#Rush Island power plant

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from the Wall Street Journal:

An aging, polluting coal power plant in Missouri was headed for retirement this year. But because the region’s grid operator needs the plant’s electricity to reduce the risk of blackouts, it likely will keep running for several years longer.

The push to delay the closure of the Rush Island power plant, a 46-year-old generator south of St. Louis owned by Ameren Corp., shows the difficult decisions that utilities and power grid officials face as projected electricity shortages threaten many parts of the U.S.

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, which oversees a grid spanning much of the Midwest, moved this week to halt Rush Island’s closure this fall. It warned earlier this year that the region faces the risk of rolling blackouts this summer because it might not have enough supplies to meet demand surges on hot days.

The Rush Island plant is one of the country’s largest emitters of sulfur dioxide, and it has long faced criticism from environmentalists, health experts and neighbors because its operations have been linked to health problems in the surrounding community. A federal judge in 2017 determined that Ameren violated the Clean Air Act by failing to install pollution controls before an overhaul of the plant and later ordered the company to do so retroactively.

Ameren estimated that compliance with the judge’s order would cost as much as $1 billion and moved to retire the plant by September in lieu of making the upgrades.

Now, Ameren said in a court filing this week that it likely would have to keep the plant online through September 2025 because MISO determined that closing the plant this year would result in reliability risks. The company said it expects the grid operator to designate the plant as a so-called system support resource, a last-resort measure to ensure adequate electricity supplies during periods of peak demand.

[haee-elia]

spence-tober: day 2 - farmer

pairing: farmer!spencer reid x fem!reader

summary: in which you live a quiet yet exciting and passionate love with your husband on his family's farm.

word count: 1434

warnings: domestic fluff, crop farmer not animal, mentions of a knife in terms of cooking

spence-tober masterlist

There was a creaking noise. There, as you stood at the large farm style sink while you were washing off some vegetables for dinner. You almost missed it with the sound of the water rushing out of the faucet, but you caught it. Just barely.

A stone cold expression washeed over your face and you turned the faucet off.

No other noise permeated throughout the one-floor renovated country farmhouse. No more water. No more creaking. Not even the sound of your breath, as it caught in your throat.

You slowly turned your torso and body around, a full 180 degrees. 

“Spencer Walter Reid. You better not be trekking mud and dirt through this kitchen.” You scold lightly as you look at your husband who froze in his step. 

Like you had guessed by the lack of shuffling or scuffing sounds at the back door of the house, Spencer’s work boots were caked in layers of dirt and mud and soil. The cuffs of his overalls were tucked into the boots to avoid the grime from touching his skin, but that did no good for his arms and hands judging by the look of them. 

His face was a little better off. A perpetual redness decorated his cheeks and tips of his ears, slightly sunburned from being outside all day, nearly every day. His hair was a mess, but it was a sign that he was indeed wearing that large brimmed hat you got him for his birthday. 

His expression read guilty but he still didn’t respond.

You nod at his feet, “Boots off. Wash off in the sink, please.” You say as you move out of the way of the sink, bringing your collander of vegetables with you to the island of the rustic kitchen.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Spencer responds finally, following your instructions and shirking off his boots to the nearby shoe rack and moving towards the sink.

“How’s everything looking?” You inquire as the sound of water echoes through the room once again.

“Good,” Spencer responds, “The rain from this morning helped shorten the work day so I only had to check the hydration in the greenhouse. The humidity was a little high, but everything’s straightened out now.”

His now clean hands turned the water off and he turned to you as he dryed them off with the little hand towel hanging on the rack above the sink.

“Did you know that too much humidity in the air can cause crops and other plants to attract bacteria, fungi, pests, and grow mold? Not only will crops attract more bacteria, but imbalance humidity levels to the type of crop can cause the transpiration rates to slow, prohibiting development and growth.”

His eyes gleam with excitement and wealth of knowledge as he looks at you, explaining with a smile. Hanging up the towel in its rightful place, Spencer shuffled over to you and wrapped his arms around your middle, resting his chin on your shoulder, almost nuzzling into you.

You turn your head and kiss his cheek with a gentle smile, “No, I didn’t know that.”

Spencer had met you when he was in university studying agriculture and you for renewable energy engineering. You started dating in your undergrad, moved in together and got engaged while pursuing masters, and got married once you both had graduated. 

Moving back to Spencer’s family’s farm was a joint decision between the two of you when his mom started getting a little tired of the work. Diana retired and started traveling while you and Spencer started making the land your home. 

Spencer kept up with the farm and greenhouse, hiring extra farmhands when harvest came along and you implemented some new energy equipment that would cut down on power costs in the long run.

“What did you get up to today, sweets?” He asked, returning your kiss on the cheek with a tender peck at your temple.

You reach up with your hands, abandoning the dinner prep, and hold onto his arms that drape around your shoulders. You both start swaying to non-existent music, just drifting back and forth together, relishing in the closeness of your bodies. 

“Well,” You start to think, “I finished a few proposal costs and went through some freelance work.”

Renewable energy was really taking off, even in the smaller town that you both now reside in. Other farms as well as other businesses have consulted you for evaluations, plus you did accept freelance work from the city nearby.

“I finished the final coat of paint for the guest room and I’ll need your help moving the new bed in there this weekend before your mom comes to visit. We should also decide what we want to do with the old study.”

You felt Spencer nod at your neck. “That sounds good.” He says.

He pulls away slightly, “We can move in the bed tonight after dinner and we should wait on the study until Mom comes to town. She won’t want to sit and do nothing and I don’t need her out in the field with me.”

You giggle, “You mean you don’t want Diana to scold you when you step on a tomato on the ground?”

He groans from your neck, “It was only that one time!” He shakes his head, but you can hear a smile on his face, “I swear, she watches me like a hawk watches it’s prey.” He grumbles.

“Too many farmers in the field?” You ask jokingly. 

“Yes.” Spencer responds, gruffly. 

“Well,” You start to say, “Diana would agree.” You pull away from Spencer and give him the vegetables and a chopping board. You start to move around the kitchen, working on other aspects of dinner.

“She said you weren’t wading through the corn the right way and that it would hurt you and the corn.” You tell.

Spencer looks up at you from chopping up some carrots with a doubtful look on his face, “She only mentioned it hurting the corn, didn’t she?” He asked.

You bite your lip to keep from laughing and nod. 

Diana and Spencer were two peas in a pod. But one thing they could nearly never agree on is the occupation and hobby that they share. They teased and compared and playfully poked fun at each other in the field, but it was Diana who gave Spencer his love of farming in the first place.

She was the one who made it fun for the lanky child in his youth, at first just picking berry bushes, then helping out in the greenhouse, and then again in his teens during harvest season.

You were worried when first meeting Diana that she wouldn’t like you, but you got along quickly with both of your loves of nature and green energy. Plus your shared love of Spencer would always bring you together.

After a few giggles escape you, you turn back to your husband. “Oh!” You say, getting his attention.

“That reminds me, you need to call Jim Harvey back. He wanted to see if we have the harvest this year to expand his existing order.”

“Again?” Spencer asked in amusement, not looking up from the knife in his hand, being careful to chop the vegetables without taking off a part of his finger. 

You nodded, “Yeah, something about expecting more calves this year or something.” You remember.

Spencer scoffs, adding the finished vegetable pieces in a bowl for you. “But he says that-” 

“Every year.” You both finish together. 

You giggle as Spencer chuckles. You gladly take the bowl from him and set it aside, them grabbing his hands and enveloping them around you. You cage yourself in his arms and look up at your husband. 

You bring your hands up to his face, the slight scruff of his chin making you smile fondly. “Why don’t you call him back and take a shower while I finish up dinner.” You say.

You press a kiss to his lips, which are slightly chapped from staying outside in the sun all day.

Spencer smiles and chases your lips for more, “That,” He gives you another peck, “Sounds.” Another peck. “Good.” And another. 

You regrettably untangle yourself from your husband. “Dinner will be ready by the time you’re out of the shower, my love.”

Spencer pulls you into him once again and presses a longer, more passionate kiss on your lips, stealing your breath away. His lips are pinker and a little swollen, you believe yours aren’t too far off either. 

His eyes gleam with his love for you, his smile just the same.

“And maybe dessert?”

a/n: i promise not all of these will be established relationships... so, how are we liking this so far? i just love alternative universe possibilities and imagining spencer in different professions and or walks of life!

[xxxdegenerate]

Hiya! I saw you're in need of requests!

Ok one piece. Luffy. He is always for weird New people who Peaks his interest

Sooooo. Magician! A real life magician! He would freak out 🤣

The Crew wary, thinking she would hex them or use them to practice curses or other morbid stuff but she is just so sweet! She helps the Crew with her magic, like Chopper or sanji introduce him magic plants he can use for cooking etc. Luffy is more than happy to have her and when Marines come, ready to attack, she just Flicks her hand and the ship gets destroyed in one go, humming before returning to her previous task 🤣🤣

Pls! You would make my day!

I love writing OP reader, and I don't even know why. THANK YOU FOR THE REQUEST. (it's acc cool as fuck to imagine this)

Luffy x Magician!Reader

❥note ;; Magician? Hell yee, I feel like I could have done better, or maybe I will write an actual story about this, because it seems really interesting!

❥tw ;; Fighting, cursing // not proofread

You walked the trail on the island you grew up in. Wearing a cape, with some gloves and a hat. The sun was setting and the breeze was calm. You were the odd one out, but that didn't stop you from having a little fun.

You waved your hand around, causing leaves around you to float about. You smiled as you lifted them up into the air. Going in circles before making various shapes.

All of a sudden, big explosions were sounded in the town just ahead. Now as much as you hate this town, and the pirates that accompany it. You rushed over, using your powers to push yourself faster.

Upon arriving, you noticed the towns people and the pirates were in a heated fight. You looked around, trying to figure out why. You snapped your fingers and some cards appeared into the air, surrounding you.

"Ah the weirdo decides to join in hah?" The captain of the lowlife pirates. You rolled your eyes and turned to face the woman. "What are you doing with the town?" You noticed how the houses were getting torn down and fights happening all around. You also happened to notice someone whiz past you and a loud laugh.

Although you decided to shake that off and keep your attention on the lady. "Just finally taking what is ours."

You flicked your hand and cards went towards her. Blowing up.

She coughed and whipped out her sword. "Two can pl-" She was tackled to the ground and a black haired boy with a strawhat sat on top of her. "What-" You choked out.

One of her crew?

You haven't seen him around here, so he must be. You flicked your hand and the two of them go flying. "Weeeee!" You heard the boy laugh.

"Who are you?" A voice, from behind you. You turn around as one of your cards stop at his neck. You narrow your eyes.

"Why are you tearing apart this town." You demanded an answer.

He tilted his head in response as he took a bite out of the chunk of meat he somehow got. "Tearing? AH woah! Your hat!" He looked confused before pointing at your hat in surpise.

"I have one too! Yours is different." You shook your head and turned around, throwing some of the other pirates off of the people.

"Woah! How do you do that?" You deadpan at the boy who followed you around.

"Are you apart of this fight or not?"

"Join my crew!"

"No! You're ruining this town!"

"No were not, that's not my friends." You were confused, you decided to just blast some smoke and go back towards the fight.

Soon, a pile of pirates sat in the center of the town. Smoke and fire erupting around. "Y/n! You did it again!" The elder lady came and thanked you.

You looked around at the town, meeting the eyes of the boy from earlier. He held a wide smile on his face. "That was cool! Join my crew."

"Who are you?"

"Luffy! I'm going to be the king of pirates."

"Sorry dude, but me and pirates do not get along." You were hesitant.

"Come with me!"

This went on for awhile, as you used your magic to held rebuild and clean the area up, he followed you like a lost dog. Watching in awe and standing on some of the broken bits of wood you would raise in the air. He was starting to get on your nerves.

You pull the wooden plank towards you with Luffy on it. "Okay, what do you want?" He smiles widely at you as he has all day. "You're cool! I want you to join me. You'll love it." He giggled.

You scratch your neck before moving him away. He seemed nice, and he did help you get rid of the pirates. But he was also a pirate.

He stretched his arms and pulled himself towards you, crashing into you.

The two of you rolled before you landed a couple feet away. "Dude-" You grabbed at him and pulled his arm, which stretched. "Okay, that's a little weird."

"Pleaseeeee."

Deciding that he would probably not take no for an answer you decided to follow him to his ship. You could either get kidnapped, killed, or worse. You knew you had this in the bag though. "If you try anything I'm teleporting away."

He laughed in response as you somehow finally reached the boat. "Didn't we pass this like an hour ago.." He launched the two of you up into the center of the ship.

"Luffy! Why did you take off! You've been gone all day!" An orange haired girl scolded Luffy. A few others appeared and started complaining. "Who is this?" A blonde man appeared next to you with a rose.

"This is.. uh."

"Y/n."

After meeting everyone they seemed very weary of you. Luffy described what you could do and they looked hesitant. They haven't seen you in battle, but they don't doubt Luffy.

"She's our new crew member!"

"When did I agree to that!!?"

You bicker back and forth for a hot minute. This man acted like a child and it made you fume. You flicked your hand and hit him on the head with a rock. Not toooooo hard, and not like it would hurt him anyone. He fell down and laughed. "Look isn't that cool."

The others around you sweatdropped and were clearly on edge.

"H-hey guys.." The long nosed dude pointed to a ship that was nearing, quickly.

While still arguing with Luffy about joining, you flicked your wrist towards the ship. The ship erupted. Pieces of wood flying and people yelling and jumping overboard. The crew watched in awe

"You are a bad influence! I am not joining your crew!" He giggled at your reaction. You shake your head and turn around, heading to jump off of the ship. Acting like taking that ship down was nothing to you. "H-hey wait.. are you sure you don't want to join?" The girl from earlier had stopped you.

You narrow your eyes. Did you really want to join a pirate crew? You looked back and see a little reindeer chasing Luffy around. "You're hurt! Stop running around!" Your eyes dart to the side, seeing the blonde serve drinks to another lady.

"Ah fuck it."

EXTRA:

Over the past week of being aboard the Sunny. It was a new experience, and you hate to admit you enjoyed these pirates. They were... fun. You helped around the ship, soon they became your family. You helped Sanji and showed him new things, for cooking. You even entertained Usopp and Luffy with your magic.

You were beginning to like the pirate life.

[hungrywriter]

Herbs & Hearts (Pt .6)

Raiden x f!reader

The battle had finally ended after hours of relentless fighting, leaving the battlefield in a gruesome state. As the wounded warriors returned to their homes and camps, the extent of the casualties became painfully evident.

