#Queen of the Pleasure District

[ydotome]

Stussy "Queen of the Pleasure District" (ステューシー) - One Piece - Episode 1104

[nicos-robin]

stussy has the hito hito no mi model succubus and only oda himself can convince me otherwise

[boizandgurlzinthehouse]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞.

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈𝐈. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃-𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒.

pairing: coriolanus snow x toxic!fem!reader

summary: someone always throw a spanner in her works, to achieve her biggest dream —being coriolanus’ lover, wife and claiming power. luckily, y/n is not on the loser side when it comes to playing. 

trigger warnings (overall): mastermind!reader, toxic!reader (for real, she’s doing nasty things), reader’s family is a bit fucked up, reader is obsessed with coriolanus snow, lying, swearing, blood, violence, killing people, hunger games stuff, i just love volumnia gaul, reader hates lucy gray and everybody who’s around coriolanus, mental health problems mentioned such as psychotism, domestic violence mentioned, drugs, mention of sexual fantasies. 

trigger warnings (in this part): toxic!reader, reader meets lucy gray for the first time, reader hates arachne, DEATH, blood, cruelty against people, reader is obsessed with coriolanus snow, lying, swearing, unhealthy body image, drugs, SMUT, p in v, fingering, poorly written smut.  

prologue. part 1. part 2.

y/n squirmed on the inside. 

it was strange, but not unusual. y/n always squirmed when she went to the zoo, seeing animals in locked cages was not her kind of pleasure. it didn’t help that the media was there too, so she had to play nice in front of everyone. probably she could never warn lucy gray, not to mention that in front of coriolanus. if she ever said a word about executing her from the picture in any sort of ways, lucy gray was surely the tricky bitch who would spill it to him. and that was the last thing she needed. y/n sighed, blinking a couple of times before she turned to the grid of the cage the tributes were held –being nice to not to get unveiled was truly a tiring thing. but at least, lucy gray wasn’t the one who got to go to dinner with coriolanus. no, not on her watch. 

“are you feeling okay, y/n?” did she look not okay? that can’t be possible. even if her uterus were eating her up and her corset tried to pierce her ribcage, y/n’s rule that she should never look like a damsel in distress, she just shook her head. 

“everything’s fine, corio. will you introduce me to lucy gray?” 

so here we go. 

safe to say, lucy gray was pretty good looking. y/n had to admit this, she could state anything about anybody, but being pretty was really objective, based on the standards. of course, not as good- and well-looking as someone from the capitol, anyone could always judge if a person was from the capitol or one of the districts. even people from the first and second district were much more… chav. lucy gray was skinny, underfed and messy, how could she ever compare with y/n? nevertheless, she had to make sure that lucy gray doesn’t think of herself as though she believed she was. it was important for het to not become a main character in her game. y/n saw the whole world as a big, never-ending set of games, because it was, depending on how seriously people took it. because in the world, there were many games. games about money, about power, about life and death, and about control. and lucy gray wasn’t the one who had connections. but now wasn’t the time to beef, if lucy gray blows off at the games, coriolanus will never get the plinth-prize, and y/n didn’t had that much time and space to find out something for that, too. so lucy gray had to survive. y/n just had to make sure that the end justifies the means, and she was nothing but a tool to get money and power. 

sejanus was already showing food for marcus. shit, sejanus… y/n’s mind was bugging, she still didn’t know what to do with him. if her game was a table of chess and coriolanus was the rook on the table, then sejanus was the queen… or the king. he could take a simple checkmate on all of her moves, no matter what. yes, sejanus was following coriolanus with getting food to his tribute, but only one bad move from him was enough to screw up all of her plans. and sure, he had noble parents, and he could pull out his head from the hook, but not coriolanus. and against the fact with the two being good friends, blood was still thicker than water. 

“lucy gray, this is my good friend, y/n y/l/n.” and his soon-to-be wife and lover. 

“hello, y/n.” act casual, act natural. don’t talk about feeling sorry for fucking around the mayor’s daughter and her lover, this isn’t announced. never let them know you did research all night. 

“hi, lucy gray. how are you feeling? probably… not so good because of this cage.”

“i’m pretty fine, thank you. just hungry a little bit.” 

“oh, i brought you food. y/n and i thought about getting you food.”

“yes. you have to be strong for the games.” if you dare to die, i’m going to kill you myself. how could anybody do this small talk for so long? words didn’t came into her mouth, she wasn’t the type who could talk for hours about nothing. there were days when she was alone with the maids in the house, or upstairs, and she didn’t talk for days if nobody bothered her. 

“thank you so much.” lucy gray whispered, taking the cookie, offering one to her. y/n looked at the cookie, then her. looking at the cameras, she shook her head. eating a cookie with a tribute? if somebody sees this, she will be treated equally as the other students, and she won't let it. she was now a working woman, one of the workers of volumnia gaul, what would she say if she saw this? 

“oh, no… i can’t eat cookies. i just had breakfast.” she wasn't in the mood to eat cookies with this girl, watching how arachne played with her tribute was more interesting. 

“you said you skipped breakfast because you slept in.” looking at coriolanus, y/n slapped herself in her mind. her bleeding days were killing her brain, and no medicine could make her concentrate enough. 

“uhm, yeah, but i ate at work. really, we bought the cookies and the food for you, so–” what the fuck was with her? were the pills she took yesterday night too strong? 

“y/n, did you eat or not?” coriolanus’ question and his worried face made her… satisfied. not because he was worrying about her, but because he was busy with her. y/n blinked up, shrugging her shoulders. thinking about he’s gonna be worried about her when they’re gonna be a couple, even pregnant, it was pure pleasure. 

“it’s alright, corio. i will eat when i get home, and i will eat at night, on our date.” she whispered, audible enough to lucy gray. holding his hand, she hoped she reassured her. “really, it’s nothing. let’s… care about lucy gray, she’s your tribute.” 

as coriolanus crouched down to her, y/n wanted to do the same, but lucretius flickerman was faster, approaching her with his loyal cameramen. 

“...and what a surprise that we are seeing a true noble, a noble from the noble, y/n y/l/n! tell me, how are you here?” he asked, y/n tried not to look into the camera as he almost showed the microphone into her mouth. 

“i just accompanied coriolanus and the others from the school. as well as they’re his friends and classmates, they’re my friends, too.” 

“how cute! tell me y/n, if you could bet on one of the tributes, perhaps even supporting them, who would you choose?” tricky question, tricky question! if everybody sees this, hyping up coriolanus wasn’t a bad idea. 

“i think… it’s a good question. some of them, such as marcus and lucy gray. i think they’re good. marcus seems strong, and lucy gray… she surely knows more than just singing.” she wanted to punch the cameramen, everybody could surely see how white her teeth were. 

“it’s really interesting… also, we heard a rumor that you work with volumnia gaul now. is it interesting to see how the games improve?” trying not to furrow her eyebrows, y/n looked at lucretius. 

“my work at dr. gaul and everything that happens there is strictly confidential. i can’t say anything about the games, but it’s gonna be really entertaining.” 

“thank you so much, lady y/l/n! now, let’s see how–” 

clunk! the sounds of iron and glass clashing catched the showman’s ears too, looking into the direction. y/n couldn’t decide to laugh or look terrified at the sight of the blood that was mounting from arachne’s neck. standing at the grid of the cage, she saw as coriolanus hurried to help arachne. he was still running to help her, a really, really good man… y/n knew why she loved him. 

“what the hell happened?” lucy gray whispered to her, making her shake out from her state. looking at her, y/n clenched her jaw. 

“i’m going there. stay away from that girl who stabbed her.” 

stepping to the scene, y/n crouched down too, caring about not touching the soiled ground with her silk skirt, wondering about the color of the blood. a big pool, arachne’s life. one hand still around the bottle, she was smart enough to keep it in, but she couldn’t like with a broken bottle in her neck forever! sardonic slut, making jokes of everyone, licking up and kicking down. i know you talked about me when i wasn’t near, calling me a psycho, and that i was my parent’s pet and mentally disabled for being a private student. the truth is, i never could stand that perfidious snake-face of yours. how could you ever face the mirror in the morning without breaking it with your eyesight? without spitting on yourself? 

“y/n, what are we gonna do?” coriolanus asked her. his hands were shaking, one at her neck. she brushed arachne’s hair, trying to patch up the blood with her handkerchief, wiping her eyes like she was crying. everybody was rushing from them and the cage, peacekeepers were surrounding them. 

“i don’t know, dear… i am so sorry, arachne was such a good friend of yours…” 

“somebody help, please!” he cried out, making her look away, to the exact point as one of the men shot the stabbing tribute girl in the stomach. well, at least lucy gray didn’t have to worry about her any longer. “what the fuck is happening, y/n?” 

“i don’t know, i don’t know!” she knew exactly. just as the peacekeepers grabbed coriolanus’ and her arm to drag them away, y/n signed them to let her go. “i just… i just want to look at her, please, for the last time.” 

“you only got one minute. your little friend stays here.” 

stepping over arachne’s body, she lowered down to see the light gone from arachne’s eyes. as her hair covered her face, y/n tried to press down the smile as she thought about her list. look at you, arachne… mocking everybody, and now you became the prey? deep down, you wanted to die like this, didn’t you? as a victim. so everybody can forget how sordid you are. nobody will ever know the truth about what you did, playing with that filthy girl’s food, what did you think she will do? jump around and beg for you? now, everybody only can say how clever and beauty you were, how hard you tried to get the fucking plinth prize, cracking their hands as they look at each other at your funeral. nobody will ask why the girl stabbed you, thanks to the contrary of the capitol and the districts, but hey, that’s why we love being distinguished, isn’t it? and don’t worry, i’ll keep your secrets, and you don’t even have to thank me crane, because i am a good friend. a really good one. 

reaching for her eyelids, y/n slowly pulled them down. she was never near a dead body, and the thought of it disgusted her a little bit. she wasn’t a killer, she was… a gamer. a really good one. the blood almost spilled on her shoes, how filthy. 

turning back to coriolanus as they walked out, she leant her head on his shoulder. instantly thinking about the date, would it be morbid to kiss upon their dead friend’s corpse? arachne has nothing to do with this. well, she had nothing to do with this. 

“are you okay, dear?” she asked from him, looking up to him. 

“yes, it’s just… i still can’t perceive what happened. and you, are you okay?” coriolanus muttered as they sat down on one of the benches in the park. cars were honking, wheels clashing against the gravel; the ambulance arrived. a hearse could be better, but y/n couldn’t blame them. it was strange to see clemensia and arachne get out of the picture, they were sidekicks for too long. 

“i am okay, thanks.” 

“you just saw her dying, and went back, why did you do that?” looking at him, coriolanus shook his head. “i’m sorry y/n, i shouldn’t ask you that, it’s just… i was so terrified, maybe i am still right now.” 

“i just… wanted to say goodbye. arachne was a little bit mocky all the time, but… she was a friend. a good one.” her sound was a little bit catatonic in her head, all the time she told a lie. 

“you are right. sorry for asking this, really, i didn’t have the spirit to go back there.” 

“don’t worry, corio. maybe she shouldn’t play with that girl… you know how cruel the games can be.”

