#and although a consistent style would be nice

[lyacinthus]

It’s … not as bad as the last one … I suppose,,,

(Below is the 2021 art summary that I forgot to post)

[alagaisia]

Thredup is a great site for if you care only about what brand your clothes are and not about any of their features

[somegirlontheinternet135]

I didn't expect a post about a dating sim x click & point adventure game with The Beasts to be this popular but. . .

*random gestures*

So here you go, some thoughts & features that could be added to this weird fangame I conjured up!

(tw: long)

~General~

The world that the player teleported into heavily mirrors the land of beast yeast, complete with each of the landmarks which the beasts resign in. One exception however is at the center of this mysterious land is a forest of silver trees, which surround a strange alter of six stone standing pads, five little stones around a much larger stone in the middle (wonder what that's about?)

Somewhere amidst the silver woods is a mysterious grove, a grove filled with lilies. If adventurous enough, the player can explore the grove, but be warned, for not only do the scent of lilies cause drowsiness and the possibility of passing out, but lilies aren't the only thing that the land houses. The grove is peerless maze, so the player must enter with caution

The story length will be similar to how Obey Me is set up (divided into different chapters) with the first three to four chapters introducing the Beasts

There's no "canonical" choice of who'll you'll end up with, that's entirely up to the player. Another choice the player will have is whether the relationships can be platonic or romantic

Although many MCs are mostly left blank slates, I want the player in the sort of grey area between having an actual personality but leaving details vague enough to leave people guessing. Think the MC from "Obey Me" crossed with Yuu from "Twisted Wonderland" And you know many MCs are often nice and kind-hearted, well sorta throw that out the window bc we're doing something special(snarky, sarcastic, brutality honest, and filled with trust issues)

There's only snippets of what the player physically looks like(trust me, this'll be important later)

It's also important that the player has zero memory of entering the world they were basically isekaed into, something which the beasts learn one way or another. . .

The player will receive several petnames from the beasts, ranging from simple ones like "dear" or "sweetheart," to petnames relating to mice and other rodents(ie: "Little Mouse," "Pika," even "Pipsqueak")

In the game, the day-night cycle plays a big role in the gameplay. You'll be allowed to roam and explore as much as you want, but at night, you're given the choice of whether you should go to bed or keep exploring. If the player chooses to continue exploring, they'll be met with an energy meter, which increases when you sleep and decreases when you don't. With a full bar, the player can explore a total of five times, and once that meter runs out, they get too exhausted and fall asleep

Now would be a good time to mention the player's different bedrooms. They rotate based on the location, but they're meant to be a sort of safe space for the player, it's also the area where they pick up an important item: A journal

The journal functions very similarly to a scribble board and an actual notebook but serves one purpose, to allow the player to take notes on certain puzzles. Different puzzles are scattered across the landmarks, some are extremely difficult and require one to jot notes

I also like to think the player would receive a variety of tools during their journey and will each be essential. Which would lead the player to carry a bag to hold said items

For the purpose of the story, the player is able to respawn if they die. Remember the alter in the silver tree forest, they wake up there like nothing happened, although they do still retain the memories of said death

The player will engage in several minigames, the most common of them being a cooking style game where you prepare meals and ones where your using certain tools. Whilst the click & point portion consists of the player exploring the different areas & interacting with their surroundings

As a bonus, the player is gifted different outfits from the beasts, each one corresponding to the beast, their interests, and their theme

~Shadow Milk~

In the many eyes of Shadow Milk, the player is the only cookie he's seen in a while, so it's obvious he'd want them to be his audience, if you ever so chose to be. They get the option of asking more & trying to convince him on letting them have a turn in performing, which he'll have different reactions to

*You're reading the scripts of one of Shadow Milk's plays, in awe at the material. You compliment his work, making him all the more flattered*

"Oh I love acting! Your script is amazing, could I try acting some things out?"

*Hearing the question, Shadow Milk snatches the script from your hands. He almost snaps at you*

"What? No, of course not!"

"I'm sorry my dear, I adore your praise but. . . we've already established who the audience is! It's the key tool of any actor's career, and without that, we'd just be two actors with no one to entertain. . ."

