#YET ANOTHER CHAPTER

[tinkertoysdamn]

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Quill & Yondu Udonta Characters: Peter Quill, Taserface (Marvel), Yondu Udonta, Ravagers (Marvel) Additional Tags: Team as Family, Dysfunctional Family, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical Behavior, Parent-Child Relationship Summary:

Peter was a Ravager for over twenty years and Ravagers aren't just crew but family, even if it's a stupid, dysfunctional one.

And there were fewer stupider than Taserface.

A tale told in a series of vignettes.

Could be read as part of The Legendary Star-Lord Returns canon or it's own separate beast.

[solitairedeere]

i was never as optimistic about the ending of bnha as some villain stans were, but i never thought it'd end so badly it left me wondering why horikoshi ever bothered to humanize the villains or make them complex characters at all.

like-- i expected that at least 1-2 of the 3 villains who were heavily foreshadowed and outlined by the narrative as people to be saved would be, you know, actually saved. i didn't think that was a high bar. i've been let down before in fandoms where everyone was certain a character would live and then they didn't, so i tried to keep my hopes low. AND YET.

what happened to tomura was upsetting, but i wasn't that shocked after how disinterested the manga has seemed to be in him for like, the past 100 or so chapters. a bit surprised, because you'd think if anyone would succeed in the 'saving' mission it would be the MC, but whatever. dabi, well, they've spent a lot of time showing the way his quirk destroys his body even before this arc, so that also sucked but at least it didn't feel completely out of left field.

........but they're not even letting toga live???

i just-- what have we even been doing here? when zero out of the 3 characters that were marked out for saving were actually saved, you have to acknowledge that something has gone seriously fucking wrong with the storytelling. not even just from the perspective of a villain fan but from the perspective of someone who likes stories to be thematically consistent or satisfying in any way.

you can set up an expectation of these characters being saved and then subvert that and turn it into a tragedy- if done well that could even be worthwhile and interesting. but you can't turn it into a tragedy and then just... keep trucking along with the happy ending messaging and act like anything in the manga has been resolved and that the characters have somehow successfully completed their heroic origin stories.

like, maybe i shouldn't have expected this much from a shounen- at the end of the day it is still a shounen so i didn't expect to feel that it truly satisfactorily wrapped up all the themes it brought up around societal ills. but i expected it to at least resolve those things in a shounen-y way where they punch the problems and help these specific people and then you can feel good assuming that the state of things will continue to improve in the post-canon world of the manga.

instead we got... uh, none of that. the story refused to answer a single one of the larger questions it's been outlining for the past 400+ chapters. in the end, it was all flash and no substance, which again could've been fine, if it weren't for the way the story seemed to spend significant chunks of time trying to delude you into thinking it had substance.

truly makes me wonder what horikoshi thought he was doing the entire time. can it really all be blamed on burnout? the most that can be said for this ending is that it is, well, an ending. fuck dude, it is that.

and that's just... such a sad way to end a project that took up 10 years of your life.

[beaulesbian]

it was so interesting how the mihawk vs zoro fight was different in the manga than in the show.

i feel it was much more sudden, no planning the duel for next day, just when zoro saw mihawk he already knew he has to try and fight him.

luffy doesn't say anything against if even if they had just seen mihawk split that ship with just his sword. he accepts it (because he already understands he can't stand in the way of zoro's dream), and stands close by without saying anythign almost the whole fight. watching it closely.

and when zoro is having troubles, luffy still holds johnny and yosuku back so they don't interfere with the duel .

only after zoro is defeated and drops in the water, luffy loses it, and goes after mihawk with so much anger.

it was a nice and interesting moment that mihawk saw luffy holding the others away from the fight.

lets luffy know that he didn't kill zoro.

and then this whole thing sksajds

"luffy, can you hear me?"

"i hear you."

the way they showed it in the show was great - with how close luffy was by zoro's side, immediately checking up on him and hearing what zoro wanted to say to him directly.

but the way it's in the manga, it's almost heartbreaking because they're some distance away and luffy has to ask usopp if zoro is ok, and zoro isn't even sure if luffy is around, but he needs him to know!

that we won't ever fail!

"got a problem with that, king of the pirates?"

and same as in the show, luffy in different words say zoro could never fail him! he's so happy zoro survived that

[lbhslefttiddie]

despite his initial rough impression, lqg gets a "fun" rating on the gege scale

[g1rlr0b1n]

Yet another commission by the super amazing and talented @ookamihanta!!! Go check out their page to see more art!!! Their commissions are still open so go check that out as well!!! I highly recommend them!!! 🦇

Blood of the Covenant (Preview)

Jon’s neck snapped over to where a silhouetted figure perched silently in a tree above. Had it not been for the scattering of birds, their frantic flapping and squawking, he may have never even noticed the presence up above. The figure crouched, hidden within the dark branches, like a predator observing, waiting to strike its prey. Jon felt a chill run down his spine as realization dawned on him. “just- just make it quick.”

