#I wrote this way too late

[emotionallyattachednerd]

Downtime | Bayverse Crosshairs x Drift | NSFW 18+

Word count: 1700+

Warnings: Smut ( touching and spike in valve ) mech x mech and mentions of violent past. NSFW 18+.

Notes: My first m x m, first cc x cc, and first bayverse! Honestly, I do enjoy the bayverse and knightverse movies. I love them all. Animations just have more meanining to me. Anyway, here it is, and I hope it's what you imagined it to be. Sorry for the delay. Enjoy. 🥰

Amica Endura - Long term best friend.

Conjux Endura - Significant other.

Drift would often awake from recharge through a sharp vent, spark pulsing and optics brightly lit, only to calm himself once he realises that he wasn't where he thought he was, but at peace, at least that's what he thinks. It's more peaceful than the troubled past he came from.

He felt all he could offer the universe was death. That was no way to live.

Not many knew of his past, but those few that did kept his secret. The less that knew the better, and most that knew before were offline anyway. Less whispers and ghosts to follow him.

Drift used to be a decepticon at the start of their war. His name was Deadlock, a devoted fighter, cunning, respected, and had a special skill for violence. Fighting for Megatron was an honour at first, but he got carried away with dominance and power, becoming obsessed to destroy not just the autobots but the whole universe. To him, the meaning to fight for decepticons no longer had meaning.

He started to doubt, and that's when he started hearing every horrified scream and remembering every face of all the lives he ever took. He needed an escape, and that happened when he met Crosshairs. Originally the autobot was captured and he was in charge of extracting information. He always did without hesitation.

Crosshairs was annoying, never shut up, and was a horrible flirt towards him while being his prisoner, and he couldn't help but fall in love with that stupid face. He couldn't do it. He let him loose and they made their escape together, but it almost cost him his own life. Crosshairs saved him and brought him back to the autobots where he was given a second chance. He proved himself and he became an autobot.

But the damage was already done.

During his time with the autobots it's Crosshairs that pretty much watched over him, teamed up on missions, and pretty much acted so smug and annoying towards him, which he liked. Eventually Crosshairs became his amica, and at some point along the way, he became his conjux.

Enemies to lovers.

For thousands of years they are together, as soldiers and lovers, and over this time Drift's past seems to always follow. No matter how much he wanted to redeem himself, he'll never forget the choices he made.

Now on earth they are forced into hiding, ordered by Optimus Prime to stay hidden and have no contact with the humans. Turns out humans were hunting them, and deep down Drift didn't blame them. Crosshairs called them greedy buggers, saying humans were only thinking of themselves and he was right.

It's their kind that have invaded their home, their world, rained chaos in their long war. The humans didn't want them around anymore and Drift understood, but they had no other home and no way to leave earth, so staying put is the only thing to do.

In these moments Crosshairs could read Drift so easily and knew what to do to bring any form of peace to his lover. One thing Drift loves about earth is the nature, the green lush forests, there is a calming aura that he embraces whenever possible.

When it happens, Crosshairs knows what to do.

"We don't need to be out here." Drift tries to tell him as he's pulled by his servo through the thicket of the jungle forest. "It was one bad dream, it happens sometimes to everyone."

"Yeah, it happens, and I'm not going to ignore it. I'll drag your pretty ass out here a thousand times more if I have." Crosshairs only cared about Drift and keeping his processor as calm as possible.

"And after a thousand times? Then what?" Drift is only answered with Crosshairs sending him a wicked smile.

"No one keeps count darling."

Drift finds himself laying on the cool forest ground, optics gazing up through the thick tree leafs that hang over him and float against the light breeze blowing through and the sun rays shining through the open areas. Peaceful.

"There we go, nice and calm, yeah?" Crosshairs lets out a tame whisper while laying beside his lover to join him.

"Thank you, my love. You always know how to take care of me. I do apologise that my dreams affect you as well, I wish they didn't."

"Enough of that sap. You're my conjux, and it's part of my duty to take care of you."

"I just wish my past would stop at some point..." It's something Drift does say often.

"Drift, you can't change the past. What you have, that shit is going to follow you always. There's no escaping." His words weren't harsh, but real. "That's why I'm here for you, to help you however I can and love you and your beautiful ass."

"Charming." Drift shroffs through a light chuckle.

Crosshairs shifts closer to nuzzling into his soft neck cables making Drift's optics shutter close from the tenderness, venting softly as his systems went with the calmness that surrounded him.

This went on for a while, welcoming Crosshairs touches and light kisses, before feeling his servo cascade towards his panel cover, earning a minor moan from Drift. Of course this is what his conjux had in mind for them while out here. Better than a dark cave Drift thought to himself.

"Why am I not surprised?" Drift can't help but say softly before shifting a moan feeling the touches press between his thighs at his panel.

"Interfacing can help distract, and release stress." His answer wasn't wrong but Drift wasn't going to agree with him, knowing he'll just brag about it.

Crosshairs always does this, thinking he was a king to make Drift overload so easily in his calm mood, which he always does anyway and Drift wasn't going to complain. He likes it when Crosshairs gives himself so easily in any given moment.

Retracting his panel Drift lets a gentle moan leave him as his vents hitch and kick into a bit of speed feeling his systems already warm up just from his simple touches. His spike emerges from its housing and Crosshairs doesn't hesitate to take hold of his already throbbing length, digits ghosting across his sensitive tip.

Drift feels his shadow and onlines his optics only to be greeted with his lips across his own in a tender smooth, gently his glossa invades and coils around his own while he continues to mildly pump Drift's spike. It's moments like these that have a different kind of calmness, peace, that Crosshairs knew all too well has helped him in the past. He knew exactly what he was doing.