"Besides, I think you'd have trouble trying to impress such a seasoned performer like myself~"

Despite his condescending comments, he slowly begins to let you act out small skits as their relationship with him becomes stronger, and he begins to cave

Shadow Milk has several references to acting, the stage, and plays, it would be a sin to not give this man a rhythm game. Similar to already existing rhythm games like "Rhythm Heaven" or the rhythm game portion in "Obey Me"

Every task, no matter how minimal or simple, becomes way more difficult with Shadow Milk. If you're just as much as a theater kid as he is, his need for literally everything to be a grand, exaggerated, obnoxious spectacle, especially around the player, is strong. Half the time, things don't go his way & he winds up making a mess, messes which the player is forced to clean up

Also, most everything he does requires a quick "costume change" thems the rules. He's cooking you breakfast? He's wearing a bright pink apron with frills and a heart-shaped pocket. You get hurt and scrape your knee? Here comes Dr. Shadow Milk in his doctor's uniform and stethoscope. The two of you are getting ready for bed? You'll be seeing him in striped pajamas, an extremely long nightrobe, fuzzy slippers and a sleep mask, including hair curlers

There will absolutely be no sneaking out on his domain, not on his watch! Shadow Milk, with his abilities, is a living security system, and reacts heavily to sound. So one snap of a twig or step on some creaking floorboards and it's over!

"*Ahem!*"

*A freakishly familiar voice is heard from behind you. Breaking into a sweat, you slowly turn around, the smallest part of you wished it wasn't who you thought it was. . . But as luck would have it, you didn't know any other crazy entertainers. . . Sure enough, it was exactly who'd you expected to see, Shadow Milk stood in front of you, arms crossed and everything*

"Just where do you think you're going?"

*You try playing it cool, although sweating a bit*

"Oh hey Shadow. . . I was just about to head out and-"

"Head out? At this time?!"

"I-I'm not gonna be gone for too long! I'll come right back after promise- *ah!*"

*Shadow Milk had already scooped you up, carrying you bridal style*

"That's quite enough! I can't have my only audience member getting drowsy during one of my shows, now can I?~"

*You were embarrassed beyond belief, even more once he started walking you to your room, and abruptly boops you on the nose*

"It's off to bed with you little mousey!~"

". . . ok(;w;). . ."

He takes much pride & joy in inconveniencing the player, purely for his own entertainment. What makes it worse is that he'll always find some sort of excuse, saying how it's "to punish them" and "to teach them how to do it right," just some of the lies they have to deal with

And that's not all, you think he started there? nope! He started lying to the player the second the two of them met. Seeing the player scared and alone in his domain, he didn't miss an opportunity to mess with the player's head. Fortunately, this does change as you begin to get closer with him, he starts being more open with the player

The outfit Shadow Milk gives the player is, although the tackiest thing on earthbread(if the player decides that it is), the most practical of the outfits they'll receive. It has a sort of German fairytale vibe to it, covered head to toe in ruffles, lace, bells, overly detailed designs, and of course, colored blue. It looks like, feels like, and is a costume, but despite its cheesy appearance, it's easy to run & move in

Out of all the beasts, Shadow Milk is the one who cares the most for the player's physical well-being. He's always making sure the player's eating enough, getting sleep, and most importantly, is happily entertained. It's been far too long since he was able to put on his plays, and he's gonna make sure they have the ability to sit through them

All and all, Shadow Milk is a well-meaning, all be it annoying, roommate

~Eternal Sugar~

She was always keen on learning most of the trickster's secrets, so finding out about the player, she became both upset yet understanding. Shadow Milk was the Cookie of Deceit after all

Regardless, Eternal Sugar found it quite unfair of him to keep them all to himself, and took it upon herself to steal the player away, via using one of her clouds

*While wandering by yourself within Shadow Milk's domain, you peer up at the unearthly, but normally blue sky, to see what seemed to be clouds suspiciously hovering over you*

Bewildered and curious, the player has the decision of either ignoring it or checking it out, but each will end in the clouds scooping up the player and taking them, all the way to Eternal Sugar Cookie

First meeting the player, she's admittingly unimpressed with what she sees, to think something so important to them would be reduced to such a simple creature. . ? But that mindset quickly changes as she discovers how adorable the player is, and just how naive they are. . .

She views the player as some sort of pet, spoiling them with all the goodies they can ever want, to a point where its almost overwhelming

*On a table, a large platter of sweets is set in front of you; you're almost tooken back by the sheer size of the dish, it was almost half the size of the table! Just sitting next to you was Eternal Sugar, smiling almost amusingly at your reaction*

"U-Uh. . . Is this all for me. . ?"

