she did pay attention. To your smiles, to the jokes you told, to the way you would squeal when you find some cute little charm, and how you were so eager to move in the morning when everyone was still drowsy.

“Hey,” Mizu says while you were looking at jewelry a local stall owner had on display when you and the group were passing by a village. She held out a hairpin, a beautiful one with blue flowers and small diamonds on it. You looked up at her, a bit confused by the gesture. Or why she’s looking away with her hand hiding her flushed cheeks. “I got it for you. You were staring at it very intently..”

You squealed, taking the hairpin and holding it up with a big smile. “Mizu! You didn’t have to! Oh my lord, it’s so pretty!” You smiled, wrapping your arms around her tightly. Mizu’s eyes widened, caught off guard by the sudden hug. Sure you hugged her plenty of times, but this one just hit different. She put on hand on your back as she muttered ‘you’re welcome’. “You’re such a good friend!” Oh, you oblivious little— That hit her a little bit.

Taigen walked over just then, busy eating something until he noticed you hugging Mizu. You, the sunshine of the group and probably the loudest beside him, were allowed to hug Mizu? The closed off, cold-hearted Mizu? Oh there was something fishy.

“The fuck is happening over here? You two getting ready to go out and party or what?” Taigen walked over to the two of you with a suspicious look. You looked at Taigen, clearly beaming as you showed him the hairpin Mizu bought you. Taigen looks back at Mizu, who was pretending to be looking at something else. He connected the puzzle pieces together and— OH. Mizu liked you. He almost smirks, looking at Mizu who was clearly side-eying him with poison in her eyes.

You were so oblivious, so dense. Mizu would never let anyone touch her besides you, much less buy a gift with actual sincerity behind it for someone.

Poor Mizu has been attempting to drop hints for you, yet you never catch on. She lets you sleep on her bedroll, carries you on her back when you complain you’re tired, buys you things you like—hell she even lets you touch her and cling onto her. And you unfortunately did not catch on. How is someone so smart like you yet so oblivious?

“Are you this dense?” Mizu asks out of the blue one day while the two of you were sparring. You looked at her weirdly, confused by what she meant. How did that have anything to do with what you two were doing now?

“Is this your way of calling me dumb or..?” You’re re puzzled, confused by what she means by dense. She’s the one that’s dense, right? You keep trying to show that you like her by doing things like sewing her clothes, buying her charms to carry around on her sword, and taking care of her when she’s sick yet she doesn’t get the hint. You snapped back to reality, jumping off the ground as Mizu aims the wooden blade towards your legs.

Mizu groans, both from annoyance of not being able to hit you and you also being far too oblivious. “No, I’m saying your ass is oblivious-“ she says as she blocks your wooden sword from swinging at her face. You took a step back. Oblivious? About what?

“I dunno. Is there something you need to tell me?” You asked, to which she replied with a soft huff.

“God you’re dumb. You idiot, I like you!” Mizu yells as she stabs her wooden sword into the grass below her feet. She runs her hand over her face, flabbergasted at how oblivious you were. These past few weeks, she’s been passing numerous hints, giving you special privileges, even doing things with you that are a tad bit too friendly to be considered ‘just friends’. And you don’t fucking notice!

It took you a few moments to process that. That it hits you. Her being extremely nice to you were actually hints and little clues! “OH- I thought you were being a good fri—“

Before you could even finish that line, Mizu tackled you onto the ground and slammed her lips against yours. Your hands immediately went to her waist, while her hands ran all over your body. The kiss was rough, almost like she was starving.

Finally she pulled away, out of breath and her face red. “Don’t even think about saying that line ever again. I’ve heard enough of it.”

[dittobtch]

I'd like to hear about leatin

ah yes my favourite topic:

leah, just a lonely girl living in a lonely world. a girl who falls in love with an older disgusting man only to get her heart broken later on.

then there's fatin: bold, gifted, and tired. so fucking tired of being held back by her busy schedule that she doesn't even want.

both of them fear love for different reasons. fatin thinks she's incapable of it and even if she was, all it brings is pain and heartbreak and she's had enough of that. besides, she doesn't have the time for anything like that: not romantic love nor platonic. familial love for fatin is... well... complicated...

leah on the other hand is familiar with the sting an intense, burning love leaves behind. she's suddenly left alone and has to deal with the consequences on her own. despite everything, all she wants is that toxic love back. to her, it's the only thing that can cure the emptiness she feels.

even on the island all she can think about is jeff. she gets into a literal fight with fatin over him (and fatin's "laziness" and lack of cooperation, but anyways).

then shit gets real. specifically, fatin goes missing. (cue the beginning of a beautiful, complex, sometimes toxic relationship).

only after Leah's confronted with the thought that holy shit someone could die - Fatin could die, does she finally burn his fuck ass book and metaphorically let him go (for now, anyways).

things are good for a bit, then they're bad. the ups and downs of the island. sometimes they get along, like when they think they're going to get rescued. other times they still have trouble getting along and that's okay too; they're learning and they're there for each other and that's all that matters.

well, they're there for each other until they're not. leah's mental health goes into a decline as season 2 begins. fatin tries to hold it together for the both of them, but she can't help but (homoerotically) argue with leah (for the second time) to defend her grieving friend.

eventually they make up because of course they do. afterall, fatin "was starting to like her" and knew that she could never really stop caring about leah.

in fact, the opposite starts happening. she cares about leah so much that she begins to look for the truth for leah. she devotes herself to the very thing that nearly drove leah insane. because she believes leah, for real this time.

and it's good but it's makes her feel so guilty because holy shit leah was right and fatin let her believe that she was insane. she unknowingly helped in gaslighting leah, but she can't give up now. she has to prove that leah was right; it's the only thing that can make up for it.

so, fatin attempts to pick up what leah left behind. fatin, who less than two months ago was unwillingly to help in building a simple shelter, puts in so much of her time and energy in figuring out the truth for leah. she'll let herself go insane the way leah did, do all the ethically questionable things, as long as leah doesn't have to do it anymore.

because fatin loves her:

and even though leah doesn't know fatin does all of this for her, leah loves her back:

(i could not for the life of me find a "the voices you love" gif, sorry)

ultimately, i love leatin because it's a story of these two complex teenagers who heal and break together. neither of them are fond of the idea of love when they meet, especially not with each other but together, they form a unique bond. their love doesn't fix each other but instead, they do things out of love for one another that helps them both.

they relearn how to love together. it's not perfect, but it works for them.

in the words of basically everyone left in this fandom: THEY COULD HAVE BEEN EVERYTHING but also they kind of already were everything and i don't think i'll ever get over it.

anyways if you liked this you should read my new fic too lmao

[ongreenergrasses]

my least favorite thing about the HG fandom is that even though people, validly, have a lot of interest in Finnick’s and other victors sex trafficking storyline very very very few seem to have any concept of how grooming into trafficking works and have seemingly absolutely no interest in doing so much as a simple google search. almost every fic has the whole situation come off as very cartoonish with Snow just showing up and being like “heyyy so we’re gonna kill your whole family if you don’t have sex for money :( you start tonight btw!” and then Finnick shows up the next morning with like 3 broken arms and a shattered leg like ok what the hell sure

genuinely you’re so right. a lot of the time it comes across very simplistic with no research done. I think one of the most telling things about this too is that far and wide the thought seems to be that Finnick’s getting trafficked the most because he’s the prettiest, which is such a fundamental misunderstanding of the dynamics and realities of trafficking that I’m like well. we’re never going to get to a point of depicting this realistically if the core understanding is so wildly off base.

