#I have been trying to avoid him as much as possible but occasionally I'll be like. OK I am going to give him a chance

[drumlincountry]

[lixie-phoria]

[14.0 sweater weather] BETTER THAN REVENGE !

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the night was loud. between jeongin and han's bickering, changbin's laughter, and chan's occasional reprimands, there was no place for awkward silence. even as the seconds advanced towards midnight, and the rest of the campus fell into a peaceful silence, jeongin's dorm was filled with noise.

and for that, you were grateful.

"you dumbass you didn't boil the ramen enough!"

"I did. This isn't my first time making ramen!"

"no it's still-"

"ok that's enough," chan interjects, throwing an exasperated glare at the youngest boys of the group. "Han if you think the ramen is undercooked just add warmer water to it."

"I don't think that's how it works-"

"oh for fucks sake just eat the damn food!"

you watch in amusement as the boy sinks further into the couch, a pout puckering against his lips as he shoves the chopsticks into his mouth.

"nobody ever takes me seriously here-"

"anyways!" changbin exclaims, meaningfully pinching han's side as his eyes raise to meet yours, "we have more important stuff to discuss than how jeongin makes ramen."

it takes you a second to realize all their eyes have turned to you - although jeongin looks unwilling.

"so yn, innie here isn't giving you too much trouble, right?" changbin teases, digging his elbow into his friend's side.

"of course i haven't-"

"let her speak!"

you laugh at the way jeongin huffs, crossing his arms before falling back into his seat, avoiding your eyes.

"he's a pain. i can't wait for this to be over," you play along - much to han and changbin's excitement as their eyes light up.

"has he? well that isn't acceptable, is it?"

"can you leave me alone?"

but that seemed to be the last thing on any of their minds as they turn their attention towards you again.

"you know when he first told us about your arrangement we were a bit worried," chan adds, "but this seems to be working out for you guys."

chan was by far the only one who hadn't teased the youngest boy, but you could clearly see he was just as interested in the conversation.

"yeah well, we're trying. we'll see how much it's really helped him after our test next week."

"yeah-"

"but has this been helping you as effectively?"

you blink at han in confusion as he leans forwards from the couch.

"what?"

"han drop it-"

"you know with the entire making yeonjun jealous plan? i hope you've been giving his cheating ass a hard time!"

yeonjun.

cheating.

oh.

all the progress you had made came crashing down in that single moment.

han hadn't anticipated the depth of his words, obviously. it was a mistake, and you understood that, but the weight still fell like solid lead down your stomach. your throat clogged up, and you could barely meet any of their eyes as the culprit slapped a hand across his mouth, evidently regretting it.

cheating little slut.

yeonjun's words came breaking through the barriers you had tried so hard to build.

it's your fault.

you didn't think it was possible, but your mother's words pierced deeper than yeonjun cheating on you.

any sensible boy would break up with you.

she was probably right. nobody in their right minds would like someone who couldn't even bring herself to move past the boy who had cheated on her.

you should apologize to him. like your mother expected you to.

your company had obviously picked up on your discomfort, and if you hadn't been so caught up you would be embarrassed at the revelation of the chink in your armor.

"you dumbass," you hear changbin hiss under his breath.

"yn im sorry-"

jeongin was the first to act - slipping his hand into yours to pull you up - sending a sharp glare towards his roommate.

"i think we're done for today," he said, gently guiding you towards the front door, picking up your books on the way.

"you guys clean up, please. i'll drop yn back to her dorm."

he only gave you enough time to bid your goodbye to the three boys - including a forgiving smile towards han - before you two stepped out into the cold night.

"you don't have to walk me back."

"it's past midnight, yn. i'm not letting you go alone."

you were grateful, despite your hesitance. the last thing you wanted was to be alone with your thoughts.

"and i'm sorry about han. he didn't mean to bring him up."

you shake your head, patting jeongin's arm in comfort. "it wasn't his fault, don't worry about it. and please tell him not to feel guilty either. it's alright."

"but are you sure you're okay?"

were you okay?

you didn't know.

until the last match, you and yeonjun were technically still on good terms. there had been no bad blood.

but after your argument? you didn't even know where your relationship stood.

you hadn't broken up officially. you were still together, and the thought was sickening. not because you wanted to break up with him. no. but because it was reassuring. and you hated the little comfort that it bought.

"yn?"

your gaze snaps to the side as jeongin's hand softly brushes yours.

"sorry, i was just thinking," you sheepishly mutter, avoiding his eyes.

he doesn't push any further, and the rest of the walk is spent in silence until you reach your block.

"thanks jeongin."

he shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweats, smiling back as the street light shines down on him, highlighting his features.

"don't worry about it. sleep well, yeah?"

you almost send him away with that, but the cold breeze that flutters past your skin jars you into your senses.

"wait!"

you hastily take off your hoodie, patting down your ruffled hair as he turns to look at you in confusion.

"something wrong?"

"it's cold. take this. you didn't carry yours," you say, thrusting the article at him, avoiding his eyes.

"oh it's fine-"

"we have an important exam coming up. i'd hate it if you fell sick because of me."

he doesn't notice the blush dusting your face as he thankfully accepts the warmer clothing, and you're grateful for the dark.

"thanks yn."

"i should thank you."

he grins at you one last time before he's on his way back, absentmindedly fiddling with the sleeves of your hoodie, sending a kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering in your stomach. you hoped you weren't imagining the tips of his ears turning red. you hoped he would keep it, and only give it back when it had caught on to his scent.

in a much better mood than with which you had set out from his dorm, you almost manage push away yeonjun to the back of your mind.

that is until your phone notifies an incoming message.

never mind.

©lixie-phoria, 2024

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[galedekarios]

Hey! You're my go-to blog when it comes to Gale. I love your meta about him, your insight and your knowledge of his character. This being said, I'd like to know your opinion of this line in his romance:

“To know you love me for the man I am, and not the magic I command... None have loved me so purely before.”

Do you think he's talking about romantic love here? Because his mother and Tara clearly love him for the person he is, too. Or are his insecurities and the idea of himself so strong that he can't see this? Thank you in advance, have a great evening!

thank you so much! 🖤

personally, i do think that he does mean this in a romantic context.

HOWEVER, having said that, i do think there are different insecurities woven into his perception of relationships that venture outside of his worth due to magic, and into his worth as a person who is in need of help and support - yet considering the core of why that is, they are also connected.

what i mean by that is that there are moments in particular that make me believe he feels a burden to people, because he is in need of help and - from his perception - makes others 'work' to help him, he asks a "sacrifice" of people (needing magical artefact so he consume the weave inside to stabilise the netherese orb) that is so great in his eyes that he feels the need to convince them that said sacrifice is worth the "investment".

i realise this is sort of going in two directions, but i don't think i can answer this differently so i hope you'll bear with me for a bit:

i'll try to look at the relationships you mentioned in your ask separately to illustrate what exactly i mean.

1. from what little we do know about morena, nearly every time she is mentioned it's made clear that she truly and unequivocally loves gale, and i do believe gale is aware that she loves him, too - and really, truly just for him.

we have these two convos with tara that highlight how that love (both are from gale's origin playthrough):

Tara the Tressym: Well, if it isn't my favourite fellow himself. Gale: How are things back in Waterdeep? Tara the Tressym: More or less the same - though news of some mad faction calling themselves 'Absolutists' is starting to trickle in. Tara the Tressym: I told your mother not to worry. That if they were anything to worry about, Baldur's Gate would handle things quick-sharp. Keep them from spreading their tendrils north. She still wants to know when she'll see you again, sir. I avoid giving any answers. But she misses you. Gale: I miss her too. Tara the Tressym: I'll tell her. With my Cat Flap of Displacement, I can afford the occasional visit. I'd bring you along, if I could. Perhaps some day. - Gale: I can't risk putting her in danger. Tara the Tressym: I know that, but she doesn't. She'd keel over if she knew just how you'd tried to manipulate the Weave. Or maybe she'd just say something like, 'My Gale always was one to make the impossible possible.' Oh, but she adores you.

and this one from act ii:

Gale: Will you love me when I'm a mind flayer? Tara the Tressym: Depends. Are mind flayers warm-blooded? If so, my prize napping spot on your lap won't be compromised. In which case, I suppose we could find an accord. And, of course, your mother would still think you a prince, no matter how many tentacles you had. And with a nautiloid, you may even manage to visit her more often.

from the one tiny snippet (that is still bugged) in which gale mentions his mother to the player character, he seems quite assured in that love his mother has for him as well:

Player: So your last name is Dekarios? Gale: It is. Courtesy of my mother, the inimitable, dare I say it sometimes unavoidable, Morena Dekarios. It's been so long since I've used it. 'Gale Dekarios' cut a poor figure next to the wizard prowess of 'Gale of Waterdeep'. [...] - Player: Doesn't your matter mind? Gale: Oh, she's happy if I'm happy. Morena couldn't care one jot what I call myself. Tara's the real stickler for using it. Has done since I summoned her. I'd prefer you not follow her exmaple, if that's all the same to you. 'Gale' is more than sufficient.

she's happy if he's happy.

i think the only thing that detrimental to the relationship with his mother is the orb, the shame he feels over what has happened and fearing he may put her in danger. which, sadly, is a valid concern to have. these fears aren't only echoed in the conversations with tara. we have this bit from the same conversation as well:

Player: You’re right. Just 'Gale’ is better. Gale: I agree. And on the plus side, if I get myself into any truly cataclysmic straits during the remainder of our journey, my family name will go untarnished.

his family name will go untarnished and with that, his mother's name.

this is more speculative, but in another meta i mentioned that i do believe that gale's father left the family at some point, abandoning morena and gale. his father also is not mentioned in the letter from elminster in god!gale's ending:

this could of course be meaningless and his father simply may not have been there at this point in time, but i think this overall goes with the theme of an absent father and it may have brought gale and morena even closer.

2. tara herself doesn't let gale doubt her love him when the game allows her to be there.

she is extremely quick to try and beat any and all self-deprecating remarks gale may make. she is aghast at mystra's demands to the point of saying that she is considering picking up a crossbow to "put the gods" out of "our business." she's always been there for him, and she always will be. she's his longest friend and companion, as well as colleague.

i've picked a another example here to illustrate what i mean:

this very sadly appears to be cut content (tara was supposed to be there for a companion gale as well), but:

Gale: You seem to have fared well enough without me, Tara. You look positively prosperous. Gale: Or should I say, positively proser-puss! Ha! Tara the Tressym: No, you should not say that ever again. Gale: Apologies! Couldn't help myself. Tara the Tressym: True enough. That's why I came looking - to help, if I could. Gale: I have not failed to notice. I truly do not deserve such loyal companionship. Tara the Tressym: Yes, you do.

unfortunately, like i said, tara as gale's familiar and companion was cut from the final version of the game, so while we do know that gale is aware of all that tara has done for him (considering the conversation from the tiefling party, helping him through his isolation, finding out what his condition needs to be treated, getting magical artefacts for him, etc.), we have act iii companion gale saying this:

Gale: Tara remains as wilfull as ever, but I'm glad you've finally made her acquaintance. Given the length of my time away, I feared she might have given up on me. I should have known better - she'd never do such a thing.

while this is not gale thinking tara doesn't love him for who he is, it is very much gale thinking that tara may have given up on him because of their time apart.

there are definitely insecurities lurking there in the vein of "i cost her so much effort and so much work, so maybe now that i've been away for so long, she's finally had enough."

it's very sad to see.