*She giggled*

"Of course it is dear! What sort of guest would you be if you didn't receive such delicacies?"

*Eternal Sugar picks up a sweet from the platter and holds it close to your mouth*

"Now, open wide~"

Unlike the other beasts, Eternal Sugar has the habit of babying the player, so like Shadow Milk, every simple task becomes way more difficult with her around. She'll make sure they won't be able to lift a finger!

Her associative minigame fits her sort of style, a memory game using cards, similar to the many games you can find on those "Kid-friendly Newgrounds" websites

Another thing worth noting is her clingy nature. Everywhere the player goes, Eternal Sugar has to follow, which does make things more difficult and affects progress. The prime definition of a space invader

It gets even worse during the night cycle, where she often insists on sleeping in the same bed as the player. Despite this, night is the only time the player will be able to get anything done. Just know that when they got back to bed and woke up the next morning, they'll have a sweet surprise waiting for them

*Morning light shines onto your face as it creeps into the rest of the room. You groan, awoken by your natural alarm clock, and begin to yawn & stretch, a part of you wished you slept in a bit longer. But as you try to get out of bed, you feel a weight on your right hand, better yet, you feel an entire section of the bed being weighed down by some unknown force. Turning around, you quickly discover why*

"E-Eternal Sugar Cookie! What are you-?!"

*There, covering a good half of the bed, Eternal Sugar Cookie was peacefully snoozing, clutching your hand. In your failed attempts at yelling at her & pulling your hand away were left to no avail, she had no intent on moving, nor letting go, making you all the more flustered*

"Ms. Eternal Sugar Cookie, please!- Let me go! I need-"

*She merely lifted one eye, only half awake and ready to sleep the rest of the day away*

"Awh~ but little mouse, it's so early!~ Can't you stay just a bit longer?~"

*She smiles at your flustered expression*

"But I have stuff to do! Please, you have to let me- *ah!-* h-hey!"

*Too busy trying to escape, you failed to notice her grip getting tighter, pulling you back down your now shared bed*

"Sleep a little more with me, won't you? There's no rush~"

"O-ok, fine then, but only for a couple more minutes, but that's it!"

*She giggled*

"Deal~"

Throughout their stay, the player only gets small snippets of Eternal Sugar's true personality. If the player chose to question her sickly sweet demeanor, she'd get defensive real fast, asking them why they would even question something like that. If angered, she becomes pushy, demanding, especially when the player doesn't do what she says

It becomes increasingly clear when Eternal Sugar gives you a new outfit, since the one you're wearing (aka the outfit Shadow Milk gave you) didn't fit her style, believing that you should wear something more flowy. She actually offers several different outfits for the player, and although nice, they're. . . let's just say not so family friendly; try as they might to reject her offers, she'll get upset and more persistent, nonetheless; this however does change as the story goes on, she becomes more understanding. Luckily, the two manage to make a compromise, Eternal Sugar offers the player a much simpler pink dress, with bows, lace, and ribbons. Despite being much to the player's liking(if that's what the player chooses), she begins to whine about it, saying how it could've been so much more; not to mention, both the ribbons and lace constantly get stuck on things if they aren't careful

The only time the player's able to really see Eternal Sugar's true colors is when Shadow Milk shows up, who's not all too happy about her basically kidnapping the player. Whilst they ventured alone, he made the mistake of taking his eyes off them for a second, last thing he knew they were snatched by some clouds and whisked away into the sky, which he immediately starts chasing after them. He knew exactly who was responsible. Unlike Shadow Milk, Eternal Sugar does a much better job of keeping her composure, playing dumb and refraining from acting out of character around the player. But once Shadow Milk insults her fake personality, all hell breaks loose

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my dear friend. . .?~ Eternal Sugar Cookie. . !"

*Shadow Milk had snuck in through an open window. Before you could even do anything, Eternal Sugar had already pulled you to her side, forcing you to sit in the lavish and comfortable sofa she was lounging on. He made his way towards her, with his usual wide smile; from the corner of your eye, you could barely see an eye twitch and, was he gritting his teeth? It didn't look like it, but he was seething with rage*

"Oh, Shadow Milk Cookie!~ for what do I owe the pleasure?~"

"How lovely of you to ask!~ You see, you just so happen to have something that belongs to me!"