[th0rnback]

I really love your writing, could you share what is your process? Any tips for someone who is quite new at it? Has it always been so easy to write such long chapters?

HM? TIPS? MEEEE?!

I wish I could give you a clear process but my method of madness is probably something other folk go "OMG me too!!!!" Or "wtf are you doing?.?? Don't do that!"

Either way, all I can say is...

1. Write for yourself. Like, honestly, the support you gain and comment-folk who spur you on are honestly unsung hero's, but sit your ass down and write that tale for yourself. Idk why but if I think of pleasing others when writing my brain turns off so i'm all: don't like, don't read - fuck off.

[Then you find out people like what you like and wrote and suddenly those who are unknowingly encouraging you to write with their enthusiasm are e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g]

2. Word vomit - I think my chapters are long (but they dont feel long to me? Yet your not the first to say that to me haha) because I literally spew on a word doc everything that I've day dreamed or written briefly on my phones note app when something hit me, including alternative routes/plots or scenes. This means I have A LOT of things that don't get used or I think doesnt "fit right" for the focus and this probably is time wasteful and messy but it works for me because I got the ✨️Meat Grinder✨️ meets ✨️Shou Tucker Method. ✨️

[Note: all those scenes, dialogue lines, unused or ill-fitting things created from word vomit get shoved aside into a doc called the Meat Grinder aka they are there for other fics or later chapters. It is there they get minced up and, like a certain FMA bad daddy with a dog a kiddo, I'll splice them together into another chapter/fic aka The Shou Tucker Method.

3. Drip drip drip, embrace senses, and screw expectation - don't stress about feeding everyone information at once, give enough to set scenes or help readers see what that dorky fellow your wtiting about is doing or wearing, but everything else can be drip fed because life likes to lure us down alleyways as opposed to give us a intruction manual.

I think my chapters are long because I'm an oddball who gets a bit hyper focused on senses beyond sight - touch/texture, smell, taste - and even how your body responds to certain things. Then again I'm a sensory weirdo who spends too much time in my head and makes Anakin Skywalker's hatred of sand look mild. I get this can be overkill though? So... eh.

Thats why you screw expectation. Write with your voice (or get into the charscters dummy head), format how you wish (unless you want feedback and someone goes wtf this formatting is killing me mate stahhhhp!) And let yourself allow others to be immersed into the rambles you create.

💖my tips are shit and you are gonna be grand but you got this. 💖

[my-dress-is-on-fire]

If you want to, and it makes you happy, can I ask you more about your headcanons for Jewish Yolanda Garcia? (I realize it was badly phrased on AO3.) Does she observe any holidays, and if so, which ones? Does she have any food specific associations that are important? (Related: any feelings on Hamantashen (so?) outside of Purim?) Other questions I should have been smart enough to ask but don’t know?

oh fuck okay. i am not planning this out at all, just writing the first thing that pops into my head, because that's served me well enough for the whole fic so far. for the record: this is all about my yolanda in growth, not about canon yolanda. this isn't a central part of the fic, but i love thinking about these characters so much.

so! like i said in the comments, yolanda isn't super religiously observant, and she's not super religiously observant in a very different way from how robby is not super religiously observant. robby was raised with religious judaism as a core part of his identity. he doesn't super believe in G-d, and he works through the high holy days (he will never admit that it's because he's too anxious to not be working on the high holy days - synagogues are full, that's a very high risk day), but in moments of stress, we see him turn to religion. i relate to this a lot - i discovered when i thought i was going to die that i also say the shema for a sense of grounding and connection (and also, like, because you say it before you die). who knew!

yolanda, on the other hand, didn't grow up in a religious household. her mother's mother is (was?) jewish, so they would sometimes celebrate holidays together - hanukkah, purim, pesach - but it was always more of a culture/heritage thing than a religion thing. she's obviously aware of the high holy days, but aside from eating honey cake, she didn't really do anything about them growing up. she celebrates christmas now (because her dad's family did, it was what they did at home), but she uses blue and white decorations on the christmas (chrismukkah) tree. she had one too many run-ins with the chabad rabbi near her university who loved telling her that she wasn't jewish enough because she's from a mixed family (fuck that guy), but she's comfortable with her identity, so finding a jewish community or being more religiously observant just aren't priorities. for her, it's about the little things she did growing up with her grandma. so she lights candles for all eight nights of hanukkah, and she dresses a little funny on purim (not like a full costume, but she'll do her makeup differently or something?).

kasha varnishkes was absolutely a staple at grandma's house (and it's grandma, not bubbe), as well as chicken soup with kreplach and latkes for hanukkah and... i can't decide if yolanda likes gefilte fish. she's mastered the art of making kreplach and latkes, but her kasha varnishkes always comes out wrong (she's using butter instead of schmaltz).

hamantaschen... oh man. she thinks they're dumb honestly. like, half of the fillings kinda suck, and they're annoying to make. she does like the chocolate ones, though, which i personally do not understand. frank once made her chocolate hamantaschen and she cried a little bit (her grandma had just died (i've written this far before deciding that her grandma is dead)) because they were genuinely perfectly shaped, and she'd only ever had ones that were falling apart before, and it brought up Feelings.

... can you tell i'm normal about this tv show

[griseldabanks]

34 for Al and Hawkeye, please?

Let Me Count the Ways ask game

Prompt: "I'll keep you safe."

Maybe they shouldn't have stopped for burgers and shakes. It was pouring rain out there, and the temperature was dropping fast. Might turn into freezing rain before too long.

But Five Guys was their tradition. Riza drove Al to speech therapy, and as long as he didn't drag his feet or have a bad attitude about it, they would stop for a late lunch on their way home. They even had a little ritual they ran through each time, just for fun. “Hmm, where should we go for lunch?” Riza would ask, pretending to think. Then Al would hold up one hand, grinning along with the joke, and Riza would say, “Five Guys?” as if she never would have thought of it on her own. Then they would both laugh like it was the best joke they'd ever heard.

The only time Riza got to hear her foster son's voice was when he laughed. It was worth it.

“Got your scarf and gloves?” Riza asked, opening her umbrella before putting one hand on the door.

Woolen blue fingers wrapped around her arm. She glanced down and saw Al huddling close to her as if for warmth, eyeing the door with trepidation. Riza tugged the hood of his blue coat over his head, then wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “Don't worry, Al,” she murmured. “I'll keep you safe. Let's just run, and it'll be over in five seconds, okay?”

Slowly, Al nodded.

It was more of a huddling jog than a run, and it took more than five seconds because Riza had to juggle both the umbrella and the key fob, but they both made it into the car relatively dry. With a relieved sigh, Riza tossed the sopping umbrella to the floor on the passenger side and turned on the car, cranking up the heat all the way. She swiped her damp bangs out of her face and checked on Al in the rearview mirror. He was buckled in and shivering hard, hugging himself and rocking slightly. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to be instantly transported home. How she wished she could spare him the drive.

Riza decided the best thing would be to get home as fast as possible, so she didn't say anything more to him, just started the windshield wipers and eased back out of their parking space. “These wipers are useless in the rain,” she muttered, squinting through the smeared windshield and turning on the defroster. She needed to text Roy and see if he could pick up some replacements on the way home.

As she headed for the highway, Riza mentally ran through her to-do list. Once they got home, she needed to call the phone company to see if the issue with the bills had gotten sorted out. She should peek into the boys' bathroom and make sure they'd cleaned it like they were supposed to, and then she needed to clean her and Roy's bathroom. By then it would probably be time to start on supper, and oh, was today a karate day and had Roy said he could drive the boys or—

The loud blare of a horn startled Riza out of her thoughts. A semi, slipping out of control from the left. Moving on pure instinct, Riza slammed her foot on the gas and aimed for the shoulder. The semi slipped and slid on its way, and they jostled and bumped over the muddy grass. Riza managed to stop before the ground fell away into the ditch. Hands shaking, she pulled the parking brake and turned on the hazard lights before letting out a long, slow breath of relief.