Y/n stood in front of the door and muttered a prayer of hope, to anyone who is listening. She took a deep breath, calming her nervous heart before summoning her last few energy and courage. She then opened the door and rushed into the room, summoning as many vines as she could that surrounded her clinic. All at once, she commanded the vines to bandage, cure and do surgery on the wounded soldiers. Normally, she would get as much as 6 patients a day, but the battle had injured all of them in some way and she was trying her best to cure every single one of them. She also instructed some of the children of the academy, who were too young to go to battle, to help her get medical supplies from the storage room. The cries of pain and desperation echoed through the clinic as she tirelessly tended to each wounded warrior. She was the only healer available to manage the overwhelming demand.

As the sun set, Y/n sent her last patient home, her own fatigue catching up with her. She sank into her chair, massaging her neck and shoulders, feeling the weight of the day's events bearing down on her. Her commitment to her work was unwavering, even though the battle had taken a heavy toll on her.

Despite the exhaustion, Y/n knew she had to continue her research. She turned to her books and the world map on her board. Empress Mileena had personally chosen her to help find a cure for the mysterious disease affecting Outworld. The responsibility weighed heavily on her shoulders, and she was determined to make progress. In the midst of her research, Kung Lao burst into the clinic, his stomach growling with hunger.

“Y/n! Time to eat! I. Am. Starving!” He shouted while emphasising on his last sentence. He plopped down on the medical bed and eagerly awaited Y/n's attention. She chuckled but asked him to wait as she continued working on her cure, engrossed in her thoughts and calculations. Her mind also started wondering how he could still be cheerful after the war. And somehow, it drifted to Raiden.

“So, have you talked to Raiden yet?” She asked, not looking away from her books and the map. Kung Lao groaned and showed reluctance, avoiding the conversation he knew he needed to have. 

“You promised that you will talk to him after the battle is over,” She said again, which only earned her another groan from him. It was like having a conversation with a toddler. 

“I mean technically the battle isn’t really over. The other timeline Shang tsung is still out there, somewhere,” He answered as he sat up. Y/n only shook her head.

“This is ridiculous. What was the fight even about?” She asked but Kung Lao, however, chose to keep the details to himself. He didn't want to burden Y/n with additional concerns when she already had so much on her plate. Y/n sighed before going back to work. The two were sitting in comfortable silence until Y/n jumped from her seat.

“Oh my god. Kung Lao, I think I found it!” She exclaimed, running over to him. She explained to Kung Lao how plants and Tarkat had a unique connection and that she believed she could create a new solution for her medicines by extracting nectar from a particular plant.

Kung Lao, intrigued by her discovery, asked for clarification for the plant’s whereabouts. Y/n eagerly located a marker, returning to her map to illustrate her point. She enthusiastically explained that she believed the plant they were searching for was on a distant island, which held the potential to cure Tarkat.

Kung Lao's understanding was limited, but he grasped the significance of her discovery. Excited, he celebrated the news with Y/n. As he hugged her in joy, he suddenly paused, a look of confusion crossing his face.

"Wait, can't you just grow the plant with your powers?" he inquired. Y/n shook her head, explaining that she couldn't simply create a plant she had never seen or visualised before. Kung Lao nodded slowly, attempting to understand.

Finally, Kung Lao pulled her away from her work and brought her to the dining hall, determined to ensure she took a break to eat and recharge.

-

When Y/n and Kung Lao entered the bustling dining hall, they were greeted by the welcoming smiles and enthusiastic waves of their Earthrealm friends, the Earthrealm gang. A long table could accommodate six people, and their friends sat in pairs: Liu Kang next to Johnny and Kenshi, and Raiden seated across from them.

Kung Lao frowned at the seating arrangement but remained silent as Y/n took her place between them, ensuring a buffer to prevent any potential disputes. The atmosphere was somewhat strained, with Johnny and Kenshi locked in a lively debate about Johnny's new Mortal Kombat movie concept, and Liu Kang engrossed in reading a scroll, likely containing information regarding the Royal family of Outworld. Raiden contemplated breaking the silence with a conversation but was preempted by Liu Kang, who directed his question to Y/n.

“So Y/n, is there any progress on the cure?” Liu Kang asked, putting down his scroll. The whole table went quiet so that they could listen to what she had to say. Y/n’s face lit up upon the question and had proudly claimed that she was 90% sure that she had found the location of the plant. Johnny laughed at the younger female and asked about the 10% left. 

“The 10% is when I actually find the plant. The location is all based on theories so I probably shouldn’t get my hopes up yet…”She trailed off. Liu Kang nodded, while trying to think about her plan of finding the plant.

"When will you embark on this mission? Keep in mind, lives are hanging in the balance, so we require swift action," he reminded. Y/n retrieved a small notebook from her pocket and began to elucidate the riddle she had unearthed in the pages of an explorer's historical journal.

"To uncover the answer, here's your sole boon; Solve the enigma under the full moon," she proclaimed.

Johnny inquired, "Clearly, the puzzle must be solved during a full moon. When is the next one?"

"Fortunately, it graces the night sky tomorrow. May I seek permission to undertake the mission then?" Y/n asked. The lord nodded with a proud smile and inquired if anyone would accompany Y/n to provide support. Johnny and Kenshi promptly declined, claiming they were occupied with their own matters. Kung Lao had said that he was about to train his new initiate, Shujinko. Everyone looked at Raiden, expecting to hear his answer. Raiden didn’t want to go, but he also didn’t want to leave Y/n alone so he agreed reluctantly.  

“Great! Raiden, we’ll leave at sunrise tomorrow,” Y/n said. She was pleased with Raiden's decision and expressed her gratitude, mentioning that they would leave at sunrise the following day. However, her smile waned when she saw Raiden abruptly stand and leave the dining hall with only a disinterested remark. 

“Yeah, whatever,” was the only thing he said before walking out of the dining hall. The table was left in perplexed silence, exchanging questioning glances, trying to fathom the sudden change in Raiden's demeanour.

“Wow, he is much more emo than my 2013 Tumblr phase,” Johnny commented but no one got his joke. Johnny groaned before going back to his conversation with Kenshi. As Liu Kang left for an urgent matter, Y/n and Kung Lao were left alone at the table. Y/n's expression revealed her confusion, while Kung Lao grappled with a growing sense of guilt. He couldn't help but think that his and Raiden's friendship would never be the same again.

Kung Lao voiced his concern, questioning Y/n's decision to go on the mission with Raiden. He suggested that she wait until Shujinko's training was complete. He held her hand, nervously rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. Y/n reassured him, insisting that she needed to retrieve the cure as soon as possible, as lives were at stake and the next full moon won’t be anytime soon.. Kung Lao sighed, knowing that her determination was unwavering, and reluctantly agreed to her decision.

As they turned their attention back to Johnny and Kenshi, Kung Lao couldn't shake the underlying feeling of unease. He subtly observed Y/n, silently praying for her safety, and hoping that the gods would watch over her on their journey.

[officialstrawhat]

Hello! This is my first One Piece Fanfiction, But I hope you like it! I'm currently about to start the Zou Arc so if I get something wrong sorry :P

Gif is not mine.

Trafalgar D. Law x Fem!Reader

Chapter List

Summary:

After King Riku is dethroned, Doflamingo takes you under his wing and asks you to follow only one strict rule, "do not leave the palace alone". However, your sense of adventure is too great.

Law had only one thing in mind... Revenge. And you seemed like the best way to do that.

Warnings: Dark themes, manipulation, death, murder, creepy doffy

Word Count: 1.2K

The Rose of Dressrosa

Chapter 1

The sun shone brightly on the kingdom of Dressrosa. In the Market Square, flamenco dancers and musicians entertained the crowd as children weaved and played between shoppers and vendors. There on the furthest corner suite was flower shop. It hadn't been there long and at first glance one could mistake it as one of the many flower boutiques on the island. But the word around town was that it sold the best bouquets on the island. 

“Would you happen to have any red carnations?” An old woman asked the owner of the shop. 

The florist smiled kindly, “Of course one moment ma'am”. She moved to the doorway pushing away a satin curtain that covered the entryway to see a young girl no older than ten sitting on the counter reading a book. Tales of Grand Adventures the title read. Next to her rests a long trough planter full of rich soil. 

“Y/N” the woman called, causing the girl to look up from the pages of her book.

“Yes Mama?” you say politely.

“A nice lady wants some of those pretty red flowers you like. Can you make me a bouquet sweet girl?”

“Yes mama” you nod excitedly, knowing exactly what to do. You raise your arms up, placing them in front of your chest palms facing outward. “Grow,” You say, eyes closed.

In the pot something began to grow. In a matter of no time red carnations in full bloom sprouted in the container.

“Good work my love,” Your Mother says proudly as she begins to snip the stems out of the soil and prepares it for the customer.

When your mother is done she makes her way back to the front and you naturally follow. 

“Thank you, we’re all so lucky to have you,” the old lady says, “You do such good work, your flowers are always the freshest in town.”

“You're welcome,” your mother says, taking the berry being held out for her.

“Come again,” You say as the customer leaves the shop.

You watch your mother place the money into the box underneath the store counter. 

“We’re just a few months away from getting our own home.” she smiled and grabbed your hands, “All thanks to you my sweet girl.”

You smile at the amazing woman in front of you. Things got hard after your father left, not that you remember, but your mother went hungry most nights to make sure you were fed. And there were some nights when you both did… 

So hungry in fact that when you found a strange-looking fruit you couldn't help but eat it. It was the miracle you both needed. It had granted you the power to grow any type of plant you wanted. As long as there was soil you could grow anything. Your mother dragged herself out of the mud and started to sell the pretty flowers that would sprout around you. Once she had enough berry she managed to buy passage to the prosperous island of Dressrosa. Here she rented a corner store with a tiny one-bedroom apartment upstairs.

“A home with a garden?” You ask excitedly. 

Smiling, your mother embraced you, “A home with whatever you want.”

In her arms you hugged her back tightly. It was a hug you would later wish had lasted much longer.

---

Night fell and you slept soundly in your mother's arms until screams in the streets could be heard outside. 

“Mama,” you shook the woman awake.

“What's wrong?” she said groggily, but her question was answered when a sudden crashing sound could be heard. “Wait here my darling.” 

Quickly she put her slippers and robe on and rushed to the staircase

“But-” you tried to follow.

“Please darling, it’ll be okay, mama just has to see what's wrong.”And with that, she left you…

The screams however did not stop, in fact, they seemed to be growing louder. After what seemed like forever you had had enough. You found your slippers and robe and ventured downstairs to go outside. From the shop windows what you saw was much worse than anything you could have possibly imagined. 

Fire, there was an actual fire that danced on rooftops, people who you recognize were laying in the street unmoving in puddles that were the color of your favorite flowers. Men in uniform wielding dangerous weapons caused chaos and struck down anyone in their path mercilessly. 

“NO! PLEASE! I have a child!” you heard, causing your head to spin to the left.

The Royal Guard's face looked torn but that didn't stop his blade from swinging down on the poor defenseless woman. 

It happened in slow motion for you. Her scream seemed so far away. The way she fell… it wasnt real it couldn't be real. 

"MAMA!" You shriek, tears fill your eyes, and blur your surroundings.   

“Get out of the way girl or you’ll be next,” she heard the slayer warn frantically. 

At his words anger to the likes of which you never felt before filled your body, your vision turned red. The guard swung his sword but the blade never made it to you, in fact, everyone within a thousand feet dropped to the ground unconscious. Allowing you to run to your mother's body to sob into her bloodied robe. 

Up on the rooftop of the flower shop Donquixote Doflamingo watched you, this little speck of a thing, had managed to knock out at least thirty of his puppets. This girl's Haki was strong. Just his luck to come across someone in this stupid kingdom who with some training actually had the potential to be of use. 

He smiled and jumped off the roof in front of you and the corpse of your mother. 

As if it was a reflex you place your palms away from your chest and create a shield of thick spiked plants to barricade yourself and your mother from the unknown threat. The Young Master’s smile widened, you were a devil fruit user as well. And not just any fruit, this was the Grow-Grow Fruit. Now this was definitely a rarity. And in theory, if brought to its full potential…

The thought made him smirk.

“I saw what happened, child. No need to fear me,” he said in a soothing voice. 

Upon hearing this you debated on dropping the barricade but before you could decide the voice spoke again, “Please let me help you and your mother.” 

At this you let a few branches of cacti deteriorate making slits in your barrier allowing you to see the man who spoke. He looked strange, you had never seen anyone like him before. He was large, with spiky blond hair, and donned a pink feather coat.

“You poor girl, allow me to take you and your mother to a safe place.” he could see the distrust in your eyes, then added, “Before more of the king's guard shows up.”

This made your heart clench. He was right, chaos still reigned around them. Your eyes flitted over to the storefront to see the stucco from your former home catching fire. Looking back at the strange man your mind was made up. The prickly plants browned and decayed around you until they were flat on the ground. 

Doflamingo was proud of himself for being able to conceal his smirk, as he bent down to carry the pathetic dead woman in his arms. “Follow me girl, I’ll take you to a safe place where we can lay your mother to rest. 

You wiped away a few tears and did as you were told. Walking away from everything you once knew.

Next Chapter

[scholastic-dragon]

Mikey: You love me, right?

Y/N: ... normally I'd say yes without hesitation, but I feel like this is going somewhere and I don't like it

Mikey: the kitchen might be on fire....

Y/N: THE KITCHEN-

No but he does pull the "I love you" or "you love me?" Card whenever he thinks he's done something "bad"

Mikey x Gn!reader

Picture Perfect

Word Count: 0.8k

Warnings: turtle smootches, best friends to lovers, spelling mistakes,

Summary: Mikey feels guilty 🥺

You didn't like your picture being taken.

He'd learned that very fast when he first met you and stalked your Facebook page and found next to no pictures of just you.

There were family ones, road trips with friends, or simply just out for a picnic.

But you were always tucked away in the back and never holding the camera.

After a few awkward first encounters and long talks with April and Casey, you finally warmed up to the reptilian family.

Mikey had been immediately intrigued by you: how could someone so beautiful not want their picture taken?

In a strange way, it was something you both had in common. Neither of you wanted your pictures on the internet.

Which is where Mikey's problem is. It started as an accident. You and him were playing darts and you were a horrible shot, your dart -to what power of the universe- landed 10 feet up in the air and lodged into the rafters.

You and Mikey had laughed till you cried and he pulled his phone out to take a video of the chaos.

After you left that night he laughed to himself thinking about the video and went to go rewatch it. Only to discover that he had not taken a video, but had captured a singular picture.

The background was blurry, and you were in the center of the screen. Your face was red from laughing and your hands were covering your mouth. Your eyes were crinkled in the corners and you looked truly happy.

Mikey knew you hated having your picture taken, but this was an accident! He thought he took a video! But there was no way he could delete this picture, not when you looked so happy.

And then, it all went downhill. Mikey kept taking secret pictures of you, hiding his phone behind plants, and cookie jars and making you laugh till you cried.

Of course this only fueled the massive crush he had on you, but he couldn't help himself! You were so beautiful, and he couldn't bring himself to delete them.