*Shadow Milk then stares back at you, startling you a bit with his crazed expression. Although Eternal Sugar seemed unfazed, her grip on you only became tighter as the trickster started speaking to you*

"Little mousey, there you are!~ Oh I was so worried, thank goodness you're safe!~"

"I am so, so, sorry to have kept you waiting~ believe me, it's a long story!~"

"*Ah!* And what happened to the little dress I gave you?! I mean you still look cute, but you'd look so much better before and- oh! almost got off track for a second!~ *haha!*"

"Alrighty, I think it's time for me and my little mousey to get go-"

"You're leaving with them? Now what would be the purpose in that?~"

*She quickly shifted from her lounging position to a sitting position, pulling you closer toward her, and flustering you more. You see the trickster's eye twitch more, noticing just a crack in his character*

"*hehe-* what did you say. . ?!"

"I've tooken quite the liking to 'your' little mouse!~ Besides, you keeping them all to your self. . ? Extremely unfair of you!~"

*She then draped her arms around you, your face was getting redder by the second*

"Surely they'll be much happier here, isn't that right little mouse?~"

"Well, *uhh-* actually. . ."

"Then it's settled!~ The little mouse will be staying with me!~"

*They proceeded to argue back and forth, Shadow Milk's played up character was falling apart at the seams, losing a drop of his patience with every word the "angel" said. Eternal Sugar found herself quite entertained with the trickster getting angrier and angrier. All the while, you didn't know what to do, clearly neither of them were going to let you leave, or you know, let you get a single word in. So you were placed in a very awkward situation, stuck between an angel cookie who wasn't keen on you leaving, and a jester who was trying to get you back through gritted teeth*

"Listen, I'm the one who saw them first, they were found in my domain, therefore, they're mine! So if you would be so kind as to return them to me. . !"

*She proceeded to hold you closer, practically cuddling you, was she trying to make him even angrier?!*

"Oh but we're having so much fun!~ They'd much prefer it here than that over-the-top spiral you call a tower. . !"

*Insulting his domain was the nail in the coffin. It looked like he'd finally snapped, any ounce of patience he had before was completely out the window. Using his magic, he wrapped up your hands in some mysterious string, pulling you forward and out of Eternal Sugar's reach, greatly shocking and scaring the heck out of you. Once you were back in his arms, Shadow Milk pushed you behind him, and looking back at Eternal Sugar, she'd gotten up from the sofa, it seemed like she was starting to crack as well*

"Oh!~ So that's how we're gonna play *huh?!* Then I'll lend you this: do you really think they'd want to stay with a tooth-rotting prick like yourself?!"

*She began to clutch her fists, her eyes widen in a mix of shock and anger*

". . ?! What did you just call me. . ?!"

"Oh don't you give me that! little miss 'sweet & innocent angel!' unlike myself, people can see your fake persona from a mile away!~"

"And with how long they had to stay with you. . . I'm surprised my poor little mousey hasn't gotten sick and vomited from the spoiling and smothering they had to withstand!"

*That was all it took for her, she broke faster than he did, the wings on her back got bigger, Eternal Sugar's eyes glowed with rage*

". . . how dare you. . !"

"HOW DARE YOU!!"

The player obviously gets the choice of trying to stop the fight or slipping away, the following events escalating faster or slower depending on which they choose. Things escalate to a point where Eternal Sugar just snatched them and attempted to fly away with the player, which led to Shadow Milk using his magical strings to pull them back, entering the two of them in an intense game of tug of war with the player. And the force of both sides was so strong. . . It ended up ripping the player in half

So, Eternal Sugar Cookie, kinda pushy at times and very clingy all the time, but a sweetheart nonetheless

~Mystic Flour~

Getting ripped in half by two powerful beings. . . not something you would easily forget. . . You'd expect this to be game over, right? well, wrong, cause upon miraculously waking up, not only do you find yourself on top a strange alter, but face to face with Mystic Flour Cookie

Seeing the clouds of Eternal Sugar Cookie's cloud soaring past her land, she immediately could tell that something was a mist, and strolling through the silver forest and finding the player laying on the strange alter, her suspicions were correct

At first, she couldn't believe it, a cookie, in their world?! But after a proper meeting with the player and asking how they ended up on the alter, she became a bit more pitiful, going on to invite them to her domain, such a clueless cookie shouldn't be left alone!