3. when gale talks about previous lovers he has this to say:

Player: Gale, am I the first... mortal being you've been with? Gale: What a question... Gale: No, you are not the first. Though you are the first since my relationship with Mystra came to its ignominous end. Gale: When the true danger posed by my condition became apparent, I had no choice but to sequester myself away from civilised society. A reclusive wizard - who'd have thought? Gale: After so long with Mystra, I have to say the pleasures of mortal love are much sweeter than I remember. Though perhaps that's simply because it's with you.

this tells us that he must have had at least one lover before. yet, and that is where the quote in your ask is from, he also says this:

Player: What does our relationship mean to you? Gale: You must know, our relationship is the brightest spot in our otherwise bleak endeavour. Gale: To know you love me for the man I am, and not the magic I command... None have loved me so purely before. Gale: You are everything to me, and yet our relationship is only a nascent fraction of what it will become. You give me hope, and I've not had that in some time.

i think we can extrapolate from that that not only his relationship with mystra made him feel these insecurities, but that the relationships he had previous may have also fed into this perception of his worth as a romantic partner is tied to his magical abilities.

it's not hard to imagine: waterdeep is very much a city of intrigue. gale was not only a graduate of blackstaff academy, but a powerful archwizard and a chosen of mystra.

4. lastly, i want to talk a bit more about what i said in the beginning and when i talked about tara and companion!gale: that gale feels he is a burden / an investment.

it's already reflected a bit in the way that he believes his relationship with tara has deteriorated in act iii simply because of the distance between them now that he has been away from waterdeep for a prolonged amount of time.

the first time you can get a sense for this aspect of gale is when you agree right away to help him with his condition. there's a prolonged amount of silence and it's clear on his face that he didn't expect you to agree so quickly and without needing to be persuaded.

Gale: Thank you. I see my trust in you was not misplaced! Gale: I'm sure we won't have to look very far to find what I need: Faerûn overflows with magic-infused treasure. Gale: As do our packs, as a matter of fact. We've such an item already in our possession, primed for the moment the need arises. Gale: I know the allure magic artefacts hold. I understand their value and their power. All this to say: I understand the sacrifice I ask of you.

Player: No. If you aren't willing to tell me the truth, I'm not helping you. Gale: I understand that I'm asking for a lot, but I can't tell you everything.

he makes sure to thank the player deeply every time they do give him an artefact, bowing to them, citing their "boundless kindness" and it's also why he is also quick to reassure them that there will be an upside for them, making this "sacrifice" for his sake.

gale's power and knowledge and skills as a wizard.

he is useful and he can make himself useful.

your "investment" in him now will be "worth" the return later.

in conclusion, i hope now it's clearer why i felt like i had to bring these two things together. i believe they are clearly interwoven with each other.

also sorry for rambling! this got away from me a bit. 🖤

[avocadorablepirate]

What Do We Call This? - 04

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Pairing: Trafalgar Law x fem!reader

Summary: On a quest to find what you've been looking for, you acquire the help of the Straw Hat pirates, who've agreed to let you temporarily join them. There are however many challenges that come along with your temporary recruitment - an alliance with a certain Trafalgar Law being one of them.

Word Count: 2.2K

Warnings: fluff, angst, kinda slow burn, swearing, the occasional OP spoiler

A/N: I would be lying if I said I was happy with this chapter :\. Since this story happens during canon One Piece arcs, I wanted to try and stay away from spoilers as much as possible and also avoid changing the original plot, so the chapter kinda ends up feeling a bit rushed, which isn't great...but this is how most of the chapters that include scenes from the anime/manga are going to be like, so I apologise in advance if future chapters feel rushed as well...anyway I hope you still like it.

Challenge: take a shot every time you see the word blue orb/orb ᕙ⁠(⁠ ⁠ ⁠•⁠ ⁠‿⁠ ⁠•⁠ ⁠ ⁠)⁠ᕗ

—⁠☆✿☆—⁠

"(Y/N) are you sure about this?" Robin asked, pulling you aside before you disembarked at Dressrosa, "We might have to fight." She knew that you didn't like using your powers to harm people after what you had been through on Fishman Island. But you gave her a reassuring smile before the two of you followed behind Law, Usopp and Caesar, "I'll be fine Robin, thank you."

Suffice to say, you were not fine. It had all started when Doflamingo had attacked Law at Green Bit. You had managed to stay out of Doflamingo's sight, and had tried to help Law get away from him when he was cornered on the bridge, but before you could focus your attention to use your powers, Law's blue orb had you surrounded and transported to where the Sunny had initially been docked.

"Fuck, why'd he do that!?" you yelled, as you took in your surroundings, almost instantly running in the same direction you had taken when you first reached Dressrosa.

You had managed to get back into the city just as Doflamingo had covered it with his "birdcage", and you had been helping the citizens reach the centre of the island, healing anyone who got injured in the process, which wasn't great for you. The aftermath of using your powers had started to take its toll on your body. Still, you were desperate to keep going. Doflamingo had done some serious damage to Law on the bridge, and you were sure his condition would have worsened by now. You had to find him.

You had run into Usopp's group when Viola, the former princess of Dressrosa had told you that Law was with a pirate named Cavendish. However, when you had found him, the two of you discovered that Law was already gone. Now, you were back to running around the city helping the injured while also looking for Law.

That was when you saw Luffy - he was being carried on the back of a man dressed in gladiator-wear. You were just about to approach them when you saw the familiar orb appear.

You sighed in relief when you realised that Law was still alive. But when he appeared in place of the orb, you noticed just how much damage he had taken - there was a cloth wrapped around his right arm, but blood still seeped through it, there was blood spattered across his face as well, and he was covered in bruises. Despite that, he took Luffy from the man and disappeared even before you could show yourself.

"Where did they go?" you think aloud, and assess your surroundings, looking for the blue orb to reappear somewhere. A second later you see it, it's further away than you expected, but you're determined to reach the two of them. So, you run as fast as your legs can carry you.

Once you've reached the building, you start climbing up to get to the top, but when you're halfway up you see the orb come into view again.

Shit, why's he moving?, you think to yourself, but you can still hear the faint sound of voices at the top. "Law?" you yell out, but there's no response. Deciding to still climb to the top so that you could scout the area, you're relieved when you find Law still there along with Viola.

"Where's Luffy?" you ask as you rush towards Law, and kneel down beside him. His head tilts up and he's slightly taken aback by your presence.

"I switched him out with her," he answers, nudging his head towards Viola just as another orb appears, teleporting a girl with pink hair who you hadn't seen before. But Viola immediately runs to her aid which lets you focus your attention on Law.

"Did Doflamingo do all of this?" you ask as you assess his wounds, but he doesn't respond.

"Fuck Law, I don't know how much of this I can heal," you tell him while trying to be as gentle as possible as you remove his coat to get a better look at the bullet wounds he's riddled with.

"Don't heal anything," he firmly states, and your brow furrows in confusion.

"Don't be an idiot. You've clearly taken a lot of external damage, god knows how much internal bleeding you're suffering from," you say, as your hand hovers over his torso, but he's quick to grab onto it with his own - not completely wounded - hand.

"From the looks of it you've already used your powers to heal other people," he says, his grip on your hand tightening.

"What's your point?"

"My point is that I know how your powers work. Every time you heal or attack someone you hurt yourself." You somewhat lose your balance, falling back, stunned by his words because you were sure you had done well to hide it.

"H-how?"

"I saw you when you attacked Vergo," Law says, as he leans back against the wall and let's go of your hand, assuming that he had managed to stop you from using your powers on him.

Your quick to recover from the initial shock of his words, and before Law can comprehend you place your hands on his midriff to "work your magic". He tries to push you away, but this time you grab onto his arm with your free hand and hold it down.

"I ate the fruit, I deal with the consequences," you firmly state, and try to focus, to find which of his muscles and organs were damaged.

"Wait, is that why you teleported me from the bridge to where the Sunny was?" you ask, but he doesn't answer, instead objecting to your help, "(Y/N)-ya stop," but you don't relent, determined to heal his injured body.

You can sense the strain on your own body increase, but you push through when you feel Law slowly begin to relax under your touch, his protests fading along with his pain. Finally, after what feels like eternity, you finish your work, and withdraw your hand, the strain on your own body slowly starting to weigh down on you.

"I can't heal your bullet wounds until the bullets are removed, and your arm is still in pretty bad shape, but I was able to stop most of the internal bleeding," you tell him as you lean against the wall, letting out a fatigued sigh.

"You shouldn't have done that," he says, and you scoff in amusement, "A simple 'thank you' works too you know."

"Thanks," Law murmurs, when suddenly he feels your body slump against his, and he immediately looks to see what's wrong. Your eyes are half shut, and you mumble something incoherent, the exhaustion washing over you. But before you can succumb to the darkness (i.e., sleep), you let out a soft chuckle - now almost in a delirious state - and whisper, "Cora-san would be glad you managed to stay alive."

Law's body tenses at your words, and his eyes instantly dart to yours again, but your limp body pressed against him tells him that you're already unconscious.

_______________________________________________

When you awake you find yourself sprawled on the bed of a small house. You try to get up, but let out a loud groan because of how sore your entire body is. A pair of hands are quick to grab onto you, and you blink away the reminents of sleep to see Law sitting beside you. He helps you stand up and guides you to the table where everyone is seated.

"(Y/N), you finally got up! You almost missed all this food!" Luffy smiles at you as he chonks down on a piece of meat, and you look to see the spread in front of you, your stomach growling at the sight. You stretch forward to grab yourself something to munch on, but a hand holds you back by the arm. A blue orb instantly appears in front of you, and soon after in its place materializes a plate of food.

"Thank you," you mumble and Law responds with a nod of acknowledgement, his usual impassive manner softened by a subtle hint of concern for you.

"Oye Tra, can you pass me some food too!" Luffy yells, despite already having heaps of food in front of him, and Law lets out a, tsk, only giving a scowl in reply.

You're satisfying your hunger when the peacefulness of the moment is interrupted by the door to the house slamming open, and in walks a man with green hair and a nose ring. You had seen him during the battle, but you weren't sure who he was.

"Luffy-senpai! The Marines are going to come after you soon, even the former fleet admiral Sengoku is here! We need to leave!" he yells, and Law instantly jolts up from beside you, his composed exterior being replaced by a look of agitation.

The man, who you found out was called Bartolomeo, continues to explain the plan of action, but he doesn't hold your attention. Instead, you're observing Law. He seems to be deep in thought, and although he wears his usual frown, he exudes a sense of uneasiness that does not go unnoticed by you.