The kiss stays tender between them, warmth clouding their lips as they keep the slow pace together, lingering moans devoured by one another in the slowly growing passionate moment.

Crosshairs straddles himself over Drift while keeping the kiss firm, his own panel already retracted and valve eager to be filled. He grinds himself against Drift's spike, valve lips running along his ridged length and flickering against his delicate node.

"Oh baby...already get me so lubricated and ready just from the sight of you." Crosshairs purrs against Drift's parted lips as his lover drags his glossa across his metal plated chin.

"I thought it was us sparing that gets you most excited." Drift can't help but hint a playful tone through his voice.

"I'm allowed multiple turn ons."

"Everything about me turns you on."

Crosshairs grins against his cheek plating. "You're not wrong there, sweet spark."

Drift lets out a stuttered moan as his throbbing spike is suddenly wrapped around the tight warmth of Crosshairs valve, sinking down directly onto his length before he brings his servos up to rest them against his mate's green armoured waist before feeling him fully sink down on him.

"You like that?" Crosshairs murmurs against his audio, teasing him by rocking his hips down slow and hard against him. "Like me humping you good?"

"I wish for this to be a beautiful moment to remember, not a quick rut." Drift would ask for this sometimes.

"Fine, I'll shut up, make it all pretty and poetic just for you." Crosshairs lets out a snicker and shares a kiss with him, still keeping his hips steady and slow against him.

Drift's servos roam up and down his waist, holding back his sounds and admiring his mate on him with that beautiful flirtatious face of his hanging over his vision.

"Don't shut up, love."

"Anything for you, baby."

Crosshairs starts to rock himself more firmly, grinding the throbbing spike buried deep in his valve before moving his hand to his own twitching spike to stroke himself in sync with his movements, adding to the growing arousal.

Drift lets out soft curses in cybertronian, optics flickering as his plating all over his frame heats up, and manages to move his hips up against Crosshairs movements. He kissed his mate again before allowing him to sit up and use his strength to pick up the fierceness movement, grunting growing longer.

His spike twitched even more with every passing second and neared his overload, but wanted to hold back, though Crosshairs wasn't making that easy.

"Nah ah, don't hold back. I want to feel you, all of you, everything you can give. Come one, baby, give me the juice."

That was all it takes for Drift to overload, moaning loudly through a choked grunt and fill his trans fluids deep within his mate while he continues to ride his cable, clenching and pumping himself like mad before he finally came undone, spraying his own fluids against Drift's front armour.

"Beautiful artwork." He comments through heated vents, grinning through that silly overload grin of his that Drift loves so much.

Drift holds him down a little long, keeping him there before leaning up to kiss him. Eventually Crosshairs dows slide off him and they lay together, frames in contact and servos gently soothing over one another.

"I love you, my beautiful conjux." Drift whispers while nuzzling closer against his side, embracing his mate and the nature surrounding them.

"I know." Crosshairs will never change, and Drift never wanted him to change. "I love you as well."

[vegasol]

«3! 2! 1! Happy new year!» Everyone screams excitedly all around them.

Then, as they tend to do, all the couples kiss. And for a stupid second, it feels like the whole world consists of only couples. It makes Eddie feel like there’s a giant spotlight on him, pointing him out in the crowd. Look, there’s the single guy. The virgin, with no one to kiss.

He looks at Steve, who’s right next to him. Steve’s got his arms around Robin, she’s got her arms around his neck, and they’re just done giving each other a kiss too, a big ol’ smack of puckered lips. Eddie wonders if he should look away, but then they release each other and Steve turns to look at Eddie, catching him looking.

So Eddie just hovers, awkwardly frozen in place by Steve’s gaze.

“You alright, Eddie?” Steve prompts, reaching out a hand to place it comfortingly on Eddie’s lower back. It feels so warm, makes Eddie feel all fuzzy. Or maybe that’s the champagne.

“I don’t have anyone to kiss,” he blurts, tongue loosened by alcohol and way more honest than what is good for him. “I’ve never kissed anyone before,” he adds lamely, because his drunk self apparently thought that was an important amendment to be making.

“Uhh..” Steve stares at him, confused. Like his gears are grinding away ever so slowly. He’s had plenty of the champagne too, Eddie knows.

“You could kiss me? I don’t mind,” Steve offers, and it suddenly feels simple. Yeah, why shouldn’t he? Steve’s just offering to help, it doesn’t have to mean anything. He kissed Robin too, so it’s no big deal, right?

He lets Steve’s hand on his lower back pull him in gently. They’re the same height, no need for Eddie to bend his neck at an awkward angle or anything. He just steps right into Steve’s space, their lips suddenly just an inch away from touching, their breath suddenly mingling.

I don’t know how, Eddie is about to say, but he doesn’t have time to before Steve closes the rest of the gap. His lips are soft and warm and plush as he puckers them against Eddie’s. It’s nice. And Eddie thinks that’s going to be it: just a sweet, chaste, innocent kiss among friends, before Steve will pull away again. He’d be okay with that.

But instead of pulling away, Steve presses his lips harder to Eddie’s. In surprise, Eddie parts his lips, to draw a breath, to say something maybe, and again Steve surprises him by catching Eddie’s bottom lip in his. Eddie’s breath stutters and he forgets everything about everything. He forgets that people are watching, he forgets that this wasn’t going to mean anything. He forgets how to stand on his own two legs, so he sinks into Steve’s arms, holding on to him desperately as he lets Steve deepen the kiss.

It's like fireworks are going off, not just in the sky all around them, but inside Eddie, too.

When Steve finally breaks the kiss and lets him go, Eddie feels like a changed person. New year, new Eddie. Now that he’s tried it, he never wants to stop kissing Steve.