“you are right, y/n. the games are stressful for everybody.” y/n nodded, reaching for his hand. 

“do you have the stomach for tonight? i know this is horrible, but… maybe we can get each other into a better mood.” 

looking at her, she tried to smile a little bit. not a too big, unnatural smile compared to the fact that somebody just died, and not even a poker face like she didn’t fucking care about what happened. 

“of course i have the stomach, it would be my pleasure, y/n. i just have to go home to change.” coriolanus answered, making y/n truly, truly happy. 

“it’s really good to hear.” 

a death is one thing, but the future is another. 

she had to make the move, arachne’s death could slow down things. hortensia pulled her hair a little bit, curling it with little clips, swirling her locks around heated sticks. this night had to be perfect, exactly because of what happened. running through her eyebrows with a clipper, she looked at the clock –she had still an hour, her clothes laid on her bed. 

“you are gonna be so beautiful, miss y/l/n.” the maid praised her as she lined her eyebrows, spraying perfume on her wrists and behind her ears. morphia did the same when she was meeting timothé, and they were together, didn’t they? rubbing nacre powder over her eyelids, she was ready. 

“could you pull my corset tighter, hortensia? please.” standing up, she held onto the pillar of her bed. 

“are you sure, miss y/l/n? i’m afraid that–”

“i am sure, hortensia. we will be afraid if coriolanus snow won't like my appearance.” 

it was painful. feeling her bowels sticking together, framed by her bones that dug into her stomach and lungs, but at least she looked desirable. 

“are you feeling alright, miss y/l/n?” 

“of course, i’m fine. thank you.” she muttered as the maid helped her pick up the clothes. a red dress, slightly slit up but not too long to look like a prostitute, a couple of black heels, not too high to fall in them. suddenly the door creaked, it was her mother. a glass of wine in her hand, she leaned on the doorframe, a silly smile on her face. 

“look at my little girl, hortensia. isn’t she beautiful and adorable?” she asked, making the maid turn to her. 

“she’s beautiful, lady y/l/n.” 

“she already told me that, mommy.” y/n muttered, a little bit annoyed at the fact that her mother looked up and down on her like a piece of meat. sure, everybody always measured her like she was one, but her own family could at least have a little dignity for each other. 

“it’s natural that you are stressed. is that a corset on you?” lorelei asked, placing down her cup to brush out the dress, the wrinkles on the waist area were long gone. 

“thanks.” y/n responded. 

“i was just as terrified as you before i met your father, i can tell you, y/n. but it went well, because the three of you are here, aren’t you?” she giggled, making y/n roll her eyes. 

“don’t you have to watch the tv, mommy?” she turned to her as hortensia cleaned her shoes. 

“i know you don’t want me here, my dear. and it’s perfectly fine that you want to concentrate on your little date today.” it’s not only a stupid little date, it’s the whole matter of my future. “also, i know that you want to marry coriolanus snow, but honey, is he really worth it?” 

y/n turned, crouching in front of her mother; holding her hand as hortensia walked out, she knew her more than her mother. y/n could bear many things, but questioning her love was the main thing that set her mind on fire. looking at the place her mother stood only a couple of minutes ago, the hole of the butter knife got her eyesight. she looked like her mother too much, staring at her was like staring at the life she could get, but so much better. 

“mommy, please. if you want to question me, talk with father about it. otherwise, never doubt me, ever.” talking with long, stiff words, y/n brushed her mother’s hand. “do you understand me?” 

for a moment, she thought that her mother was gonna slap her, but instead, lorelei giggled. as she searched for her glass. 

“you are much more determined than morphia, my dear. i hope your date will go well, the chauffeur is yours tonight. if snow comes too, then… don’t make much noise. your father won't be here tonight anyway, but i’d like to get some sleep.” she said, turning out on the door, closing it. hortensia asked if she could come in, making y/n nod. looking onto the picture where she and coriolanus stood, she didn’t even realize her heart was nearly beating out of her ribcage. picking up her white, snow-like stole, spraying perfume on herself, hortensia straightened her dress, escorting her down the stairs. 

the place coriolanus offered wasn’t a big deal, but that’s what she needed. as long as they could talk without one of her father’s workers or her mother’s friends interrupting them, it was fine. helping her take off her stole and pull out the chair for her like a gentleman, y/n asked for an easy meal. not being able to think with a full stomach was one point of that, but the other was the meaning of the meal. watching his father’s guests taught her that when somebody wanted to have breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a fucking tea party, it wasn’t about food, no. food was just the cloak to cover up nasty things. 

“are you feeling alright?” coriolanus asked her as they got their food. y/n dug into hers, then looked up at him, smiling. he didn’t look like a half-god; he looked like apollo himself. the dim light sculpted his cheeks and his lips, y/n wanted to dig into his hair between two messy kisses, and although she was a virgin, she could imagine how it was like to have him thrust into her, giving out the animal-like noises she remembered in her dreams. 

“of course, this is a really lovely place. i am so happy that we are here, i wanted to do this for so long.” she answered, placing down her fork as she held his hand. 

“for so long? how long, y/n?” he teasingly smiled, making y/n look away. for a lifetime, baby. 

“from the moment… you helped me up in the hall of the college.” 

“so from the moment we first met?” 

“no, we met before! i…” will the truth hurt him? “...i noticed you at a dinner we attended with my family.” she was fourteen, and coriolanus moved things in her like nobody else. probably that was the time when the chemicals in her brain made her difficult, nearly banging her head against the wall as she couldn’t even understand herself.

“which one?” 

“two years ago.” a little lie couldn’t hurt anybody. 

“it’s gonna surprise you, but… i noticed you too, y/n. i wanted to talk to you, but you had to escort your sister, and my grandma said that it’s not appropriate.” 

“really? that’s so… inevitable, don’t you think?”

“i don’t know about these things so much, y/n. but i think you are so beautiful.” 

“thank you so much. you look also handsome, coriolanus. and… i want to talk about something, something that… can really, really influence our future.” 

“really?” he asked, making y/n slightly lift her eyebrows. oh god, be not only a fling, y/n. 

“yes, of course! you know, my family takes marriage really seriously, and…” seeing the slight worry on his face, y/n held his hand again. “i really don’t want to rush you, my dear. it’s just, my father gave his blessing when i told him that we are going on a date.” well, he’s not really, but he will. cyril will even thank her when she’s gonna be the first lady of panem. 

“that’s wonderful, y/n! you know, i’d never guess that, because, you know… how me and my family, and my father–”

“corio, please. what happened in the past didn’t depend on you. it was a real, gigantic catastrophe.” those wankers took everything away from us. “who would have guessed what’s gonna happen with the thirteenth district? your family bet on the wrong horse, but sometimes, it happens.” 

“i know, but it’s still my job to get money to help my family.” coriolanus answered, taking a sip from his wine. “you know, y/n, this plinth-prize thing is tiring me out as hell, and i really don’t know what to do. it can seem like i’m in control, but all i see are walls and i keep clashing into them. i knew i had a big chance to get that prize, and i hoped that things would turn out in a good way, but… i don’t know, it’s like a curse.” 

y/n nodded, leaning on her hands, brushing the ring on her middle finger. her ring finger was reserved from the moment she saw coriolanus. 

“i hope i’m not boring you, y/n, but–”

“no, of course you don’t! it is my pleasure that you share your concerns with me, although i can’t do much. i wanted to offer my help, but things happened too fast, and volumnia has eyes everywhere. i still don’t know what she’s going to think about today, when i lucretius asked me up. being asked before cameras is not my type.” 

“don’t worry, i don’t like him either. but he’s gonna present the whole games, so i have to get used to it.” 

“you will, my dear, and i have no doubts about that.” she smiled, eating some more. trying to get her foot more comfortable as the heels burned her soles, she accidentally knocked into coriolanus’ legs, making her look up at him. “oh my, sorry, it’s just…”

“don’t worry, y/n. does your feet hurt in those heels? i can’t comprehend that even when tigris are wearing them, they look awful to walk in.” 

“no, it’s perfectly fine.” noble people doesn’t have to dig in the mine or sweat in the factories, but as hard to swallow a pill, the hard work is still their task –redistribution between districts and control all the twelve districts are really hard, while they have to wear uncomfortable shoes and suits, smiling every time even if the question is the most humiliating shit ever. deep down everyone in every district knew that if the capitolium lashed out, there wouldn’t be the slightest hope of survival.

“if you say so… and, how is the work with volumnia?”

“well, i can’t tell you secrets, but… she’s pretty okay.” she’s an animal. she would be ready anytime to pull my stomach out through my throat if i’d tell anything about what’s going inside there. “her ways are interesting, i admit that, nevertheless, she’s a mastermind.” 

“i’d like to work beside a mastermind, or to talk with a mastermind.” silly boy, he was already dating with one right now. but even y/n didn’t know that. she never knew any other mindset than hers. 

after dinner, coriolanus paid and helped her out of the restaurant. the city lights were dim and almost turned off, but the night didn’t end, not for them. 

“thank you, corio. this was a lovely, lovely night.” she whispered, putting her hand on his shoulder as they stood before each other. she imagined as they stepped out from even such a little restaurant, photos flashing around them, people admiring them as they sat in the car to go home to a big castle or mansion. 

“thank you for coming, y/n. and give my greetings and thankfulness to your father.” leaning down, more like supporting than holding her jawline gently with his fingers, he pressed a kiss on her forehead, y/n’s knees brushed in her excitement. only coriolanus could bring out this state from her, nobody and nothing else. she was a diamond under pressure, and coriolanus was the last push she always needed to be more perfect. as he ended the soft kiss, y/n pursed her lips, looked at his eyes, then his lips. and the next move surprised her even, tearing her soul into pieces in a good way. 

coriolanus lifted up her face by her chin to kiss her. so this was it? this is what true love feels like? this is what fulfilled love and devotion feels like? he was so soft, she wanted to bite into his skin, but instead, her lips just brushed his, slimming down her hand to his chest, as he softly grabbed her neck to make her stay. oh my, y/n thought, sighing as she sipped a fresh bite of air through her nose. she didn’t want to end this, no. not tonight. god knows when they can be together again, be together like this. 

behind them, a car honked. despite being a good chauffeur, helius isn’t the best at timing, y/n thought as she almost rolled her eyes annoyed by her chauffeur, brushing coriolanus’ face to make him stop. 

“this is your car? sorry, i’m…” 

“come with me, corio.” she whispered, brushing her lips against his chin. 

“are you sure about that? your parents–” y/n grabbed his hand, slowly dragging him to the car as helius opened the door for them. coriolanus helped her get in, as the car started to drive, y/n turned to coriolanus. they began to kiss again, she tried to brush her tongue to his, but now he was the one who pushed her away gently, trying to brush his hair to look somehow collected. “y/n, your parents are home? i can’t be respectful enough if they see that i’m eating up their daughter.” 

“my father isn't home, and my mother is sleeping now. please, dear…” she tried to lean over him, it was impossible because of the height difference. coriolanus smiled, brushing her face. 

