#I also wrote something about tall ships

[mycological-mariner]

“We’ve had to resort to the water guns” had to be one of the Most Sentences I’ve ever written regarding someone about to blow up a steam engine

[bigtedbear]

" 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 "

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭: 𝐥𝐮𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

content warnings: gay relationship, descriptions of grevious bodily injury, implied self-mutilation/self-harm, male reader, monster x human relationship, hurt/comfort writing, hey this starts out really dark please take care of your mental health, arguments, misunderstood feelings, mermaid courtship, alternate universe where luocha is a traveling doctor who's studying biology and anatomy across the universe blah blah blah, luocha is pretty genuine in this even though i know he is in fact a snake let me idealize for a moment okay, luocha puts a ring on it without realizing he is literally putting a ring on it

full admittance you'll probably find parallels with @/havanilla's merventurine au at the start of this cause it was one of the last things I read on my old tumblr account before it died on me and i fear i DO have brainrot

to add to my earlier warning about this chapter beginning out dark, there will be a marker for the cuter, mermaid courtship section of the fic!! look for a marker like the one below VV

" welcome back caller 🪷! connecting your line as we speak! "

" new contact noted! caller luocha has been added to your phonebook - love, 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑡-19 “

A pained scream ripped through the air.  

It was a shame it couldn’t be distinguished from the sound of other yells and shouting from all over the deck.  In fact, it seemed the anguish was completely drowned out by the noise of an older man beginning to bark orders from the side of the fishing boat.  Gravelly with age and experience, sets and more sets of hands seemed to jump to action, rushing over to that specific side of the deck.  

In the crew’s haste, they didn’t seem to notice they had also woken up the residential cabin.  Things were more than hectic; the experienced crew themselves were in a frenzy.  There was something that demanded urgent attention and it seemed none of the regular passengers were privy to what exactly it was. 

Still, in the curious sea of civilian passengers renting their rooms in the bowels of the ship, a tall blonde head of hair peered over the crowd straight to the source of the fuss.  Over the sea of yellow rain jackets adorning the working fishermen, he caught sight of some kind of reflective surface… what many wrote off as an oversized fish, Luocha continued to strain his eyes at.

Should he have been anyone else, perhaps he wouldn’t have noticed.  But Luocha was a doctor, he was more than familiar with noises of distress; with the scent of blood.  Something in the very core of his body shook with each of the pained and weak motions of an equally pained, weak patient.  The vibrations crept up his spine from the wooden boards of the ship, whispering into his ears. 

Something was wrong. 

Something was terribly wrong. 

Despite the protests of one of the tour guides, urging him to go back to sleep, he rushed towards the scene.  The same pained screams; the sounds of the body on the deck; the reflection of the “oversized fish”, they became clearer and clearer the closer he closed in.

Before he could make it into the crowd of men at work, he was caught by one of their coworkers.  Clad in a yellow raincoat, shadow cast across his face in the rain, the obviously displeased grimace all over his face only further sent Luocha into a state of panic.  A tense grip on his elbow, the man spoke in a language he didn’t understand.  Even if he didn’t understand the words themselves, Luocha was more than smart enough to understand the message the worker was trying to convey.  Before he could be pulled away, he made one last attempt to see what exactly was going on. 

When he did manage to catch a glimpse, he froze. 

Perfect, round tears running down flushed, red cheeks. 

The skin was pulled taut in another scream.  Based on the shaking motion of the face, he could only really come to the conclusion the body was being jerked in every direction possible. 

“Stop… STOP!”  He yanked his elbow out of the man’s grasp, crashing directly into the back of another worker.  In his haste, he shoved the man out of the way only to find his path blocked by even more yellow raincoats.  “You’re only going to worsen the injuries! I’m a doctor!” 

Despite not considering himself to be very physically fit, something about the situation discarded that reality entirely.  An unknown strength washed over him as he forced his way through the clusterfuck of workers trying to wrestle the screamer into place. 

He didn’t understand, Luocha didn’t understand. 

There was an injured crew member on the deck, screaming–what kind of idiot would continue to pull and stress the skin around the wound? Was that why the team leader seemed to screaming with such vigor?  Was he equally concerned about one of his staff suddenly being sent into debilitating agony? 

But no, not even in the slightest.  

Through the crowd, a wet mop of hair thrashing against the backdrop of a barbed fishing net came into view.  The urgency only further sent Luocha wrestling through the crowd of men, all but screaming himself as he watched the injured man on the ground contort his facial muscles in abject horror.  

“Stop it, you’re hurting him!” 

 He could hear his own vocal chords start to tear as he shrieked for the poor victim.  With each passing moment, fear and anxiety seized the doctor in his entirety before he finally managed to part the crowd like the red sea. 

In the end,

he wasn’t faced with a crew member. 

...

A merman. 

Something he’d only heard of in the planet’s folklore. 

It seemed well-known the small surviving population hardly ever ventured out of protected waters for fear of predators. 

What was this one doing so far out…?

With the opportunity making itself known, the unknown merman continued to thrash but harder, lips curling upwards as another shrill cry of agony streaked the night air.  From up close, the doctor could only watch the formerly smooth, unmarred skin become tainted with red.  Washed with your own blood, you looked more similar to some kind of horror movie monster than a person. 

But even in the face of monstrosity, his inner doctor only saw the blown out pupils, the senseless aggression, the fear written all over his patient’s face in their own claret stain.

“You’ll end up killing him, stop, STOP!” 

He completely ignored his own pain as the barbs in the net ripped into the fabric of his pajamas, cutting open his knees when he threw his body on top of yours.  His hands flew around carelessly in an attempt to unlatch the hands that seemed determined to pull at you from every direction.  

At the loss of the hands all over your body, your screams died down into pitiful hyperventilation, curling in on yourself in an attempt to cover the wounds weeping crimson all over the formerly white net.  

Instead of relief, instead of some kind of graditude, it seemed he was only met with friction.

“Oy, blondie, paws off, do you understand how much money you’ve got your hands on right now?” 

The thick accent confused him at first, then the words themselves didn’t seem to compute. 

“Excuse me?” 

You yelped again when one of the men pulled at the net.   The cold metal tore sore flesh in chunks.

“Mermaid scales are priceless.  So are the pearls they cry, we caught the bastard fair and square so. Step. Off.” 

His mind scrambled to understand the sentence, thoughts muddling together in a blender of pain and panic.  “I- I-” 

“You?”  Another crew member chimed in, crossing his arms, “You’ll what, doctor?  You can either get off of him and wrap up your cuts yourself or we’ll drag you off and the barbs can teach you to keep your nose out of other people’s business.” 

“I-”  his breathing picked up drastically, suddenly confronted with such a terrible moral dilemma. 

When prying hands began to make grabby motions for the edges of the ropes, he choked out his final answer.

“I'll pay for him!"

“...”

“...”

“...”

He swept his rain-soaked bangs out of his face, his voice shaking, “You were planning on selling him, right?”  He fumbled with his sleeves, “I make good money, I swear, I-,” he swallowed, “I can afford it.  Just take as much as you want out of the account I used to pay for my cabin.”

“...” 

“...”

Things were a little bit awkward, to say the least. 

Despite an attempt being made to cooperate while you were awake, it seemed the pressure and the mounting stress of nearly dying made it unable for you to accept the fact that Luocha was not, in fact, going to hurt you. 

The attempt to deal with the various injuries littered all over formerly smooth, silky skin was unproductive at best.  In fact, it only created more problems.  Trying to operate while you were largely unreceptive to anything he was saying was by far the worst decision he could’ve made given the circumstances. 

Point blank, he needed to get the barbed hooks out of your skin.  If he didn’t, the wounds would be at increased risk of infection.  After all, based on the cruel treatment he’d seen on deck, he knew the metal was most likely unsanitized.  Doing this while you were awake was easily the worst decision he could've made.

Promising not to hurt you while continually yanking pieces of metal out of your tender flesh was not a good way to build trust. 

"..."

"..."

You poked at the “strange” bowl that’d been set in front of you.  It was some kind of clam-fish hybrid soup. I mean, Luocha was trying to be considerate of your regular diet.  Surely, since you were living out in open waters, you were pretty used to eating fish right?

He, however, failed to realize you weren’t exactly in a spot to ever enjoy the luxuries of cooked food… or soup.  He’d laid out some utensils for you to use on top of that; it was a shame you didn’t know how to use them. 

"..."

"..."

You realized pretty early on that he’d saved you from becoming a victim to death by blood loss.  After all, when you were dropped in a holding tank until the ship arrived at the port, the water went cloudy from the dirt, debris, and blood all over your body.  In your little waist-high tank, he’d done his best to make sure you’d actually survive through the night.

Despite your reservations about him, you did your best not to scream while you were confined to a glorified holding cell.  Nails digging into the glass, biting down hard enough on the towel to tear, you tried your best to stay still while he fished countless little hooks from your back, arms, and chest.  

Removing the large hook in your shoulder was the most painful part of the process for the both of you.  You, for obvious reasons.  The hook made a clean cut through the muscle--scraping up against the bone--by the time you were awake enough to realize you were wrapped up in a barbed net.  Luocha, on the other hand, was the one that had to deal with the struggle while trying to complete a very tricky operation.  

Eventually, the problem dealt with itself when you passed out.  Really, he should’ve sedated you to start with, and he cursed at himself for not thinking of it sooner.  After you went out, he did his best to stitch everything up–hell, he wrapped you up in enough bandages to look like a mummy. 

But, since the two of you actually arrived on the island, there wasn’t so much as a word shared from either party. 

You woke up in a little bathtub, in a little bathroom, feeling like your arms were falling off and you couldn’t breathe because of how tight all of the bandages were wrapped around you. Eventually the giant bandages changed to smaller ones attached with some medical tape.  The only bulky one left was the one wrapped around your shoulder. 

"..."

"..."

With some trepidation, you grabbed at one of the fishtails sticking out of the mystery liquid, digging a finger in between the meat and the ribs to peel it off the bone.  Carefully, you used one of your freshly trimmed nails to remove the thick, scaly skin, then biting off a chunk to chew and swallow.  

The longer you stared at the bowl, the more confused you became. 

Yes, you knew how to eat a fish. 

Yes, you knew how to eat a mussel. 

No, you didn’t know what to do with whatever else was in the bowl.  

You paused eating when the man sitting across from the bathtub cleared his throat.  He made a vague gesture towards your lap, “Would you…?”

‘...mind if I showed you how to eat a bowl of soup?’ 

Without much hesitation, you offered up your meal again, much more interested in the chunk of fish in your hand.  Biting off another piece, you drank in the pleasant familiarity in just having some tilapia for once.  

He picked up the spoon. Deciding not to embarrass you further, he decided to taste test the food himself instead of trying to feed you. He let the silver spoon clatter back into the bowl, passing it over to you again. Despite the clear demonstration he’d given you, you opted to pick at one of the mussels hiding underneath the broth. 

“...”

“...”

He cleared his throat again, seemingly averting eye contact as he stared at the tiled walls. 

You diverted your attention from your bowl back to the blonde doctor. 

“I don’t mean to be rude or pry in any way,” he swallowed, “but what exactly were you doing so far from protected waters?"

You didn’t seem surprised in the slightest by his question, grabbing at the other fish tail in the bowl, “Smuggling and poaching.”  

He tilted his head curiously.

“Protective waters have attendants to track general pod health, they have the authority to temporarily remove merfolk from the water to do routine health checks."  You finally wrapped your hand around the spoon awkwardly, bringing some broth up to your lips. "Smugglers get jobs as attendants cause only tagged mermaids are considered protected.” You wiggled one of your finned ears, your left ear. Notably, there was a small tear in one of the fins. “It only takes a couple minutes for an attendant to catch a mermaid, sedate them, get them into a vehicle, remove their tag and throw them out into the right spots for a couple grand.” 

“I see.” 

You hummed, finally bringing the soup up to your lips, “Speaking of, how much did you end up having to pay for me?”

"..."

"..."

“Excuse me?” Luocha’s hands rested in his lap. 

“How much did you end up paying for me?”  You picked up another mussel, “I’m pretty good about keeping up with the price of scales and pearls.  I know you bought me as some kind of pity project, but I'm pretty eager to go back out to open waters.  Just name your price and I can start trying to pay off the debt.” 

The doctor blinked a couple times. “Oh… oh my god, absolutely not!”  He shook his head, bringing his hands up in front of his chest defensively, “There is no need to pay me back in the slightest.  Please, just rest well and remain healthy.  That would be the best payment.”

“What’s this?” 

He rolled the small iridescent pearl between his gloved fingers. 

“It’s a pearl.” 

He cracked a smile at that. It was gone as quick as it arrived as he brought the little treasure to his face to take a closer look.  “Well yes, but where did you get this? Did you have it stashed on you somewhere?”

You twirled your finger in a circle on the surface of the water. “No,” absentmindedly you observed the little whirlpool it made, “I made it.” 

He blinked a couple of times, hand dropping back to his side. “Pardon?” 

You finally looked up from the surface of the water, “I made it.” 

He cocked his head to the side, “You… made a pearl?” 

You looked at him, bored, “Well, yeah, did you not know mermaids make pearls?”

He looked from you, to the pearl, and then back at you.  “No… I’m afraid I didn’t know.”  His palm closed into a fist around the pearl, “How?” 

“...hm?”

He gestured towards his closed hand, “How did you make it?” 

You gave a huff, “Well, you’ve seen me make them before.”  

He frowned, “I… have?”

‘-and I didn’t notice?’

You nodded, shifting around in the bathtub to try and stretch your long tail out a little bit.  "The night I got caught on the boat-" Your jaw tensed, a sudden pang of soreness shooting up from your extremities. "-they were all over the deck, there were a bunch in the little tank they had me in.” 

His frown only deepened as he did his best to recall, “I don’t think I remember seeing them…? Does your blood crystalize into them or something of the sort?” 

You rested your head on the porcelain of the tub, bringing your arms up to cushion your cranium.  “Tears,” you murmured, “Merfolk tears turn into pearls.” 

‘Ah… so that’s why you mentioned there being so many on the ship.’

But then it hit him. 

“Why were you crying?” 

You shrugged, “Most mermaids in protected waters can cry on command.  We get a lot of tourists that give us gifts, sometimes if we’re interested we’ll give them a pearl in return.” 

He nodded like he understood, but suddenly the beautiful gem felt heavy in his fist.  He opened his hand and offered it back, “As beautiful as it is, I don’t wish to see you shedding any tears while you’re under my care.” 

You pushed his outstretched hand away, “Well, I already made it.  There’s no use trying to return it.” 

“Still, I feel terrible receiving a gift with such painful origins,” he sat down on the stool that’d become his usual spot.  “I’m a doctor. My goal is to make sure you’re in the least amount of pain possible.” 

“You should feel honored, you’re really the first person I’ve ever given a pearl to,” you raised your head from its spot on your arms, “I usually only gave them to little kids that didn’t bring me gifts so I’d give them something.”  You sank further into the water in the shallow tub.

“My concern is why you believe you should be giving me gifts in the first place,” he crossed his left leg over his right, scooting in closer, “I’ve already told you that taking care of you has always been of my own volition.  It is quite literally my job.  If you’re giving this to me as a gift and not repayment, I might be more inclined to accept it.” 

You huffed,  “Well, I guess you caught me.” 

His brows furrowed, “So I was right, you’re trying to pay back a debt again.” 

“...”

“...”

“...”

This time, he sighed.  “I’ve already told you, your health and wellbeing are both priceless.  I would never ask a patient I forced into care to pay me any sum of money-”

“That’s what I don’t understand,” The water rippled when you sat up suddenly, “Why don’t you want to accept any kind of payment? I’m tired of talking to you as property and owner.  You bought ownership, legally I’m your property. I don’t want to be your property.” 

“You aren’t my property-” He quipped, expression growing displeased.

“But I am,” you cut him off.  “You signed paperwork, you exchanged a certain sum of money.  Even if you thought I couldn’t hear you doesn’t mean I didn’t.” You crossed your arms across your chest, “I still heard the captain of the ship talking about sale prices with you.  I know I was considered a higher quality product, I know I was expensive.”

The doctor opened his mouth; and closed it and opened it again.  He struggled to find the correct words to use. “I didn’t consider that an exchange for ownership of you, I considered that to be the price of your wellbeing.  I’ve never considered you to be anything but an equal to me.” 

You drew your lips into a tight line, “Well, if I was an equal, you’d let me contribute to the cost somehow.  You wouldn’t treat me like some helpless baby.”  You gestured to his closed palm, “The pearl in your hand is priceless, sealing a handful of them would recuperate the money you wasted-”

Luocha held up his hand, “Stop-”

But you insisted, “Hell, if I ripped a couple of scales out you could more than pay for me.  You’d have enough money to buy another sorry sack of shit to take care of-”

“Don’t EVER-” he cut you off aggressively, “EVER, suggest such ludacris things to me again.  I refuse to even think about it.” 

“..."

Luocha shook his head, getting his gloves wet when he reached into the water to hold your hands in his own, “I would never ask you to do something like that to yourself.  I would never ask you to hurt yourself to please me and I would never ask you to hurt yourself because you needed my help.”  He gave your palms a gentle squeeze, “You did not ask to be put in the position you’re in now,  I am the one that chose to do this and I will be the one to set the price on my help; that price-” he paused, making sure you were looking him in the eyes, “-will always be no price at all.”   He pushed the pearl back into your hands.  “Give this pearl to one of the children that visit the waters after you’ve healed up in my stead, yes?” 

“It’s not exactly how I remember it.” 

You squirmed against the sensation of the water, arms still looped around Luocha’s neck.  

“Any discomfort?” The doctor asked, “Tell me if anything hurts.”

“No, no, nothing like that,” You shuffled around to try and make yourself comfortable.  You did your best to find the familiar rhythm of the waves, but your tail felt as useless as it had the entire time you’d been confined to the bathtub.  “It’s… cold.” 

Luocha nodded... even though he couldn't quite understand.  “If you aren’t straining any of your injuries, you can hang on for as long as you need to.”

You mumbled, trying to draw your elbows closer to your chest, “I’m not.” 

“...”

“...”

It’d only been a week since the last time you’d tried to repay your imaginary debt to Luocha.  Things got… less tense between the two of you. 