And Steve, King Steve, he’s gotta know, the way he’s looking at Eddie grinning all smugly. It must be written clearly all over Eddie’s face.

“Maybe you can return the favor next year,” Steve says, and Eddie can only nod.

“Uh huh. I will.”

[lets-try-some-writing]

The TFP autobots learning the meaning of the children’s names and the autobots teaching them about the meanings behind their own names

Raphael= god has healed

Jack= god is gracious

Miko= like the traditional clothing called a Miko

I looked it up and Miko actually means beautiful child/shrine maiden in Japanese so imma roll with that instead. I will stick to the two other name meanings you have kindly provided though. Though I will say, be warned, I kind of fell down a rabbit hole with this idea. I hope you still enjoy what I came up with!

Misunderstandings

Names are something that hold increadible importance to Cybertronians. A name defines a bot's entire being, to know their true and undiluted name is to practically be handed a piece of their spark. A name is sacred and only something shared with those closest to them. As such, most Cybertronians have nicknames, a shortened or less meaningful version of their true designation.

Coming to earth and having to interact with the local population meant that the Autobots needed to pick new names, a task that was rather hard considering the simplicity of human languages. Thankfully they eventually managed to pick designations that somewhat captured the meaning of their true names. However they honestly had no idea how human naming customs worked and have had several misunderstandings on the matter.

Agent Fowler gave the bots a rather skewed idea of what human naming conventions look like. He always asked to be referred to by his title of Agent, and the bots simply assumed that "Fowler" was another part of the title, even if they didn't understand what it meant. They never really figured out the difference between first and last names and went about believing that titles and last names are the same thing, much like how "Prime" was the title given to the Matrix bearer. Hence they also came to believe that a human's first/full name is, like on Cybertron, considered sacred, or at least important enough to only be shared with trusted confidants.

Since the only humans they ever interacted with regularly were Agent Fowler and other military personnel, team's misunderstandings with names did not really become an issue... until the kids came into their lives.

The kids gave the bots their first names and since those names were so simple, the team just went along assuming that those were their nicknames or placeholder names until the kids were grown. It was the biggest shock of the century for them when June waltzed on into base and called the children by their full names loud and clear for everyone present.

The bots may have had no idea what the names meant or even if June actually called out their true names. But cultural differences and the deeply set sense of sacredness associated with names struck before reason, and so the panic was immediate. Ratchet and Bulkhead looked downright scandalized as they threw their servos up against their audio receptors and looked at June in horror. Optimus dropped whatever he was holding with a loud crash and stood there looking like he had just witnessed a murder in broad daylight with the perpetrator dancing over the corpse. Bumblebee's voice went to static and he ran out of the room frantically while Arcee almost had a spark attack, tripping over her own pedes in shock.

The humans did not understand in the slightest when the whole team began chastising June for calling out the children's names so boldly and muttering something along the lines of "We heard nothing" to the children before hurrying off.

The misunderstandings only became more obvious when Rafael asked the bots to help him write his name in Cybertronian. He told the team his full name, Rafael Esquivel, and was promptly met with immediate shock. The whole team looked at him like he had scraplets crawling out of his ears before the waterworks started, or at least the Cybertronian equivalent. Bumblebee's speech became indecipherable as he gently hugged Rafael with shaky servos, his doorwings fluttering happily as he tried to keep himself from dancing around. Bulkhead and Arcee struggled to keep their cool as they also tried to maintain some form of composure. And Ratchet and Optimus took being told the name incredibly seriously and looked at Rafael with opening adoring optics.

Rafael did not understand at all as the team made swore their oaths to never tell a spark before helping him write out his name in Cybertronian with utmost reverence. However at the time he did not question it, too wrapped up in the alien writing and sudden affection to give their reactions much thought.

Jack had a similar experience late one night while he was working on a project. He needed the team's help preparing his project and once finished, he asked Arcee to write his name on his creation while he put away some things. When asked what he wanted her to write, he replied with his full name, Jack Darby, and was met with similar reactions to what Rafael received. Arcee kneeled down in front of him and very gently, oh so gently, hugged him as she shook with silent sobs. Bumblebee joined in on the hugging once Arcee had her turn and Bulkhead stood a little way's off looking like he had received the greatest gift in the world. Optimus and Ratchet patted Jack's head carefully and thanked him earnestly for his trust in them, both with large smiles and completely starstruck expressions.

Jack, totally clueless as to what was going on, looked at Arcee and the team with eyes the size of dinner plates. However before he had the opportunity to ask what all the fussing was about, June came and collected him for the night, leaving his question unasked and unanswered.

After a while, Miko, after hearing about Rafael and Jack's experiences with the bots and their names, decided to figure out what was going on. She had her two friends stand a ways off as she hopped onto Bulkhead's shoulder, and then suddenly proclaimed her full name, Miko Nakadai, to the whole base. The reaction was once again immediate as more than one bot dropped whatever they were doing to stare at her in shock. Bulkhead quickly moved and took Miko down from his shoulders before holding her gently as he did a little spin with her in his servos. Bumblebee and Arcee gave Miko little pats and adoring looks while Ratchet and Optimus warned her about giving away her name so freely while also making sure to let her know that they appreciated her trust.

And just like that, everything began to click into place for Miko, Jack, and Rafael. It suddenly became obvious that Cybertronians put some sort of emphasis on names and were likely obliviously applying their worldviews to human naming conventions.

Explanations

After the bots had settled down a little, the children began asking questions, eventually learning from the bots that names are incredibly sacred to them. They also learned of the bots skewed views on naming and how the bots had been assuming quite a bit about it since no one had bothered to correct them. This was quickly rectified once the children sat them down and explained human naming conventions to them, answering all their questions patiently.

