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causeitsagame · 1 year

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Some good old-fashioned h/c

For @hajihiko, since there was nothing to read <3

"No, we cannot tell Makoto," Sonia insisted, and coughed up a wad of phlegm. "He puts himself at great risk with every visit."

"I know that," Hajime said, and traded the phlegm-y handful of palm fronds she'd grabbed along the way in favor of an actual tissue. After some time spent on the real islands, Makoto had asked them what else was needed for their recovery. The list was fortunately brief, but did have some small but critical items, like a pressure control valve for surgical anesthesia. Somehow, he'd managed to find the whole requested collection in the broken world out there.

"And so we cannot appear to be ungrateful," Sonia continued. She snorted, drawing a drooping bit of snot back up into her reddened nose. "Accepting necessary trade-offs without complaint is a part of negotiations and aid."

"It's Makoto," Hajime patiently countered as he led her back into her room. Other nearby doors were also closed, but she'd decided that she felt well enough to help prepare some broth for the others. It hadn't gone well; he'd found her slumped over in the kitchen. "He's not going to get mad if I clarify exactly what he brought to the island with him."

"No, we mustn't blame him," Sonia said weakly as Hajime steered her toward her bed.

"It's not blame. I just want to know."

"You mustn't," she insisted again as she let herself be maneuvered under a light blanket. Though the day was typically warm outside, she shook.

"…Fine," Hajime lied. "I won't call Makoto."

Sonia smiled gratefully up at him through reddened, watery features.

"Feel better. I'll check on you soon, all right?"

She nodded, coughed again, and curled up on her side.

With a reassuring smile, Hajime walked off to call Makoto.

"Sorry, I didn't realize," Makoto said on the video screen, and wiped roughly at his nose. Now into recovery, he had the pale, desaturated color scheme of a heavy illness draped over his otherwise sunny demeanor. "I didn't feel bad until I was already leaving. How are people doing? Do you need more medicine?"

"No, we're good." Hajime gestured over his shoulder, and coughed. "There's plenty of medicine in the clinics around the islands."

Makoto hesitated at Hajime's deep, rough cough. "Is it expired, though?"

"On the packages? Sure. In reality? Slightly reduced efficacy, easily adjusted for with a larger dose." Hajime coughed again against the back of his hand. "We're good."

"Okay," Makoto said uncertainly. "Call me again if you need to, all right?"

"We're fine." Hajime waved him off. "I should be able to toss this off pretty easily, and I can look after everyone else."

"Well. Okay. But seriously, you can call me."

"And we always appreciate it," Hajime assured him, and with a grateful nod, cut the call. Okay. Time to check on everyone else.

Akane complained, which was a good sign; she'd been the first to succumb, and her laying so still and quiet in bed had unpleasantly reminded everyone of the Despair Disease. "I've gotta have something more than just water," she griped as Hajime handed her a bowl, filled from the pot Sonia had left simmering.

"Broth," Hajime corrected. "And do your eyes feel all weird and prickly?"

"Yeah."

"Right. We need to get more fluids into you, first thing. That'll help you recover as quickly as possible. And if you need fluids, this is better than just water, right?"

"Yeah," she admitted, and drank some. "I guess."

"Okay. Drink some more of that until you feel better, and then real food is on the way." That encouraged her enough to treat the broth as an actual meal, and after a quick temperature check, Hajime moved on.

"I feel gross," Kazuichi whined.

Hajime turned to cough into his shoulder, heavy and deeper in his chest than when he'd talked to Makoto. It felt like it echoed inside him like a timpani, and Kazuichi had an eyebrow raised when he turned back to the man.

"You sound gross," Kazuichi added.

"I'm fine," Hajime insisted, and held up a stethoscope. "I want to listen to your chest."

Breathing was hindered by the sputum that this illness had brought to their respiratory tracts, but fortunately, it didn't sound any worse than yesterday. Kazuichi must be currently going through the worst of it, which meant that recovery was right ahead. "Cough for me into this," Hajime instructed, handing over a tissue.

Kazuichi did, and made a face as Hajime inspected what he'd coughed up. "And that is gross."

"The infection is on the mend," Hajime dryly confirmed as he tossed the tissue in a nearby bin. "And you're welcome. I'll bring soup."

"…Did you make the soup, or…"

"Sonia."

Kazuichi's grimace deepened as much as his illness-exhausted muscles would allow.

"She knows how to make a decent vegetable broth, by now. It tastes fine. Really. Be back in a sec."

Outside Kazuichi's cottage, Hajime felt a deep, insistent pressure build up in his chest. He hurried away from the open window, far enough that the noises he was about to make would blend into the rush of waves on the shore.

The cough ripped out of him painfully hard. He could feel it dislodge substances inside him that shouldn't be there; the illness everyone else was dealing with had also settled into his own respiratory tract. With another few deep coughs, Hajime cleared his throat and stood. His immune system was part of his generally improved body. That, along with his medical knowledge, meant that he was the best-suited person on this island to look after everyone else. And so he'd do exactly that.

"Hey," Hajime quietly called out as he entered the last cottage. He'd stopped by the kitchen for Kazuichi's broth, and another bowl of it was still in hand. "How are you doing?"

While Hajime was the best-suited to throw off an illness, Fuyuhiko was expectedly having the roughest time of it. He'd succumbed soon after Akane, but while she'd rebounded enough to complain and regain her appetite, Fuyuhiko remained a quiet, pliant lump under his blankets.

Silence in return to his question twisted an anxious knife in Hajime's chest. Suddenly fearful, he leaned over Fuyuhiko's still form.

And then he coughed on him, deep and loud.

Grimacing, Fuyuhiko stirred and looked up at Hajime with an accusing eye. "What?" The question was deep, raspy. Between damage from days of coughing and the illness his body still fought, his voice had dropped half an octave and most of its volume.

"Just checking on you," Hajime said. "I brought this. Can you sit up?"

Fuyuhiko flicked his gaze to the bowl Hajime held, then away. It was a silent but clear 'no thanks.'

"You need to eat," Hajime insisted.

Illness weakened people, and Fuyuhiko apparently dealt with illness about as well as he did with anything that made him feel weak: it pissed him off.

He'd been even more uncooperative than Akane. Although she'd fortunately rebounded quite a bit after the pods, giving her some physical reserves, Fuyuhiko had been an easy target for the disease clawing through everyone's system. He'd been left nearly motionless, only able to manage the short trip to the bathroom without exhausting himself. He relied on Hajime for food, medical attention, and anything else, and it infuriated him.

"The faster you recover, the faster you can get out of this room," Hajime pointed out. "And you're not going to recover if you starve yourself."

Fuyuhiko didn't want to agree with that, clearly. Fortunately for his pride, he could simply stay silent.

Hajime sighed. "Would you just—"

He barely set the bowl down in time before another cough ripped through him, doubling him over. He felt his abdominal muscles clench hard, almost like he was vomiting, as his airway was forcefully cleared. He gasped when he regained control of his breathing, felt his throat catch again on some of the mucus coating it, and fell into a second helpless round of coughing.

"One second," Hajime wheezed, and wiped his teary, bloodshot eyes.

In Fuyuhiko's bathroom, Hajime wiped down his face with one tissue and coughed hard into a second. The sputum had tinges of color just like what he'd inspected on Kazuichi: the infection was finally settling into Hajime's lungs, too. But it was mild, only there in small streaks, and so there wasn't any need to worry. Certainly, he was in much better shape than any of the rest of them, especially Fuyuhiko.

When Hajime exited back into the main room, Fuyuhiko was making an awkward attempt at the soup left next to him.

"Oh," Hajime said in pleased surprise, and cleared his throat again. "Need any help?"

Fuyuhiko eyed him speculatively. "No. Hey. Is there any medicine I should be taking?"

Hajime's eyebrows further rose. Fuyuhiko had rejected most of his suggestions before this, saying he didn't need it. "Yeah, there are a few different things I'd like to put you on."

"Go get 'em."

Not about to argue with a patient suddenly cooperating, Hajime did so. On the way, he stopped twice more to double over, hacking and coughing until tears squeezed out of his eyes.

Two days later, he tried to get out of bed to monitor everyone's recovery, and… couldn't. Hajime's muscles were tired like he couldn't remember, and every breath was thin and labored. He could feel the heat and humidity of the islands laying across his skin like a slimy, stifling weight, and yet the core of his body felt chilled and vulnerable. Hajime pulled a blanket over his shoulders and curled inward on himself.

Ten minutes passed, and his door opened under Sonia's mostly-steady hand. "We knew it," she sighed. "Yesterday, you were clearly on a steep decline."

"How's everyone doing?" Hajime asked. Or tried to, anyway; the words came out all mumbled.

"Good enough to check in on you!" Kazuichi promised, walking in with a bowl of soup. Behind him, Akane carried three thermoses, presumably full of the same.

"No," Hajime protested, seeing them all up and walking around. "You need to." His medical assessments weren't coming together like they had, and so he struggled with finding the instructions to issue. "Cough. Tissue."

"We're all clear," Kazuichi promised with a big thumbs-up. "Just normal snot, no infections."

Sonia smiled awkwardly. It was a curious mixture between celebration of their improved health and not wanting to have physical matters mentioned. Princesses weren't raised to acknowledge bodily issues, presumably.

"Oh." Well, that was good. Hajime let out a few rough, hacking coughs again, then found the next words he'd been struggling for. "Where's Fuyuhiko?"

As if cued, the man brushed past Kazuichi. Unlike everyone else, who appeared well on the path to recovery by now, Fuyuhiko was clearly still in the grips of the illness. He at least looked better than he had, though, even as he had a light blanket clutched around him and would probably go straight back to bed. "You probably know which one of these to take, yeah?"

Hajime managed a faint smile as more than a dozen different medications were deposited on his nightstand. The pile included every medicine he'd pulled for Fuyuhiko, along with what must be every other medicine that Fuyuhiko had decided looked even remotely related when he made his own visit to the nearest clinic. "Yeah. I see what I need."

"Good." Fuyuhiko found a small smile of his own, though it was an odd-looking expression after their collective illness had torn so deeply into him. "When I saw you acting like a dumbass, I figured I'd better heal up fast."

"M'not a dumbass," Hajime protested.

"You will stay in bed for the next three days," Sonia proclaimed, bringing the full weight of her lifelong training to bear. "We will not permit you to further exert yourself, Hajime, and will look after you as you have looked after us."

Hajime opened his mouth, took in everyone's visibly improved states, and closed it. That… that didn't sound too bad. "Okay," he relented. "But Fuyuhiko'd better do the same." Fuyuhiko had improved, yes, but 'can stand and walk, only with great effort' wasn't exactly reassuring.

Instinctive stubbornness slammed into Fuyuhiko's expression, and he opened his mouth to argue.

"Get back into bed," Hajime said, mostly into his pillow, "or I'll get up to check on you."

"…One more day," Fuyuhiko accepted, clearly with great reluctance.

"Fine." Hajime coughed. "Someone get me three pills from the. Bottle with the uh. Uh. Green cap." Sonia stepped forward toward the bottles, and Hajime admitted to her, "I called Makoto."

"I assumed as much," she sighed, though it came with a smile. "Will you need help with these pills?"

"Yeah, I'll need help sitting up," Hajime said, and saw Akane head his way to do so as Sonia disappeared into the bathroom for a glass of water. At the doorway, Fuyuhiko actually let himself be led off by Kazuichi.

As he felt Akane carefully tilt him up from the bed, Hajime sighed and let his eyes fall closed. Her grip was steady and sure, and Sonia sounded confident as she rattled off the (expected) name on the requested bottle, wanting confirmation before she administered it.

Obediently, Hajime opened his mouth for the first pill, and swallowed it down with the mouthful of water she then offered. And then again, and again. Sonia's voice next promised that she'd check on Fuyuhiko as the day went on, too, and so there was no need for him to worry.

Reassured, Hajime nodded as Akane arranged him back under his blanket. "Thanks."

His instincts began to rattle off all of the checklist items he should tackle, but for once, Hajime ignored them.

For now, he'd let someone else be in charge.

#my fic #why yes this IS the trope distilled bc sometimes you want that

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fleurywiththesave · 4 months

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just had to write a silly little something

The call comes sooner than Leon was expecting. He's just made it through the door of his hotel room, hasn't even dropped his bag yet, but he answers anyway.

"That was a lame-ass punch."

"Not like yours was any better," Leon points out, grinning despite himself. "I never fight, what's your excuse?"

"I'll have you know that I have become a model citizen both on and off the ice," Matthew says haughtily. "People even complain about it on Twitter."

"It's X now, Matty."

"Yeah, that's fucking stupid, I'm not calling it that."

Leon shucks off his game day suit while Matthew keeps rambling about what a bad business move it is to change your company's name after it's become successful.

"Are you home yet?" he asks when Matthew pauses for a breath.

"Haven't even left the arena. I had to do team media and an interview for Amazon. Did they let you off the hook tonight?"

"I made Connor do it, but now I have to let them follow me to the grocery store." He can tell that Matthew is making a face even though he can't see him.

"Buy something wildly out of character just to mess with their heads." He draws in another breath, but doesn't say anything else.

"Matthew?"

"Sorry. I just—I wish you could be there when I got home. I'm not saying you should be," he continues in a rush before Leon can remind him why they decided it would be a terrible (horrible, awful, worst ever, Davo and Barky would team up to kill them) idea to stay with each other right now, "but it's still a bummer. You're in Florida, you're supposed to be there."

"I know," Leon assures him. "I'm going to feel the same way in Edmonton." Matthew hums agreeably and Leon feels a tiny bit of tension he didn't even realize he was carrying relax. They can do this, they can get through this. It's going to suck and not in the good way, but at some point on the other side of it, they'll be just fine.

"Good game," he says. "We'll kick your asses next time."

"Tell Connor the bandaid looked stupid," Matthew responds.

"Love you, Matty."

"Love you too."

#mattdrai #leon draisaitl/matthew tkachuk #hockey rpf #tumblr fic #my writing

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panda-writes-kpop · 12 days

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I'll only stay with you one more night ~ j. hjn.

a/n: two weeks between posts will probably become the new normal as I struggle through this semester 😭 don't worry, school's going fine, I'm just busy as hell right now with work, school, and familial obligations. So don't worry if there's a week or two between uploads, I'm totally fine!! 🫶

tw: a bit pg-13 with some of the description (my bad yall, i just want to make out with jeon heejin y'know), mention of booze, reader is a romantic yet a bit depressed but we love them for it ❤️

summary: a precarious dance between you and heejin threatens to end as she lures you into her thralls yet again, but you won't break this new normal between the two of you. neither will she, so you're stuck in this limbo of 'not-quite-friends-but-not-quite-lovers'.

♡ Masterlist ♡

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Jeon Heejin eyes you, warily, as you approach her in the kitchen.

“You thought parties weren’t my… thing?” She draws out the last word, inviting a rebuttal from you.

You’re too smart to take the obvious bait, but too stupid to leave the conversation alone in its entirety.