You didn’t put up a fuss when he put some ointment on the scars that formed all over your skin.  You didn’t squirm when he unwrapped your shoulder bandage.  You’d usually bide your time silently in the bathtub.  Mostly, you’d nap.  But that got old quickly, especially since a bathtub isn’t the most convenient spot for sleeping. 

Luocha could tell you were bored out of your mind all on your lonesome. To satiate this, he’d usually sit with you in the bathroom and try to teach you things like how to play cards.  You were a little apprehensive with him, like you always were, but it seemed you opened up to him a lot more towards the end of your stay in his temporary residence.

You’d become a pretty competent blackjack player all things considered.

You opened up more and more about your life down below.  Usually, you’d be afraid to tell anyone about that information.  Smugglers often targeted specific pods if one of the products happened to be particularly pricy.  But Luocha wasn't at any risk, was he? 

“...”

“...”

Eventually, as the water started to feel more natural on your skin, you let your grip loosen from around his neck.  As the welcoming embrace of the ocean seemed to envelop more and more of your body, you could feel the former tension in your muscles start to melt away. 

You laid yourself horizontal to the surface of the water, tentatively starting to create your own ripples in the vast expanses of blue.  Maybe it didn’t feel exactly as you remembered, but the gentle pressure of the cool, cool sea against your skin felt like home. 

Your arms splayed out in the waves like an angel, basking in the familiarity of it all.  “You can let go now.” 

Slowly, surely, pale arms lowered you into the arms of the same waters you’d been in a little over two months ago.  You shocked yourself when you chased after his hands. Still, as slick as an eel, you slid away from him into the open ocean, finding a boyish glee in the pure ecstasy of true freedom.  

You took off like a little jet, head first into the deep end. 

Luocha could only really watch with a small smile while you explored the vast array of little treasures hidden beneath the horizon line.  

It felt like only fifteen minutes had passed when you re-emerged from beneath the ocean blue, but to your shock, the sun was starting to set and Luocha was off on dry land, wringing the water out of his hair.  

In all of your fun, it seemed you’d forgotten about that man who’d made all of this possible for you. 

“...”

You pursued him onto the sand, watching him characteristically tilt his head to the side to express his curiosity.  You pushed your own wet mop of hair out of your face with your hand, suddenly feeling a little less confident in your choices.  Despite your trepidation, you felt you at least owed him this much. 

That didn't make it any easier.

“I-” you swallowed, curling in on yourself, “What if I wanted to give you a gift? If it wasn’t some kind of repayment?” 

He smiled, flipping a soaked lock of hair over his shoulder, “As long as you aren’t lying to me about repayment, then I would gladly accept.”

You suddenly felt a new wave of confidence wash over you, your chest puffing up a little bit, “Well, I have a gift for you.” Even though you failed to notice your little finned ears wiggling in excitement, Luocha did not. 

You reached up to your right ear, unhooking the beautiful golden earring that’d you'd been wearing since you’d been thrown out of protective waters.

His eyes widened.   

“It-” You offered the hoop to him, “It was my mom’s.”

Luocha blinked a couple times, staring at the bangle before looking back up at your face instead.  

“Well?  You said you’d accept it if it was a gift.”  You pushed it into his face, feeling a red hot flush wash over your features, “This is a gift; from me to you, no strings attached.” 

He carefully took the thin gold loop in his fingers.  He noticed the signs of oxidation and the water damage. 

It was already far less valuable than the pearl you’d tried to offer him.

Yet its sentimental value was unrivaled. 

“...”

“...”

“Did... your mother like jewelry?”

You shrugged, looking away from him, “Yeah, she had a lot of it from my dad.” 

Luocha nodded.  “Well, did she have a favorite kind of jewelry?” 

At this, you paused.  “I mean… I guess she did.  She wore a lot of rings… why?” 

“Well, since this is a gift I won’t refuse it,- Luocha slid one of the golden bands wrapped around his fingers off,  “-but if you can’t have her earring anymore, then you can at least have a piece of jewelry your mother would’ve liked to wear.”

You felt your face transition from an embarrassed pink to a much deeper red.  “You… you know what you’re offering me, r-right?” 

He didn’t respond in the way you expected.  Instead of his usual confusion, he pushed the ring towards you again with one hand.  The other went to work, looping the clasp of the earring through a piercing that was just a little bit too close to closing.  

It felt like your brain was melting.

‘Is he… flirting with me?’ 

You took the golden ring between your fingers, watching him use his newly freed hand to further force the earring through the piercing hole. You could only feel the heat creep up your neck to your ears; fuck, it felt like you were going to burn alive on the sand. 

When he finally got it in, he flipped a chunk of wet hair over his shoulder.  He framed the golden hoop with his palm.  Playfully, he asked, “How does it look?” 

‘...’

‘He’s definitely flirting.’ 

You immediately ripped your gaze from his face to the ring that suddenly felt like a hundred pounds in your palm. 

‘...What fingers do humans usually put the ring on again?’

Shakily you slid the golden ring onto your left hand, examining the way it glinted in the light of the sunset.  

‘...holy shit, did I just get married?’ 

“[name]?” 

You blinked a couple times, suddenly ripping your gaze away from the shiny metal.  “Sorry, sorry.” 

He chuckled at your expense, enjoying the little fluttering of your ears everytime he seemed to catch your attention again.  “Thank you for the gift, I’ll cherish it dearly.” 

You nodded. 

“...”

“...”

The silence was interrupted with a quiet sniffle. 

“...[name]?”

You aggressively wiped the tear off your face, watching the consequent pearl roll across the grains of sand.  “H-Hey, you can’t just give me this ring and leave-” You took a deep breath, “-That’s not fair, that’s not fair at all.” 

He was a little taken aback at the sudden resurgence of emotion, “Would…” he paused.  He thought it over before tentatively putting a hand on your shoulder, “Would it help if I stayed a little longer?” 

You shook your head, putting your hand over the one on your shoulder to hold it between both of your own hands.  “You have to promise to visit me a lot.  It’s going to take me a long time to find my family, so if you don’t visit I’m going to be lonely.” 

He, once again caught off guard, nodded, “O-Of course!” His own cheeks tinted a pale pink. 

“You promise?” 

He nodded again, this time using his other hand to clasp your hand in both of his.  “I promise I’ll visit.”

a side note for this upcoming section: i did a lot of world-building for this fic behind the scenes, the current planet they're on is largely submerged beneath the waters and they live on a bunch of island nations. To link up with that idea, my idea of the mermaid smuggling industry is to do with the concept of foreigners coming in and destroying local ecosystems. (Colonization)

Long story short, the planet is loosely based on Polynesian Islands so I chose Māori names for our supporting cast but keep in mind I am FAR from an expert and I mean literally no disrespect at all to anyone at all. Only the names are Māori in nature because I feel like no matter how much research I do, I would be unable to capture the essence of the rich culture of New Zealand. I'm a little gay fanfic writer I have not done nearly enough research to claim I know ANYTHING, I just thought it'd be cool and help with world-building in case people want a part-two or something

“What’s got you so worked up?” 

“Shut the fuck up Iarere, this is like the seventh time in the same hour.” 

Your younger brother held his hands up defensively, “Well, things got boring around here without you!”  He let himself fall towards the ground next to the boulder you’d splayed out all the little pieces of gold you’d managed to scrounge up.  “You manage to make it back from outside of protective waters and instead of hating everything and everyone, you’re suddenly getting all buddy buddy with the tourists trying to get some trinkets.  I know you’re old but are you really getting that desperate?” 

You frowned, “I’m not that old.” 

Iarere rested his face on the cool surface of the rock, prodding at one of the particularly flashy necklaces.  “You’re old to me.”  

Your frown deepened. Not just because your brother was calling you old, but because Luocha’s weekly visit was coming up and you hadn’t managed to gather up nearly as much as you would’ve wanted.   For your kind, caring, doctor husband who was already well off, a few necklaces and a handful of rings and earrings wouldn’t be anywhere near enough to woo him.  “I guess I am getting towards the end of the usual age people get married at.” 

The younger man nodded, humming, “Yeah, so do you have anyone in mind?” 

You bit your lip.  

I mean, yes, you were married. 

But it felt inauthentic if you didn’t present your husband with some kind of dowry first. 

Yes, Luocha only presented you with one of his old rings, but he also paid a hefty sum to rescue you from certain doom.  He also nursed you back to good health, refused to take any payment for any of the medical treatments or the food that’d been wasted making sure you’d retain your strength throughout your recovery. 

In your mind, maybe human dowries were just a little bit different. 

Despite opening your mouth to voice your dissent, your little brother jumped up at the opportunity to tease you.  “So you do have someone you’re thinking about!” 

“I-” 

“What are they like?” Iarere gripped your shoulders, tearing your attention away from your inner dilemma.  “What do they look like? Do I know them?”  He gasped, shaking you back and forth and he demanded to know, “Did you meet them while you were outside?!” 

You gripped at his shoulders in return, “I didn’t say I had anyone in mind!” 

“...”

“...”

He pursed his lips, “Yeah, I’m not buying it.” 

You groaned, bringing your hands up to your face.

He only got more excited, leaning in way too close for comfort as he squealed, “So I was right?!” 

“Right about what?” 

Your eyes darted over to the side, watching one of the few friends you’d managed to retain at your grown age.  “Thank the gods, Akahata, get Iarere off me before he gives me whiplash.” 

He hummed, “Well, I’m more interested in what exactly you guys were talking about before.”  You watched as his eyes flitted from you and your brother to all the precious metal and gems you’d laid out.  “Actually don’t tell me, let me guess.”  He pointed at the rock, “You’re setting up a dowry, but you’re upset because you know no amount of jewelry would ever get anyone in the pod to consider settling down with your ugly mug.”

“HAH!” 

Your ears fluttered in irritation.  “That’s a horrible guess.” 

Akahata shrugged, “Well, I mean, your mug’s only ugly cause you frown all the time.  If you actually made an effort to smile more, you’d probably have a lot more people that’d be willing to accept you with no dowry.” 

Your frown tugged at the corners of your lips as you massaged your temples, “For your information, I’m making a dowry cause I already got married.” 

“...”

“...’

“...”

“You WHAT?!” 

Iarere’s fists clenched even tighter around your biceps, “You told me you lost mom’s earring, not that you got married-” 

“It’s a long story-” You started, 

“Not long enough to not tell either of us!” Your best friend screamed in abject horror.  “The moment Ngaio and I started courting each other I told you immediately-”  You grimaced when he pushed your brother out of the way to be the one to shake you back and forth, “-and you get married and you don’t tell me until afterwards?!” 

“It wasn’t planned! I didn’t even realize he was courting me until he gave me his ring-” You countered, face lighting up pink.

“So it’s a him…” Iarere mumbled, putting his hand to his chin.  His expression lit up as the pieces started clicking together in his head.  “Is that where you’re going tomorrow?!” 

“YOU’RE GOING TO MEET HIM TOMORROW?!” 

You were growing more overwhelmed by the minute, averting eye contact.  “Yeah, so what? We’ve been meeting up every week while I was looking for you guys.  Is it weird for husbands to spend time together?” 

Akahata abruptly let go of you, leaving red imprints of his hands on your arms.  “That’s not that problem, that problem-” he paused for dramatic effect, “-is that you’re planning on meeting up with him after returning and you’re not even telling us who he is!” 

Iarere put a hand over his heart, feigning his disappointment as he let himself sink into the sand below.  “I think I’m going to faint.” 

You sighed, “Well-”

Akahata jabbed an accusatory finger in your chest again, “Is he even good looking enough for you? Is he any good at providing? What was his dowry like?  What pod is he even from?!”

“He’s not from a pod-”

Your brother hummed, “So is he a lone wanderer out beyond the boundaries of protected waters saving pretty mermen he wants to marry?” 

Your face twisted into one of disgust, “Keep your fantasies to yourself.” 

Iarere huffed, “Well, what else am I supposed to think when you say he’s not from a pod?  He obviously has so be some kind of lone wolf, PLUS you got married before you made it back.” 

Akahata put a contemplative hand under his chin, “I mean he has a point.” 

You shook your head, “He’s a human.” 

“...” 

“...” 

“...”

“You’re joking.” 

“I’m not.” 

“You’re joking…” 

You held up your hand, gesturing towards the ring on your finger. 

“Oh my god, you’re not actually joking.” 

Your younger brother squealed, “Oh my god this is like something out of all those movies on the surface! Tell me all about it!” 

You frowned, pushing through both your peers to make it back to your makeshift table top.  “He’s… a doctor, but he was working as a trader on a big ship.   He was there the night I got caught and he ended up buying me off the boat and he patched me up and released me.” 

Your best friend sighed, “Only you can make a story that romantic sound like a business deal.” 

Iarere furrowed his brows, “Wait, wait, wait, when did he propose?” 

“Well-” You fumbled over your words, “I caught feelings and I thought I might as well start the courtship process-” 

“YOU made the first move?!” 

“Shut up!” You pushed your overly eager younger brother’s face away, “I didn’t know if he even knew about mermaid courting so if I was going to start courting him, I had to do it then.”

“...go on.”

You sighed, “I gave him mom’s old earring, but instead of just taking it, he gave me one of the rings he was wearing.” You covered your face, feeling another wave of crimson wash everywhere from your neck to the tips of your ears.  You still couldn’t get the memory of him showing off the earring out of your fucking head. “I mean- I- I even asked if he knew what offering me his ring meant and he just put it in my hand.” 

Your younger brother kicked around on the sand eagerly, waving his hands around excitedly.  “That is actually one of THE most romantic proposals I’ve ever heard of!” 

Akahata crossed his arms, “Damn, I feel like mine was lacking.” 

You huffed, “Well, Ngaio is still your wife.” 

“And whatever his face is still managed to wife you--of all people--up.”

“Touche.”

“Oh wow, you brought more than you usually do.” 

Luocha chuckled behind his hand, his own little bag of purchased trinkets hanging loosely at his side. 

You hummed, thumbing over the beautiful glistening stone of a diamond necklace you’d managed to get off of a rather infamous regular.  “You’re one to talk.” 

He gave a small grunt of exertion as he sat next to you on the sand, letting the bag fall to the side, “You’ve got me there.”  He couldn’t help the pleasant swell of warmth in his face as you gestured for him to turn around. 

I mean, maybe you weren’t the best at communicating what you were feeling or what you wanted from him, but you’d been getting better.  Instead of just grunting a yes or no to the questions he’d ask, you’d actually make time for some conversation with him.  Be it from your annoying younger brother to the changes in the pod since you’d returned, it seemed you shared what little woes you had with Luocha.  

You also seemed to share endless amounts of little golden treasures with him.  From old, worn gold, oxidized iron, anything really that you could find, you provided it to him and put it on him with the most delicate touch your rough, scarred hands could muster.  Maybe it was nothing, maybe it was something.  He couldn’t control the way his heart sped up whenever you leaned in to help him put on a new pair of earrings you’d gifted him.  He surmised gift giving was some kind of love language that was common among merfolk.  Perhaps you’d also enjoy it if he brought you gifts of equal value! 

Still, the pounding in his heart was not helped when you’d started smiling at him. 

Everytime he managed to catch one of the rare glimpses of your smile–even worse when you’d laugh–he almost felt like he was looking at something forbidden.  Something he wasn’t worthy of, right in front of him.  For someone who had been through so much, you really opened up to him remarkably quickly after you’d been released.  Perhaps before release you’d been scared of being sold off? The familiar feeling of the waters must’ve don wonders to make you relax this much. 

Even worse when the physical affection began.  It started as simple as reaching out to the side of his face to brush the hair away from his ear so you could catch sight of the golden hoop he’d taken to wearing.   It transitioned to taking his gloves off so you could look at the rings you ended up gifting him.   Before he could really process how quickly the two of you were moving, you were pressed up against him at every opportunity.  

He knew it was natural for merfolk to not wear clothing, but did you have to have such a muscular chest? 

Even now, as you fumbled with the clasp of the absolutely beautiful diamond necklace, you wrapped an equally muscular aquatic tail around his leg.  He didn’t exactly know if this was normal between merfamily-could he call them that?--, being overly affectionate.   Even if it felt like a little more than just normal bonding, he did his best to still the pounding of his heart when your fingers brushed his hair out of the way so you could make sure the gem was oriented correctly.  

Trying his hardest to quell the tide of warmth surging up to the tips of his ears, he put a hand over his erratic heartbeat.  He prayed to the Aeons above you couldn’t feel it as your chest pressed against his back.  

You wrapped your arms snug around his torso, pulling him further into your stomach.  Resting your chin on top of his blonde hair, you found the gloved hand resting over his heart to hold in your own.   The two of you let the silence hang in the air for a moment. 

“...”

“...”

You gave a quiet huff before you moved your chin from on top of his head to bury itself into the crook of his neck.  As his fingers interlocked with yours, he found himself looking at all the gold rings he’d adorned your fingers with.  Each and every one, he could put a time and day to. 

But then, his eyes landed on your ring finger. 

“Oh, you still wear that old thing?”

“...hm?”

You glanced down at your hand, raising a brow.  His finger was tracing over the ring he’d exchanged when he was releasing you back into the open water.

“You still wear the same earring I gave you,” you murmured, flicking it with your freehand.  “I’ve given you countless pairs of earrings since, yet even when you wear one stud, you’ll always wear the same one every time I see you.” 

His chest rumbled with a bout of laughter, “I suppose you’re right.”  He perked up suddenly, “Oh, that reminds me, speaking of this earring…” He reached towards the rather large bag of gifts he’d brought with him.  He threw a few of the boxes of gold ornaments he’d purchased before finally fishing the box he was looking for out of the bottom.  “I went shopping and when I saw this pair, I simply knew you’d love it.” 

You hummed, looking at the little navy blue box in his hand.

He made quick work of the bow wrapped around the holding case, nimble fingers peeling open the little box before he presented you with his gift on their signature velvet cushion. It looked like… 

…a replica of your mother’s earrings. 

He offered them up to you with a bashful smile, watching in silent amusement when your ears flicked back and forth in some kind of excitement. 

Delicately, gently, you picked up one of the hoops and twirled it around your fingers. 

“...”

“...”

“...Well? Do you like it?”