Three months into your best friend relationship, Mikey had come to a very nerve-wracking and terrifying decision. He'd had a dream where you kissed him and told him he was the love of your life and now he had to see if it could be a reality.

You were heating up some left over pizzas in the oven when he slowly sauntered into the kitchen. You knew he had something on his mind when he went eerily quiet and bit his lip.

"You alright?" You were leaning against the kitchen island, opposite of the oven with your arms casually crossed over your chest.

"Yeah, yeah, it's just.....um.... you love me, right?"

"...normally, I'd say yes without hesitation, but I feel like this is going somewhere I don't like," You eyed him up and down. You'd platonically said I love you countless times, and it secretly broke your heart because you wanted more.

And with the way his eyes looked to you, your heart leapt with how he said it.

"There's something I have to tell you, and I don't know how you'll react," He stepped toward you, twirling his phone in his hands.

You heart started to race, was this it? The moment you'd been waiting for?

"Whatever it is, Mike, you know you can tell me," You turn to face him, hip pressed against the cabinet.

"The truth is that...." He was right in front of you, blue eyes wide and scared, oh how you wanted to grab and kiss him. "...the truth is..."

He swallowed thickly, laughing to himself as if he were embarrassed. "....I've been secretly taking pictures of you for months and I'm sorry because I know you don't like having your picture taken," He rushed out all in one breath, how he didn't pass out amazed you.

That was not what you were expecting.

"You.....take pictures of me?" You ask slowly.

Mikey unlocked his phone and opened his camera roll, turning the device to you.

You took the phone from his hands, seeing a whole album dedicated to you. Your fear had made you think the worst, but instead of finding pictures of you changing or in the shower, it was you laughing. They all were.

Every. Single. Picture. Was of you laughing and smiling with him over something.

A blush crept across your face, you'd never thought you had a nice smile and yet he had an album full of them, and you looked beautiful in every one of them.

"I'm sorry," He said after a moment, lowering his head.

"Why did you take these?" He didn't look up. You cupped his cheek, making him meet your eyes.

His eyes said everything you wanted.

Throwing his phone onto the counter, your arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. He stiffened before melting in your arms, letting you take the lead, wrapping his large hands around your back, pulling you impossibly closer.

You pulled back, hoping you hadn't misread him.

"I'm guessing that means you're not mad?" He laughs breathlessly.

You shake your head. "No, I'm not mad," You laugh with him, pressing several kisses to his plump lips.

Maybe having your picture taken wasn't such a bad thing.

tags: @turtle-babe83 @thelaundrybitch @post-apocalyptic-daydream @sharpwindow @dilucsflame33 @happymoonangel @strawberrycakeblog @sketch-and-write-lover

[bluegalaxygirl]

Wild Flower (Zosan X Reader) P5

Plot: While doing recon for the crew, reader's snake gets captured by a marine who knows more about her than her own crew but to make matters worse he can hurt reader through her Snake using some strange powers and deadly plants.

Warning: Super long, Bad language, Blood, Snakes and Violence.

Reader is female and has the ability to control Snakes that come form tattoo's on her arms, she can change the size of them and see through their eyes but they are also connected to her emotions. Zoro X Sanji X Reader, poly relationship, established relationship.

P1 - P2 - P3 - P4 - P6 - P7 - P8 - Bonus

Cozia, a beautiful island full of life and culture, The town is small compared to the island's size, only stretching along the beach leaving the forest behind it to grow as big and strong as it needs to be. To the outside world its just an island that's shrouded in mystery, no one is aloud on it unless the 5 protectors of the island say so and people hardly leave the island or talk about life there. Cozia has a lot of rumors about it but the truth is all of them are false, the real truth is that this island is home to an ancient living deity, Glykon a pure white snake larger than the mountain's that scatter the island. He's a protective deity of home and family while also gifting fertility in all things. He lives in a cave deep in the woods covered by a waterfall with leads to a large pool and river spreading through the island. The water runs black a perfect contrast to his white skin but the water helps crops and animals thrive on the island, trees grow more fruit and animals live longer thanks to it. In fear of the world knowing and trying to use the deity for bad the islanders vowed their lives to protecting it and worshiping it, gifting the giant snake fruit and plants, only a select few people have actually seen the snake, it never leaves its cave other than to bless someone with his gift. A tattoo'ed snake that will come to life whenever you need it, those who are gifted are protector, trusted to keep the island and its people safe while also helping it thrive.

It was and still is beautiful and it was home to you , your parents and your grandmother. Three years after you were born your parents decided to leave Cozia to explore the wold leaving you with your grandmother, too young to understand you thought they would come back but four years later they were still gone, you had hope that they were ok and that they were just having too much fun to come back. Home life and school life were totally different, you loved being at home and working hands on with your grandmother, taking care of her garden, chickens and bee hives but at school you struggled. Learning from a book was hard for you and the other class mates would laugh at you if you read something wrong but you didn't stop trying, wanting to learn. Your grades were never good but your grandmother never scolded you for it since she was just like you in school, struggling to make friends despite being kind to all and unable to get good greats despite working so hard. Life on Cozia could be boring at times, doing the same thing day in and day out but you always enjoyed your time in the mountains, bringing gifts of honey, fruit and eggs to the giant waterfall where Glykon lives. You often didn't want to leave so would spend time taking care of the plants that grew near the water or reading out loud, in a way you hoped to bring the snake some kind of company since it was all alone up here and people would gift things and then just leave. The giant snake never once spoke to you, in fact you didn't even know if he could hear you but you kept it up.

With a smile you run out the door of your home to meet the mail man who was walking up to the house "Miss Y/N, happy birthday" The postman laughs handing you a pink envelope, slightly jumping on your toes you take it from his hand and thank him before rushing back inside to your grandmother where she was sitting at the dinning table, a small cake in front of her with a number 7 candle on it "There you are, come on and blow out the candle then you can open your gift" The old lady smiles taking the envelope off you even though you try and resist, you know it's from your parents, they always send you a card on your birthday explaining what they've seen and done while also giving you a gift but you were just so happy to hear what they have been up to and if their ok. Looking over the cake a warm feeling fills your heart knowing your grandmother made this just for you. Thinking of a wish you lean over and blow out the candle before hugging your grandmother "Thank you grandma, can i have the card now?" You ask reaching for the card that she finally hands you, opening it you bounce a little pulling out a letter, your smile drops seeing no card fearing that something might have happened to your mum and dad. Opening it you try and read it the best you can but as you read through it your heart sinks, your grandmother gives you a worried look before standing next to you reading it over, anger fills her eyes before she snatches the letter off of you making you gasp. "Don't worry sweetie... You just enjoy your birthday ok" Your grandmother pats your head but you don't smile.

Your glad your parents are ok, their happy and safe, but they won't be coming home, and they won't be sending anymore letters too. You want to cry but you also don't want to upset your already upset grandmother who hands you a gift and a card telling you to open it. Putting on the best smile you can muster you open your preset and card finding a book, Alice's adventures in wonderland. "Oh, my god, thank you grandma" You laugh jumping up and down before hugging her, the old woman laughs hugging you back before pulling you away "I know how much you like strange things so i thought it would be perfect... while i deal with things here would be kind enough to take that basket up to the mountain?" She asks gesturing to the small basket on the side table loaded with fruit, eggs and a honey jar, nodding with a small smile you watch her walk away before cutting a large slice of cake, wrapping it on some paper and placing it in the basket before heading out carrying your new book under your arm. Even though you struggle to read it doesn't stop you from trying, plus you enjoy weird and wonderful thing so Alice in wonderland would be perfect. Walking through the wood your mind wonders "maybe i could read some to Glykon today... oh! i bet there are a lot of new words, i can show mum and dad just-" You stop in your tracks the realization kicking in that your parents are never coming home, your grandma did a good job of kicking it from your head but now she's not here to do that again.

A tear slips out of your eye but you sniffle and wipe it way starting to walk again gripping into the basket handle as tight as you can, you don't understand why they won't come back, come home for a day or a few hours would be nice, you don't mind the letters in fact you look forward to them so why are they gonna stop doing that as well? as questions run through your head you didn't realize that you had already made it to the waterfall, it wasn't too loud since the strange black water seems to dull sound but it still breaks you out of your thoughts, sniffling a little you wipe away your tears and smile setting the basket down on the floor before taking out the large piece of cake. "I don't know if you can eat it but i thought I'd bring you some birthday cake" You call out hoping the giant snake in the cave can hear you, placing it back down in the basket you make your way over to the grass and sit down near the black water placing the new book on your lap. Maybe reading will help you feel better or at least distract you for a while. "Grandma got me a new book, its Alice's adventures in wonderland, i know i haven't finished the other one yet but i hope you don't mind if i read this one" You smile up at the waterfall that covers the caves entrance, like always there's no answer but a part of you hopes the large snake can hear you and likes hearing you read.

You struggled a bit in places but managed to read well until you got to a point where the word just didn't seem right no matter how you said it. "But she could not even get her head through the door way.. and even if my head would go through.. thought poor Alice.. it would be of very little use without my shoulders, oh! How i wish i could shoot up like a t-te-le-" Furrowing your brows you try the word again and again "Te-le-sco-pe?" you ask as your eyes scan the same word over and over again, you knew if your class mates where around they would laugh at you for it but really did try, after a few more try and it still not sounding right you grip the book in your hands trying not to cry, at this point it's not the word that makes you want to cry its more of an excuse to cry over what your really upset about. "Don't get discouraged little one" A smooth deep voice calls out making you jump and look around you but no ones there, shaking your head you wipe your eyes thinking your mind is playing tricks on you but the voice calls out again "Your almost there, don't cry" Looking over at the waterfall your eyes widen realizing thats where the voice is coming from, you couldn't speck, what were you supposed to say? The deity is talking to you, giving you words of encouragement, a small laugh echos out from the cave but it didn't sound like a mocking one, in fact it was light-hearted "Don't be scared little one, please continue, i'm invested now" Looking back down at your book you gulp trying again with slightly shaking hands "Tele-scope... telescope" You finally get the word making your lip quiver as tears start falling down your face.

Pushing the book away as to not get it wet you try and wipe away your tears "Well done little one but there's no need to cry" His voice calls out a again but you shake your head "It's not the word i'm crying over" You sob pulling your knees into your chest, giving into the underlying sadness bellow, you hate crying in front of others, you want others to be happy not feel sad even if its for you but knowing your parents aren't coming back is breaking you. "Then what's the matter? You shouldn't cry on your birthday" He calls out as something touches the side of your cheek, with a gasp you look up to see the tip of a long thick white tail wiping away the tears on your cheek, the tail going through the waterfall in order to wipe them away. For such a big powerful snake it was gentle with you, you didn't want to bother the deity with your thoughts but something about it made you want to talk and tell it everything. "My parents aren't coming home... they don't want anything to do with me anymore" You sniffle only for the tip of the white tail to land on your lap giving it a slow gentle rub of comfort "The two you talk about on your birthday?" the snake asks making your eyes widen realizing it has been listening to you all these years, slowly nodding the snakes tail lightly grips your leg as if trying to hug it "Little one... I'm sorry they have decided not to be a part of your life, in my opinion it is their loss." With a smile you place your hand on the white tail feeling how smooth the scales are.

It takes you a while to wipe away the last of your tears and try to explain your thoughts hoping it will help you stop feeling sad "Thank you... I want them to be happy and to live their lives but... i was hoping they would at least keep in touch, i love reading their letters and learning about what they have been up too... maybe when i'm older i can go out and see the world too... I shouldn't be sad, i'm not alone, i have grandma and the chicken and-" you stop yourself feeling the tears coming back but managed to stop them from falling, gripping onto the book again you bring it to your lap looking over the page " and i... I have these moments here, where i can read and relax... can i still come here?" You ask looking up at the waterfall trying to see through it but the black water covers it all blocking out any light or figure behind "Of course Little one, I've come to enjoy your presence, no one stays around this old snake for long anymore and i enjoy seeing how far you've come, your a smart girl Y/N" With a big smile you take the snakes tail and hug it as it wraps around your shoulder "Thanks you Glykon sir" You call out hearing the deity behind the waterfall laugh in that same light-hearted way.

Two years went by and you grew closer and closer with the deity, you decided not to tell anyone other than your grandmother about you new friend in fear of them teasing you or disturbing your time with the snake, in away i guess it was selfish but you didn't care too much. The day Cozia was attacked you were at home when the alarms went off, the ships circling the island managed to take out one of the Germa 66 ships and report in, the village was evacuated to the other side of the island except for the 5 protectors who fought tooth and nail to protect their home and Glykon. "Y/N, we have to go" Your grandmother yells grabbing your arm as the Germa 66 ships try to dock the islands beach "But the chickens" You yell pulling away for her arm to run over to the hutch opening it up to let the birds out, your grandmother sighs running over and opening the gate letting the animals out to run away before grabbing your arm and pulling you alone. The rest of the villagers would already be in the forest by now so you and your grandmother where the only ones left other than the 5 protector and their snakes. Explosion and screams filled the air as you and your grandmother ran through the town and into the forest, your chickens following or heading off into the forest to hide, you couldn't just let them die, you had to let them out to have a fighting chance. Looking back at the burning town, giant snakes rose up taking out any Germa 66 agents that they could see, a red blur hit one of the snakes causing it to scream out before other came running in to help clamping its jaws down at on the small red thing.

You couldn't make out what is was from so far away but something did catch your eye, a ship off to the side of the island away from the others, it had a castle on top of it, indicating it was one of Germa 66's ships but with it being so far away from the battle you were sure it was going to be used as a sneak attack. "Grandma. I think Glykon's in trouble we should help" you yell watching as your old grandma pants trying to keep a steady pace "We can't" she pants but worry and fear flows through you, the 5 protectors are too occupied and even though the giant snake is strong your worried that the rumors about Germa 66's strength is true. Pulling away from your grandmothers hold she stops in her tracks to try and grabs your arm again but you step back with a determined face "I know i might not be able to fight but some has to help him or at least warn him... so I'm going to help him, he's alone up there and the 5 protectors are busy so someone has to help" You yell before running off your grandmother tried to run after you but is unable to catch up with you soon slowing down to a halt where she pants for air. Running down the path male screams fill the air as you get closer to the waterfall, your already too late those men are here but you won't let them hurt your friend. Two men stand outside the waterfall one with a staff and other kneeling holding a large bazooka aiming for the cave "Come on guys give me a visual" The one with the bazooka yell trying to see through the black water.