“Didn’t think you were one to shoot vodka straight.” You gesture to the red solo cup in her hand - you’re a foot away from her, but you can practically taste the liquor in the air.

The smell makes you wish that you had drank something before starting this conversation. It’d help you feel less bad about what happens afterward.

“Maybe I like the way it tastes.” She teases before lifting the cup to her lips.

You’d almost believe her, if you didn’t know her so well, but the ghastly grimace on her face gives away her true thoughts about the drink.

“No person drinks vodka because they like the taste. What’s on your mind, Little Miss Perfect?”

Heejin scowls at the nickname - a long standing tradition between the two of you. You’d call her a role model or a perfect princess, and she’d respond by calling you a jackass or rolling her eyes at you.

Two people, perfectly molded to be each other’s opposite.

So why are you here, at this party, with her of all people?

“Would you believe me if I told you?”

“No,” Your response falls from your lips, immediately, and a teasing grin appears on your face, “but I’m willing to hear you out anyway.”

“You’re a liar.”

“It’s my charm, really.” You shrug before leaning against the fridge. “Are you in the mood for confessions or not?”

“Well…” She trails off, an unreadable expression on her face.

She leans against the counter after setting her drink aside. Her shirt lifts up, perfectly showing her well-defined body.

Why does she play this game with you, again and again? You’re both losers in the end.

Heejin is a perfect calamity of a woman - her eyes a whirlwind of emotions, a smile that is genuine but never quite reaches her eyes, her gestures as icy as they are warming.

You can’t tell if you want to slap or kiss that shit-eating grin off of her face.

And, based on your previous encounters with her, it’s most definitely going to be the latter option.

“Like what you see?” She winks at you before grabbing her drink again.

Her eyes study you, just as she studies her materials in class. Brutally methodical, looking for any errors or opportunities to pounce on.

She wants to lure you into her trap, into her clutches - you wanted her first, right?

“Fuck you.” The words would sound malicious coming from anyone else, but they’re oddly playful from your lips.

“You told me you wanted to know what’s on my mind…” Heejin strolls towards you with an unmistakable amount of confidence, the type that comes with experience.

She’s got you right where she wants you - as she does every time.

When she lands right in front of you, one of her hands lands on your abdomen. Heejin leans in close, close enough for only the two of you to hear.

“You. I’ve only had you on my mind, and it’s ruining my day.”

She leans back, a playful pout on her face.

A lioness with her prey in her claws - so much for her façade of innocence.

You should resist, push her hand away and let yourself get some air. Maybe it’s the booze in her breath that’s making you drunk, or maybe you’re just drunk on her.

Either way, that fleeting thought of rationality doesn’t seem to stop you from chasing Heejin’s lips as you kiss her with the pent-up frustration of her teasing.

Her hand leaves your chest as you place your hands on your lips - if you’re letting this happen, you may as well be in control of your actions.

You know you want this, as does she. You’re both just scared of the after.

The eternal after, the words you two should tell each other.

I love you. I miss you. I want you. I need you.

But you’re stuck in this charade, this mess where you push and pull against each other, hoping one will give before the other does.

Heejin’s too prideful, and you’re too resistant to the idea of “us”.

But you’re both content, especially as she pulls at your shirt for more as her lips continue to meet yours.

Why should you deny her of you, of the things that make you both content?

Maybe next time will be different.

It won’t be.

You know this.

She knows this.

Yet you’re still kissing her, and she’s still kissing you.

Forever in limbo.

Forever two souls together, but not quite intertwined.

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onceuponaoneshotfanfic · 4 months

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I'm Setting Off, But Not Without My Muse

I'll Write Your Name Chapter 7

Roy Kent x Latina!Popstar!Reader

4.8k words

Warnings: Language, heavy kissing, pining

Keeley lounged on Roy’s couch, looking comfortable and familiar with crossed her legs and messy hair. She smiled when Roy handed her the soda he’d brought from the kitchen, throwing Roy back to all those lazy days they’d spent together on that couch, days of kisses and laughter and love. Days he missed.

“My sister should be here soon,” he murmured as he threw himself down on the couch beside Keeley. “Remind me what you and Phoebe are doing again?” He resisted the urge to grab her hand or press his palm to her thigh, the way he used to.

Ignoring or missing Roy’s pining, Keeley grinned and sipped her soda. “We’re going to a museum,” she explained slowly. “And we’re going to take turns closing our eyes and trying to draw the art we see. Whoever does the best wins, and loser pays for lunch.”

“Where the fuck did Phoebe get money from?” Roy snorted.

Keeley blinked at him, as if it was obvious. “You, you dolt. Girl’s a little millionaire with all your swearing.”

The sound of knocking at his door stopped Roy from retorting; not that he had a defense, to be fair. His wallet was constantly empty thanks to Pheobe. Maybe the knock at the door saved him from admitting Keeley was right, he thought to himself as he opened it.

Those familiar eyes sparkled at him. “Hey, Roy.” She stepped inside, looking comfortable in a simple sweater and jeans. The moment she saw Keeley on the couch, it was like a switch flipped. Her hand was on Roy’s hip, tugging him to herself so she could plant a lingering kiss to his cheek. “Missed you,” she hummed.

Roy froze. Even after all this time, all the kisses, he still had moments where her seemingly easy affection caught him off-guard, rendering him frozen like a statue. This was definitely one of those moments, with his ex-girlfriend on his couch watching with quirked eyebrows and amused eyes.

Just as suddenly, she stepped back and smacked her palm to her forehead. “Shit,” she chuckled awkwardly, her eyes focusing on Keeley again. “I’m so sorry. I forgot I don’t have to do that in front of you.” She adjusted Roy’s shirt where she’d grabbed him. “My bad, Kent.”

“Don’t stop on my account,” Keeley teased, shooting them a wink. “Kiss him all you want. I doubt he’d complain too much.”

“Keeley-” Roy started to growl, wondering if both women could spot his heavy blush and the way his fists clenched at his side.

But Keeley wasn’t focused on that. Instead, she patted the spot next to her, urging the popstar to sit beside her. “So, have you two planned your holiday yet? I know Lanie’s been on your ass about it.”

With a glance at Roy, the singer settled by Keeley, noticeably stiff compared to the former model. “Uh, Roy found some spot in this little lakeside town,” she said quietly. Roy wasn’t sure he’d ever heard her sound so timid. What the fuck had her so shy? “That’s why I’m here,” she added quickly, eyes on Keeley. “So we can finish planning everything.”

“That sounds lovely,” Keeley said in a soothing voice, almost as though she was trying to comfort the singer. “I think you and Roy-o are going to have a great time.” She shot Roy another wink. “Sounds very romantic.”

Roy cleared his throat. “I think it’ll be a great writing spot,” he said. “She can focus on the album, I’ll get some reading done.”

There was that smile, that small grin that made Roy soften. “I’m excited,” she admitted to Keeley, although her eyes were still on Roy. “If nothing else, it’s nice to get away before the tour begins. Because now, with this album, I’m not going to get to relax much before it starts. At least I’ll get to relax a little on this trip.”

“Or not relax,” Keeley hummed with a wink.

Roy didn’t know what he hated more: Keeley implying he’d be interested in anyone other than her, or feeling embarrassed in front of his fake girlfriend. Probably the latter, he realized when he saw the alarmed look that appeared on that pretty face. Now she was going to spend their little getaway worried that Roy was going to make some sort of move on her, he panicked with silent groan.

Fucking Keeley.

“Shit, sunshine, what’s in this one? Bricks?”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the admittedly heavy backpack out of Roy’s hands. “Old notebooks,” I corrected. “I’ve gotta dig through these things to find some usable lyrics, remember?”

Roy’s little grunt was the only answer I got. He loaded my suitcase into his giant black car before taking back the backpack and tossing it inside. He squinted at my empty hands for a moment before gazing back at my house. “I made sure the place was pet-friendly, you know.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, cocking my head. “What, did Keeley make you rent a dog for our vacation? Make us look all domestic?”

“No,” he huffed, obviously fighting the growing curve in his mouth. “For Sydney. I figured you’d be bringing her along.”

My heart melted as I blinked at Roy. I knew he liked my cat- and she, amazingly enough, liked him in return- but I wouldn’t have expected him to include her in our plans. Most of my real boyfriends tolerated Syd well enough, choosing to mostly engage in mutual indifference. Roy, on the other hand, seemed to genuinely like having Sydney curled up in his lap during Scrabble games and was keen to feed her if he woke up before me.

Stupid thing better not get too attached, I thought bitterly as I mumbled something about going to pack Sydney’s things really quickly. He won’t be around forever.

As I gathered some cat food and toys and urged Sydney into her travel carrier, I wondered if I was worried about Sydney or myself. With Roy’s help, I packed the cat and her things into his car, reminding myself all the while that this was a business trip of sorts. We were going for publicity, I scolded myself as I buckled into the passenger seat. This was for work.

My reminders were interrupted when Roy turned on his car and my own voice suddenly filled the vehicle.

The tips of Roy’s ears were red as he quickly turned off the car stereo. “Phoebe,” he mumbled simply. “She always turns it up way too fucking loud.”

I fought the smile that was desperately trying to break through. “Sure, Kent,” I chuckled. “You weren’t blasting my song on your way to pick me up. You absolutely didn’t sing every word at the top of your lungs. Totally believe you.”

Damn, why did he have to wear bashfulness so well? “Fuck off, sunshine.”

Slouching in my seat and defeated by the smile on my face, I turned to him. “What is your favorite song by me? If you don’t mind me asking.”

His fingers tapped the steering wheel as he turned off my street, off on our little adventure. “D’you think I have a favorite?”

“Of course you do,” I scoffed. “I saw the way you sang Our Song. You’re a bigger fan than you let on, Kent.”

“Touche.” He bobbled his head as he stared straight ahead. “You’ve got some really good songs. Nothing New was phenomenal. I’ve listened to it a few times and it just leaves me fucking breathless.” A frown crossed his face. “But it might be Happiness,” he said quietly.

My eyes traced his profile. “Why that one?”

He sighed and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “It’s mature,” he said slowly. “Accepting the end of this relationship, acknowledging the good and bad of it all, hoping for forgiveness that goes both ways.” He sighed. “I’ve got to admit, I used to think you were just… fluff. I mean, Pheebs always likes your sugary pop stuff, that’s what’s on the radio. But after Nothing New-” He shook his head. “I went and listened to some of your other things, and fuck, you’re a great songwriter.” He glanced at me out of the corner of his eyes. “And I liked the Gatsby references, sunshine.”

I tried to tell myself that my warm cheeks were the result of feeling humbled by kind praise, not feeling flustered because Roy was telling me he liked my song. “Thanks,” I murmured. I picked at the hem of my shirt. “It was kind of a hard song to write. Emotionally, I mean. But it felt really good once I’d finished recording it.”

“I bet,” was all he said.

The rest of the drive was calmly quiet. I rested my head against the window, watching the city fade away and become green, green, and more green. Roy didn’t say much, other than ask how Sydney and I were doing. After a while, I took out a notebook and began jotting down some words, words that just kind of flowered onto the page before I could even really comprehend what they were saying.

Roy eyed me curiously as I scribbled. “Lyrics?” he asked simply.

I nodded, scribbling down the last couple of words. “Just a few lines,” I admitted. “Who knows if it’ll become anything. But you never know, so I’ve gotta write everything down. Sometimes the silliest little lines can become something special.”

“Read it to me.”

I swallowed hard, staring at the words I’d jotted down. “It’s just a couple little scribbles-”

“Come on, sunshine.”

Unable to say no to his gentle tone, I cleared by throat and slowly read, “Wait for the signal and I’ll meet you after dark… show me the places where the others gave you scars… Now this is an open-shut case, I guess I should’ve known by the look on your face… Every bait-and-switch was a work of art.”

When I dared to look at Roy, he wore a large, infectious grin. “What the fuck,” he chuckled, smacking the steering wheel. “What kind of a mind d’you got in that pretty little head? You just came up with that right now? Out of fucking nowhere?” He let out a sharp breath. “Fucking amazing.”

His words were overwhelming, drawing a deep blush to my cheeks. He sounded so real, so genuine as he praised the couple of lines I’d jotted down. I decided to believe he really meant it. Friends could gush over each other like that- right?

I also decided to ignore him calling me pretty.

“Thanks, Kent,” I murmured, slouching into my seat. “Dunno what it’ll become but…”

“Well, whatever it is,” he said, “it’ll be fucking great.”

He knew he’d guessed right when he saw the smile on her face at the sight of the instrument. She turned to him, eyebrows raised and cat in hand.

It was a nice house. Bright and airy with a gorgeous view of a lake, a couple of cozy bedrooms, a sweet little kitchen, and, most importantly, an inviting sitting room with a piano. As soon as Roy saw a photo of the instrument online, he booked the house, figuring it would be a perfect spot for some songwriting.

“There’s a piano,” she said simply.

Roy nodded, warmth in his chest as he took in her pleased reaction. “Figured between that and your guitar, you’d be all set,” he explained. “Is it fine? The piano? I didn’t know what kind you like, or if this one’s any good.” He was blabbering now, suddenly anxious that he’d done just the wrong thing.

But she shook her head, letting Sydney go so she could approach the little bench. She sat and began plucking at the keys, creating a simple little melody that Roy felt like he knew. She glanced at him, the music never stopping. “You ever play?”

“No,” Roy scoffed. “Only thing I’ve ever played is football.” Not knowing what came over him, he strolled over and sat beside her, watching her fingers move with ease over the ivory. “Is this one of your songs?”

She nodded and opened her mouth, letting her sweet voice fill the house.

Roy nodded along. He’d heard this one before; it always sounded so childish when he heard it over the speakers, and half the time he skipped right over it, ignoring Phoebe’s complaints about ever skipping her songs. But maybe it was hearing the authoress in person, or maybe it was how down-to-earth it sounded like this, or maybe it was the way the setting sun was hitting her pretty face, whatever it was, Roy thought the song sounded nothing short of charming.

School bell rings, walk me home

Sidewalk chalk covered in snow

Lost my gloves, you give me one

"Wanna hang out?"

Yeah, sounds like fun

Video games, you pass me a note

Sleeping in tents

It's nice to have a friend

She turned to him, still playing, and nodded to the keys. “You try.”

“Fuck no, I-”

All it took was her raising her eyebrows expectantly, and Roy found his fingers touching the cool keys. She paused, freezing her fingers and nodding down at them.

“Set your fingers like this,” she instructed. When Roy had taken the same position, she looked at his face. “Just copy my movements.”

She moved her fingers slowly, delicately, and Roy did his best to mirror them. He hit some wrong keys, and he was so stilted and awkward, but he created something resembling music. Slowly, the tension in his shoulders started to dissipate, all the embarrassment in his head gone, making room in his brain for the simple melody they created together. A quiet, almost domestic bliss settled over the two of them, the kind of quiet that didn’t need a single word. He tried to remember the last time he felt such a calmness; probably with Keeley. He didn’t realize how much he missed it, just the pleasure of someone’s company.