Jon closed his eyes tight and waited for something that never came. Gathering his courage, he slowly opened his eyes and frantically scanned the area around the tree. The figure was nowhere to be seen. His body relaxed slightly, but before he could let out a breath of relief, the figure suddenly emerged from the underbrush, clutching a limp rabbit in his hand. Jon's breath caught in his throat at the sudden appearance and he couldn't help but shudder with fear.

“Tt,” he clicked his tongue and Jon immediately registered the sound as annoyance. He wondered if fear in its prey was becoming a nuisance for this particular vampire, it would have been almost laughable, if he wasn’t scared shitless right now.

Aside from the pounding in his chest, Jon watched on in silence as the creature expertly built a fire with dry twigs and leaves. The orange flames danced and flickered, casting eerie shadows on the surrounding trees. As the sun descended below the horizon, the fire became the only source of light, the sky now painted in shades of deep blue. The heat from the flames grew more intense, warming his skin and filling the air with the scent of burning wood. Jon’s eyes followed every move as the vampire gracefully skinned the rabbit, then with precise movements, drained the blood from the small animal. Jon’s throat tightened as the creature was skewered onto a freshly sharpened stick and placed over the embers. The smell of cooking meat filled the air, making Jon's stomach growl in hunger. The vampire seemed to have quite the sick sense of humor, subjecting him to such torture. Jon squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force his mind off of the pain in his gut.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice shattered the silence. "Eat," they commanded.

Confused and disoriented, Jon's eyes snapped open as he tried to make sense of the words. "W-what? Why?" His own voice came out weak and shaky.

“You clearly haven't eaten in a few days,” he stated matter-of-factly, his eyes roaming across him. Jon eagerly reached out, accepting the offering, savoring the succulent meat as it filled his empty stomach. When he finished, he crudely wiped his mouth with the cuff of his sleeve. He was still weary of the other but at least if he dies now, it would be with a full belly. The man continued to stare at Jon intently, never taking his gaze away. After a long silence, he spoke again, his voice low and measured, “how long have you been here?”

“Eighteen days,” he croaked out, feeling small and weak under the man's intense scrutiny.

The other only nodded. “Is that your canteen?”

Jon's heart sank as he nodded and replied, unable to hide the desperation in his voice, "It's empty." The sound of his own almost unfamiliar timbre only served as a reminder of how long it had been since he had last spoken to another human being…or anything close to it.

Without another word, the man snatched the canteen from Jon's hands and disappeared quickly into the dense forest. Minutes dragged on like hours, Jon could do nothing but watch as the moon dragged across the sky until it was directly overhead. With no clear sense of time, he began to wonder if he’d been abandoned once again, left alone in this desolate place with nothing but his thoughts for company.

As the last embers of the fire began to fade, Jon's gaze caught a glint of movement in the corner of his eye. He watched as the lithe figure of the man emerged from the shadows with the canteen in hand. With a quick flick of his wrist, he tossed the canteen at Jon, who winced as it thudded against his chest. “Vampires?”

Jon nodded, “yeah, we took them out but I got inj-”. He flinched, realizing suddenly that he was talking to a vampire about taking out his own kind.

The man seemed disinterested in the murder of his kin and instead chose to focus on something else entirely. “We?”

Jon swallowed the lump forming in his throat, “yeah, the guys I'd been traveling with.”

“They left you here?”

“Well-”

“To die?” he interjected.

“I told them too. I was slowing them down.” Jon’s voice came out smaller than he intended it to.

The man carried on, as though uninterested. “Kryptonian?”

“How did you-?” The man's piercing gaze landed on the prominent "S" adorning Jon's chest. Jon shifted uncomfortably, feeling foolish, “oh. Yeah.” The two sat in tense silence once more, until the question that had been gnawing at Jon could no longer be contained, “why haven't you killed me yet?”

For the first time since the man had appeared, he seemed to be taken off guard. He sat in quiet contemplation, his brow furrowed and eyes distant. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke again. “I knew your father. He was a good friend of my father.”

“Was.” Jon felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach, “so, he’s dead then.”

“I’m sorry,” his eyes flashed with empathy, just briefly, before returning to their stoic state, “but yes. They both are.”

“It's okay,” Jon tried to reassure himself, though his voice trembled slightly. “I think...I think I already knew.” As the words left his mouth, he felt a sense of finality wash over him, confirming what he had been desperately trying to deny. His father hadn’t come looking for him, he had already known it could only mean one thing. Silence consumed the air once more, until Jon finally spoke, “so, you haven’t killed me because my dad used to be friends with your dad?”

“Is that not enough?” he shrugged.

Jon quickly shook his head, “no, I mean, I’ll take it.”

“Tt. So, don’t die on me Jonathan Kent or this will have been a complete waste of my time.”

Surprise flickered across Jon's face, “you know my name?”

The other man scoffed, “of course, I'm the son of Batman.”