“how could i say no to you after this?” he said, letting her bury her lips into hers for the rest of the ride. arriving home, y/n nodded to helius as he could now retire for the rest of the night. stepping up on the marble front garden fastly, she opened the door. placing her finger before her lips, she signed to coriolanus to be quiet, hurrying up on the stairs to her room. y/n was glad that hortensia did her job and tidied up the place, so all they had to do was lie down and continue what they began. 

“you are so beautiful”, coriolanus moaned as he peeled down his coat and his jacket, y/n threw her stole onto the dressing table. 

“you are so handsome”, y/n whispered, kicking off her shitty but glamorous shoes, helping him unbutton his shirt as she kissed his jawline. something strange took over her mind; if someone asked her what she’s going to do tomorrow, she couldn’t answer, couldn’t form even a single thought. it was so animalistic, just as she hovered over coriolanus, sitting on his hips as she tried to unzip her dress, as coriolanus reached for it to help her, y/n remembered that she had a corset on. leaning away from him, she faced the mirror on the dressing table. 

“what’s the matter, y/n? did i do something?” he asked, reaching after her as she tried to pull it off without him noticing, but it was impossible even for her. “y/n, what are you doing? is that… holy, you wear a corset?” 

“yes, but… don’t worry, it’s just because…” who the fuck was her? she wasn’t bragging, why did she slip apart? she stopped her thoughts as coriolanus crawled behind her, helping her unzip her red dress, kissing her hair from behind. 

“y/n, i hope you know that you don’t need that.” coriolanus muttered, grabbing the ropes of the corset to ease it around her form. kissing her hair again, then moving around to get to her cheeks. as he reached her lips, the corset was undone, thrown into the corner of the room. “it can stay there, love. look at yourself, how beautiful you are, the girl i fell in love with.” 

looking into the mirror, it always saw makeup and craziness, and now… look at yourself, y/n, getting what you wanted. is this how the world works? is this how the university rewards me for my efforts, my sacrifices? y/n look at coriolanus in the mirror, the red dress holding the last bits of her breasts, turning to him, she let him get over. peeling off her dress, by an instinct, brushing his clothed cock with her knees, hearing an elated whine from him. she knew he was a virgin, she was too, but she moaned louder when coriolanus brushed her naked breasts, playing with her nipples while kissing her. it was so new, so unusual, and yet, everytime his fingertips touched her sensitive buds, she felt her blood striking down to her core. 

“do you like this, y/n?” he asked, making her hiss, nodding as she looked up at him. 

“yes… please, corio… i want you…” she gasped, trying to reach for his cock even if she didn’t know what it was going to feel like. coriolanus smiled shyly, reaching for her hips to lift it so he could take off her underwear. y/n wasn’t shy, and this was the first real pussy he ever saw, and if it depended on her, the last one, too. so, how could he compare her to any other girl? 

“i want you, too. but… i heard that it can hurt.” he kissed her, and a slight pain striked her core as she felt something crawl up. she accidentally bit down on his lips too hard, drawing blood. “i’m sorry, y/n, i just thought that–”

“please don’t stop,” she cut into his words, grabbing his hand to guide it back. if his fingers were this long and stretching her out this much, how is she going to fit his perfect cock into her cunt? it was painful at first, but it changed to pleasure, she hoped coriolanus felt the same silk on the inside, the silk she felt every time she fingered herself. the impulse grew in her stomach, similar to the way when she was fingering herself, but it was another impulse. erratic, something she wanted to scoop up into a bowl and drink from it. coriolanus stopped, pulling his fingers out, y/n grabbed his wrist to lick herself off. it was messy, but she swore she saw his pupils dilated as he looked at her. 

“i think it’s time for me to take this off too, isn’t it?” he asked, pulling down the waistband of his underwear. she hadn't seen so many cocks before, but he was so… beautiful. not too short, not too long, curling up a little bit, almost touching his abdomen from the excitement. y/n hoped that from the previous actions he got hard, because that’s what the girls always talked about at girly nights, but seeing the pre-cum dripping down on coriolanus’ cock got her mouth watering.

“do you want me to pleasure you?” she asked, already leaning up on her elbows. coriolanus shook his head, kissing her as he guided her to lay back down. 

“no, love. it’s not about you, it’s just… i don’t think i’m going to last long even if we begin this,” he whispered, y/n giggled as coriolanus rolled his eyes joyfully. 

“this is my first time too, corio.” 

“i know, and i’m trying to make it hurt as little as i can, but please don’t be mad at me if–” y/n grabbed his chin, making him face again. 

“how could i ever be mad at you?” she asked silently, brushing her forehead to his. coriolanus held her hand, grabbing his cock with the other, placing it to her core. y/n held onto his shoulder, just as in her dream. 

“i hope you will enjoy this just as much as i do.” he whispered, kissing her, slowly slipping inside. y/n felt like she was teared apart, hissing, pressing her thighs to his waist. even a tear slipped from between her lashes as she tried to hold in the agonizing scream. she knew this would turn intp pleasure and sparks too, but it was so fucking unbelieveable to realize. 

“should we stop, y/n?” coriolanus asked, his sound husky from the thigh feeling, burying his head into her neck. y/n shook her head, slipping her fingers into the hair on the back of his head. 

“just keep going, it will be good, i believe”, she muttered, and with that, he began to thrust. the first dozen were painful, as if his cock tried to murder her, but after a little time, it eased up, and she caught herself softly moaning as their lips melted into each other again. “you can be faster if you want”, y/n whispered, making coriolanus nod, an adorable look on his face from trying to concentrate and not cumming. when he first hit the spot where she could never reach, y/n almost clawed into his back from the pleasure. she understood why people loved to make love; the way his cock filled her pussy was so natural and so perfect, her heartbeat and his moans thrumming in her ears, his big hand grabbing into hers stronger and stronger, not letting her lift up hers, ever, pinning down and dominating her. another tear striked from her eyes, but this was because of happiness, pure beatitude. 

“i’m… ngh, love, i’m not going to last long”, coriolanus moaned, hitting her pleasure spot again and again, making y/n’s abdomen curl tighter and tighter. she felt as if she was a bomb ready to explode, reaching down with her free hand to her clit, circling it. it was too much, feeling how pubic lifted and fell every time he pulled out, only thrust into her, y/n turned her head so she could last longer, but it didn’t help, coriolanus was everywhere, in her mouth, her cunt, her hand, her ears and her eyesight, even in her mind. 

“i’m…ah, corio, i’m going to cum, love…” she tried to say, his cock giving her the finishing move to push her over the edge. everything turned to white and black at the same time, she felt the pleasure and pressure blowing up in every cell of her body, striking through her veins to get the sensation from head to toe, thighs pressed to his side to make him go deeper, she felt her mouth opened, a silent scream coming out as a long, ragged, guttural moan. feeling him slowing down, she knew coriolanus reached his high too, laying his head on her collarbone, breathing heavily. for a moment, y/n didn’t know where she was, she only felt the softness under her, his body upon hers, and the last, tingling feeling in her pussy. 

coriolanus pushed himself down from her, laying beside her on his back, placing his hand on his chest. y/n looked at him, panting, smiling as she could, kissing his face. 

a couple minutes later she was dressed in a robe just as him, the blanket covering them. y/n laid on his chest, looking into the fire, grabbing one of his hands as he stroked her hair. 

“this was fantastic, y/n. thank you so much, for everything.” 

y/n rolled her eyes, kissing his skin as she smiled. this wasn’t the soft smile she formed in front of him, this was the smile she formed when she was alone, but the darkness kept her secrets. for a moment, clemensia and arachne long forgotten, even sejanus’s and lucy gray’s face faded as there were just the two of them. 

“you don’t have to thank me for anything, corio. i am glad that you are happy.” 

a/n: i'm really really really tired but i couldn't let you down girliez!! i hope you liked it, i passed my test but i'm gonna have another )): nevetheless, i'll try and write more and more parts because i have plans, so don't worry <3

taglist: @champomiel @stelleduarte @diamondsbestie @tomriddles-wh0re @ikeryn @americanprometheuss @themorriganisamonster @cybersry @marihoneywk @randomgurl2326 @jxynotfound @velunis @theoriginalwife000 @coconut-dreamz @lukepattersin

[cressthebest]

Crimson Rivers thoughts pt. 11

chapter 20:

1. god, i’m glad to know this bridge plan is stressing sirius out too

2. i love sirius’ pure ANGER at how reg and james’ love story is broadcasted to everyone when sirius knows that they deserve privacy.

3. 😟😧 is peter going to be a

FUCKING RAT

IN THIS FIC???? FUCK HIM FUCK YOU FUCK ALL OF YOU!! I LOVED HIM!! WHY DID HE HAVE TO DO THIS??? NOOOOOO

4. 😡😡 PETER AND DEATHEATERS, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, ISTG

5. 😧 vanity noooo

6. 😟 hodge would have turned 15 tomorrow. and james just pushed him in the river. fuck, well, that’s something james is gonna think about forever

7. i am NOT gonna get over vanity’s death

8. reg’s knife throwing skills came into use and yikes. i wish it didn’t have to

9. (bad timing, but nonbinary mathias has my heart)

10. oh god. irene asked regulus to give her mercy and kill her. this. wow. this hurts in ways i can’t describe.

11. everyone is fucking dying, and james just got hurt, and reg is trapped on the other side of the river. jfc this chapter is wild

12. reg, you’re having a panic attack. i understand those. listen to me and jsut follow my voice and breathe with me, okay? in and out. 1…. 2…. 3…. 4…. good. breathe please. i wanna help so bad. please i wish i could help reg breathe.

13. god, it’s hurts that in sirius’ pov, he knows that this is the biggest breakdown reg has EVER had

14. sirius, don’t do something stupid

chapter 21:

1. 😧 THIS is how the plan is formed? sirius talking to slughorn about two victors making it out as long as they’re from the same district? wow. i was almost looking forward to the death pact, while also knowing it would be out of reg’s character (and james’) so it would be unsatisfying. i like this a lot, actually

2. dorcas leaving her home in the most ratty-ass pajamas to run four miles 😭😭 she’s still a queen to me

3. marlene’s reaction is heartbreaking, honestly

4. i love how there’s the line about dorcas caring for vanity and hodge. she cares. marlene asked her to, chapters and chapters ago. and dorcas cared. this hurts

5. 😟 regulus is so angry that he plans on avenging james with what i assume is the most torturous murder to others

6. !!!!! is reg about to take that hint from slughorn? does he realize james is alive?

7. HE REALIZES!!! THANK FUCKING GOD!!! THEYRE GONNA REUNITE AND HOPEFULLY HAVE NO TRAUMA FROM THIS HORRENDOUS DAY!

8. remus comparing sirius’ excitement about slughorn’s decision to a dog >>>>>>

9. “They watch with hope.” AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

10. sirius expects people to not listen to him, so he tells remus to just tune him out, but remus loves to hear sirius talk. <33333 they’re made for each other

11. sirius having worn a dress before and enjoying it >>>>>>>

12. “”Really, your body is a galaxy, and your scars are your stars."” (remus making sirius feel better about his scars) OH MY GOD!! this is gonna be my equivalent of atyd’s “you were beautiful”

13. remus’ shirt is off and sirius wants to cry over how gorgeous he is. (when i first had sex, i cried over how pretty my partner was. i do not judge sirius for this reaction)

14. the way remus gets his moony nickname in this fic, with his scars being compared to moon craters >>>>>>>>>

15. despite sirius wanting to have sex with remus, i love his decision to wait so he’s mentally in the right place for it. and i love remus’ treatment of sirius’ relationship to sex. that’s exactly what i, as an aroace spec person, needed to hear

16. i’m so fucking PISSED that the hallow took away sirius’ acceptance of pleasure. remus and i are gonna fucking take down the hallow for that

17. authors notes say that sirius is demisexual, and i am all on board. another demisexual!! me and sirius are twinning! i love this!!