And Roy definitely wasn’t complaining about the glowing little smiles she offered him.

It was nice to have a friend, indeed.

It was the sun, I told myself as I forced my eyes back to my notebook. I was suddenly feeling warm because I was lying out in the sun. That had to be it.

The sun felt good on my face, warm and inviting. I was supposed to be diving through an old notebook and searching for usable lyrics, but Roy kept distracting me. Not on purpose, of course. He just stretched out on our picnic blanket, eyes on the book he’d brought along, pausing only to take a sip of beer or grab a piece of fruit to pop into his mouth. But I couldn’t stop glancing over at him. He looked so incredibly relaxed, kind of like he had the night of his championship celebration, and he had this tiny grin on his face as he read, as if he was amused by the book in his hands. And then I noticed his hands, how strong and firm they looked holding the book open. And today he’d opted to wear shorts, showing off muscular legs I rarely got to see.

“Alright there?”

That gruff voice had me snapping back to reality. “Fine,” I choked out, shaking away thoughts that I really shouldn’t have been having. “How’s your book?”

Roy shrugged and flipped through the pages. “It’s good. I’ve read it before, but it’s nice to revisit?” He raised an eyebrow. “Like you and Gatsby, I guess.”

My eyes scanned the cover I hadn’t paid much attention to earlier. “A Wrinkle in Time,” I read aloud. “I’ve heard that’s a good one.”

“You could borrow it sometime. If you want.” Roy grinned. “When you’re not being pressured to write an entire album of love song for a man you’re not really in love with.” He shook his head, missing way I squirmed at the ‘L’ word. “Freaking Keeley, making you do this. You’re a trooper for saying yes, you know that, sunshine?”

“It’s fine,” I assured him with a little chuckle. “Who doesn’t love a challenge?” I paused, picking at the grass at the edge of the blanket. “Speaking of Keeley…” I let out a little breath, suddenly even warmer in the face. “She didn’t, er, send you any messages recently, did she?”

Something in Roy’s face fell for a flicker of a moment before relaxing again. He quickly shook his head. “No. Did she send you something?”

“Yeah.” I rolled my eyes, pretending my heart wasn’t slamming in my chest. “She says we’re both way too hot to be so… chaste when we’re out together.” I offered an awkward grimace. “She wants us to, like, get caught being hot and heavy.”

The choking sound sputtering out of Roy’s mouth had my face burning even worse than it already was. “Oh.” He blinked a few times, the gears in his head almost visibly turning. “Do you… want to make out then?”

Despite the absolute mortification I was feeling, I couldn’t help laughing at his words. “Jeez, Roy, that’s so high school of you,” I managed between chuckles.

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he finally joined me in laughter. “Fuck me, that was terrible, wasn’t it?” He shook his head, offering a sheepish grin. “But I mean…” His eyes shifted somewhere over my shoulder. “That papps Keeley tipped off is over there somewhere. Probably has a clear view of us.” He raised his eyebrows. “Unless…”

The laughter left my lungs as I looked into those brown eyes, just as unsure as I suddenly felt. This shouldn’t be difficult; we’d been kissing each other for a couple of months now. And I’d filmed plenty of kissing scenes for music videos, I reminded myself. Steamy ones, even. Surely, I could manage to get a little heavy with my supposed boyfriend, couldn’t I?

“Anything for the job,” I joked, suddenly hating the way that had seemed to become our motto.

“For the job,” Roy echoed with a smirk.

Without warning, he grabbed my hips and tugged me onto his lap. A surprised squeal slipped past my lips, prompting a chuckle to rumble in his chest. His hands skittered up and down my back as he smiled up at me.

“This alright?” he hummed. His eyes were on my mouth.

I managed to nod as I rested my hands on his shoulders. “Sure.” I hoped my voice was casual and unbothered.

“Good.”

His lips felt so comfortable against mine, warm and familiar now. I let myself settle onto his lap and closed my eyes, focusing on being as natural as possible. Roy pulled me close, chest to chest, until I felt his heartbeat against my body; he could probably feel mine slamming against my ribs. He tasted like the beer and fruit he’d been enjoying all afternoon, a beautiful, summery combination I wanted to taste forever. Without thinking, I gave a gentle grind against his lap. His grip tightened on me as a curious little hum vibrated against my mouth.

My body was buzzing, on fire, drunk on Roy’s mouth and hands and body. While the little voices in the back of my mind kept reminding me this was an act, this was all pretend, the rest of my mind was screaming Roy’s name, wanting to take him back to the house and make this real.

Taking him back to the house felt like an especially good idea when his hands began to slide down my back, lower and lower.

“Should I…?” he rasped against my lips.

I nodded, refusing to open my eyes and break the spell I was under. “Probably.”

Roy’s hands cupped my ass tentatively, as if he was waiting for me to snap at him; he was probably remembering the night we “met”, where I warned him about his hand placement. Oh, how far we’d come since that night of snarking at each other and trying not to roll our eyes. Trying to assure him he was fine, I pressed down against him again, swallowing back my reflexive groan when I felt the beginning of a bulge against my increasingly needy parts.

Apparently he understood the permission I was giving him, because Roy’s grip on my ass tightened, fingers digging into the material of my jeans. I tried to remember the last time I’d been kissed like this- in public no less. It felt like something was waking up inside me. No, it wasn’t arousal from the kiss, from Roy’s hands on my body like he wanted me. It was a feeling that was settling deep in the pit of my stomach, a feeling that was making itself right at home as a melody and words began to bloom in my mind.

Dammit, it might be love.

For the last few decades, Roy Kent had spent plenty of time around impressive people. Politicians and rich people who made him want to barf. Actresses and models that looked good on his arm and in his bed. And, of course, some of the most famous, talented athletes in history, athletes he was proud to play against and stand beside. Hell, he was a legend in his own right, something he seemed to conveniently forget.

But he couldn’t help being impressed watching an artist at work, something he hadn’t had the opportunity to witness before now. He was a little nervous for her heading into this holiday, wondering if she’d be able to work under so much pressure. But once they arrived, it was like a dam had broken. She was constantly in her notebooks, scribbling furiously and scrambling through old pages. Or she was strumming away at her guitar or picking at the piano, creating melodies that Roy found himself humming as he relaxed around the house.

She didn’t play much for him, just little snippets here and there that she quickly critiqued and went back to work on. Still, he kept asking her to play him something; but they weren’t ready she insisted. Roy didn’t care; he found himself craving pretty tunes and a prettier voice.

A couple days into the trip, he was in the little kitchen, making some dinner while Sydney padded around, meowing up at him and drowning out the twinkling sounds of the piano. He mumbled back to the cat, reminding her that her owner would not be happy if he snuck her a treat without checking first. But the cat kept chattering, so Roy finally threw his hands up in defeat.

“Fine,” he huffed, unable to believe he was having a conversation with a cat. “Let’s go ask your mum if you can have a bit of fucking carrot.” He scooped up Sydney and let her climb onto his shoulders- a spot he had quickly realized she liked- and made his way into the sitting room.

She looked so comfortable in her sweats, her hair up in a sloppy hairstyle. She was so engrossed in her music, she didn’t notice Roy leaning in the doorway, a ghost of a smile on his face as he listened to her quietly sing.

Sydney’s little meow caught her attention. She stopped playing and looked up at the duo in the doorway, eyes a little wide. “Oh, hey,” she chuckled, smoothing down her wild hair. “Sorry, too loud?”

I spy with my little tired eye

Tiny as a firefly

A pebble that we picked up last July

Down deep inside your pocket

We almost forgot it

Does it ever miss Wicklow sometimes?

They said the end is coming

Everyone's up to something

I find myself running home to your sweet nothings

Outside, they're push and shoving

You're in the kitchen humming

All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing

“Not at all,” Roy assured her, reaching up to scratch Sydney behind the ear. Damn cat, interrupting his private concert. “That’s really fucking nice. You should keep going. I’d love to hear it.”

A tiny smile graced her lips when she saw the earnest way Roy was looking at her. “Fine. But you stay over there. I want to pretend you guys aren’t here, alright?”

Roy did as he was told, staying in the doorway as she picked up that sweet little melody and focused her eyes on the notebook in front of her, the words almost indiscernible; she seemed to be able to read the rushed writing with ease.

She took a deep breath and snuck a glance at Roy before continuing to the bridge- her strength as a songwriter, Roy recalled from Keeley.

On the way home

I wrote a poem

You say, "What a mind"

This happens all the time

'Cause they said the end is coming

Everyone's up to something

I find myself running home to your sweet nothings

Outside, they're push and shoving

You're in the kitchen humming

All that you ever wanted from me was nothing

Her smile grew as she went on, looking less like a glamorous popstar and more like a girl, alone in her room, playing with music as if it was a toy, creating something out of nothing but emotions. It was nothing short of magical, Roy admitted to himself. This album was going to be something special, he realized.

Industry disruptors and soul deconstructors

And smooth-talking hucksters out glad-handing each other

And the voices that implore, "You should be doing more"

To you, I can admit that I'm just too soft for all of it

And he’d have to take credit for being its muse.

She looked straight at Roy, not hiding that radiant smile as she sang-

They said the end is coming

Everyone’s up to something

I find myself running home to your sweet nothings

Outside, they’re push and shoving

She played a sweet little outro, eyes still on Roy. Once finished, she offered him a tiny shrug, eyes bright with curiosity. “What d’you think?”

Roy’s in the kitchen humming

All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing

They said the end is coming

Everyone’s up to something

I find myself running home to your sweet nothings

Outside, they’re push and shoving

You’re in the kitchen humming

All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing

“Fuck,” Roy laughed, finally walking over to sit down next to her, letting Sydney slip down into his arms. “That was lovely. Really lovely.” Before he could stop himself, the question he dreaded asking blurted out of his mouth. “Who’s it about?”

He felt so sure he’d stepped in it when her eyes flickered down, away from his gaze, before looking at him again. “Well, when I originally started writing this one, it was about my mom,” she started slowly. “I had been thinking about this time my parents visited, and we went to Ireland together. It was amazing, getting to show them places they never thought they’d visit.” She shook her head, as if the memories of that trip were fluttering through her mind. Then her eyes found his again. “But it’s also… well, about you, Kent.”

Roy nearly dropped the cat. “Me?” he asked incredulously. “Fuck d’you mean me?”

She chuckled awkwardly, rolling her eyes a little. “What you said about my mind, when I was writing in the car,” she explained. “And how you’ve been just, I dunno, really sweet about everything I’ve been working on here. And, I don’t know, you’ve become a really good friend.” She reached out and placed a hand on his leg, giving a small squeeze. “So I guess this song’s about the people who make me feel safe, happy, despite all the idiots in this world.” She wrinkled her nose. “Does that make sense?”

His heart felt like it stopped dead in his chest. It was such a candid, honest answer- and not the one he expected. He knew she’d have to change lyrics to fit him before finalizing songs, but he didn’t think she’d write about him. Roy wasn’t sure he’d ever been so… flattered? Sure. Flattery. That was the warm feeling nuzzling in his chest, the same warm feeling that was spreading to his cheeks as she blinked at him, waiting for him to say something, probably to assure her that he liked being her muse.

“Oh,” was all that came out of his stupid mouth. “Wow.”

He saw it. He had seen it when he brushed her off the first time she talked to him about The Great Gatsby. He saw it when he walked brusquely out of the room when she first played Nothing New for him in her living room. And he was pretty sure he saw it when he ignored her at the Greyhound’s celebration to pay attention to Keeley.

It was some mix of disappointment and hurt. Something that made Roy wish he was capable of being someone other than himself.

Still, she put on that tiny, shy smile and removed her hand from Roy’s leg. “Yeah,” she chuckled. “Anyway, sorry for interrupting your cooking.” She cleared her throat and stood, scooping Sydney out of his arms. “I better go feed her.” Not quite looking at Roy, she walked out, leaving him all alone at the silent piano.

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bluegalaxygirl · 3 months

Text

Canvas (Zosan X Reader)

Thanks to @mrstrafalgardwater24 for the request on the first part. again i'm sorry for the wait.

Plot: Kuina and the crew paint your baby bump.

Warning: Bad language, extreme Fluff, Violence and Pregnancy stuff.

Reader is Female, Zoro X Sanji x Reader, Poly relationship, established relationship. Kuina is 5ish and has blonde hair, your eye's and skin color. Reader is about 6 to 7 months along.

You have no idea where Kuina got this idea but now that it's happening its hard to complain about it, you know the crew already loves your daughter and the baby still growing inside you but once the little girl mentioned painting on your stomach suddenly everyone wanted to do it all having different ideas of how to show their love and care for the baby. Its turned into more of a competition between a few of the crew member's so to stop any fighting and to let everyone have some fun Kuina decided to make into a contest lasting over the next week. Sitting on the deck of the sunny you can't help but smile as your daughter stands in front of you with several large tubes of different colored body paints, paintbrushes, plastic plates, pencils and paper all laid out on the grassy deck "Alright so the teams are, Luffy and Us opp, Robin and Nami, Chopper and Jibe, Franky and Brook and of course me and my dads" Kuina gives a big smile turning to her farther's who are next to her both giving her a confirming nod, Zoro can't help but smirk at his daughter taking charge as he sits cross-legged in grass facing his little girl while Sanji stands behind him mainly leaning on the swordsman's shoulder with hearts in his eyes. "Everyone will put their deigns down on paper and tomorrow we'll draw straws to see who goes first, i don't want anyone changing their designs after seeing anyone else's. We'll try and do one a day and if Mama needs a break then she gets a break" Kuina puffs out her cheeks making you giggle as Luffy, Usopp and Franky all bow their heads "Yes ma'am" the three say in unison making some of the other crew laugh seeing the hold the young girl has over her uncles. With a big smile your daughter starts handing out the pencils and paper letting the groups start to plan their designs and choosing their color scheme, "Hay wait a minute, who's going to judge?" Nami asks suddenly realizing, Usopp and Luffy are quick to look up from the paper their both sitting with to look at Kuina both realizing there isn't one.

Your daughter giggles taking a pencil and paper before rushing over to the bench your sitting soon followed by Sanji and Zoro "Mama of course" She states sitting down to you as you place a hand on her head and ruffle her hair "Hay thats not fair, of course Y/n is going to pick your design since your her daughter and partners" Usopp jumps up pointing his hand out at the four of you, Zoro lets out a chuckle letting a cheeky grin form on his face "Too bad for you long nose, just try your best then" Before an argument can break out you lightly slap the swordsman's arm then turn to the sniper "Your right, i would be biased so maybe we should have a point's system. Like 1 to 5 stars, I'll count them up so only i can see" You elbow Sanji slightly as he sits down next you his smile growing at the food reference you made "Oh my love thats so sweet" The cook sways slightly a blush appearing on his face making you giggle, Usopp sighs feeling more relaxed about things and nods his head along with Kuina who's happy that everything seems to be going well. Through the day the teams worked on their deigns most of the either measured your belly to work out proportions while others dragged you off to have a privet chat, it made you more curious about their designs since Chopper pulled you into the medical room and with the help of Jinbe placed a strange snail device on your stomach, they secretly talked before saying you could go while Brook and Franky did a lot of measurements even going as far as to get a drawing compass, a proctor and a drafter tool. None of them let you see their designs not even your own family who did most of their work in the kitchen discussing and some times arguing on what to do and coming up with an idea they could actually do instead of something big and complicated.