She looked over her shoulder to find Al hunched over in his seat, his gloved hands clawing at his face as he drew in shaky, shuddering breaths. “Al? Are you okay?” No, that was a stupid question. “Are you hurt?” she amended. “Alphonse!”

The twelve-year-old boy peeked over his hands at her, but she could tell that he didn't see her. It was like he was looking through her, to another rainy day in another car with another woman sitting behind the wheel as a truck came out of nowhere....

“Al....” Riza unfastened her seatbelt and clambered over the center console, squeezing between the front seats to get to the back. It was difficult and inelegant, but she managed. Better than opening the door and letting in all that cold wind and rain.

As she settled into the seat next to Al, she listened to his frantic, choked breaths that came faster and faster with every passing minute. He wasn't looking at her, just staring fixedly at the driver's seat. Occasionally, his eyes slid over to the front passenger seat as well.

Riza's heart clenched tightly as she imagined what he must be seeing. Trisha Elric, forehead resting on the steering wheel, blood trickling down the side of her face, her vacant eyes staring into nothing. Ed, trapped under the twisted metal, blood spreading up his left leg. Still breathing, but so shallow, so erratic, eyes closed. No response to Al's screams. The last words Al had ever spoken, a desperate plea for his family to not leave him alone.

She hadn't been there. She'd only read reports from after the fact, and talked to Mrs. Rockbell and the boys' therapists. And yet, she could see it all as clearly as if she'd lived it herself. She could almost hear those screams.

“Mom...Mom...Mom....”

Wait. That voice, ragged and faint, wasn't just in her imagination. Tears sprang to her eyes as she heard that one word whispered in wheezing gasps muffled behind blue gloves.

She could have listened to that voice for hours, but Al was shaking so hard she actually thought she could feel the car rocking slightly. So Riza scooted a little closer, saying as gently as she could, “Al? Can you listen to me, sweetie? I need you to breathe with me.”

His eyes latched onto hers, and for the first time since they'd swerved off the road, he actually seemed to see her.

“That's right,” Riza said, reaching for his hands. “Just like we always do, okay?”

He let her take his hands in hers and pull them away from his face. Riza led him in a deep breathing exercise, and found that her own heart rate eased as well. The adrenaline from their near miss was beginning to wear off, leaving her feeling exhausted and limp. She almost wished she'd brought Hayate with them after all. They both could have used the soothing comfort of his soft fur and warm, wet tongue.

“We're okay,” she whispered, reassuring herself as much as Al. “You're safe now. We're both safe.”

Just like every time thunder and lightning put Ed on edge and sent Al skittering into their bedroom to crawl under the covers. Roy would get up to make everyone hot chocolate, Ed would crank up his music so they could hear it faintly through his headphones, and Al would curl up like one of his cats against her side, and they would all cram into the king-sized bed to wait out the storm.

“Mom,” Al croaked again, his voice rough from disuse. “Mom....”

Tears spilled over his cheeks, and Riza reached over to gently brush them away. “I know, honey, I know.” Hot tears stung her own eyes. “I'm so sorry.”

“Mom....” Al raised one gloved hand and placed it on her cheek. He was looking at her so intently, so earnestly, like there was so much he wanted to say, but he was stuck on that one word, choking on the sobs that shook him head to foot. He put his other hand on her other cheek, as if to hold her in place. “Mom....”

A thought occurred to her, as sudden and shocking as the semi that had nearly hit them: He's calling me Mom.

Tears blurred her eyes till she couldn't even see him. “I'm here,” she whispered.

He flung his arms around her, squeezing so hard it took her breath away. She hugged him back, held him tight, squeezed her eyes shut against the tears. She rocked them back and forth, patting him on the back.

Riza had always known motherhood would be strange for her, who had never known the gentle touch of a mother. When she and Roy had first talked about starting a family, she had been plagued with doubts about whether she would be able to manage it. A thousand times, she'd tried to imagine herself rocking a baby to sleep, kissing the skinned knees and bumped foreheads of a toddler or two...and she'd always drawn a blank, since she'd never had that herself. What if she could never get the hang of it? She was a soldier, not a mother.

And yet, sitting in this car on the side of the road, holding a twelve-year-old boy sobbing his heart out...it didn't matter that she hadn't given birth to him. It didn't matter that they'd only known each other for a little over a year. It didn't matter that they'd never once had a normal conversation.

This was her son. She loved him so much she thought her chest might split open with the force of it. And judging from the way Al kept sobbing that name over and over again, clutching at her like his life depended on it...he felt the same.

[did-i-do-this-write]

Happy Tiny Scene Sunday!!

Here's a prompt with three words to use as you like: Jealous, Hide, and Clash!

@bloodlessheirbyjacques

I got so carried away with this one omg!!!! It is 914 words long, but there are two sparring matches in it. Action like that tends to add to my word count a lot haha. Anyway! I used this as a way to explore Shaun's weapon and element. This prompt was perfect and I loved writing for it! Thank you for the inspiration, bestie!

Jealous, Hide, Clash

(read the full scene under the cut!)

Shaun wiped the sweat from his brow. After two grueling hours of sparring with Darren, he was starting to feel his strength falter. Red marks crawled up his arms, reminders of everytime he failed to block the strong fire blasts that came his way.

And this was Darren "taking it easy" on him.

Shaun lifted his machete just in time. Clash! The harsh shriek of metal hitting metal rang out. Sparks flew. The weapon felt awkward in his hand. Wrong. Like he wasn't meant to wield it.

It wasn't really his, after all.

Darren had granted him permission to train, spar, and fight with his blade ever since they were kids. It wasn't much of a sacrifice on Darren's part. His weapon naturally consisted of two machetes.

Shaun siphoned water from the lake, launching a wave in Darren's direction, hoping to slow him down and catch him off balance. One blast of fire and the water dissipated into steam. Darren wasn't phased. He charged in and swiped furiously at Shaun's blade. Shaun felt the heat and burn of sparks. He dropped his weapon in an instant.

Darren stepped back and laughed. "Come on, Shaun, at least make me work for it. Two hours and I barely broke a sweat. If you can't give me a challenge then what's the point of sparring with you?"

Shaun picked up the fallen blade from the dirt. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"First you fight like a girl, now you're apologizing like one."

"Maybe you should learn to watch your mouth."

Nate's voice made Shaun jump. He could have sworn they were out in the field by the lake alone.

Darren put up his hands in mock defense. "Oh, sorry, Mr. Dictator. I forgot that we have to not hurt anyone's feelings while we're at war."

"We're not at war," Nate said.

Even Shaun could sense the unspoken "Yet" that hung in the air. Nate wanted to keep it that way.

Nate glanced over and noticed something laying in the grass. A polished, sandstone board that Reese had designed and carved for Shaun. He brought to down to practice his element and surf around on it, but he discarded it when Darren asked him to spar.

Nate eyed Shaun and smiled. "Saw you guys sparring when I got here." He nodded at the blade in Shaun's hand. "You still sharing Darren's weapon?"

"It's easier for him," Darren answered quickly. "Not having a weapon will get him killed."

Nate glared at him then addressed Shaun as if Darren didn't speak. "I thought the board worked pretty well last time we practiced together. Seemed like you were getting the hang of it."

"That's not a weapon," Darren snapped, "that's a toy."