“Batman? ... So then, are you ...Tim?”

“I'm insulted.” The man's expression turned from irritation to hurt, “no, I'm Damian. I'm... I'm the last living son of Batman.” A weight seemed to settle upon him as he spoke these words, as if the realization of his own loneliness had suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks.

“I'm sorry. My... my brother is gone too.” Damian allowed the silence to consume the night, he did not ask Jon any more questions and for that, Jon was grateful.

[coquelicoq]

if you're wondering what the big deal is about the louis-philippe sentence in les misérables, it is, in the original french, 760 words long. the subject of the sentence doesn't appear until 95% of the way through, at word #711; the main verb is word #712. the sentence contains 91 commas and 49 semicolons and is almost entirely a list of laudatory adjectival phrases describing the erstwhile king of france. this is perhaps especially notable because les mis is, shall we say, not known for being particularly gung-ho about the monarchy.

this sentence copied and pasted into Word takes up more than one page single-spaced. in the 1800-page folio classique edition, it is fully two and a half of those 1800 pages. that means that les mis is 0.14% this single sentence. more of les mis is made up of this sentence than earth's atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide (0.04%). if the page count of les mis stayed the same but every sentence was the length of this one, les mis would consist of only 720 sentences total.

incidentally, guess who named hugo a peer of france 17 years before the publication of les mis?

[happi-dreams]

Oh my macaroni

( filterless vers underneath the block off thinby idk )

[cerise-grenadine]

so, when @dearestdo3 posted her lovely Pokémon drawing, it made me want to sketch my old team too! well, i should say teamS because i couldn’t choose in the end 😩

so here’s the roundup: (it’s more of what team would represent him rather than who he’d pick of course 🤭) (and it's my AU!Snape so no Lily or does involved)

Young angry Death Eater Sev.

Corvisquire — his patronus is a raven, and although at this age he wouldn’t be able to cast one, i still had to include one bc it represents him quite well. (not too fond of other raven Pokémon, i hesitated with Corviknight but find him too sturdy/metal-looking)

Seviper — he obviously needs a snake Pokémon. not my fave snake design but i usually pick this one for two reasons: can’t ignore that he’s called SEViper, and i like that he is canonically Zangoose’s rival who reminds me of McGonagall/Gryffindor :D

Alolan Marowak — this Sev has traumatic mommy issues so Cubone is a nice pick, and the sinister witchy Ghost evolution is 👌🏻 (tried to draw him in an agressive action pose and failed miserably alas, so he’s just waiting ominously)

Duskull — i had to pick at least one Death Eater Pokémon, so the death mark one it is.

Absol — he’s just there for the gloomy emo vibe 🤌🏻

Crobat — well. he’s a BAT. a COOL BAT.

thought about drawing a Voldie-Serperior in the background and then got lazy so please imagine he's there 😌

Chiller adult Sev. pissed off by his work and moldy voldy coming back, but overall has been working on his issues and is much more in control of himself. healthier habits and hobbies.

Seviper & Corvisquire are still there bc they’re very representative of him

Gloom — i wanted a poison Pokémon for potion reasons. Gloom and her oozing seemed an interesting pick — especially since i accidently gave his gf a Bellossom

Hatterene — she’s so witchy and so gender ✨i felt she was not unlike his adult self, solitary, a bit sinister, magical and graceful.

Umbreon — he’s here for the emo vibes but chiller than Absol

Sinistea — magical tea for the magic British school. again chill vibes but also a little bit dark — fits Sev.

Muireann. what can i say, she’s all fluff and love and music

Blissey — she’s nurturing, she’s caring, she’s wholesome.

Vulpix — she’s also young and fiery

Gourgeist — Gourgeist is a redhead jack-o-lantern, and in French she’s named after banshees, so she made sense in the team of an Irish witch.

Wooloo — a wee happy lamb! also they have the same hairdo.

Bellossom & Meloetta are both here for musical reasons: Muireann is a dancer and singer and music is one of the most important things in her life — she’d have musical Pokémon.

[procrastinationaccount]

Hello, I would like to discuss some implications!

Between the fact that Harrow herself didn't use her sexuality as a reason and this fear about other Houses becoming involved in the Ninth:

I think we can assume that in the Nine Houses everyone is essentially expected to be attracted to people regardless of gender, especially when it comes to political alliances. It's not entirely clear whether the idea was brought up to her or she was getting ahead of it, but either way the possibility of a strategic marriage was floating around.

So, this tells us that at some point Harrow must have had to shield Gideon from marrying Ortus.

Did Harrow ever bring it up as a threat they both knew was empty, or did they both silently avoid it? Would Gideon hit her with the, "What are you going to do, hitch me to Ortus?" when she went on one of her monologues about punishment and House loyalty? Would Gideon ever be genuinely worried about the prospect; would she ever try to thank her, prompting a "I meant what I said, Griddle - I can't have an imbecile like you contaminating my Houses' bloodline"-esque response?