The bots were instantly embarrassed due to their rather over the top reactions, however the kids made them feel a bit better by letting them know that humans do sort of have a true name if one were to look at the deeper meaning.

Intrigued, the bots asked the children for the meaning behind their names, as long as it did not make them uncomfortable of course. Happy to oblige, Rafael stepped forward first and explained the meaning behind his name.

Rafael explained that his name means "God has Healed". The bots were a little confused due to the simplicity of the name meaning, but ultimately shrugged it off. They mostly found the name to be endearing, and despite not knowing of or caring for the human creator god, all the bots agreed that it suited Rafael well.

Jack went ahead next and explained that his name had a similar meaning, boiling down to "God is Gracious" when one looked at the origins of the name. Once again the bots were left a bit bewildered at the lack of deep meaning usually present in Cybertronian names. However they all also came to agree that the name also suited Jack well enough, although both his and Rafael's names could use some work by their standards.

Lastly came Miko who explained that her name means "Beautiful Child" when derived from the Japanese translation. While still rather confused by the lack of deep meaning, the bots came to like the name. It was simplistic by any standards from Cybertron, but it fit Miko and for that the bots liked it.

Overall the whole team, while still rather embarrassed at their behavior, still couldn't help but feel proud to have been given the children's full names and the meaning behind them. The children's guardians, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee were still especially pleased with themselves. Although the whole team still agreed that if the children were of Cybertron, they would have received names with so much more meaning behind them and far better suited to the children's personalities.

The Bots and their Names

Eventually the children would end up having their curiosity get the better of them, and despite knowing that names are a sacred thing to Cybertronians, they would at some point, ask the bots for their names and the meanings behind them.

The bots would be a little dubious about the request, after all, names mean a great deal to them. But after some private discussion they came to the conclusion that the English translation of the meaning behind their true names wouldn't be able to encompass everything anyway. And seeing that the children have no way of replicating the sounds necessary to even begin to pronounce their names, they agreed that there was no real harm in telling them as long as none the children recorded anything. And so after yet another moment of deliberation, it was decided that one bot would speak to the children at a time. Each uttering their true name where only the children could hear and explaining it before fetching the next bot in line.

Bumblebee went first, being far too eager to be held back for long. When he arrived in front of the children he was nervous, fidgety, and refused to meet their gazes for a time as he composed himself. His name was only known to Optimus and Ratchet, the two most important mechs in his life. As such he was a little on edge, never having revealed his name to another before. But after a moment he forced his torn voice box to function, and while staticky sounding and rather painful to produce, Bumblebee managed to utter his name.

To the children with their organic and far duller hearing, Bumblebee's name sounded like the chiming of bells mixed with the soft sounds of shifting gears and static. He then explained quietly to them through his binary speech that his name when translated to the best of his ability, meant something along the lines of [Golden-Hope-of-the-Future-Guiding-Light-within-the-Dark]. He then hurried off feeling a little lighter than before.

Bulkhead went next. He was far calmer as he approached and only slightly fidgety as shown by his laced digits and occasional shifting. He went quiet for a moment before speaking, his name sounding like the shriek of tearing metal alongside the steady sound of feet beating on the ground. He explained that his name translated to mean [Strong-Foundation-Immovable-Shield-Protector-of-the-Innocent]. He then patted each of the children on the head and thanked them for sharing their names with him before heading off to collect the next bot, content in knowing that he and the children were bound through the sharing of names.

Arcee shuffled forward after Bulkhead, a lot more confident than him and Bumblebee but still hesitant. She looked each of the children in the eyes and told them very sternly that names are precious and should not be shared. And after gaining their oaths that they would not speak of hers or any of the other's bots names, she swapped to Cybertronian and practically sang her name. To the children it sounded like rain on a window alongside the whistling of the wind and the crunch of gravel. An odd mix, but one that pleased their ears.

Arcee then went on to explain that the meaning of her name went along the lines of [Free-Sparked-Child-Pure-Minded-Warrior-of-Justice]. She then gave the children as much of a hug as she could manage with their difference in size before heading off, feeling a little better knowing that her name was known to someone again.

Ratchet came not long after, his steps, posture, expression, and general disposition surprisingly relaxed as he approached. He was not hesitant, instead he seemed determined as he spoke his true name. The sound of it being akin to the hiss of cooling metal, the constant thrum of an engine, and the quiet chirping of a bird all combined into a strangely satisfying symphony. Ratchet then elaborated on his names meaning being best described as [Healer-of-Broken-Sparks-Watchful-Caretaker-Keeper-of-Difficult-Truths]. The medic then thanked the children quietly for helping them in a battle not of their world and for sharing their names before leaving without so much as a peep.

Lastly came Optimus, striding forward as regal and noble as ever. He stopped before the children and told them that he had two names, one from his time as Orion Pax and another given to him after his ascension to Prime. He told them that he would allow them to hear both on the condition that they also swear and oath to him not to share his or any of the other names revealed to them. The children agreed and uttered the oath, the completion of it leading Optimus to become far more relaxed. A small smile graced his features as his spoke his first name, one which sounded like the quiet lullaby sung in a long forgotten tongue and accompanied by the low growls of creatures of the wilds. The meaning of the name was revealed to be [One-who-Knows-and-Seeks-Truth-Bright-Sparked-Wild-Born-Bringer-of-Change].

His second and current name sounded like a choir of hundreds of voices accompanied by the heavy sounds of drums and mixed whispers from a variety of potential sources. Optimus then went on to explain that the meaning of his name roughly translates into [Perfect-Vessel-Chosen-Champion-Keeper-of-Wisdom-Pure-Decendant-Protector-Leader-Guiding-Light]. The Prime then smiled at the children's shocked expressions from hearing all the names from the bots before patting them softly with one large digit and then wandering off.