"Darren. When I want your opinion I'll fucking ask for it."

Shaun had to stifle a laugh, but he couldn't hide it from Darren. He caught a glimpse of the fury lighting behind his eyes. Shaun stopped smiling immediately.

Nate sauntered over to where the board lay in the grass. He picked it up and inspected it. "Have you used it at all since we last trained together?"

Shaun shrugged, "A little."

Under exaggerating was better than raising Nate's expectations. Shaun had practiced with it almost everyday since then. It was Reese's idea to not only use it with his element as a way to ride the waves, but also try to learn how to handle it like a shield and blunt force weapon.

Nate extended the board out to him. "Show me. Let's see what you got."

Shaun took it tentatively. Nate flipped his own coin in the air and caught the golden short sword and handheld shield that took its place.

"You ready?" Nate asked.

Shaun hesitated. He still felt worn out from his matches with Darren. The water from the lake rose up to meet him. It trickled over his burns and cooled his skin. As it all washed away, he felt his strength return. He put the board down on the ground and stood on it, like a racer at the starting line.

Shaun nodded, "Now I am."

Nate smiled. "Then let's do this."

Once again, the lake rose to match Shaun's whim. It swept him away on his board and he circled Nate, like a shark circling its prey. Nate watched carefully, scanning for weaknesses. He launched a fireball at the water just behind Shaun, a puff of hot steam rising into the air, but Shaun kept his balance and focus.

Nate didn't raise his sword yet.

Another fireball launched into the whirlpool, dissipating the water that was most supporting Shaun's board. He sprawled out and plopped into the water as it seeped into the ground, leaving Shaun in a puddle of mud. Shaun shook off his haze and grabbed his board just in time to block an attack from Nate.

Shaun slapped at Nate's blade, feeling a little silly, like a kindergartener playing keepaway, until Nate slashed down on the board with all his might. The blade stuck.

Nate smiled, an accepting look in his eyes. Do it. You got me.

Shaun spun the board as fast has he could, wrenching the sword from Nate's grasp. It dislodged from the board and landed blade-first in the mud. It turned into a coin at Shaun's touch. He gave it back to Nate and laughed, almost in awe.

Nate smiled. "Yeah. I think I like the board better."

"Yeah," Shaun breathed heavily, catching his breath. "Me too."

[blindmagdalena]

i’m actually obsessed with twin girl dad homie. he’d be so tender with them. i could totally imagine him handing them to ryan and ensuring he’s supporting their little heads and necks 🥹 AGH DADLANDER

"Like this?" Ryan asks, nervous about the easy tilt of the baby's head.

"Yeah, you got it," Homelander assures him with a brief glance, grinning down at the second baby cradled in the crook of his arm. He's heard newborns compared to sponges, their bones not yet solid, but his girls feel more like fine China to him. Fragile and precious.

Ryan's smile is more tentative than his, his nerves radiating from him. "Hard to believe any of us were ever this little," he says with a hint of wonder to his voice, rocking the sleeping baby slightly.

Homelander's smile wavers. Ryan's a young man now, and while the memories of him as a boy are precious, there has long been an unspoken and open wound in Homelander's heart. It haunts him to have missed these years of Ryan's life.

"I wish I could have seen you like this," he admits to his son, stroking his sleeping daughter's soft cheek with the tip of his finger. "I would've... done better, I think. Figured it out sooner."

Ryan stares for a quiet moment, unsure of what to say. The wound is not Homelander's alone. It's one they share, a void cut out of them by countless losses great and small.

"I just hope you know that I'm not, uh... I'm not replacing that," he continues, a little stilted. "Or you. I don't want you to..."

Homelander falters. He spent so much of his life resenting others for what he lacked. There was a time when he even came to resent his own son. He wouldn't blame Ryan if he were to feel that now about his new half-sisters. "I just don't want you to—"

"It's okay, dad," Ryan cuts in, his smile soft. Dad. Funny how the word still disarms him. "I know. And... I don't," he says, reading between the lines of the words Homelander clumsily strung together.

It's Homelander who stares now, struck by the grace in his son's eyes. Slowly, his smile returns. He folds his lips in and nods, clearing his throat. "Right, good. Good. Alrighty. So—"

Ryan startles at a sudden gurgle, the sound coming from his sister. The noise grows quickly into a cry, and the look of panic he shoots Homelander is one for the history books. Inevitably, the cry of one triggers the other, and within seconds, both babies are crying.

"Ookay, okay, nobody panic, it's just time for lunch," Homelander assures, laughing. He swings a hand out to give Ryan a firm pat on the shoulder, squeezing. "Let's get these girls back to mama."

[klaissance]

Do you have any dad klance headcannons?

Thank you so much for asking dear sweet asker I appreciate you so much. I actually,,, lowkey don't? Dad!Klance is not something I think about that much, I think bc as a teenage girl in my 20s I am not in a parent/family space that often BUT FOR YOU IMMA TRY HERE WE GO:

for starters I think they're really good at it let's get that straight from the jump

Lance always wanted to be a parent I think--comes from a big family, has watched his siblings become parents, is obsessed with his cool uncle status, has always seen parenthood ahead as something to look forward to

Keith is the opposite, never in a million bazillion years thought that was in the cards for him

he's gay so that came with its own list of things to be worried about that would be difficult in terms of, like, acquiring a child, plus he just sort of had a shitty time as a kid, has a funny relationship with the words "parent" and "dad" and hasn't had the time to hash that out with a therapist because he's been in space

really truly Keith is a feral desert child and when presented with the thought of turning a small being into an adult suitable for society his brain shorts out

...until they get together

actually, both of them flip on this while they're in space OKAY NOW WE'RE COOKING

Lance, my poor sweet darling prince, is a little less sold on children. He grows up hard and fast and violent in the intergalactic war they're thrust into, sees terrible things happen to good people all over the place, sees kids left parentless and parents lose a child, sees himself nearly die more times than he can count (oop that one time he did die lol), and suddenly the idea of kids in the future isn't tinted golden and sparkling with the memories of his childhood. He's an adult and anything could happen and it's terrifying and hard and he knows he loves what he does--loves helping people, loves interacting with children, wants to teach or something later for sure maybe--but the actual parenting is soured by the thought of his mom back home thinking her son is dead and not even having the closure of a burial or anything. He learns that nothing is certain in the way he used to think it was, and stops expecting specific things for his future

Klance gets together [how?? girls idk any infinite number of ways that is every post I'll ever make until the end of time but not this one--trust though it was juicy] and they stay together while they're fighting the space war, and slowly and then all at once Keith "Lone Wolf" "Not A Family Man" "Feral Desert Orphan" "Kids What Are Those" Kogane is, like,,,, thinking about his life and his future beyond like,,, the next hour,,, and is imagining kids in the picture??? trust it shocks him too

This actually is a version of their relationship that I really like thinking about! Lance pivots on all of his hopes and dreams that he'd had all his life about certain milestones for things--marriage, kids, the white picket fence and all that jazz--and throws it all out the window. Because piloting magical sentient lions in a space war is fucking crazy and life is nothing like what he thought and what is important to him reshapes; it isn't the milestones it is the feelings they represent, the security and companionship he is seeking, the fulfillment he can find from interacting with others in different ways. Keith is the opposite; he never thought any of the milestones were important because he assumed they were for other, non-broken people. People--not him--who could have nice things like spouses and houses and children to raise in their image or whatever. And to make a long and introspective story short he gets to hold Lance's hand and suddenly all of those nice things are back on the table and he gets to want them and finds out that he does

I guess this is where it gets fuzzy for me I've seen some things where they space adopt and that's really fun and fresh