[chinesefirethorn]

Summary:

Panic spreads across the desert city of Suna as the first outbreak hits the streets. Caught in the city's commercial district, Lee and Tenten have to rely on guts, determination and the sheer survival skills of a man who says kill or be killed.

Zombie apocalypse modern AU with multiple pairings, but primarily focused on LeeGaa/GaaLee. Co-written with LucklessMallory

Notes:

This one is my magnum opus fic co-written with my writing partner and one of the best RP players I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with. I miss you, Mallory! Thanks for all the good fic we wrote together even the unposted ones. You played an excellently youthful Lee to my taciturn Gaara, and a deliciously villainous Gaara to my pure-hearted hot-blooded Lee.

Both of us are fans of zombie horror and really wanted this fic to be believably within a horror setting. We also love Queen, hence the tongue-in-cheek title.

There’s actually a Part 2 of Rot that’s 100,000+ words long too, but we never got around to rewriting/editing it. Just know the boys get a happy ending :)

[sinceileftyoublog]

GBV 40

Photo by Allison Ryder

BY JORDAN MAINZER

It's a popular wink-wink-nod-nod joke among the diehard Guided By Voices fanbase that dedicated GBV fandom is #notacult (but kind of a cult). You'd think that Robert Pollard and company were in on the joke, considering they decided to celebrate 40 years of the band's existence at a venue built by a 14-group Masonic Temple Association, which is a true story and not the name of the band's new single. As a full disclosure converted GBV head who has in the past attended Heedfest, the band's long-running fan weekend chock full of cover sets and Miller Lites, this first weekend in September absolutely felt like an extension of it, a full-on celebration of all things Guided By Voices. Celebrity superfan Paddy Considine came from overseas with his son Joe, playing a covers set at the Yellow Cab Tavern in Dayton's Oregon District. During the encore of GBV's first night at the Dayton Masonic Center, Scott Marshall (of Chavez fame), Matador Records Director of Digital, A&R Jake Whitener, and GBV manager David Newgarden presented Pollard with a "Most Valuable Lead Singer" trophy. Even Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis, normally reserved, gave the crowd a half-hearted "G! B! V!" chant during the band's opening set. Miller Lites at the venue (along with most other beer) cost a measly $6 per can, a bargain in 2023. During the second night, Pollard took a moment to thank the alcohol distributor, who may or may not have been stocking his personal cooler full of beer bottles and the once-again passed around Jose Cuervo. What's for sure is those bottles were fueling Pollard's high-kicks, 2022 busted knee be damned. Always different, always the same: It was The Fall. Is it now Guided By Voices?

Photo by Allison Ryder

Yes, the same spirit pervades GBV: In a recent beginner's guide to the band, Uproxx critic Steven Hyden described them as having "one foot in the bowling alley, and another foot in the art gallery," whether that's the band's early R.E.M.-indebted material, lo-fi golden era, Aughts arena rock attempts, or the current, arguably most prolific late-career lineup. The quartet of guitarists Doug Gillard and Bobby Bare Jr., bassist Mark Shue, and drummer Kevin March is certainly the most formidable group of instrumentalists to ever back Pollard, and his songwriting on this lineup's albums has notably embraced the proggier, more epic side of his forebears. During the band's anniversary concerts, they paid curatorial attention to these newfound favorites just as much as the "Motor Away" and "Tractor Rape Chain"s: the tempo-changing "Alex Bell", bopping "Dance of Gurus", and even absurdist poem "Razor Bug", delivered a capella by Pollard and Shue. Pollard also admitted how the band tackles the old imperfections, joking that March made sure to play all the original studio version "fuck-ups" from "My Impression Now".

But GBV also had work to do. This year so far, they've released two albums, La La Land and live-to-tape gem Welshpool Frillies, and purportedly (shocker) have two more in the can. Only this band could garner this much crowd enthusiasm by opening a four-decade celebration with the first three songs from their latest album, but when they're as good as the jagged "Meet the Star", cascading "Cruisers' Cross", and Cheap Trick-meets-Crazy Horse ripper "Romeo Surgeon", it doesn't really matter, does it? The sets in general were treated like a normal GBV marathon, featuring but not overwhelmingly dominated by their most recent output. Gillard's trademark guitars chimed through the sludgy "Seedling", while La La Land's "Queen of Spaces" offered a necessarily languid breather between "Everybody Thinks I'm a Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking)" and "Motor Away". To my pleasure, on night two, the band played La La Land closer "Pockets", a song about exactly what you think, that nonetheless exemplifies Pollard's ethos: As long as you have a sense of wonder and a penchant for songwriting, you can maintain constant creativity. Songwriting can be a daily exercise.

Built to Spill

Throughout the celebration, Pollard expressed thanks for past and present incarnations of GBV (joking that the current youngins help him up the stairs) as well as the other bands joining the celebration. The inspired lineup was a mix of 90's contemporaries (Dinosaur Jr,, Built to Spill), Dayton connections (the birthplace of Heartless Bastards' Erika Wennerstrom and Dino J.'s Lou Barlow), and new indie rock royalty (Kiwi Jr., Wednesday). Dinosaur Jr., Marshalls stacked upon Marshalls, treated the crowd to eternity-long fuzz jams heavy on their earliest albums, from "Gargoyle" and their faithful "Just Like Heaven" cover to "The Lung" and "Freak Scene". The next night, Built to Spill also offered a set with plenty of guitar solos and extended intros and codas, respectively bookending the set on the slow-burning "Stop The Show" and eternal "Carry The Zero". As for their (sort-of) cover, they chose The Halo Benders' "Virginia Reel Around the Fountain" and not Heartless Bastards' "The Mountain" since, well, the real thing had played right before them.

Heartless Bastards

Heartless Bastards are not a band you'd normally associate with 90's indie rock, though I wouldn't have expected Built to Spill bassist Melanie Radford to sing Wennerstrom's part so convincingly last time I saw BTS. Wennestrom and Martsch came out with Heartless Bastards on night two for "The Mountain", but I saw where the Texas-via-Ohio rockers fit in with the band lineup even more on other songs. Yes, their brand of blues-rock is unique, not quite punchy, certainly eschewing raw psychedelia for grooves or high and lonesome country. But while Wennerstrom's throaty singing led the hazy "Photograph", the song's instrumental outro with gorgeous guitar work snuggled beside Wednesday and Built to Spill. And the chugging back catalog highlight "Gray" came across almost like a GBV ripper with keyboards.

Kiwi Jr.

Wednesday

And then there were the up and comers. Toronto's Kiwi Jr. combined the instrumental concision of GBV with the storytelling of a band like Wednesday. They took from their three very good records, concentrating on their Sub Pop albums Cooler Returns and Chopper in their brief set, contextualizing "Maid Marian's Toast" and "The Sound of Music" (about insurance fraud and Christopher Plummer), easing the crowd into a night of clatter. Wednesday, meanwhile, was the unabashed non-GBV highlight of the entire festival, the band that converted the unfamiliar and justified those of us who have hyped them up. Their quintessential country-gaze was on full display from the moment they queued up the buzz saws of "Hot Rotten Grass Smell". "Chosen to Deserve" was the bonafide ne'er-do-well anthem, the song of the summer for the bad kids, Xandy Chelmis absolutely slaying on pedal steel. Of course, lead vocalist Karly Hartzman's drawl-cum-yodel was the perfect medium to communicate stories of people dying in Planet Fitness parking lots, getting electrocuted by your own house, and toothless men on oxygen tanks smoking cigarettes. But it was "Bull Believer" that absolutely brought the house down, tears in the eyes of people who had never heard the song before. In a rare move on a normally apolitical GBV stage, Hartzman decried the nadirs of the nation, from the return of student loan payments to the policing of Black and Brown and LGBTQ+ bodies. She invited the crowd to scream along in anger as she beckoned "Finish him!" Perhaps that's what even implored Pollard to, out of nowhere between "Twilight Campfire" and "To Keep An Area", declare, "We live in a shitty country...Everything is crooked as fuck!" It was a small moment, perhaps inconsequential, but one that really hammered down for me that after all these years, Pollard's done what he's always done: change.

[onepiecebdays]

april 24th - stussy

debut chapter: 860

recent chapter: 1112

epithet: queen of the pleasure district

current age: unknown

affiliation: egghead

bounty: none

[aceinejghafa]

on the magic inherent in snowflakes and in laughter

Kanej | Rated general | tw for canon-typical discussion of the slave trade

Summary: Ketterdam is grey, when the Wraith docks in berth twenty-two of Fifth Harbour.

Or, Kaz and Inej take a walk in the snow, ft. reflections on magic and absolutely zero plot. 

Materialki: @cassecorrea (art here)

Etherealki: @swift-creates (fic here)

A/N: My fic for the Grishaverse Reverse Mini Bang @grishaversebigbang!

Read it on AO3 or below the cut.

Ketterdam is grey, when the Wraith docks in berth twenty-two of Fifth Harbour. Captain Inej Ghafa stands on deck, her hands on her hips, and looks out at the city that has broken her, rebuilt her, shaped her.

On second thought, maybe it’s not quite grey. It’s more black and white, city and snow mixed together and piled on top of each other until the first impression is that it’s all one grey mass. A closer look shows dark rooftops peeking out from underneath the snow, dark streets paled by drifts piling up to either side. The still-falling snow creates a mist that makes the city seem gentler, softer. 

Inej’s feelings for Ketterdam are complicated. Despicable things are done here, just as they are done everywhere else she has been — Ravka’s oppression of the Suli and general imperialist bent; Fjerda’s demonization and genocide of Grisha; Ketterdam’s refusal to value anything more than money. 

And yet, as everywhere, it’s a mix. Ravka has a half-Suli queen. Whatever Nina’s doing in Fjerda, it’s slowly chipping away at the Fjerdan hatred of Grisha. And Ketterdam — well, Inej is doing her fair share to clear Ketterdam of the least savoury aspects of its business, and between Wylan’s influence with the Merchant Council and Kaz’s willingness to help her take down any other barrel boss engaging in the slave trade, the city’s got a chance at not being quite so atrocious as it has been. 

But atrocious or not, grey or black-and-white — Inej has missed this place, missed the rooftops she’s ran across countless times, missed this dirty, complicated, greedy city where she has learned who she is, who she wants to be. 

She has missed the people, too: Jesper, his grin and his guns and his ridiculous waistcoats; Wylan, clever and red-haired and far less innocent than he looks. 

And she has missed a boy with dark hair and sharp edges, with a painful past that’s left him with gloved hands and armour, with a clever mind and a rare smile. 