In any scenario, it gives Gideon more evidence that Harrow both understands her and is willing to place her over the needs of the Ninth and raises the question of how Harrow justified it to herself!

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

🚨CROOKED KINGDOM SPOILER ALERT!!! 🚨

I’m once again thinking about how genius it was of Leigh Bardugo to kill off Muzzen near the start of Crooked Kingdom, simultaneously foreshadowing Matthias’ death and leaning us away from thinking it would happen

[mizgnomer]

From 2014 to 2024 - David Tennant and Arabella Weir (Part Two)

See also: Part One: From 1994 to 2014

David on Arabella (from The Times, January 2002):

I was terribly green, and to me she seemed so laid back and au fait with the whole thing of being on a film set. She has a very forceful personality and for a wee skinny bloke from Bathgate it was, "Oh my word, who's this?" I was scared of her, but it's all front - once you get past that you find she's as just insecure and nervous as everybody else - but she does have a very urbane and witty exterior. On set there's lots of sitting about, so you get to know people easily, and her irreverent sense of humour appealed to me. She was good fun. I'd decided to move to London, Arabella needed a lodger, so I moved in for what was going to be a short time and ended up staying for five years. There's more than 10 years between us, but that never seems to have affected our relationship. When I moved down I was a young 22, and Arabella used to shock me with the things she would say, but she finds it harder to shock me now. She probably corrupted me, but I probably needed corrupting a little bit.

Cheers to their 30+ year friendship! Link to: [ The Times article from 2002 ] ...and thanks to Georgia's Instagram for some of the photos

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 784: The first day's mountain

Pag 1

3: We're passing through the riverside road

4: I see it

6: Kaka

7: Ah!!

8: Teh!

9: It's the first day's

Pag 2

1: “mountain”!!

Pag 3

2: As we “promised”!!

Pag 4

3: It's the “first day's mountain stage”!!

4: A year ago

6: Manami-kun said it after the finish line, on the third and last day of the Inter High, when both of us were all worn out and barely still on our bikes

Pag 5

1: But having our race at the end on the final stage is too much pressure

2: Next year, if we both have the chance to run in the Inter High....

3: …. yeah

4: Let's race for the mountain stage on the first day

Yeah

5: Like Toudou-san and Makishima-san last year

Onoda!!

Manami-san!!

Pag 6

1: Manami!!

Manami-san!!

2: Onoda!!

3: He collapsed!!

Manami!! Take off his helmet

It's okay, I caught him

Onodaa!!

Onoda-san

Do we have a towel?

Danchiku, water!!

4: Next year... the mountain stage on the first day.... yeah

5: Got it....!!

Pag 7

3: When you run along a river....

4: the water only flows if there's a difference in elevation, either uphill or downhill!!

5: Here it's definitely uphill!!

Even if it looks like a flat at first glance, it's gradually climbing!!

Pag 8

1: Toward that mountain!!

Reading the map, it says that it's 5km until the base of the mountain!!

2: 5km!!

3: Don't lose sight of it like last year!!

Yes!! Sorry!!

4: Hold on tight!!

5: 'Cause I'll carry you all the way to the foot of the mountain!!

Pag 9

1: Thank you!!

2: “Positioning”....!!

3: When going from a flat to a climb you need to “position” yourself

Each team accelerates from the flats in order to bring their climbers to a good position

4: It's the so called “mountain's launching pad”!!

5: There will be a difference of several hundred meters in the first stage between a climber who was launched near the front of the group and a climber who was made to run up from the back of the group

Pag 10

1: Bring Onoda to the best possible position, Naruko!!

Oh-

Sohoku is moving up!!

Pag 11

1: -ruaaaagh

Ugh!! Sohoku's Naruko is so fast!!

2: I get what you're tryin to say, Hotshot!!

I'll take him!! Definitely!!

3: That's why I left the first result to Kabu!!

4: On that winter day, with an apologetic face

5: Ah....

6: Ah- uhm, I have something to tell you, but

Onoda-kun, who told us like it was difficult to say....

Pag 12

1: Ah the stove? You can just turn it off, we're the last ones

Yeah, please. Woah, look outside, it's snowing

Seriously? It must be cold

2: That's not it!!

3: Th-th- this morning... I got a text

4: What was that, an acceptance letter?

The proficiency exam?

5: It's a reply to the text I sent....

6: Three months ago!!

7: Uhm... really, I was worried that back when we made that promise it was right after the race and we were tired, so I thought maybe he had forgotten

Three months?

It was a long wait

So I sent him a text to ask him if he remembers?

Pag 13

1: And I received it this morning

Must be the proficiency test

Shut up!!

What are you whispering idiot

“Back when”, when was it?

No idea

2:He said only one word, “of course”

4: So, uhm... this time

5: Is it okay if I run for the first day's mountain stage during this summer's Inter High?