The next day came quickly and everyone was back outside eager to draw the straws and see what order they would be in, the plan was they would have the whole afternoon to do their work and then a photo would be taken before showing everyone who will then each secretly write down on a slip of paper how many stars which you would then count up and keep in a small book. Of course, you would be voting too but you made a mental note to not add your scores until the end as not to be tempted to add more or less to other peoples scores, with your pregnancy brain you will mostly likely forget what ever you wrote down the day before, last night you forgot what chapter you were up too in your book even though there was a bookmark on the page. "Ok, on three. One, Two… Three" Kuina yells as a member from each team pulls a straw out of your hand each a different length "Yessss" Luffy yells while holding the longest straw out of the bunch soon followed by Usopp who lifts his captain into the air as if they've won the whole contest "Calm down you two, geez" Nami sighs while pinching the bridge of her nose waiting for Robin to compare her straw with that of Chopper's and Brooks who were all the middle people "Looks like were going last" Kuina states holding the smallest straw, you thought she would be sad about it but instead she has a massive smile on her face while looking up at you and her two dads, Zoro nods sitting next to you on the bench and placing an arm around your shoulder "It'll give us more time to practice painting" the swordsman leans forward ruffling his daughters hair who groans and shoves his hand off earning a chuckle form her farther.

Sanji shakes his head while taking a seat on your work side placing his hand on your large stomach "If you ever need a break love just say so… I'll kick their asses out if i have too" The cook smirks, turning to face him you place your hand over his feeling your heart swell with love, you couldn't ask for better partners, the two are always so caring and eager to help you out when ever you need "Thanks darling" You whisper leaning in to place a light kiss on his lips which he happily leans into. "Alright gets get going, come on" Luffy and Usopp run over holding out their hands for you to take, in the past they would have just grabbed you and ran off but the first time that happened while you were pregnant with Kuina your two boys almost kicked them both off the ship and into the ocean then made them do all the chores and heavy lifting on the ship for a week, safe to say they learned their lesson. Standing up with the help of Zoro and Sanji you kiss the two goodbye before turning to your daughter who hands you your book and pen, placing a light kiss on Kuina's head you take the book and give her a looking look while running your hand over her cheek "See you later sweetie" With a wave to the others you head off with Luffy and Usopp who have already gathered what they needed and guided you to the aquarium bar. The once dim room was now light making it easier to see, a section of the large sofa lining the long fish tang was covered in a white sheet that flowed down onto the floor being held in place with white tape and two old tables on either side.

Luffy helps you get comfortable while Usopp sets up the paints and the paper they used to draw on, sitting down you sigh relaxing into the soft cuisines of the sofa "Do you need more cuisines? Water? Food?" Luffy asks hovering a little seeming a little nervous for some reason, taking his hand you give him a smile "A bottle of water would be nice but are you ok captain?" You look up at him with concern, Luffy gulps while rubbing the back of his neck "W-well, while Sanji and Zoro aren't here it's my job to look after you and.. I don't know what i'm doing, Usopp's here but.." The captain sighs looking over to his friend who is loft in thought while mixing colors together to get the right shade. Patting the captains hand you give him a big smile feeling your chest warm up at how much he cares for you and your health "Your doing great, if i need something I'll tell you, ok?" You ask getting Luffy to look at you, his eyes search yours before giving you a nod knowing your not lying to him, a large smile starts to from on his face before quick to rushing off to the bar area letting his arm stretch as to not pull you along. Letting out a little snort you can't help but start to laugh, your hand grips onto your belly as you lean forward finding the starching arm still holding your hand unbelievably funny, Luffy soon finds a bottle of water and rushes back over watching you wipe tears from your eyes before taking the bottle off him "T-thanks Lu" You giggle managing to calm from your laughing fit and let go of his hand, Usopp soon snaps out of his own little world and turns around going to speak when he see's the tears in your eyes, his body goes stiff in panic before lunging at Luffy grabbing his captain by the collar and shaking him "What did you do? Why is she gonna cry?" The captain raises an eyebrow at his friend letting his body be shaken back and forth "Usopp it's ok, Luffy made me laugh thats all" You reach out managing to stop the sniper from panicking.

With the room much calmer and Usopp apologizing to his captain the two get started on painting your belly, at first you have no idea what their making other than it being food related since Luffy kept saying how yummy it was going to look only to be hit by Usopp stating they can't eat it. The two kept you entertained or the next hour with banter, food jokes which lead Luffy to rush off for a few minutes to get snacks and the snipers adventure stories, it was so sweet seeing the long nosed man telling his obviously fake stories to your baby, It was also sweet to see Luffy look after you in a way he's never done so before, always checking if you needed anything, asking if your comfortable and helping you up if you ever needed to stretch. Two hours later they were done, after taking a photo and letting you have a look first they let the rest of the crew in to see the finished product "The great captain Usopp has created another fine master piece" Usopp smirks while pointing a thumb at himself clearly proud of his work, Kuina smiles wide while running up her uncle with big sparkling eyes "Wow, it looks so good" Chopper soon joins in on your daughters praising boosting the snipers ego more much to Nami and Zoro's dismay who both let out an annoyed sigh. Luffy groans with a pout some drool forming at the side of his mouth while laying on the floor his arm and head propped up onto the sofa next to you "It looks so yummy, now i really want cupcakes… Sanji" The captain whines while turning to look at the cook with puppy dog eyes only to be hit over the head by the cook "Don't you dare look at her like that and you can't have anything else, you've already had snacks" The blonde huff crossing his arms over his chest.

Letting out a giggle you look down at your tummy seeing the massive cupcake the two have done, the blue icing with sprinkles and a red cherry really does look yummy, the bow was also a very cute idea even though the two were slightly reluctant to use pink, no one knows what the gender is but the two are convinced it's going to be a boy. "Alright thats enough, lets vote so the two of you can get cleaned up, your both a mess" Nami sighs crossing her arms and handing out pieces of paper and pens letting each person write down how many stars "It really does look good Uncle Lu" Kuina gives the captain a big smile while handing you her piece of folded up paper "Thanks, it really does look yummy…. Quick let raid the fridge before your daddy finds out" Luffy whispers quickly passing you his piece of paper before picking your giggling daughter up and running to the kitchen, with a small laugh you watch as the cook makes his way over to you with a raised eyebrow handing you his piece of paper, all it took was one sorry look from you to know what was going on, in an instant the blonde goes from confused, to shock and then anger "Luffy, get your ass back here" Sanji yells with fury running off to stop his captain from raiding his kitchen and teaching his daughter bad habit's, with a chuckle Zoro plots down next to you and places his arm around your shoulders, the swordsman places his piece of paper on your lap before kissing your head which you lean into.

----- Team 2, Robin and Nami -----

The next day was Robin's and Nami's turn, again the aquarium bar was cleaned and set up so you could sit while they paint, luckily the paint was easy to wash off in the shower last night and didn't leave any residue so your stomach was a clean canvas for the two girls. Sitting down on the sofa you watch the two girls work together while chatting and filling you in on gossip you may have missed, it's a much calmer experience than yesterday which your glad for since after yesterdays antics your a little tired. As the two girls pause to get more paint you shift a little to rub your lower back only to feel two hands start to rub it for you, turning in surprise you see two hands attached to the sofa rubbing your lower back for you, knowing right away its robins doing you turn to the black haired woman and flash a thankful smile grateful for her kindness "We can take a break if you want" Robin smiles back putting down her paint and paint brush to clean her hands on a wet cloth, Nami quickly turns with slight concern not noticing you were unconformable but you don't blame her since you tried not to show it until now "Yes please" Pushing yourself up Nami is quick to rush over and take your arm helping you stand straight up "Do you want me to ask Sanji for some snack?" The navigator asks but you shake your head not feeling the need for food right now, starting to walk around Nami sticks next to you holding your arm while Robin continues with the paints and cleaning any mess they have made "I'm not an old lady Nam" You giggle taking the orange haired girls hand in yours happy to walk with her without assistance, Nami sighs before letting out a laugh gladly taking your hand and letting your arm go "Sorry"

Looking Nami over you let out a sigh wondering why she's so tense all of a sudden, before you can ask the navigator sighs seeing your giving her questioning eyes "I've never been in charge of looking after you while pregnant, i'm just… nervous that I'll do something wrong" Looking away from you Nami refuses to look you in the eyes even when you stop and take her chin bringing her face to look at you "Nami, your not doing anything wrong and i know you feel like you have too but you don't need to look after me, just because i'm pregnant doesn't mean i can't do things or tell you if i need something… Just having you around is helping me, your so caring and quick to jump to my aid either physically or verbally… mainly physically, i can't ask for anything else" You can't help but laugh at the last bit remembering how if someone made you cry or angry even by accident Nami would be so quick to hit who ever it is and make them apologies. The navigator looks up at you as you squeeze her hand in reassurance noticing the soft thankful look on your face, a small smile starts to spread across her lips while squeezing your hand back "I'll always come to your aid, if anyone hurts my girls their going to feel my wrath" The two of you laugh at her statement even though its true, all the girls on the ship feel the need to protect each other no matter what "I'm in safe hands" You hug the orange haired girls arm and lay your head on her shoulder as the two of you start walking again letting laughter fill the air.

Your greeted by Robin as the two of you get back to the sofa, the black haired woman sitting with one leg over the other while patting the place next to her for you to sit "Unfortunately were no where near done yet so to relieve your back pain i thought of an idea" Sitting down next to the woman you suddenly feel something press against your back that isn't the sofa, with a squeak you turn seeing 5 rows of hands with no wrists pressed into the sofa so you could lean back with comfort while so getting any benefits of a message. Letting out a laugh of relief you lean back against the hands, it's a strange feeling but as they start to lightly run circles over your back and shoulders you forget all about it "Thanks Robin, this is amazing but are you sure? i don't want you over working yourself" Robins sweet smile growls wider as she stands taking a plate of paint from Nami who has grabbed her own and kneels down to start working again " Thank you for your concern but I'll be fine, it's the least i can do for letting us do this" The black haired woman kneels down beside Nami starting her work again as you relax into the light massage revealing your back pain. Once the girls are done Robin takes a photo while Nami heads off to get the others, its clear now what the painting is and it brings a big smile to your face seeing the birds nest with flowers around it and three little eggs in the middle "Its so cute, my girls did so well" Sanji smiles wide while swaying from side to side, hearts appearing in his eyes making Robin giggle and Nami crosses her arms with pride "Three Egg's? Does that mean something?" Jinbe asks directing his question at Robin.

The black haired woman looks to Nami with a closed eye'd smile making the navigator blush and turn away "There were supposed to be five, one for each member of the family but… it would have been too small" Luffy is quick to run over and wrap his arms around the navigator trying to cheer her up with the help of Chopper and Kuina all telling her how good of an idea it was and that it's ok that it didn't work out that way. "Ah i see, so one for each parent" Franky states leaning down to look over the work, Brook stands behind him tilting his head to look around the cyborgs head "Its a lovely design, i'm starting to think ours is too sim-" Before the skeleton can finish his sentence Franky whips his head around an intense look on his face "Our's isn't simple" Zoro gives the two a cocky smile as he walks past them to sit next to you and wrap an arm around your shoulders "It doesn't matter if its simple or not" With a sigh you lightly hit the swordsman's secretly telling him to stop since you know where this was going, but he ignores you since Franky and Brook both turn to him with puzzled looks taking the bait with ease "Your not going to be the ones to win… I'm gonna win and there's nothing you can do about it… I have the judge on my side" That cocky smile gets bigger as the two growl at him, the swordsman's arm pulls you closer, so he can place a kiss on your head all while keeping his eyes on the two "That's not how this works" Franky yells with anger stepping a little closer, you would be scared it you didn't know he wasn't going to hurt Zoro, your too close to the green haired man so Franky won't risk it. Brook on the other hand tries to calm the situation down to the best of his ability soon having to get help from Robin and Sanji.

----- Team 3, Brook and Franky -----

Sitting once again in the aquarium bar you try not to laugh as Franky kneels in front of your talking to your stomach while Brook sets up everything on the floor, so they don't have to keep standing up. "This is very important little dude or dudette, were going to create the greatest masterpiece anyone has laid their eyes on but for this to work you have to keep as still as possible. I don't mind you moving around but please… i beg and plead with you to not push or kick towards us.. Ok?" The cyborg taps your exposed belly with his finger as if he's giving your baby a head pat before looking up at you with a big smile "Think they understand?" Letting out a laugh you place a hand on your belly and nod, with a sigh Franky leans back crossing his arms over his chest "And none of that either, you can't laugh or cough, this is delicate work" a pout forms on the cyborgs face making you throw your head back in laughter soon joined by a chuckle from Brook. After you manage to calm down and get comfortable the two start working on your stomach painting fine lines, Franky works on one said with Brook works on the other, its clear the two have been practicing in their spare time since their lines match each other perfectly, once in a while you would feel the baby shift so to stop the cyborg from panicking you would tell him about the slightest movement which he's quite thankful for.

Half an hour later you feel the baby getting fussy, its foot starting to press into your side, it doesn't hurt much its just a little uncomfortable and its probably best you get up and walk mainly to see if that will help the baby settle "Can we take a break?" You ask looking down at the two, Franky is lost on concentration his tongue peeking out the side of his mouth while Brook quickly look up at you and nods putting his stuff down before tapping the cyborg on the shoulder to get his attention "Of course, are you ok?" Brook asks standing up and offering his hand to you, taking his hand he helps you to your feet while Franky moves things out of the way for you "Yea, just a little uncomfortable, sorry the baby's being fussy" Brook shakes his head and links your arm with his while walking with you, its only now you realize someone always seems instant on walking with you, it makes you wonder if Sanji or Zoro said something or if your crew is just that concerned. "Don't be, its natural and you and your baby's comfort is more important… just don't tell Franky that" The skeleton whispers getting you to let out a little giggle, you know the cyborg cares but when he sets his mind to something its almost impossible to stop him, no wonder him and the captain get on so well. "So tiny" Brook whispers before a blush forms in his face realizing he said it out loud, raising an eyebrow you look between him and your belly noticing the tiny foot pressing into your side is now more visible than before.