But talking about what was basically their death is pretty traumatizing, so the player is given the choice of whether to straight up lie, or give some part of the truth

"So, you have no memory of how you ended up on this alter. . ? Nothing at all?"

*Your voice was strained, you didn't want to tell her the full truth*

"N-no, not a lot. . ."

*Mystic Flour then proceeds to grasp both your cheeks, pulling you close to her face, much to your slight embarrassment*

"Oh, you poor thing! You must be so lost, so confused. . ."

*It was that moment when an idea sprung into her, an idea that may help the both of you. . .*

"How about you come with me?~ Surely you'll be much safer!~"

*Try as you might to decline her offer, she just becomes more insistent. She was giving decent points however, you were lost and confused, not to mention trapped in this witch-forsaken place, and the only two "cookies" you knew killed you, accidently or not, you couldn't decide. . . Eventually, after lots of convincing and growing tired, you finally cave, accepting her offer*

"Ok, fine, I'll go with you"

"Oh good! Well, come along then!~"

*Gently, Mystic Flour took your hand, pulling you off the alter, and guiding you through the silver woods*

Mystic Flour had already made herself sound quite trustworthy, but of course, this can't be without some sort of catch. . . Though she looks caring on the outside, she sees the player as a mere tool, a stepping stool for something much greater. Her methods of getting information is much more subtle

Both minigames mentioned before required some sort of skill, Mystic Flour's is no exception. Similar to classic video game "Snake," the player's goal is to fill the respected area using dragons instead of snakes (wonder why?)

Pretty much the minute the two of them enter her domain, she basically gives them free range to do whatever. She doesn't really care if the player wanders too far or gets into spaces they shouldn't. But she will let you know when it's time to head back

*As the sun starts to set, you continue to search about the area like a curious child, you hardly noticed Mystic Flour standing just behind you*

"Little pika, dear it's time to head back!~"

*Hearing her voice yelling out to you so suddenly just barely startled you, but you gained back your composure once you see her warm smile*

"Oh! Hi Mystic Flour Cookie! Just give me a second, I have to check a few more things!"

*It wasn't like you weren't going to listen to her orders, you just had a bit more to do. But watching you get farther & farther away from her; Mystic Flour saw it differently. Already making her way toward you, she proceeded to scoop you into her arms, startling you and plastering blush onto your face, as she started walking you back herself*

"*ah!*W-Wait! Mystic Flour Cookie, I wasn't done ye-!"

"I know, I know, dear, you have your little tasks!~ But you'll have so much time to do them tomorrow, so please, might we head back? I'm sure the food is getting cold!"

*With you being in her grasp and your legs being very much off the ground, there wasn't really a choice to keep going. You could've kicked and screamed, but there were doubts that'd even work. . . And so, with no other options, you let her take you away, which sucked, but hey, at least you have yummy food waiting for you!*

Mystic Flour has the sheer amount of enthusiasm as an overly supportive mother, she has not a clue of what the player is doing but they're doing great! But like some mothers, she tries a more "hands off" approach as a way to set rules, intentionally not telling the player helpful information just for the sake of them learning it themselves

She does, however, provide them with all the materials to do so: a bedtime routine, plenty of food, and a warm winter outfit. Speaking of which, due to the wintery background, Mystic Flour gives them an outfit most suitable to withstand the cold, something heavy, but also angelic, a nun like dress colored a soft yellow, complete with black counterparts. The only downside is that defending the player from the cold is its only purpose, for it is much too heavy anywhere else and unbearable in hotter areas

Unlike the other beasts mentioned, Mystic Flour has no interest in forming a genuine relationship with the player. To her, you only serve one purpose, finding her escape (whatever that means) and is more direct into reaching her goal. She creates a false sense of security between the two of them, then when the time is right, uses that bond to her advantage. Fortunately, this behavior does change as the story continues, and Mystic Flour becomes more interested, and attached, to the player, but for now, her methods remain neutral

This becomes more apparent as Mystic Flour tries getting information out of the player in a sort of therapeutic way, sitting them down and letting them speak about their troubles, starting with the obvious. . .

"And. . . that's pretty much what happen. . ."