7: Is that so? Kakaka

Onoda-kun's eyes, like he couldn't contain his excitement...

Pag 14

1: I haven't forgotten it!!

2: I can't forget it!!

3: Onoda!!

Onoda-kun!!

Pag 15

1: 2km left until the foot of the mountain!!

2: Do your beeest....!!

Aren't they climbing at an amazing speed!? Each team is getting in line!!

Yeah, you're right!!

3: Every team is trying to “position” themselves for their climbers!!

“Position”!?

4: Also, look closely

Right now, the cyclist in the second position in the ranks

Pag 16

1: is the one who will race in the mountain stage!!

Pag 18

1: Oi, are you kidding me? Hakogaku is sending Manami?

From the first day!?

Manami is in second place

2: He's the “final boss”....!!

3: My dream of getting the red bib has been destroyed even before reaching the foot of the mountain....!!

4: Oi, look over there, that's not all!!

For Sohoku....

5: Naruko is pulling the “King of the mountain”!!

Wa- we're done for!! Completely!! My mountain prize!!

Pag 19

3: Manami-kun!!

4: Sakamichi-kun!!

Pag 20

1: It's time for our promise!!

We're almost at the foot of the mountain!!

[reds-skull]

Me: damn I feel like painting Soap rn

Me an hour later: but what if I completely fuck him up tho

(inspired by this painting by Zack Zdrale)

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

I AM NOW THE PROUD OWNER OF A 400-PAGE LONG BOOK OF ACADEMIC ANALYSIS ABOUT MDZS (both the novel and CQL, as well as the wider danmei sphere, internet authorship, fan reactions in both CN and non-CN spheres, and so many more interesting things – there are photos of the contents list below) >:DDDD

I only got it this afternoon so have only read the (quite long?) excerpt available online and pages I came across while flipping through, but everything I've read so far is really interesting and well-written. If you're interested, it's promoted on the blog of @pumpkinpaix, where there are also chapter spotlights with comments from authors of each paper/chapter about them and about MDZS in general (which is how I found out about it, one came up in tumblr's 'based on this tag you follow...' recommendation), as well as FAQs (including where to buy it, though I did link that at the start). Alternatively, all posts about it are in the tag #catching chen qing ling!

I really recommend it, especially if content about MDZS interests you! and I promise I haven't been told to advertise this it's just something so so cool... a collection of academic work about MY FAVOURITE BOOK... and I know people do follow me for meta/analysis so this might be the sort of thing people looking at this blog will be interested in..?

[generalsdiary]

the amethyst siren

Dr. Ratio x Aventurine

warnings: mention of blood, one (1) curse word

word count: 3.3k

a/n: the making of this series was, truly, inspired by my wonderful mutual @kimeoshi and their amazing artwork of siren ratio here

description: siren!ratio x human!aventurine strangers/enemies to lovers, a ship crash forces them to work together for the best outcome for both sides (in this chpt)

Chapter 1: The Crash

Despite the current events the man blessed with luck still had hope, he’d somehow swim up and reach the surface, have his lungs fill with oxygen. Hope is a fragile flower, an anemone, the petals which bruise and break at the lightest touch. and the hope began wilting as Aventurine felt fear. Goosebumps rose on his skin, and if he wasn’t wet already, he’d be covered in a cold sweat. His eyes widened, trying to take in more information upon the sight opposing him. a merman…? a beautiful merman had his gaze set on Aventurine. with a long thick violet tail, his arms and lower torso trailed with small purple scales, and long dark nails, his hair was wet hence too dark to distinguish the color. the merman was a majestic, otherworldly view. The end of his tail was a royal ocean blue and he had many accessories decorating his appearance… along with a piercing glare. Except, Aventurine had human eyes and his vision underwater could only allow him to recognize the tail. Not human. Not a human, nope. The gun left his hand, floating beside him before it started slowly sinking. trembling upon the sight, an unnatural amount of fear kept him frozen and terrified. No escape, no running, no exit. this creature stared down at him and Aventurine’s vision grew dark… finally feeling the sensations in his body again only to sense the burn of his lungs and weakly attempt to swim up before it all went dark.

Dark clouds in the distance covered the horizon, forewarning rain, and the flashes of white, an oncoming storm. Aventurine stepped out on the deck to confirm this information the captain of the cruise told him, he didn’t want the rain. it hadn’t come when he needed it, when his people needed it. the betrayal sits deeply in his bones. the easy line that falls off his tongue “I don’t like getting my clothes wet, they’re too expensive” a superstitious lie that also makes him look shallow which works in his favor. Better than people asking why he dislikes the rain.

thinking about it now, he regrets going onto the deck. The waves were looming high, sending a warning. The ship nearby that had the intention to raid them ended up crashing into them and Aventurine took out his gun in an attempt to defend himself. the water made the floor slick and the ship he was on slowly tilted… crashing, sinking. The pirates weren’t without damage, but Aventurine fell off board. With a scream that died in his throat and a gun that was now useless, he sank under the waves.

the sea was calm below the waves… quiet, not pushing, rushing. Yet the serene peace did not reach Aventurine, the slow burn of his lungs like timber slowly getting stronger and the helplessness isn’t allowing him to appreciate it. although he’d never appreciate it, the ocean is still a form of water. Betrayal runs deep.