Or they wait until they get back to Earth after having the Cool Uncle Era with Lance's nieces and nephews which is my shit i love cool uncle klance

I do think I subscribe to them adopting older children out of the foster system as opposed to however infant adoption works

but any way you slice it Keith is So Pressed About Getting It Right he's reading books he's asking Shiro and then wanting to die because Shiro is So Cringe about his caretaking advice UGH

and Lance is back in a comfy phase about it now that they've decided to do it, regaling Keith when he freaks out with tales of times he and his siblings totally almost died or that crazy shit happened or that his parents did x y z totally sideways--his point being: and look how well it turned out anyway

the important thing is that when they do have children they love them more than anything and demonstrate a positive healthy relationship for them and they try to meet them where they are and also give them opportunities to grow and be happy and therefore it all works out perfect :)

Also as an added bonus here are some of my favorite depictions of dad!Klance for your perusal:

deerstalkerdeathfrisbee's True Love or Something ok these were like my earliest favorite fics ever when I tell you this raised me and reset my brain chemistry I am being so serious. They aren't dadding until later in the series [THIS ONE] but actually the whole thing is so excellent

that,,, actually is the only one coming to mind right now but people SOUND OFF IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE PLS <3 i will return to this post with more if i find any

I hope this was good for you obviously I just stream-of-conscious dumped into the text box but it was super fun to do, if anybody has any other prompting thoughts I would love to ideate more I just,,,, love thinking about them so much,,,, ok everybody have a great day!!

[summertimemusician]

Linktober Shadow Day 7

Gloom Hands

This goes out to the way I cackled hysterically once seeing these things in TOTK, well done Zelda Team. They're a terrifying concept and I really feel exploring that could be fun, even if this prompt gave me a headache and a half.

Bit late today because we've been pelted by way too many storms/lightning and writing on mobile with lightning shaking your house is generally a bad idea, so I spent most of the time writing this and the Linktober prompt by hand, then transcribing it back onto mobile as soon as I could touch eletronics without the major risk of being zapped and picking a god and praying that my internet wouldn't be too funky so I could get it out on time. Short one again though because I still need to finish the Linktober prompt so it should come out later today or fully tomorrow, sorry folks.

Anyway, as always can be read as romantic or platonic, also Sage is here both because of the prompt and because the mental image of Wild Reader and Sage trauma bonding over the extremely twisted nature Gloom/the Malice have compared to just dark magic in general in LoZ was too funny to resist, if Nintendo won't talk about the many variations of Dark Magic in LOZ and how it affects any who come in contact with it then lord darn it I guess I'll just have to do it myself (or as much as I can without breaking out the companion essay to the Realm of Darkness and Realm of Light essay which I'm already having trouble digging out).

TW:

Technically graphic descriptions of decay, gore and eldritch horror, and Reader just not having a good day in general, don't recommend reading I'd you're highly squeamish.

When you’ve first met Sage, as the Chain temporarily dubbed him, you and Wild didn’t miss the way he looked so, so haunted. Emotions warring like a storm as he looked Wild over in a mix of disbelief and the weariness of a wounded fox getting ready to bite just to escape, at the Chain with such longing ache that made one’s heart break, the way the first time he met Wolfie he didn’t hesitate to throw himself atop the canine and hug him so close like he was trying to melt into the fur, and looking at you like he didn’t know wether to cry, scream or to shut down before he buried it under the mask you knew your resident Champion could use when trying so desperately to keep it together, hands shaky as he signed in a way that set your teeth on edge and felt like you had taken a dozen of ice arrows to the back, urgent, 'It’s not safe. None of you should be here. You need to leave. Now.'

Needless to say it was alarming, even as you all knew just how ferociously untamed his and Wild’s Hyrule could be, with being overrun with so, so many types of divinity through each crack, root, drop and flesh of it’s beings. From Hylia’s cold calculating care, the Three Goddesses blood, tears and breath of life, to the Malice’s howling self sustaining fury, The Lost Woods ever overgrowing freedom and even the remnants of the Fierce Deity’s hunt in Satori’s and Malaniya's savage display of cyclic eternity, it wasn’t any surprised that apart from the Traveler’s Hyrule it was the most aggressive one with the smorgasbord of energy so thick it made even you choke on it everytime you stepped foot in it. Beautiful and free in an echo of it’s once untamed state in the age of myth even before Sky.

Over time, you and the Chain learned how to adapt to it. To listen to the warnings Wild gave about the Guardians and about the remains of Malice in his monsters, of how the moon had been forever tainted with it and how, until Sheikah tech was fully repurposed it would be best to avoid the castle all together it was difficult but manageable, and even if Sage’s reaction was alarming (and he seemed even more troubled once Wild passed onto him from Sky that, while he wasn’t to come with them yet due to how things were apparently ‘fated’ to happen, there was no way you all could leave quite yet, distantly sticking by Wild and Twilight when possible and checking on everyone’s health when not doing so), you’d though it would be much the same for his own, and in parts you were right as the Chain had taken to the new environment like fishes to water even if it took some adjustments.

Though you were quickly proven wrong, and you could have laughed at your past self’s naivety.

It was meant to be a quick run to clear a black blooded monster camp, and while decently challenging, it was over quickly between the Chain getting more apt at fighting the enemy, Sage’s addition as the man fought as ruthlessly and ferociously as Wild, switching between deadly marksmanship and feral combat on a dime and the absence of the unnaturally inteligent black scales lizalfos, you’d rest and be on your way quickly. Or so you all thought.

Twilight had been the first to smell it, the bubbling of dark but distinctively twisted magic, even more so than Zant’s brand of madness. Wild the one to spot it, the rot black and blood crimson building up at the edges of camp from his vantage point but it was Sage who had tensed, eyes snapping to the faint glow the Master Sword emmited just as the sky darkned before his frantic, alarmed howl swept over the Chain, the sheer desperate, protective panic making all of your boys still, because Sage never used his voice unless he absolutely had to, “IT'S NOT OVER! MOVE!”

It was all the warning any of you got before reality twisted, straining, and then finally screaming, the heavens staining with crimson as if gutted open, the eyes of a sin against nature itself cutting through your relief and infecting your veins with terror. It shakes you to the core, freezing with indecisive flight or fight as you spotted the tide. Heart in your throat as you tried to comprehend what you saw.

“WHAT THE-“, Legend cursed, looking ashen as his grip on his fire rod tightened. Really, all of your heroes look disturbed and you can’t blame them.

“Get to high ground if you want to live! We can’t fight these things.”, snapped Sage, much more composed, but no less frenzied.

None of you hesitate to listen.

(There were some unspoken rules, when in Wild’s Hyrule the first time around. If there is something the Champion, the most reckless of all Links, wasn’t willing to fight head on or said wasn’t worth it, the best course of action was to listen, specially if the group was vulnerable.)

The hands screech, the tide rolling over the land with an reality splitting clamoring, a sound so filled with fury and so, so twisted it made your Hylian’s ears friends bleed and you lift a hand to your head in pain as Wild pulled you along, Sage leading the charge for the nearest cliff face as Warrior’s threw Wind over his shoulders and Twilight didn’t hesitate before doing the same to Four, the frost from Legend and bomb arrows from Time and Sky barely doing nothing to slow it’s relentless charge, merely taking from it a distorted, pitched crescendoing belt of pure rage and the overlaying of many tortured souls screaming all at once, of Hyrule rejecting this existence from the world but wounded at being unable to vanquish it, the sound it makes as it spreads and drags itself across the ground with uncanny speed with it’s many, many arms like something in between sludge and smacking, wet, rotten flesh.