The sound of fighting inside makes your heart sink but your eyes focus on the baskets of gifts on the floor, a red powered spice catching your eye, running over you grab a hand full just as the guy with the staff turns to look at you "Hay" he yells getting his mates attention but you chuck the powder at them causing the two to cough as the hot spice burns their nose and mouth. Since their wearing goggle it didn't affect their eyes but you grab a large branch from the floor and swing going for the guy with the bazooka first. Using all the strength you hit the man away sending him rolling down the path groaning in pain, the man with the staff swing it at you hitting you in the stomach and sending you flying into the grass almost falling into the water "Sorry kid" The guy sighs walking over and raising the pointed end of his staff over you but quickly thinking you grab some mud and throw it at his face before rolling away. He growls as the mud sticks to his goggles blinding him as the end of his staff gets stuff in the muddy ground. Grabbing onto the staff you lift it out of the ground, the end of it hitting the man under the chin forcing him to let it go, swiping his legs out from under him you go to hit him with it when the guy from before runs over and kicks you in the side sending you flying through the water fall and into the cave.

Hitting the floor and rolling you groan out in pain before coming to a stop, your wet hair sticks to your face so you move it aside to see into the dimly lite cave. The sound echo's off the walls of the massive cave, several Germa 66 members fighting a giant white snake with two long fangs and rows of sharp teeth on its bottom jaw, it hisses forcing you to cover your ears with how loud and angry it is. Some of the men groan out in pain due to the noise before being hit by its tail sending them flying into the wall of the cave and falling into a pool of black water. Looking around Glykon has done a good job taking these guys out, but he's covered in cuts, a hand grabs your hair forcing you to your feet "Little shit" The man growls as he continues to wipe mud off his face, the other man beside him keels down on the ground the bazooka back in his hands "No, don't do it" You yell out trying to struggle in the other mans grip, Glykon's eyes shoot to you just as the man fires, the giant snake hisses and dodges with ease thanks to your heads up, the rocket hits the side of the cave causing it to crumble and bury the rest of the Germa 66 members. The giant snake goes to attack the two men but stops when the one holding your hair puts a knife to your throat "Now be a good snake and stay still, we're gonna take you to your now home" the two men nod to each other before the bazooka is loaded with some kind of net, shaking your head you try and think of a way out of this, you can't let them take him, this is his home.

Glykon's eyes meet yours silently telling you to not do anything, you shake your head at him though not wanting him to give in and let them take him. "Good no-ah" you bite down on the mans hand holding the knife trying to force him to let go of it but instead he pulls it away to stab down at you. The giant snake hisses before lunging, biting into the man behind you forcing him to let you go, falling to the floor you stay down as the sound of the bazooka goes off along with two loud screams of both men. You didn't see what happened since it was so fast but when you look up at the giant white snake, the net is wrapped around its tail and both men laid on the blood soaked ground with blood dripping from Glykon's face down onto the floor. You thought it was the men's blood but as he turned his head to look at you a gasp of shock left your lips. Shakily standing you run over to meet his face as the snake lowers his head "i'm so sorry Glykon, i was just trying to help... what do i do?" you ask looking at the knife in his eye but the snake smiles at you its tongue flicking out to wipe away some blood that got on your cheek "Little one... you shouldn't have come but this is not your fault so please don't worry" His kindness made you want to cry but you held back the tears reaching your hand up to run it over his snout "You were in danger and the protectors are all busy so... I couldn't let them hurt you or take you away from your home." you state before looking over at the net pinning down his tail "Let me help you, please"

With the giant snake agreeing you managed to unravel the net from his tail and shift the heavy weights attached to it far enough away, so he can get out of it before heading over to the waterfall "I'll check if the cost is clean then we can head to the other side of the island, the villager's and protectors will be able to help you" you turn to the snake who shakes his head at you before bringing it down to nuzzle you, taking his large head in your arms the best you can the snake lets out a gentle hiss "The fight isn't over little one, there is still something i must do... you are brave and have a kind soul Y/N, will you help me do this?" The snake asks, pulling away you give him a determined nod, you have no idea what he wants you to do but your willing to help him no matter what. "Climb on, once where up there i need you to be my eye since i only have one" The snake shifts you over to his back where you climb on holding on tightly near the base of his head, Glykon makes his way out of the cave water flowing over your body as the afternoon sun makes you squint your eyes from its brightness. Explosions and loud hissing can still be heard from far away but it's a lot less then what it was, widening his way up the mountain and making it to the giant peek you can't help but look down and see just how big Glykon is. His whole body grows larger before your eyes wrapping around the mountain with his head held high while his tail rests on the bottom, from so high up you can see everything, every part of the island and ship covered sea.

The town you call home is in ruins but the snakes bellow ares still fighting managing to stop any of the army getting past, that red blur you saw a while go was no where to be found so its possible the snakes manages to take it out. "Little one, please tell me how many ships are to my left" You nod turning to look that way and scanning the area, a small smile appears on your face noticing the Orbit was gone. The cruise ship was in distress and needed supply's, even though the island doesn't allow strangers none of you could send the ship on its way when it needed help. "There are 6 ships, two on fire and one docked, it's the same one i sore before running to you, i think thats where those men came from" You explain before feeling the snake shift lifting higher into the air "Cover your ears and close your eyes little one" The giant snake takes in a big breath as you do so. Covering your ears and closing your eyes, pressing your face into his scaly skin you soon feel a rumble in his throat as high pitch hiss almost like a roar calls out, it was so loud you could hear it through your hands but you kept your eyes closed and pressed as hard as you could against your ears. After a few minutes it all stopped, the sound and that weird rumble came to a quick halt but you stayed still not sure if it was actually over, "Little one, thank you for your help" The giant snakes voice managed to get past your ears making you let go of them and open your eyes to look around.

In shock you look over the sea, several Germa 66 ships fleeing away while others seemed to be melting and sinking to the bottom of the sea, the snakes inside the village hissed with glee and cheers were heard from all over the island, it made you smile and let a few joyful tears slip your eye "I don't know what you did but that was amazing." you laugh patting the snakes back as it starts to slither down the mountain and return to its original size, he was still a big snake but now he could fit inside his cave again, Glykon chuckles at you as he looks over at the cave entrance then over to the village. He seemed conflicted so you wrap your arms around him the best you can to give him some kind of comfort "Someone there can help you" you state looking at the knife still stuck in his eye, he takes a second to think before nodding starting to slither his way down the path his body brushing up against the trees on the side "It's been decades since I've shown myself to multiple people... i used to scare them" He states but let's out a confused hiss when you start laughing "You? Scary? But your such a big softy" you tease making the snake laugh at you and shake his head "Says the young one who was sacred of me at first" You blush with embarrassment and tense up at his words before moving up some more and leaning down to meet his good eye "I was not scared" you state glaring at him but the giant snake smiles chuckling under his breath "Sure little one... what ever you say" he teases back making you pout and move back up to sit on his head where you cross your arms over your chest.

The 5 protectors where more than happy to help Glykon while the other villagers put out fires and tended to any wounded, luckily no one died, well not on our side at least but there were a few injured, including the men who where on the ship that first spotted the Germa 66 ships, their boat was destroyed but thanks to one of the protectors they managed to be saved and taken back to land. You had a few cuts and bruises but other than that you were fine the only people you were worried about now was your grandmother and Glykon who people where amazed at but gave him his space as the protectors dealt with his injuries. "Y/N" your Grandmother calls running up to you while avoiding tripping on any rubble, with a smile you run over to her and hug her tight feeling her cry into you "You stupid, stupid girl" she cry's but you don't blame her, you made her worry about you, looking up wipe away her tears "I'm sorry grandma but i'm ok and so's Glykon" she sighs at your apology but nods her head and holds you close "Don't do that to me again. I'm so glad your ok" Smiling you hug her back glad that everyone is ok, your home may be in ruins but you can always rebuild, no one was killed and Glykon is here and alive. The giant snake hovers over you and your grandmother for a second waiting for you to notice, looking up you smile at him seeing a large white bandage wrapped around his face covering his injured eye, the 5 protectors try talking to him telling the giant snake he needs rest but his good eye is on you.

Pulling away from your grandmother you step closer to the snake who lowers his head down to your "Are you ok now?" you ask before he can speak, a large smile appears on his face at your words as his eyes soften no longer looking serious "I'm fine, thank you Y/N... You are a kind and brave soul, threw the past few years i have come to know you more than anyone else, i find myself waiting, looking forward to your visits and i have watched you grow into an amazing and loving young lady" his words make you tear up, you have no idea why he's saying all this, a part of you thinks he's going to leave or maybe die on you but your troubled thoughts are soon stopped "I wish to bistro my greatest gift onto you, young lady... if you will let me" a large smile forms on your face as you nod, a snake of your own, someone who will always be with you no matter where you go or what you do. You'll never be alone and you'll always have a part of Glykon with you in a way. "Hold out your arms" the snake rises up as you hold out your arms, one of the protectors raises and eyebrow and steps forward about to say something but another grabs his shoulder shaking her head at him. Glykon opens his mouth his two long fangs hovering over your arms, it scares you a little, thinking if he's going to bite you but you keep your arms out and still for him. The fangs start to form little droplets on the end, pure black almost like the water but its much thicker, they soon drop onto your skin, one on each arm before seeping into to your skin, the black water almost like ink starts spreading out creating two long and beautiful tattoo'ed snakes on each arm.

Looking up at Glykon as he closes his mouth your eyes widen in surprise no on has ever been gifted two snakes before "I-I think there's a mistake" You stutter only for the giant snake to nuzzle its snout into you "No young lady this is no mistake" A large smile forms on your face as you hug the snake's head as best you can, your a protector of this island and its people now and you intend to do your very best. It took almost two years for the city to be fully built but life was getting back to normal, the news got word of what happened and since both sides of the fight refused to talk about it rumors continued to spread. You spent a lot of time with Glykon and learning with your snakes, you could only get one out at a time, but they were strong and you intended to fight with them like all the other protectors do. A part of you thought you could never leave the island now since your a protector but Glykon never stopped encouraging you to dream about the outside world so you made plans to leave after you finished school. A year before you finished school your grandmother passed away in her sleep, it was sad but the funeral was beautiful, and she had a great life, you where nothing but thankful to her, for everything she had done for you and you promised to live your life like she did, with understanding, love and kindness.

Standing on the beach looking out at the rising sun you throw your bag onto the boat, you graduated from school yesterday and the village wasn't exactly happy that you would be leaving, but they didn't stop you either just told you to keep their secret. "Are you going to go or just stand there?" You smile at the smooth deep voice behind you, turning to see the now one eyed giant white snake slithering towards you "I was waiting for you, your late" you state putting on a fake glare but you can't be mad at him, the giant snake stops in front of you his head close to your face "I'm not late, your simply early" He states making you crack a smile and shake your head, in truth had you doubts about leaving, Glykon is family to you and you don't want him to be alone again. Hugging the snake's head you relax into him, your hands actually managing to touch the sides of his top lip now "Are you sure your going to be ok on your own?" you ask scared to look into his eye as you speck instead keeping your face in his snout, he sighs feeling your doubts about leaving but in a calm voice reassures you "I'm not alone young lady and i never will be again thanks to you... Listen you may be a protector of this island but i still want you to see the world... i know if i ever need you, you'll come running but until that day comes i want you to live your life" he states before lifting your body off the ground and placing you in the boat, slowly letting go you look up at the giant snake who moves his head away before pushing the boat off the beach and into the sea.

Gasping you step closer with tears in your eyes but soon wipe them away and smile waving to him "I'll see you again some day... I love you Glykon" You yell out as the boat gets further and further away, the giant snake bows it head at you before letting out a low hiss "Be safe young lady... I love you too" You laugh as you wave at him happy to hear those words from him. You sailed threw the north blue for a couple of weeks making it to Lougetown, you learned about Gold Rodger in school since he started the great pirate era, it surprised you though how different people thought different things even with a marine base nearby and some people didn't mind speaking their minds. After a few days there you decided to head to the grand line but your small boat would never be able to make it over revers mountain even with the help of one of your snakes but luckily a bunch of kind fisherman offered to take you over in exchange for helping catch bigger fish with your snakes. It was a fun experience being with those weird old men, but they were nothing but kind to you. Once on other side you got off on the first island they stopped at after having to make it past a giant whale with scars all over it. You stayed on the island for almost a week before meeting the straw hats, Luffy freaked you out at first with all his question about your snake. It was busy fighting at the time and yet this strange boy was bouncing around you with all the energy in the world, it brought a smile to your face so when he asked you to join his crew you said yes.

[alexanderlightweight]

if prompts are still open, I'd love to see something about how Alec has been raised to be extremely practical and (through his relationship with magnus) finally gets to experience the joy allowing oneself to indulge

Hey anon thanks for prompt! Yup still open :)

Hope this works!

—

Magnus grew up in the Silent City, he has some —unfortunately more than most— knowledge of nephilim society.

Which means that while he’s not surprised by how many luxuries Alexander is delighted by, he’s still indignant about it.

So he plans and he plots and every spare minute they aren’t entwined together, Magnus does his level best to spoil his boy.

And Magnus is very well versed in decadence.

Alexander soaks up the attention lavished upon him eagerly, like ivy in a drought, delicate and enduring, but so eager when the rain comes.

So Magnus showers him with affection and attention and learns about what Alec likes, and what he’s never known he could like.

—what he’s never been allowed to enjoy—

When Magnus asks what he wants for dinner and Alexander suggests sushi, he summons it from Japan or portals them there.

When he’s had a long day and craves the dark, bitter sweetness of chocolate, Magnus summons it from Belgium and feeds it to him with kisses, one piece at a time.

He paints Alexander’s hands one night in France, as they giggle and titter over champagne and strawberries and still warm baguettes covered in soft cheese.

—Magnus forgets to take it off for Alexander before he returns to work, and he’s surprised and delighted when Alec comes home with it still on—

He rubs Alexander’s sore muscles and kisses his bruises, hiding his scowl in Alexander’s skin when Alec laughs and says, ‘Magnus I’m fine.’

After two weeks of Alec constantly returning home, sore and aching, Magnus creates a hot spring on their roof and adds a garden, for ambience.

He takes Alexander ice skating on the frozen lakes on the islands of ice and keeps him warm with magic as they dance under the moonlight.

Magnus slowly replaces every single piece of Alexander’s clothing, even what remains at the Institute. Continuing until Alexander no longer steps outside of their home without being dressed in Magnus’ choices.

He adds a mudroom to the loft, with benches to sit and racks for weapons and a magical stool that cleans Alexander’s boots for him.

Alexander gives him a look when he does, kisses him sweetly and tries to assure Magnus that he’s fine. That Magnus doesn’t have to change his space for Alec to fit, that Alec loves him without all of these gifts.

Alexander was raised with all the practicality of a nephilim commander and his assurances only make Magnus want to spoil him more.

So Magnus ignores him, pins him to the bench he magically created, and rides Alexander until he has nothing left to say.

The next day, Magnus hands Alexander's his bag and smiles when Alec sighs, opens it and then shakes his head.

But he’s smiling as he does it and he kisses Magnus’ cheek gently. Like he’s overwhelmed that Magnus charmed his bag to be weightless and protected.

Alexander brings his own gifts.