Veritas could hear everything. The rumble of the clouds in the distance, the wail of the waves getting stronger, the man on the front deck mumbling and lighting a cigar, the captain laughing, clinking his cup, loading his gun. The sea glided across the sides of the ship, the distant people casually chatting on the ship while the men here were about to raid it. Soft mumbling of a man hoping it won’t rain. with all the noise so diluted in the sea, his hearing outside of it was turned up a whole notch, overwhelmingly so. Veritas tried to meditate, something to not think of the dirty algae-covered glass box he was in, the ropes around his body, the future that was stolen from him and where he may be taken- simply worse than death. So, when the sea whispered to him of the ships crashing, he fought tooth and nail to get out. the sharp sting in his side from the shards of glass, the burn of the ropes on his arms, splinters of the dirty wooden floor, and cuts and bruises as he fell back into the sea- none of it mattered, as long as he got free again. The sea welcomed him in its cold embrace, like a protective parent, pushing him deeper and deeper making sure he was out of anyone’s grasp. Salt on his lips and oxygen in his gills, safe, quiet. If only he didn’t give his voice away. Veritas could’ve sung his way out of this. he didn’t expect to regret his lack of singing ability to bite him back that hard. Back then, what he got in exchange for his song was worth much more. His hazy thoughts were interrupted when he saw glowing blue and pink eyes staring at him. extraordinary… they are shining… Veritas swam closer, this human- how is he human? Is it not another of his species? those eyes are not ones of a human. Impossible. Another train of thought stopped when the human’s eyes closed and Veritas saw the slow rise of his chest, his hand immediately pressed against the human’s mouth and pinched his nose. A line of rose prickly curses fell from his lips as he swam to the surface. Damn you, Veritas. Always helping. Always saving. From his knowledge of humans, inhaling water will kill them, and choking will make them lose consciousness for a few minutes but will keep them alive. Finally reaching the surface, a shiver runs down his spine, he could be captured again. Maybe he could throw this human onto a ship? Yet his captor’s ship ran away and the other one was slowly sinking. Veritas kept the human’s head out of the water and kept himself hidden underneath the small body. watching the ribcage. Come on… contract, expand, come on. you can breathe. I was fast, I was fast enough. Veritas finds the lack of patience getting to him and he lists the information he knows in his mind. Humans cannot stand the pressure of the water and it may also push on their ribs… could that be… with his other hand, he pushes the human’s chest above the surface. Breathe. It is oxygen, you should be able to inhale- and he feels the contraction of the muscles. A sigh of relief.

After a few minutes of swimming, he fails to find a surface to leave the human upon. Turning it into his problem, or a death on his hands. He is a healer among other things, he will not have more blood on them. Veritas spends the next hour or so learning the pattern of the blond’s breathing, also noting the fact the human is still out cold. After the learned pattern he waits for the next inhale and- dives under. His hand covers the mouth and pinches the nose once more, he refuses to jump out like a dolphin- someone could see. but for each duration of a breath, he’d dive under and swim at a great speed in the direction he hoped the waves sounded right. A cave. The way they swished and kissed the walls, it had to be a cave.

Aventurine awoke to a dark area, the sun barely rising to light it up, covered in greenery and small waves splashing his clothes. He sat up, a strange tug around his fingers. a thin green weed. He quickly shook it off and tried to make sense of his surroundings, with a coughing fit scrubbing at his lungs. And a pair of eyes. They weren’t there a moment ago. There it was again. The fear. His breathing sped up, one of the hunted prey and he quickly met the wall behind him with his back, cornered and lost. No pretty words could salvage this, is this a person? Can he communicate? His luck has to be good for something- how did he get here, is it-

“you have awoken.” Frozen. Aventurine couldn’t move, his limbs stilled, and muscles stiffened. Where is his façade? why can’t he…

“I have tied a piece of grass to your finger and connected it to a shell, were you to tug it you would have opened the shell and it would’ve screamed. Which you did and then it, also did. How is your comprehension? I lack in experience of treating humans post accidents. I’m not particularly familiar with… ones that look like you. legs and… lungs only. I, uh. I brought food, it is beside you.” Veritas pointed to a couple of figs. Aventurine had so many questions, and he wanted to take control of the situation yet his mind remained empty with all but paralyzing fear and he takes a bite out of the fig, and only then does the fear loosen its grip on him.

“hello, friend~” he flashes his usual smile, a hand coming to rest behind his back, “I am Aventurine”

“that is a lie. I know of human names, and that isn’t a common one.” Veritas narrows his eyes. Aventurine in hopes of not angering the creature quickly corrects himself, “Kakavasha. I am Kakavasha. Aventurine is my title. Sort of. Anyways, and you, my dear merman are…?”