[general-cyno]

Hey hey have you ever thought about how zoro breaks his body again and again for Luffy gaining scar after scar loosing eyes and shit trying to keep up with Luffy and his devil fruit and sanji with his genetically modified body. Do you think zoro wonders what will be the thing that tips him over the edge into death??? Do you think Luffy does???

well hello to you too, anon! sorry that it took me a while to answer but I love this and ended up typing a lot. so, I also apologize in advance for the long-ish read.

but yeah! actually I was sort of thinking about it thanks to some twts I saw discussing thriller bark again. I gotta say, perhaps I have a bit of a less angsty view? because the thing is... zoro's a pretty straightforward and single-minded character, which doesn't mean he's flat or lacking in depth, but his overall thought process isn't extremely complex.

though zoro treasures his life (just like his swords, both which he needs to achieve his goals), he's not naive. he knows death is a real possibility, more so in the pursuit of his dream. zoro says as much to sanji back in baratie:

zoro doesn't seek death, the opposite actually, and he refuses to die in situations he finds dishonorable or out of his control, but he's come to terms with the idea of his own death. aside from that (or additionally), zoro's most prominent traits are rooted in his deep sense of commitment, devotion and loyalty to what he wants and believes in - namely his dream and his promise to kuina. this aspect of his character doesn't change imo, rather it broadens to encompass luffy and the crew as well.

all this to say that albeit I've called it a sacrifice myself, I don't think what zoro chooses to do for luffy or the crew would count (for him) as such. it's just what he believes he must do - to achieve his personal goals as much as to ensure luffy gets to fulfill his own and to protect the crew as a whole, because they've all become intertwined with zoro's dream to begin with. especially where it concerns luffy. what good is ambition if I can't even save the life of my own captain? indeed, for someone whose end goal is to become the strongest, what's the point of doing so if his strength doesn't allow him to protect those who are important to him? the person who is most important to him?

so when zoro chooses to keep pushing himself to train harder/become stronger, to do the exchange with kuma, beg mihawk to train him or agrees to do crazy stuff like take the drug that will help him recuperate enough to fight but will worsen his injuries/pain tenfold the moment the effect wears off in wano - they're not sources of regret or decisions he sees as tragic sacrifices. he's quite like luffy too, who's made similar choices along the story.

the angst of moments like "nothing happened" for me lies more on the implications of what could've happened (zoro dying for real), what eventually did (almost getting killed in sabaody, the crew's separation) and what luffy's reaction would've been if he'd found out. I do agree luffy would ultimately respect his decision, what I don't usually agree with is that he'd be immediately okay with it. the last thing luffy wants is to lose someone he loves, less so if they get hurt trying to protect him. points at his backstory, marineford and post marineford. this is exactly why sanji insists on not letting him know.

on the other hand, imo, zoro's not trying to keep up with luffy per se... how I see it, it's more like meeting him halfway. when you're faced with how powerful luffy's become nowadays, it's easy to forget he's not infallible. luffy has weaknesses and shortcomings too. post TS zoro is even more aware of both of their limitations (he's the one who's literally experienced luffy's pain as if it were his own) though he's also become more confident in their strength and the crew's as well. zoro will do his best to stand by luffy's side and protect him/their crew, but luffy has to measure up! zoro has no qualms about reminding and demanding him to get his shit together. zoro might not reach luffy's levels of raw strength (and I'd argue he doesn't need to), still, there's other ways in which he makes up for what luffy lacks or can't do in certain circumstances. so if you ask me, it's not about keeping up - it's meeting each other in the middle and striding forward together.

as for sanji, a similar thing applies. for all their petty rivalry and their roles as crew combatants, it's important to remember sanji's more of a nurturer (he is the cook, after all) and his dream of the all blue has little to do with strength, unlike zoro's. his genetic modifications don't really become an issue (for the crew) until wano and if anything, rather than this setting him above zoro in terms of power/abilities or turning into something zoro has to catch up with, sanji relies on zoro to keep him in line if he ever endangers the crew because of it.

all in all, I don't think zoro's the type to wonder what's gonna make him kick the bucket, though he knows dying is a realistic possibility. plus, he's not the only relatively Normal Guy who's ever become crazy strong among DF users and other enhanced characters. rayleigh is a very good point of reference as to what zoro is capable of becoming or achieving, and it's no coincidence they share a bunch of a similarities too.

AND FINALLY LUFFY. I rambled about this in the tags of a post a while back but luffy is a bit of a more complicated case imo. the manga doesn't exactly provide insight on luffy's inner thoughts/feelings (he voices most of them anyway) and though he's not naive in this aspect either, especially not post TS, the story rarely lets him witness situations in which zoro's vulnerable or in real danger of dying. this leads to him sometimes coming across as insensitive or being unfair (by having almost unrealistic expectations wrt zoro) but part of it is that he sees zoro bouncing back from the seemingly impossible more often than he sees him down.

however, the way he loses his goddamn mind when mihawk hurts zoro at baratie, when kizaru almost kills him and as kuma sends him away in sabaody, is a very good indicator of how he handles the idea of losing zoro which is - not well. at all. OPLA also gave us a more blatant example of this with the near dissociation, panic, losing his appetite and actively refusing to eat etc when zoro's wounded and unconscious after his duel with mihawk.

whether he thinks about zoro dying or not is probably more headcanon/fanfic territory, since it hasn't come up in the manga itself. even so, I do believe luffy's the type who... deliberately does Not ponder about sad or potentially upsetting things. one very brief moment that stood out to me while reading was this:

luffy not wanting to remember when garp left him on his own as a kid and straight up getting mushroom-high after being separated from his friends? man.