Taking the Skeletons boney you lay his fingers over the foot knowing it won't move away now that the baby seems comfortable in this perspiration "I know right, its weird to think that one day they might be taller than me, stronger than me… i often wonder what adventures they might go on or what they will inspire to be, they have a lot of options and a lot of good teachers" A large smile forms on your face while looking up at the slightly teary eye'd skeleton as his fingers lightly run over the baby's foot "What ever they will be i know they will be amazing at it." Brook looks back to you with his smile getting bigger only for the moment to be interrupted by Franky "Hay be careful don't smug our work" The cyborg yells earning a sigh from the both of you, brooks hand is no where near the art work, but he removes his hand anyway and holds it up in the air in surrender. "The baby's settled now so hopefully it will be easier for you" You state walking back over to the sofa followed closely by the musician and being helped back down onto the sofa by Franky. Despite the design looking simple it takes almost three hours to do but once's its done and your handed the photo to see painting better your shocked at the thought and effort put into it. "I see you went for a mandala theme, it works perfect on her round stomach and the design also has pieces of each parent" Robin ponders once everyone has entered the room to have a look, Luffy and Chopper tilt their head in amazement and slight confusion while Usopp steps closer to get a better look "Its amazing, i can't tell whose work is who's and there's not a line out of place, no wonder this took almost four hours" The sniper states in amazement.

Raising an eyebrow at robins words you take another look at the photo before gasping in shock, Zoro is quick to rush to your side about to ask what's wrong but you turn to Brook and Franky with a giant grin that starts to hurt your face "Oh my gods, you didn't" A giggle leaves your lips getting the two to blush slightly and shy away a little, Zoro sighs in relief while placing a hand on your head "Don't do that to me" after shooting the swordsman a sorry look you see Kuina walk over to you and look over your belly also giving a gasp "Oh i see it now, Daddy your eyebrows are there and Dad so are your swords" Kuina pointing them out without touching the design, the two take a closer look noticing it too, Sanji's cheeks turn red as a smile forms on his face while Zoro flashes Brook and Franky a grin seeming to boost the two's ego's "Wait you said all the parents so where's Y/N?" Nami asks looking to the two artist's, Brook lets out a small chuckle since he did tell the cyborg that it was too subtle to notice, with a sigh Franky walks over to you and bends down while holding his palm out, the tiny hand inside his large one springs out before tracing over the image in different area's "We'll all the large curves mean hidden and the small circles surrounding them mean strength, so in other words hidden strength. The large flower like pattern means truth and these small things sticking out the stops mean joy, add that all together and its Y/n in a nut shell"

Your eyes tear up with his words as Kuina looks at him with stars in her eyes "You are such a sap" Nami giggle with a large smile on her face, Franky quickly turns to her blushing at her comment but doesn't have time to speak when you tackle him with a side hug "Oh Franky that is so sweet, i love it so much and thank you too Brook, you boys did an amazing job" You start to cry out of joy shocking the cyborg who puts an arm around you to try and comfort you, while holding his head back trying not to cry himself at your words, Sanji lets out a chuckle while taking Zoro's hand shooting his partner a cheeky grin which earns a cunning one from the swordsman both knowing there going to tease the cyborg about this later. Kuina giggles while rubbing your back happy to see how much love her mother is getting, she's soon pulled into the hug when you wave brook over wanting to thank him as well.

----- Team 4, Chopper and Jinbe -----

You took a day off from all the painting before letting the next two have their turn, as much as your enjoying all the love and care your baby is getting it made you tired so you spent most of the day sleeping, only waking up to eat. When ever you woke up you weren't alone either Zoro was sleeping next to you his arm around your waist and head on your chest or Sanji was reading with his arm around you letting you cuddle into his side as he quietly reads, sometimes whispering parts of his book he thinks the baby will like, then theirs Kuina who would be either drawing or reading a children's book to your baby while laying as close as possible to your belly. After your rest day it was finally time for Chopper and Jinbe to start their work, this was one of the most confusing to figure out from the start, that strange device they used on your belly days before along with only picking black and white as their color's made it hard to figure out what they were going to do. During the process you kept looking at your belly seeing them paint a big black area and then start adding strokes white "You ok? You look uncomfortable" Chopper asks with a concerned tone not liking the strange face your pulling, snapping out of your thoughts you look to the doctor, your facial expression instantly softens at seeing white and black paint spots on his cheek and blue nose "No i'm ok, just can't make out what your design is, with most of the others i could make it out at least half-way through" You giggle grabbing a damp cloth and leaning forward slightly wipe the paint of Choppers face.

Jinbe returns from the table with a cleaned off brush and more white paint going back to kneeling in front of you "I'm actually glad you can't tell what it is" You raise an eyebrow at the fish man who lets out a small chuckle with a large smile, Chopper lets out a small laugh too letting you whip the paint off his nose before speaking "Don't worry, it's going to be great, i don't know if we'll win but i know it will make you, Zoro, Sanji and Kuina happy" Putting the damp cloth down you lean back into the sofa, being kept in the dark leaves you a little anxious but you trust the two and know that they mean what they say "We would like the family to come into the room before showing the rest of the crew, i feel the reveal should be shared with the parents and sibling" Jinbe rubs your arm giving you a comforting smile, letting out a breath you relax and nod deciding to watch the fish swimming around in the tank while the two get back to work, the fish man is somehow amazing at calming you down even when your partners can't, you don't know if it's his experiences that make him that way or the fact that you see him as the jolly and kind uncle figure. Their deign was simple but still took about an hour and a half the two constantly looking at the sheet of paper in front of them along with a photo they kept out of your sight but you tried not to pry thinking it would be best to wait until your partners and daughter are in the room before looking.

Kuina runs up to you with a large smile seeming super excited to see what is so special that only the four of you get to see first, Sanji and Zoro walk in behind her both giving you a smile before looking down at your belly, all their smiles drop making anxiety well up inside. Zoro tilts his head in confusion along with Kuina who squint her eyes trying to figure out what it is but Sanji slaps a hand over his mouth, his eyes welling up with tears. Jinbe lets out a jolly laugh before handing you the photo they took of the painting along with the photo they have been hiding from you, your jaw drops tears welling up in your eyes at the first image of your baby, while the painting on your belly was enlarged only showing the head and chest, the scan of your baby was a full body one showing off his little hands and feet. "Oh, Jinbe, Chopper… Thank you" Tears fall down your cheeks as you look to the two who both have big smiles on their faces, Sanji suddenly breaks seeing you cry, tears fall down his cheeks as he rushes over to you, standing as quickly as your can the two of you hug each other "Oh my love, their beautiful" The two of you happily cry into each the cooks arms around your waist rubbing your back and crying into your shoulder while your arms wrap around his neck, one hand running through his hair. The scene makes Zoro and Kuina even more confused, seeing this Chopper walks over taking both their hands and pulling the two over to you "I managed to find a all ultrasound machine, it lets you see inside a person's body and maps out organs and stuff, but we used it to see the baby inside" Pulling away from Sanji you look to the two and hand over the photo in your hands but its only Kuina who takes it in slight shock.

Zoro wraps his arms around you placing kisses on your cheek down to your neck and to your shoulder before pulling away to cup your face "Sanji's right, their beautiful, I love you so much" the swordsman's voice is shaky, but he holds back the tears "I love you all so much" You whisper back placing a kiss on his lips before turning to Sanji who pulls the two of you in for a quick three-way kisses "You're amazing my love, I love you and Zoro, thank you both for another beautiful gift" The cook starts to cry again getting a small chuckle out of the swordsman who pulls the two of you back in for a hug. The three of you can't help but grin like idiots feeling giddy and overly excited about seeing your baby before its even born. "So.. thats my baby brother or sister?" Kuina asks still in slight shock as Chopper points out things for her on the photo helping her see the baby better, placing a hand on your stomach being careful of the slightly smudged art work Zoro moves out-of-the-way so Kuina can have another look "Sorry about your work" The swordsman looks to Chopper and Jinbe feeling a little bad at ruining their work but the big fish man chuckles walking over to pat the green haired man on the back "Its fine, we knew this would happen, were just glad you all love it" Chopper nods at his friends words watching as your daughter walks up to your belly with a smile placing her hands either side of the art work "Hello, it so weird seeing you before your here"

Placing a hand on her head you lightly stroke her hair feeling your heart swell with warmth at seeing how excited she is "We have one more surprise if you want to hear it" Jinbe smirks moving to stand next to Chopper who's still holding the photo in his hand "We know the gender of the baby, do you want to know?" Chopper asks with a large smile slightly bouncing on his feet in excitement, Kuina looks up at you silently begging to know if it's a boy or a girl while you look to your boys, Zoro places a hand around your waist while his other hand goes of Kuina's on your stomach giving you a slight nod while Sanji places his hand over his daughter other hand, his other hand going through your hair before resting on your shoulder "Its up to you love but.. i would like to know" The cook whispers his giddy smile getting even bigger, "Ok.. Yea, we'd like to know" You state looking back to Chopper who jumps a little with joy "You're having a boy" Kuina lets out a loud gasp before hugging your waist not caring that the paint will smudge on her face "Your so cute baby brother" Your heart swell once again as tears from in your eyes, Sanji is quick to kiss your cheek wrapping his arms around you and Kuina, he honestly didn't care if it was a boy or a girl but at least now he can start calling the baby his little prince, Zoro finally lets a tear fall but shoves his head into your neck while rubbing his daughters back hoping to hide it, he didn't mind having another girl but now they would have one of each, for some reason it made him feel like the family is complete.

It took a while for the four of you to calm down enough to thank Chopper in Jinbe, you couldn't help but pull the two into a hug, Chopper let you keep the ultrasound photo while he kept the photo of the art work knowing now he needed to show it to the crew. Unfortunately with all the hugging, crying and touching the once beautiful artwork was now nothing more than a gray patch, you felt bad but the two artist were just happy that they could do this for you. As Chopper and Jinbe let the others in you sit down on the sofa next to Zoro who grabs wipes ready to get rid of the large patch while Sanji pulls Kuina onto his lap next to you wiping off the paint thats covering almost half her face. "That's it? a gray blob" Usopp comments looking thoroughly disappointed after all the hype it got while Robin lets out a chuckle already seeming to know what has happened "Judging by everyone covered in gray paint i think it just got smudged right?" The black haired woman smiles walking up to Chopper who hands her the photo of the finished painting before bringing it back to the others, Nami and Brook are quick to gasp already knowing what it is while the others tilt their heads in confusion. Letting out a laugh you lay your head on Zoro's shoulder as he continues to clean the gray mess on your belly "You two were right, it's a boy" Luffy and Usopp quickly look over at you then back to the photo letting their gears turn until it finally clicks "I told you so" The captain happily cheers hugging the sniper who happily hugs back while cheering as well.

----- Team 5, Kuina, Sanji and Zoro -----

Its the last day and even though your excited to see what your family has planned your also kinda sad its over so soon, the art work everyone has done has been amazing and the experience has been a whirlwind of emotions but above all you've felt so much love, seeing your crew so happy and invested in your children and family life has made any doubts about bringing another child into this world completely fade away. Walking into the aquarium bar with Zoro at your side your greeted by a sweet sight, Kuina and Sanji are mixing paints hoping to get the perfect shade of the color they want and testing it on each others skin, your daughter dips her finger into the light blue paint she's made and rubs it on the cooks cheek who lets out a small laugh as she examines it. The blondes cheeks are full of different shades of Pink's, blue's and light purple's making you hold back a laugh as to not disturb the moment, Zoro wraps an arm around your waist while shoving his head into your shoulder trying to hold back his own laugh "Perfect, we have all the shades now" Kuina gives a big smile while grabbing a damp cloth to help her daddy clean on his face "If i didn't know what you were doing i would say you look sick" Zoro chuckles walking you over to the two earning a growl and a glare from Sanji "Shut it moss head, i don't see you helping" The cook snaps but his expression softens when his daughter finishes cleaning his face for him giving her a thankful look and a small kiss on the cheek before glaring back at Zoro who helps you sit down on the sofa "Helping? While your getting your makeup done, i'm helping our girl get comfortable"

Quickly standing Sanji grabs the grinning swordsman by the Kimono pulling him closer to growl at it, the two bicker back and forth while Kuina hops off her chair and makes her way over with a piece of paper in her hands completely ignoring her two dads. "Even though we know it's a boy know i did say that no one can change their deigns so i hope it's ok that we're using pink" Your daughter looks down at the paper on her hands unsure of how to feel about this but you place a hand on her head giving her beautiful blonde hair a few strokes "What ever you make will be amazing, your so talented plus colors don't have to be gender specific." A smile forms on your daughters face as you pat the seat next to you, placing the paper aside so you can't see it the little girl hops up next to you as you grab a hair tie and start tying her hair up not wanting it to get to messy "Thanks Mama". After tying her hair up Kuina gives you a smile before wrapping her arms around you, hugging her back you place a tender kiss on her head while rubbing her back, the two of you stay like that for a while enjoying each others company and warmth all while Sanji and Zoro are still bickering, the two grabbing onto each other but soon turns flirtatious, both picking on each other while making cocky complements. With a sigh you pat Kuina's back before letter her go knowing you have to stop your partners before their cocky comments turn sexual "Sanji, Zoro, come on already i can't wait any longer" Your laugh and voice gets the two to look at you, Zoro's grip that was firmly around the cooks tie loosens while Sanji lets go of the swordsman's Kimono.

The cook glances at Zoro looking from the man to his tie then back to the man giving him a glare since the green haired man hasn't let go yet, with a cocky smile the swordsman leans closer placing a light kiss on the blondes lips before moving to his ear "We'll finish this later" Zoro whispers slowly pulling away and letting go of Sanji's tie before making his way over to you "I'll get the paints" Kuina happily cheers rushing over to the table and grabbing the plate of mixed paints and some paint brushes while Zoro leans over you running his hands over your clothed stomach before starting to lift up your shirt exposing the skin underneath "So beautiful" He whispers while bending down to place his lips on yours, reaching up you place a hand on his cheek letting your thumb run across his skin as his lips move with yours, Zoro's hands move your shirt up and under your breasts tucking it into the underside of your bar so it won't get paint on it. Slowly pulling away from the kiss the swordsman gives you a loving smile before looking down at your stomach letting his hands run over it while bending down further to place a kiss just above your belly button, the sight makes your heart pound in your chest while tears well up in your eyes knowing how much he loves you and his unborn baby boy. Sanji is snapped out of his flustered shock by Kuina who giggles while pulling on the arm of his jacket "You should really take this off dad, you'll get it dirty" The cook quickly looks down at his daughter than to his jacket managing to come back to reality "Thanks sweetie"

Taking off his jacket and putting it aside Sanji starts turning up the sleeves of his white button down shirt, it doesn't bother him it gets paint on it but it would mean less washing later. Kuina happily makes her way back over to the sofa sitting down next to you as Zoro steps away to take off the top part of his kimono, the little girl can't help but let out a laugh at your flustered face that goes much redder when Sanji walks over taking his black tie off "You two will be the death of me" It slips out before you can stop it causing a squeak to leave your lips as you slap a hand over your mouth, your partners let their grins widen while looking you over with loving and mischievous eyes while your daughter throws her head back on laughter. Throwing his tie to the side making it land on top of his jacket Sanji steps closer letting his hand run over your stomach "Oh my love, you flatter us too much" leaning down to your ear the cook places a kiss just under it as your body stiffens knowing he's going to say something that will make you even more flustered "But if that does happen, i will be more than happy to give you mouth-to-mouth" Your face blows up red as you slap his arm starting to stutter but unable to form a sentence trying to tell the cook to shut up, Sanji laugh while kissing your burning hot cheeks ignoring your halfhearted protests and light hits on his chest and arms. Luckily Kuina couldn't here what was said mainly because she's laughing too hard, it's always a joy to see you so flustered since it's a rare sight and its something over her farther's can achieve.