Sage switches between shooting arrows to helping the other Links up the cliff and shooting at it’s eyes with the strongest bow he has,making as many arrow fusions on the spot as he dares. The others quickly taking as many ranged weapons from their sides to do the same. You help Hyrule up the clifface, while Wild swipes Cryonis over the field, climbing up himself, being hauled to Sage’s side.

You are almost there when one of the hands latch onto your ankle, and you go down with a scream, Sage all but dropping the bow in his hand in favor to latching onto your hand with snarl. And

It.

Is.

Agony.

(It burns through you like your very atoms have been set on fire,bthe hands take the opportunity to sink into you, long long unnatural fingers sinking into your flesh in a unhurried blanket of darkness, the Demon King’s will is roaring, growling with abyssal rage, if it cannot rule Hyrule, it would kill everything in it instead. Gloom sinks into your cells, raptures the membranes and makes the skin slip, frantically invading, you taste rotten flesh on the back of your throat and the scent of wither and ash choke you as it sinks into your flesh, marrow, breaks down your bones bit by bit, cracking and infecting and breaking down your very essence with the fury of a dead deity which refused die, decay on an accelerated rate all over where the hands clutched like a vice as the Links trunfo pull you out or attack it and it is painful and it’s excruciatingly wretched and make it STOPCEASEITHURTS-)

A well aimed Skyward Strike severs the connection, the pain stops and you fall into Sage, breathing hard and unevenly, grasping at him like a lifeline, clawing and counting at Wild’s arm on your other side like a wounded animal, your taste blood on your throat from the screams that were ripped from it, Hyrule falling to his knees on your side as healing magic washes over you like a shroud, trying to get you to respond.

Reality howls along with you, before all is silent.

It barely took a second.

“... Just what were those things?”, rasps Sky, horrified, a sentiment echoed through the Chain, though you can’t focus on it, trying not to choke on your own blood and to pull yourself together, Wild’s hand unconsciously settling on your pulse, shaking, and Sage’s tense tone cuts through the air as he scans the area. Still tense, tone hoarse.

“... The reason why I wanted you to leave.”

Later, much, much later, before you all leave, you learn they are called Gloom Hands.

It’s unanimously agreed that all you hold loathing for those abominations, even long after you’re forced to leave Sage.

He whispers something to Wild on the way out, hugging him close, trembling. Your Champion nods, you can’t make out the words, but you make sure to hold him as close as you can before you go, indulge him in checking for your pulse even long after you’re healed.

You hope he’ll be safe, he hopes that the next time you all see each other again, it’ll be under better circumstances.

[valiantstarlights]

Your work is so good and definitiely brightens up my day!

How do you think personal trainer Dream would react to finding out that Hob has to leave the country for an extended period of time due to work?

Would Hob be limping on his way to the airport? and be spoiled by random care packages (and other packages iykwim) from his clingy and insanely horny boyfriend? Sexy videocalls with heartfelt longing?

ALSO AWAITING YOUR VAMPIRE AU WITH BATED BREATH. THE ROMANCE OF DREAM CROSSING OCEANS OF TIME TO BE WITH HOB

Aww, thank you! 🖤 I'm glad I made your day brighter. 😊

And omgggg the Vampire!Dream Soulmate AU (a.k.a. Lord Dimitrescu!Dream AU) 🔥 I said I'll post the first chapter this week, but RL happened, and...👀 But the first chapter is complete! (I had it typed down and everything before I even wrote the prologue 😂) I just have to find the time to edit it. 😊

Okay, so about personal trainer!Dream being informed by Hob that he has to leave for an extended(!!!) period of time because of work stuff.

Honestly, my first thought is that Dream would drop everything and go with Hob wherever he's going because he's insane like that. 😂 But no! He's an adult. He has responsibilities.

Watch him become a sulky mess anyway and be more clingy than usual. He knows Hob has to go, and he won't try to dissuade him from leaving, but that doesn't mean he's happy that Hob has to leave. He can be supportive and mopey at the same time.

Like, Hob is an amazing person! Of course he deserves all the best career opportunities. 🔥 In fact, anyone would be lucky to be in his presence. Dream is just sad that, for the next few weeks/months, he won't be one of those lucky people. 🥺

During this time, I think Hob would also be clingy with Dream. He's nervous about the job assignment, living in a foreign country for a while, and he's very much not looking forward to being away from his boyfriend whom he loves, and who loves him just as much.

The night before Hob leaves, Dream is going to fuck him so good and slow that Hob would always blush at the memory of it, even months later.

And you know Dream would personally drive Hob to the airport and stay with him until Hob's plane absolutely has to leave. The other people in the airport will know just how much Hob is loved by his boyfriend because Dream is going to be so schmoopy and give him sweet, longing kisses while cupping his face in his hands like he's something precious. People will think that they're filming a romantic movie, and highkey want what they're having. 👀👌

And Dream sending care packages??? Yes.

Hob will receive the sweet care packages like, every couple of days. They're filled with (healthy and delicious) energy-boosting snacks, scented candles for relaxation, tea blends that Hob likes...just, all the things. (Maybe even a couple of Dream's shirts, because Hob misses him so much and his bed in this foreign land feels so empty 😭)

The other teachers in the conference/retreat/teacher exchange program(?) will see him always being sent care packages and be like, "Wow, your spouse is really going all out, huh?"

And Hob is like, "He's not my husband yet..." and then going blushy because Dream...as his husband... 🥰🥰🥰

The other people in the room will notice him openly daydreaming and be like, "Professor Gadling? Hello? No, I think we've lost him."

And of course Dream and Hob will video call each other daily. And after the spouse comment, I imagine the call will go something like:

Hob: I received the latest care package you sent me! 🥰 The other teachers said you're really going all out, but they referred to you as my spouse.

Dream, fiddling with the engagement ring he bought ages ago out of sight of the screen: Imagine that. 🥰

And Hob can't say, 'I did! I daydreamed about being married to you for like an hour straight, and I totally missed what everyone said during that time,' because that might sound too much for Dream to handle (spoiler: it's not), so he just says, "I'm so happy you're my boyfriend. 🥰 I never felt so loved in my life."

And then Dream will be totally normal about that and it will be all he thinks about until Hob returns. But he will return the sentiment, and add that Hob is the only one he wants to love for the rest of his life.

Dream: I...hope that's not too forward of me to say.

Hob, already crying: If you say that, then I should also tell you that when the other teachers said you were my spouse, I daydreamed for an entire hour imagining our life together. So...😭 Sorry if that's too much. 🥺

Dream, a feral bastard barely restraining himself from booking a plane ticket and proposing to Hob as soon as he lands: No, not at all. You know how much I love you.

Hob, crying harder: I love you too 😭

And that's pretty much the only time they didn't have phone sex during this period, probably. 😂

As for spicy care packages, realistically, I don't think Dream will send them? 👀 Because the packages are inspected, and Hob could get in trouble. However, that's not to say that Hob doesn't have toys with him. It's just that he probably already had them in his luggage when he left. 😂

I think the toys that Hob brought with him are all very discreet and travel-friendly, though. And most days, they're definitely not enough, because he got spoiled by the size of Dream's cock and his scorching touches back home. But he can do nothing about it because he doesn't want either of them to get in trouble. So he just has to satisfy himself with what he has.

That doesn't stop him from whining that he wishes Dream were there to fuck him in person when they have video call sex, though. He would be plunging his own fingers in and out of his hole, tiny bullet vibrator against his cock, crying that it doesn't feel the same as when Dream does it to him. Hob does gets to cum every time they have video call sex, but it's mainly due to Dream's lustful voice praising him for being so good and obedient, and how he can't wait for Hob to get back so they could start training his hole again, which has tightened up considerably when they parted 😏 Can Hob even take Dream's cock when he returns? Or will they have to go back to thigh and titfucking?