"I'll meet you all at the harbour," he says, and you look at him quizzically, but he doesn't notice. He strides out the door in a hurry, not waiting for a response, and despite your weariness in his change of attitude, your attention is now back on the rest of the group.

Robin had moved to stand beside you, and she gazes at you with concern, "(Y/N), you still haven't fully recovered, do you think you'll be able to make it to the harbour by yourself?"

"Um....yes...don't worry about me," you say, attempting to give her a reassuring smile, although you yourself doubt the truth behind your claim. Nevermind the harbour, you doubt you'd even be able to walk to the door by yourself. However, Robin picks up on the hesitance in your reply and is quick to offer her support which you were about to graciously accept when all of a sudden you're enveloped in a dome of blue light.

"Huh?" you freeze in your spot, confused by the blue orb that has you trapped within its confines. Robin chuckles at your bewilderment, already having a grasp of the unexpected change of plans, "Well looks like that's taken care of."

When you realise what's going on, you close your eyes shut, in fear of not knowing what to expect. It's the sudden feeling of weightlessness beneath your feet that draws your eyes open, and what you expect to be the harbour is instead someone's back - you're slung over someone's shoulder, an arm tightly wrapped around your waist. You look to see who it is and spot the white fur cap with black spots.

"Law what are you doing!? Put me down!" you yell, as you try to wriggle out of his grasp.

"You're coming with me," Law says, your fidgeting having no affect on his gait, "knowing those idiots, you'll only get hurt if you go with them."

"Fine at least put me down!"

He finally sets you down and you don't forget to shoot him a glare, "where are you going anyway?" His response is cryptic, leaving you with more questions as he grabs your hand in his and encompasses the two of you in his blue orb.

"Where are we-" you try asking again, but he's already transported the two of you, and you're cut short by the surprise that washes over when you notice the presence that sits in front of the both of you.

"Sengoku?" you murmer his name to yourself, the sudden shiver running down your spine instinctively making you seek refuge behind Law.

"Been a while, hasn't it (Y/N)?" Sengoku asks with an amused grin, yet you don't respond.

"Spit it out." Law ignores his remark, and on noticing your change in demeanour, takes a protective stance as he lets you hide behind him. Sengoku lets out an amused sigh this time, but does as Law says - narrating the story of a Marine from years go. You fidget nervously as he recounts the details, anxiously playing with your fingers as you hang on to his every word.

"He didn't save you for your name," Sengoku concludes, the weight of the statement prompting you to glance at Law to get a better look at his reaction. His typical stoic facade falters, a look of shock momentarily replacing it. It's clear that Sengoku's words have struck a nerve in him, but he remains silent.

"'Just keep living on', that's something he would have said, right?," Sengoku says as he turns away from the two of you, ready to walk away, "If you wish to do something in his stead - remember him."

He turns his head to look at you, and with a fleeting smile nods in farewell, "It was good to see you (Y/N)."

"You two might want to get out of here," he calls out as he continues on his way.

The shadows that form on the ground grab your attention, and you look to the sky to see debris flying above you, "What the-"

Law swiftly grabs onto you, encircling the two of you with his blue orb, "We need to leave. Now."

_______________________________________________

A/N: honestly at this point it's just the reader self inserting herself into the One Piece plot....also I think I'm being so subtle with the hinting when I'm really not ┐⁠(⁠ ⁠˘⁠_⁠˘⁠)⁠┌.

[graneymar]

JUST A FRIEND, PART 2 (Part 1)

SUMMARY: You cut Neymar off after you've come to the realisation that he doesn’t seem to want a serious relationship. The two of you try to move on from one another, but figure out there’s no escaping from your feelings.

WARNINGS: none I think

PAIRING: Neymar x fem!reader (Kylian as your best friend, Sergio as a flirt)

Now that Kylian found out about what was going on between me and Neymar - and me overhearing him saying that he actually does like me - I've been waiting for Ney to open up about his feelings and finally talk to me about it, but it never happened. I didn’t want to be the first one to speak up. I've already broken my best friends trust just to be with him, so I believed he owed me something.

Realising that Neymar wasn’t ready for a serious relationship, or simply didn't want one, while I got more and more attached to him and the little thing we had, I slowly started distancing myself from him. Whenever he called me to come over, I never was able to tell him no before, but knowing I had to get rid of the feelings I developed for him, it was the only right thing to do. So it happened that we haven’t really met in a month now. Yes, I missed him more than anything but I had to stay strong in order to get over my little crush.

Also, after only three weeks of us not seeing each other, he apparently invited his ex, Bruna Biancardi, to stay at his place in Paris. I loved and hated Bruna at the same time. She was a gorgeous woman, a total sweetheart, but she was with the man I wanted so bad.

Kylian and I were chilling on my couch, casually talking and being on our phones, when I clicked on Brunas instagram story, only to see her and Ney watching a movie together in his bedroom. My heart would’ve probably skipped a hundred of beats if I didn’t get used to these images lately. I instantly locked my phone and threw it onto the couch beside me. Kylian moved his head to look at me. "Are you okay?", he asked. I threw the blanket off of me and got up from the couch. "Yeah. I'll do the laundry", I answered. "Have you already washed my hoodie?" Kylian being my best friend meant occasionally having random sleepovers and him always forgetting some kind of clothing - his shirts, hoodies, socks. He always made sure he left something. Half of my closet was his, actually. "It’s in the dryer", I told him as I was collecting clothes around the apartment. "Hey, wanna do a casino night with Ney tomorrow?" Well, now my heart skipped a beat for sure. "With Ney? Why him?" Stupid question, Y/N, stupid question. Kylian shrugged, "Why not?" How was I supposed to get myself out of this situation without admitting I was heartbroken and cried myself to sleep every night over him? "I don’t know, I was just thinking of Achraf earlier and noticed we didn't hang out in ages. How about we ask him to go with us?" I tried to sound as authentic as possible, but Kylian was no one I could lie to. "You're trying to avoid Neymar, aren’t you?" By letting out a soft but desperate chuckle, I tried to hide the the fact that he just caught me. "No? Why would I try to avoid him?" Kylian rolled his eyes at my answer. "Because he’s seeing Bruna again maybe?" I shook my head from left to right. "Couldn’t care less. You know I love her." "Then let’s go with Ney and Bruna." Oh God, I would love to punch Kylian right into his adorable face in this very moment. "Are you insane? I'm not going to hang out with them after what Neymar and I had. It would be disrespectful towards Bru."

"Oh come on, she probably doesn’t even know about it." I crossed my arms in front of my chest and looked at him in disgust. "Do you think her not knowing about it makes it any better? He’s most probably lying to her, saying how much he missed her, talking about how he didn’t have anyone else because he still loves her oh so much, and you want me to simply sit there and support his lies? No Kyks, won't do that." Kylian first furrowed his eyebrows, but started laughing shortly after. "When did you become such a great fan of Bruna?"

"It doesn’t have anything to do with me supporting Bruna, I believe woman should generally respect and support each other whenever they can. Men fuck up our lives already, no need to make it even harder." He remained silent until he quietly gulped and looked me straight in the eyes. "And you’re sure you’re okay with him seeing her and the thing between you two ending?", he finally asked. No, I wasn’t okay, but I didn’t want Kyks to know. Talking about it wouldn’t make it easier anyway. "I'm fine, trust me", I put on a fake smile, "I just wouldn’t want my boyfriend to be around someone he slept with, so I don't want to put Bruna in such a situation."

"Good, as long as you’re alright, I am too", he proudly grinned at me, "Neymar and Bruna are not together though. They're just attempting to get closer again." "Well, hopefully they do", I murmured.

——————————————————————————

Entering the casino, I instantly caught sight of Achraf. He jumped up from his seat and walked towards Kylian and me, hugging the both of us. "I invited some of the boys, I hope you don’t mind", he told us. Of course, the only one I was looking for was Neymar, but I was obviously relieved when he was nowhere to be found. I sat down between Kylian and Sergio as the boys started gambling.

Half an hour and some glasses of champagne later, the boys all decided to use the bathroom, leaving me and Sergio alone. It has probably been just a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Sergio and I got along very well, we were joking around and realised we had a lot of similar interests. "I’ll never understand how Kylian decided to be just friends with you", Sergio said, causing me to blush. "We've known each other for forever, we're like brother and sister", I explained. Sergio nodded and smiled, "So, do you think Kylian would be fine with me inviting his 'like a sister' to a date?" My mouth almost fell open, I had a hard time finding the words to respond. "Tomorrow, 7pm, I'll pick you up?", he continued. I hesitatingly nodded as my lips slowly formed a small smile.

The main door swung open and from the corner of my eyes, I saw two figures walk up to us. I turned my head to see who it was and lost my breath the moment Neymar and Bruna stood right in front of me. Neymar eyed me up and down, his gaze eventually got stuck at my thigh, where Sergio casually put his hand on. His facial expression was bloody serious, meanwhile Bruna on the other side shined like the sunshine she was. "Y/N, haven’t seen you in such a long time! How’s life?", she asked and stretched out her arms to hug me. I returned the hug. "Couldn’t be better", I replied, coldly staring into Neymars eyes while still embracing Bruna. He shot me a glare and bit his inner cheek before moving his head to look at Sergio. "What about you? Anything new?", I asked Bru smilingly as I pulled away from her.

Neymar and Bruna sat right across from Sergio and me. I felt Ney watching my every move, especially observing how Sergio and I acted towards each other. I didn’t hear him talking or smile at someone for once at least, he seemed to be absolutely pissed off. No lie, I enjoyed him being mad.

"I'll be back in a minute", I excused myself and walked into the ladys bathroom. Not even five seconds later, I saw Ney coming in. "For ladies only", I simply said, not making an effort to even look at him. "What the fuck do you think you’re doing?", he spoke up. I shrugged before turning my head to him. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"You and Sergio. What is going on between you two?", he asked, slowly raising his voice, his brows furrowed. "That’s none of your concern, Neymar." He obviously didn’t expect me to react this way. "I think I have a right to know." I gasped. Who did he think he was? "Where’d you even get that right from? Your ex girlfriend literally has been with you the whole past week and now it is me that owes you an explanation?", I bursted out, my anger level visibly rising. "Have you ever asked yourself why Bruna is even here? First, you cancel all our meetings. Then you're not answering any of my texts and calls. Now I see you being all over Sergio. So yes, Y/N, I expect you to tell me what the fuck made you act this way." I placed myself right in front of Neymar, tilting my head up to look him directly into his eyes. "Bruna being here with you proves that cutting you off was the only right thing for me to do. I was more than wrong when I thought that whatever we had, I don’t even know how to name it, meant the slightest thing to you", I hissed before walking up to the door in order to get out. "How to name it?", he exclaimed and turned around to look at me again. I just wanted to get out, I couldn’t stand being in a room with him any longer, but I felt tears forming in my eyes, causing me to let go of the door knob and listen to his speech. "I'll tell you how I name it, I'll tell you what it meant to me. And it didn’t mean the slightest thing, it meant everything. I've always wanted you, Y/N, always, from the very first day we met. You were the reason I left Bruna. I would’ve never betrayed Kylian the way we did, but to me, it was worth it, 'cause I had you. Because I had you being the first thing I saw in the morning. Because I thanked God every day when I woke up with you in my arms, playing with your hair until you opened your eyes and smiled at me before hiding your face under the blanket. Because I was finally looking forward to come home every day after training, knowing you are there waiting for me. Because I couldn’t stop myself from watching you peacefully sleep every night, not understanding what I did to have someone as perfect as you in my life. Because I love the way your eyes light up when they look into mine; your cute grunt when you laugh too hard; the fact that you still cry after watching Titanic 20 times. Simply because I love everything about you. Simply because I love you, Y/N. Yes, we started our relationship the wrong way, that’s for sure, but I wouldn’t change a thing - expect the situation we are in right now." At this point, endless tears streamed down my face. Tears of joy, of happiness, but also of overwhelmingness. "Please, just say something", he quietly spoke up after seconds of silence. I sobbed before turning around and staring right into these beautiful hazel eyes. Looking at the him made me cry even harder. Finally, I quickly walked up to him and crashed my lips into his. "I love you too, Neymar", I mumbled inbetween the kisses.