Zoro lets out a chuckle with a shake of his head while grabbing a plate of paints and a paint brush "Alright, lets get started" The swordsman states getting the rest of his family to calm down enough to start, using Kuina's drawing as a guide your daughter paints on your side while Sanji and Zoro work on the rest, the outline made it every clear what their making bringing a smile to your face, a giant ribbon and down cutting diagonal across your belly leaving a big gap on one side, your daughter kept stepping away once in a while to look at it from a different angle and some times going up to Zoro asking him to redo a line. The swordsman didn't mind since he knows he's not that good at drawing but would often grumble under his breath having to redo a line several times to get it the right way mainly being mad at himself, reaching your hand down while trying not to move too much you run your hand through his green hair helping to calm him down which he gives you a thankful look for. Sanji's lines are neat and tidy, but he would always have a damp cloth wrapped around one finger, so he can run it under the line he's made making sure its perfect. With the three focused on their work there isn't any kind of conversation leaving the room in a comfortable and relaxing silence other than a few words here and there and at least one of them checking to see if you need a break. It didn't take long for them to finish all three stepping back to admire their work "Its almost done" Kuina jumps a little with glee happy to see it looking just the way she wants it too.

A look of surprise crosses your face since it looks down to you "Really? It's already amazing" Your comment gets your daughter shaking her head while running over to the table and grabbing four different pastel colored paints, green, yellow, orange and purple. "Were gonna need your help for this one love" Sanji smirks holding his hands out for you to take as Zoro comes to your side the two helping you stand up, the swordsman stands behind you placing his chin on your shoulder placing kisses on your neck "Ok Dad is green and Daddy is yellow. Ready?" Kuina lifts up a paint brush covered in green paint, Zoro holds out one of his hands letting his daughter paint the palm of his hand as Sanji moves to stand behind you as well placing his chin on your other shoulder "What is going on?" You whisper but only earn a small laugh and a kiss on the cheek in response, once Zoro's hand is painted your daughter takes a different brush with yellow paint and starts painting Sanji's palm that the cook holds out for her "Don't worry baby, i know you'll love this" Zoro whispers placing a few more kisses on your neck which you lean into enjoying his touch "Ok make a heart" Kuina states putting the plate down before helping her farther's make a heart with their joined hands, she adjusts the thumbs to make it perfect before standing back to have a look. Leaning back into the two you can't help but smile now knowing what their doing, Zoro's other arm goes around Sanji's waist keeping you snug in between their arms all while trying not to smug their work since his arm is hovering over the painting on your belly.

Kuina moves her farther's hands into the perfect position before giving them a nod, In perfect unison your partners press their hands onto your belly and hold it there while peppering your cheeks and neck with kisses, lifting your hands up cup their cheeks pulling the two closer to you "You boys are too sweet" You giggle turning to look at Sanji who gives you a sweet loving look "Anything for you Mi Amour" The cook whispers his lips brushing against yours before locking fully, letting out a happy hum you lean into the kiss while stroking his cheek, after a few short kisses you turn to Zoro who has a smirk plastered on his face "I told you'd like it" Leaning in the two of you share a short kiss before fully locking lips hoping to draw the feeling of his lips against yours, as another happy hum leaves your lips the swordsman lets out a needy groan wanting more so you open your mouth a little, Zoro's tongue is quick to enter your mouth roaming around as your hand moves up to hair. Kuina lets out a sigh, she's glad that her parents are in love, but she doesn't want the art work to get ruined, the swordsman's arm is perfectly still but that might change if this goes on "You can move your hands now" Your daughter states managing to brake you and the green haired man apart giving the young girl a sorry look, slowly your partners lift their hands up and off your belly leaving perfect hand prints with their thumb and fingers making a heart in the middle, in the middle a strip of green and yellow meets blending together a little and making a very light lime color.

Zoro and Sanji give you one last Kiss on the cheek before stepping away to clean their hands while Kuina walks up to you getting a better look at the hand prints "This is an amazing idea, I'm guessing the next to paints are for me and you?" You ask getting your daughter to look up at you and nod "I know my hands a lot smaller, but we can make it work. I picked Purple for you and orange for me" The young girl picks up her plate again and grabs two more paint brushes showing you the colors, placing your hand on her head you ruffle her hair before offering your hand to her letting her paint your hand. As she paints you look over to your body's seeing Zoro cleaning up Sanji's hand with a damp cloth, the two don't speck but do share an intense loving look, the cooks the first to step closer placing a light kiss on the corner of the swordsman's lip earning a groan of annoyance from the man, with both their hands clean Zoro throws the cloth down on the table then grabs Sanji's shirt pulling him in before the blonde can react. Crashing his lips onto his partners the swordsman lets out a satisfied moan forcing his tongue into the cooks mouth who instantly gives up and melts into the kiss, his hands run up Zoro's arm and take the hand that is holding his shirt managing to pull it off and interlock their fingers. Your brought back to your daughter when she puts the paint brush down and turns to her dads going to ask for help painting her hand only to see the two kissing.

With another sigh she shakes her head "Dads please… Art first, kissing later" Letting out a laugh you watch your partners pull away and slightly pout at being scolded by their daughter, it's hard to say no to Kuina when she's so determined, so the two pull away from each other and walk over, Zoro takes the plate from his daughter and starts painting her hand while Sanji looks over your purple palm flashing you a sweet smile "That color suits you mi amour" The cook tucks some hair behind your ear while leaning in to give you a light kiss, you happily return it before looking back at Kuina who has now moves to your side, with the help of Zoro and Sanji you manage to make a heart despite the size difference, placing your hands on your stomach your daughter follows along as you wrap your arm around her shoulder keeping the little girl pressed to your side "Thank you sweetie, this was a great idea, I've had so much fun" The two of you smile at each other while pulling your hands off your belly leaving the art work complete. Kuina leaves your side to look at her work her smile bigger then ever as she bounces on her feet in happiness "It looks so good" She praises as Zoro chuckles lifting her up into the air and holding her close "Heck yea it is, my little artist" The swordsman nuzzles his daughters cheek before kissing it not caring that she's trying to push him away with a paint covered hand all while giggling her little head off. Sanji quickly grabs the camera taking a photo of your belly and placing it back on the side, so he can hold you, being careful of the arm work the cook holds you from the side wrapping his arms around your waist and under your belly while your hand comes up to meet his cheek so you can pull him into a kiss.

Zoro smirks at seeing the moment your having with the blonde cook so puts his daughter down and takes her hand "Come on lets get you cleaned up and then show the others" The swordsman states pulling her over to the painting table and grabbing another cloth to clean her hand off all while praising her work. With your lips locked with Sanji's you tilt your head back a little to get a better angle letting his tongue push into your mouth with no resistance, your tongues dance around each other as light hums and moans of happiness leave your lips, it warms your heart to feel how much love your family has for each other and the unborn baby boy they haven't even met yet, you can't ask for anything more. As you pull away Kuina flings the door open and yells out for the others that their finished, of course the first people to rush in are Chopper, Luffy and Usopp, your not sure if their excited to see the art or find out the results of the contest but it doesn't seem to both Kuina. "Arrr thats so cute" Chopper smiles looking up at your belly admiring your families work "I like the hand idea" Usopp comments patting your daughter on the head as she beams up with pride at the sniper. "Its simple but beautiful" Nami smiles walking in with the rest of the crew, Jinbe walks up to Kuina placing a hand on her shoulder with a proud smile "you have an amazing talent young lady, keep it up" His praise makes her eyes sparkle with glee her pride in her and her parents work growing by the second. "Perfectly gift wrapped, how thoughtful" Robin giggles making some of the others laugh too including you and Zoro, the swordsman grabs your book and pen handing it over to you while Kuina hands out pieces of paper and pens to the crew "I can't believe this is the last one, its gone so quick" Franky chuckles after writing on his paper and handing it to Sanji as Zoro helps you sit back down.

Once everyone has scored the last piece of work you add it all together in your book before pulling out a small envelope from another page "Do we get a prize?" Luffy, Usopp and Franky all yell their eyes shining like starts making you giggle even though your feeling a little bad "No, I'm sorry, there's are just my scores, I've been writing them down and put them in here so i'm not tempted to change my own scores, I've forgotten what I've put down already" The three pout only to be slapped across the head by Nami, placing her hands on her hips the navigator scolds them for not noticing, you never told anyone what you were doing but the others could guess since you didn't hide it. With all your scores down and Robin calming Nami down the crew looks to you for the verdict, reading through the scores you can't help but let out a laugh at how things ended up "The winners are Chopper and Jinbe while the rest of you all come in second" A large smile grows on your face as you turn your book around to show them the page, everyone is tied expect for the winner who won by 4 point. There's a collective "What?" full of different emotions, happiness, disbelief and confusion "I can't believe we won" Chopper cheers as Kuina tackles him in a hug the two laughing and cheering as Zoro picks the two up kissing the tops of their heads "Great Job Chopper and thanks again.. Thanks you too Jinbe" The swordsman puts the two down before turning to the large fish man who rubs the back of his head "Oh it was all Choppers idea" Sanji shakes his head placing a hand on Jinbe's shoulder "Still thank you, it means a lot"

Nodding you give Jinbe a smile agreeing with your boys, what they did was beyond sweet and thoughtful, you got to see your baby before it was even born and find out the gender something you couldn't do with Kuina, speaking of the young girl she walks over to you her hand gripping onto Choppers "I'm glad you liked it but i'm sorry you guys didn't win" The doctor gulps feeling a little bad about it but Kuina shakes her head and takes your hand with a big smile "I didn't really care if we won or not, it was really fun and made this week at sea go bay really fast… Did you enjoy it mama, it wasn't too much was it?" Your daughter asks with sudden concern, squeezing her hand you lean closer placing a kiss on her head "I loved every second of it and even though your baby brother was a little fussy at times i think he enjoyed it too" Patting the seats next to you the two hop up cuddling into your sides, your arms wrap around them holding the two close as Kuina places her hand over her hand print on your belly "I'm glad, i can't wait to meet him" Your little girl whispers, kissing the top of her head you nuzzle into her feeling your heart swell with happiness and love only for the moment to be broken by Luffy's loud yelling "I want a rematch" Zoro, Sanji and a slightly stressed out Franky who's going over your scores are quick to look at their captain with a glare "No way" The three yell in unison making Luffy groan with a big pout before flopping onto the sofa away from you, he looks up at the three with puppy dog eyes trying his best to get them to agree like how they do with Kuina, letting out a laugh your soon joined by the two at your sides and a few other crew members as the three groan trying to ignore their pouting captain.

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shepherds-of-haven · 11 months

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Okay I saw this asked on another blog and it was hilarious so I have to ask here : what do you think inner circle’s Beige Flags are? ( weird/quirky or questionable things they do that give you pause but overall have no real effect on the relationship)

Also hope you are feeling better!! 🩵🩵

Ooh, this is a fun one haha! (And I'm feeling a bit better, thank you! I still haven't fully recovered, but getting there slowly but surely! 🥲) Anyway, let me think...

Blade: rather than accompany you into shops (especially small ones), he assumes you want to be left alone to do your shopping in peace (and also typically finds shopping boring) and will instead just stand outside the door, looming like a really intimidating security guard or bouncer. (He is assessing street security, guarding the only door, and positioning himself within shouting distance in case there's some kind of threat.) This often inadvertently drives away business, so sometimes he'll just wait at the end of the street instead, staring out at the crowd like a member of your own personal secret service

Trouble: sometimes he eats too fast, or more accurately talks too fast while eating, leading to frequent inhalation down the wrong pipe and people having to thump him on the back while he coughs. Sometimes he will power through the coughing by sheer force of will and will just... forcefully swallow through it. He refuses to slow down. Life's too short to try to avoid death by choking

Tallys: doesn't make a ton of affirming noises to let you know that she's listening. A lot of people go "uh-huh" or "wow" or "right" or whatever when you're in the midst of telling a long-winded story. She just stares at you patiently in silence until she's sure you're fully done. This is polite in Elven culture, and she is completely listening, but it can unnerve people who feel pressured by silence lol

Shery: she still has to look at her hands to tell left from right. Like sometimes she has to make her left hand form the L to remember 😅 She also finds it difficult to do math in her head and either has to sketch it out in the air or write it down!

Riel: always leaves a bite or two of food left on his plate; rarely completely cleans his plate. Same with drinks! So many teacups that always have a few sips left at the bottom. Why didn't you just drain it, man? It's like he does it on purpose!

Chase: always takes the most meandering, inefficient way to get to a place. like if the walk from A to B is a straight line down one avenue, he always seems to take the most roundabout, random path. Here, I'll draw you a map:

Red: he is very bad at matching the pace of his walking with others; with those long legs, he walks at a naturally and totally subconscious fast pace! He's mindful about it when on a date or actively courting someone, but when he's focused on something else, excited, traveling, or out and about with friends, he has to frequently be asked to shorten the length of his strides so others can keep up lol

Ayla: I've mentioned this one for her before, but she's very bad about sharing her food. She hates when you snatch a fry off her plate without asking, and even if you do ask, she can be fairly begrudging about it if she perceives food is plentiful (like "why can't you get your own, the line is right there?") In work circumstances, like sharing group rations, she's totally fine, but in restaurants or in the refectory, she's annoyed by it, like "I loaded this plate for myself and planned on eating all of it... myself 😒 If you wanted to share something, you should have said so earlier!"

Briony: she's constantly whipping people in the face with her ponytail. She tends to turn her head really fast or spin around in conversation and whoever's standing near her ends up with a mouthful of hair. She hasn't learned to not smack people in the eye with her hair yet despite several remonstrations

Lavinet: frankly shocked, upset, and scandalized whenever there isn't a little something sweet at the end of a meal. it doesn't have to be a full-on dessert--even a single chocolate served on a plate would do, and is often preferred! but when there's nothing?? nary a profiterole or cream puff or a little sweet treat for the lady in sight?? something is off!! her palette isn't satisfied!!

Halek: he always wakes up in the morning so loudly. unfold from the bed -> crack his back, neck, shoulders with the most ungodly series of pops -> loud groan. It sounds like an old accordion getting stretched out

#Shepherds of Haven #beige flags #silly #all characters

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just-some-sorta-person · 11 months

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Nagi's "Hidden Path"/ Loophole

*featuring Isagi, Bachira, and Rin analysis*

I've been thinking a lot about how Nagi represents a "hidden path" in Bluelock, and the ways in which it seems the main manga and episode Nagi disagree on whether he should succeed- the key issue being his relationship with Reo. He plays soccer for their collective dream in a manga where depending on another character for your motivation is treated as soccer suicide, which should doom him, but his own manga starts with the statement that his genius is shaped by Reo - framed as a good thing.