You didn’t respond, reaching up to your right ear to remove the little stud you’d chosen to wear to this outing.  Fidgeting with the clasp of the loop, you threaded it with a calculated ease through your piercing.   

“I like it.” 

He clasped his hands together, “Good, I’m more than glad.” 

“...”

“...”

“She would’ve loved to meet you.” 

“Hm?”

You paused, “My mother, I mean,” Your thumb fidgeted with the back of the earring.  “She always wanted to see her sons get married, but she passed before she could.” 

Luocha blinked.  

“Pardon?” 

You tilted your head to the side, “My mother; she would’ve loved to meet you.” 

“No, no,” Luocha could feel the deep claret paint his face a messy red as he scooted to face you, “What did you mean by seeing her sons get married?”

“...

…Did you not know?” 

Luocha blinked. 

“We’re married.” 

Another blink. 

“You… Is that why…?” He gestured towards the gifts strewn across the sand.  He looked back towards his own bag of gifts. 

‘Oh for crying out loud-’

“I-” he cleared his throat, “I apologize, I seem to have… entered this marriage under false pretenses.”  He put his hands on his temples, “How- Where- When exactly did this happen?”

You hummed, “When you let me back out into the water.  When I gifted you my mother’s earring, that was the signal I wanted to start courting you.  When you gift something back, that’s an officiation of marriage.” 

He coughed into his hand, trying to think through this situation logically. 

Okay, so he accidentally got married.

What the fuck. 

The train of thought seemed to end there. 

…

He was, however, plagued with another train of thought. 

‘Well, you have been making eyes at him for a few months now.’ 

…

Those thoughts were not helping.  

“...”

“...”

“If you want to end the marriage, it’s as simple as saying so,” you added, “I thought you knew what my intentions were-”

“NO!”

Luocha covered the bottom half of his mouth.  “I’m fine with the arrangement as is, but it appears human marriage and merfolk marriage are officiated in very different ways.” 

Your brows furrowed. 

“...”

“...”

“...Are you saying you want to officiate the marriage as humans would?”

The tips of Luocha’s ears burned with embarrassment.  “I-” 

You held one of his hands in yours, eyes seemingly boring holes into his face,  “Whatever it is, as long as you want to do it, I will do it to the best of my ability.” 

Any complaints were silenced when he was confronted with such sincerity.  “Well…”

You waited patiently, folding your hands in your lap.  

Finally, it seemed your “husband” made up his mind.  

“Close your eyes.” 

You paused, seemingly surprised, but nonetheless your eyes fluttered shut moments after. 

Luocha urged himself to breathe, flexing and unflexing his hands.  

He leaned forward, closing his eyes as he…

…planted an innocent peck on your lips.

there's a note on the side of the phone booth, read it?

" idk how to describe it but now being on the other side of this, i'm feeling something similar to post nut clarity "

first post since losing literally everything on my first account yay !!

yes guys, luocha and his mermaid husband were openly cuddling on the beach for months and he's wondering "is he into me or am i bro-zoned"

that being said, losing my tumblr has now forced me to realize how many people genuinely like my writing hey guys I went scrolling through user kamisatoelogy's blog to look for their modern ayato fic and i found out someone dedicated time and effort into archiving my works???? and you guys went looks for me????

i fr feel like getting on my hands and knees and thanking everyone for all their support and love over this process and apologizing for scaring you guys so bad

you guys are so sweet and so many of you have been so helpful in getting my blog back up and running again :((

i started drafting my fics in google docs to make sure it isn't all GONE if i get shit on again so this chapter is brought to you by font: unica one, it was 27 pages total (i am insane)

shout out to Chappell Roan cause she really put me in my tunnel vision work zone while i was writing this

if u guys r looking for a writing hack, i trained myself like a sleeper agent to start writing when i play songs on hour loop it puts me in a work rut

- love, operator t-19

[powerfulblob]

puts on my clown hat

behold, as requested: The Trans Franky Essay. Like most of this is still jot notes and I wrote this when half-asleep so like. I don’t know

Please don’t shoot me.

Section 0: Most importantly...

Due to the Somerton stuff, I really am trying my best not to plagarize.

Unlike TikTok user @theyboss._.franky, I’m not planning to talk about if he’s trans based on physical features, personality, etc.

I’m here to talk about the narrative in particular, and allegory.

also kudos to @punkitt-is-here

[ID: A screenshot of an X post by @punkittdev that reads “this is also partially why i am a franky one piece trans man truther” It features Franky, a cyborg with a shirt that reads “I HRT”.with a sun between the words “I” and “HRT” Franky is a tall man with tan skin and blue hair, and has part of his arms replaced with blue metal with a star at the end. end ID]

Section 1: Cyborgs are inherently trans

I’m literally just going to link The transgender cyborg: an inexhaustive primer because the article does a much better job than I can, but to summarize:

Trans people are not only cyborg-adjacent because of the transphobes who call us that, but primarily because we are used in the same way cyborgs are in text: As a talking point, a disruptive metaphor about humanity as a whole.

That brings us onto the next place...

Section 2: Cyborgs are extra trans in this case.

The reason why I latched onto this in the first place is this character’s backstory.

Franky, who eventually becomes the Straw Hat’s shipwright, starts as a joke character in the Water Seven Arc.

He’s a 40-ish year old man who runs around in a speedo and shoots lasers at people, making a living off of dismantling ships.

However, as more information is revealed, the story starts to humanize and give him a backstory.

quotes from Chapter 358:

“My body got wrecked and parts of it weren’t working anymore... So I transformed myself using scrap metal. It’s how I survived!” 

“Waste wood, scrap iron... I fit right in. First I’ve got to... ... Do something about this useless body of mine!” 

What do these have in common? Retrofitting the self, and rebuilding the body. I think there’s something trans there but IDK

Deadnames (partially joking here): As said by another character “Cutty Flam of Tom’s Workers is dead. As long as you don’t use that name... ... There’s nothing connecting us”  (for context, Franky was changing his name to evade government capture, but shhh let’s just pretend we’re talking about deadnames)

Actual Section 2: The Boats are trans now

speaking of the self as a construct...

I think it would be giving Oda too much credit for doing this on purpose.

But, he also accidentally created one of the best analogies I’ve ever heard for gender identity and against gender essentialism:

And of course, it has to be boats.

chapter 353: “Franky, there’s no such thing as blueprints for a pirate ship!! If the sailors who board that ship run up a skull-and-crossbones, then it’s a pirate ship. If they fly a seagull flag, it’s a navy ship. Build whatever you want to build, Franky.”

Like again: It’s the idea that there’s no instructions for a person, it’s what you decide to create out of oneself?

Alright. So, in terms of most manga, he actually does a rather good job. One Piece is primarily a series about misfits and outcasts: The series is goofy and over-the-top as a rule. So, one could argue the extreme way in which he portrays trans people up until the Wano arc is just a part of the series.

yeah idk

[thesilvercat13]

sunny starscout and her tall gf that came to me in a dream

i actually had the dream in march and my dreams are super hazy/obscure so the appearance of the gf wasnt easy to remember, so i improvised a little skjdjs

also i literally cannot draw sunny for some reason💀 had to change up her look

also technically in the dream they didnt actually become gfs BUT (and i only remember this cuz i wrote it down) one of them asked (probably sunny?) and the tall gf said she wasnt ready for a relationship (for some reason?) but uhh yeah, lets just pretend that they got together eventually lol

i dont have a name for the gf or anything, i'll probably name her something with hearts or love or valentines cuz she gives off that vibe (plus shes pink lol), she was originally just supposed to be a joke gf for sunny but maybe i'll keep her as an oc i dunno, could be kinda cute? (and if not i'd prob ship sunny with izzy cuz that mare is a LESBIAN but i kinda wanna ship izzy with misty y'know? asd4asd i guess? i hc them both as autistic atleast, uhhh i'll prob talk more about my mlp headcannons later, anyways byeee)

[elbiotipo]

So when it comes to distance in a fictional setting, is metric king? I wrote some fantasy post-apoc recently where the protagonist measured it in Oranges and Aevums (the latter being their own name), but more generally speaking is it worth it to hash out bespoke measurement systems for fictional cultures, do you think?

Oranges as a measurement unit sounds so funny, and a measurement based in... yourself makes surprising sense, given all the measurements based on body parts. Why not YOURSELF?

Well, I would think in a real post-apoc world metric would be king indeed, scientific and technologic instruments are in metric even in the US and you could always get a ruler from a school or scales from a grocery store, so eventually you could get back on track to reforming the metric system. It would be interesting, though, if every society during isolation had slightly different measurements for the same units because of faulty equipment (say, ohms or amperes or even grays) and they had to make a congress to clear things up.

Returning to your main question. My perspective here is the same as conlangs. It's very, very fun to have them, but it's not fun to force your audience to read them. When I write something set in a fantasy or science fiction setting, in my head I'm assuming the characters are speaking different languages and I DO explain them and even give examples of them, but the story itself is written, for both the reader's and the writer convenience, in a language we can understand (Spanish in my case, and then it can be translated). Same with units of measurement. I seldom use direct units of measurement like writing "the ship was 110.3 meters long" (in science fiction, it's often a trap as they force you to stay true to them), when more descriptive language can be used...

In any case, you could do, for the kind of immersion I love, say something like "she was 14 oranges* tall, rather small for her age" and do an asterisk like "*A.N. : 1.39 meters tall". This is very fun when used sparingly, because it gives the worldbuilding obessed reader something to play with, you can do the conversion yourself and learn more about the world, without interrupting the story. Some understandably dislike this approach, but I think that if you know what you're doing, you can hide some pretty deep lore behind it. In one of my favorite retro games, The Ur-Quan Masters, there is an alien race called the Slylandro who live in a gas giant. When they tell you their ancient history, they use their own system of measurment based on the rotation of their planet with its own names like Dranhasa and Dranh. The game actually provides you with the rotation time on "Earth" time, so some dedicated fans did the conversion, and found out the dates fit with major events in the game's past. I thought that was an awesome bit.

But I digress again. Does this mean you should not talk about measurements in your story? No, it can do for very fun plots and digressions, as well as make things more realistic and beliveable. A fantasy world sharing all the same measurement units can be as unplausible as everybody speaking "Common". Let's remember that the current metric system is a modern invention which took a long time to be adopted (and some, well one, country, still resists it). Just take a look at the many, many historical systems of measurement:

This was especially prominent in places like the Holy Roman Empire, where every statelet, county, principality, free city, prince-bishopric, duchy, archduchy, etc. may and most often did have different measurements from each other. Just take a look at how measurements varied from each German region, it's crazy. The systems of weight where particularily important. Before the introduction of standarized coinage, coins also varied not only between kingdoms, but between regions, and even towns, and coins made at different times with different alloys had different values. Rather than money in our modern sense, you could think of them as some kind of 'asset' that could vary in value depending on the circumstances. What's more, those values had to be checked by people who knew what they were working with. Silver and gold content could be weighed, ah, but you need good scales and weights, and someone who knows how to work them! And these people could easily rip you off, or you could lose value accidentally if those scales weren't done just right or fiddled with on purpose. In fact, this is where the word 'Mark' comes from.

It wasn't as easy to take say a 100 something bill and get the change in 1 something coins. There is a very interesting subplot in the anime Spice and Wolf where Lawrence, the trader character, has been paid in gold coins, and he has to trade them into lesser denominations. However, he has to be REAL careful so that nobody scams him given all I told you above. Even getting 'gold' coins was a gamble before modern coinage and banking (another long topic). How much of that is REALLY gold and not an alloy with silver or other metal? Who can you trust to tell you how much your coins are worth? Are they compatible between borders or even time, is this version worth as much as the others? Things that characters in fantasy who have just plundered a dragon's hoard almost never think about. Except in Spice and Wolf.

(here is a gif of Holo to break the wall of text)

This all of course, as again you can see in Spice and Wolf, can make trade very tedious and even unstable. This was one of the reasons why the metric system was so quickly adopted in Europe and then elsewhere; consistent units just allow for easier trade. Lots of other things involving measurement can have a major impact on your story. For one, you NEED consistent and accurate measurement to create even the most basic industrial and scientific equipment. You can wing it for a time like alchemists (and even they knew their measurements) but eventually, you need to measure things to understand them. To have working steam engines, steel production, chemical industries and more, you need to know your temperature is. If you want to do electricity, you need measurements for current, resistance and charge. If you're doing engineering, you need to have lenght, weight and volume very, very clear, or people will die. They don't necessarily need to be universal like the metric system (though it has lots of advantages, being coherent between units and decimal so it doesn't jump between different denominations) but they need to be standarized and measurable.

Most of the above, unless you're writing some kind of encyclopedia about a fictional scientific revolution (BASED BASED BASED) will not affect your characters directly. But IT IS worth keeping in mind for what kind of world your characters are living in. The standarization of measurement units always means SOMETHING in the state of your society, the strenght of the state and centralized authority, the state of scientific understanding (one could say that trying to measure the world was perhaps THE scientific revolution, "Man as a measure of all things"), the capability for industry and the standarization of coinage and trade.

Even if you don't have your characters interact directly with those things, they will interact with them. It's also, like I've said in the examples, fun to imagine characters having to learn or deal with different units of measurement, just as it is fun to imagine them learning new languages or cultural quirks. It's something I've done in the past, in my space opera setting, the worlds descended from the United States STILL use the imperial system, much to the frustration of the rest of the metric human sphere. There is also an alien character who has a hard time to learn human measurements, and that makes her melancholic about her past, as they can't intuitively see the now-extinct measurements she does. Again, man as a measure of all things... this does include other thinking beings...

There's more I could talk about here regarding time, but I did a post about that, though I'm not satisfied with it and will probably redo it in some time at the future. In any case, there's lot to talk about why every calendar in science fiction has 365 days and 24 hours.

As always, if you found this interesting and helpful, I would be very thankful if you gave a tip to my ko-fi! And feel free to ask about anything you'd like!

[sillygh0st]

I vodwatched Cellbit first qsmp vod and wrote down MANY moments that I barely see people talking about o/

Felps crashing the ship bc he trought that It was like using a bike is well know on the comunity, but the ship was also haunted btw

Mike first interaction with richas was him joking about sitting on Richas to hatch him??? My headcanon about qmike being a creeper hybrid with pink feathers was born after this lol

Roier giving diamonds to Cellbit :')

“There's always a fool and a scoundrel leaving the house, you're the scoundrel" (Tem sempre um otário e um malandro saindo de casa, você é o malandro) Cellbit to Richas

Richas taking time to write and writing that she would like to live with her parents :')

Cellbit asked richas who were his parents and Richas responded “vocês” (pac mike Cellbit e felps) <3

Cellbit saying 4 papais aww

Richas saying that he will live wherever his parents want :')

They calling quackity a vagabundo 😭

Slime with Richas for 0.1 seconds and cellbit coming shouting "não não Richas!! Papais!! Papais!!” ( He didn't wanted richas to be with slime and wanted richas to be with his papais :’)

He keeps saying "our son" awwww

"Take the sword your pai gave you!" (Pega a espada que o pai te deu!)

Richas raising the "feed" sign and his 4 papais all desperate looking for food to feed him :'))

Cellbit fighting with Bobby oh no

Cellbit saying he loves Roier but not Bobby aww :’)

Cellbit e slime KISSING!!!!

"Desculpa sou meio manco" (1:49:21)

Cellbit talking photo of them together ,,

"Abrigado pela comida"

"Você só odeia os ovos pq não tem um!!"

Quackity 1% Richas father + Cellbit 24% too yayyy

“You teach spanish and we teach crimes and guns!” Cellbit to quackity talking about Richas LMAO

Quackity singing nossa nossa assim você me mata omg I forgot about this momment

SHAKE BOLOLO

“oi filho!” (Cellbit to Richas)

Everyone dying bc of a bull and a muscle zombie 😭😭

Richas model disappearing and everyone freaking out bc he turned into a tall white thing 😭😭😭 also first time that cucurucho got mentioned for the Brazilians :O (Cellbit and felps were saying his name wrong for like 20 minutes LMAO)

“seus outros papais” “papai felps”

Mac e pike 😭

Richas doing parkour and Cellbit freaking out about him taking fall damage :’)

Richas falling into a hole and Cellbit screaming “tá tudo bem!! papai tá aqui) (its okay!! papai is here) :’(((((

felps said "eu peguei 4 packs" (I got 4 packs) and clarified that wasn't about pac their friend (pegar can be "got" or even "make out", even bc pac and pack rhyme ) and Cellbit said that was the first day, and that they needed a party before??????? while felps said "Not yet" about making out with pac???? ON THEIR FIRST TWO HOURS ON THE SERVER???

Cellbit and felps wanting to teach richas how to kill and richas that he will become a murder machine awwww

Richas died :’) cellbit screaming on chat saying everything wrong was funny

Cellbit telling felps that they need to lie about what killed richas LMAO they didn't wanted the others papais to be mad at them so yeah the necromancer appeared spawned 10 skeletons said “he is watching” and vanished cellps my beloved

Now cellbid said that they need to say that the necromancer had white eyes bc they have herobrine trauma LMAO (pac e mike old series)

“WE ARE CLONES FELPS” (seeing their dead bodies) is also the first time of cellbit saying that there is something wrong on the island :)

Cellps telling tazercraft and quackity ABOUT the “necromancer” but mike don't believe anything that they said LMAO

“Cocorocho vagabundo” - pac

OHHHH FUGA CRUMPS 👀 some long time before this cellbit and richas they hide them under a chest, after (2:42:00) mike says that he saw a white figure (they were saying cucurucho) opened and put something on the chest, felps went to open It and the tnt exploded, killing him. Richas almost split out that It was her and pai Cellbit that put the tnt there, Cellbit says that he didn't put in there, Pac says “oh yeah I don't think you would do this with …. felps'', saying it on a weird and different tone, probably the CC remembering that on fuga cell killed felps 👀👀👀👀👀 FUGA CRUMPS FUGA CRUMPS

Cellbit and pac went to a cave and the iconic celltw kiss happened omg

Cellbit talked with pac about them (fuga four) creating a secret laboratory under the favela where they would do secret and paranormal experiments ohhhhhhhh (chume paranormal LMAO)

Cellbit and pac founded a very weird place that looks like a mine maid by player with MANY torches, one moment cellbit lost pac and freaked out LMAO (they keep calling the place the herobrine cave lol)

“A casa do cocorocho” (they got cucurucho name wrong)

Cellbit wants to sing a lullaby for richas :’) pac is getting Diamonds to do a armor for Richas too awww

Cellbit gave pac a pickaxe and also asked for a stick while pac said “por você cellbit eu te dou 10 paus” (“for you cellbit, i gave to you 10 paus”, pau = stick/dick) and they both laughed

Cellbit almost threw away richas slime "não vou jogar fora o primeiro presente do meu filho” (im not going to throw away my first gift of my son) :’)

THEY LEFT THE CAVE AND ENDED UP ON FIT HOUSE. PAC SAID THAT IT'S A PRETTY AND DIFFERENT HOUSE GUYS GUYS. And now they ARE on Ramon house walking around ,,,,,, guys ,,,

CELLTW AGAIN. They are returning to the favela and Pac said that the day was beautiful and Cellbit straight up said that “com você nele o dia é sempre mais bonito né pac” (With you in it, the day is always more beautiful, right?)