[nicoline1998enilocin]

Expanding the family

PAIRING | Retired!Steve Rogers x Daycare Owner!Female!Reader

WORD COUNT | 2.1K

SUMMARY | You and Steve have been enjoying a beautiful life together ever since Steve retired from is post as Captain America and an Avenger. Now that you have more free time on your hands, it's the perfect time to add a furry friend to the family you've built together.

WARNING(S) | This is your official trigger warning. Do not proceed if any of these topics upset you. Implied sex, mention of threesomes, mention of infertility, unfulfilled wish for children, mentions of animal abuse (non-explicit).

Likes and reblogs will be very much appreciated 💜

Main Masterlist | Steve Rogers Masterlist

Both you and Steve have been loving your life since he retired from the Avengers. The first thing both of you did when it was finally time is travel all across the world, and the both of you were gone for a good year and a half, visiting every continent available and seeing as many countries as possible, all while being wrapped up in nothing but each other. The both of you had lots of sexual encounters in every single country you visited, either having sex outside, in non-conventional places, enjoying occasional threesomes, or everything you could think of, you've shared in those countries, making unforgettable memories.

And now that you're back, you've built your own dream life together, which started with buying your own house. After many discussions, you've decided to buy a beautiful brownstone in Brooklyn, not far from where Steve grew up to honor that lifelong dream of his. You also managed to live your dream by starting your daycare. And today, you're going to welcome a new arrival to your very own daycare, in the form of little Lily Barnes, Bucky's daughter. He is a single dad after the mother of his daughter abandoned her right after giving birth, so he's eternally grateful for the fact that you were willing to make room in your daycare.

''I'll see you tonight Bubba, I'm closing the daycare myself today, so I'm going to be late for dinner,'' you tell Steve, and even though he doesn't have to wait for you to get home, he does every single time. ''Have a good today Pumpkin, and tell Bucky hi from me when you see him!'' he says with a smile, and he snakes his hand around your waist to pull you closer for a kiss. ''I love you so much, my little Pumpkin,'' he says and he leans in for a soft, passionate kiss. You could get lost in his kisses forever, but right now you had a daycare to open. ''I love you more, Bubba,'' you say as you pull away from him. Steve handed you your lunch, since he was home a lot more than you, he always insists on making your lunch to ensure you eat enough during the day.

You walk out of the door and open your car with a push on the fob, and you quickly get in for your drive, you were trying to avoid most of the traffic on your way to the daycare and the universe was nice to you today. You pull into the parking lot attached to the daycare and you get out to get ready for the day, and this time two of your staff members were already waiting for you. ''Good morning girls!'' you said to Jess and Scarlett, the other 4 members of staff working today would arrive later. ''Mornin' Y/N!'' they said in a chorus before you opened the door and let both of them in. ''We have a new addition to the daycare today, and she will be in your class, Scarlett,'' you told her.

''Her name is Lily Barnes, and before you ask, yes she is the daughter of Bucky Barnes. He's a great friend of mine of Steve's, so I expect that everyone treats him with the same respect as you would every other parent,'' you said to them, already knowing what they were thinking. ''Bucky will bring her by around 10 AM, but I'm going to give him a tour first before he will bring her to your class,'' you told her and she smiled at you, clearly not too happy about having the Winter Soldier's daughter in her class. Both of them got their classes ready and starting at 8 AM, the first parents are dropping off the first children of the day. You got everything ready for when Bucky would arrive.

When 10 AM rolled around, you got a call from Bucky, and you immediately got worried. ''Hi Buck, everything okay?'' you ask, and you hear an out-of-breath Bucky on the other side. ''Yeah, no, we're on our way! Sorry we're late!'' he said and you told him not to worry about it, he could text you when he arrived, and he did. He was half an hour later than planned, but you didn't mind, you were well aware of how hectic the life of an Avenger could be. ''Mornin' Buck, morning' Lily!'' you said when you saw the little girl with her bright blue eyes and dark brown curls. ''How are you two doing today?'' before pulling Bucky in for a hug, which he looked like he could use by now.

''We're doing better now, but I overslept, got home late last night from a mission,'' Bucky told you and you completely understood, you've been with Steve long enough to know how these days can go. ''Alright, I will give you the tour and afterward, you can leave this little beauty with us for the day,'' you say as you take a look at Lily, who has put her head on her dad's shoulder, trying to hide herself out of shyness. ''Oh, you don't have to hide for Y/N, malyshka,'' he tells Lily. She opens one eye and takes you in, giving you a small smile before hiding again. ''It's okay, it's a big day after all,'' you say before starting with the tour, and ending at the class where Scarlett is.

''Scarlett, can I borrow you for a minute? Nina is here to look after the kids and I would like you to meet both Lily and Bucky,'' you tell her and she follows you to the hallway, albeit a bit reluctantly. ''Good morning!'' she says despite the way she feels about Bucky. ''Mornin', I'm Sergeant James Barnes - you can call me Bucky - and this gorgeous thing is my daughter, Lily,'' he says with an outstretched hand, and she shakes giving her name. Then she steps a bit closer to introduce herself to Lily. ''Good morning beautiful girl, my name is Ms. Scarlett, and you can come to play with me today!'' she said and that made her instantly happy.

''Oh, you said just the right thing, she loves to play! Alright malyshka, I will see you tomorrow, you will sleep over with uncle Steve and Aunt Y/N tonight, doesn't that sound like fun?'' he said, before turning to you. ''Thank you again, Y/N, I can't explain how much this means to me, all of it,'' he said before he handed Lily to Scarlett. ''Wanna say goodbye to daddy?'' Scarlett said and she waved at her dad who waved back. ''Bye, malyshka! I love you so so SO much, and I will see you again tomorrow!'' he said planting a few big kisses on her cheeks before she went into the classroom, still waving at Bucky. ''Oh, Buck, Steve wanted me to say hi!'' you said before he walked out the door. ''Hi back!'' he said before quickly walking out the door, he was late for work at this point.

The rest of the day went on without a hitch, and Lily was more than happy to go home with you, you and Steve have been babysitting on and off for Bucky since she was born so it wasn't weird for her. ''Ready to go see what Uncle Steve is up to, Sunshine?'' you asked and Lily nodded. The both of you drove home and before you knew it, you were unlocking the door to your house again. ''Bubba, we're home!'' you said and Steve walked into the hallway with a big smile on his face. ''Ah, there are my two favorite girls in this world!'' he said before picking Lily from your arms, that way you could take off your coat and shoes. He leaned in for a soft kiss, but it still takes your breath away every single time.

The three of you had dinner together before bathing Lily and putting her to bed, you had turned one of your spare rooms into her bedroom since she was spending quite some time with the both of you. ''Still can't believe how amazing you are with kids,'' Steve sighed as he looked at you putting Lily down to sleep. Both of you have spent a long time trying to have children of your own, but after many tests, you found out that you're infertile, and you would not be able to conceive children of your own. This is exactly the reason you wanted your dream of owning your daycare to become more of a reality. ''Thank you, Bubba. I know you would make a perfect dad too,'' you said with a defeated sigh, you were well aware of Steve's chance on children.

Steve's biggest dream would be to have his very own family, and it had broken you time and time again that you could not give that to him. Even though there was nothing he wanted more, Steve never hated you for it, exactly the opposite even. ''I know, Pumpkin, but my dream already came true when I met you, as long as I have you I don't need anything else,'' he said, and he proved it to you every single day. The day both of you found out Bucky would become a father, you and Steve immediately offered to take care of the child whenever necessary, you both loved the little girl to pieces. Despite this, there has been an itch neither of you could quite scratch.

This was an itch in the form of a pet, more specifically in the form of a dog. Steve is home full-time nowadays and you work 3 days a week, so there is no better timing to pick out a lovely friend than now. Since you had Lily today, all three of you went to the animal shelter to go see if a new friend was waiting to be added to your household. This morning, you FaceTimed Bucky because Lily missed her dad, and his heart broke into a million pieces when he saw. ''Oh no, malyshka, I will be with you again tonight!'' he said, and you explained your plan for the day. ''Just make sure she doesn't bring one home for me!'' he joked and with that, all three of you went to the shelter.

''Good morning, we were hoping to adopt a dog to come home with us today,'' Steve said as soon as you reached the front desk. ''Well, then you've come to the right place! Please follow me, and I will show you which of our furry friends are up for adoption right now,'' she said with a happy voice. ''Your daughter is beautiful,'' the woman said to you, you were holding Lily in your arms. ''Oh, she is beautiful, isn't she? But she's not ours, we're babysitting for a friend,'' you said with a big smile on your face, you were used to it by now. ''Oh, I'm sorry! I assumed-'' ''It's okay. I don't mind thinking people she's mine, but don't let her father hear it before he gets jealous,'' you joked with a wink and Steve laughed at your comment.

''Most of the animals in our shelter are here after being brought in from either abusive homes or the streets, and now they're all looking for their forever homes,'' the woman explained, and your heart broke a little at the thought of these animals taken care of badly. After roaming around for a while, you spotted the perfect addition to your home. A 5-year-old white and brown male husky, named Phoenix. ''Hi Phoenix, aren't you gorgeous?!'' you said when you kneeled in front of his cage, and he came up to the both of you with a wagging tail and a curious look in his eyes.

''Steve, you should come take a look at him!'' you said and he came right over, falling in love with him instantly. ''Oh wow, you're such a beautiful guy!'' he said, and before you knew it, all four of you were walking out of the shelter, and onto your home where Phoenix would spend the rest of his days with you. When Bucky came to pick up Lily that evening he almost got trampled by him, he ran up excitedly to the visitor. ''Woah there, easy!'' he said before petting him. ''I see your mission was successful?'' he asked Steve and he nodded. ''It was indeed, we'd like you to meet Phoenix, our newest member of the Rogers family,'' he said with a proud look on his face. Finally, his own family felt complete with everyone who was in his house right now.