Inej could spend the next few hours arranging for a food and water resupply for the Wraith. If not, she could head out into Ketterdam and catch up on anything she’s missed — there’ve been some rumours of a buyer in the warehouse district that she could investigate. She could even stay on her ship and spend time with her crew. 

But she doesn’t need to do any of that, and Specht is a perfectly competent first mate who can safely be left in charge of a ship — arguably more competent than her, although she’s learnt a fair bit about handling a ship since first stepping foot on the Wraith. 

She climbs easily down the Wraith’s side — her skills as a spider might not apply to sailing a ship, but they at least work in her favour to allow her to get off and on — and disappears into the maze of the city. 

~

The first time that Kaz saw a snowfall in Ketterdam, it seemed like a magic trick — like the street performers who hid coins in their palms and up their sleeves, reality concealed behind obfuscation. Some of the city’s dirt vanished beneath the white, nature flicking a wrist to hide what she did not want people to see. Drawing attention to the glittering piles of white so that nobody saw the beggar in the corner, the starving child, the scars on the girls in the pleasure houses. A veil thrown over the world to soften its edges. Sleight of hand to replace poverty with beauty. 

But Kaz knew that all the dirt was still there underfoot. The magician’s trick was not quite good enough, or perhaps Kaz was too good for it, too good at seeing through the magic to the mechanism behind it. That first year, the snow brought cold, and cold meant death. The veneer of white concealed a fate to which Kaz refused to succumb. 

He begged and lied and cheated and stole, that first year. He survived that first year. He survived every year, clinging to life, to revenge, to reality, refusing to drift down into the cold white comfort promised by the cold white snow. 

Today’s snow is deeper than expected, and Kaz wonders how many children are wandering the streets as he once did. How many are dying. Dirtyhands wouldn’t care; Inej would. Kaz does not know what he thinks. 

A girl, perhaps twelve at most, decides that the doorway of the Slat would be a good place to beg from. Kaz tells himself that she is good at faking an injured leg to get more sympathy. He tells himself that she seems clever and resourceful. He tells himself that she could be a useful member of the Dregs, one day. When she subtly inserts herself into the Slat itself and settles herself in a corner, he pretends not to notice, and his Dregs follow his lead. He doesn’t know if Inej is rubbing off on him, or if instinct tells him she’ll be useful, or if there is another reason altogether for his actions — but he lets her stay.

She’s still there in the corner when he heads upstairs to his office. The snow has, of course, another effect — his leg aches more than usual, and it’s a relief when he reaches the top of the flight of stairs. Once seated at his desk, he stretches it out under the table, allowing him a moment to massage away the ache; he knows from experience that a long walk without too many stairs would probably be good for it, but he needs to deal with the paperwork that’s accumulated for him to sign. The Dregs have prospered since the Dime Lions’ fall, but the downside is that he has several more properties to worry about. 

He glances out at the cityscape once or twice — his office shows him a panorama of snow-capped rooftops, the familiar view transformed but still fundamentally the same. 

But he’s focusing intently on the accounts for the new gambling den he’s recently opened up when he becomes aware of her presence. 

Kaz looks up, and there she is, perched on the window ledge only feet away from him. Her old spot, and for a moment he wonders if he’s dreamed her up, but there is a sparkle in her eyes that Kaz does not think his subconscious brain could invent. 

Her hair is windblown, a few white flakes scattered amidst the black. She wears a grey tunic with a dark red scarf and gloves; she wears confidence about her shoulders like a cloak. Her cheeks are glowing, and she grins at him when he meets her eyes. 

Kaz smiles. “Welcome to Ketterdam, Captain Ghafa.”

~

Captain Ghafa. Inej has gone by many names, some she hated and some she liked, all of them placing expectations on her shoulders — the lynx, the spider, the Wraith. Captain Ghafa is one she has chosen for herself of her own free will, and she likes it best of all. 

Kaz smiles like he’s a boy again, like he’s only seventeen years old, like he’s not a barrel boss with a reputation to strike fear into the heart of anyone foolish enough to cross him. Inej hasn’t seen that smile often, but she’s as helpless as she’s ever been to prevent her own lips from ticking up in response. 

“Kaz,” she returns. She’s missed him with an unexpected ferocity, in all her months at sea — missed his cleverness, his talent for getting out of any tough situation; missed his scheming face and the quips he trades with her; missed his company most of all, with a deeper ache than she’s cared to admit to herself. 

There’s a moment of silence between them, comfortable silence that doesn’t need to be filled with words. Kaz breaks it first, setting down his pen and leaning back in his chair to look at her, still perched on the windowsill. “What have you been up to?”

Inej takes the invitation for what it is and shuts the window, blocking the cold air out. “Figuring out how to sail a ship. Figuring out how to fight a ship. Figuring out how to track down other ships.” She shrugs. “Killing slavers, which requires a bit less figuring out.” 

“Living the dream, then,” Kaz observes drily. He shifts his leg slightly, and she catches the movement, remembering two winters of watching him limp slightly more than in the summer. He hides it well, of course, but Inej has learnt to be observant from Kaz himself. 

A walk would help him stretch it out, and walking allows for conversation as much as sitting. “Acquired a fair bit of info on the buyers,” she tells him. “Your competitors. I’ll tell you about them, but I’d like to walk around Ketterdam a bit while we’re at it.” 

Kaz raises an eyebrow, and she knows he’s seen her glance down at his leg — he is perfectly aware of what she’s doing. But he doesn’t object. “Gladly,” he says instead, and pushes his chair back to stand up. He doesn’t hide the faint wince on his face, and Inej knows that is an honour she will cherish: to see past the walls he puts up around every weakness, the masks that hide his pain. Kaz lets her through, and it is a gift. 

They walk down the stairs together. Inej does not offer Kaz a hand; she has pushed him enough for today. Instead, she follows Kaz into the Slat proper. 

“Inej!” Anika calls, as soon as Inej comes in sight, and then she’s surrounded by a crowd of Dregs — laughing, asking her how she’s been, congratulating her on the growing reputation she’s gaining. She was worried that they might resent her for leaving, or might see her as a competitor, but they greet her with all the comradeship she built with them over those years in Ketterdam. She hadn’t quite realised how much she missed them until now. 

Kaz stands by, leaning on his cane and watching from the shadows. It’s achingly familiar: Kaz never joined in with the conversations or games or jokes tossed around the Slat, but he always watched, and Inej knew he was secretly pleased when they all got along — and only partially because a more tight-knit gang is a more efficient one. 

Eventually, Inej manages to extricate herself, and walks out the door with Kaz. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Rotty open his mouth to wolf-whistle only to be elbowed in the side by Anika; he doubles over in soundless pain. 

Inej smiles, and steps out onto the street. 

~

The streets of Ketterdam are quiet, footsteps muffled by the fallen snow. The cold keeps most of the city in their houses. There are still a few hurrying about on errands, but nobody pays close attention to the two figures walking side-by-side down the street. Kaz is grateful; he isn’t in the mood to get into a fight if a rival gang recognises him. 

His knee still aches, but walking is helping, as he (and Inej) knew it would. His coat is warm enough to keep out the cold, especially with Inej walking at his side. He’s missed her in her absence, more so than his dignity would allow him to admit to anyone but her. Seeing her again is like a breath of fresh air after too long underwater. 

Inej tells him about which slavers she’s gotten rid of and which Barrel bosses she thinks have been buying from them, about the rumours of a buyer with a hideout in the warehouse district, about — in a quieter voice — catching the man who kidnapped her, two and a half years ago. 

Her feet come to a stop; she is not looking at anything around them. “The ship,” she says, quietly. “It was. The same one. That I was—” 

Kaz isn’t good at offering comfort, but Inej’s eyes look far away like she’s been pulled out of her skin, like she’s far away in a ship that brought her torment. “Inej,” he says, but she doesn’t seem to hear him; a shiver races across her skin. 

Touch, Kaz thinks, would help. To ground her. To draw her back to the snowy streets of Ketterdam, and away from where she is now. He doesn’t think he could touch bare skin right now — the cold has brought back memories of cold water and cold skin — but he’s wearing gloves, and so is she. 

“Inej,” Kaz says again, and brushes the back of his hand against hers. 

She shudders faintly, exhaling mist into the cold air, and grabs his hand properly. Her eyes flick over to him, present again in a way they weren’t before. “Kaz.” 

Kaz feels something in him relax at the sound of her voice. A small smile appears on her face; he feels his own lips tick faintly up in response. 

Talking about it, right now, in the open street, is not what she needs. So he returns to their earlier topic of conversation, offering his side of the puzzle that will show her where Captain Ghafa is needed most. 

Thanks to Inej, most of Ketterdam’s pleasure houses have closed down, and Kaz has been ensuring that no new ones open (quietly, because it feels like a crack in the armour that is Dirtyhands, but efficiently all the same). He’s also made a custom of keeping an ear to the ground, listening for rumours of anyone trading in people — whether that be regular indentured slaves, Grisha, or women — and finding out their veracity. 

Now, he tells her what he knows about the trader in the warehouse district, and they fall into planning out their next steps as they have a hundred times before. Except now, Inej isn’t the Wraith, indentured to Per Haskell, Kaz’s subordinate in the Dregs; she is free, and still choosing to walk beside Kaz with their hands still entwined. 

While plotting murder, naturally. But for them, that’s par for the course. 

~

Inej discovers that she’s missed plotting with Kaz. 

He has a tendency to make at least four layers of plans beyond what he actually tells her about, which can be a bit annoying, but she’s missed it nonetheless. Before the Ice Court, she’d bring him secrets and whispers from all over Ketterdam and he’d listen, and ask questions, and take her input on whatever plans he concocted. 

Now it’s — it’s not Kaz concocting plans and Inej bringing him the information he needs; it’s both of them sharing information, then building plans together. Plans that are actually the entire plan, not just the basics that Kaz sees fit to tell her; they are partners in this, equals, in a way that they weren’t before. 

Kaz trusts a very small number of people. Trust itself has been dimmed out of him by cruelty and plague and loss, and the Barrel is not exactly the best place to learn to trust again. Even with the Dregs, she knows that Kaz must always be on the lookout, always aware of the motivations of everyone around him in case those motivations should lead them to betray him. 

He trusts Jesper. Wylan, now, too, Inej thinks. Nina, perhaps; her allegiance to the Ravkan throne is an obstacle, but not an unsurmountable one. Rotty. 

And Inej. Even before the Ice Court, he trusted the information she brought, even relied on it — and today, he shares information with her in equal measure. He tells her what he’s planning, lets her see not only what but how he thinks. Kaz turns life into a series of magic tricks, performances, where he pulls the strings from behind the curtains. Now he’s letting her come backstage with him, and that is a gift. 

(It is also a gift that they’re still holding hands. Kaz hasn’t let go since he drew her from memories of a slave ship she’d rather forget, despite his aversion to touch. Their hands are gloved, yes, but he holds her hand like it’s nothing, like the demons of his past don’t haunt his skin like ghosts. She doesn’t know if they’re absent for once or simply being ignored, but either way, Kaz is choosing to keep holding hands of his own free will.) 