Cellbit and pac returned to the favela with felps Mike e Richas!!! Felps and pac (idk who else too) honked to each other???? 😭 awww also Cellbit screaming for richas and running for him :’)

MIKE PAINTING OF RICHAS :’)

Cellbit and felps screaming and calling each other Crazy for talking alone (with their chats) lol

They are going to do richas first quests!! They are going to give a bath to Richas, Cellbit accidentally hit (pinched) him oh no babie :( they finished their bath and Richas Said “obrigado pais!” While Cellbit and felps suffered from how cute it was

RICHAS ON BED WITH HER FIRST LULLABY BY HER 4 PAPAIS :((((( richas sleeping while they try to be quiet to not wake up the baby!!! They are calling him cute <3

Oh wait they are singing a demoniac lullaby to awake her? 😭😭😭😭 What's wrong with them <3 they want richas to never get caught with his guard down, “olhos sempre abertos richarlyson” ,,,

“sleep with your eyes open" *kisses sounds from all her fathers*

mike caught richas getting up (prob richas admin geting ready to leave) and they started to be like “oh no he is in that age already ,,,,” and while calling their child cucurucho and STILL kept getting cucurucho name wrong LMAO

Richas sleeping model was put into their only bed and now are incredible sad that they lost their only bed 😭😭😭

RICHAS SLIME!! his placenta haha :’) they are so happy framing It on their house aww

Cellbit dancing to the sounds of a dying skeleton? 😭

Pac e Mike logging out!!! Also Cellbit sending kisses to pac and pac too omg celltw ,,😭😭

“beijinhos!!” (little kisses) - Pac e Cellbit for each other AWWWW

Cellbit talking with felps about bbh being the “necromancer and 100% ready to throw the blame on him 😭😭

Cellbit seeing felps talking to himself on the other house and calling him crazy while felps do the same for him god cellps I love you

Bbh appeared to talk with felps and Cellbit and give to them armor, cucurucho also appeared but disappeared quickly D:

Bbh talked with them about the federation oooooooh

Bbh left and after richas woke up!! Bom dia Richarlyson!!

They are making richas cativeiro room!!

“tem cheiro de cativeiro, tem som de cativeiro, tem gosto de cativeiro, mas não é um cativeiro!” felps to richas LMAO

They are putting him to sleep now!! cellbit tried to sing a demoniac lullaby for her but felps stopped him saying that it's a too old song!! So felps singed a song with alien high pitched noises 😭😭

Moments from the vod to yall!!!! so many lgbtqsmp moments and cute ones :3333

[signfromeywa]

AUNGIA TA EYWA (A SIGNS FROM EYWA)

Chapter 02: New ally Patra️

Description:

Anastasia Novak is a behavioural scientist tasked with socializing a captive Na'vi on behalf of the RDA. The longer she works with the Na'vi and the closer she gets to him, the more she has to rethink everything she thought she knew and redefine her morals and values. Can she just carry on like this, or will she follow her heart?

Content: Rating +18, Avatar fanfiction, human x Na'vi ship, Na'vi captured

Characters: Human OCs: Anastasia Novak, Steven Turner, Patra// Na'vi OCs: Ean'tu,

Word Count: 2954

⊹˚₊‧─────────────────────────────‧₊˚⊹

❗️English is not my native language! I apologize very much if it reads a bit bumpy here and there.

I'm a German author and this is the first time I've tried to translate a story I'm working on into English and upload it. I still hope you enjoy it.❗

The first thing Ana did when she made it out of the enclosure and back into the surveillance rooms was to approach Mr. Turner. 

"I need access to all of Sky's files," was the first thing she said as she burst into the room, taking her colleague completely by surprise. 

"Miss Novak, take it easy. Are you all right?" He took her by the shoulder and held her. 

"What? Oh yes, I'm fine. Nothing's happened."

"You were just attacked by a ten foot tall alien and electrocuted quite badly, no one is fine after that." He led her to a chair. "Have a seat first."

"I'm telling you, I'm fine. Nothing happened to me," Ana assured him, but sat down out of necessity. "I really need to look through the documents, and I'd also be interested to know what scientific institutions there are and what they're researching."

Mr. Turner seemed surprised by the question. "Why do you want to know?" 

"Do you know anything about it or not?"

"Well, only superficially, after all, you need authorization and a security clearance to obtain such information. The research reports are not available for everyone to see."

"Good, so let's start from the beginning." Ana placed the clipboard on her lap and activated her pen. "Are there any research facilities that deal with the life forms on these planets?" 

"I think I've heard that there might be." Mr. Turner didn't seem to like all the questions. 

"Na'vi too?" Ana wrote something down and then looked up at Turner.

"Yes, as far as I know... Miss Novak, what are you up to?" 

"Don't worry about it. As a behavioral scientist, it would give me a significant head start if my scientist colleagues would share their knowledge with me. Then I could speed things up and start socializing right away. Otherwise I'm starting from scratch." But she didn't tell Turner that there were behavioral traits about Sky that had made her suspicious. No one here seemed to think much of Sky, which she couldn't even blame them for after he had been so aggressive towards them. He had certainly tried to attack the staff many times. And he had just proved that he was dangerous.

"Well, if you say so..." He seemed a little more reassured. 

"Yes, do you have any contact details of professionals or a way to get this security clearance?" She was ready to take notes. 

"Phew... that's a difficult question. We tend to have direct contact with the boss and the security and maintenance company that looks after us. I think a former employee has moved to a research unit. I can write down her contact details. She's only a technician, but she might be able to tell you how to get in touch with the right people," Turner offered. 

Nodding, she handed him a pen and clipboard and he wrote down everything she needed. "Thank you."

"My goodness." He laughed a little dryly. "You're really stirring things up here." 

"That's what I'm known for." Ana laughed as well. "I'm a breath of fresh air."

Then she stood up. "Sky's documents are in the next room?" 

"Yes, I think everything that would be relevant to you is in the box. But it's not that much. The rest is more about the system and all the technical details. I don't think you'll be particularly interested in that," explained Turner. 

"Thank you very much. I'll take a look at the documents and use the desk. If I have any questions, I'll get back to you," Ana thanked him and then took the door to the next room, which housed the paperwork. There she went to one of the desks on which, as she had just discovered, were documents relating to Sky. She quickly found the box Turner had meant and took out the individual folders. They were surprisingly empty; Turner hadn't been lying. Not much had been documented about Sky. She quickly found the medical records. At the top were the most recent things, consisting of the latest routine examinations and vaccinations. Each of the examinations had probably been carried out under anaesthetic, because otherwise the doctor refused to treat the animal. He was too aggressive to justify any other form of treatment and unfortunately Ana could only agree.

She sat down at the desk and began to carefully inspect the documents. Everything was quite unspectacular, nothing special or of interest. But she got stuck on one folder. There were no more files in it, but the folder stood out. It wasn't from this institution. She couldn't say where it was from. However, she was disappointed when she picked up the first few pages. 

"Urgh... all blacked out..." she said quietly. What was that? None of the other documents were blacked out. Why this one? So she couldn't do anything with this folder. However, she photographed the coat of arms on the front of the folder. It certainly belonged to the institution from which the report was made. Then she put everything aside and turned her attention to the oldest folder from the institution. She picked up the pages and began to read. 

She could read in the report 'scratches all over the body' and 'completely emaciated and powerless'. That read terribly. Sky had been malnourished and injured when he had arrived here. He must hardly have been awake or had the strength to eat. What terrible descriptions it contained. Where did Sky actually come from? The way it read, he couldn't have been captured in the wild. Ana was pretty sure he wouldn't have been in such a bad state in the wild. She propped her face up with her hand. There was certainly much more to it than she could gather here. This past could have been to blame for Sky's lack of trust in humans. She was all the more glad that he was here now. In this facility, which at least took good care of him, and Ana was also here to look after him.

She leaned back in the office chair. Her thoughts wandered to Sky, to the enclosure. The image of his face appeared in front of her again. His watchful eyes that had looked into hers. The way he had taken her hand, almost human. No, she shook her head to get rid of the thoughts. It was the wrong approach and yet it moved her deeply. She needed clarity. That was why her mind was made up. She had to find out more about the Na'vis and about his past. Her cooperation with Sky depended on it. It was important to her that she was successful. Not just for herself or her boss. No. It was also important for Sky. He should no longer have to live in fear. The animal would certainly feel better if it was no longer afraid of people and could start to get used to its surroundings.

She closed the documents in front of her and neatly put everything back in the box. She took the drawing she had made in the enclosure of this strangely tied-up branch back with her for now. She could always file it away later. It was already late at night. She had only arrived late in the evening. But the time didn't seem to matter here. They worked in shifts around the clock to keep Sky under constant observation. 

Anastasia wrote her cell phone number on a small piece of paper and stuck it on the magnetic pinboard. Then she went into the surveillance room one last time, where her colleagues were sitting. 

Both men turned to look at her when she came in. 

"I'm getting off work now. I've put my number on the pinboard where you can reach me. If there's anything, please get in touch, ok?" she said.

"All right. The next crew bus should be right here," Turner pointed out, but Ana already knew that. The buses ran every two hours and took the teams and staff to their hostels. It wasn't unusual for many scientists or special forces to live on the bases, but Ana didn't. She lived in a hostel. She stayed in a hostel together with other civilian staff. 

"Yes, sleep well later. See you then." Ana waved goodbye and left the room, making her way out through the base. At the airlock outside, she was checked again and given a mask. Then she made her way out to the waiting team bus. As she boarded, she greeted the others briefly and sat down in an empty seat with her bag on her lap.

Shortly afterwards, the bus set off. Ana looked out of the window and was amazed by the landscape. it was so different from the earth, especially at night when everything glowed so mysteriously. She could never get enough of the sight. However, she was alone in this opinion. The soldiers on the bus with her paid no attention to the landscape and just seemed tired. Perhaps it would become normal for Ana, too, if she lived here for a while. She smiled. No, definitely not, she loved nature far too much for that. Even back on Earth, she had never had enough of it. Now, however, everything was ruined and the beauty had faded. Quite different from the moon, which was still alive. The flora was bursting with strength and life energy, it was a beautiful sight. All too soon the ride was over and she got out to go to the hostel. It wasn't a particularly large building and wasn't guarded by the military. It had everything you needed to survive.

She went in through the airlock and immediately took off her mask. She took it with her to her room, which was on the second floor. Her room was a single room and not particularly large. It had a bunk bed and a desk underneath. Opposite it on the wall was a built-in wardrobe and a mirror. She also had a small en-suite bathroom, which she was very grateful for. She also had a small adjoining bathroom, which she was very grateful for. At the head of the bed, at desk level, there was a narrow window through which she could see a little of Pandora and her beautiful nature. Otherwise, the room was made of concrete, walls and floors alike. Everything was gray and cold, just like on Earth.

Her suitcases with the private things she was allowed to bring were already in the room next to the wardrobe and a laptop that she had never seen before was on the desk with a document for the first registration. Ana took the painting out of her bag and then hung the bag with her jacket on the hook behind the door. She placed the painting on the desk and pulled back the chair to sit on it. First she would log in to her laptop and set her new password. As she did so, her eyes fell on the paper lying next to her. Mr. Turner had written the contact details of a former colleague on it. It wouldn't hurt to write to her, then she could answer her in peace until tomorrow.

She wrote a polite email asking for contact details or information about the research facilities. Once she had sent the message, Ana decided to take a quick shower and then go to bed. She had a lot of research to do tomorrow, so she needed to get a good night's sleep. Although she had spent almost three years in cryosleep, she felt completely exhausted and drained. Cryosleep was not without its challenges.

Without hesitating for long, she took a shower and, under the warm water, thought about how she could personalize her room a little. Where could she put things? Would a rug be a good idea? And would it be okay to have a couple of plants in the room? She already had one or two ideas of what she could do, which made her smile knowingly in the shower. 

When she got out of the shower, she grabbed a towel and walked out of the bathroom to her suitcases. There she picked out her sleeping clothes and put them on when a soft, unfamiliar beep made her sit up. She checked her laptop, which had received a new e-mail. Astonished and excited, she sat down in front of it and opened the email. 

"Good evening Miss Novak, I'd be happy to help you. Let's talk," the email said, with a link attached underneath.

This link looked like an invitation to a video call. Ana hastily got up and dug out her woollen jacket to put on and tied her wet hair into a bun. Then she accepted the invitation.

It took a moment to connect the call, then a window opened in front of her with a woman. She adjusted her red glasses on her nose, then smiled kindly. 

"Miss Novak?" she asked, apparently trying to recognize something. "This is Mrs. Patra. I need you to activate the camera."

Anastasia hurriedly looked where she could and found a small crossed-out camera symbol which she clicked. Now another video image appeared, showing herself next to Mrs. Patra. 

"Good evening. Sorry to bother you this late," Ana apologized.

Patra laughed. "No problem, I'm on the night shift and I'm still at work."

"Then thank you for taking the time."

"So you're working with Sky now? You'll have plenty of work to do. I'm sure you're new, I presume?" 

"Yes, that's right, arrived today. You changed jobs?" Ana asked. 

"Yes and no, I was removed and transferred. I actually work at a science base now. Delta Research Unit." She explained.

"What are you researching?" 

"I'm not researching anything." Patra laughed. "I'm one of the technicians. We make sure that the technology here purrs like a kitten and remains reliable. But the unit here is researching the flora." 

Ana became curious. "Do you know the units that are researching the fauna?"

"Well, there are many, all different specialties. Three of them are even under the strictest secrecy. I'm sure you want to know more about the Na'vi." She smiled. 

"You've got me figured out. As a behavioral scientist, it would help me a lot if I could access the research of these bases. Then I'd save myself a lot of own research and could start the socialization right away, you know?" 

Patra brushed a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Yes, I understand. I'm sure you want to establish contact. I can give you a contact, who I also approach when I need to make contact with the more secret research bases. However, you won't get any information that easily. At best, you could present your request and hope that it will be passed on to get a security classification. Once you've been checked, you'll also get approval for such documents." 

A lot of information, all of which Ana wrote down. "Yes, I see, thank you for the information. Can you email me the contact details?"

Once again, Patra had to smirk. "I can't possibly do that, that's why I called you, I'll give it to you verbally. Take notes." 

Which Ana did and wrote it down exactly. She then repeated what she had written to make sure she hadn't made a mistake. 

"You didn't get that information from me." Patra winked at Ana. 

"Yes, I understand, thank you all the more. I never thought it would be so difficult to get hold of useful research." 

"Why do you think there are so many rumors about Pandora and its flora and fauna? Not to mention what Earth is reporting. Those people at the top would prefer everyone to believe that the planet is uninhabited and dead. So that they can mine the raw materials in peace." She pushed her slipped glasses up on her nose again.

Ana had never thought about it like that before. Of course, the RDA was mainly here to mine the minerals. The research was just a necessary evil to make mining in the mines more efficient and to ensure the survival of the people. If there was nothing here, the company could do without all that and the moral questions about the destruction of an ecosystem. It caused Ana to think. 

"Now that you mention it... I don't know much about Pandora." 

"Exactly, that's what they want. Sometimes knowledge doesn't lead to knowledge, but to more awkward questions." 

Ana nodded. 

"All right, I wish you the best of luck getting your information and making progress with Sky. He's pretty wild, so take good care of yourself." Patra leaned back. "I'd almost say keep me in the loop, but I think that's going to be difficult."

Ana smiled at her counterpart. "You've helped me a lot, thank you very much. If you like, we can keep in touch as much as possible." 

Patra nodded. "Yes, that's a deal. I wish you a good night, see you soon." 

"Likewise." Ana hung up. 

The conversation with Patra had actually raised even more questions in her mind. She really had no idea what was going on on Pandora. She had just arrived from Earth and the only information she had was limited to what she needed to know in order to do her job properly. She probably had the lowest security clearance of all. Hopefully that would change soon so she could find out more about this beautiful moon.

Now completely tired, she closed the laptop. She undid her hair one last time and took off her cardigan before crawling into bed. It wasn't long for her to fall fast asleep.

Tag list: @twisteduniverse5 @yukilaaw @mooniequeen (If you want to get added, comment it under the post)

[everlasting-rainfall]

Kizaru/Aokiji in the Pages AU?

Kizaru/Aokiji? I’m gonna take that to mean that you want either one of them or both of them but I’m gonna do something a little bit unexpected here and by expected, it’s probably completely expected

I’m gonna write you both of them at once! So let’s get into it, shall we? I hope that you enjoy this!! 💟

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

Stalking, Forced Relationship, Implied Murder, Manipulation (?), Implied Kidnapping, Implied Isolation (?)