[reveluving]

i'll show you little by little

summary: why not spend your day off with a little TLC with your wannabe sherlock?

pairing: m!trystan thorne x f!mc (written as ‘you’, no name usage)

warnings: teen (t); none, really. just poetic, but make it tooth-rottingly fluffy & comfort!

a/n: contributing to our favourite royalty because he deserves it (& 'cause I can't find any open f!mc for him—) as usual, the MC can be yourself or an OC of yours! i love this man as much as the next person, so please, don’t forget to leave some sugar! ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ

» fancy reading another choices fic? check out my m.list!

'He just wants you to know that he’s with you every step of the way.' ;

Imagine waking up with Trystan on a day off. It’s been a minute since you’ve gotten the time just to sit back and unwind, so as soon as you’re presented with one, Trystan takes it as an opportunity to spoil you, and it all begins by turning off your alarm when he knows you’ve forgotten to do so yourself.

But with how busy you’ve been for the past couple of months or so, your body clock forced you to wake up hours before your usual time. 

That doesn’t deter him though, because as soon as he feels you stretch, no matter how hard you try to avoid waking him up, he’ll instinctively wrap his arms around you, nuzzling the back of your neck with a deep, groggy “morning”. It’s not hard to convince you to stay, especially when you’ve got your furnace for a partner to keep you warm in between the cold sheets; the best of both worlds. 

The muted blue sky, too, only persuaded you to stay in bed—no longer nighttime but not exactly morning just yet. 

Like any other morning, it’s not the most silent, with the occasional honks and beeps of the road—where the world was beneath you. It's just you and him now. He knows that you know you’re strong, almost too dedicated to your job but so much more empathetic than any front liners out there.

He’ll tell you if he knows you need a little boost, but the sharing of smiles and lazy kisses speaks louder than words. 

As soon as he notices you spacing out, possibly thinking about recent cases that may have hit you harder than usual, you’ll feel his lips—kissing the crown of your head, on your temple, your jaw, anywhere; slow and deliberate. His cold fingertips brushing your skin with feather touches, just to hear your sweet giggles or even a huff of amusement.

Anything to keep you grounded, and anything to reassure himself. Not a single sign of him rushing you to come to terms with whatever was bothering you.

He just wants you to know that he’s with you every step of the way. 

And he’ll do much more; bringing your hand up to his lips. With the help of the lights of the bustling town, he makes sure to hold your gaze as he plants even more kisses; starting with the inside of your palm, to your fingers, then to the back of your hand before trailing his lips up your arm the way Gomez would show his affection to the love of his life, Morticia. 

He loves it when you lightly run your nails over his shoulders, a sign that you, too, were with him, in more ways than one. It sends shivers down his spine the same way a breeze would on a chilly day. 

The two of you would just stay in each other’s arms for hours, just until you could see the first rays of sunlight, and even then, you'd have to convince him. The second the rays hit your eyes, he'll pull you to his chest, closer than you already are, as if protecting you from the first sign of reality. 

But as mentioned, if you’re planning to get out of bed real soon, you’ll have to fight for it.

“What’s the rush?” Trystan mumbled against your skin, planting a kiss on your shoulder for the umpteenth time.

“Are you going to be like this the entire day?” You asked with a chuckle.

"Depends," He hummed, pretending to think for a moment, "Was that an offer?"

And before slipping out of his hold, he whispers an “I love you” in your ear before letting you go. 

Breakfast is another story. Just before he enters the shower after you did, he’ll jokingly tell you not to lift a finger in the kitchen because he’ll do the cooking, though you can tell that he’s also serious about it. 

So, that’s what you did—not make breakfast, but he didn’t say you couldn’t do just a bit of work while waiting for him, and boy, was the look on his face comical.

“What did I tell you?” He grumbled, the slight pout telling you that he was more so disappointed than anywhere close to being angry.

“You didn’t say anything about a quick homework,” You countered playfully as you glanced up at him. You craned your neck, prompting him to lean in to accept your reassuring peck on his lips, “I won’t take long. Just for today.”

I promise.

He’ll huff but says nothing more as he immediately does his thing. Some good ol’ pancakes with an array of toppings. Though simple (and very Americanized compared to the ones in Drakovia), it eventually grew to be his comfort food since his exile, if he's the one who made it, that is. 

A reminder that picking himself back up would start somewhere small, and now he gets to share that same comfort with you. 

It didn’t help that your seat was facing the stove, so your quick glances at him became subconscious stares. Stares that Trystan thrived on, especially after locking eyes with your embarrassed ones with a knowing look.

“Your breakfast, beautiful.” He placed a stack of pancakes and an empty plate for you before laying out the toppings on a charcuterie board—maple syrup, fancy butter, fresh fruits, your favourite proteins and even went as far as whipping his own cream rather than the canned one sitting pretty in his fridge. 

Of course, you took the opportunity to stare at his muscles for a bit as he whipped the crème Chantilly by hand. 

“Thank you.” You made sure to really show your appreciation by looking up at him, a grateful smile gracing your lips. It pleases him, but not enough, not when you’re still reading the file. 

He won’t go so far as taking it out of your hands, but what he’ll do is sit close to you, plating your favourite combo before cutting a piece of it.

“Open up,” He said, holding the forkful of pancake to your lips, chuckling under his breath when you looked at him in mild surprise. As if you weren’t used to the fact that he was a passionate partner, no matter how long you’ve been together. You couldn’t help but share the same amusement as well, bashfully opening your mouth for the food he had thoughtfully made.

One forkful became two, and two became more, before you eventually closed the file, plating your own with Trystan's favourites before feeding him too.

» tagging @choicesficwriterscreations for fic of the week ;; & the gorgeous blue rose divider by @firefly-graphics ♡

[sardonic-the-writer]

taunter 7 but not anything with fighting just jack and reader when they've just met and reader is challenging jack to tell them something juicy 👀

- 🌱

prompt seven: “you’re… boring me.”

"Oh come off it love, I'm not gonna tell you how I got it."

Dozens of eyes along The Pearl wandered back and forth between two figures in front of them like a match of intense tennis, the entire crew silently watching as a man with ratty hair and a fellow crew member walked in fast circles about the deck. Occasionally one of the men in the crowd would silently wisper something to another before going quiet, all but enraptured by the interaction occurring in front of them.

"Damnit, Captain, this would be so much easier if you would just tell me alteady!"

It had been an hour or two since you had set off after the heels of your captain—Jack Sparrow. And it had been about an hour or two of him of avoiding questions that slipped from your mouth, all of them being about the tattoo on his right ankle.

You'd seen all of his tattoos before. From his signature sparrow to the one of a compas between his shoulder blades. He didn't have one spot of ink on his skin that he hadn't already shown off to you. Or at least that's what you'd thought.

"Jack—" You struggled to keep up with his long strides, the both of you practically speed walking at this point. "—you're going to have to tell me eventually."

"Oh yeah? Why's that." He was avoiding your gaze while walking in that weird fashion of his, looking anywhere but at you.

"Becuase, you're boring me. And eventually I'll give up on this—"

"Yes! That one! Do that one." He loosely pointed at you and flashed a smile.

"—and get you drunk later so you'll tell me what that tattoo is. And possibly some other stuff you don't want me to know."

"Ah." Jack paused, blinking. "Not that one. Don't do that one."

"So, we've come to an agreement then?" You stopped, now in front of him and blocking him from going anywhere else, smiling with a twinkle in your eyes.

"When did you get so good at tricking people into giving you stuff." Jack squinted at you, playing with a peice of his hair carelessly.

"Pirate." You reached up to tap the side of Jacks hat. "Remember?"

"Mmmm alright then. But I'm taking some of your rum from your hammock as a payment for entrusting you with this secret."

You stood up a bit straighter, smile bright with antici as he hoisted up his pant leg to show you the spot of ink on his ankle.

It wasn't much. Just a small design of a heart, which made your smile dip a little.

"A heart? That's it?" You looked back up at him, a bit of the light in your eyes gone at the new discovery.

"Right that. My ex–wife insisted that I get it."

You froze.

"Ex–wife!?"

"Not so loud love!" Jack shushed you violently, now suddenly very aware of the crowd he had garnered, reaching out to you with his hands like he wanted to clamp one down over your mouth.

"Ex–wife. You. Jack Sparrow. With an ex–wife." The words felt foreign on your tounge.

"Is it so heard to belive I could catch myself a dame?" He queried, striking what was probably meant to come off as an attractive pose, but ended up looking like a drunk trying to dance.

"Yes!"

"Ouch. Blow to the ego that was." He frowned at you a little, parodying your shocked expression sarcastically.

"You're neva gonna let this go, are you?" He sighed.

You just quickly shook your head no silently, mind already filling with questions.

"Well bugger."

[laurfilijames]

Okay, I’m here, I’m making myself comfortable 😌

I’m avoiding SOA talk until I finish season seven, so I don’t stumble onto anything (honestly shocked I’ve managed to stay spoiler free for so long)

So, our man Will Miller… do you have any of your own head cannons for the most reserved of the Triple Frontier boys?

Ooooo yay!!!!!!! I was so happy to see this in my inbox you have no idea 🤗💗 Sorry it took me so long to answer, I'm hosting family at my cottage this weekend and there are dogs and children everywhere and not a moments peace 😅

Totally fair to avoid SOA talk! I'm glad you've managed to remain spoiler-free until this point!

You bet your ass I have headcanons about the Captain! This man is on my mind day and night and each time I watch TF, more thoughts (and thots) and ideas come up and I simply can't get enough.

So, here's a few I'll share that maybe some will agree with and maybe some won't!

The Miller's had a rough upbringing. Their dad was a drunk and their mom left when they were fairly young, resulting in Will stepping up to care for Benny and making sure he was looked after, earning Will his seriousness and maturity far sooner than he should've.

Because of that, Will was out of that house as soon as possible, having enlisted the day he turned 17.

Growing up, Will taught Benny how to fight and defend himself, making him feel less guilty about leaving his younger brother at home without him when he went away.

Because he saw what happened to his parents, Will doesn't drink much. He doesn't like the loss of control and hates the emotions it stirs up in him when he does have a couple more than he normally would. He will have a beer or two with the guys or enjoy a glass of wine with dinner occasionally, but never enough to even get a buzz. 

He keeps track of everything because it helps him process things. He never wants to forget the things he's done; good or bad. It helps him stay accountable for his actions and he's not the type of guy to kid himself into thinking his position can justify it, and he's learned over the years to acknowledge rather than bury what's happened. The numbers are sort of a certainty for him and help ground him.

Will doesn't sleep well. He suffers from nightmares often, and on nights when they don't happen, he's usually awake on account of his own thoughts. When a nightmare does happen, he wakes up in a full sweat and more often than not it's accompanied by screaming and thrashing around. To help pass the hours when he isn't able to fall back asleep, he'll go for a run to get rid of that anxious energy or hit the 24 hour gym.