Veritas glared. A quirk of his eyebrow revealed he was insulted. “I am not a merman. Veritas.”

Aventurine ate more of the fruit. Not a merman… a mermaid? Perhaps he was wrong? It seemed impolite to intrude- but he had to play the cards he was given. “in that case, what is a beautiful creature such as you, my friend?”

An unamused expression Veritas usually had around the little ones came to shine upon the human. “a siren.” Aventurine quickly hid his reaction of shock. He nods as he processes this information- it makes sense. The fear. He is lucky this siren didn’t sing to him. drown him. kill him. jump him off the top deck and drag him under with a sweet, lovely lullaby.

“this was the… closest land I could bring you to. I assume you’re familiar with these waters?” Veritas quickly got to the point, he didn’t want to spend a moment longer in the presence of a human. In the presence of the kind that kidnapped him.

Aventurine slowly snaps out of his thoughts, his eyes meeting the siren’s. “I am not. I… I was here on a business trip, I can’t say that I know the surroundings. Thank you for… saving me.” He came upon the conclusion, it must have been the siren, who else would have it been? The ship surely crashed and sank. And since the siren has an uncanny glare, making Aventurine feel uneasy with shivers down his spine, he decided not to lie.

“I do not need your gratitude, I am a healer after all, and all lives matter.” Veritas says the ever-practiced line, spoken often, falling easily off his tongue. But the underlying edge to it doesn’t escape Aventurine’s ears. The blond tries to switch the power dynamic and make the air light with a flashy smile, “ah, so you’re a doctor~ how lucky for me”

“so, you don’t live here? Like… you can’t just swim back home- I mean dive?” Aventurine inquires.

Veritas shakes his head slightly, a hand reaching out of the water to facepalm. The sharp long nails, a dark purple shade which lightens and turns to scales the higher it goes up to his biceps. Veritas uses the motion to also scrunch his face into the palm, to ease his breath and not wince from the constant pain burning in the various cuts over his body. the cost of his escape was not high, and if he were at his home, or at least in the area he was familiar with he could have… gathered the necessary medicinal plants to treat them. the water around him slowly turned darker while one of his injuries, still filled with glass shards, slowly bled into the sea. In and out. breathe. breathe. The end of his tail, a brilliant blue shade, flicked, Veritas thanked the sea for hiding it- he was in pain, a lot of pain sending white flashes behind his closed eyes. And the density of the oxygen out of the water was much lower, upon the fact he usually uses his gills and not his lungs, adding to the lightheadedness he was feeling. Or is the blood loss? Or mayhaps the fact he struggled to eat anything? Paler in face by the moment.

Veritas removes the hand, a neutral expression again, everything hidden, like a perfect clay mask, one of the sculptures that he swims by in the depths. “a doctor? I- actually, it doesn’t matter, you have no information to give me, yet I cannot leave you here, for you would die. And the nearest land to here is something you wouldn’t be able to swim to.” The dawn eyes meet the watercolor ones.

“do you know every corner of the land, Kakavasha?” Veritas smoothly countered back. and Aventurine hangs his head a bit with a nod, understanding why the siren is still sticking around, and his eyes notice the shade of the water changing, the bruises on the siren’s body; different shades of purple than the ones of his scales and tail, various of red blotches and cuts. “what happened to you? how did you get here?”

“why does it matter to you?” Veritas cautioned.

“well, doc~” another one of those brilliant smiles, “it seems you need to find out where you are and I need help getting to the shore, perhaps we can make a truce? Work together?”

“I don’t trust you” the siren voiced firmly, and sighed. Veritas had no other options. He needed more healing factors, he needed to get home and away from the ship. The pirates. The humans. “I will check if there is any nearby.” And he dived off. Veritas couldn’t speak a word longer, wailing in pain as soon as the water covered his head, desperately he sought for any weeds that had the capacity of healing- anything, I will take anything. Mumbled words, exhausted body, barely holding himself above the sand, searching for a trace of hope.

Now alone again the smile fell off. Aventurine was stuck with the stoic siren, far away, if he wanted him dead that would’ve happened already. All the facts proved to work in his favor, as they always do. Such is his luck. The fresh fruit tasted sweet on his tongue and satiated his thirst. Would the siren value gold? He could give his jewelry in turn for guaranteed protection. The day turned to night, the cave turning dark. It was a chunk of covered rock, with not much room to walk around, Aventurine laid down to sleep, hoping Veritas would show up in the morning.

His pale lips trembled, a metallic taste rested on his tongue, pushing himself closer to a possible shore. Long mossy vines, which were wrapped around his body, swished as he swam. A weak attempt at helping himself. bright lights, noise, little boats, lighthouse. There is a shore. Quite far away. It will have to do. Veritas swam back swiftly to get away from the population and once far enough he slowed down, painfully dragging himself back to the cave. The sting of the incorrectly treated wounds made themselves excruciatingly present in his body.