Several priceless cuttings from the Institute greenhouse that he brought, admitting with soft delight that they ‘ reminded him of Magnus’.

—that those gorgeous, nephilim-hoarded, angelically blessed and magically powerful plants make him think of Magnus, when every other nephilim thinks of them as reminders of Raziel—

Magnus turned the rooftop garden into a magical greenhouse after that.

He does other things. Like making Magnus tea and snacks when he’s busy experimenting, sitting nearby and listening to Magnus ramble and gently, occasionally, nudging him to drink and eat until Magnus is done.

Then he’ll sit in a chair with his own snack, reading a book or sometimes just watching Magnus.

He hardly ever rushes Magnus, only ever when they have a meeting it would be bad to miss.

Alexander also picks up after him, not because he needs to, because he wants to.

Magnus is used to throwing things when done with them and using magic to eventually get them where they belong.

Alexander will laugh and shake his head and smooth a pillow back into place, eyes soft as they stare at Magnus with an adoration that consumes him.

And so they play their little games. Loving each other in a way that no one else has ever done for them.

[unknown-lifeform]

Ok but like. I've been thinking of technology in ff7 and parallels between the ff7 timeline and ours and honestly the differences just. They make sense. More than this first paragraph does for sure at least

So. Let's try to assume that the year 0000 in ff7 corresponds to our 2000. So the 90's in ff7 correspond to our 90's, the 80's to our 80's, and so on. Obviously there are some massive differences in technological advancement, especially with Remake/Rebirth giving people smartphones as opposed to the flip phones of the earlier games. If we go with the Remake/Rebirth version, that's more advanced than our early 2000's. Robotics and AI are obviously ages ahead in ff7 compared to us. Possibly bioengineering too, but that can be explained by ff7 having mako and monsters and Jenova when we obviously don't.

But when you think about it, it makes sense. It's about war. Shinra has been actively at war for decades before canon (Wutai in the 90's, and before that the Junon Republic). And it's also fundamentally a technological juggernaut with endless money to throw at research. Robotics and AI being advanced? Shinra uses mechas as weapons, sometimes Wutai never seems to have done. Of course that sector is way more developed, Shinra had an interest in making better, smarter weapons. Smartphones? Obviously developing communication technology is important if you want to take over the world. And once the war is over, Shinra can charmingly recycle their discoveries in things people will like

We can consider instead what the ff7 world doesn't have. There are no high speed trains, or long distance trains at all. Shinra doesn't have a use for it. Wutai was an island so trains wouldn't get Shinra there. Rebirth tells us the Republic of Junon had plenty of roads, but Shinra let them fall apart after taking over, because no use for roads when you can fly your operatives around, and everyone else can suck it up. Why would they even think about things like trains? There are also no power plants outside of mako reactors, obviously, and the only traces that energy sources other than mako were ever used are Corel's abandoned coal mines and as for Rebirth some abandoned Junon era windmills. Oh, and the abandoned oil fields On the Way to a Smile mentions. None are exactly the latest technology when it comes to energy production. Because Shinra would have to be insane to invest a single cent in any kind of energy research that isn't mako

And of course, space technology. In our world, Yuri Gagarin was in space in 1961, and we had people on the moon before the end of the 60's. And why was that? Because of the space race, because we had the Cold War, and sending someone into space was an amazing way to show off your country was the best country, and so both the US and the USSR funneled money into space research. In ff7? There was no Cold War. No rush to develop space technology by the 60's. Maybe the Republic of Junon or whoever would have worked it out at a slower pace, but then Shinra started its very much not cold wars, and there was no reason to invest into a space program then. Not when money and resources could make weapons, instead of rockets. Only after the end of the Wutai War was Cid sent to go into space - as a publicity stunt from Shinra, of course. And when his launch failed (for safety issues, may I add), Shinra didn't bother to make another. No point in it. No need to show how great your technology is when no one else on the Planet is making technology

I mean I'm sure Shinra has satellites because they gotta make those smartphones work somehow. But as of the early 2000's, no one was into space. Shinra's space program is scrapped, and has Palmer of all people in charge. It seems the only people who actually care to study the universe are the planetologists in Cosmo Canyon. So is astrophysics just considered some useless hippy science in the ff7 world? You can't squeeze mako out of space, so let's just not bother with it ever?

I'm just having a massive moment about technological advancement and scientific research being subservient to whatever the latest global imperialist superpower and what its practical wants and needs are. And also how in ff7 the only scientists we see are either on the Shinra payroll, all on varying levels of unethical experimentation, or in Cosmo Canyon, which I don't think gets a lot of research grants on average, or the engineers left jobless around in Rocket Town after the failed lunch. Want a career in science, either get consumed by the evil megacorporation and lose whatever morals you might have had, or get fucked

[wa-royal-tea]

Previous | Beginning | Next

(Transcript under the cut - Click Pics for HQ Version!)

Inggar Palace, Langdale (7:48pm)

Leon: *sighs* Are you done?

Ulysses: Almost, your highness. I might need to alter the waistline.

Leon: Will it take long? I don’t want to be late.

Ulysses: It’ll take a few minutes. I’ll try to make it quick.

Leon: Alright. Go ahead then. I’ll wait.

Ulysses: Of course, sir. Please excuse me.

*door opens and closes*

Leon: *sighs*

A few years ago...

Alfie: Are you sure you don’t want to join us? We’re probably going to get dinner too, y’know?

Leon: I’m not in the mood to go out. You guys just go enjoy your date.

Catalina: It’s not a date, Leon. We’re just...hanging out.

Alfie: Yeah, what she said.

Leon: Sure, whatever you call it. Now go.

Catalina: Fine~ We’re leaving now~

Catalina: Oh! I forgot to tell you. Nora’s not feeling well and sleeping in our room right now. Can you check in on her once in a while? And make sure when she wakes up she eats her meds too. I’ve put it in the fridge.

Leon: Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.

Catalina: Cool. Call me if you need anything for her!

Leon: Yes, ma’am.

*phone rings*

Leon: Hello? What is it, Danny?

Leon: Oh, the schedule? I thought father said that I’d start my engagements after my graduation?

Leon: Hmm...is that so?

*click!*

Leon: Can I talk to you later? Something came up. Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll get back to you when I can. Okay, bye.

Leon *thinking*: The main switch is on. Is it a total blackout?

*phone rings*

Leon: Hello?

Alfie (on the phone): Hey, did anything happen back at home?

Leon: The power went out. But all the main switches are up. Why’d you ask? Did something happen?

Alfie: There’s a power outage on the entire Island. We asked the locals what happened and they said that they heard there was a fire happening at the power plant.

Leon: That’s not good. Are you coming back soon?

Alfie: We plan to but we’re stuck in traffic now. Cars aren’t moving and there’s an accident in front.

Catalina (in the background): Check on Nora! Don’t leave her alone!

Alfie: Lina asks you to check on Nora.

Leon: I will. Be careful, you two. Don’t rush back home.

Alfie: We won’t. Lock the doors. I think we have candles somewhere in the kitchen.

Leon: Okay. I’ll look for it later. Bye, take care.

Alfie: You too.

*thump!*

Leon: Nora?

Nora: *sniffles* Leon? I-is that you?

Leon: Yeah. Are you okay?

Nora: I’m fine. I just fell from the bed. What happened to the lights?

Leon: There’s an outage. The whole island went dark. Come on, I’ll help you up.

Nora: Thank you.

Nora: W-wait! Where are you going?

Leon: I’m going to get the candles. My phone’s about to run out of battery.

Nora: Can I...Can I come with you?

Leon: Aren’t you sick?

Nora: I am. But I don’t like being in the dark.

Leon: Hmm...okay. Follow me then.

Leon: Lay down on the sofa. I’ll get the blanket for you.

Nora: But what about you?

Leon: I’ll be fine. You’re sick and you need to rest. Stay here, I won’t be long.

Leon: Here you go.

Nora: *content sigh* Thank you.

Leon: Hm.

Nora: Why didn’t you go with Alfie and Lina just now? Aren’t you bored staying here?

Leon: I don’t feel like going out.

Nora: Why?

Leon: I don’t know.

Leon: And besides, I can’t leave you here alone. What if something happens to you if everyone left?

Nora: *chuckles* I’ll be fine. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.

Leon: *playfully* Says the girl who just cried in the dark.

Nora:...

Leon: Sorry, I was just joking.

Nora: I-I know. I didn’t mean to make it awkward for you. Sorry.

Leon: It’s fine.

Nora: *clears throat* You must think I’m childish, right? For being scared of the dark?

Leon: Why would you say that?

Nora: Y’know. I’m a grown woman, but I cried just because it got dark. Only kids cry because of something small like that.

Leon: I don’t think so. Everyone has things they’re scared of. It doesn’t matter how old you get, if a thing scares you, it scares you.

Nora:...

Nora: Why are you so nice, Leon?

Leon: I’m not.

Nora: Maybe you don’t think so, but I do. You stayed behind to keep me company and you’ve been nice to me since we first met. You even helped me feel better.

Leon:...

Nora: *yawns* You’re a good person. More than what you give yourself credit for.

Leon:...you should go to sleep. I’ll wake you up when the lights are back.

Nora: Hm? Okie~

Nora:...Leon?

Leon: Hm?

Nora: Is there anything you’re scared of?

Leon:...I don’t know. My father told me that men shouldn’t be scared of anything.

Nora: Hm...that’s such a sad thing to say.

Leon: Why?

Nora:...

Leon *thinking*: How can you sleep after saying that?

Annaleigh: Leon?

Leon: Mother? What are you doing here?

Annaleigh: Your father made me check in on you. Astrid is waiting downstairs and your father wants you to get ready now.

Leon: Oh...I see.

Annaleigh: Is everything alright? Are you okay?

Leon: *exhales deeply* I...I can’t do this.

Annaleigh: It’s your duty, Leon. Who else other than her can stand next to you?

Leon: Mother...

Annaleigh: I know it’s hard. But having a choice is a privilege for people like us.

Annaleigh: I wish you can choose who you want for your future. But we both know that it’s not possible. You’re the future King. You need someone who can understand your future role and support you.

Leon:...I understand.

Annaleigh: I won’t hold you back anymore. You can continue getting ready. We’ll be waiting downstairs.

*door closes*

[swiftsaltsweet]

The Hunt for Kyoshi: Chapter 2

Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi (plus whoever appears in Rok)

Pairing: Rangshi

Summary:  

“What are we going to do?” She asked steely, still not looking up from the ground. She was ready to uphold her duty, or at least, what remained of it. “We need you to capture Kyoshi,” Jianzhu instructed. “Capture?” “Yes, we need to set an example of an Avatar murderer,” Jianzhu responded, oh so matter of factly again.

(Canon Divergent AU- “What if Rangi wasn’t there when Kyoshi ran away, and Rangi had to hunt her down?)

Prev chapter

Other Sites: AO3 and Fanfic.net

A/N: Man….this is actually my 2nd AU for Kyoshi I was working on (the other one I have 6 rough chapters done). But this one took such a hold on me I had to put the other one on hold (now let’s hope that 3 other AUs don’t take ahold of me too). TT0TT Sorry this took so long, I swear I was writing my lil’ heart out for this. TT0TT

Anyway, I found a post where it states that the distance between Roku’s island and Senlin village was about 504 miles (811ish km). Between Yokoya and Chameleon Bay, I’m giving it like….800 miles (1287.48ish km), if you run along the sea. 

_________

It felt like the ground shook around Rangi, maybe it did. Maybe her scream was so powerful it became an earthquake that matched the one in her heart?

Regardless, her scream had alerted her mother and Jianzhu, who came rushing out. 

“Rangi?! What’s the matter?” Her mother yelled.

Rangi whipped her head around, and made the two adults freeze in their tracks, they bore a horrified look on their faces. A faint part of Rangi wondered what expression she was making, but that part died out as quickly as it came into being.

She barreled past them, clutching the little red ledger in her hand. She needed to get out now. She had wasted enough time. 

She practically ripped the stable doors off its hinges, scaring the stablehands inside. They promptly hightailed out of there, as she scanned the room. There was one lone ostrich horse. 

She briefly wondered why there was only one, but figured either the storm or Kyoshi had scared the rest off. It didn’t matter, and she quickly packed what prepackaged supplies she could onto the small creature. 

She made sure to place the ledger into her personal rucksack, threw the bag over her shoulder, and then mounted the animal.

Rangi started taking off, but had to stop right outside the doors, so as not to run over her mother and Jianzhu.

“Rangi! What is going on?!” Hei-Ran she put her hands out, trying to take the reins on the steed herself.

Rangi backed the animal away, and went around the adults slowly. “You were right. You both were right!” Something akin to a sob radiated in her voice. 

“What do you-? Rangi if you’re going to act like this I won’t let you-”

“SHE’S A DAOFEI!” Rangi cut her mother off, hurling the revelation into the adults’ faces. “She was a daofei this whole time! She really did use us!” 

_______

She snapped the reins, and sped past the two. Ignoring their yells to come back. She barreled past the gate, down the road, and soon out of Yokoya. 

Rangi’s eyes focused on the forested area ahead as she tore down the dirt road, ignoring Qinchao Village’s entrance as she passed. Her goal was to get to Gaoling city before nightfall. From there, she was going to avoid the Si Wong desert and snake her way alongside the Eastern Sea.

Her jaw clenched as tightly as she held her reins, she tried to make herself smaller, more streamline so that her steed would go faster.

Now that she was on the road, she was unfortunately left with her thoughts. Kyoshi’s journal weighed heavily on her back, all of Kyoshi’s secrets laid bare. At least, for the pages that weren’t ruined. 

Judging by the info, Kyoshi was a plant, having rooted herself there long ago. Her mother was an ex-Air Nomad, having founded the daofei gang The Flying Opera Company with Kyoshi’s father. 

Bile seeped into Rangi’s mouth. Another renegade Air Nomad? The very idea alone was inconceivable, even when Jianzhu had told her Kelsang was a renegade she had a hard time swallowing it. But now that she found Kyoshi’s journal, the hard pill was finally and fully swallowed. 

And twice in a generation at that! It couldn’t be a coincidence. How often did that happen in the Air Temples? Or was it just that Kyoshi’s mother, Jesa, and Kelsang were outliers. Were they in cahoots together?

Rangi bit her lower lip in deep thought, she deduced the latter seemed the most plausible route. Though, she wasn’t against suggesting to Jianzhu to see what he and the other nations could do about investigating any possible corruption in the Air Temples. 

Pulling her thoughts back to Jesa and Kelsang, she started to formulate the hypothesis in her head. Jesa had dropped Kyoshi off about two years prior to her “official” meeting with Kelsang and Jianzhu. 

Enough time for the child to establish herself in Yokoya, to make it seem like any meeting with her would be a coincidence. To be able to make contact with Kelsang without it seeming too suspicious. All while Kelsang was in Jianzhu’s ear, whispering ideas of setting up shop for the Avatar in Yokoya.