In this part of town — the wealthier, bourgeois district they’ve wandered into — they’re not going to be recognised as Dirtyhands and Captain Ghafa. They could be mistaken for any two sweethearts, wandering the streets despite the cold, speaking sweet nothings in low tones — and although they are not that couple and never could be, on this street, in the snow, they are — similar. 

They are two people broken by the cruelty of the world, two people who have pieced themselves back together into someone different, stronger, than they once were. Two people who have too many jagged edges to fit with anyone unbroken, unscarred; two people who, nevertheless, are walking down Ketterdam’s streets in the snow. 

Snowflakes are still falling, dusting Kaz’s hair with white, the outline of the city paled to something gentler than usual. Their breath ghosts in the air, and Inej is comfortable regardless of the cold, warmed from the inside out by her hand in Kaz’s and his smile when he looks at her. 

Gradually, the conversation shifts from planning to reminiscing, to storytelling. Inej talks about her crew — among them not a few former Dregs — and Kaz reciprocates with updates on how all the current Dregs are doing. 

Their words drift, like snowflakes, and Inej smiles and laughs and is at peace. 

~

Inej is telling a story, and Kaz watches her, drinking up the joy that emanates from her with such ease. She’s dusted with snow, and little curls of hair flutter around her face in the wind. She’s beautiful. 

She is, unquestionably, far too good for anyone so broken and crooked as Kaz. She deserves better than him, but she also deserves whatever she wants. And she has also been quite clear that she wants to spend this time with Kaz, so who is he to deny her?

If she deserves better than what he is now, then he’ll simply have to make himself into someone more worthy of her. 

So Kaz walks by her side and holds her hand and absorbs into himself all the goodness that she gives him freely. She’s brighter now than she ever was as part of the Dregs; this — fighting for what she believes in, fighting for everyone as powerless as she once was — is good for her. (Good for the world, too, most likely, but Kaz is more preoccupied with Inej.) Kaz doesn’t really believe that people have preordained destinies, paths they’re set to follow — but if he did, he’d say Inej is achieving her purpose. 

He doesn’t know what his own destiny might be, but he knows he wants his path to lie close to hers. 

Kaz is a cynical bastard, has been since he swam to shore using his brother’s corpse as a raft. He isn’t good at having faith, at hoping for the best outcome, at believing in a magic trick. 

But Inej laughs, and this is no sleight of hand — it’s more magic than trick, inexplicable and real all at once. There is no curtain to look behind, only truth. Only magic. 

It is fitting that Inej be crowned by snowflakes.

[vaadalt]

Black Maria& Mihawk : S/o having bad time. [Male reader]

Oi oi,

Sorry about those headcanons, they're going to be hard for some people to read. I need to excorcise some dark thoughts.

Tw : Poor self estime, heavy alcohol , anger, cigaretts. Blood too.

You've been in Kaido's crew for quite a while. You are part of his people, who are there but without making waves. Dodging the three Calamity and the six Tobiroppo as best you can. You feel that if you cross paths with them too often, you'll get into trouble and rise in rank. A thing you don’t want to be honest.

There is one that you have trouble to avoid, it's Black Maria. Because of his shamisen and his almost hypnotic voice. The sweet ones guide you to the pleasure district each time, sitting in a corner. As your gaze lands on the blue-eyed blonde.

Maria has often met your gaze, smiling at you. Even if you think she's giving you a look, to flirt. As she would for anyone. She always beckoned you over, to talk to you. Since it's your superior, you approach thinking it's an order.

'' Ara ara ~ You're a funny-one, Dove... I never see you , but when i play... you run like a prey in a spider web.... Be careful i might devour you ~ ''

That she lets out of her thin glowing lips, with that smirk. All in finesse, while a gray trail of smoke comes to be blown towards you.

You raise an eyebrow, you grin at the words of your superior.

'' Oi Ma'am... not my fault... ''

You stated. Grabbing a cigarette, lighting it. Taking a deep puff, pushing the smoke out your nose like a bull.

“You play divinely well. Then... it would be a shame not to come, just to observe your beauty. ''

1 – 1 everywhere. That's when Maria started to have some interest in you. She pulls the string to make you work by her side in the pleasure district. You end up doing security.

The relationship is developing quite well, friendly but flirty. Each time, you two add a layer to the flirt. 

One day when she was playing, she was trying to catch your eye. Looking for you through the crowd, not finding you. Something was wrong. She finished the song, before looking for you, worried. Fast walking cross Onigashima. 

She asked some subordinate if they hadn't seen you. After some information gathered. She walked towards the small house where he lives. She knocks on the door but... no answer. Just a kind of hoarse growl.

Maria enters, to discover a dark spectacle.A man surrounded by bottles, the ashtray filled to the rim with cigarette butts.

"Oi Maria...Watcha doing here huh?" ''

His voice is intoxicated by alcohol. Maria approaches slowly, watching him. Without a word, the sad look to see him like that.

'' Dove...Dove, what's wrong ? ''

'' Huh...A loooooot of thing Maria... Don't want to bother you with this. ''

He comes to take a swig of his glass, lighting a cigarette on the way. But seeing Maria's hard gaze, you feel like you don't really have a choice to speak or… She will make you. One thing is sure… She is stubborn and sadistic. 

'' Hmpf... I.... You know... I don't feel very well. I... I feel useless. Bleh... You see, a chair is more usefull than me. I got nothing for me. I don't know why, i'm on the crew. I got no power, i got no devils fruits... I'm a piece of trash basically... ''

She approaches the spider-queen, to come and hug you gently. With... a sweetness you haven't known for a long time. She comes to whisper, softly as her hand comes to get lost in your hair to caress it.

'' It's okay Dove... I'm here now.... ''

Your hands come to grab the fabric that makes up her kimono, burying your head to let go of hot tears, suffocating a few cries.

Because... crying, sometimes, is good.

Accessing the heart of Mihawk is not easy. Mihawk is a born loner, he has spent a good part of his life alone. Then the fact that he remains impassive, it makes the thing complicated. It took you a long time to figure out how to get past that.

You knew you had climbed a few places in his esteem, when you caught a glimpse of him making a little smirk at one of your sentences. The day he laughed in your presence, you thought you will faint with happiness so much, because you were happy.

It was he who took the first step. He invited you to his island, Kuraigana. You arrived at night... At least... You think? The landscape fits well with Mihawk. Dark, mysterious, vampire... Yes, Mihawk gives that vibes.

That evening he made you super really good dinner, which would have made Zeff pale. He uncorked his best bottle of wine... At the end of dinner, he clearly confessed his feelings. Wondering if you wanted to share his life, which you accepted.

Your life has changed drastically, you went to live with him to be able to spend more time with him. 

It is another facet of him that you have discovered. Someone, caring and sweet.

But what impresses you the most is Mihawk's workouts. He's not the greatest swordsman in the world for nothing. You wonder how he survives his own training. Wanting to do well, you serve him as sparing partner.

Bad idea, very bad idea. You don't really have time to take the saber, to make an attack,you are unarmed and Mihawk's saber under your throat. You start again as many times as necessary, you’re more a brawler than a swordman. 

From this was born a frustration, followed by an underlying anger. Not being able to help him, to maintain himself, to become better than he is.

One day, you pretended you were tired to go take a nap.  Really, you just went out to let off steam on some trees. Even if you forgot an important component of Kuraigana, the humandrills, that damn baboon. You started fighting with them.

A few hours later, Mihawk decides to go see you... Thinking you're in bed. And seeing the absence of your presence in the bed, he raises an eyebrow. ''Where is my darling...''

His gaze turns instinctively outside, looks at the night that had come forward. His observation haki told him one, go into the woods, two, hurry. He took  the black blade and his hat. Setting out, he quickly found a presence... the trail of unconscious baboons, with swollen faces put him on the right track.

He walks up the track, amazed... he knew you had significant brute strength, a good mastery of hakis, but he didn't want you to venture there for fear that something bad would happen to you... For the moment, you give them a bad time.

By dint of following the baboons, he finds you, facing the king of the baboons. Its blade against your fists. Both eyebrows raised, which is a feat for Mihawk. You had just parried the baboon king's blade, with your forearms covered in the fluid of  hardening.

The baboons sense Mihawk's presence, run away. As you point at them, the distorted face because of anger.

“Come back here, weaklings! Come back ! I'm not done with you all! I'll stuff you with straw and expose you all in the freakin’ castle ! ''

A long cry of anger, unable to contain it. You just start hitting an tree, your knuckles starting to bleed more and more with each hit.

Mihawk watches, looking dismayed. He didn't know,why you were enraged. Seeing you snaps was all the more surprising, since you are calm person in general.

He comes out of the bushes, moving quickly towards you, stopping your fist by grabbing you by the wrist. Saying "Enough. ''

Hearing your lover's voice brings you back to reality. You start shaking, not afraid... Just the nerves giving way.

''Dear...my love...Why? Why hurting you like that...why put yourself in so much danger? What wrong? You know, you can tell me anything. ''

See Mihawk, also worried... You realize your mistake.

''I...I'm sorry Honey...I....I....''

"Shhh...it's okay. ''

He comes to replace a strand of hair behind your ear, before placing a kiss on your forehead.

''Come Darling, we will talk in the castle. I need to treat this nasty wounds. ''

You leave, realizing that... It's much better to talk about your own frustrations, than to letting them explode in a violent way.

[butternuggets-blog]

FOR WANT OF A NAIL

@baldwin-montclair @adowobsessed @sylverdeclermont @nicki-mac-me @thereadersmuse @kynthiamoon @wheresthesunshinesblog @adowbaldwin @beautifulsoulsublime @lady-lazarus-declermont @adarafaelbarba @dogblessyoutascha

Part Fourty-Three

Summary:  Baldwin Montclair had a string of ex girlfriends, a single child, and a  lifetime longer than most people could dream of to make all kinds of  mistakes. His family knew one which kept coming out of the woodwork to  irritate him every other century

Also on AO3

Merula bowed low. Queen Inari Konte returned the gesture, and motioned for her to join her.

‘Cairo suits you, your Majesty.’

‘Of course!’ Queen Inari smiled. ‘I am at home wherever I go.’

Her servants laughed around them. The Malian ruler had brought a retinue of five hundred serving women with her; they had moved into an adjoining section of the Qarafa district to her husband Mansa Musa, and had wasted no time in turning it into their own private paradise.

Merula leant back on the gilded lounge she had been directed to, and accepted a cup of wine from one serving girl as another began massaging her feet. Merula flinched inwardly, but allowed it.

‘You disapprove of slaves?’

Perceptive. ‘I am in the minority,’ Merula said.

‘And I thought perhaps the rumours were untrue. A rich woman who employs servants and eschews slaves.’ Queen Inari leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially. ‘I look forward to seeing all the other contradictions in the secret ruler of this land.’

________________________________________________________________

When the caravan eventually left two months later – all 60,000 of them – they left catastrophe in their wake.

'Say that again.' Merula said, slowly.

'His majesty gave away 71,000 pounds of gold.' Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Amir Hajib was almost in tears. 'Children, soldiers, citizens. He was handing it over to beggars in the street!'