At dawn, he observed the sleeping human. Seemingly harmless. But his kind did enough harm to him already. “Kakavasha.” The blond stirred, rubbing his eyes, acting relaxed and failing in Veritas’ trained eyes, the flex of the muscles showing obvious tension. The same one the little ones have when he tests their knowledge. “there is a fishing village nearby. It is far away for you, I can take you there the same way I got you here. Might be easier now that you’re awake and conscious.”

“good morning to you too, doc~ no figs today? Awh, how am I supposed to go into the sea on an empty stomach?” Aventurine chirped a melodic tone, wishing he didn’t have to be inside the water. Rain echoing its patterns on his skin. He didn’t want this.

“You can eat amongst your own kind, we shall go. in turn, the truce you mentioned, you can provide me the location of where we are. save your strength I will not go near the shallow water, you will have to swim alone at the part. Now I hope you are ready, we will go now, the small boats always leave early in the day and we should have a clear way to where I can drop you off.” A silence envelops the cave. Thick with tension, the one between predator and prey, yet they were both scared like prey. What will the other do? Who will harm the other one first?

“what happened to you?” Aventurine can’t stop himself from asking, damn his luck, this siren isn’t here because of his luck and to act as his savior, something fucking happened. a simmer of oncoming anger bubbling inside him.

“must you keep pushing that?” Veritas shook his head, the blue gills moving with his indigo hair. “I..” he swallowed hard, will he tell him? should he tell him? Kakavasha could easily do the same thing, take him away, hurt him, treat him like an object to be looked at. “Your kind took me, kept me chained, tied, in a small glass box with dirty water.” Veritas says coldly, an ice knife cutting the tension. “I am not interested in seeing any more ships or people for that matter. I want to do my part here and be on my way. Are you capable of respecting the truce, or do you plan on lying to me again, Aventurine?” Veritas glared, using the man’s title on purpose. if he still had his voice… the things he could do. He would never have to worry about having to trust a frail being which could easily end his life as he knows it. a being capable of crushing the fragile petals of his future days and nights. immortality is a curse if he is taken, experimented on. trust is an expensive thing.

“hold onto me, eyes closed, and breathe only above the surface.”

Aventurine swallowed, he hated it, the simmering anger rising, bubbles popping up on the surface, “I am sorry that that happened to you. humans...” he spat his words, “humans can be disgusting creatures.” Aventurine’s gaze was distant. Veritas quickly caught on, eyes linger on the strange mark on the human’s neck. Ink. Dark, liquid substance. Humans make permanent markings with it. Veritas decided not to push for information, a rare occasion on his side. He recognized that Kakavasha was speaking from a place of pain, darkness and honesty. Trust is becoming less of an expensive thing. “shall we get going?” Veritas softly asked, offering his hand to him.

with a shaky breath, half of his mask off- both of them with half of their masks off, such are the circumstances to establish a crumble of trust, he takes the hand and jumps into the deep water, eyes closed shut at the feeling he despised.

Aventurine nodded, embracing the muscular body of the siren, strangely not cool to the touch as he expected. A gentle warmth, a mixture of smooth skin, silky scales, and a heart beating… he could hear it as he leaned onto him. “I can’t hold my breath for long-“ “I know. I brought you here, remember? I know your breathing pattern.” Veritas adds softly and with a firm grip around the human they dive under.

Sirens, or mermaids for that matter, have the capability of super swimming at great speeds. With a keen hearing and carefully paying attention to the rise and fall of the smaller man’s ribcage, Veritas swam below and above the water level. The small village slowly appeared in his line of sight.

a/n: took a bit longer to write than I planned to, I was busy working on my bacc., chpt 2 should be posted rly soon- within a few days I think. lmk know what you think! and any predictions for the next chapter maybe? <2

[go6jo]

wait a minute because im reading the itoshi brothers backstory chapters and sae… i soooo get you. they could never make me hate you twin. growing up being told you’re a prodigy only to be let down once you’re thrown in the real world and have to face the harsh reality that you’re mediocre at best… and the resentment that comes with it… the self loathing that one inevitably must begin to harbour because its our fault we couldnt keep up or maybe, just maybe its other peoples fault for planting that seed of delusion inside of us that we’re meant for greatness and then the bar is set too high and its not our fault we couldn’t rise up to the challenge or that that weight was put on our shoulders… and somehow giving up on that greatness feels liberating, like rebellion. i’ll become the best midfielder in the world. everyone expected him to become the best striker in the world yet he realised he didn’t have what it takes to be it, he wasn’t good enough. so he rebels so he can feel in control again. he’s shutting down other people’s (rin’s) expectations for him. he’s letting go of that weight. he wants to become the best midfielder because that is something thats within reach, that is something he can control. and i can imagine just how freeing that might’ve been for sae hence why he didn’t want rins dream to rely on him.