But why Yokoya? Jianzhu had listed his reasons long ago, but what would Kelsang’s be? Surely it involved making infiltrating the Avatar Estate easier. But, again, what was so special about Yokoya? 

Why such a dingy little town? Rangi’s eyes widened in realization. That was it, the size. There weren’t that many people, but most importantly, there weren’t that many orphans. In fact, there had only been one in the past nine years. Kyoshi.

And Kelsang was there to play the role of the benevolent monk who would help the helpless orphan that no one cared about. And the size of the village made it easy to know exactly who everyone was. 

Something gnawed at Rangi, this all seemed like such an overly complicated longcon. Wouldn’t it have just been easier for Kelsang to just ask Jianzhu to hire someone? Wait until Kyoshi was older, and then send a recommendation in?

Rangi absentmindedly tapped a finger on the reins, until the realization hit her.

It had to be overly complicated, because Kelsang knew Jianzhu wouldn’t do that. One of the rumors she heard early on was how hard it was for Kelsang to give Kyoshi a chance as a fourteen year old. And this was after Kelsang had been planting Kyoshi into Jianzhu’s thoughts for the course of nine years. 

The nine years where they searched for the Avatar, where Kelsang would visit the village to “check up” on Kyoshi. Where Jianzhu would visit to make negotiations with the villagers. Jianzhu had known of Kyoshi that entire time, and still almost didn’t hire her. 

Kelsang was aware of his old friend’s overly cautious attitude, and expertly navigated it. 

Rangi grimaced to herself, as the picture was becoming more and more clearer. But she still had one thing that didn’t make any sense. It was Kyoshi’s childhood and her treatment during that time.

Auntie Mui had told Rangi of what Kyoshi’s supposed childhood was like as she grew up in Yokoya. How she’d been mistreated by the local villagers, left abandoned to starve and die. To be treated worse than an animal. Rangi had even recently seen a bout of bullying happen recently to boot!

But with all these revelations, how much of that was true? Did Auntie Mui lie? Was she in on this treachery too? Possibly, but other servants corroborated her story. It was possible that those servants were also in on it. However, it was equally possible of them being lied to as well. And what of the villagers? Was their cruelty also a ploy?

How much could be lied about? A starving child’s body held more truth than any lie could. Had Kyoshi been a victim in all of this too?!

Rangi swallowed the burning lump in her throat and shook her head. No, she would not bleed sympathy for her friend’s murderer. It did not matter what hardships she grew up with, she made her choice. People with far worse had made far better choices. 

She took a deep breath and kept going through the possibilities. Maybe no one lied, maybe her upbringing was that rough. But why put a child through that? Unless….it was an act? 

Kyoshi’s father, Hark, was a man from a long line of actors turned daofei. Maybe Kyoshi was a prodigy actress? Even from such a young age?

Rangi almost laughed at such a silly notion, but she didn’t one hundred percent dismiss it. She moved onto the next, more digestible possibility.

Kyoshi was a child soldier. Of course, a five year old was perhaps pushing it. But Rangi had read about crazier stories in her time at the academy. To be honest, Rangi could see it, she did come from the capital nation of military brats after all.  

Rangi recalled the inhuman feat that Kyoshi displayed against the battle of the Fifth Nation, pulling earth out of sea from two hundred paces. That wasn’t something you just did without special training. 

The recollection of the memory caused Rangi to clench her jaw so hard, her teeth were at risk of cracking. She knew how to bend like that, but acted like a helpless child?!

Kyoshi had kept her ability to bend earth so hush hush, that no one on the compound was really aware of it unless you checked the staff ledger, like Rangi had done. Rangi remembered her trying to encourage Kyoshi into bending, into believing in herself. Unbeknownst that Kyoshi had been giving Rangi the go-around. 

Yet another piece of Rangi’s trust was tarnished. Chewed up and spit out. Desecrated. 

Rangi took multiple breaths to calm herself, lest she set her and her steed on fire with her own breath. 

So Rangi's hypothesis was finally formed. Two renegade Air Nomads dropped Kyoshi off in Yokoya upon seeing it was the best location for their future deeds. After a long con, Kelsang was able to convince Jianzhu to set up a homebase there. They found Yun, and then…… well… killed him. But why wait two years? Opportunity?

Rangi pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment. She’d forgotten to ask Jianzhu about how the incident went down. She needed to get it together. 

She would have to wait until she could send a messenger hawk from Gaoling. 

_________

“Jianzhu informed me we might be expecting you!” Lu Beifong fanned himself. “We’ve prepared a room for you. For some reason he apologized in advance for my floors. Do you….know what he meant by that?”

Rangi glared at the man, she just wanted to get to her room and be left alone.

Lu Beifong gulped, but continued to attempt small talk as he showed his guest to her room. Rangi mostly ignored him, especially when he mentioned something about an upcoming party. “This is where you will be staying. Oh! And one more thing.” He gestured to his servant, who held a messenger scroll. “Jianzhu’s messenger hawk sent this message for you.”

Rangi took the scroll from the servant's hands and walked through her guest room door.

“If there’s anything you nee-” Lu wasn’t able to finish as Rangi promptly shut the door in his face. 

She looked down at the messenger scroll that was for her and frowned. While it appeared closed, it was apparent it had already been opened once. Someone, most likely Lu Beifong, was trying to see what secret Avatar affairs were inside.

She took the message out and unfurled it. A small item fell out, it was Jianzhu’s seal.

The message contained benign pleasantries from Jianzhu addressed to her. Asking her to inform him on her vacation plans and so forth. Absolute bunk. At least, to the person who didn’t have the key. The only thing that wasn’t written in code, was in regards to the seal. He claimed it was in case she needed funds for her trip, and he wasn’t able to send word out ahead of time. She didn’t need a code to read in between the lines on that one.

She read through the contents twice, before deciphering the hidden meaning on her third read-through.

The letter’s real contents contained the story she’d failed to listen to before leaving. Apparently, Jianzhu had taken Yun and Kyoshi to a spirit to help identify which one was the Avatar. The spirit had identified Yun as the Avatar, and that’s when Kyoshi began the attack. She had killed the spirit in the crossfire. 

Rangi grimaced at the sacrilegious act. Kyoshi really held nothing sacred, not spirits nor the Avatar.

Kelsang soon joined the fray, and he and Kyoshi overpowered the two with his surprise ambush. Killing Yun. And Jianzhu was barely able to get a lucky shot in, killing Kelsang, before retreating away from Kyoshi. Kyoshi had taken Kelsang’s bison and was now going to spirits know where.

Rangi tapped her finger on the desk as the final piece of the puzzle fit into place. Kyoshi and Kelsang didn’t enact their plan until two years later because they were waiting for an opportunity. It was no coincidence that Kelsang “revealed” that Kyoshi might be the Avatar when most of the guardsmen and master Amak were taken out by Takaga. 

Between Rangi and her mother being away on business, and taking both Yun and Jianzhu to an isolated location, they must’ve thought their defenses were weak enough to strike. And they were right.

But maybe it wasn’t just about the defenses? Surely they had plenty of opportunities to kill Yun, when he was alone. Unless, Jianzhu was also their target! 

It made sense, Yun was the Avatar, but Jianzhu held a lot of influence and power in the Earth Kingdom in his own right. It would’ve been more beneficial to strike them both down around the same time, so as not to deal with the other’s retaliation. 

Rangi slammed her fist on the table. If only we didn’t go to that delegation! Then Yun could’ve-Yun might’ve-

A cold chill ran down Rangi’s spine. Would she and her mother's presence have been able to dissuade Kelsang and Kyoshi? Would they have still attacked? Would they have killed them too? 

Rangi clawed at the letter on the table, and slowly let it burn away under her finger tips. She accidentally singed the wood underneath it in the process. Once she calmed down enough, so as not to break nor set fire to her brush, she began writing a reply letter to Jianzhu. In code of course. 

She wrote about her hypothesis, who Jianzhu should look into for secret spies and corruption, as well as where she intended to go the next few days, and how she’d planned to communicate going forward. She’d be on the road, but she’d send updates via messenger hawk when she’d be able to. 

Right when she was about to finish, a dark thought entered her mind. She added at the end to see if they could start the search for the new Avatar in the Fire Nation. Rangi may have failed Yun, but maybe she could still help the next Avatar. But that Avatar would need to be safe and secured before that could happen. 

And with an Avatar killer on the run, the urgency of finding the next Avatar was of utmost concern now. 

Once Rangi was done, she left to send the letter. On her way back, she checked her supplies along with her ostrich horse, and then went back to her room.

She rifled through her rucksack, and pulled out the journal. That journal, a coarse reminder of how little she knew about her once friend. But also a dark blessing, as the secrets it told Rangi gave her all the leads she’d ever need, she may not even need a shirshu to find Kyoshi. 

She put the journal aside and checked the rest of the contents to make sure everything was in order. Her fingers brushed against something soft, and she gingerly pulled it out. It was the gold-dyed tassel from Kyoshi’s room. 

Rangi sat silently in the room, and stared at the object.

______________

Rangi held the green tassel in her hand, as it dangled from the Earth Kingdom robe.

“Pretty,” a soothing voice whispered in her right ear. It made Rangi tense up, that voice always made Rangi tense up. She tried and failed to stop a flush running up her right side. Rangi turned to look at the voice, it was from her friend, Kyoshi. “Don’t you think?”

There are prettier things in this room. But Rangi couldn’t say that out loud. So, she just grunted, feigning disinterest. “I’ve seen better made ones.”

“Hm, I dunno, it seems well made to me.” Kyoshi moved her hand to take the tassel out of Rangi’s hand, to inspect it herself. Rangi tried to move her hand out of the way fast enough, at least without it looking like it was fleeing from Kyoshi, but she was too slow and felt their skin just brush past each other.

Kyoshi’s hand was smooth and soft, cool, and pleasant. It also bore the effect of feeling like a hot knife running along Rangi’s skin. Rangi tried to calm her aching heart by listening to Kyoshi ramble on about the object’s quality.

“It’s really soft,” Kyoshi smiled fondly at the tassel, as she flipped it back and forth, causing the fabric to swap and create a small flow of air. Kyoshi’s scent blew towards Rangi, and Rangi fought to keep an even breathing pattern. She smells like morning dew today.

Seeing the green tassel in Kyoshi’s hand, Rangi could see just how well the color worked with Kyoshi’s skin tone, and started to warm up to the object. “I think it’d look good on you.” She blurted out before she could stop herself.

Rangi had a brief moment of panic, before it was quietly tapered by Kyoshi’s snort and roll of her eyes. “Yeah right, it’d look horrible on me! I’d be doing a disservice to this fine cloth.”

No, you wouldn’t. Rangi wanted to protest. You’d look good in anything. But she didn’t dare speak her true thoughts, because she feared her tone would reveal more than she’d want it to. Something she feared that could ruin their relationship.

“What are my two girls looking at?” a cheerful voice came from behind. Rangi thanked the spirits that Avatar Yun had appeared; she was always afraid she’d lose herself around Kyoshi whenever they were alone.

“Aren’t you supposed to be training?” All that being said, she had a schedule to work with, she didn’t want him slacking.

“Yikes! Please I get enough from your mother.” Yun fake wept. “I’m on a break, actually. What do you have there, Kyoshi?”

Kyoshi and Rangi stepped aside, to show off the robe that had come in as a gift. “Oh that is nice, but it seems a little too long for me. You can have it, Kyoshi.”

Rangi looked at Kyoshi, gauging her reaction, but it was exactly as Rangi predicted it would be. “No, I’m good.”

Rangi fought back a small smile. Her friend was ever frugal, and not in want of anything. Almost to a fault.

“No really you can have it! I don’t need it, think of it as a gift from me!” Yun insisted.

“That’s great, but this is actually addressed to Master Jianzhu. So unless you want to take it up with him-“ she cut herself off with a small wave, showing there was nothing more to be explained. Then she went over and flicked Yun on the nose. “Anyway, a gift should be more sincere than that! You shouldn’t give things away willy-nilly because you want to free up space! It won’t feel special!”

“Tell that to the people who send me stuff,” Yun whined.

“Trust me Yun, I’m well aware,” Kyoshi waved her arms around, showing off all the mostly useless trinkets he’s gotten. She rubbed her temple absentmindedly. “Though I guess I should be thankful. As long as these gifts keep coming I still have a job.”

Rangi tensed up at the thought of Kyoshi being here one day and then gone the next. Not being able to follow her because of her duty. She wasn’t sure how she’d manage if that ever did happen.

Yun gave a pat on Kyoshi’s back, laughing. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll make sure you have plenty of work! I swear, as long as I live, I’ll always have a mess for you to clean up.”

Kyoshi rolled her eyes, “Gee, thanks!” Before laughing and giving him a playful shove on the shoulder.

Rangi stared deadpanned at them, before a smile of her own crept up onto her face, softening it. “Ok, ok you two! Enough ostrich horsing around and get back to work.” She started shooing Yun out the door. “I’ll escort you back to your training, Avatar Yun.”

“Aw, but I want to relax for a bit longer! You can go on ahead!” Yun whined, dragging his feet as  Rangi all but pushed him out. To Rangi, the only thing that was worse than her being alone with Kyoshi, was Kyoshi and Yun being alone in a room together. 

Rangi turned back towards Kyoshi as she exited the door. “Kyoshi, I want this done by the end of the day. I’ll be back in a few hours.” 

“Don’t worry I will!” Kyoshi called back to her. Kyoshi could do it. She was always fast and efficient. It was one of the things Rangi liked so much about her. 

“Just five more minutes!” Yun tried to sneak back in, before Rangi pulled him back out into the hallway.

“I told you! Back to training!” Rangi scolded him, giving him another push forward. 

But as she pushed Yun, he crumpled into dust at her touch. She looked forward and saw the hallway was quickly being engulfed into darkness.

Panic shot through Rangi, she turned back to make sure Kyoshi was alright. But as she looked upon her friend, she saw her peaceful smile contorting into a sinister grin.

___________________

Rangi opened her eyes with a jolt, she was laying on the floor, the gold tassel still in her hand. Her chest was aching, and she could feel a stream of wetness sliding down her face. She wiped at her face, it was sweat, or tears, or both. She wasn’t sure, she didn’t care. 

She got back up into a sitting position and grabbed the rucksack, and threw the tassel back into the bag. 

She balled her hands into fist and pressed them into her eyes, trying to calm the shaking that was wrecking her. She cursed the spirits for making her relive that once benign memory. Making her see Yun alive again, making her wish for her old relationships back. Making her want Kyoshi’s comfort. And then twisting it at the end, it was as if it was designed to be overtly cruel. 

After she calmed down, she got up and looked outside, it was still dark. She was only asleep for a handful of hours, maybe even not that. 

She couldn’t go back to sleep. She didn’t want to go back to sleep, afraid she’d be faced with more debauched memories. So she began to pace until the sun rose up. 