'The gold is worthless now,' Merula muttered to herself. Then she straightened.

'Is there nothing we can do?'

'Short of burying it in a hole in the ground, no, nothing.' The govenor of Cairo shook his head forcefully.

'..how long will this affect us?' Merula asked, turning towards her wife. She watched Ishtar's expression grow more and more grim as she pronounced sums to herself.

'Years.' Ishtar said, firmly. 'And we will not be the only ones affected. This will ripple out and spill across the world.'

Merula felt a knot forming between her shoulder blades. She resisted the urge to sigh and drew herself up straighter.

'We will go together to tell the sultan that his economy is ruined.'

Abu relaxed a little.

'In the meantime..pray for a miracle.'

________________________________________________________________

'Bless you for your assistance.' Pain flickered briefly across Queen Inari's face. 'We have been much troubled by recent events.'

The caravan that returned to Cairo from Mecca was quite different. Tales of starvation and bandit raids passed around, and Mansa Musa had humbly admitted to Sultan Al-Nasir that he had run out of money.

'You have been generous beyond measure to Cairo and her people,' Merula said, 'It was my pleasure to assist.'

And ease the burden on the economy.

Merula had made a point to gently corral the visiting monarchs into loans with a lower rate of interest than they perhaps would have found on their own. It was going to come back to bite her when they repaid, but in the meantime she had breathing room.

'The sultan has passed along many gifts also. Between the two of you I feel confident our journey home will be a comfortable one.'

Queen Inari smiled warmly.

'You must visit us soon. To share the splendour of our country with your family; it would be a memory I would treasure.'

'I hope you will treasure your memories of your visit to Cairo!'

'Of course!' Queen Inari took Merula by the hands and gently squeezed them. 'I have always valued the moments when I make a new friend.'

________________________________________________________________

'...the gold has arrived.'

Merula sighed.

'Do you suppose he knows that he has hurt us?' Ishtar linked arms with her as they made their way through the palace complex.

'Almost certainly. He is a smart man, and Mali has riches to share and then some. This has been a calculated attempt to upset everyone else and let his people thrive.'

'And if it was not?'

'Then Mansa Musa is the most generous rich man I have ever met.'

They stopped in front of a baggage train of armed guards and camels; Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Amir Hajib stopped loudly directing the men this way and that and turned to look at them.

'Try to convince His Majesty to keep the gold deep in a vault, as cushioning for lean times.'

'Is there a backup plan?' Abu asked.

Merula nodded.

'Start digging.'

Author's Notes

Mansa Musa and Inari Konte were the rulers of the Mali Empire, circa 1312 to 1337. In 1324 they went on Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca, stopping in Cairo on their way. Mansa Musa is considered to be the wealthiest person in history, with an estimated net worth of 900 billion US. Puppet History did a special on his Haj to Mecca:

"...Musa and his entourage lingered in Mecca after the last day of the Hajj. Traveling separately from the main caravan, their return journey to Cairo was struck by catastrophe. By the time they reached Suez, many of the Malian pilgrims had died of cold, starvation, or bandit raids, and they had lost many of their supplies."

"Having run out of money, Musa and his entourage were forced to borrow money and resell much of what they had purchased while in Cairo before the Hajj, and Musa went into debt to several merchants such as Siraj al-Din. However, Al-Nasir Muhammad returned Musa's earlier show of generosity with gifts of his own." (Wikipedia).

Allegedly Mansa Musa didn't know what his generosity had done to Cairo's economy and the world's. But it could also have been a deliberate attempt to undermine the world gold market so that Mali would rise to the top of the global economy.

[maddmuses]

Barb (バアブ)

(art credit: jorongbak)

Date of Birth: April 4th Age 712  Place of Birth: Sector NW, Housing District 48, Planet Vegeta Species: Saiyan Height: 5’0” Weight: 110 lb. Family: Vegeta IV (Son), Vegeta III (Consort), Snip (Father), Anach (Mother)

Personality Barb has a personality that some would say is “typical” if she were a lower-caste saiyan, often being described as brutal, and deriving pleasure from inflicting violence. Destruction and suffering seems to be her favored way of getting what she wants, which is likely what suited her to become Queen Consort to Vegeta III. However, due to being raised around the elite caste, she has a bit more of a nuanced perspective. At her core, Barb is a protective being who wants nothing more than to do just that for those who she determines to be worthy, and her people broadly once she had become queen.

Generally speaking, she comes off as gruff and rough, but the reality is made evident when around her son Vegeta IV. She is often seen carrying him around, and lauding praise onto the child. Barb has also been known to have a tender spot in her heart for powerful saiyans (including one mid-level soldier turned general)… Which is to say, that her husband is not included in this spot. While she does respect strength, though, her tolerance for pompous behavior wears thin quickly, prompting her to not take the likes of King Cold, or Lord Beerus, especially seriously.

Fiercely protective and domineering as a mother, Barb rarely allowed anyone to hold either of her sons, and continued the habit of carrying Vegeta around even after he was able to walk for about a year. Though described as “doting” and “over-parenting” by those who would mumble about her in private, anyone who was dumb enough to say it within her earshot was promptly found dead at the palace’s gate, bloody and beaten.

Her tail is particularly expressive, being somewhat long for a saiyan of her stature already, it often is an indicator of the woman’s mood when not tucked as a belt.

Biography Born in the lower castes of saiyan society, Barb had not had her power level assessed by the Saiyan Military Office until she was already several months old. Her reading was considered highly anomalous for a saiyan in her caste, and a saiyan infant broadly, with a reading of 406; at this point it was the highest infant battle power reading on-record, beating out Vegeta II’s reading by 2 points. Arguments were posed that this reading was not equivalent, as the king’s grandfather had been read at days old, compared to Barb’s being more than two months at that point, but the fact was that her power level was far above the Saiyan Military Promotion standard.

This standard was put forth and established that any triple-digit power level in an infant was immediately appropriated from parental custody and re-homed to the custody of high-class saiyans, with an exceptionally high opposite-sex saiyan usually being reserved for the “Royal Consort Program”. Raised among saiyan aristocracy, Barb was taught the fundamentals of an upper-class saiyan, particularly including the use of qi to attack and fly. As a part of the consort’s program, she would eventually fight other potential mates for the future king, in an attempt to maintain the battle power of the royal lineage, even with an outlier like Barb.

Over the years growing up as an adopted aristocrat, Barb had met Vegeta III a few times, and was consistently unimpressed with the crown prince, not simply his looks, but also personality, and battle power. Still, despite this, her patriotism toward her planet and kingdom was what spurred Barb onward. Not only would she be the strongest of their kind as the queen, but she would be an icon that the rest of their planet looked to as a symbol of strength, and her line would be the greatest in Vegeta's history, even if it lacked her name as a significant punctuation.

When completing her adolescence, and nearly completing her growth spurt, the Queen's Contest was held. A battle royale among the most powerful of Vegeta III's potential suitresses from across the planet, including saiyans roughly his age, to those with extremely high battle power. Though if being a saiyan was merely about power level, there would be no need to fight. No, the greatest warrior would serve as the most suitable queen for the future-king, harkening back to their original "Kingship by Combat" traditions.

As typical, the contest dragged on for several days, with Barb the eventual winner, and her designation as the king's betrothed came with it. Standing above a small mountain of broken bodies, all injured, some even dead, was a sight that would remain in the saiyan's cultural consciousness for the remainder of Planet Vegeta's existence.

Almost over night she was seen as an idol on planet vegeta, and any other planets under saiyan control. Men and women alike wanted her, if not wanting to be her, and the affair made of her wedding to the crown prince was broadcast even into Cold's Empire as a significant event.

During the next two years, Barb was exposed to additional courtly training by various saiyan nobles whose status had, inadvertently, become beneath hers as a result of her position as Queen Consort. As she learned how a queen was expected to act, she often resented the instructors, who she felt had contempt for her; even as a powerful saiyan, to many who believed that castes should be based on blood, rather than power, she was still little more than a low-class brute who was simply learning their rules and behaviors as an act, not sincerely.

There was truth to this. Despite them being married, Barb felt little affection for the pathetic excuse for a saiyan she had been betrothed to. Vegeta III was a weakling of a king, but his own father, the still-sitting King Nero, had only been able to father the one. Despite being of the royal line, the different between Vegeta and his father was significant, and as a result they had hoped that his specific generational weakness was anomalous, and a particularly powerful queen might rectify this. Despite their hopes being on her, Vegeta was something of a cruel spouse, hitting her and speaking in a belittling fashion toward Barb, she assumed as an attempt to compensate for his weakness. But retaliation would have been a crime of the highest order, an act of treason that would earn an immediate execution, regardless of if Vegeta III was the crown prince, or the king.

Through this quiet mistreatment, and repeated indignity, Barb found comfort in different thoughts. When she was 18 and her "dear husband" was placed on the throne in the wake of King Nero's death, she began to plot. She had developed something of a relationship with Nappa outside of their marriage, a fine arrangement for both parties as Vegeta III was also known to seek the arms of other women, and his position as a general had given her ideas.

A coup. Navigating the different factions within the palace and military, Barb hoped to eliminate any dissidents who would attempt to stop her, or kill her, when she challenged him for his right to rule in combat.

But the plan was changed when Barb became pregnant. She had Vegeta III's child, during one of the rare nights they laid together with the intent to create an heir. And through Vegeta IV being conceived, then later born, the queen's demeanor changed wildly. Not only was she the new crown prince's mother, but she had something, someone, to live for. Flaccid, threats of a charge of treason meant little to the saiyaness now, their son defied all previously thought logic with a Battle Power of 500. If Barb wasn't beloved by the people of Planet Vegeta now, she was for sure. The mother of the strongest in history, and a proper queen who ensured that the kingdom would have another ruler to preside over their prosperous empire into its next stage.

Loving and protective, she would openly warn her husband of the consequence of mistreatment. If any harm came to her, or her son, or even his words were too cross, he would be promptly killed.

For the remainder of her time living, she was a loving and doting mother to Vegeta, though she would die not long after her second son, Tarble, was born at the age of 24. Her death would come roughly a year before the demise of Planet Vegeta, though she would not be joined in hell with her people, as she had not participated with saiyan raids broadly. She would be among the minority of her people who passed onto heaven, though she was privately convinced it was hell.

Skills, Abilities, and Powers -Saiyan Physiology: As a saiyan, Barb has grown up on Planet Vegeta in a 10g environment, making her superhuman without any sort of martial arts or qi enhancement. She loves combat, and if she were ever exposed to a non-brutal training method that doesn't amount to adults abusing a child, she would likely enjoy training as well. All of her physical prowess is considered at least 10x that of a normal human. This also includes an enhancement to her olfactory, and a generally more "animalistic" range of abilities. --Zenkai: Like other saiyans, Barb's Battle Power and Physical Stats increase as a result of battle and injury, with a greater degree of growth occurring the more traumatic the battle is. This includes other adaptations that must be made both during and after battle. --Tail: Barb has a prehensile tail that is functionally a third arm. Though most saiyans become weakened when it's wrung and hurt, Barb's reactions to it being touched are not as severe. --Oozaru Transformation: When under the full moon, or in similar degrees of blutz wave exposure, Barb transforms into a giant ape-like creature, while experiencing a Battle Power multiplier of 10 times. She has trained herself to control this state, as is standard among high-class saiyans, so that they don't inadvertently destroy settlements, and can shepherd weaker saiyans during the full moon of each 8 years.