despite his cheerfulness and confidence, luffy is at his innermost terrified of losing the people he loves and hates the idea of being alone, ever since he was a kid. he begged ace not to die, has fought time and time again to rescue his friends and bring back those who've left. zoro's not just his first crew mate but he's also been the most long lasting and steady throughout the story. as some people have pointed out - zoro is the only one of the east blue gang who's never left the crew, even if the rest all had very understandable reasons for doing it each time. so on a more speculative note, after all the losses luffy's suffered, I'd say wondering when or how zoro will die is something he'd very much avoid. the thought's likely pretty devastating. instead, it's easier to put his entire trust and faith into believing zoro will pull through anything, like luffy says in dressrosa, and zoro would accept no less than that imo - because that's the kind of trust/faith he places in luffy as well.

lastly, about the scars and such... this is where zoro and luffy's similarities are highlighted. when it comes to all the choices they make wrt their dreams or protecting their friends, those luffy understands well. he's pretty much the same as zoro in this regard. that's why he refuses to let buggy interrupt zoro's fight with cabaji and stops johnny and yosaku from interfering in his duel against mihawk, even if seeing zoro get hurt upsets him greatly. zoro and luffy match in many ways, their dreams and determination to fulfill them is one of them, no matter what they have to do or how many scars they collect along their journey as a result.

[gottagobackintime]

Something something, Ted calling Trent “Sport” after Trent points out that “sport, it’s quite the metaphor”. When they’ve both just heard Roy talk about his feelings about seeing Keeley again being back at Chelsea and agreeing that it’s better to be the one breaking up with someone rather than being broken up with to quit than being fired. (Also the song in the background going “you’re not alone, you’re not alone” as Trent and Ted are the only ones left in the office. After Ted jokingly “flirted” with Roy saying “if you wouldn’t have left Chelsea when you did, we probably never would have met.” And they show Trent’s reaction right after we’ve seen Roy’s. And Trent is smiling and then Roy looks at him and gestures towards Ted and Trent and Ted are left alone in the office where the aforementioned conversation about sport being used as a metaphor and Ted calling Trent “Sport” happens.

(I’m sorry if this doesn’t make any sense. It’s 4.30am.)

[i-tzi]

POKEDDEXY DAY 1: BUG TYPE (#988)

Another year, another Pokeddexy!! 🎉

I honestly don't know how much I'll be able to combine because objectively January is kind of a shitty month for me lol

But WHO CARES, enjoy my boys, see you again at the end of the challenge if I'm still alive lol o|-<

[tricksterlatte]

It always makes me sad whenever stories with hopeful messages or lighthearted moments are sometimes dismissed as unintelligent or weaker than tragedies. Isn't joy and hope what makes a dark journey worthwhile? Not every story needs an unhappy ending to serve as a lesson.

I will forever be a fan of stories that say hey, maybe the world is a rough place, and it will always be this way, but you can make a difference with the people who matter to you. Even if no one else will know, even if no one else will remember, the ones you loved, and who loved you in return, will remember. People who are holding onto you, even at the end of everything else. People who remind you that new beginnings are born from the ashes.

My favorite stories will always end with love, hope, and the sun rising on the horizon after hell and high waters. The world can be so cruel, but we can choose not to be as individuals. Joy is as human as anger and sorrow. Joy is what we reach for when we are at our lowest, whether we realize it or not. We want what was lost back. I love stories where the characters reach the light at the end of the tunnel, emerge on the other side, and are allowed to heal. Even if they’ve done bad things, even if they aren’t perfect, isn’t that true of all of us?

[twistedappletree]

10 inches of snow is wild! I don’t blame you for hating it 😂 Maybe thinking about some cute ZhuiLing winter headcanons will make it a more positive experience? 💜

no bc this is actually such a good idea what the h e c k 😭 positive association baybeeeee~

🩵✨💛

• Lan Sizhui is a walking hand warmer. Since Jin Ling’s hands are so much smaller than his, they get colder faster. When they’re outside, Lan Sizhui frequently stops to warm his hands with his breath and makes sure to hold his hand with his own facing the cold so Jin Ling’s stays warmer.

• Jin Ling does not understand Lan Sizhui’s insistence on practicing his cultivation regardless of the weather. It makes him paranoid about Lan Sizhui getting sick, so he (lovingly) scolds him about it and tries to coax him inside to relax and keep warm. Sometimes, Jin Ling finds him practicing in a snowstorm and goes outside to yell at him about catching a cold, except Jin Ling is the one who catches a cold instead and Lan Sizhui feels so guilty about it that he finally listens to him and stays inside to take care of him.

• Jin Ling has a comfy little nesting spot on the floor of their room made out of pillows, furs and blankets with dim lanterns for ambiance. It’s facing a window so he can see the snowfall. He likes to curl up with Fairy and Lan Sizhui while he sips tea and watches Lan Sizhui study, write notes, draw pictures of plants and their properties, etc. He also enjoys listening to him read books out loud so he can fall asleep to his voice.

• Fairy loves going on early walks in the snow, which are usually joined by Lan Sizhui since he’s the morning person between the two. But Jin Ling eventually starts going with them because he secretly feels like he’s missing out. Unfortunately, while the walks are beautiful, he has the uncanny luck of having mounds of melting snow fall from the trees on top of his head. Lan Sizhui starts bringing an umbrella and holds it over both of them so Jin Ling can enjoy the walks without getting soaked.

🩵✨💛

[tianhai03]

some dante doodles that i havent put up here yet

[novadorks]

finally finished orv after two years . . . what do i do with my life now

[emmaswanned]

the key to that chain is in the bathtub.