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

Ok so let’s say that when you were writing your first book, things went over well but people complained about the accuracy of the Marine partner like you just wrote what you assumed a Marine was like versus what they actually were

So for your next one, you decided to get out there and do some studying like let’s say that you got all suited up then went out and let’s say you also live on an island with a pretty big marine base so there’s a lot of them around

You’re going around from person to person and asking questions about what being a Marine is like, you might even catch some kind of training exercise as well like I’m honestly just imagining that these marine soldiers are doing training then you’re in the background quickly scribbling things down in a notebook

It takes some time and you probably feel a bit awkward as you might feel like you came on too strong for some of them with your questions but as you’re leaving the area around the Marine base with your findings in hand

You might suddenly hear from behind you, “Ooooh, aren’t you going to ask me some questions too?” and lord knows that was terrifying but not as terrifying as when you turned around only to see a Marine Admiral right behind you

It’s Admiral Kizaru who’s right behind you and this man is leaning over you, let’s say that he was on his way somewhere when his ship had to stop briefly at this island just in time for him to see you, he’s curious and you have his attention

He’s definitely terrifying so you might try to back away and claim that you have all the information that you need for your story but Kizaru insists on you asking him some questions too, it doesn’t seem like he’ll take no for an answer

So even if you do just try to leave, this man definitely is putting a hand on your shoulder and telling you no need to be shy as he leads you away to have a conversation about Marines

You without a doubt get some more information on Marines thanks to Kizaru but he also has quite a bit of information on you as he asked you quite a few questions as well but they weren’t questions like What Are You Doing Here? or anything

Like they were questions that you’d probably ask someone you were dating like it seemed like he romantically wanted to get to know you, you tried to dodge some of the questions but he wouldn’t let you as he almost seemed to want to know everything about you

It eventually ended with him asking if you would be free later, you told him no even though you would be and you took off feeling pretty weirded out by the whole interaction in all honesty but just glad that it was over

Wouldn’t you know it though, dear? On the way home, you run into someone else who is just as tall as Kizaru although you didn’t so much run into him so much as you tripped over him and landed flat on your face

You had taken a shortcut to get home and it seemed like you may have tripped over some kind of homeless person until you got a better look at him and it turned out that this was another Marine Admiral, Aokiji

Two Marine Admirals in one day, you’re pretty lucky! But you probably don’t see it that way as you start apologizing for tripping over him and offer to call a medic for him as injured is the only explanation you can come to for why he would sleeping in a place like this

He’s completely fine though and just looks tired as he sits up, he probably rubs the spot where you tripped over him and grumbles about being kicked while he was trying to take a nap but soon tells you that he doesn’t need a medic

You at least offer to take him to your home and he takes you up on that offer as now that he gets a better look at you, you’re pretty good looking and he doesn’t mind going with you so he winds up going with you to your home probably telling you that he doesn’t need a medic but he wouldn’t mind if you patched up his bruise

Man probably makes you kiss it in all honesty, if you’re a person with breasts then he’s likely trying to get a look down your shirt as you get up on the tips of your toes to kiss this man on the head where you accidentally kicked him

He might even insist on doing the same thing for you like “Hey, let me kiss your injuries better too as you fell on your face” but you just refuse him starting to feel rather uncomfortable by the Marine Admirals that you had met today but it doesn’t matter as he’ll just lean in and do it quick

You can ask him to leave but I wouldn’t be too surprised if it turned out that he wasn’t going to listen and decided to stick around for a bit as what could you do? Kick him out? I’d like to see you try…

While he’s here, he’d find out that you were an author and ask you what kind of things that you wrote which would lead to him probably trying to give you advice on how to write a Marine which is probably nearly the exact opposite of whatever Kizaru told you

Oh yeah also remember how I said that Kizaru asked if you were gonna be free later? This is when there’s a knock at your door as it’s Kizaru, he somehow found out where you live and wants to take you on a nice date somewhere where he can get to know you better

Aokiji would of course notice this and probably ask you if you’re really in a relationship with him of all people, he could treat you way better than Kizaru could which just irks the Light Admiral.

You can tell Aokiji that you aren’t in a relationship but you’ll be cut off as Kizaru slings his arm around your shoulder in a relaxed fashion like there’s absolutely nothing wrong with what he’s doing and tells Aokiji that if he can treat you better then prove it and come with you and him

Keep in mind that you have absolutely no say in this and this is how you wind up getting dragged off by two Marine Admirals on a date that you don’t even want to go on as they both try to equally get your attention

Neither is going to admit that the other can treat you better so as a result neither is going to back down, it’s like you’re living a real life love triangle that is way more headache inducing than you ever thought that it could be

They’re now a constant presence in your life and they’re not gonna leave you alone anytime soon, I’d also recommend never picking either one over the other as well as you’re likely to get a repeat of Punk Hazard but Ice vs. Light this time

So it’s better to just endure it and continue on even with how possessive they can both be over you like in all honesty, you’re pretty sure that Kizaru killed that guy who complimented you on your outfit and you’re also pretty sure that Aokiji was responsible for the fact that you wound up stuck in your house with him due to your doors and windows freezing during a blizzard

You’re kinda sorta in a relationship with both of them like it’s not really official that you’re dating them but Kizaru did steal you away on a romantic date where everyone assumed you were a couple and Aokiji was mistaken to be your partner multiple times when he accompanied you to meetings with your publisher

This is honestly just kind of your life now and it isn’t too bad as you aren’t locked away with them forever like you still have the ability to leave your home and walk alone like for five minutes at most before one of them appears to accompany you

It really isn’t the worst thing in the world to be living like this but it is headache inducing when they won’t give you space but hey! It could always be much worse!

I mean imagine if the day comes that they decide to share you… That will be the day that you never see the sun again…

[verai-marcel]

Rough and Tumble (BG3 Fanfic, Astarion x GN!Reader / Halsin x GN!Reader, 18+)

Of course. Of course it was bound to happen. Me? Write smut for a new fandom? You knew I couldn't stay away.

Summary: You thought Astarion had rejected you, so you went elsewhere for pleasure. Turns out, you just hadn’t piqued his interest yet.

Author’s Notes: Have I beaten the game? No, when I wrote this fic, I was barely in the middle of Act 2. Am I romancing either Astarion or Halsin in my save file? Nope, I went for Gale. Am I making shit up about these characters just because I want to get railed by both? Fuck yes, absolutely. Buckle in for some wild, made-up characterization, all because I want to write super horny fanfic. (And because certain people have bullied me into writing this…) For the timeline, this takes place during the tiefling party in Act I, but forget the real timeline of character romances and just play along. Also, if you’re not familiar with my writing, I try to be as vague as possible about reader description in my gender neutral fics so that anyone can enjoy them. However, I do have a size kink in this one, so imagine you’re a smaller hero this time around. 

Tags: gender neutral reader, halsin x reader, size kink, rough sex, doggy style, gentle dom, some after care, astarion x reader, humiliation, degradation, name calling, sloppy seconds, cock gagging

Word Count: 4,545

AO3 Link is here, sweetheart.

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“It’s not you, you understand, it’s me.” A pause. “I have standards.”

Having been shut down so brutally, you shrugged and walked away, unwilling to partake in any further conversation with the infuriatingly attractive vampire.

It’s not like you even said anything about sleeping with him. He just kept talking, like he does, as if he didn’t want to listen to you. You wondered why you had let him bite you the first time, and the second, and the third time. You cursed your weakness to his not-so-subtle glances. 

He’d look over at you, his lips twitching as if he was stopping himself from saying something. So you would ask if he was hungry. And he’d give you this look. ‘No no, I’m fine,’ he’d say, looking away and frowning, making it apparent that he was not fine. You, in your infinite dumbassery, would immediately cave in and offer up your neck. Was it your need to take care of anyone you took under your wing? Was it your stupid bleeding heart?

You knew your little motley crew only shared one thing in common: a need to get the tadpole out of your skulls. But if anything brought people together, it was facing a common obstacle.

Except that not everyone shared your need to do the greater good. You had been making a name for yourself as an honorable mercenary, taking only the jobs that aligned with your sense of morality. Not everyone liked that, especially with the number of assassins that had been sent after you. But that was before you were taken captive aboard the mind flayer ship. Wrong place, wrong time.

Nothing you could do about that now. Face forward and carry on, that has always been your way. There was no reason to change that.

You found yourself walking towards Halsin, standing tall on the outskirts of the camp. He was quietly enjoying himself, a mug in his large hand. He called out your name gently as you approached.

“You do not look as cheerful as I expected on a night like this,” he said, his eyes roving over your face. “What is the matter?”

You sighed. “It’s nothing.”

“It must be something if it is making you frown so.” He stepped closer and put a hand on your shoulder. “Come, let us walk for a bit. Nature will bring perspective.”

You followed him quietly away from camp, away from the crowd and into the forest. Soon, only the peaceful sound of the trees rustling in the wind and insects chirping into the night surrounded you, the party far away. Halsin’s hand wandered from your shoulder to your back, his thumb rubbing slow circles. It was a soothing feeling, and you leaned into him, grateful for his warmth, even if you didn’t need it on this balmy summer night.

“I don’t know what goes on in his head,” you blather suddenly. “I thought he was coming onto me, but then he wasn’t, and while I was trying to figure out what he wanted, he said I was below his standards…”

You hadn't realized that you had stopped walking until you felt Halsin’s touch on your temples, gently massaging your headache away.

“Sounds like he didn’t know what to do with a gift like you,” he said casually.

Your eyes darted up to meet his. You were surprised, but pleasantly so, by the veneration in his gaze. A slight shift, and he was closer to you than he had ever come, the heat from his body radiating like a warm campfire. Cozy and safe, you had a sudden urge to lay your head on his chest and cuddle up to the big druid.

His fingers slowly traced the curve of your ears. “If there is anything, anything at all, that I can do for you, I will gladly do so.”

I want you to crush me—

You shook your head. “I’m alright. I just needed… this.” Leaning your head against his chest, you took a deep breath. He smelled of the forest, of the earth, of nature itself. Your nose twitched. There was a hint of something more, something primal in his scent that stirred you.

Halsin called out your name again. You looked up, and he looked at you with concern this time.

“I’m alright,” you repeated. You thought back to what he said. “What do you mean, didn’t know what to do with me?”

He smiled. “Perhaps he is flustered. Internally, of course. Gods forbid he show it. So he pushed you away once he felt conflicted.”

“Conflicted about what?”

“About manipulating you, of course.”

You frowned.

Halsin touched the two most recent little scars on your neck. Astarion had a tendency to bite a different spot every time, to prevent permanent scarring, he had said.

“I’m not…” you trailed off. Yes, you knew he had manipulated you into letting him bite you the first and second time. The third time… part of you had wanted it too. That time, he had snuck into your bedroll, holding you from behind. You could feel his fangs skim across the skin of your shoulder before he bit into the soft flesh behind your clavicle. His hand was wrapped around your mouth, stifling your groan as he fed, and much to your shame, you had felt the beginning of pleasure warming your lower body. You broke away from him before he could finish, turning back to him to apologize. But he was already getting up, walking away without a single word. You had caught him giving you one last look, a regretful frown, and you had assumed that he lamented having his meal cut short.

“Alright, maybe he is a little manipulative," you conceded. "But I know that."

"And yet you keep giving into him," Halsin said, without any judgment. 

You hung your head. "Yes."

Halsin tipped your chin with two fingers until you were looking up at him. His smile was understanding and tender. "It's alright to care for someone and give into their needs, as long as you take care of your own as well."

You blinked. "But I want…" Trailing off, your cheeks warmed with embarrassment. Like it or not, you had been thrust into the role of the unwilling leader of this ragtag band. What you needed didn’t exactly align with what the team needed from you. What the others needed you to be was a commander, controlling the situation ahead of you.

But what you wanted, needed, was someone to command you, just for a little while, so you didn’t have to constantly think three steps ahead. You looked up at Halsin and felt a sense of trust. He was older, wiser, and most importantly, willing.

"Go on," he coaxed. 

Swallowing, you pushed down your fear and spoke your true desires. "I want to let someone else be in control, just for a little while. I want…" You paused, taking a deep breath, drawing in the courage to continue. "I need to be fucked. Not made love to, not a gentle roll in the sack. I need something… more."

Looking up, you saw a desirous glow in Halsin's gaze. He considered your vague request for a moment before giving you a soft smile. "Is this something you'd like me to do for you?" 

You thought of the large druid holding you down, his hands around your wrists beside your head as he fucked you from behind like a wild animal, growling into your ear. His voice rumbled through your body. Take all of me, little one. Give me your pleasure until it overwhelms your luscious body. 

You blinked and the mental image vanished, but not the desire. "Yes," you answered breathlessly. "Please."

Halsin gently stroked your cheek. “Of course.” He leaned in, nuzzling your temple with his nose. He softly whispered, “if I get too rough, say ‘honey wine’, and I’ll stop.” He pulled away to look you in the eyes. “Understand?”

“Yes sir,” you said.

He gave you one last tender smile before he straightened his stance and took a step back. “Good,” he said in his arch druid voice, powerful, commanding. “Now, strip for me.”

You swallowed and began to take off all of your clothes at a languid pace, letting him enjoy the moment as each article of clothing came off your body. He circled around you, a small smile on his lips as his eyes roved up and down your body.

As you finally stepped out of your underwear and kicked it aside, you felt strangely free. Anyone could walk up and find you two. Yet he was fully clothed, while you were naked to the elements.

And it felt good.

Halsin placed his fingers on your belly and walked around you, his touch leaving a warm trail along your skin. When he was behind you, he stopped. His hand splayed across your lower abdomen and pulled you close.

You gasped at the feeling of his bulge against your bare ass. His leather breeches rubbed against your skin. His chest, though covered in his druid clothes, was warm and comforting. And because he towered over you, he could easily kiss the top of your head.

Taking one of your hands with his free one, he brought your fingers to his lips and kissed them. 

“Show me how you pleasure yourself,” he said, letting go of your hand. He kept you tight against his chest.

With your hands, you began to touch yourself how you liked, teasing yourself at first before pleasuring yourself, harder and faster, until you were panting, your head lolling back against his shoulder. Your knees were beginning to wobble, and you grabbed his thigh for support. Gods, he was like a tree trunk, thick and solid. Your moans were growing louder, and you covered your own mouth in shame as you continued to touch yourself. Your hand was slick from your arousal, the wet sounds echoing around you. Just a little more…

“Stop.”

You whined, but did as he bade.

He suddenly let you go, and you nearly fell to your knees if not for him grabbing your arm and keeping you upright. You could hear him undoing the laces of his breeches.

Then you felt him rest his shaft against the curve of your ass. He pulled on your hand and wrapped it around him, smearing the slick from your palm.

“That’s it. Stroke me.” His voice had taken on a deeper timbre. The voice of command.

You did as he said, running your hand up and down his cock. It was hot, hard as iron, yet felt like velvet to the touch. And so girthy as well. You could not wait to take him inside of you.

So focused on pleasuring him, you barely noticed when he began to prepare you, one finger slicked up and sliding in and out of you. He added a second, and a third, all the while caressing your body with his other hand, his lips never far from your skin. You stroked him faster, gripped him harder, but he touched your wrist and slowed you down. 

“Patience, little one,” he murmured. “Don’t end this before we begin.”

You nodded. 

“Good.” He placed a hand on your back and gently bent you over. “Hands behind your back. Grip your forearms.”

You did so, and he grabbed your arms like the reins of a horse. He pulled his fingers from you, and you whimpered, but soon they were replaced by the tip of his cock.

Halsin grunted, and his hips shot forward, filling you full of him in one hard stroke.

Before you could scream, his hand was over your mouth. 

“You don’t want everyone knowing how well you submit, do you?” he asked.

You shook your head.

“Good. I’m going to let go of your mouth now. But stay quiet.” He gripped your arms with both hands now and began to move his hips. The first few strokes were slow and steady as he gauged how well you were opening up to his invasion. Then he sped up, dominating you with his strength, his hips slapping against your ass.

You couldn’t help yourself, you moaned and whimpered with each thrust.

“Can’t stay quiet, can you?” he gritted out, slowing his pistoning. Pulling out of you, he waved his hand and a soft bed of moss appeared on the ground. “On your hands and knees.”

As soon as you fell into position, he climbed over you, his chest against your back, one arm wrapped around your shoulder. He stuffed his cock inside of you once more with a deep growl, almost… bear-like?

You turned your head to look back at him.

His eyes were glowing a fiery yellow, a feral snarl on his face. 

“Halsin,” you whispered in awe, lust, tinged with a bit of fear.

He picked up on it immediately, the caring elf that he was. He took a breath, and the glow in his eyes began to fade.

“No, no!” you panicked, grabbing onto him and clutching at him like he was a life preserver in an icy cold ocean. You didn’t want him to go easy on you, didn’t want him to simmer down just because you were a little bit shocked. You wanted all of him, all that he could give. “Take me, please!”

The glow stopped fading. “Take you, little one?”

“Yes, please,” you begged. “Please.”

His only response was a low growl as his eyes glowed once more and his hips moved in a measured rhythm, his pace steadily increasing until you could barely draw a breath between each stroke.

“Such a good little lover,” he murmured. His lips caressed the shell of your ear as he rutted into you, the dichotomy of his soft moans to his hard thrusts making you lose yourself to this heavenly euphoria. The fevered trance of being fucked without having to think about anything at all was so freeing. You devolved into a mass of writhing and moaning, unable to control your volume any longer. The coil of desire within you was growing tighter, wound up with every thrust, every low, beastly grunt that Halsin gave.

You felt your hands and arms buckle, and you sank your chest into the soft moss beneath you, your ass still up in the air. The cool vegetation against your skin contrasted with the heat from the druid pounding into you from behind.

“Touch yourself,” he commanded. “Finish what you started before.”

Gleefully you reached down and stroked yourself eagerly, your body tensing as the ecstasy built higher and higher. You clenched around Halsin’s thick cock, and he rumbled with satisfaction. He sped up, driving himself into your body with wild abandon.

Your climax ran through you like lightning. One moment, you were at the top of the mountain. The next, you were free falling, pleasure guiding your wings as you soared with rapture. You spasmed below the large man, crying out into his arm. He held you tighter as he fucked you through your orgasm until your knees gave way and you collapsed onto the ground.

You felt like a blissful ooze, boneless and relaxed, but Halsin was speeding up, his breath hitching, his moans becoming deeper, more… animalistic.

“Do you want my seed within you?” he asked in nearly a growl.

“Fuck yes,” you breathed, excited by the prospect. “Give me every last drop.”

He roared and pinned you to the ground, his hips jerking against your backside as he poured his essence into you. With one last push, he stayed inside of you for as long as he could, keeping part of his weight off you with one arm so he didn’t crush you. But the warmth, the comfort of his body felt so very nice. Like he was shielding you from the rest of the world for just this one moment, and you desperately needed it.