-Chi Manipulation and Generation: Setting-typical, her Power Level was 406 as an infant, but as an adult her Battle Power was roughly 16,000. --Qi Blasts --Qi Detection and Sensing --Flight --Telepathy --Telekinesis --Mental Manipulation

-Techniques: TBL

[ydotome]

Stussy “Queen of the Pleasure District” (ステューシー) - One Piece - Episode 1105

[grandmaster-anne]

Bangor receives city status in Princess Anne visit

By Mark Simpson | Published 2 December 2022

Bangor in County Down has formally received city status in a ceremony attended by the Princess Royal.

The ceremony took place at Bangor Castle with Princess Anne unveiling the city's official warrant.

City status was granted by Queen Elizabeth II to mark her platinum jubilee, three months before her death in September.

Bangor is now one of six cities in Northern Ireland, along with Belfast, Londonderry, Armagh, Lisburn and Newry.

Princess Anne said it was "always a pleasure" to visit Bangor, reminiscing on her previous trips in 2013 and 2016.

She spoke about Bangor's historical importance as a centre of learning, noting its appearance on the medieval Hereford Mappa Mundi as "civitas benair" (city of Bangor).

"I can only apologise for taking so long to make sure that in fact you are now properly a city in 2022," she said.

The princess praised recent investment in the area, adding that she hoped city-status "provides a real boost to these exciting plans".

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris was also at the event, which was hosted by Ards and North Down Mayor Karen Douglas.

Mr Heaton-Harris said he hoped city-status would attract visitors and boost the economy.

Bangor was one of eight UK towns elevated to a city in May after a competition in which it was required to show its royal associations and cultural heritage.

Its application pointed out that in 1961 the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Bangor Castle and had lunch at the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, before the duke raced in a regatta.

City status is often associated with having a cathedral, a university, or a large population.

However, there are no set rules for being granted the status, which is awarded by the monarch on advice of ministers.

Twenty years ago, Lisburn and Newry were awarded city status in a competition to mark the Queen's golden jubilee.

In the 2011 census the population of Bangor was just over 60,000.

It is situated beside the coast, at the mouth of Belfast Lough.

A number of famous faces come from Bangor, including the lead singer of Snow Patrol, Gary Lightbody, author Colin Bateman, golfer David Feherty and artist Colin Davidson.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Lord David Trimble, who died earlier this year, spent much of his early life in the town, attending Bangor Grammar, one of 19 schools in the area.

In the past it was a seaside resort which was popular with day trippers and tourists who gathered on the beach in front of the town.

In the late 1980s a marina was built, transforming the seafront.

Like many places it has been hit hard by the building of shopping centres on the outskirts of the central district.

There are plans in place to try to rejuvenate Bangor, with the hope that its new city status will help.

The city's courthouse was recently turned into a music venue, and other projects are in the pipeline.

Bangor's road signs will not change immediately to reflect its new status as a city - they will continue to refer to "town centre".

"Officials are content to liaise with Ards and North Down Borough Council representatives to consider a possible phased renewal of signs in conjunction with any replacement of signs the council is responsible for," said the Department for Infrastructure.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

The power of love can save thousands if used correctly, but if used maliciously it could sink the entire world.

That’s a freakin’ ethos if I ever heard one. And it’s one I’m sure she gets on a deep level. Think about it, this skilled of an orator who can inspire such passion...what if she played the demagogue? Rallied the fishmen behind Tiger’s death? It’s also a concept that makes me think of a lot of these ladies that come after. Monet’s fierce love to a man who got her out of a bad situation leading to her own demise. Stussy using “love” as a weapon for the Queen of the Pleasure district, hell Komurasaki doing the same. How much Kiku’s love for Oden cost her. It sounds corny but Otohime’s 100% right here.

[ninhaoma-ya]

Chapter 1062 — Adventure in the land of science

It might be my inner academic speaking, but do I ever identify with this arc. We’ve done two chapters and it speaks to my soul.

Let’s take it from the top.

Kuzan (and maybe the rest of the Blackbeard crew?) looks to be in Tottoland. Is Blackbeard looking to expand his power or snag the road poneglyph from the Big Mom pirates? Or is Kuzan there on his own accord? How will Pudding fare against the onslaught of ice? She has a flying carpet, so might have gotten out of reach. The cover story is really getting going!

But then we’re back in the fray!

First, I love Robin using her brain. Fitting for the arc. And her character, of course.

Speak that truth, Lilith. Speak that truth.

(On a totally unrelated note, if anyone has some spare research funds lying around, you know where to find me.)

I’ve never had much of an opinion on the oft-criticised “Namiface” Oda uses with all his conventionally attractive female characters, but maybe it’s because he usually doesn’t show the original beside another character with the exact same expression.

Please, Oda. Just… some creativity with character design? You can do it for the men, why not the women?

(Speaking of character designs: I need to do a follow-up with all the amazing Franky-faces this chapter)

But I love Lilith. She’s the best.

And some fan service for the appreciators of the male form!

Just one thing. Why do you persist in going shirtless Zoro? I’m not complaining, it’s just that y’know, everyone else are wearing winter clothes since you are at a winter island. Do you really run that hot?

What do you want, Zoro?

Since Vegapunk also has an interest in the Straw Hats, we’ll get there eventually.

But what do you want? A new eye? A reason for why the Grim Reaper didn’t pick you up in Wano? But Chopper/Law could (probably) have helped you there.. truly A Mystery!

And then we get a quick look at team Anchor. With some backstory! It looks to be of the sad kind!

So Bonney is a princess, since Kuma was a king. Why are they both pirates now?

Love dad!Jinbe.

And the utter recklessness of the rest. Bonney can use her brain, as seen in other parts of the chapter, but then we get to food and all reason flies out the window. She’ll fit right in.

Is it wrong to really enjoy the sci-fi of the arc, with the satellite bodies and automatic cooks and all that space jazz?

Although the lack of funds must really prey on Vegapunk’s collective minds, if Atlas (and Lilith earlier) is something to judge by:

(Note: the perspective is cool in this panel, showing how fast and far Atlas jumps)

It looks like Bonney is the one talking here. So she gets easily distracted by calories, but then gets herself back in the game quickly as well? Truly a member of the Worst Generation.

It is sad that her crew seems wiped out, though.

And the explanation for the multitude of Vegapunk comes from… CP0.

No ‘soft’ emotions here. Wonder if Vegapunk has similar problems to the Vinsmoke children?

How many Kumas are there?

Kaku is sinking in my esteem. Boo.

And Stussy has abandoned her cover as Queen of the Pleasure District? Because that’s not suspicious.

Great chapter! Really enjoying the premise so far. I give it unlimited research funds and a gigantic robot.

[sofia-the-traveller]

Things to do in Mumbai

Mumbai activities that consider the city’s extensive history, eclectic culture, mouthwatering cuisine, and well-known landmarks. This improved tour provides a more thorough look at this vibrant city:

Mumbai, often known as Bombay, is the financial and entertainment center of India. It is a city that is continually busy. Here, tradition, culture, and modernity all coexist to give visitors an extraordinary and one-of-a-kind experience. One of your first destinations should be the magnificent Gateway of India, a symbol of Mumbai’s past and a well-liked expedition starting point. Some of the best specimens of Victorian Gothic architecture can be found in the surrounding historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The museums in Mumbai maintain its cultural heritage. Visit the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya to discover how art and history are entwined and the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Institute to learn about the history of the city.

There is a sensory explosion of sights, sounds, and smells in Mumbai’s crowded markets. The well-known retail district Colaba Causeway is where you can find a wide selection of apparel, jewelry, handicrafts, and souvenirs. Contrarily, Crawford Market is a bustling center for locally grown foods, spices, and other pleasures. While visiting these marketplaces, don’t forget to try some of Mumbai’s renowned street cuisine. The city’s street food culture is a gastronomic journey all on its own with dishes like the hot vada pav, delicious pav bhaji, and tangy bhel puri.

To get a taste of Mumbai’s diversity, visit Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, where you can take a guided tour and hear about the resilience and creativity of its residents. This in-depth encounter will put your prejudices to the test, and you’ll leave with a newfound respect for the feeling of community in the area.

Take a stroll down Marine Drive, often known as the Queen’s Necklace due to its brilliant nighttime lights, to fully experience Mumbai’s coastal allure. Because of the spectacular views of the Arabian Sea at sunset, both locals and tourists love this promenade.

Get out of the congested city streets and explore the mysterious Elephanta Caves. From Mumbai, you can immediately take a ferry to Elephanta Island, where you can explore historic rock-cut tunnels decorated with incredible sculptures and carvings, including the well-known Trimurti sculpture.

The old and the contemporary coexist in Mumbai, a city of contrasts. Although it is a thriving metropolis, it values its spiritual past. Mumbai’s religious diversity is honored by the majestic mosque known as Haji Ali Dargah, which is located on an island in the Arabian Sea and offers a calm sanctuary from the activity of the city. An additional sacred place and a representation of the city’s devotion is the Siddhivinayak Temple, which is devoted to Lord Ganesha.

Consider taking a day excursion to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, a huge oasis in the middle of the urban jungle, if you’re looking for a closer connection with nature. Hike through the area’s lush vegetation, take in the Kanheri Caves’ old Buddhist sculptures, and maybe you’ll even spot some local species like deer and leopards.

As soon as the sun goes down, Mumbai’s thriving nightlife bursts to life. Among other fun locations, rooftop bars and live music venues provide views of the Arabian Sea. If you really want to comprehend Mumbai, go see a Bollywood film in one of its best theaters. You’ll get a taste of the glamour and drama of Mumbai’s Bollywood thanks to this cultural encounter.

Mumbai’s inhabitants also referred to as Mumbaikars, are a testament to the city’s tenacity in a context defined by its frenetic speed and ambition. Mumbai is more than just a tourist destination because of the people’s tenacity, kindness, and feeling of community; it is an encounter that will have a lasting effect on your heart and spirit. Mumbai offers a fascinating voyage full of discoveries and activities, whether you want to experience the city’s vibrant energy or go sightseeing and eat street food.

Conclusion

In Mumbai, every street has a distinct history to share, every turn is an exhilarating journey, and every encounter with a local is precious. Mumbai is a lovely, energetic city. For travelers seeking an exciting and engaging experience, this city is a must-visit destination because it has many facets and embodies India’s past, present, and future. Whether you’re exploring iconic landmarks like the Gateway of India or savoring the vibrant street food scene, every moment in Mumbai is enriched by the city’s vibrant spirit. When it’s time to rest and recharge, the Empresa Hotel comfortable and convenient haven amidst the bustling streets, ensuring your stay in this dynamic city is both memorable and enjoyable. The hotel is marveled with immaculate rooms, exquisite dining halls, rooftop lounges, banquet halls, and a myriad of other best-in-class facilities. It is located in the midst of Lokhandwala which is full of energy fun shopping and food.