Suffice to say, their phone sex sessions test Dream's self-control about booking a flight to where Hob is and giving him everything that he wants. 😂

Hob is gonna be so tight when he returns, and Dream is looking forward to training him again. 😏

When Hob is finally(!!!) scheduled to return, Dream clears out a week of his schedule. He doesn't fucking care. Hob has been gone for (what feels like) ages. And his siblings, having witnessed how mopey he became almost as soon as Hob's plane left the ground, are like, "Yeah. Have the week off. Heck, have two weeks off. Just get out of here with your sad cat looks."

(Dream takes the two weeks off.)

And then he's off to fetch Hob from the airport.

I don't think Dream would have a huge welcome banner or balloons, but he'll for sure have a bouquet that will mean something like, 'I went insane when you were gone and I'm so glad you're back because I can't live a single day without you.'

And once again, the people in the airport will think that Dream and Hob are filming a romantic movie because Hob will run excitedly towards Dream, and Dream will speedwalk towards Hob like he's competing in the Olympics, and when they collide, Dream will lift Hob up in an embrace as they kiss like long lost lovers.

Then, once they're home, Dream will prove to Hob (for two weeks) that actual sex is better than video call sex. 😏

And just when they're about to sleep, Hob would confess that this is one of the things he missed the most when they were apart: him falling asleep next to Dream. He'll say he missed being held safe in Dream's arms, and pressing his ear against Dream's chest to hear his heartbeat, while feeling Dream's breath ruffle his hair.

Dream will once again be extremely normal about this, and shower Hob with kisses. He's thinking if he should pull some strings with his academic contacts, to make sure that, in the future, Hob will have more control over where his work will take him, and for how long. Because while he wants Hob to be by his side 24/7, ultimately, it's Hob who gets to decide how much time he'll spend where.

(And of course, Hob will always choose to be with Dream. 🥰)

[ongreenergrasses]

prompt idea inspired from a line from “out of Africa”

- You’ve ruined it for me, you know?

- Ruined what?

- Being alone

- Have I?

this prompt is really great anon, I hope you enjoy 💜

Annie yawned so wide around the end of her sentence that she felt her jaw pop. She looked over at Finnick, and the second he caught her eye, they both burst into giggles.

It wasn’t funny. Her jaw hadn’t really popped that loud, but she could see the sun starting to rise over the treetops. They’d dragged a pile of blankets out to the porch and stayed up talking, all night, and then when they ran out of words, sitting in silence. And now they were laughing, because it was at least five in the morning and everything suddenly became funny when it was that early and that late.

Annie had moved closer and closer to him over the course of the night. They started arm’s length from each other. Then, half that. Then, half that again. Now, Annie was inches away from him. If she moved, their shoulders would be brushing. She could lean into him. She knew he’d let her.

Finnick was watching her face so intently.

“What’re you thinking?” Annie asked. The early morning chill raked across the back of her neck as her hair suddenly blew into her face, and as she moved to push it back behind her ear, she bumped hands with Finnick. He’d beaten her to it, brushing the hair out of her face, stroking his thumb along her cheekbone for just an instant before he let her go.

Annie wanted to grab his hand, pull it back to her face. She wanted to close the distance between them, once and for all. She wanted to kiss him.

She settled for interlacing their fingers, keeping her hair pulled back out of the way with the other hand. It was long enough that it would hit them both in the face if she didn’t.

“Finnick,” she said, and nudged him in the leg with her knee. “What’re you thinking?”

“That you’ve ruined something.”

Annie’s eyebrows shot up.

“Not like that,” Finnick said quickly.

“Like what, then?” She squeezed his hand. “What have I ruined?”

“You’ve ruined being alone for me.”

Annie nodded slowly. “And did you like being alone? Before?”

Finnick looked down at their hands. He stroked over the back of her hand with his thumb.

“Because I’ve never liked being alone,” Annie said. “I’ve always done better as a pair. I’ve always liked being with someone. And now I’ll always need someone there.”

“Maybe not,” Finnick said softly. He was still staring at their joined hands. “You might get better.”

“Maybe,” Annie said. “But if I don’t, it wouldn’t be so bad if it was you.”

Finnick was chewing on the inside of his cheek. By now, Annie knew he did that when he was trying to keep in a smile.

“You can smile,” she said, and watched as the smile crept onto his face, the flush climbing up his cheeks. She was helpless to do anything but smile, too. “Maybe it’s not terrible. Not being alone.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Maybe not.”

[gildedmuse]

hey new moot :) may I request some shuggy hcs? I am unhealthily obsessed w them. could be fluffy or angsty or spicy or anything in between <3333

Hi everyone, this is @kilucore one of my new best friends. They've only really seen OPLA but already loves Buggy. Now I just have to brainwash them into believing his full name is Buggy D Clown and he's the true King Of The Pirates.

This isn't what they asked for but it's what my mind gave me. Later, I'll do a Buggy/Shanks AU. It will involve Shanks in a poly relationship and Buggy being a jealous bitch.

I love thes idiots.

The Captain Gets The Hat

"I used to know a pirate who wore a hat just like this... We served together on a pirate crew when we we're about your age.... "

"Until he betrayed me."

—💙—

"But why not go to the South Blue? There's tons of treasure there!"

"But we're already here! And who knows, since there are so little pirates here in the East Blue, there could be all sorts of treasure that no one has found yet! "

"But it's boring! Even Roger said it was-"

"Don't say his name!"

A while ago, before the crew broke up, before they all just abandoned them, Rayleigh had gotten Buggy a new pair of shoes. They were big and red and Biggy hates them, but Rayleigh said he should wear them anyway. "They're harder to slip in. Safer."

Right now, Buggy doesn't want to be safe. He wants to be pissed off.

Still even as he storms across the wooden pier, the shows made almost no sound at all. It didn't matter how much weight he throw into each step or how hard he brought his foot down. His storming away sounded more like a gentle breeze.

The worst part is he could feel Shanks watching the whole time.

"Hey." At least the shoes don't stop Buggy from being able to swat Shanks's hand away when the other boy tries setting it on his shoulder. "Come on, don't be like that. Why do you want to stay in the East anyway? "

"Because-" Buggy stops, even as he turns to glare at Shanks. The boy has such a bright infectious smile, he makes you feel like everything would be alright.

Only it wouldn't, would it? Not even Shanks's smile could bring back Roger, bring back their FAMILY. Even old Crocus is gone and the last place any of them knew that any of the others would be is in the East. Is in Lougetown.

Is standing below the tower where they-

"Because the East is easy pickings!" Buggy argues, motioning around to all the sailors, the shoppers, the passing Marines not paying them an ounce of attention. "We can do whatever we want and no one can stop us!" And if the others do come looking, they'll be here. Waiting.

Shanks puts on his "serious" face for a moment, though truth be told it's not very serious. "Hmmm... Well, I'm the captain and I say we're going North!" He declares with a huge, cocky grin. The kind that looks like their da-

Like Ro-

Like a pirate.

"You just said So-" Buggy starts to correct before Shanks's words really start to creepy in. His eyes go wide. He did not just say that! No way! "What make you think YOU'RE the captain!?"

Shanks can't be captain! There is only one captain! You can't have two captains and they all know-

They all....

He can't be captain!

"I have the hat!" Shanks declairs in his same light hearted tone, patting the Strawhat Roger had given him WAY before Shanks had been old enough to be captain. He's only 14 now! He barely even has facial hair (Buggy knows, him and Shanks have been comparing for years now waiting to see whose would grow in first) ! "That makes me that captain!"