I'm one to believe that his relationship with his ex-fiancée wasn't the best, that maybe they had been together since they were young and over the years grew apart and fell out of love as they changed and got older. Will's choice in career caused a lot of stress between them and wedged them apart even more, and unfortunately she took advantage of his deployments to indulge in affairs with men who suited her better. The Publix incident was the last straw for her; she wasn't willing to stick around to try to help him through things and abandoned him completely, leaving him to spiral before picking himself back up again with the help of his brother and friends.

I honestly could keep going but I'll stop there! Please, please, please if you or anyone else has opinions on any of this and wants to discuss it further send me an ask or reblog this. I just love talking about my man 😩💗

[mareenavee]

Tell us 10 things about your version of Teldryn! Inquiring minds want to know :)

Hello my friend! Thank you so much for asking.

This is good because while I know a lot about all of my POV characters in my fic, I know I've shared exponentially more about Nyenna and that perhaps I have worked on her backstory more than the NPCs that I've brought into this tale. I'll preface by saying most of these are going to be HC material based on the direction I wanted this character to go in this story.

So without further ado, 10 Teldryn things from my fic, The World on Our Shoulders. Do be warned, some of these do get a little deep. There's a CW/TW on #8, so skip if you need to.

1) Teldryn has a tendency not to think through his decisions as hard as he probably should, even after all these years. He lives very much in the moment, more as a way to ignore/avoid thinking about his past than anything. He does tend to want to move on to the next logical goal and doesn't see sense in lingering. Lingering or waffling can only cause more discomfort later on mostly. He's not a procrastinator generally. For a lot of reasons, this occasionally can be a point of contention between him and Nyenna, because she thinks too much about decisions most of the time.

2) Teldryn is not at all a fan of dragonflies. I have shared an in-universe example in this snippet here. There's no particularly discernable reason WHY exactly, as they are not harmful. Everyone has something. Nyenna hates skeevers en masse. Athis is disgusted by vampires. Farkas is nauseous about frostbite spiders. Teldryn does NOT want dragonflies to land on him or buzz anywhere around his ears at all. No thank you. The big bug eyes and loud wings and the weird long metallic bodies really sort of freak him out in ways other things just don't. (I love them personally irl lol)

3) He is a big complainer regarding cold weather. He hates icy winds, he hates when snow gets into his shoes, he hates not being able to see in bad weather. If his ears go numb with cold, then nobody will hear the end of it at all, ever. This despite living on Solstheim and in Windhelm. He travelled through Skyrim for decades of his life, too. And yes, all of those decades he had negative things to say about the Godsforsaken snow much to the chagrin of his patrons.

4) He never believed he'd ever be the kind of person who deserved love or kindness. He never saw a future where he'd ever be able to settle down. It affected his relationships, often by self-sabotage. He'd be the sort that wouldn't believe it when someone would profess their love of him because he couldn't see in himself why they would even say something like that. The closer they'd try to get to him the more he'd push them away until the relationship was too fractured to put back together. He might have loved or got close enough to it before, but his fear and self-doubt closed those doors before too long. Even then, it was nothing like really getting to know Nyenna. He might have been boastful and forward and bold at first -- but that was nothing new. He behaved that way with anyone (yes anyone) he found particularly attractive. It was more than that. It was a slow dawning realization that she somehow already saw the kind of person he could be underneath all the darkness. Despite all the complications of their situation, after that, he certainly did fall hard.

5) He knew Neloth in the 3rd era and is one of the very few people Neloth may possibly miss in an abstract, miniscule sort of sense should they actually be removed from Nirn. He can be considered one of Teldryn's close friends, again in that sort of almost indecipherable sort of way. Back then, Neloth really wanted to mess with the prosperity of house Dres and Teldryn somehow managed to convince him the best way to do that would be to join the Twin Lamps with him. Unheard of, really, for a Telvanni, let alone one as high up and curmudgeonly as Neloth. Teldryn takes that as a personal win even if Neloth wasn't in it to be empathetic and helpful, really. This secret has caused Teldryn a bit of trouble since then, however.

6) If he doesn't like working with a specific patron, he won't talk at all besides what needs to be said for survival, despite how chatty and boastful he normally seems. It's why sometimes people he'd worked for might say things along the lines that he's rude, harsh or that he's unfriendly. It's not the case, really, once you get down past all the swagger and chitin.

7) He never got a chance to cross paths with the Hero of Kvatch. He'd been in Cyrodiil during the Oblivion Crisis and actually did put his sword arm to good use, but they always seemed to miss each other. He never once saw Martin Septim either, at least not to the best of his knowledge. This was in his early years of being a sellsword in general and everyone was too busy with the Crisis to bother asking why he always hid his face behind a strange chitin helmet. At the time, that suited him just fine.

8) CW/TW: Implied Suicidal Thoughts and Mentioned Substance Abuse. Skip to 9 if you need to.

He spent a great deal of time and money trying to forget to the point of near self-destruction. Of course, with Corprus, he can't really die by disease or aging or even poison. He couldn't do it himself despite trying once or twice. He'd have had to get himself killed somehow. All he knew was that without any kind of purpose, he was absolutely unmoored. Especially around the time of the Red Year, he felt so much of it was his fault, a direct result of his actions, fated or otherwise, especially when word started spreading that the general opinion was that the Hortator abandoned Morrowind when he was needed the most. The guilt was unbearable. His go-to strategy to be done with it all was picking fights while massively inebriated. However, even on these extended benders, people mostly felt sorry for him and would drag his drunk and/or high self back to the inn or to jail to sleep it off. There was no honor in cutting down a drunk, especially one clearly in so much pain. Eventually, Neloth and Geldis helped him get back on track. He still struggles with the guilt and regret, but has come a long way since the Red Year situation.

9) He has a strained relationship with religion. He's not sure if he was played by Azura or if it was something more, but hasn't ever been able to shake the feeling that if he'd only done a few things differently, he'd never have gotten tied up in the Nerevarine nonsense to begin with. He'd never had been caught and arrested if he'd just paid a little more attention back before the start of things. The ambiguity gnaws at him, because he'd talked with Azura and he has Moon-and-Star and there's no real concrete way to determine where the lies end and the prophecy begins and just who or what is responsible for pushing him the direction he needed to be. It's also why he hates the term "Fate" but can't seem to find other vocabulary for all the coincidences he'd been wrapped up in over the course of his life. Azura doesn't speak to him directly anymore, but sends him little visions in his dreams once in a while that he generally can't quite determine the meaning of, usually regarding a decision he'd already made.

10) He didn't kill Vivec. He couldn't bring himself to do it, even after everything with the Ordinators. Even after everything with the Heart. Even after all the manipulation and bullshit that got him to the end of that path. Even after everything he lost by having to be this legendary hero, this paragon, the Hortator and Nerevarine. Azura had said he'd be responsible for the destruction of the Tribunal as the Nerevarine, but once Vivec was mortal again, death would come for him in no time at all. It wouldn't be by Teldryn's hand. And to this day, he has absolutely no idea where Vivec ended up or why and doesn't care to know. He will walk away if anyone brings it up in conversation, even if it's a bunch of scholars discussing history. He'd get into a bar fight over the mention of Tribunal worship. There's trauma there he's absolutely pushed aside.

[derfisch-draws]

OC Masterpost

probably good to have a quick reference there of all my Guys, both for my sanity and perhaps yours too. will probably add more later, either as they become relevant again or as I create them. I'll try to keep all info and reference images as up to date as possible

my sonas

not much to know about these guys, except they're both me. goodra is a little more outgoing, but is a couch potato, while tanuki keeps to themself more, but likes the outdoors

an

a docile lil typh. imagine every fujoshi stereotype, and map it onto a nerdy gay boy, and you've basically got an's personality lol. he has a maybe-boyfriend grumpig who I haven't really developed yet. he's based off this picture though:

zoroark & lucario

these two are the guildmaster (lucario) and second-in-command (zoroark) of a guild in a pmd setting I've been rolling around in my head for a while. pokemon civilization exists in a region within the greater pokemon world, and is surrounded by some sort of protective barrier that keeps out humans. lucario fled there from an abusive trainer, and met zoroark there, who was living as a bandit. the two bonded, became mates, and founded a guild together as a safe haven for exiles and refugees like themselves. the armbands they wear serve strategic functions when they fight, but were mostly picked to match each other's color as a sign of their relationship

lucario is stern, but soft-spoken and reserved. his aura sensors having been removed by his previous trainer, he's unable to consciously control aura, and relies mainly on physical attacks and agility when fighting. in a pinch though, his body goes into desperation mode, and a whirlwind of destructive aura energy surrounds him, hurting him in the process. he wears a focus band just in case. this also can activate if he's incredibly stressed or angry, so it's best not to get him upset! thankfully, he's very good at emotional management, and he has a sweet tooth, so the best way to calm him down is to have a mago berry on hand

zoroark is impish, and has a habit of toying a bit with those around him. he doesn't let anyone know his emotional state except lucario. he doesn't even let anyone else see his eyes, always keeping them in a near-shut squint. only lucario has seen his eyes fully open. as someone who avoids conflict when possible, he attacks in a single strike, and uses the improved speed from his choice scarf to flee as quickly as possible, potentially lifting some goods in the process

gatsby

gatsby is a protogen in a setting where cyborgs like him are treated as products to be sold. I've written up a whole doc about his backstory here, but in short, he's escaped life as a slave, and is trying to live life on his own terms now

chiki & avillon

these two are the mascots of a rhythm game concept I've had in mind for a while called "beast beat." as rhythm game characters, I haven't given a ton of thought to their personalities, but I do know that they're best friends. they live in a utopian setting with a retro future aesthetic. they're both djs, though chiki does more actual dj work, while avillon only does it occasionally, and focuses more on music production. also, avillon has a cool hover moped, and chiki has a hoverboard, but I haven't drawn either yet. woops

also, they're both hella gay! and chiki is trans

[crimeronan]

How does Darius treat Luz after the awful mindscape horror show? I imagine things are certainly awkward between them for a bit with Darius feeling no shortage of guilt that he was perfectly willling to villify a teenage victim of abuse and want to make amends and Luz just... completely agreeing with said vilification but also desperately needing another caring adult. Do Luz get the Dadruis treatment like Hunter eventually and what does their bond look like?

THIS IS A REALLY GOOD AND INTERESTING QUESTION. once again this is a concept that deserves an entire fic to itself. but since my time and energy are limited i'll see what thoughts i have.

okay so for background context:

here's a post from a while back explaining more of the context with darius's relationship to both luz and hunter. AKA, why he gets along with hunter much better much earlier than in the canon, and why he also finds luz Scary As Fuck.