--saw (2004)

[vacantgodling]

i’m just gonna make this bullet points bc i’ve not the time to be eloquent

the thesis of what i saw was “suffering isn’t character development because after a point it’s gratuitous, boring, and if they’re constantly tortured what are they developing from”

and as someone who isn’t particularly a fan of what most people nowadays call this (whump) ig, here’s me weighing in on the war on whump in favor of it in its theoretical form:

people can do whatever they want forever. even if it’s shit you don’t like. someone writing gratuitous, “boring”, overdone torture porn is not affecting you and your life. there is no need for “concern” as the post said. most people who write this shit are just people. even if they do have something that makes them act or feel things in a certain way that doesn’t mean you can or should deprive them of the joy that’s making art in any of its forms; whimsical or horrific, whether you like it or not.

as someone who again, doesn’t like it particularly either, i am once again tapping the sign that i keep having to drag out anytime i see shit like this: preferences aren’t advice. they are preferences. unless you are seeking to help the person do what they’re trying to accomplish your input is invalid. i bring up that i don’t like it because listen i can tell these thoughts were said as a knee jerk reaction to seeing shit you don’t like. and i get it, i feel the same way but

disengage with shit you don’t like. don’t hate watch or hate read anything. don’t be daft.

stop the assumption that character development is always positive. negative character development also exists and is common in day to day life. people are shaped by the experiences they have. they cannot develop from anything if there are no experiences to warrant the developing. saying that “suffering isn’t character development” is like me saying that consequences for driving 100 miles an hour into oncoming traffic don’t exist. they do.

i understand wanting levity. i don’t like whump solely because i can’t sit through endless suffering. but that doesn’t mean i think there isn’t character development. if a character goes through strife and trials and tribulations that changes them. usually for worse in this scenario. that’s. still. development. like the argument you have doesn’t even hold up.

to provide you an example, much of my life between the ages of 19-22 was straight suffering. like i was having a Bad Time my g. and those behaviors, patterns, defense mechanisms, coping strategies, and attitudes are still things i have with me to this day. not all of them are healthy. not all of them are positive. but they exist in response to the shit that i’ve faced.

it’s not even like endless suffering isn’t a real thing like my guy go anywhere in the world and i guarantee in every city you’ll find people suffering in ways you didn’t even think were possible. not that it’s good. but it’s not Unrealistic per se.

fiction and reality aren’t equal btw and allowing people to explore dark fantasies and ideas in the safe place of stories and fiction is more healthy than trying to suppress or shame people into not thinking about it or talking about it. humans will always be creatures of “what if”

finally, again, i reiterate that not every story is supposed to be happy (requiem for a dream is harrowing for instance. just endless suffering. but there Is a lot of character development. it’s just all Bad. and guess what, that’s the point!! its supposed to show the horrors of addiction and it worked. but i will never watch it again. same thing with bedeviled. or hell half the horror genre. even very popular titles like game of thrones get popular and are just cesspools of suffering. it’s safer to read and watch it than live it. i’d rather us do that).

and also, FINALLY finally. your preferences aren’t writing advice stop it. *spritzes with water*

[weenhands]

writing poetry and rereading old poetry is all i have left and it’s also my purpose on this earth

[hayaku14]

kaishin au where kaito unwillingly received immortality from pandora. kaito is torn and broken upon the burden of eternal life. shinichi promises to stay with him forever. to do so, he drinks aptx 4869 every 10 years.

years go by and soon everyone in their life passes. kaito and shinichi learned how to create the poison from haibara before she left the world as well. but though it works in consistently turning back time for shinichi, it is still a deadly poison. accumulated, it slowly weakens him.

as shinichi's body slowly deteriorates, the poison chipping away at his life, kaito spirals. once again, torn and broken, kaito is desperate. feeling this to be their last years together, he decides to find a way to stay with shinichi forever.

a way to reverse his immortality.

a way to die together.

[oldestking]

Sometimes I ponder the idea of going back to a single blog, like,, not in the sense of leaving my currently active multi behind, or Gil behind, but like, that craving of having a new muse, that has their own space,, it feel like I haven't have that in some time already (and to those who know me, it's nothing unusual to find 844738382 blogs following u which are all mine OTJRPRJTRK)

[lethalhoopla]

Okay so while everyone's making killer theories and observations about the teasers we have for Dreadwolf on top of piecing together more and more of the lore and imagery from Inquisition and 2 and even Origins, I just needed to put this observation of my own down as well.

So, the final, incomplete, Solas mural in the rotunda, right?

Clearly, the dragon slayed with the sword, and a.... beast, of some sort. I've seen it referred to as a wolf, a dragon in and of itself, and just some representation of the Inquisition itself.... maybe.

But that's always not quite fit for me. It seems odd that Solas, who is beyond skilled at painting and iconography/symbology, would make something so…. hard to parse. And granted- this was clearly roughed out in a rush, to put it lightly. He's left at this point, the mural forever unfinished.

But in Tevinter Nights, it's described specifically (as written by Lukas Kristjanson):

"The eighth and final panel of the fresco, meant to commemorate the battle against the blighted magister Corypheus, was unfinished. It showed only rough shapes, outlines...."

"... The story was well known- the Elder One, the false god Corypheus, had torn a hole in the sky to steal power from the heavens. He couldn't be killed until his blighted dragon was dead, and the Herald, the Inquisitor, had somehow countered with a dragon of their own. And there was a dragon on the panel, with an Inquisition blade in its neck. But according to the story, both creatures had fallen first, leaving the final victory to the Inquisitor.

But here, unfinished, was the outline of a beast that stood over both dragon and sword. This was not the battle, or the victory. This was after. And the beast was not a dragon. The outline alone might have allowed that assumption, but now, filling with black and red, it was something other. The creature was reptilian, but also canine. The snout was blunted and toothy, but edges came to a point in houndlike ears. [.....] revealing scales and tail, and paws with talons. It looked like two figures painted on either side of a pane of glass, then viewed together, their forms confused. A wolf that had absorbed a dragon, and now stood crooked over all."