"That's not true!" Buggy argues, swinging to grab for the stupid Strawhat. Shanks just laughs, taking a wide step back. That is unfair! Buggy hasn't had time to his his growth spurt yet. "Give it here! I deserve to be captain!"

Shanks sticks out his tongue. "Hey, maybe if you're really nice I'll make you my first mate!"

Buggy's face went as red as his nose. He isn't first mate!

Roger is the captain! Rayleigh is first mate! Shanks and him are just- are just-

"Give it here!" Buggy demands, jumping for the raggy hat again.

"That's a very rude way for a first mate to act."

"I said give it here!"

"Maybe I should demote you to cabin boy."

"Grr, I wouldn't be your boy if yours was the last ship in the se-"

SPLASH!!

Buggy tries to draw in a deep breath but the water is already sucking him down. Ocean fills his lungs, weighing him down even more. Trying to push the water aside is like trying to swim through concrete. He can still see the sun twinkling above, reflecting the blue of the water all around him but it's fading. Everything is getting darker.

Is this how Roger felt? No! No not Roger! He must have been brave! He wouldn't be scared or drowning or poleaxes or death. Roger isn't afraid of anything.

Bubbles float out from his mouth, the last of his air leaving his lungs. They pop silently before even hitting the surface, but Buggy heard them in the ocean all around him.

Shanks don't be a captain. Don't be like Roger.

Don't leave me.

The next thing he knows, Buggy can feel the splinters digging into his back, through the worn out shirt he'd owned too many years. The one that didn't fit Nantoto anymore and had been passed along, first to Shanks than to Buggy.

Two worried brown eyes stare down at him, with Shanks's hair a dark, wet red, sticking to his pink cheeks.

Buggy coughs water upon him. "Ehh!" Shanks laughs it all off, brushing it away. "Hey no spitting! And here I thought Raylogh gave you those shoes so you WOULDN'T end up in the sea!"

He can joke, about Buggy is still mad. "I hate these shoes!" He screams, ripping them off and chucking them in the sea. Without him in them they float. Just like everything, he is what is bringing them down. It's him. It's him that got sick, him that stopped Shanks seeing Laughtail. "I hate this fruit! I hate this stupid, stupid sea and it's stupid Marines!" Him that ate the fruit that could have maybe been the fruit Crocus always talked about, the one that could save Rogers' life. Its his fault they're all gone! No wonder no one of the crew came to see them!

He pushes himself up swiping at Shanks's leg as he does so.. the boy trips slightly but keeps from falling into the water.

"Hey, wait!" Shanks scurries to his feet as Buggy starts to march off. "Where are you going? The ship is that way? Wow, you must be really water logged after-"

"YOUR ship is that way!" Buggy snaps, not even turning around to look back at the other teenager. "I don't need you, you know! I can be my own captain!"

"Buggy...."

And maybe it is there is something in Shanks's voice that just reminds Biggy so much of Roger, of his old captain, he has to stop. And maybe it's just because it's Shanks. But in an instance Buggy found e couldn't move forward, not with out one last look back.

Shanks is taller than him. His hair is the same color as Buggy's nose, though he'd give you a black eye if you said so. His face is as bright as the sun and his heart as unpredictable as the sea. It makes Buggy's stomach hurt just looking at him.

And in that moment, Shanks wouldn't look at him either. His face was hidden, the shadow from the brim of his hat covering whatever he might be feeling. Buggy wishes he could hide away like that. His emotions feel as obvious as the nose on his face. His heart feels like it wants to escape his chest and run back to the sea.

Maybe to drown. Maybe to see if Shanks would jump in after it a second time.

"Do you know what this means?" Shanks asks, slowly lifting his chin, meeting Buggy's eyes. He feels so young compared to the other boy in the moment. He can see something in Shanks. A spark. A future. Something Buggy wants to steal but not to take it from Shanks.

Just so he can hold it, just so wherever that spark goes, Buggy will too.

"We'll be rivals!" Buggy shoots back, trying to muster his anger. "We'll both be captains and-"

Shanks shakes his head and Buggy finds himself choking on his own words. Its the boy's smile. "No," he says, taking a step closer before that smile blooms into something larger, something beautiful.

And before Buggy can react Shanks has thrown himself across the dock and right into Buggy's arms. Its so forceful Buggy nearly trips backwards right into the water but even without his special shoes, Shanks holds tight, and he stays on the dock.

"It means we're allies!" Shanks declairs, pulling back only to pat Buggy's shoulders. He is absolutely glowing. Like this is what he wants. Maybe this is what he'd been waiting for. "From now on, we're our own captains, but we're also allies! And whenever you need me I'll be there and when I need you, you'll be there! I'll cheer on all your greatest victories and you're revenge all my worst losses! Just like the best allies!"

And the way that spark shown in Shanks, Buggy couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah!" He agrees, taking Shanks'e hand in his own, sealing the pack. "We're going to be the greatest allies the seas have ever seen!"

"Like two captains but one crew!" Shanks promises. "I'll always be there fore you! No matter what!"

—💙—

The applause dims as Buggy sweeps back into the backroom of his ship. The smile he'd worn for the crowd immediately slips away. "Well," he demands, snapping at Cabaji before.... Well, ignoring Richie altogether. You could never tell with Richie.

"it was great boss!" Someone cheers and the rest are quick to join in, heaping on the praise. Buggy just keeps sauntering on the back of the ship. To their poster board, listing all their upcoming preformance. "The best anyone in this sad little town has ever seen that's for-"

"Yeah for US!" Buggy snaps, the sarcasm dripping from his lips even more than his make up. "BUT WAS HE HERE?!"

His hand slams down on the poster.

Shanks is older now. He has three scars, ones Buggy int see him get. He's taller but it's the same smile. Buggy would know that spark anywhere.

A silence falls over the preformers. No one wants to say it. They all remember what happened to Kiki.

"What is the POINT!?" Buggy screams, turning his ire on the freaks, these losers, this pathetic lot who couldn't get the attention of one stupid, childish man in a silly hat. "Of putting on the greatest show if it's not seen by the greatest PEOPLE!?"

"Well...." Lionel suggests gently after a ong pause where Buggy looks at each of them , eyebrow raised. Huh? Well... Come on. Is there a single. Solidarity idea in those stupid heads of yours!? "You know, maybe he just hasn't been to the East bl---" The knife to his throat cuts off whatever he had been trying to say.

"Are you saying I can't get his ATTENTION!? That somehow, because I STAYED WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSE TO, WHERE ROGER LEFT US THAT I-"

Buggy pauses, looking out the porthole of the ship. Waling back into town where happy families, kids with Cotten candies, stuffed dolls held under couple arms. Such a perfect, happy little picture. Like a spark of sunshine.

"Don't just stand there," Buggy snaps without turning around. " Help your fellow freak. This is why I can't have SAG members on this crew, I swear, " Buggy jokes as a few of the underlings rush forward putting pressure to Lionel's wounds.

All while Buggy watches a happy little family heading back. The dad with his daughter in the shoulder. The other holding her stuffed toy, ruffling the girls hair. Such a happy little couple. Such a happy family.

"I think...." buggy says, tearing the wanted poster from their billboard, letting it crumble in his fist. "You're right. If we want attention we need to go... Bigger."

His laugh fills the boat, and then the ship, and even as the canons start to ring out and the buildings collapse you can still here him. Laughing.

You want to be allies, Shanks? Why not come see his latest victory with your own eyes. He promises. It will be bigger and badder than even you can ignore.