AND HERE'S A POST I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT, about darius thinking that luz has figured out that he's a traitor. and darius being afraid that if luz treats traitors the same way that belos did, then hunter might be in danger, even though hunter's never shown any signs of disloyalty.

so darius doesn't exactly hate luz or think that she's evil as much as.... he's wary of Anyone with the kind of power that she has. and the way she acts just makes him more suspicious and afraid. i don't know how much concern he has for his own wellbeing, but he's Certainly concerned that luz might treat hunter as disposable. and he's certainly concerned for anybody else who knows he's a rebel n does treason shit (raine, eber, the BATS, etc)

mainly that context is to say: i don't think he's been as big a dick to her as he is to hunter in the canon. but he HAS been openly rude and disdainful toward her. and he's probably made the occasional pointed comment that makes her go, "oh no, he's right. i'm Evil"

i think that he'd start changing his relationship with luz through his relationship with hunter. he and hunter know each other better, and hunter likes hanging around him. more than that, hunter Already Trusts darius. luz believes that darius is a good ally because she trusts hunter's judgment, but she's still afraid to show vulnerability in front of any other adult except MAYBE raine.

hunter spends a lot of time around luz both because he's her captain and because they're terribly codependent. darius avoids luz as much as possible, which severely limits the amount of time he can spend with hunter.

so i think post-mindscape, he'd just like. relax a bit??

he'd stop talking shit about luz even in passing, he'd make it clear that he's happy to spend time with hunter even if luz tags along, he'd start assuming luz will be around instead of expecting hunter to schedule his time around her. (inasmuch as either hunter or luz have any free time, what with her being the empress.)

i think he feels bad about misjudging luz, but even more than that, he feels bad about misjudging HUNTER. because his assumption has always been that time away from luz is good for hunter, bc it means that hunter has brief freedom from all of the empire's expectations. but now he's realizing just how much extra stress that puts on hunter's shoulders. and how much he misinterpreted where the problems with the kids were coming from

this approach means that he gets to spend more time around both kids and organically build a rapport with luz. i think she'd be a little uncertain and anxious about his intentions at first - but like i said, she DOES trust hunter implicitly. so if hunter doesn't think that there's any danger or political machinations afoot, luz will try not to be paranoid.

she and darius would get along pretty well once darius stops viewing her with suspicion and starts indulging her bright-eyed curiosity. luz thinks that he is So Cool and wants to learn Everything about him.

i think that if luz WAS going to confess about the murder to anyone besides hunter, it would Probably be raine.

but.

darius is more ruled by his emotions than raine is. and he's better at remaining stealthy and tactical..... UNTIL he's emotionally invested. so i CAN see darius reaching a point where he's, like.

like.

he's been watching luz and hunter try to manage all of this shit by themselves and has been subtly helping where possible, but both kids are Clearly struggling. and i can see him getting frustrated enough to eventually just. drop the bomb that he knows.

i don't know if luz would confess to raine first or if darius would lose patience before then. either way.... they'd eventually get on the same page. in as messy and stupid a way as possible.

[mywritingonlyfans]

hiii, are you working on something? could we get a WIP? love it all

heeey, i mean not properly, but i'm currently writing something i think i'll be posting. the idea is about: alex and reader suffer a car accident, in which alex was driving, and reader is much more weakened than him and ends up losing part of her memory with what happened and then we have the process of alex having to experience reader falling in love with him all over again and blaming himself for the accident too... very cliche and generic just the way i like it lol.

...

""Alex vividly remembered everything. You had your bare thighs resting calmly in your seat next to him, in your tiny flowery dress, with your hands occasionally reaching up to comfort him with a gentle touch on the back of his neck, causing him to let out a contented sigh from time to time. You were both happy, returning from a usual dinner date and hadn't been drinking. Your voice filled the car as you sang along to the songs Alex had put on when he started driving. He wanted to live this moment for as long as possible, often finding himself smiling at the ring on his finger and the knowledge that loving you was the purest form of peace and calm he had ever experienced. It was like a sunny day spent at the beach, in the sea, and coming home to the comfort of your bed in a lazy sigh of good tiredness, just to wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.

However, things took a different turn that night. It only took a few seconds for the smiles and melodic voices to turn into shattered glass. Alex had tried his best to avoid the speeding car before taking the turn, a decision he regretted as he watched your lifeless body lying next to him, eyes wide and staring blankly ahead. He was trapped by his seatbelt, just like you, but unlike you, he couldn't move even if he wanted to. He was pinned between the twisted metal that had once been a car. Alex tried to speak, his voice trembling, but it was all so scary. Your eyes were open, but unseeing, your forehead bleeding, your hair matted with blood. Although he tried to remain calm for your sake, it was undeniable that your side of the car was unrecognizable to anyone who looked. "Come on, babe, you need to listen to me and hold on a little longer. Someone will be 'ere soon to help."

His heart was squeezing with pain, he had never imagined losing you like this, or any other way for that matter. Tears blurred his vision and he could feel his skin hurting as he struggled to move in vain, trying to free himself to help you. He whispered words of comfort, hoping you would somehow hear him and stay conscious, but it seemed to make no sense, no matter how much he insisted. Your eyelids twitched a little, but your eyes remained unfocused, without any shine, and gradually closed as Alex could only watch until help arrived.""

[meefy]

🍓🎈 🌹 🍷 for any of your AnS ocs! Throw in Frieren ones too! ^^

I'll do em all hehehe ~

🍓 (strawberry) - Does your oc believe in anything? Are they superstitious? Religious? Atheistic? Has anything in their past made them this way?

Xyvie: she believes in fate, to some degree. But she doesn't like the saying that everything happens for a reason, because she feels that is essentially saying her parents died for a reason besides the fact there are just some evil people out there.

Aureville siblings: I will answer this collectively because it's pretty much the same answer: they were not brought up religious/spiritual, and none of them really believe in anything today. Féanne might believe in fate a little more than her brothers, but nothing more than that.

-

Edel: she learned about religion, the goddess, and "Heaven" from reading human texts, and thought it was interesting; she practiced praying and worship out of curiosity, but gradually it grew on her, and she now considers herself a believer. She just doesn't consider herself worthy of forgiveness or entry into Heaven once she is gone from this earth.

🎈 (balloon) - What does your character do at parties? Are they a wallflower or a party animal? Do they go with friends or alone?

Xyvie: very shy, will avoid parties if she can help it. She would go with someone she knows, preferably someone who can pick up her social slack. If anything she'd want to help cook/prepare for the party vs be in it.

Aleyan: drinks, helps himself to the cookies, and tries to get single men to dance with his sister. He makes his presence known, like it or not; he has a complex, feels that he needs to be important to matter, and it comes out at any social gathering.

Féanne: hides as much as possible and ignores everybody. Tries especially to avoid Aleyan. As a child she'd just hide under the tables, but as an adult she'd still probably be tempted...

Feiran: he's not a fan of parties/events, but he'll usually have luck finding someone his age to chat with and have a decent enough time. He won't be excited about a party, but won't make a fuss if he has to go.

-

Edel: has never been to a "party" except the occasional gathering of demons where most of them ignored her entirely. She has heard Graf Granat throws nice banquets, however...

🌹 (rose) - What does your oc find attractive in other people? Are these traits found in their friends and/or romantic partners? Are they found in themselves?

Xyvie: someone creative, kind, and who doesn't try to change who she is. She tries to stick with likeminded people: those who would give you the shirt off their backs, who help others and who are true to their roots and values. Those traits above all are most important to her.

Aleyan: if he'd ever let himself open up enough to be vulnerable with another person...he'd probably value someone who challenged him, both in combat and intellectually yes but also emotionally. Most of his anger towards his siblings is rooted in envy and insecurity; they got out, and he feels too far gone to do the same...so deep down Aleyan would probably appreciate someone who helped him get more in touch with that part of himself. He is both sex- and romance-repulsed, so this would have to come in the form of a QPR or very close friend...

Féanne: she rarely feels attraction towards anyone, and sort of assumed nobody would love her in return because her family ingrained it into her head that she was too stubborn, too educated, too reclusive, and too lost in her thoughts...so, of course, she fell in love with someone exactly like that. Féanne especially needs someone who respects her independence and space, since those are the two things she fought the most for. Looks however don't really matter to her; someone becomes attractive to her based on their behaviour.

Feiran: he isn't necessarily opposed to romance, but it is far down on his list of priorities. If he were to venture into that realm, he would probably seek out someone to complement him without changing him. He is very shy and reserved, and rightly or wrongly would want someone who can speak and act for the both of them without putting words in his mouth. He would want someone who gives him the courage to be himself while not retraumatizing him by pushing as hard as Aleyan did.

-

Edel: has never experienced friendship, let alone romance, and has no real idea what she'd want in either type of relationship...she supposes she'd start out with someone who accepts her for who (and what) she is, first and foremost; she doesn’t really have hobbies or likes/dislikes, and would likely also seek out someone who would expose her to new things to enjoy together. Personality wise, it sounds a little cliché to say someone kind and loving, but after all the bloodshed and torture she's witnessed, Edel would absolutely want someone gentle-natured and warm to be around. Who knows where she can find someone like that...?

🍷 (wine) - Does your oc drink? What kind of alcohol do they enjoy? What are their drinking habits? What kind of drunk are they?

Xyvie: doesn't drink and has no real desire to. She has no reason not to, but no reason to do so either...

Aleyan: drinks pretty much every day, he's a "glass of wine with dinner" kind of guy. For him growing up with his father owning a vineyard meant easy access to alcohol, and although I'd hesitate to use the word alcoholic in connotation with him, Aleyan definitely finds it...numbs the pain he isn't ready to face, to some degree. However, he does tend to overdo it at parties or social events, and he is not a particularly happy drunk; he gets very tense and easily upset, and is not someone you want to be around when he is that far gone. His preference is white wine.

Féanne: hardly ever drinks. If Aleyan has a glass of wine every night with dinner, she has a glass of wine every time she attends a noble gathering - which is almost never. She had nothing against it, just not her preference. She prefers red wine to white, although her family's vineyard mostly produces white wine.

Feiran: abstains completely from drinking after seeing how it's affected his brother, and prefers not to be around drunk people at all.

-

Edel: Aura’s executioners permitted Edel to drink with them on special occasions, usually wine or spirits, and so she has no issue partaking in it when celebrations occur. She does prefer sweeter drinks, though, and finds drier/harder liquor unpleasant. Edel doesn't let herself get drunk (or rather, Aura doesn't), but she does get tipsy easily, and her inhibition is gone out the window pretty quickly...

[acacia-may]

Have asked already? Gosh, I getting tired! 3, 55, 73 and 96 <3

Hello friend! No, you hadn't asked already, but thank you so much for this one! I'd be happy to answer these questions for you!! 🥰

3. On a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy incorporating romance into the average story?

In general, probably a 1 or (a very generous) 2, but I think it really depends on the story. I'll admit I will sometimes use romance as a plot device or just to make jokes and then I have a little fun with it, but I took this question to mean legitimate and serious incorporation of romance, in which case it's generally not my cup of tea and even if it's a pairing that I really like, I don't find a lot of enjoyment in it because I don't have a lot of practice writing romance and really get in my own head & worried that I'm going to mess it up. Meet-Cutes and Established Relationships are okay (because they're not super dependent on me being able to write a compelling relationship progression), but when it comes to writing characters actually falling in love or focusing on them deepening their relationship, I get really nervous because I know that's not my strength as a writer.