A/N:God the mental gymnastics hurt but I think I got through it. TT0TT At least for someone who is not thinking very clearly. Keep weaving your own idea Rangi, love to see an actual Evil!Kelsang sometime tho kfjsdjfa.

Next chapter will be a bit shorter I think, as it’s from Jianzhu’s perspective…...Oh wow actually it is very short….I might need to embellish it a bit. TT0TT

Anyway, the song Lose Control by Teddie Swims fits this fic I think (wasn’t my intention, just happened to find this song recently and realized it). I dunno give it a listen. 8U

[dailycharacteroption]

Planar Tour Guide: The First World part 2

(art by davvworlds on DeviantArt)

Geography

Like I said yesterday, The First World is ever-changing, with only the will of especially powerful fey keeping any area stable in a decently permanent fashion. While it is true that a particular biome could last decades on it’s own, every part of the plane is subject to the potential of great waves of change rushing over everything, turning forests to deserts, mountains to oceans, and the familiar into the utterly unfamiliar. Remember that this plane contains every concept dreamed up by the gods before the final creation was made, so impossible physics, magical laws, and the like are all possible. You might see floating islands, or colossal trees with continent-spanning branches, strange places where all that is naturally tiny is massive, and so on. You might even see strange playtime lands where massive cards and dice are overgrown with plant life like the stones of a long-dead city, and the like.

So with all these constant changes, it can be difficult to try and make broad statements about this vast realm. As such, instead we’ll focus on listing the semi-permenant realms ruled over by Eldest and other powerful fey with the wills to keep their personal domains stable.

One of the biggest cities on the plane is Anophaeus, the so-called First City on account of having existed supposedly even before Axis. The city is the divine domain of Imbrex, the fey eldest resembling colossal twin statues, while the city sprouts up around, over, and even up the feet and legs of the immobile divinity. There, First World gnomes and other fey trade in many wondrous things and try to interpret the telepathic dreams of their patron.

As the name suggests, the Crumbling Tower is a partially ruined edifice that serves as the home of the Lost Prince, the Eldest of melancholy and lonliness. It is inhabited by him and his followers, who work constantly to shore up the construction of the tower even as it’s top floors continue to crumble and fall. Though hardly an appealing place for most, the Lost Prince’s library, the Helix, is one of the best in the First World.

Meanwhile, in a misty forest where mirror-like pools abound, the Forest Pools is the realm of Magdh and her norns, all of which quietly watch the future and see all possibilities for both the First World and the entirety of the cosmos.

Cast in perpetual twilight by the canopy of the Silkwood and suspended on cords of spider silk, the Hanging Bower is the home of the Green Mother, the eldest of the predatory allure of nature. It is a place of sensual revelry where companionship and intoxicants are at their most varied. It is also, however, a place of politics and intrigue, with many a deal conducted in a seedy pleasure den. Just be careful if you catch the attention of the Green Mother herself. While she has her own desires and intrigues, not all survive her attention.

Rising high atop a mountain and constantly shifting between different eras of it’s own construction, the House of Eternity is home to Shyka the Many, the eldest of time. Shyka’s library the most comprehensive that most beings could ever hope to find, supposedly having a copy of every book that has or ever will be written. Of course, Shyka is likely to demand a price, usually some unique artifact, in exchange to taking a peek.

Ruined and sunk to the bottom of the deepest trench of the Cerulean Sea, Karaphas the Drowned is home to the father of linnorms, the eldest Ragadahn. Few are allowed to enter, but ramshackle cities spring up along the outskirts populated by those seeking the favor of their ruler.

Count Ranalc is long gone, but his domain Nighthold remains, though not unchanged, with the Bleeding Mount volcano raining ash and fire on the ruins of his acropolis. Shadows and wicked fey rule, held back by a fence of magical lanterns. According to legend, if someone can make it to and sit on the throne of the realm, they will become it’s ruler, though no one has survived the attempt thus far.

An onion-domed compound with inward-curved walls, the Palace of Seasons lies in the middle of a desert, and is watched over by the eldest Ng. Within it’s empty halls one can find many secrets, including specimens of exotic seasons that were tested, but never implemented on any world of the Material Plane. Though regarded by most as his home, Ng claims that he is actually watching over the realm for another eldest.

Finally, the Witchmarket, is an oddity among permanent fey realms in that it is much more mobile than they are, a roving caravan of fey merchants that travel not just around the First World, but also onto the Material Plane, though it is clear to those who enter that they are not quite within the familiar world while among it’s wagons and tents. It is said anything can be found there, but the merchants do not truck in coin, instead accepting payment in often-dangerous services, new magic, and seemingly impossible and ephemeral things.

Additionally, there are a few things one must also note about the First World beyond the tricks of fey and the ever-shifting landscape. The first is that magic is wild and unstable. In many places, it is traditionally wild, but in others, it simply becomes unpredictable, forcing casters to focus their will to make sure the spell happens as intended, though some of these effects are beneficial.

The other thing to remember is that just as parts of the First World are stabilized by the will of the Eldest, so too is the rest of the plane affected by the will of those within. Though difficult, it is possible to create temporary changes to the environment by focusing on it, though exactly the extent of how much can be changed depends on the power of the one doing the altering. These can range from reshaping a wood thicket to allow a path through to cleaving out a temporary demiplane from the First World, which appears to outsiders to be a fenced-off realm within the plane that none without strong magic can penetrate or peer into.

That will do for today, but as we can see, the First World is capable of cities and structure, but the fact it is made up of everything that is or might have been part of the Material Plane makes it a place of abundance and wild chaos, of infinite generation and renewal as all ideas are constantly changed and remixed with each other. Look forward to tomorrow when we talk about the creatures that live there!

[kakusu-shipping]

Like an open book

It is 4:30am, my Air Conditioning unit sounds like a washing machine on full power, and it is simply impossible to sleep, so let’s write a Nook X Reader, hm?

Tom Nook X Island Rep/GN!Reader

In which you eat dirt

“I see you...innocently running in a great field...” 

“They respond right away this time...”

Another quiet day was slowly winding to a close outside Resident Services windows as Tom Nook relaxed back into his chair, stretching his paws over the desk.

Across from him, his peppy assistant Isabelle was taking the down time to catch up on some novel one of the residents had recommended to her. Just watching her expressions, Nook had picked up the plot considerably. It was a romance, never too steamy and hardly sweet, somewhere near the middle the main hunk had betrayed the story’s maiden in some major way, and now, three chapters to the end, he way dying.

Tom was never sure if he was just remarkable at reading faces, or if young Isabelle was just too easy to read. He’d wondered if he was once that expressive, wearing a story on his face and he walked naively through life.

Looking back, it was probably fine that he had, and would have been better if he’d continued to do so.

Movement outside the front window pulled Nook from memory lane; The Island Rep was whizzing through the main plaza, a to-go coffee from Brooster’s in one hand, a gift from one resident to another in the other.

Now that was youth, Tom thought to himself, acting to stretch as he stood and made way to get closer to the window. The rep had practically built this island with their own two hands, and now spent their time running from one corner to the next, filling the museum with every bug, fish, fossil, and painting they could get their hands on.

They were quiet the feat, weren’t they? So vibrant, goal oriented, and caring to the other residents. They didn’t complain about the ludicrous amount of work assigned to them. If Nook were a younger man, he might have helped share that burden more evenly, spent less time in the tent and more time in the grass pulling weeds, planting flowers, and picking fruit.

Tom was once again snapped from past regrets by swift movement out the window. Still hot coffee spilled across the brick of the square, seeping into a gift wrapped apology gift that would probably have to be returned to the sender.

The Island Rep lay face down in the center of the square, still and flat. No one else was around to see them trip and catch the ground with their face, only Nook, who stood frozen at the window.

“Mr. Nook? What happened?” Isabelle half closed her book and looked up, sensing the sudden stillness.

Tom didn’t answer, instead rushing as fast as his old but not quiet middle aged old joints were willing to let him go. Isabelle, who’d at most seen Nook pretend race walk after his boys, was reasonably startled by his hurry, and quickly followed him.

Outside, the Rep had finally recovered enough to start pushing themselves up on their hands. Tom stood by to offer assistance, a quiet “Are you okay?” on his lips, though overly concerned thoughts of bruised ribs and knocked out teeth ran through his head at mach speed. They didn’t have a doctor on the island, why didn’t they have a doctor on the island?

The Island Rep pushed themselves to their feet, smiling and waving off Nook, “I’m fine, I’m fine” They said, which was simply not true, as it normally isn’t when one catches themselves on rough stone chin first.

Tom was rather surprised Isabelle hadn’t shrieked loud enough to alarm the entire island.

The Rep’s chin was gashed, bleeding down on their shirt. The cut matched their smile, wide and red and prominently centered in the face. It was the kind of wound that’d probably need stitches, not something one should just walk away with.

Which they almost did, mind you.

The Rep laughed off their fall and thanked Nook for checking on them all while picking up the trashed to-go coffee cup and delivery. If the adrenaline from the fall had worn off, they sure didn’t show it, as they continued on about having to bring the gift back to it’s sender, the clothing inside completely ruined with coffee.

“m-Mayor...” Isabelle looked as though she might faint, which was a fair reaction to have to such a mess on their peaceful town, “Y-You-r.. Your ch-chin...”

The Rep, or as Isabelle may address them as a left over from their previous town together, The Mayor, began to reach up to their chin, a question on their face. Tom stepped in quicker than expected, pressing his personal pocket hankie to the wound instead. The Island Rep flinched at the pressure.

So they can feel pain. That’s a good sign, probably.

“Hold this here.” Tom Nook spoke in a tone that held no room for argument, as his rep did as they were told, pressing the cloth into their chin with enough force to stop the bleeding.

“Isabelle,” Nook addressed, the younger jumping to attention, finally taking her eyes off their mayor, “Can you handle resident services alone for a bit? I’m going to take the rep to the HHP island, they have a hospital there.”

The words of protest started on the rep’s lips, and were stopped dead in their tracks by a look from Tom. They swallowed, and looked anywhere by at Nook, shifting the cloth on their chin.

“O-Oh. Y-Yes I will be fine!” Isabelle stood to attention and saluted, eyes shut firmly in a fit of determination.

Tom nodded and placed a paw on his rep’s shoulder, turning them to the airport, “I’m counting on you. And please return this if you have a moment.” He spoke, handing Isabelle the ruined present the Rep had been delivering.

Isabelle nodded, taking the coffee soaked gift, “I’ve got it! Have a safe flight!” She waved, beaming with confidence at being left alone in Resident Service.

Nook never took his paw off The Island Representative’s, his representive, your shoulder as he spoke to Orville about booking a flight. The flightless bird having much the same reaction as Isabelle to the gash in your chin, which you’d shown him unprompted by uncovering Nook’s kerchief just enough when Orville caught your eye.

On the plane his paw was on your knee, then thigh, into your hand. The whole time his leg bounced as he stared out the window. You wondered what kind of crazy nerves were rattling in that fuzzy head of his. What loops was he taking himself through scared for you, the island, poor Isabelle and Orville. What would Lottie say, he must be asking himself.

Perhaps he was planning to have the pavement in the plaza evened out, shaved down, or even pay to have it full repaved more flat. No more loose, uneven bricks, smooth clean concrete. But that wouldn’t look very pretty would it? And it would take time, and bells, and inconvenience those who needed Resident Services at all hours.

You leaned ever so slightly onto Nook, holding his paw between your fingers, watching him mentally go over every possible option to make sure a disaster like this never happens again, that everyone involved was properly compensated, and that you, oh so important you, recovered comfortably so you could be back on your feet, sprinting from here to there however you pleased as soon as possible.

“I see you...innocently running in a great field...” Katrina’s fortune from this morning played in your head as you closed your eyes, “I see a lost seagull sailor in need of help...” She’d said. You didn’t quiet understand at the time. Luck in Friendship, Misfortune in Health.

With Tom Nook’s paw finally relaxing in your hand, the flight calming the Tanuki’s anxieties, you supposed now it made a bit more sense.

[brucenorris007]

OKAY.

Our power went out soon after I got home yesterday so I couldn't do this post (you can't imagine how much I was thinking about it)

Sonic, Blaze and Knuckles are the most powerful mortals in the franchise; so much so that, for their own respective reasons, they're keeping their speed/flame/strength in check far more often than not.

That's because they comprise the three pillars of a Trinity.

Blaze represents Life

Knuckles represents Inevitability

Sonic represents (we knew this already) Freedom

Blaze's power is born of fire, of heat; heat is the one common sustenance of all that lives. Whether one generates it internally or seeks out external sources, everything requires warmth to survive. As with anything, too little or an excess causes issues, hence why Blaze has worked so hard to temper her flame. Obviously the definition of a healthy warmth varies, but heat is the common denominator of life; be it across species, plants, animals or dimensions, all need warmth. It is only the very ill-mentally or otherwise-that do not instinctively, reflexively cling to life in spite of hardship.

Further, the same way Blaze learned that embracing having and being a friend in Sonic Rush made her stronger (re: trusting Sonic and learning to bring out the full potential of the Sol Emeralds), so Life burns brighter and stronger in community than individually.

And Life is the nearest to a ubiquitous authority that exists; just as Blaze is royalty or royalty-adjacent. As Blaze's authority grants her agency to perform her duties to protect the Sol Emeralds and life in her-and Sonic's, when called upon-dimensions, Life grants us the agency to be. . . Free.

I've detailed in a different post how Sonic's frankly immense power stems from his identity as just Some Guy. Freedom is what gives Sonic the agency to choose to be Some Guy, and being Some Guy is, in turn, what gives him the Freedom to be so powerful.

The same is true for everyone: anyone can be any one that they choose to be, and choose to be ourselves. Another facet of Sonic that makes him such a solid character is that his identity is never influenced by any of the rest of the cast. He's always true to who he wants to be at any given moment. As he says at one point in SatBK, "I don't mind playing the bad guy!"

Freedom is the endless possibility to be whoever we choose to be at any given moment, same as Sonic.

Freedom to fight

to be kind

to play the bad guy

to help a stranger in trouble

to run

to play

to save the world

to buck authority

to make friends and rivals

to tease

to laugh

to have fun

to be just Some Guy (albeit the Coolest ever.)

He doesn't care about being Special and doesn't care for having anyone set expectations for him because as far as he's concerned, those labels are just restrictions; and it's impossible to restrain an Unstoppable Force.

That's where his hydrophobia comes from; whereas Blaze's fear of heights stems from a self-preservation instinct (again, clinging to Life), Sonic's issue with water more so stems from the fact that he can't swim. Thus being underwater is a restriction.

While Sonic is the theoretical Unstoppable Force made manifest, so Knuckles is to the theoretical Immovable Object. Both through his sheer physical strength being the Strongest thing alive, and in his disinterest and indifference to the functionally infinite power that he protects, always just at his fingertips. These qualities are what make him the ideal guardian of the Master Emerald and Angel Island as a whole.