I've said in the past that maybe Nagi will succeed by Episode Nagi's standards, but fail by Blue Lock standards, and I still think that would be an interesting path to take, but rn I wanna discuss the alternative that Nagi succeeds by both standards, even if to a lesser extent in the main manga since Isagi is the MC. And we're assuming here that his relationship with Reo isn't permanently severed in a way that makes him more similar to every other Bllk character bc that would make him much less interesting and also remove the "hidden path" aspect that we're expecting here.

So for him to succeed by both standards, I think what essentially needs to happen is that Nagi represents a loophole or caveat in Blue Lock's philosophy. And to understand why that would be the case, we'd have to understand WHY playing for anyone but yourself is a bad thing in Blue Lock. And there are plenty of examples to draw from.

Isagi and "All for One"

We can start with the "One for all, all for one" team Isagi was in- the most extremely dependent soccer we see. I'll be drawing from Isagi's Light Novel for this, because it really just spells it out. First, let's look at the reasoning for that "all for one" given in response to Isagi's request to shoot more:

“Up until now, You could have won matches with your individual skills, but high school isn’t a piece of cake... We win together, and become stronger together! If you do that, then you'll have double the joy! And half the sorrow!”

The reasoning given here isn't that the resulting soccer is better at winning games - rather there is an emphasis on safety. "the world is tough", "If we stick together, there's half the sorrow". And within that emphasis, is the implication that the individual isn't enough.

We can also see complacency in this ideaology. When Ichinan loses, the coach says

“You fought well. It’s frustrating, but this is what Ichinan is capable of now. The third years are leaving after this… and some of you might quit soccer after today but you can be proud of the days you fought together as a team." "To me, Ichinan’s soccer team…is the best team in Japan!!!”

Within this dream doping that Ego rants about later on, we can again see the acceptance on the individual not being enough - "You fought well... but this is what Ichinan is capable of now." We also see within the dream doping the injection of safety and lack of perceived agency. Because we are one unit, there is no blame, no frustration, no need for improvement. The point is the team, not to win, so be proud.

Most damning is the way we see this reflected in Isagi

There’s no need to take a risky battle. If they lose, it will be his fault and he will feel bad for the team. He makes an exquisite pass to Tada's feet. A perfect last pass.

What's emphasized here is the risk in making an egotistical decision for the whole team in believing himself good enough to make that shot himself. What essentially happens here is a devaluing of the self - " I'm not good enough on my own, its safer to trust others, trust the system, not your instincts" And that forces Isagi to not live up to his fullest potential, to chase what he wants. Until Blue Lock that is.

Bachira and the Monster

Bachira is probably the character most directly "punished" in the narrative for playing for someone else. Though I feel like punish is the wrong word because this problem with his ego reared its head and was resolved in the same game - once he realized the problem, Bachira resolved to solve it

According to Bachira's explanation

"...Until now, I was afraid of playing soccer by myself. I guess I wanted you to come save me. But, once I tried fighting on my own, like I'd done as a kid, I realized...

And so the problem with his habit of looking for another player when playing instead of focusing on himself was again the perceived lack of agency, and devaluing of the self. Longing for someone to play soccer with led to a dependency that negatively impacted his decisions on the field

So that's why his moment of growth was breaking through all on his own to steak back Isagi and win - ignoring the idea that he should wait for someone else to help him. He needed to believe in his own agency/value to prove himself on the field and achieve his goals.

Rin and Sae

I recently took a look at Rin's Light Novel and there was a line that stood out as kinda similar to Bachira's old habit of passing to an imaginary monster before coming to Blue Lock

he understood why things were not going well. Neither their coach nor his other teammates have the slightest idea of Rin’s image of play in his head. (If it was Nii-chan, he would have made a pass here……) he thought so many times during today's practice. He jumped out in front of the goal to a position where I said, “Here!” but his teammates were like, “Huh?” “There?”

So whether you're passing or shooting, a reliance can develop, huh...

(How do Bachirin shippers feel about this parallel? haha. And what does this say about what Rin says to Bachira "But afraid of fighting alone. It is a soccer looking for someone. That luke-warm ego won't make my heart dance". Cus it seems Rin is criticizing Bachira for doing the same thing he did. What does this mean about how Rin feels about himself? (I mean.. he did already call himself lukewarm later but was he thinking about himself in that moment?))

In the light novel, I think it becomes clear one reason why Sae is so against Rin using him as his reason for soccer - it definitely affects how Rin plays when Sae is away. And since Sae becomes aware of the competition outside Japan during his time abroad, he knows that Rin's mentality as it was wouldn't be enough and thus wanted to spare him the suffering and have him give up. And this is in combination with the idea of "I've found out, that I'm not strong enough to hold you up. If you rely on me you'll fail" At least, this is my interpretation of it - but moving on-

With Rin’s last pass, they score a shot. If his Nii-chan had been there, he would have passed the ball to him in front of the goal and he would have scored it directly….. He stopped thinking. No pass is coming. That is now the reality. Anyway, the team won for the first time in a long time.

We see a lack of agency and a reliance on others once again - "If only Nii-chan was here". Like with Bachira, Rin is waiting for someone to "save" him, which limits what he chooses to attempt and stifles his potential because of how it limits his perceived agency.

We can also see this limitation in how he wants to be 2nd best after Sae - not best (de-valuing). It causes Rin to seal off his ego in order to catch up to Sae, by being more similar to Sae instead of developing according to his own unique talents/ego.

In order to catch up with his Nii-chan he saw off at the airport, he has to make the team’s victory his top priority. To do so, he must hold himself back. Hold back the you who was trying to steal the goal with everything you have using that sense of smell for the goal and assemble an attack as a team play.

Even after Sae's return he's always on Rin's mind, and this still limits his soccer. It's only after Rin declares himself lukewarm and rejects the stories others create through their relationship with him that he is able to go all out by embracing his own personal style, rather than focusing on others.

Back on Topic!

So in summary, what is wrong with depending on others? What causes Blue Lock to default to individualism? Ultimately it seems like its the resulting lack of perceived agency - the idea that you can't do things without other people present. By constraining yourself into a narrative with other people, you limit what you can do, and you limit what you think you can do by molding yourself to their vision. Thus, your potential is stifled.

How can Nagi and Reo become an exception to this reasoning? Well, maybe Nagi's decision to leave Reo during 2nd selection is part of the key.

We know from Episode Nagi and Manshine that Nagi wants to improve for the sake of his and Reo's collective dream. And he (correctly) identifies following soccer that challenges/excites him as the proper way to improve.

Here, Reo identifies them playing together as a must, but Nagi corrects him and saying that them being the best in the world together is a must, saying (in his head T-T) that he likes being with him, but that in order to protect their dream, Nagi needs to change.

It's actually pretty much spelled out here. Nagi says he's fine with Reo playing with other people, but insists that Reo stay with him till the end. Its ok to play soccer with others, but keep me in your heart always. In other words, I don't mind not playing together, but you and our end goal is always in my heart.

This is different from Isagi, Bachira, or Rin's situation because in those cases, the team/monster/Sae were considered as key to success. However, in Nagi's case, success is key to Reo. It's completely reversed. It's that nuance of "I play soccer to play soccer with you, to win with you" vs. "I play soccer for you, I win for you". Because "playing together" is not a requirement for winning, it no longer acts as a constraint that restricts agency. Nagi's concept of being together separate from playing soccer together saves their partnership from being the same as the others and frees him to (for example) join Isagi to improve.

You can see more of this in epinagi

The Tag Game

You might say this is a bad example because Nagi relies on Reo to get him un-eliminated, but by Nagi's "I figured you'd do that, Reo..." we can guess that this was more from laziness than a belief that he needed Reo's help. Indeed, when Reo's in danger of being eliminated himself, when their dream is in any real danger, Nagi takes it upon himself to solve the issue

They didn't solve the problem relying on teamwork/partnership or anything. Nagi solved the problem because they're partners.

Playing Against Barou

The next time their dream is "Challenged" is when Barou says "Becoming the world's best striker means you'll be alone until you die", essentially a challenge to the viability of Nagi and Reo's dream. Nagi's response to that is to run off and instigate a 1v1 with Barou

So again, rather than deny Nagi options, his partnership with Reo provided the motivation to act out on his own.

Playing against Team Z

Even when they play against team Z, we see this in action. Nagi plays a more reliant soccer, his dream/Reo is challenged when he sees Reo's face, and Nagi decides to act out on his own.

Nagi will rely on Reo for the sake of laziness, but when it comes to their dream, there's this pattern of deciding to rely less on Reo, take destiny into his own hands, and make an effort. It's really that nuance of doing something to be with someone vs. doing something for someone.

Beyond 1st/2nd Selection

Brief mention here of Nagi's eyes shining when Reo says "But it's not enough" when Nagi praises him. I think this might be Nagi thinking its a sign that Reo in fact has not forgotten their promise and is also working to achieve it - consistent with the idea of being together without necessarily playing together (Whereas Reo is thinking the other way round - improving for the sake of playing together because that's the only way to be together)

So, where this theory hits its roadblock is the Manshine City Arc, where Nagi asks for Reo's help. But because of all the ominous foreshadowing afterwards, in addition to Ego's words that Nagi's deep ego (implied by timing of skull imagery +all the scenes I just listed to be Reo/dream-centric) is about to be tested, I think their dynamic is bound to change in some direction within the next game. So, their relationship is still in development and the theory isn't necessarily debunked.

**edited in addition** I think the key is that regardless of their behavior, the core of their partnership (ie their internal feelings) isn't dependency, but rather reciprocated faith and commitment, though especially with Nagi's communication and introspection issues, it may take some time for them to figure that out because Reo has no idea the faith that Nagi has in him. Reo actually assumes that their partnership can't exist without dependence - assumes its over when that dependence fades because Nagi will have no reason to stay with him, but this is him insecurely misinterpreting Nagi's intentions. They also can't really flourish until Nagi figures out his ego/motivation, though that's luckily foreshadowed to be addressed. I think with how Reo misinterprets Nagi's motivations on a shallow level in 207, and how Nagi's motivation is foreshadowed to be addressed soon, we will get nagireo communication soon timeline wise (not real life lol). And hopefully with that communication, Reo's insecurity + Nagi's motivation can be addressed and they can begin to figure out a functional partnership within Blue Lock. But really the key here is that faith and devotion don't necessitate playing with only each other in mind, while dependence/reliance does.

In terms of what will happen, I think we might finally get a confirmation of what Nagi's ego is - it certainly fits with their conversation in 207, where Reo tries to give a substitute that doesn't really fit. I'm not sure what would happen once Nagi and Reo have the clarity of understanding what Nagi's ego is though...

In Any Case!

I'm running out of fuel but just to let ya'll know I was thinking really hard about what the difference was between Nagi and Reo's dynamic in comparison to partnerships or teamwork criticized by the main manga and I did not expect the difference I came up with to be the difference between reliance and devotion. "I am not enough by myself" vs. "I will make myself enough for you". I still wonder if I'm just biased?

Plz lmk ur thoughts

link to a continuation of these thoughts - Hiori's Words, Reo's Insecurity, Nagi's Enforced Indifference

#reo mikage #nagi seishiro #isagi yoichi #bachira meguru #rin itoshi #bllk meta #blue lock meta #nagireo #reonagi #bllk #blue lock #Nagi's utter devotion lives rent free in my head #episode nagi

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skemford · 1 year

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Decided to refresh my knowledge of bendy protagonists personalities/quirks and i can say that i forget how distant canon Audrey is from fanon one sometimes

Here's relatively short list with Audrey character analysis+random tibbits (environmental/gameplay/voice lines)

(I'll appreciate if someone will interact+most of it is under the cut!)

1. Her workplace is an unorganized mess

On the right side: a couple of empty teacups, empty paper sheets, unopened envelope, books/notebooks, a toy ball and keys in the middle of the desk, storyboards that are UNRELATED to what she was working on;

On the left side: donut that she kept close to her elbow & storyboards while she was drawing + to-do list for a day

There's no WAY she'll be able to keep anything tidy. If you hc her and Bendy to have a familiar bond post game, she'll be as messy if not messier. Her home might be a wreck.

2. She easily distracts

- Audrey is working overtime and claims that she has "only eight hundred more frames to go" until the next deadline

But was she actually *actively* working?

She has unrelated items on her desk (listed above) and jumps on the first opportunity to get a coffee.

If she really did wanted to have a drink, she literally has a soda machine close to her office doors.

Some brands of soda do have caffeine in them, right? Getting a coffee looks more like an excuse for a walk.

Bonus point: if you'll stay in her office without getting up (for 15 minutes), she'll acknowledge that she has no time to waste and will return to work instead.

- "Well, the coffee's good and all. But this work's gotta get done"

Worth to acknowledge: this girl has "employee of the month" award and some kind of animation award (boris statue) in her office .

Does she stays overtime everyday to finish something? Or other Archgate employees are even worse at their jobs, somehow?

3. She uses dry sarcasm or makes jokes a lot

Honestly, it happens really often and should be brought up in fan content more imo.

Due to the images limit i can't put a lot of examples with screnshoots but I'll quote some of them.

- "i think you and i have very different definitions of alright" (toward Allison)

- "Looks like he's having a bad day" (about dead lost one with the gent pipe)

- "Ok! Yeah! And that totally makes sense" (reaction to an easter egg)

- "That's one leap of faith i definitely won't make" (about the pit in animation alley)

4. Audrey gets defensive when someone starts to talk over her or when she feels overwhelmed

Audrey either will deny what was said or will acknowledge it by being sarcastic

Prominent example of this is her reaction to Memory!Joey at the hotel:

- "Oh,now you knew my father. Well, newsflash! I didn't even knew my father...or my mother. Or anyone else in my family" (after Joey says that she has "adventurous spirit of her father")

- "What? Are you crazy?... Who do you think you are?" (after the reveal of her being created by the ink machine)

+ Similar behaviour can be seen in her short interaction with Twisted Alice (Susie).

Audrey prefers to keep conversation equal between both sides and when it fails to work, she'll either stay silent or will express frustration (which can be seen with her replying "no" to Twisted Alice and not saying anything afterwards)

5. She seems to trust Allison enough to be vulnerable around her

After leaving the spider lair, she'll try to reach to Allison through the speakers

- "Alice? Are... you there?... Alice!"

She'll acknowledge that she feels scared and after Allison won't sound reassuring enough, Audrey's hand will be visibly shaking.

Allison is the only character Audrey has opened to; you'll never see her being that vulnerable with anyone else

(She is honest with Henry but not on this level)

It makes me wish they had more interactions; Allison for sure was really important in early development of the game.