Now, without getting too deep into spoilers for that short story (I really recommend it, and the rest of Tevinter Nights!), the depiction could be warped by what happens in the story (and is unfolding in that scene). But due to the reason it's warped, what 'colors' it, I think that the depiction is still accurate (it just becomes a bit more Spicy, let's say). I think that what Solas was starting was a creature like that - a wolf, that absorbed a dragon.

Of course, the question then is what that means.

As lore's revealed over the series, dragons aren't just associated with Archdemons, or even with the potential legends of qunari 'origins' (as dragonkin). Dragons are also specifically associated with the Evanuris - from the fact that only those as powerful as might-as-well-be-god mages could shapeshift into dragons, to their personal symbolism, to hints that different archdemons might be connected to each one (their numbers match, for one...)

Was it Solas leaving some hint as to who, what he was, then? The Dreadwolf, but also the Trickster God? Perhaps how despite simply attempting to free/help his people (he speaks of the loyal, steadfast wolf in the game more than once, wise and wonderful), he was elevated to the status of legend and god (dragonhood)? Was it symbolizing the blended might of the Inquisition, both protector Wolf and godlike Dragon? Some blend thereof, or extrapolation beyond?

Fuel for thought, for sure. But beyond that... the silhouette kept reminding me of something.

It took me a little too long to realize - it wasn't until I was idly staring at the Steam startup image for it while waiting for Origin to hurry up and connect that it hit me.

It's.... it's right there on the box/start screen.

It's... way, way closer to the creature Solas had begun to depict than what we've seen in dragon silhouettes in the past. And I get it- even as I write this, I hesitate, because I mean, the whole silhouette included has wings, right?

(sidenote, but major props to whoever designed this piece, the details are so good, including the fade/fireball/comets shooting off the 'wings' to look like support bones for wing webbing)

That's why I hadn't really thought about it before. But when that hit me, I went back to look at dragon silhouettes in previous games, and I mean-

That's the usual Origin one - and yeah, that's.... way more narrow a snout, though of course you're still getting that dragon spine spike along the neck. The neck itself is far more narrow, too, and its teeth more needlelike.

Okay, what about DA2?

Alright, now we've got some framing that is like DAI. (also, more props for the designers, and the silhouettes of Kirkwall friends/foes, hot damn).

But that face - the dragon's face. I keep catching on it. DA has a really great track record of being pretty specific about its silhouettes, symbols, and general representations, at least where it matters.

The dragon-made-by-silhouette in the Inquisition cover art is significantly blunted in its snout, the neck much broader, shortened in horn (or ear), and even the angle of horn (ear??) is different from past dragon iconography.

I dunno. I definitely don't think it's unreasonable to leave it at artistic representation/liberty, it just ended up a bit rounded, whatever. But where I get less inclined to leave it at that is when coming back to this final incomplete mural panel.

... It's all of it. The down-rounded snout, the way the teeth are depicted, the horn-ears, the spikes-that-could-be-fur, the obviously shorter and wider neck, the over-exaggerated sternum bone that strikes as dragon (/reptilian) before you think it could also be wolf rib cage-

It's.... close. Awfully, curiously close. At the very least, the Inquisition splash art feels like it could be the middle step between dragon and this. The splash is dragon, but wolflike - this is wolf, but dragonlike.

........... now, why the heck does this matter? Well, maybe it doesn't to most people, haha. But I'm an imagery and lore-reference obsessed nerd, and Dragon Age really does go hard with it's laid lore and hints of the future. So I can't help but ask-

Is the mural really depicting the Inquisition Defeating Corypheus?

... even the Tevinter Nights story, the way it's phrased casts some murkiness.

"The story was well known...." ".... This was not the battle, or the victory. This was after."

.... With dragons representing the Evanuris, perhaps.... is this instead a note, a hint, left depicting Solas' intent? To slay the dragon, the true dragons, what remains of the Evanuris after he tears down the Veil - because it would not only cause chaos, but also release them from the prison he'd made via the creation of the Veil?

Is the dragon-wolf not the Inquisition, but Solas, or rather - more importantly - Fen'Harel?

The shape of the maw, the way the ears point back, the trailing scruff/magic along the neck 'spine'....

Even the way the rips are traced, and the paw is drawn-

Hmmm.

Hmmmmmmmmm.

... I think it's depicting more than Corypheus' defeat.

But too, there's two other elements that keep rolling around in my mind with all this-

) "... On the mural, all Messere would say is, 'Skyhold is [their] fortress' (meaning of course the Inquisitor). 'These are [their] actions.' "

If these are their actions........ how does the potential for this image to be depicting the downfall of elven gods play into the picture (literally)...?

And thus, the second thought:

2. ) On that very same splash image for Inquisition, the silhouette of the dragon (with hints of wolf) is made via the energy of the Mark coming off the Inquisitor's hand. The dragon-ish creature is of the Inquisitor's making.

The creature is what the Inquisitor has made. Their actions. The mural, a depiction thereof; their choices, their efforts, their impact.

Their impact - a changed Solas... or, perhaps, one all the more committed to his cause. Fen'Harel, or a wolf-dragon hybrid, roaring at a slain dragon, sword of the Inquisition buried deep.

Trespasser, revealing just how much further Solas' network of spies and agents has expanded through the Inquisition. And whether through friendship/love or rivalry/antagonism, Solas coming away from it with his determination redoubled, his mission certain.

Whether it was intended to depict the effect of the Inquisitor on things they don't yet grasp, or their affect on him and his intent to bear out his mission........... I think this mural's about a lot, lot more than just the defeat of Corypheus.