As Sonic stands for choice, free will and Freedom as a whole and everything that comes with, good and bad, so Knuckles stands for Inevitability in many ways. Fate, destiny, pain, loss, goodbyes and yes, even death.

Destined Child is isolated by duty as much by the physical location of his station, and by virtue of the fact that he's the last of his kind. At the end of his story in Sonic Adventure, he reaffirms that guarding the Master Emerald is his unchanging fate; he even says (at least in a better translation of the original Japanese) that it might be for the best that he doesn't dig too deep into that.

He has, by and large, accepted his role and what that means. Regardless of anything else, he is and will forever be the last echidna. Even if, as some may postulate, his role is an indefinite assignment paired with a likewise indefinite lifespan, he will one day be alone again; knowing the gaping loneliness of a tribe he never knew and the grief of losing the tribe that he chose.

Harsh, of course, but that is exactly why the only thing that can move him to leave his post-save the loss of the Master Emerald-are his friends.

Being alone for so long made Knuckles appreciate exactly how fortunate he is to have found a tribe that he not only chose, but reciprocated by choosing him.

His most common line, "Get off my island" has, at this point, become perfunctory. It comes out almost automatically come the end of a given adventure; yet not once has he ever said "Leave me alone."

Destined Child wants to ward off trouble. He might not always know how to react to company, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want it.

That's why he freely and fiercely expands his sphere of protection to include Team Sonic and the Chaotix; knowing he will one day say his last goodbye, knowing that he's fortunate for the chance to say a last goodbye, he fights alongside them to stave off the Inevitable that they'll all meet one day.

@generic-sonic-fan

[mintibunny]

Vierapril, Day 4 - Danger

The Signora asks Minti for another hunt, not so nicely.

CW: Emotional manipulation

(The Signora) My pretty mockingbird. I remember when we first met. Do you? The promises of power I whispered into your ear, the rush of blood you felt deep in your breast, the blush across your cheeks when my claws wrapped so neatly round your heart.

There is one truth about you, no matter the form you take: You love strongly. I should know, I've seen it many times since our pact. It is a wonder how strong you become when you fight for those you love - and how quickly you falter when frustration sets in, when you believe yourself to be without allies.

I've tried to demonstrate how your strength could be used to love more, to protect by taking the first swing. Just look at you: you've struck blow after blow against the Garlean Empire. Gods quake in your presence. There is little left in this world to achieve, sitting 'pon your throne of the justly dead.

I have to ask, pretty bird: Has nothing of what I've taught you stuck? You rarely take up the scythe in these humdrum days. You tend to your gardens, feed your animals, plant paprikas and popotoes in the hopes of selling them for island trinkets. A night at the cafe is exciting for you.

Remember our first hunts, Minti. For me, your pledged avatar.

I love you.

I hunger.

I love you.

I HUNGER.

HUNGER. LOVE. HUNGER. LOVE.

I beg you, I place myself at your feet. Sate. Me.

[soleilnomoon]

Fem! Reader x Zoro NSFW! Zoro’s birthday is coming, and S/O planned his gift: a 1v1 duel at a secluded island. They fought from dawn to late dusk with Zoro winning. S/O tried her best, but the most she got was Zoro putting on his bandana. Zoro enjoys his gift, though wants his next “gift” from S/O. Blood, corruption, and fight link, maybe a bit of BDSM? Oh, and could you make S/O as sweet as Tanjiro? Maybe her own fighting style be like Water Breathing or Sun Breathing?

i love the idea of his s/o fighting him for his birthday lol he’s a glutton for pain, that one. anyway, i’m not great with fight scenes but i like it, so i hope you do too ♡꒰ᵕ༚ᵕ⑅꒱

2.4k words, fem reader, nsfw - slight blood kink, a sprinkle of bdsm, etc. etc. etc.; established relationship, s/o has water breathing-like fighting style; zoro is a menace to society and i love that for him.

when you ask him, he’ll tell you—repeatedly—that he doesn’t want anything extravagant; gifts aren’t important, and he doesn’t really care about celebrating his birthday. especially when the others stumble around clumsily, trying to plan a party without letting him in on it. you tease him about it, even suggest loudly that they host a big party, much to his chagrin. you aren’t actually serious, though, knowing just how much he doesn’t care for that kind of attention. still, you can’t help yourself. he makes it very, very easy.

after weeks of planning, you manage to convince him to come out with you. he thinks it's strange that you’re the only one going to explore this nameless island with him, but he likes your company and would rather be here with you than with anyone else. you lead him further inland, dodging his questions as his suspicions over your actions grow more and more. when you finally reach a particular clearing, you turn to him, a mischievous grin stretching on your face. he eyes you carefully, still curious about why you insist on bringing a sword with you, but wanting you to reveal things on your own terms.

he isn’t in any sort of rush anyway, but still, it eats away at him.

it isn’t until you gracefully unsheath your sword that he finally understands. a sly smile works its way onto his lips, a chuckle escaping him as he assesses the area you’ve dragged him off to.

“you’re not an easy person to find a gift for,” you say lightly, circling around him while also giving yourself enough space. no need to get too close to him just yet. “but i think i’ve found something you’ll like.” nerves give rise to hesitation, but you push through without much issue. he considers your words, weighing them carefully as his hand hovers over the hilt of one of his swords. because he knows you’re not delusional enough to actually think you can defeat him, he has no desire to fight you at full capacity. still, he’ll honor your request, liking that you considered his preferences as you planned for his birthday.

“you might come to regret that later, y’know,” he warns, his tone hinting at something delightfully wicked, causing you to feel flustered under the heated look in his eye. you wave him off, not wanting to fall for his devious words just yet. with enough focus, you might be able to stand a chance against him.

you hope so, anyway.

“thankfully i’m determined to not lose to you.” you actually mean this seriously; despite not being as adept or proficient in your swordsmanship as he is, you think you’ll give him a hard enough time to entertain him properly. stopping a few feet away from him, you ready yourself, taking a deep breath, a sudden calm descending on you. he admires your resolve, unsheathing his sword slowly, his lone eye watching you carefully, mind coming up with predictions on how you might make your first move. 

delicate, yet fierce, you plant your feet firmly, a powerful momentum surging through you as you slash through the air. it’s poetic in a way—a phenomenal sharpness giving rise to clarity within you. he’s always said that you move like water; fluid, lissom, dangerous if left unchecked. somehow you manage to emulate that element almost perfectly, body and mind in sync, breathing coordinated and carefully curated to keep your flow constant. he blocks your initial attack right away, although you’re not deterred. not in the least.

if he made it easy, you’d never forgive him—something he knows all too well. still, you come at him repeatedly, not letting up, pushing yourself to move faster, but he sees through it all. you once asked him how much his vision changed with the loss of his left eye, his response haunting you for months on end. for him, it’s not so much that he’s lost sight, it’s that he’s gained a different form of it now that he only has one eye to rely on. it keeps him focused; distractions are dangerous, and the pirate life doesn’t allow for distractions like that. he also hates the idea of relying on all of his senses to fight properly; adapt and evolve, it’s the only way to survive, according to him.

he meets all of your attacks head on, not letting up even when you stumble backwards or miss a step. at first, he means to take things lightly, not wanting the fight to last longer than necessary; but when he sees just how much you’re working to keep up with him, a warmth envelops him completely. it robs him of his hardened edge, but not enough that he eases up on you. despite how swift your movements are, how much you’ve trained to ensure that you can fight him on somewhat equal footing, you still can’t break through his defense.

and when he goes on the offense? it’s over for you.

the sun starts to set, painting the sky various shades of dark pinks and warm oranges, clouds drifting lazily, a breeze flitting through the clearing and ruffling your clothes and hair. after hours of fighting, you’re trying to catch your breath, your sword on the ground next to you as you lie on the grass. a laugh escapes your mouth as your eyes close briefly. you only mean to catch your breath—zoro’s stamina is a beast all on its own—peeking over at him as he stands near you, the sheepish smile on your face stoking that warmth within him all over again.

“you’re a monster,” you say half-joking, half-serious; it only strokes his ego and causes him to laugh darkly.

“that’s quite the compliment,” he says lightly, before helping you up. he has you on your feet in no time, but doesn’t let you go just yet. there’s a bit of blood on your neck; he’s not sure if it’s yours or his, but what he does know is that it looks good on you. is it sick? possibly. does he care? of course not. if there’s one thing about zoro, he rarely considers propriety when it comes to his own desires. with a gentle swipe of his thumb, it comes off of you—leaving a faint residue behind; the breathing that you once had under control becomes frighteningly destabilizing, as you grab his hand and bring it close to your mouth. 

you’re not sure what possesses you—maybe adrenaline from the battle or maybe just being around him—but your tongue slips out, gliding along his thumb pad, giving it a sensual lick, your eyes never leaving his. he summons every ounce of restraint within him, even hoping his ancestors can grant him strength to overcome you; fighting with swords is one thing, but when you do things like that? he’s utterly powerless.

still, he has no intention of losing to you.

he kisses you, then, his hand grabbing the back of your neck, holding you still as he thrusts his tongue into your mouth with a purpose. you’re so swept up by his kiss, that you almost don’t hear the sound of your captain shouting for you both. you forgot that you told them to come back around this time, and nearly pout when he breaks the kiss. it’s not often you get to have him to yourself like this, but you know you can’t stay on that island forever.

it’s not lost on him that the others used this as an excuse to put together a party anyway. once you’re back on the ship, you both shower and get changed so that you can join your crew mates in their festivities. sanji’s prepared a tasty spread—as usual—and nami spares no expense when she purchased the alcohol. brook keeps you all entertained with song after song, luffy singing along loudly and badly, putting everyone in a good mood with his silliness.

before long, your body reminds you of your exhaustion, a yawn tumbling out of your mouth; you should probably head to bed, but zoro whisks you away to his room while the others are busy. his hands are on you as soon as he locks the door, tugging your clothes off quickly, calloused hands rough against your skin, but the sensation is more than welcomed. you’re helpless against him when he kisses along your jaw, lips and teeth nipping your skin, tongue gliding along your throat with a vengeance.

just an hour prior, he mentioned, in between bites of cake, that he enjoyed the first half of his birthday gift. when you looked visibly confused, he continued to explain that he would collect his other gift at another time. you suppose this is the other gift he was talking about. not that you mind; and how could you? your boyfriend is tragically handsome in a rugged way, rough around the edges, but good deep down. no matter what others might think, you know that he’s not the demon people claim he is; nor is he nearly as demented as he likes to make himself out to be.

not that much, anyway.

he tosses you effortlessly onto the his bed, his mattress soft as you bounce; you’re not exactly shy, but whenever he looks at you like that—like he can’t believe you still want to be with him or that you’re equally attracted to him as he is to you—you turn into a stuttering mess. it suits you just fine, he thinks, makes things more interesting for him too. your hands itch to touch him, but zoro has other plans.

“do you trust me?” he asks out of nowhere; you look at him strangely, not understanding the question or his need to ask that.

“yes. of course i do.”

he considers your answer carefully, a devilish grin sliding onto his face with ease, voice husky as he says, “good.” 

you’re not sure why, but a shiver slips down your spine, your head full of mush, mouth parched at the idea of him taking control. he steps away for a moment, only to come back and tie you to his bed. the bindings aren’t terribly intricate or hard to recreate, but they’re tight enough that they limit your range of motion. you tug on your wrists experimentally, surprised to see that the rope is actually holding you still. something about the way he watches you—hungry, intense, a little unhinged—causes your arousal to grow. you want to close your legs but can’t; zoro laughs at your feeble attempts, discarding the rest of his clothes before climbing onto the bed and hovering over you.

the restriction is driving you crazy, but it’s his birthday and you want to see things through. besides, it’s all so very erotic, you’re glad the others are far away.

his mouth latches onto your breast, licking and sucking on your nipple; you bite down on your lip but he grabs your face and pulls your lips away from your teeth. “don’t you dare,” he warns, the look he gives you only makes you want him more. “i want to hear you properly.” he goes back to teasing your breasts, his tongue tracing circles around your nipples playfully while you whimper pathetically underneath him. you feel his cock hard against your stomach, and you roll your hips forward, hoping to urge him to move faster.

zoro has other plans for you, however, and ignores your teasing movements.

when his mouth finally makes its way down your stomach, tongue tracing a dangerous path down your navel, your body trembling as he places a few kisses on your inner thighs.

“zoro…,” you whine, tugging on your wrists again, frustrated that you can’t move and that he’s moving too damn slow for your liking. his laughter thunders around the room, echoing and rattling you from the inside. “it’s not funny!” you’re pouting now, a tear sliding down your cheek when he finally grants you some mercy, his tongue slowly swiping at your folds. your hips buck, but he doesn’t hold back; his hands find their way onto your thighs and hold onto them as he positions himself, his mouth latching onto your pussy like the irksome, wonderous leech it is. zoro rarely holds himself back and feasts on you like you’re the only meal he’s ever considered eating for the rest of his life.

your back arches off of the bed, nipples hard in a pleasurable, yet painful sort of way; you don’t even bother to try and keep your voice down, as zoro is clearly trying to get you to lose your voice without much remorse. you moan his name so loudly, you’re sure someone has heard you over the music; it amuses him, your inability to keep composed, even when all he’s doing is eating you out. although, that’s not quite true, is it? zoro doesn’t do things half-assed, and when it comes to sex, he goes all out.

a man starved, he takes his fill of you, tongue ardently thrusting inside of your entrance; and when he swaps his tongue for his fingers, he sucks on your clit skillfully, an orgasm working its way through you when he plunges his fingers into you fast and hard, curling them just how you like him to do. he doesn’t let up, jolts of electricity shocking you into silence, your pussy more sensitive than it’s ever been. he licks you clean and then proceeds to lick off his fingers too.

“better than booze,” he says cheekily, a deep flush covering your face, causing you to look away. he unties your feet and you’re more grateful than he realizes. if he doesn’t fuck you properly soon, you might actually lose your mind. you mean to tell him as much until you hear a loud bang outside of his door. he wants to ignore it, but something feels off, so he finishes untying you and helps you off the bed. as you scramble to get dressed, legs shaky from cumming just minutes prior, he gives you a quick kiss; a silent reminder that he’s not done celebrating his birthday. you almost don’t want to leave the room, but a pirate’s life is to be in the thick of danger on a daily basis—even when all you want to do is help your boyfriend celebrate his birthday. 

when he senses your displeasure at being interrupted, he slaps your ass and grins at your shocked expression. while he might think he has the upper hand now—and he definitely does—you know later one, when things have quieted down, you’ll get your revenge and end the birthday celebration properly. 

and later, much later, he’ll tell you that it was the best birthday he’s ever had; his words will set your heart aflame, give you the sort of ego-boost you need, and cause you to plan much more meticulously for next year.