Halsin groaned, and he pulled away from you. Turning over, you looked to see him holding his arms, taking a deep breath.

“Halsin?”

“It’s alright. When my blood runs hot, my wildform… is harder to control.” He backed away. “I need to run around for a bit, until I’ve calmed down.” He looked up at you. “But I will wait until you are ready to return.”

You smiled. He was kind, thinking that you, an adventurer in your own right, savior of the grove, needed a guard. But it was sweet of him to be so considerate. “I’ll be alright.” You reached up and touched his arm. “Go, run wild. I’ll see you back in camp.”

You watched as Halsin transformed. No matter how many times you saw his bear form, it always took your breath away. The power, the pure might behind that fur. You had seen him tear goblins limb from limb with that power. But right now, he gently nuzzled your face before bounding away, his mighty roar echoing in the night. He exuded elation as he loped into the forest, and you couldn’t help but chuckle. It was cute.

Walking back to your pile of clothes, you leaned over to pick them up. Just as your hand gripped the fabric, you sensed something, or someone, in the trees. You let go of your clothes and grabbed a pebble nearby. With effortless speed, you flung the pebble into a nearby tree.

“Ouch. What was that for?”

“Get down here, Astarion.”

The pale elf gracefully leapt down from the tree and casually sauntered towards you. The only thing giving away his nonchalant look was the fact that the front of his pants looked a bit stretched.

He gave you a withering look as his gaze wandered up and down your naked body. He paid particular attention to the trail of Halsin’s seed dripping down your thighs.

“I never took you to be so… docile,” he said, a sly smirk on his lips. “Who knew you had it in you.”

You crossed your arms. “Had what in me?”

“Well, another man’s seed, for one.” He chuckled at his own comment. “But I was more impressed by your… willingness… to submit.”

His eyes flashed with a beguiling look and he stepped closer. Standing your ground, you ignored the flush of heat in your nether region as you stared back at him defiantly, until he was face to face with you. Damn his height, forcing you to tilt your head up.

“You should have told me what you needed, darling,” he purred. “I would have indulged you… for a price.”

You glared at him.

“Come now, don’t be offended. You’ve already given yourself to me for free. It would be gauche of me not to return the favor.”

Blood. He wanted to feed. The small puncture marks on your neck pulsed. And so did lower parts of you. But your annoyance with him made its way to your mouth first.

“I thought you had standards, Astarion.”

“Oh, but I do. However, I don’t mind lowering them for a little fun.”

You seethed for a moment. “Did it occur to you that maybe you’re below my standards?”

His eyes widened a bit at your vicious banter. Then he smiled knowingly and your stomach dropped. You knew from his look that he had something on you. He leaned in until his lips were a mere breath away from yours. “You think I didn’t notice the scent of your arousal the last time I bit you?”

You swallowed. Shit, he knew.

His eyes glanced down at his last bite mark. “You’ve already proven yourself to be my little fang slut. Why don’t you become my whore as well? I’ll pay for my meal with your pleasure.”

You should have been offended. Insulted. Outraged.

However, your body, relaxed after having been thoroughly fucked, betrayed you in the worst way. You flushed with carnal heat, your eyes dilated, and your breath hitched. And Astarion picked up on every last iota of your reaction.

“Well, looks like your body is much more honest,” he said in a low voice. His eyes glanced down at your lips for a moment before meeting your gaze. His lips grazed yours, so light that you barely felt it.

“Kneel.” His command, in a voice so low that you felt it as a rumble from his lips to yours.

You obeyed immediately, your eyes remaining locked with his.

He patted your head condescendingly. “Good little pet,” he purred. With one hand, he deftly freed himself from his pants.

As you began to lean forward, he tutted at you. “Stay still.”

You froze.

He smirked, a little bit of fang showing as he placed his hand on your head and tilted it up slightly. “Give me your hand,” he commanded, holding out his.

You put your smaller hand in his, and he placed it at the base of his cock. It grew slightly from your touch.

“Open your mouth,” he said softly. When you did so, he guided your head to him until you had engulfed him.

“Now you may move,” he said magnanimously, and you began to pleasure him as best as you could with your limited knowledge. Your eyes went up to his for a moment before you closed them, savoring the feeling of him growing larger and harder in your mouth.

“Look at me.”

Your eyes shot open again and you looked up at him. He gazed at you fondly, similar to how one would look at a beloved pet.

Then he shoved his cock down your throat.

You gagged and tried to push away, but the hand holding your head in place would not budge. Your eyes watered and you began to choke a bit.

“Relax your throat, darling. Breathe through your nose.”

You did as he said, and began to feel a bit better, but it was still difficult, controlling your gag reflex. Soon he released you, and you coughed, bringing your hand to your throat.

“Not ready for that, I suppose,” he said as he caressed your head and looked down at you, appraising you with one long look. His eyes lingered between your legs and his nostrils flared. You turned your head away, knowing that he could smell how aroused you were, and felt a bit of shame well up in your chest.

He held his hand out to you, as if to help you stand. You didn’t question why he wanted you to do so, you just took his hand and stood, somewhat shakily.

Leisurely, he circled around you until he was behind you. His hand went up to your throat, gently stroking it up and down, slowly, a whisper of a caress punctuated by moments of pressure in your most vulnerable points. He stepped forward, his chest to your back, and took a deep breath at your neck. He let his lips linger on your skin where your blood, sped up by his touch, lay closest to the skin.

“I can feel your pulse against my lips,” he murmured against your neck. “For some reason, I keep coming back to you.” His other hand caressed your bare backside for a moment before you felt him nudging himself between your legs. He pushed slightly, spreading you open. Your body accepted him easily, as if it was waiting for him.

“My filthy little pet,” he teased. “Any normal being would be resting by now.” He slid further inside of you, making you gasp. “But you’re anything but normal, are you?”

You wanted to snap back at him, but then he gripped your hip, anchoring you in place as he pushed himself into you, all the way to the hilt. Your voice cracked, your comeback dying on your lips. You could only let out a wordless cry of surrender.

Astarion’s dark chuckle filled your ears. “Who would have guessed?” He pulled his hips back, leaving only the head inside, just to tease you. “The hero of the grove.”

He slammed back into you, chasing away your breath once more. “You’re just a deviant, aren’t you?” His words were punctuated by his thrusts, reducing you to nothing more than a quivering mess, slave to his touch. 

Your mind began to blank, and though the logical part of you screamed to keep your wits about you, another part of you screamed back: you were tired. You just wanted to be. And the pleasure he was giving you, despite his cruel words, or perhaps, because of them, was overwhelmingly good.

The grip on your throat tightened just a bit. Not enough to hurt, but enough to let you know that he was in command. He could end you with one snap. You were foolish to let him have you in such a compromising position.

The light scrap of his fangs on your skin made you gasp, your heart rate skyrocketing. Instinctively, your body knew he was a predator, and you were his prey. His tongue flicked out to lick your pulse. He trapped your arms behind your back, his arm looped at your elbows, forcing you to arch your back.

“How will your blood taste, tinged with ecstasy, I wonder,” he mused, his voice deeper than you’d ever heard him. He gripped your jaw and forced you to look up at him, His eyes, scarlet like the blood moon and twice as hypnotizing, were dilated with need. 

“Come for me, pet.”

You had no choice. You simply did as he wanted, moving your hips shamelessly, sinking down on his cock over and over until you began to feel your climax spinning towards you.

Just as that blissful tide came rising up within you, a sharp pain came down on your neck. Your brain, addled with so many things, couldn’t handle it. The sting melted into the euphoria until you couldn’t tell one from the other. 

“Astarion!” you cried, whether to beg for mercy or to beg for more, you weren’t sure.

His hips slammed into you harder and you felt him empty himself inside of you, just as he moaned against your neck.

You felt yourself falling, and wondered if it was you, or the afterglow.

Slowly, too slowly, you realized it was your body, and you braced for impact.

But it never came.

With a surprising amount of strength, Astarion held you, carefully letting you sit down on the ground. He knelt down with you, and without thinking, you leaned your head against his shoulder.

“Thank you,” you whispered.

He froze for a moment before awkwardly patting your back.

That was… strangely not like him, you thought. Looking up at him, you were met with a curious expression on his face. 

“Astarion?”

He blinked, and the expression was gone, replaced by his usual rakish smirk. You felt a little sad that he had put his mask back on.

“Darling. We’ll have to try that again sometime,” he said, licking the corner of his lips to catch the last drop of your blood.

You cocked your head. “Was… was it that good?”

“I’m not sure,” he said mischievously. “I’ll need another…taste… to find out.”

You closed your eyes and smiled. You knew what he meant.

I’d like to do this again.

“Any time,” you replied.

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End Notes: Throughout my writing this, I ended up doing a tiny bit of research (and by research, I mean I looked up the sex scenes on pornhub), so I hope this was at least somewhat hot for some of you. Thanks for reading!

[rainhadaenerys]

One thing that I always saw from Dany antis, but never really wrote a proper post to refute, is the claim that Quentyn is not the Sun's son, it's Young Griff, and that Young Griff is not the mummer's dragon, it's Jon. So I want to make a post about this.

The argument usually goes: "Quentyn can't be the Sun's son because he is the Sun, not the Sun's son. The Sun's son must be Young Griff". But by this logic, Dany can't be called "the dragon's daughter" because she's the dragon, not the dragon's daughter. And yet, she is called the dragon's daughter and daughter of dragons. At some point people have to recognize that GRRM was just trying to be poetic. Quentyn is pretty much confirmed to be the Sun's son: he tried to steal Dany's dragon, and if that wasn't enough, his death creates a political problem for Dany in her negotiations with Dorne. So he was one of the people that Quaithe warned her she shouldn't trust.

Another argument is that "Aegon is not the mummer's dragon, he really is Elia's son, so Jon is the mummer's dragon, because Jon was hidden and playing a false role just like a mummer". And like… no. First of all, because there's a lot of evidence that Aegon is not the real Aegon, and that he could actually be Illyrio's son:

First, why wouldn’t Illyrio tell Dany and Viserys about him, or at least tell Doran and his family?

If Elia made a deal to save Aegon, why didn’t she try to save Rhaenys as well?

Why didn’t Elia tell anyone about this supposed plan? She could have written a letter to her family and Varys could have delivered it to them so that they would know Aegon survived.

Why would the Golden Company (that was always loyal to the Blackfyres) help a Targaryen prince? Especially when we consider that Viserys asked for the Golden Company’s help and was rejected, so it makes no sense for them to suddenly want to help some other Targaryen;

Illyrio even says something that hints very heavily at Aegon being a Blackfyre, when Tyrion asks him why would the Golden Company help a Targaryen: "Black or red, a dragon is still a dragon."

Illyrio’s wife had golden and silver hair;

Illyrio’s house has children’s clothes but there seems to be no sign of children in his house;

Young Griff is traveling with a septa that has stretch marks from a pregnancy;

Illyrio even says: “I told you, my little friend, not all that a man does is done for gain. Believe as you wish, but even fat old fools like me have friends, and debts of affection to repay.”

Illyrio also sends Young Griff gifts and sounds "oddly sad" when talking about him.

Of course, nothing is set in stone until GRRM writes the next books and reveals the truth, but people have to stop acting like there's no basis for the Aegon Blackfyre theory, because there is basis.

And Jon as the mummer's dragon makes no sense. If Jon was going to be referred to as playing a false role (and therefore being a "mummer's something"), he would be a mummer's wolf, not a mummer's dragon, because no one knows Jon is a "dragon", everybody thinks he is a wolf. He is posing as a wolf, as a Stark bastard. Quaithe and the Undying didn't warn Dany against a mummer's wolf, but against a mummer's dragon. They didn't warn her against someone being paraded as a wolf but who is not a real wolf, they warned her against someone being paraded as a dragon but who is not a real dragon (which can only be Young Griff, because there's no other character being paraded as a dragon in the story).

Finally, all of Dany's other prophecies seem to refer to different people. Daughter of Death refers to Viserys, Rhaego (the tall lord with copper skin and silver hair) and Rhaegar (the dying prince with rubies flowing from his chest); Bride of Fire refers to Drogo, probably Hizdahr (the corpse on the ship), and Jon (blue flower in a wall of ice); Slayer of lies seem to refer to Stannis (blue-eyed king with no shadow), Aegon (mummer's dragon) and probably Euron (stone beast breathing shadow fire from a smoking tower). Jon is already in another prophecy, the bride of fire prophecy. It would break the pattern GRRM wrote if he also was the cloth dragon (I'm not saying that it's impossible for GRRM to decide to break the pattern in these prophecies, just that this pattern is another clue that Jon likely won't appear twice and Aegon is the mummer's dragon).

[velvet4510]

Is it just me, or do y’all also sorta wish that Jackson had filmed Appendix B as the actual ending of ROTK? Clearly, as you’ll see, I have relatively normal feelings about this.

I understand and appreciate the movie having the same ending as the actual book. But the STORY itself doesn’t end with the last chapter; it ends with Appendix B.

Imagine a 2-minute montage, fading in after Sam comes home from the Grey Havens:

An unfamiliar female voice narrates over these images:

Sam & Rosie raising their children at Bag End; Sam reading the Red Book aloud to the children.

Sam making a speech as Mayor.

Sam sitting in Bag End’s study, reading a letter signed ‘Frodo,’ which Frodo clearly left for him.

Pippin & Diamond’s wedding.

Merry & Estella’s wedding.

Aragorn & Arwen with their children in Minas Tirith.

Aragorn dedicating and unveiling a tall statue of Frodo & Sam in Minas Tirith.

Legolas restoring the destroyed forests.

Gimli bringing the dwarves to Helm’s Deep.

Faramir & Éowyn with their children in Ithilien.

Teenage Elanor reading the Red Book by herself and reading a letter or poem that Frodo wrote for her before he sailed away (because, come on, he was a 2nd dad to her. he literally named her. he adored her, so of course he left something for her since she was too young to actually remember him).

Aragorn & Arwen visiting Sam, Merry, Pippin and their wives & children at the Brandywine Bridge.

The Gardner, Took & Brandybuck families all celebrating Yule together.

Time passing … the Travellers aging … the children growing up.

Teenage Elanor introducing Fastred to her parents.

Faramir Took and Goldilocks Gardner dancing at a party, transitioning to a dance at their wedding.

Sam and his son Frodo teaching Frodo’s own young son how to work in the garden.

The seasons in the Shire changing as more years go by…

Elderly Sam and his now-adult children gathered around elderly Rosie’s deathbed.

Elderly Sam sitting alone in Bag End’s beautiful, flourishing garden with a faraway look on his face, pulling Frodo’s now-wrinkled letter out of his pocket and reading it again.

Elderly Sam, Merry & Pippin sharing one last drink at the Green Dragon, followed by a tearful group embrace.

(I know the following messes up the book’s timeline, but for dramatic effect, I think this order of events would work better as a close for the film):

Elderly Merry & elderly Pippin hugging their adult sons goodbye and riding out of the Shire together.

Merry & Pippin shaking hands with elderly Éomer in Rohan.

Merry & Pippin’s gravestones in Gondor, with a statue of them standing above their tomb.

Aragorn’s tomb now beside theirs, years later.

Arwen hugging Eldarion goodbye in his throne room, with Eldarion now wearing the king’s crown.

Arwen entering Lothlórien alone.

Legolas hopping into a small sailboat and helping an aged Gimli onboard before they drift off into the sunset.

Sam placing the Red Book in adult Elanor’s hands and embracing her tightly.

A ship pulling away from the Grey Havens.

Elanor standing on the quayside and tearfully waving as the ship disappears into the horizon. She composes herself and her narration says “And that day, my dear Sam-dad passed over the Sea … the last of the Ring-bearers.”

Her words lead into the very last shot, fading from her face into a flash of white, and then fade-in to a distant view of an island, with greenery on one side and a sparkling beach on the other. Two hobbits, their backs to us, are strolling along the coastline, hand-in-hand.

THE END.

[trobedgirldads]

Favorite Cooliver headcannons?

ooooooooo okok i’m probably gonna forget some but here are some of my favs!!!!! (also plz plz plz y’all tell me yours!!!!!)

really long list under the cut :p

-they’re cat ppl. idc. like they don’t hate dogs or anything but when they’re all grown up their first pet as a couple is an orange cat :)

-normally i’m a huge supporter of every ship ever being girldads (literally my user lol) and like… cooliver are girldads but they’re also soooo boydads. they have a son. his name is spencer. also their daughter is probably named after katie

-OLIVER IS A CUDDLER. HE ALWAYS DENIES IT. BUT HE LOVES CUDDLING.

-^cooper is normally the big spoon

-cooper has really bad eyesight. he wears contacts normally, but then oliver sees him in glasses once and is like constantly begging him to wear his glasses bc they look soooo good on him

-obviously cooper calls oliver every spanish pet name ever

-cooper cooks, oliver does laundry

-when they get married, they consider hyphenating but they end up just being oliver and cooper otto

-when they kiss, cooper tastes like oranges (i literally wrote a whole fic about this) and oliver tastes like licorice

-they had their first kiss when they were 14 (cough cough s3 e5 “trust me” cough cough) and maybe had a few more casual kisses and moments after that but didn’t actually officially get together until the summer between junior/senior year of high school (so like right after s5)

-before they got together, oliver would always make fun of triplor for being so touchy/pda-heavy but then after he and cooper got together they’re even worse

-cooper asks greg and katie for permission before proposing. he knows they’ll say yes, but he still wants to ask.