This is true even when I have a pairing that I made up myself. I had my sister laughing at me when for my self-indulgent birthday fic, I actually wrote our OC into the story but kept her relationship with her (eventual after a decades long slow burn) love interest platonic on purpose. My sister was editing and there's this scene where they like unintentionally brush hands and she just stops and says, "It's your birthday. You know, you can make this relationship super romantic if you want," but I was like "No. I don't think I will. I like them as friends." Cue my sister just deadpan blinking and pointing out, "You literally made her up just to eventually marry him [under these ultra-specific circumstances]" And yeah, that's technically true, but if it's up to me and what I enjoy writing, I prefer writing them as friends (with like optional, super subtle somewhat romantic undertones). I don't mind the hints at possible romantic feelings, but when it comes to anything overt, I think it stresses me out to write more than I find enjoyment in it.

But that's just me. I have nothing against romance on principle. I just don't trust myself to write it and find more enjoyment in writing even my favorite pairings as friends or in an intentionally ambiguous relationships. I have been trying to push myself to write more romance, but I don't think I'll ever consider it a strong suit of mine and I go out of my way to avoid it. In the series I mentioned above which actually does have a CC x OC pairing in it that's actually integral to the plot, the (eventual) couple didn't even officially meet until literally over 55,000 words into the story. And now they're just going to be friends for like 10 years before any dating happens. The story is just not about that. This is what I mean when I say I don't do romance lol 😅😂

But I do try my best because I want to grow as a writer. It's just when the question asks "how much do I personally enjoy writing romance," the answer is not much at all (even for an OTP or a ship I made up myself).

55. Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

Yes. Too many to count 😭 In most cases, I lost momentum, changed interests, moved on from the fandom, or just couldn't figure out how to make the story work. I also tend to get distracted by other projects and ideas. I'd like to return to some of my wips someday because it bothers me to leave things unfinished (especially if part of them had been posted), but we'll see.

73. How do you visualize scenes? do you see it like a movie in your head, or do the words just flow?

Both actually, so it kind of depends. When I'm initially planning/drafting a scene, I see it like a movie (often watching the scenes from the eyes of my POV character, though occasionally watching from the outside like an actual audience). When I'm ready to start writing, I can actually see the words I want to write like I'm reading them. That's generally when I know I'm ready to sit down and get typing (because otherwise I'm just outlining or mapping out scenes in my head).

96. Romantic/social sideplots: interesting or irritating?

It really depends on the work and on why that subplot is in there, but in general my favorite kinds of romance in all of fiction have always been subplots. Honestly, I think if I listed my favorite ships of all time they were all romantic subplots in stories that were otherwise just not about that, and I really liked that because I could enjoy them without them overtaking the story and overshadowing all of the other meaningful (platonic) relationships.

But, on the flip side, I think I am very sensitive to and adverse to "romance for the sake of romance" or just when a ship is shoved into a story gratuitously without it making sense or needing to be there beyond the creators deciding "well there has to be romance somewhere." Like...no, there doesn't have to be romance in anything, ever. In fact sometimes there probably shouldn't be.

Some of my least favorite ships of all time fit in this "romance for the sake of romance" category because it just feels so forced, unnecessary, and uncomfortable to me. But to be fair there are even pairings that I genuinely like & would have even said I "ship," and I still get sour & upset when they get forced together at the end of the story just because it's the end, when I feel they're not ready and/or there wasn't proper build up. In those cases, even though I technically shipped the ship & wanted to see them together eventually, I would have preferred if they hadn't forced it and had just left the relationship open ended.

This is an extremely random example but since I just changed my profile picture to Naomi & Gabe... Elena of Avalor actually did this open-ended ship thing really well imo, and I am immensely grateful that the creators stuck to their promise not to give Elena a canonical love interest at the end since she had so much going on in her life and her story and character journey was never about that. No matter how much I (and from what I've seen, a whole lot of the fandom) want her to (eventually) end up with Mateo, it was NOT the time and this show did not play. They literally had a magical alpaca cut off Mateo's ill-timed almost love-confession at the "expected" (but objectively bad) moment, and it was AMAZING! This was hard core and has my ULTIMATE RESPECT.

So yeah...it's a very fine line between compelling & irritating and understandable & forced when it comes to romance subplots. I think when romance subplots are done well and thoughtfully they can be super compelling and interesting, but when they're done badly or are thrown in there "just because," it's honestly kind of the worst... 😝

When it comes to my own writing, if romance is going to be in there, it is probably going to be a subplot and I hope it's not too irritating lol. 😅 Even in a "romance" story, I feel like the romance is usually still a subplot because it's vying for attention with the friendship between the characters in the ship or their own personal struggles as people or (more often than not) one the character's strained/otherwise complicated relationship with their sibling(s) or family members [i.e. all my fics that have any romance for either of the Spatial Mage Brothers are also heavily focused on the brothers' relationship with each other in addition to their respective romantic ships. I just can't seem to write Finral x Finesse or Langris x Finesse or Finral x Vanessa or ect. ect. without Finral & Langris' platonic brothers' relationship being in there too, at least to some extent]. I find it hard to get into a story when the only thing in it is romance personally, so I prefer when it's a subplot or just one part of a story with multiple things going on.

[bitchfitch]

The cup of tea was warm in his hands. The few leaves that had escaped the strainer floating placidly on the surface. Esti focussed on their gentle paths, swirling the cup occasionally to keep them moving as for every second he was focused on them he could avoid looking at his mother across the table from him.

Corvus was the image of matronly patience as she waited for him to break the silence. Her own cup on the table in front of her, neatly sat on its little plate like it was to be the third participant in what Esti was predicting to be an absolutely miserable conversation.

"I love him," Esti started. It was a fact. It deserved to go first. He only said it because he knew it would be the absolute last thing she would want to hear.

"I'm aware."

Her plan wasn't difficult to parse out. She needed him on his back foot and knew nothing was harder for him than having to ask for what he wanted. Especially when it went so far against the will of who he was asking for it from. She would deny him either way, but making him ask meant he wouldn't ask so him failing this negotiation would be wholly his fault instead of her refusing to just let them be happy-

"I'll allow you to marry him so long as you give me a way to keep you safe."

"What?" Esti couldn't believe what his brain was telling him he'd heard her say.

"Did you already change your mind?" The teasing smile on her voice was full of the summer night warmth he'd almost forgotten she was capable of.

"No! No- Of course not. But, really? I- Thank you," he bumbled through a few words as every question and expression of gratitude tied themselves in knots in their race to his tongue.

"Yes, Esti. Pavo is... not my first choice for you, but he argued his case and made a few promises that, should he keep his end of the deal, were too good for our people for me to refuse," she sighed and rested her hands palm up on the table between them, a silent invitation that Esti gladly accepted. He set his cup aside and placed his in hers. His deep grey skin looking so much lighter than it was against the true light eating darkness of hers. "I hope he is good to you. I hope and wish and pray to every deity that might listen to my words as though they are coming just from a mother instead of one who is a demon as well, that he proves me wrong in every way," she squeezes his hands, "I worry I am sacrificing you to a monster for the sake of those who pretend you aren't my eldest son. I want to be wrong, but I still worry."

"You are, I- I promise it Mother. He's kind to me. He's never once been a monster to me and he never will be. I swear it."

"Do you think the brides slaughtered by their beloveds thought they were beasts before they sent them weeping to their graves? You can not know he will remain kind... That's why my approval of your marriage to him is conditional."

He felt a twinge of something curl in the back of his gut. Suspicion or anxiety or some worry he may not be able to give her what he needs to to have the groom he desires more than a bat with shredded wings desired the open air of the night sky.

"All I ask is that you give me a way to bring you home should he prove unworthy of your love. Tell me how to see through the wards that keep his village hiddencfrom demon-kind so that I can come save my son should he ever need me to."

Esti swallowed hard, trying to drown out they growing growling feeling with the hope and joy earning her permission will bring him. If sharing one secret was all it took to have Pavo's hand he couldn't possibly deny her it right? It was just one secret.

"In the clearing before the gate, face away from it and walk forwards while making yourself believe that you will pass through it. When you should be stood below the archway make the sigil of his house in the air before you. You will be within the village when you take your next step," his dread built with every word.

She let go of his hands. Her next action was nearly lost to the thick shadows that clung to her fingers, but still, he saw her remove the wedding band his father had proposed to her with.

"Thank you, I know what sorts of suspicions he has probably filled you with, so I hope this will be a strong enough gesture to convince you I do truly intend to only use that information if he goes back on his promises of your safety in his care," she sets the ring on the table before him. "I would like it if you proposed to him here in your maiden home so that we may celebrate the engagement as a family. As you do not just have my permission, but my blessing as well."

The ring didn't feel real when he picked it up. It was heavy in his hand, and warm from her skin. The metal hard and smooth and the gems glittered in their settings, but it still didn't feel real.

He had spent weeks pacing and trying to think up back up plans for his back up plans. Never, in any of his anxious strategizing had he thought she would say yes without an argument about avoiding war and breaking his heart. Even then, her blessing was something he had written off completely. A quick disowning was what he presumed would be the best result not... this.

She came around the table and wrapped him in a hug as she shushed him. He hadn't even realized he had begun to cry.

"Thank you. Thank you. I- I I have nothing else, just thank you," he leaned against her, wiping at his eyes and trying valiantly to stop his tears. The relief and elation drowned out his worry. Of course he was just being paranoid. Of course she wanted nothing but what was best for their family. He tried to apologize for doubting her, but his blubbering mangled the words beyond what was recognizable.

Corvus chuckled and rubbed his shoulder when she let go. "Go now. Your groom is probably planning something stupid. Give him the news before he has time to act on those plans."

Esti nodded, and was on his feet in a stumbling trot to the door before he could think himself into a new anxiety spiral.

Beyond the door, Pavo leaned against the wall, his agrivated grimace turning to an expression of worry as he saw the tears. Esti was in his arms and burrying his face against Pavo's chest before he had time to demand to know what had happened.

Any thought of grand romantic gestures Esti might have had were eaten by his eagerness as he grabbed for Pavo's hand the instant he could bare to back away enough to do so. Wordlessly he put the ring on Pavo's little finger, the band being sized for someone with much finer hands barely fit but the implications of the action still rung loud and clear.

Pavo looked between the ring and Esti and Corvus. His worry turning to surprise then to the same elation Esti clearly felt as he wrapped him in his arms again. Heftig him up and spinning him with giddy love sick glee. Cackling his acceptance of the proposal and looking more like a person than Corvus had ever seen him as before.

Pavo barely set Esti back down on his feet, still not letting him go, before he was addressing her, "Thank you. You won't regret this. I swear it on my life that I will keep him safer and happier than anyone else could, and if I fail that it will be my own blade I fall too."