6. She's blunt

Through the game Audrey is a type of person who says whatever is on her mind without hiding her intentions too much.

She's emotional and rarely thinks twice (most of her decisions are impulsive or sometimes irrational) which reflects on the way she talks.

It's often slips out through sarcasm when she gets defensive/tries to cope but it's also happens in relatively safe environment (for example, when she talks with Betty):

- "Are you...very old?" (Wilson's mansion, bedroom)

This one liner is the most random question you can say to a stranger; I doubt it was very well thought out from her side

7. Audrey easily trusts people which makes her easy to manipulate

I couldn't skip this one.

When Wilson has created a story about his "poor lost father" as a bait and Audrey did believed in this, there are multiple reasons for "why"

This either could come from her being "goodhearted" or the circumstances being used against her

- She went through whole "father trauma" in one day without being able to process anything & get proper answers:

An idea of "saving" another father (Nathan Arch) who she could've knew more than her own father (Nathan says in one tape that he meet young animators at least once) could've hit her really close to home

- Audrey never actually got a real answer on how to leave the cycle, teaming up with Wilson (who was able to enter and leave) could've looked like the only one way back

(I do acknowledge that writing in DR could've been better at places but if you do think about it in this way,it makes sense)

7.1. She is empathetic

I think that this part says everything for itself and it doesn't need to be explained. Thought, she's the one who decide if someone deserves it.

- She felt bad for hurting Bendy on accident & apologized when she was able to

- When she met Allison for the last time, she "gave" her this name, remembering that she doesn't like to be called 'Alice'

- At the end of the game she wants to try to make the cycle better for everyone.

Twisted Alice (Susie) was included which means that Audrey doesn't hold grudges against her (even with the latest one wanting to kill her previously)

8. Audrey puts her arm through an ink container without hesitation or any side thoughts

IT IS a game mechanic and lore wise you can relate it to her being an ink creature

But honestly? It's in character for Audrey.

We're talking about someone who decided to go to great lengths to catch an aquarium fish (that's kept as a pet) and wanted to use it...for a recipe.

8.1. She doesn't mind eating out of trashcans

If you think that wanting to use someone's pet for a recipe is too weird, you're actually wrong. But eating out of trashcan (when you have other options) may be.

Thought, she drives a line on a food that has flies or other insects on it (like "chocolate cake")...i guess in other cases, it's fine to her.

~~~~~~~

Trivial things:

- Bendy seems to be her favourite cartoon character.

She calls him "little guy" in prologue and keeps close to her storyboards where he's the main character:

In the cycle, she acts joyful when she first stumbles upon the real deal.

- She loves chocolate donuts

- Audrey uses dark eyeshadows (can be seen only in prologue custscene. It's hard to notice at first)

- Her breakfast from to-do list are toasts

- She has abstract Bendy painting in her office

- It can be speculated that she's uncomfortable with being touched (or with someone being physically close), unless, she's the one who initiates it

~~~~~~~~~

#bendy and the dark revival #batdr #bendy #audrey drew #audrey batdr #joey drew #(mentioned)#allison angel #(mentioned too)#my post

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the-cat-and-the-birdie · 1 year

Text

Ayo Sidebar for the Writers

Am I the only one that genuinely feels really really bad for that person on here who hand draws those really really nice portraits of Miguel??

EDIT: THEY'RE DIGITAL WHICH IS ALSO INSANE BECAUSE THEIR ART STYLE GOES SO HARD EXCUSE ME

Because the amount of writers in this fandom that are comfortable with just taking and cropping their art for their fics is deadass disrespectful as hell.

Like.. it's everyday. Multiple people do it. You know the artist I'm talking about. Like -

Very bold of y'all. Stealing art then posting it in the SAME TAG as the artist like they wouldn't see it.

That takes a lot of nerve.

Some are y'all are cheeky and put it at the very end - some of y'all just don't fucking care.

'the signature is in the photo so-'

Okay but thank them. Tag them and shout them out and thank them. Thank them for making art that is bringing in readers.

Go ahead and thank them.

But you can't. Y'all won't. Cause you know they don't want you using their stuff without asking first.

Posting someone else's art with credit but without consent is already one thing. But y'all don't even care about credit.

But let someone take y'all writing and you'd be kicking off, rightfully so.

I feel real bad for that artist because their work is stunning and top tier and they're amazing talented.

Yet there's some ppl that be like -

'thanks!' *likes, doesn't reblog, crops their signature out and uses it without consent*

????????????

Like.. having uncredited art at the top of your fic doesn't make it look prettier or more inviting to me.

In fact it makes me wanna read it less. I try and check profile pictures so I remember who to avoid in the future.

Like every time I see it I'm like

Uuhh uuuum okay yeah -

Why should I respect your art when you clearly don't respect someone else's?

I'll open the fic and scroll to the bottom knowing they didn't give credit. Or they put it in tiny font.

That artist deserves better. A lot of artists in this fandom deserve better. Y'all do it to Miguel artists. Y'all do it to Hobie artists.

Not cool. Not cool. Lame. Boooo booooooooooo Me and Hobie shouting BOOOO!!

Writers, Artists are protective of their art too!

Not nice working 10+ hours on art just to see it on the post of a complete stranger with no credit or attempt to contact you for consent.

If you do this - you can change. Doing this may in fact be HURTING your numbers but driving people away. But the point is not the notes but respecting other people. If you do this, please stop. Credit them at the top if anything - some artists don't even want that.

Credit them AT THE TOP - not at the bottom. Everybody who scrolls by sees the art. The credit shouldn't be saved for the people who actually read the whole fic.

If you defend this - KICK ROCKS!!!!

#I'm debating whether to tag them or name them because they deserve their peace #but this is just something I've observed within the fandom #and they're an amazing breathtakingly talented artist #the disrespect writers in this fandom show artists is EVERYWHERE #spiderman #atsv #spider man #marvel #across the spiderverse #miguel o'hara #miguel ohara #hobie brown #miguel x reader #miguel o hara #Miguel O'hara x reader #Hobie brown x reader #Hobie x reader #hobie brown x you #miguel o'hara x you

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miraculouslbcnreactions · 11 days

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Given everything that canon has currently given us about their actions, thoughts, personalities and personal histories, how would you arrange all 15 of Miss Bustier’s students in order from Most Worthy of a Miraculous in General to Least Worthy of a Miraculous in General and why for each character’s placement?

The inconsistent characterization and other writing issues make this a hard ask, but I'll do my best. I'm not going to do a true ranking, though. Instead, we're going to do a combo ranking and tier approach since there will be a lot of ties here and I also want to draw some clear lines between the different groups.

The Hero Tier: characters who are ready to be heroes as-is. They may need to do some growing to feel like a full fledged hero, but that growing can be done as a newly hatched hero.

The I Guess? Tier: characters with nothing to qualify or disqualify them from being a hero. They don't necessarily feel like a bad fit, but they probably need a character arc to truly feel like a good fit.

The Disqualifying Episode Tier: characters who would be in the "I Guess" Tier if it weren't for that one really bad episode that makes them look terrible. (Note that I'm reserving this for minor characters who don't give us much to go on. Characters without a strong core for me to lean on, making it hard to ignore these bad episodes as there's nothing to contradict the bad characterization.)

The Needs a Redemption Arc First Tier: characters that are not suited to the hero role in their current form, but that could be if they went through a big personal journey

The Hero Tier

1 - Marinette Dupain-Cheng

While the writers have done Marinette dirty in a thousand ways, I will give them full credit for her base character design. She has an excellent setup for a hero. She's a quick thinker who takes charge in a crisis and who cares about doing the right thing. She's willing to make major sacrifices for the good of others and has a strong sense of justice. While I'm obviously biased by her role as the lead, there really isn't a character I'd pick over her for our leading lady. She is the character best suited to leading the team in battle.

2 - Alya Césaire

Alya is in the same category as Marinette. Someone who the writing has done dirty, but who still screams hero potential. Her take-charge attitude and willingness to brave akuma fights for her blog make her feel like someone who could grab a miraculous an go. This is extra true because her core character feels such a strong balance to Marinette. Because Marinette is good at reactive thinking, she needs a teammate who is good at proactive thinking to help figure out how to locate and reclaim the butterfly. That teammate should have been Alya, but alas, we will never get it in canon. The only reason Alya wasn't tied for first place is that she feels ill suited to solo work. She needs someone to make her pause and think things through when she gets overexcited.

2 - Adrien Agreste

I actually debated if Adrien deserved the hero tier because the writing has done so much to make him feel ill suited to the hero role. I ultimately decided to keep him up here because he has a strong core character that's incredibly easy to work with, making it feel wrong to put him anywhere else. A quick fix to his motivation and he's good to go because he's generally a selfless, kind person who is willing to put his life on the line for others. Ladybug truly would struggle without someone in his role and no one else really feels suited to it. Much like Alya, Adrien only works in a team setting, so he ties with her for second place.

3 - Alix Kubdel

I wasn't totally sure where to put Alix because she's one of the show's least developed teen characters. A lot of the things we know about her come from watching her adult self, which isn't really fair as everyone else is getting judged based on their behavior as a young teen. However, in spite of all the bad writing, Alix does come across like someone who would be ready to fight at a moment's notice and who has a strong desire to do good, so into the hero tier she goes!

4 - Rose Lavillant

While Rose's character doesn't scream hero, positivity and kindness are good traits for a hero, so I can see why she'd be picked to be one. Her recruitment episode was one of the strongest ones because she didn't need any sort of arc to be ready. She's fine as-is and fit her role perfectly, which means that it feels wrong to put her in another tier. I do worry about her ability to handle a major crisis since she's quick to cry and can come across as a little oversensitive, which is why I put her at the bottom of the list. You could convince me that she should be moved down a tier.

The I Guess? Tier

5 - Juleka Couffaine

Juleka a nice person and a good friend, but nothing about her screams "hero." At the same time, nothing about her screams "no good, very bad choice." I can see a story where she becomes a hero, but it doesn't feel like a missed opportunity if she stays a civilian because I don't think that she's ready to take on the role as-is. She's got some growing to do to really earn her stripes. It's why her hero debut is a little awkward. They tried to speed-run a character arc about her gaining confidence only for that development to disappear afterward. I'm not even sure why they needed her in that episode.

5 - Ivan Bruel

Ivan is basically a male Juleka and his recruitment is even more speed-run. It really feels like he only got a miraculous so that no one was left out. Nothing about his story feels like he earned his spot. If anything, it feels like he was done dirty and robbed of a character arc. Just look at this recruitment!

Ivan: What if I hurt someone using my superpowers? Ladybug: It's good to be careful, Ivan, but remember, you'll be on a team of superheroes facing supervillains! No one can be hurt. (Ivan, reassured, smiles)

I'm sensing some Stoneheart trauma here or maybe even something more complex, but of course, we're never going to dig into that. Boo, writers. Boo! Either have him ready to go or give him a story. Don't half-ass it!

6 - Mylène Haprèle

I almost put Mylène in the Hero Tier because her activism shows that she's willing to stand up and fight (Ivan didn't get that grace because it feels like he only does it for Mylène's sake). Then I thought about her hero debut and decided that Mylène belonged here because it was yet another hard-to-buy speed-run. I even put her below Ivan and Juleka because Mylène is the only character to give a truly compelling argument as to why she's not qualified:

Mylène: (interrupts) No, Ladybug! I can't be a superhero. I'm scared of everything. Look, I have a badge for my fear of water, one for my fear of beasts. I need a necklace to help me get over my fear of badges!

This is not someone who's ready to go on a solo mission after a minor pep talk, nor was she the obvious choice for the mouse, so her refusal should have been respected. Not everyone is qualified to be an action hero and it's a sign of strength to know when you need to say "no." Much like Juleka and Ivan, Mylène is begging for a stronger character arc or even for a story that shows that there are different types of heroes.

7 - Max Kanté

Max literally only got a miraculous so he didn't die because they were in space, so it's really hard to call him a good hero candidate who was well chosen for his role. At the same time, I can't call him unqualified. His strong analytical skills make him feel like a character who could be a good addition to a hero team, though only in a supporting role. They haven't done anything to make him feel like he belongs on the battlefield. He doesn't get a spot in the hero tier though because the Lila stuff and his behavior in Gamer are enough to make him feel like he needs to do some growing up before he's truly suited to a miraculous.

The Disqualifying Episode Tier

8 - Nino Lahiffe

I'm sorry, Nino. I love you, but your behavior in season four and five was appalling! You outed your girlfriend's identity without her permission, antagonized your best friend's abusive parent for no good reason, and demonstrated a total lack of faith in Ladybug's ability to regain the miraculous, making it impossible to put you in a higher tier because, unlike Adrien, Alya, and Marinette, you don't have a strong core character that I can use to argue away these flaws away. I literally had to redesign your character to write you! So into this tier you go since you actually have several disqualifying episodes.

9 - Nathaniel Kurtzberg

Nathaniel generally comes across as a nice guy, but Reverser totally ruined his character for me. Since the show has given me nothing that I can use to argue that Reverser shouldn't count, into this tier he goes. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then read the Marc section of this post to see why Nathaniel needs anger management classes. It's why he's going below Nino. Nino just feels like he needs to be a little more thoughtful. Nathaniel feels like he needs serious work.

9 - Lê Chiến Kim

Kim has never screamed hero to me and his actions in Derision are hard to ignore, especially since they match his bullying behavior in Origins. I want him to be our silly dumb jock, but canon apparently doesn't, so into this tier he goes. I actually almost put him in the bottom tier because the bullying thing bothers me so much. It really does feel like he needs at least a minor redemption arc, but he's got several episodes that paint him as fine, contradicting the episodes that make him a bully, so it feels unfair to put him in with the true bullies who cannot be characterized in any other way without going against their core character.

The Needs a Redemption Arc First Tier

10 - Chloé Bourgeois

Full thoughts here, but the short version is that baseline character establishment is not the same as a character arc. The show made Chloé sympathetic and showed that she had some actual depth, but those things were presented in a way that made them feel like they were just basic elements of her character. Things she'd always had. Her character never had any sort of meaningful growth, so it never felt like she should be a hero. It just felt like her story had the potential to go that route if the writers wanted to take her there.

11 - Sabrina Raincomprix

Sabrina is a bully who delights in tormenting others and who never gets a glimmer of potential like we saw with Chloé back in seasons two and three, meaning that Sabrina is totally unqualified for a miraculous. I was appall that she got one without even a hint of a redemption arc first. All we got was confirmation that Sabrina cares about her best friend which we always knew. At least Chloé only got hers by accident. Sabrina gets handed one like she's qualified to be on the team! Terrible writing. 0/10 stars

12 - Lila Rossi

We might as well put Lila in this tier since I'd like to think that any 14-year-old could be helped to be a better person, but it's hard to have any hope for her. The writing has failed her by every conceivable metric outside of maybe her core concept. Even then, she has no place in a formula show for kids. She belongs in a teen drama.

#anon ask #ml writing critical #ml writing salt

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