-^they have a HUGE fancy proposal but actually a pretty small wedding

-when they start college they try to live separately for a bit but then they can’t do it bc they’re already too used to living together

-the version of katie’s 40th birthday pic w cooper and trip in it is framed and hung up in their house

-cooper never explicitly comes out to oliver, it just is something they’re both aware of

-sometimes cooper will just say something super out of pocket and oliver will be like “wtf are you talking about……. wait no you have a point actually”

-this is so engrained in my mind that i genuinely forget that iirc it’s not actually canon: they share clothes. like they don’t even really have separate parts of the closet. once oliver is tall enough that they’re the same size, all their clothes are communal property between the two of them

-^with that being said, there are a few sweatshirts that are distinctly oliver’s and cooper LOVES stealing them. especially if oliver has to go out of town for a business trip or something, he’ll sleep in them and stuff

[remholder]

under the cut I'll be explaining why I ship them and some other gay ass nonsense

(also, you CAN reblog this but it's mostly meant for mutuals/followers)

seven/odo:

autism to autism communication. also gender. also the struggle to connect to one's self. and I also feel like they'd just get along??? what's hard to get lmao

seven/jadzia:

that fucking TV guide photoshoot RUINED ME and also they're tall. and gender again. that's gonna be a theme.

mirror!seven/mirror!kira:

'why mirror and not normal?' because the dark passion books is completely full of their toxic yuri faggotry and the power dynamic/imbalance between them is so so sexy (kira literally has seven flaunt around in a Gul uniform just to piss off Dukat it's so funny)

seven/data:

more autism to autism communication. and gender. and their struggles with coming to terms with (or lack thereof) their humanity is something they could bond over. also fuck Terry Matalas, really had seven refer to as data as "the robot", I waited years for them to interact and his pissshit ass did that. FUCK TOU IM GONNA MAKE THEM FUCK NASTY

seven/kirk:

I mean

I wrote the first seven/kirk fic on ao3

I'm the captain

seven/beverly:

seven and her milf kink. do I have to say more? but honestly idk I just like it. I wrote about it kinda in a fic on ao3, about how seven has picards memories, when he became locutus, she remembers his love for Beverly. and that became sevens love of Beverly, yada yada yada

anyways!!!!

[baek-at-it-again95]

Walk The Plank (KHJ x fem reader)

Chapter 16: If Without You

You had grown up hearing tales about the infamous pirate crew ATEEZ—the fearless, power-hungry men that roamed the seas in search of the most valuable treasure they could lay their hands on. You almost didn’t believe the stories your mother had told you as a child...not until you wound up on their ship  

Warnings for this chapter: tall heights, soft mingi lol, angsty!

A/N: HI ATINY BABIES! It’s been a while! I wrote half of this before seeing TXT and then my brain was fried for the weeks following... I hope you are all enjoying your summer so far <3

Previous: Chapter 15, Masterlist

Chapter 16: If Without You

"I have something I want to show you."

You follow Hongjoong as he leads you outside, a comfortable silence falling between you. It's a nice break from the previous chaos. 

You pass by a flower field that is beautiful in the moonlight, and you realize that the building you just left is surrounded by a farm. It's on the outskirts of a city, which looks like the Sector One you had jumped from moments ago. You space in and out as you follow Hongjoong, sometimes glancing at his hat from behind, wondering if he knows you're looking at him.

"You were not lying when you said your Sector One was similar," you mumble. He looks back at you, waiting for you to catch up to his side before answering.

"Did you not believe me?"

"No, I just...did not imagine there could be so much of the same thing in all these different worlds."

"Humans are very repetitive beings," he replies, wide eyes glistening in the moonlight. "Their history seems to repeat in similar patterns, whether from one world or another. Things that are present in one are present in the next."

You look at him curiously. "Do you think that is a good thing?"

"I believe it can be a good and bad thing. For example, bad, because you, me, and our alternates seem to be wanted in different timelines." You play with your fingers nervously at his statement. "But also good, since we are together in those worlds, as well."

"So perhaps it is beyond just a simple repetitive history. Like... fate," you suggest.

"That is true. Though, I would rather it not be."

"Why?"

"Fate is such a set concept. Like there can only be one option and one outcome, you know?"

"I see. You do not like your fate, if this is what your fate is. Correct?" You look at him with a frown.

"Yes. I would rather this life not be destined for every alternate version of me."

"Well, like there are different versions of you, I believe there can be different versions of fate," you reply. "I am sure that somewhere, an alternate of you and your lover are together. And they are happy." You keep your eyes on the ground as you exit the fields of the farm. The ground transitions from dirt to the same kind of odd, smooth ground from the previous city.

"I can believe that," Hongjoong says. "Actually, I know that we are together, happy somewhere. I have seen them."

"Oh, that is nice to hear." You give him a sad smile. Had he seen his alternate with his lover somewhere in the world you had just jumped from? Or maybe he's jumped worlds before even meeting you. You wonder what other kinds of artifacts aside from the Cromer possess such a power. What do the Guardians use to jump? Does each world have its own version of the Cromer, like they do people? 

He nods. "I hope they stay together." Hongjoong pushes open the door to a tall building you hadn't even realized you arrived in front of. "Come on," he whispers, holding it open for you.

Hesitating for just a moment, you enter the new structure. He gently takes your arm, leading you down a narrow walkway into another door. In this one, there are steps going around and around, spiraling up to a ceiling you can barely see. You begin to ascend them quickly but slow down soon after. It feels as if there is no end to them as you continue up, so after some time, you abruptly stop in the middle of a platform.

"Need a break?" Hongjoong asks, smile on his face as he watches you catch your breath. 

"No, no. Are we almost there, though?" 

"Yes. Here." You reluctantly follow him up one more set of stairs and he opens a door, taking you outside. You cautiously step out and look around.

"Wow." From here, you can see all of this Sector One. Little lights in the windows of the many structures sparkle like stars, making the ground look like a mirror of the sky. The lights expand across your entire line of sight, and the moon looks huge as it looms over the city, casting its low light over the buildings. "This...is beautiful." You can't tear your eyes away from the view. Unlike the last time you were high above the ground, you are not scared. You feel free. 

"Isn't it? I used to come up here a lot when I couldn't sleep."

"We are all so similar." It reminds you of the time your captain found you out on the deck, watching the reflection of the moon in the waves. He told you the story about his journey to Twilight Cove and you had fallen asleep right there, on the steps to the quarter deck. You smile to yourself.

"What do you plan to do once you get home?" Hongjoong asks. 

"Oh, I have not given it much thought. I was not even sure we could get home before this."

"I see. There is one thing you must do when you go back, though."

"What would that be?"

"You have to break the Cromer."

"What?" Your breath catches in your throat. "But we searched so long and hard for it. My father's entire life of research is in our hands, and you want me to break it? As if it is nothing?"

"Y/N, I understand why this would be upsetting. But your life will continue to be in danger as long as you have it in your possession. Once you rid yourself of the artifact and its effects, the guardians will likely not be able to find you."

"But Hongjoong—"

"I know, darling. It is your decision, and I will not be there. Just...think about it, please. I do not want you to live a life like me where you just run and run." He runs his fingers through his dark hair and you sigh, nodding. 

Hongjoong then points to the sky, taking you away from the subject of the Cromer.

"Do you see that star right there?" He comes next to you.

"The brightest one?"

"Yes, that one. It reminds me of her. Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I know she wouldn't give up. So, I can't."

"Hongjoong...I did not know her, but I feel like she would want you to live freely. Without worrying about her. Just as you do not wish for any harm to come to her, she is probably hoping the same of you." He lowers his gaze to the ground. 

"I know, but I am selfish. I have thought about giving up, but after these past few days, I remember why I want so badly to be with her again. And if I can't, I will die trying." Your eyes widen at his confession.

"I see." You notice in the distance how an orange hue has begun to appear in the dark sky. 

"Y/N, I need to tell you something." 

"What is it?" you ask, still watching the skyline. You begin to see pink along with the orange.

"It has been nice to see you again."

"Again?" You turn to look at him.

He hesitates. "Y/N, you are my lover. In every universe."

The world seems to spin at his words.

"Hongjoong—"

"I know I am not your Hongjoong. And you are not my Y/N. But being with you has given me some peace. To know you are just as lovely as I remember, beyond time and space. It has not filled the hole in my heart, but helped patch it." You just stare at him, your jaw opening to say something but closing again. "Forgive me for keeping this from you...I just did not know if it would cause any issues earlier on."

"I suppose for me to be in love with the Hongjoong in my world and you to be in love with the Y/N in your world makes sense. It is just quite overwhelming to think about."

"I understand. How do you think I felt when you suddenly appeared and helped me escape that Guardian?" He laughs. 

"Terrified!"

"Yes. Thank you, Y/N. For everything."

"No need to thank me." You brush him off. "I did not do anything." 

"Yes, you did. Y/N, you're amazing. You saved our lives and you have been so strong through it all. And again, you reminded me of what's important to me. So, thank you."

"Thank you." You pull him into your arms and hold him tight. "For everything. Good luck finding...um...me." Hongjoong laughs at you, pulling back.

"Here." He pulls the Cromer from the inside of his coat, handing the shiny object to you. You accept it carefully.

"Hongjoong, how can I be sure I can go home now? You said it works best when I am in danger..." He holds onto both of your arms as he speaks to you.

"Trust me, Y/N."

"I do, but—" He places a chaste kiss on your cheek.

"And don't be mad at me, please. Understand this is for you to get home."

"But why would I be—" Hongjoong scoops you up, bringing you to the edge of the rooftop. Your eyes widen and your heart feels like it stops as he holds you over the wall. "No, Hongjoong," you plead. "There has to be some other way. I do not like this method."

"Trust me. Until we meet again."

"Kim Hongjoong I swear—AH!" You scream as he lets go of you and you close your eyes, hugging the Cromer tightly to your chest. You hear nothing but the wind in your ears as you descend. Home. You have to go home. You think about your crewmates and the captain you miss so dearly, along with the ship you had gotten so used to traveling on. 

Are you still falling?

You can't feel anything particular around you, and you're scared to open your eyes. But you know you have to eventually. With one deep breath, you open them slowly. You make eye contact with Hongjoong. Your Hongjoong. You take in his eyepatch, his hook, and his scruffy mullet that you missed. His telescope clatters to the main deck and it brings you out of your daze. He runs over and cups your cheek with his hand.

"Y/N?"

"Joong!" You practically knock him over as you bury yourself in his arms. He pulls you away, inspecting your face and your body for visible injuries. Tears prick at your eyes, and you sniffle.

"I am okay." You watch as a tear falls from his eye, too, and he pulls you back into his chest.

"Y/N, I was so worried about you." He places a kiss on top of your head.

"I was worried about you, too. I missed you so much." His embrace is enough to calm you completely, his familiar scent comforting.

"What is going on out her-" You hear Mingi's voice from behind you and you turn to peek at him with your blurry, tear-filled eyes. "Shit." He disappears back into the captain's quarters and comes back out with six other men who you missed equally as much.

"Y/N!" Wooyoung shouts, running over to hug both of you. "I knew you'd be back with no problem." You roll your eyes, smiling. 

"Where is..." Yeosang starts.

"He is home. I have a lot to tell you all."

"We do too," San says. "Mingi cried a lot while you were gone." You watch as Mingi jabs his laughing crew mate in the side, and you have to hold in your own laughter.

"I am flattered." Your eyes then catch a glimpse of the Cromer on the deck. You must have dropped it when you saw Hongjoong.

How are you going to tell them that you need to destroy it...

Taglist: @foxinnie8 <3

[stardancerluv]

A Time to Love and to Fight

Part Thirty - Two

Summary: While enjoying the city they live near, Reader is visited by the past. Enjolras is confronted by his past and his future.

Warning/Notes - No real warnings. Just building dread.

eau de Cologne - how cologne was referred to

reticule - a type of purse for a woman in the past.

Sorry about the time between chapters. I wrote and rewrote this alot!!! It’s a long chapter with a flashback.

❤️s, comments, reblogs & feedback is always welcome!

You delighted on watching Enjolras. He spoke easily with the harbor master. His air and command of the situation made you happy. He was firm but pleasant and never belittling.

As they pointed into the bay, you followed their fingers pleased that you could also spot the ship. You gave a moment of pause in gratitude that your time of traveling on the water was over.

Oddly, you were reminded of the stories those women shared of their husbands still gave you shivers. You could never be wed to such beasts. Just as you were pleased with him, the baby shifted within you, made you believe they were pleased to too. You laid a gentle on your stomach.

Turning, he smiled and walked towards you.

“The ship is on an easy and straight course for its arrival. The master spoke of how I should bring you to shops and buy you something nice.” A smile played on his lips.

You gave him a sweet smile. “You don’t have to.”

“I don’t know, I may want to.”

You rose your eyebrows. “We have bought so much for our home. Are you sure?”

He nodded. “My dear wife, I do believe I should have given you something a long time ago.”

Taking his arm you followed him as he led you away from the docks.

You looked around making sure you stepped carefully. “Us, here and safe is enough.”

He squeezed your your hand. “As much as I do not enjoy extreme excess, you need some possession especially since you are the lady of our household.”

“Thank you, my love.”

*******

“Good day, Sir Julien.” Greeted a kind looking older man, he was wiping his hands on a cloth. He stopped upon seeing you. “Oh? Is this the lady of the house?”

You nodded and glanced up at Enjolras. He smiled down at you.

“Dear, this Mr Jameson. He has supplied our home with many treasures.”

“You have parted with many different items.”

He nodded. “I am sure your house is much grander for it.”

“It is.” You nod. “Thank you.” Slipping your arm free, you wandered away as the two began to speak of other items he may or may not be receiving soon.

The house, that you and Enjolras were now were residing were becoming quite grand. It reminded you of your home before the disappearance of your father. It had held several treasures before having sell them so that your mama and you could keep the home.

You sighed and continued to look at all the great items that remained. Some of which shifted your mood and made you relieved that Enjolras had such good eye. You would have been aghast to have them.

You were drawn to an array of some powder boxes. They made you smile. Looking at a few, you were reminded of one night when mama was preparing for one of the parties her and father would be hosting. She had opened one of her elegant boxes and gave her bosom a dusting. You had been watching, peering actually in from the bedroom doorway.

“I see you my sweet little cabbage. Would you like to be like mama and have some perfumed powder tonight?”

You nodded. You hurried over. Stopping, you stood tall while also attempting to be as elegant as you could.

A warm giggle came from her. “Ok. Close your eyes.”

You squeezed them shut. Next you felt a soft brush on your nose. The sweet scent of honeysuckle filled your nose.

“Perfect.” She said with a gentle air. “Now you are all ready for the party.”

******

He was pleased to hear that the cradles had come in. You being here was timely. He could not and would not have wanted to decide on one or even two without your guidance.

“I will go and find her. I am sure she is enjoying the sight of your treasures.”

“Treasures.” He made a dismissive gesture. “They are what makes a household, a home.”

He nodded. “They are that.”

The floor boards creaked under his boots as he walked down another aisle where he spotted you. As he drew closer, he saw a faraway look eyes.

“Ange?” He whispered, wrapping an arm around you.

You glanced up. “I…I…”

He smiled. “You looked terribly faraway my love, where were you?”

“I was.”

You replied with a soft smile that had a trace of sadness to it. You pointed to the powder boxes in front of you.

“They remind me of mama.”

You pointed to the porcelain boxes in front of you.

“Oh? Look at those.”

He drew from you and looked down at them and back at you. He knew how he treasured the glass bottle that held the sharp aftershave that his father gave him.

“Choose among them what you wish to have and they will be yours.”

You brought a gloved hand to your lips, in the muted light he could see happiness brighten them.

“Yes.” He nodded. “They will have a wonderful place on your vanity.”

*****

You held onto two of small boxes and were wrapped tightly in cloth. You could not wait to place them on your vanity. They were perfect.

******

Now, a new happiness filled you at the sight of them sitting there. Berceaux, cribs bassinets all for you and Enjolras to choose from for your baby. You brought a hand to your growing belly as you considered them.

It took some time, testing the ease of the rocking and evaluating the size. Also, you had to make sure none made too much noise when it moved. In the end, Enjolras and you settled on three of the five that stood in front of you. One for you Enjolras’s private chambers, one for the child’s respective nursery and another that they could easily move around if they wished to sit in the gardens or the library and wanted to have the baby with them.

“I will wrap these up in haste.” The man older man patted one of them. “I will fetch Edmund. Together, we will bring these down the docks.”

Enjolras nodded. “Good. Thank you.”

******

The ship surely has arrived by now, if he had learned anything these last few months the timing of ships in clear weather was becoming familiar to him.

Turning to you. with a gentle ease of his hand on your lower back. He made his way with you out to the cobbled street.

“Angel, I will walk you to the perfumery. That is where I found the ones that have already brought the most pleasant scents to the airs of our chambers and for you to feel even lovelier.”

“Is it close?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “And then I will return to the docks and check on the arrival of the boat.”

******

You watched as he spoke warmly with the gentleman in the worn brown coat whose collar looked especially stiff. But had a soft demeanor.

Turning, Enjolras closed the distance between the two of you once more. “Love, this is Mr. Barlowe. He can assist you while I go and check on things with the harbor master.”

“Thank you.” You turned and smiled at the man.

********

Enjolras enjoyed having you along. Though a cloud, a shadow of worry did chase his ankles. Though keeping you tucked away at the estate disliked more.

With it being such a lovely day, he was relieved you were having a good day. The baby was being good to their mama by not giving her any light headedness. That pleased him.

“Oh! Excuse me good sir.” He quickly said as he collided with someone stumbling out of the bar.

Turning in the direction in which the man fell, the man had sprawled.

“I am terribly sorry, sir. Thoughts had clouded my vision.”

He offered his hand. The man took it. He had a very firm grip.

“And drink had made my feet unsure of themselves.”

Their eyes met and chuckle had blossomed and was shared.

“Well, I must be on my way.” He gave the man a quick smile.

******

He had been right. His pleasure on being correct, gave him a flush of confidence. He needed it.

The boat after its journey groaned and creaked as it anchored at the dock.

He’d never breath the words into existence but fleeing had give him a thorn of discontent in his side. Logic, his heart told him he had made the correct decision. There was no doubt or second thoughts lingering in his heart.

Though there was a sliver of pain that sometimes cut deep as the thoughts, the memories of Courfeyrac or Grantaire or even small Gavroche or the elder Mabeuf paid him a visit. He glanced down at his scared hand that he used to lean against the wooden posts at the dock while he waited.

******

“Sir, I mean Officer Gerard, are you alright? I knew I shouldn’t have allowed you free of my arms this early.” The bar maid fluttered around him.

He dusted himself off, eyes narrowing as he watched the younger man walk away. He gave the barmaid who had been warming his bed a half smile.

“Do you know who that is my sweet cabbage?”

The woman glanced and smiled back at him. “Of course, I do my love.”

The woman dragged out that last word, love. He wasn’t quite sure how it made him feel. In the past, he’d backhand some for using it so casually. Yet, now It had been an age since anyone spoke of him in such a manner.

“That is Sir Julien. Newly arrived on our ground with a wife who is blossoming with life while he has the flair of a gentleman.”

With a tilt of her head he could see a tide of worry was over her.

“Is there something the matter? You would surely like him. He drinks and plays cards as well.”

He shook his head. “No but our paths did just crash and it left me curious. He seemed almost too polite for this region.”

“He sounds like you.” A giggle came from her. “Am I too polite too since you took a liking to my company?”

“Perhaps.”

********

“Sir, sir is that steady enough?”

A sharp voice took his attention away from the water that slapped against the wooden haul.

It was his mother. His heart leapt as his stomach churned. His feet ushered him over to where she would step foot.

“Mother?” All that he could possibly remained in his mouth.

Despite a tiredness having blanketed her usual refined and elegant appearance she smiled. “It took some arguing but I convinced your father to allow me passage to go and see you.”

“I did get my stubbornness from the two of you. What made him finally allow you?”

“Reason. Someone needs to keep an eye on the estate.”

“And despite him always being quite cold, you always brought some warmth from him however small.”

“It is my charm and wit that I feel blessed to have passed onto you, my son.”

******

With the occasional sniff from a handkerchief you finally were able to settle on eau de Cologne for Enjolras. You were not sure what he would think of it. But it did remind you of him. Memories, of how he had looked striding over to you with that white billowy shirt, those trousers and black shiny boots still stirred your heart.

“I will wrap this so it is ready when he returns.”

“Thank you.” You replied softly.

*****

The door jangled as you went to stand just outside the shop. The air with all of its scents had grown too heavy for you. Gently wrapped and tucked away in your reticule, the cologne was safe. You held the strings that

Shops, streets were different in England, you mused looking at your new surroundings, the urge to explore was strong.

Though a fluttering came from the baby as they shifted within you.

“Are you awake?” You whispered, gently patting your stomach.

The warmth of your love for them came over you. You were learning that you had to keep not only yourself safe but them as well. Waiting, for Enjolras’s return you took in the small street and other shops. Distantly, you could hear hushed voices with the occasional peel of laughter from opening and closing of a pub’s door.

You watched as Enjolras rounded the corner. As you watched he paused heavily against a wall. He looked as if something happened. Your heart squeezed hard. Not uttering a word you began to make your way over to him.

His eyes met yours as you neared. A few of his curls fell into his brow but didn’t hide the look you saw in them. It stole your breath.

******

The arrival of his mother excited him and worried him. He knew how she was rather particular with how she liked things. He knew the two of you had seemed complimentary of each other during those short moments at Oliver’s.

However, after the package from his father he would not expected this. It was not something, he particularly wanted to worry about. It was enough that he was keeping an ear open for the possible arrival of the French solider who was looking for revenge. He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he made his way back to you.

“Sir Julien, sir Julien.”

He resisted the urge to ignore the barmaid, calling to him. This was not the time to close himself off from all the new people he was meeting. He swallowed, stopping and turned towards her.

“Yes?”

She was breathless and red faced as she caught up with him. Her hands fluttered around her like birds as she found her breath.

“I’m sorry.” She muttered swallowing some breathes.

“It is ok. There was something you wanted?” The urge to get back to you grew.

“A man, like you. Sounding like you has been staying with me.”

A chill came over him, he tried not to shiver. “Like me?”

A broad, lopsided smile that only she could muster spread across her fleshy face as the flush of running over to him finally faded.

“Yes, sounds like you and also likes to play card games. You should come one night. I told him, you did too.”

He blinked. “You did.”

With the excited nod of her head, the bun that held her hair in place loosened some.

“I did. You two would get along. Both very charming.”

He had to get away and now, he needed air desperately.

“I will consider it.

“You will?”

“Yes! But now I must be off. Fare thee well.”

He heard her call the same and he nodded and made it around the corner just out of eye sight and slumped against a stone wall. He felt like what little bile was in his stomach could leave at any moment. He took several breaths to calm his racing heart and churning stomach.

@henry-cavs-tudor @corrodedcoffn @dealswiththedevilsblog @randomstory56 @pl1nfa1 @phantomxoxo @ladybug0095 @the-iridescent-phoenix @maryan028 @kindablackenedsuperhero @amethyst-serenade @moondev1l @samunson83 @julieteagk @little-wormwood @wafflepixie @shadyhamiltonfanatic @gretavankleep37 @peacefroggg23 @capailluiscedove

[yanderu-deredere]

sinker.

★ you are served an absolutely stellar dinner by an equally stellar couple. you don't know if it's the wine or the something else but you feel like something is going on between you, casimir and emm? maybe you needed to clear your head

a/n: THIS IS THE SMUT CHAPTER LOL i edited this authors note to say this becos this originally said something else but just wanted to warn yall that no, this is actually the smut chapter

also lol i was writing this after i wrote the smut for the werewolves and i realised?? HELLO? what is UP with me and inhebriated readers lmaooo? so i changed it a little bit so that reader sobers up a bit but still the warning is there cus they have a couple glasses of wine

neway, almost didn't post this today but someone commented on the last chapter's tags about how much they loved 'tall beefy woman' and 'tall beefy man'. unfortunately, tho casimir isn't as beefy, he definitely has his own muscles! hope you specifically enjoy! you know who you are

part one (hook.) ★ part two (line.) ★ part three (here) ★ extras (captive.) ★ part four (drawn.) ★ part five (quartered.)

pairing: casimir fiala x reader x emmaline fiala word count: 2821

warning: gender neutral reader, reader is attracted to males and females, readers friends just continue to suck and not in the fun way, reader gets a crush? interesting, mentions of emm's burn scars, final ship is poly

You sighed as you stepped out of the house, the rush of the rain sounding a little bit like a calming static to your ears.

Of course, the last thing you wanted to do was to get wet so you kept under the porch roof. You just wanted a breath of fresh air, something that wasn't the suffocating air around your friends and the couple inside.

The inside of the house wasn't exactly stuffy to you but it felt way way too hot and there was a cool breeze outside that helped at least make your cheeks feel less warm.

What was with you?

You just didn't understand why you suddenly felt so flustered around a married couple.

Maybe Bran was right. Maybe you were a freak?

Or maybe it was the wine. But you weren't a light weight and you'd never gotten drunk over something like this before so you didn't understand why you'd get drunk like this now.

Maybe it really was just because Emm was a beautiful buff woman and Casimir was a sexy svelte man... Was that your type?

You let out a sigh that turned into a warm fog in the cold air outside.

You heard the door behind you creak but you didn't look behind you, just kept your arms crossed and your eyes trained on the looming factory across the road.

"You okay? You kind of rushed out there." Emm put something around your shoulders and you quickly realised it was some sort of cardigan "Casimir says thanks for helpin' with the dishes and with cookin'."

"I swear it tasted even better than usual--"

Before you could even stop yourself, you turned around and pressed your lips onto Emm's. You were about to pull back but, then, you felt her hand on the back of your neck, keeping you close.

Her kiss was gentle, almost sweet, but her tongue licked at your lips and you let her in almost immediately.

When she finally pulled away, your breaths both came out as soft clouds, her eyes frantically searching yours like she was hoping there was an answer in your eyes.

"I'm so sorry--"

That wasn't the answer she was looking for. She looked disappointed or sad, something in between. Either way, her shoulders sagged a little but she nodded slowly "I un'erstand, don' worry 'bout it."

"Cas'll pro'ly wonder 'bout us." She turned to leave and, God, did your heart ache.

You put a hesitant hand on her upper arm, your thumb tracing the wrinkled burn as comfortingly as you could "I'm really sorry, I-i don't want to get in the middle of-of you a-and your husband--"

"An-And what if we want you to get in the middle?" Emm moved fast because she was suddenly turning back to you, her hands at your upper arms, that hopeful expression back on her face again "Biblically?"

It took you a second but, when her words clicked, you laughed. You leaned against her, your forehead against her collar, and you laughed.

She didn't seem offended because she cradled you close, her hand carding through your hair and her other hand tracing your spine, like she was scared you'd disappear if she stopped touching you in any way.

"Cas told me you had nothin' but a degree waitin' for you back at home." She leaned a little closer, back bowing so she could whisper in your ear, like saying her words too loudly would jinx her somehow.

"Maybe... maybe after your degree, you could... come here? We could pick you up. I know it's a mighty long trek but... oh, darlin'." She sighed, all dreamy and soft. "You're worth the longest trek there is."

Your heart beat out your chest at the thought of the two thinking you were worth so much. After everyone in your life putting you down, after being put last for everything, it was so surreal to have someone think you were worth so much.

"But-- what would we be?" You couldn't help but ask, still confused about what exactly she wanted from you "A-And why me?"

"I don't know why you, darlin', but I knew the second I saw you. Just seein' you there, peerin' out that window. I knew I fell in love with you." She confessed, pressing a kiss to your temple.

"As for what we would be..." Emm trailed off before shrugging and just pulling you impossibly closer "I don't know, sweetness. We'd be whatever you want us to be."

"I know Cas don't know how to say his feelin's sometimes but he feels the same as me." She pressed another kiss against your temple, closer to the corner of your eye "And he'd be happy to have another spouse. The both of us are."

You were struck speechless for a second before you nodded slowly, nose rubbing against the skin of her neck. With a soft sigh, you smiled "I'd at least like to give it a try."

Then, you pulled away far enough from Emm to look her in the face, mischievous smirk on your face "And I wouldn't be opposed to... uh, getting in between the two of you. Biblically speaking, that is."

Now that you were directly looking at Emm, you could see the way her face flushed when you spoke to her. But, unlike you, she didn't look shy at all.

In fact, her eyes darkened and, though she definitely looked flustered, there was a hungry expression on her face.

Before you could do anything else, she pressed forward and kissed you, her fingers in your hair tightening.

You whimpered at the feeling of her pulling at your hair but you kissed her back anyway, your hands clawing at her clothes, trying desperately to pull her close.

"We shou'get Cas." Emm looked like it took everything in her to pull away from you but, when you hesitantly nodded, she strengthened her resolve and lifted you into her arms.

You squealed, surprised by her strength, your arms tightening around her neck. She just kept her grip tight around your waist and under your knees.

"Geez, warn someone before you sweep them off their feet." You sighed but, from the cheeky expression on her face, you didn't think Emm felt apologetic at all.

Still, she pressed a kiss to your forehead as an apology before practically kicking the front door open and striding in like she she had nothing better to do than to pin you down and ravish you.

In fairness, that was probably true.

"What's wrong?" Cas hurried over, worried expression on his face as he dropped the dish cloth in his hands.

His green eyes searched all over you, trying to find some sort of injury. Since there wasn't one, you just cupped his cheek and gently led his face towards yours.

He didn't need convincing. He immediately kissed you; his kiss was much more hurried and sharp than Emm's soft and sweet one. He was all teeth and tongue, sloppy and wet.

When he pulled away, he panted "What was that for?"

"Where's her friends?" Emm answered for you, gesturing to the stairs.

"They are still in their rooms. No sign of them coming out." Casimir straightened himself, brushing off his shirt before unceremoniously palming his hardon through his jeans.

It wasn't as obvious, probably because they were jeans, but you figured the small tent was his cock. Did he get hard just from kissing you?

Emm certainly didn't need any prompting when she noticed what you noticed because she was racing up the stairs, steps silent as she took them two at a time.

You tried to listen as the two of you passed by the second floor but you didn't hear your friends.

Hopefully they were asleep because you honestly didn't want to hear it from them about how much of a freak you were. In fact, maybe you would rub this in their faces in the morning.

Or, maybe, that was just the courage your horniness was giving you.

You couldn't give it much more of a thought because, before long, Emm was laying you down on their bed, her lips back on yours, her forearms on either side of your head as she caged you under her muscular body.

You let her lead the kiss and it was just as gentle and sweet as before, her lips moving like a soft dance between the two of you.

When she pulled away, she straddled you, watching you like a predator that's pinned down a meal, her eyes dark and her tongue darting out to lick her lips.

You couldn't find it in yourself to be scared.

"Fuck, the two of you are going to be the death of me." Casimir groaned, standing beside the bed with the most enamoured expression on his face.

Emm just chuckled and removed her shirt on one swift motion. She was still wearing that black lacy number you saw her wearing earlier and, honestly, the memory made your cheeks hot.

When you looked to Casimir, he was half undressed, a knowing look on his face like he knew exactly what you were thinking.

That just made you more flustered.

Though, maybe it was that or it was looking at Casimir undressed, the way he looked under his clothes. You didn't realised how muscular he was. He wasn't anything like Emm but he definitely wasn't a beanpole either.

"C'mon, then, darl', we don't got all night." Emm was suddenly falling back, pulling you with her.

You fell on top of her, your hands on either side of her. Your face flushed when you realised that, while you were ogling at her husband, she must've removed the rest of her clothes.

You sat in her lap, your hands shyly cupping her breasts, your thumbs playing with her nipples. Your eyes immediately looked to her for approval, your teeth biting at your lower lip.

Surprisingly, she looked just as shy as you.

"Sorry, haven't been with anyone other than this bozo since the, uh, accident." She explained, probably because she saw the confusion in your expression.

Then, she took one of your wrists into her hand, frown on her face. You looked down and realised that one of her breasts was a little bit smaller, with the same burns as the rest of her arm, shoulder and face on that side.

"I didn't even notice." You quickly told her, a loving smile on your face as you leaned down to place soft butterfly kisses among her burn scars "You're so beautiful, Emm."

Emm's other hand flew to her face, her hand covering her mouth. Finally, you saw her look at you, looking even more shy and flustered than before instead of confident and determined.

It made you feel just a little bit victorious.

"Don't forget about me." You felt a hand glide against your hip, up your shirt "You know, you haven't taken off your clothes. Naughty~~"

You sighed forlornly, like the last thing you wanted was to take your hands off of Emm. She placated you by pressing a chaste kiss against your lips before she was pulling off your bottoms and your underwear.

Casimir helped you from behind, removing everything from the waist up.

"And you callin' me beautiful? When you're this gorgeous?" It was Emm's turn to sigh as her hands explored your body, a lot like yours explored hers

Her hands started from your waist, sliding up to your chest, her thumbs playing with your nipples. Your back automatically bent back just to stick it out a bit more, urging her to play with them a bit more.

Casimir, on the other hand, was behind you, his hands cupping the insides of your thighs and pulling them apart.

"Fuck, are you sure?" Casimir muttered against the shell of your ear, his hips rutting against your lower back, his grip on the fat of your thighs only tightening.

You nodded frantically, like if they stopped right now, you'd die

"Bend forward a lil." Emm scooted back and you followed her like a moth to a flame, your lips searching for hers.

Of course, she obliged happily, kissing you in that same saccharine way you were growing more and more addicted to, this time her tongue tracing along your lips.

You let her slip into your mouth, let her deepen the kiss as her fingers threaded through your hair to pull you even closer.

When she had pulled you closer, though, you had ended up bending forward a little and, apparently, Casimir used that as an opportunity to play with you.

You heard the squirt of something and, immediately, you identified it as lube because you felt the chill of it dripping against your entrance.

You whimpered feebly into Emm's mouth but she didn't let you pull away from her. In fact, she just used it as an opportunity to deepen the kiss even more. She was practically eating you alive, her kiss less sweet and more hot.

That's when Casimir rubbed the lube all over your entrance with his fingers. Then, gently, almost methodically, he worked a finger in, slowly wiggling it to the first and then the second and then the last knuckle.

You moaned when you felt it go to the hilt before pulling out.

"Emm, you should see this." Casimir laughed almost meanly "What a fucking slut. They're dripping down here. Absolutely obscene."

Emm didn't say anything, didn't pull away. But you could tell she was tempted because her grip on your hair tightened considerably, making you whimper again.

Then, since you took the first finger just fine, Casimir worked a second and a third just as easily, just as methodically.

You kept moaning and whining, of course, that coil in your stomach tightening with every thrust of his fingers.

Finally, Emm pulled away from the kiss and the two of you stared at each other for a bit, your foreheads pressed against each other, little soft huffs and groans leaving your lips.

"Cas'mir." You practically whimpered "Emmm."

You didn't know about Casimir but it definitely did something for Emm because she looked at you like you gave her everything she ever wanted on a silver platter.

She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to your temple before leaning a bit more forward to press kisses to your neck.

Those kisses, unfortunately, turned into bites and hickeys. Not that you were complaining, of course, but you weren't looking forward to explaining them later in the morning either.

Finally, it was too much and your back bowed, your entire body crumpling as an orgasm wracked your brain and made you almost scream.

"Oh, what a good darlin'."

"A good slut's more like it."

Then, before you could even recover, you were being pushed up against something-- Casimir's chest? You looked up to see that Emm was looking at you with that hunger in her eyes again.

You lifted your arms up, gesturing for her to come close. She swooped down, of course happy enough to oblige. You couldn't even press a kiss to her lips before you felt Casimir pressing into you, his cock spreading your walls open.

You let out a small strangled groan, your head thrown back to rest against Casimir's shoulder.

"Oh, fuck, now that's a hole I can cum in." Casimir pressed his cheek against your temple and moaned, his slender fingers suddenly cupping the front of your neck.

You whimpered, happy to offer your neck to him, before whimpering even louder when you felt someone's (Casimir? Maybe Emm?) hands back in your hair, pulling it so that your head bent back even more and your back arched further.

You were so overwhelmed, so full of both pain and pleasure, that your brain felt like it was leaking out of your hole. Or was the saying 'out of your ears'?

"Cas'mir." You elected to moan instead, tilting your head towards the man. He answered your pathetic little moan with a soft kiss to your lips, placating you temporarily before his hips drew back and he started fucking you earnestly.

You couldn't even worry about whether or not your friends could hear you. Your hands were held at the wrists by someone (Both wrists in one hand?) and your mouth felt too loose.

What was happening?

You came again, your eyes screwing shut this time as your hips jutted helplessly. Someone had a hold on you though, pressing you into the relentless fucking of Casimir's thrusts.

"Don' worry, darl', we got you." Emm leaned into your other ear, pressing a chaste kiss to your temple "Just let us take care of you all night."

It was going to be a long night.