*You laid atop the much larger cookie, your head resting on her lap as she lightly massaged your hair. You rub your hands uncomfortably, as if waiting for bad news, your throat felt strained. Sandwiched between two angry beings, getting pulled into the sky then ripped in two, these were memories you weren't ready to revisit, especially with someone you've met only a few moments ago. . . At the same time, was holding this deep inside healthy? You saw life flash before your eyes, seconds before being split in half. . . Besides, you were already holding onto so much. . . would it hurt to let go of some. . . You felt Mystic Flour let go of your hair as she began running her hand on your face*

"Oh you, poor, poor, dear. . ."

"I am so sorry you had to be apart of. . . that. . ."

*Although you couldn't see her face, she sounded genuinely sorry for you, which was quite refreshing considering everything you've been through so far*

"They can be rather selfish at times, only thinking about themselves. . . You're lucky you've ended up with me!~"

*You laughed at her remark, trying to brighten up the mood, despite still feeling, well, you didn't know what to feel at that point. . .*

"*Heh* Yeah. . . I guess you're right. . ."

*Unannounced to you, Mystic Flour smiled to herself, her plan was working swimmingly. . . Having brought you to a docile state, it was more than a better time to gather the information she'd been longing for. . .*

"If you would allow me to. . . may I ask you something else?"

*You think for a minute, it was only one question, what harm could it do. . .*

"*Uh* sure. . . what is it?"

"Well little pika, you see-"

*Before the words could fall out of her mouth, there was a sudden loud BANG noise from outside. Respectfully, this startles you, making you flinch, but Mystic Flour didn't seem to move. . . Looking back up, you were finally able to see her face, she seemed irritated, annoyed. Gently, she lifted your head off her lap, resting you onto your knees, confused, you turn to her and saw that she was already standing, looking down upon you. She mumbled something under her breath*

"*Ugh* At a time like this. . ?!"

"Just a moment pika. . . I have to handle something. . ."

Mystic Flour considers herself to be the mother figure of the beasts, and although uncompassionate at times, she plays her role well

~Burning Spice~

(Literally the most perfect segway!~)

All it took was Shadow Milk and Eternal Sugar fighting for Burning Spice Cookie to want a part of the action. Last where we left off with them, the two managed to split the player in half, insides and everything, and were now freaking out over their (very much dead) body, whilst arguing over whose fault it was. By sheer coincidence, did Burning Spice decide to check up on Eternal Sugar, and catches site of the two yelling at each other

Burning Spice hasn't met the player, doesn't know who they are nor what they look like, but he took immediate interest in them after seeing how they affected the two other beasts. If just their mutilated body was enough to cause them to start screaming and crying like little kids, who knows what else they could do. . .

Already, he was making assumptions of what kind of person they'd be, perhaps the player was someone strong and intimidating, someone perfect to be his sparring partner, and continues to deny any sort of actual description of them

Him, Shadow Milk, Eternal Sugar had mostly worked together in their search for the player, but the millisecond they found out they were with Mystic Flour, the race was on. . . Which takes us to now, where Burning Spice appears first, causing a massive scene with his abilities in an attempt to lure her out

*Alerted by the sudden destruction just outside, Mystic Flour rushed to her outer balcony, irritated like this had happened before. . . She knew exactly who the culprit was, and sure enough, there he was, sitting casually atop the balcony's railing, Burning Spice greeted her with a sinister look on his face. She had already prepared herself, immediately knowing that something was about to go down*

"There she is, Misty! Long time no see!"

"Burning Spice Cookie. . . what brings you here. . ?"

"*Oh!* I think you know exactly why I'm here!"

*Getting off the railing, he walked toward his comrade, having no use in making a big deal out of it. Mystic Flour, although slightly surprised, saw it as a sort of threat, only further did she stand her ground*

"Ya see, a little birdie told me that you've been hiding a shiny new treasure from us. And I, of course, thought it'd be too good to be true. . . So I decided to drop by to take a look for myself. . !"

*He tried walking around her to reach the balcony's entrance, but before he could take another step, Mystic Flour stopped him, she wouldn't back down that easily. . .*

"There is no such thing. . . whatever is in my possession is none of your business. . !"

*In her defensive state, Burning Spice's persistence only grew, now patting her shoulder almost reassuringly*

"Hey, c'mon Misty!~ we're buddies, pals! Letting me get a tiny sneak peek shouldn't be a problem!"

"Say, how about this? You let me see what you're hiding, and I promise, I won't tell the others, I'll even let ya keep it! So what do ya say?~"

*Not even seconds after he said that, he immediately tried pushing past Mystic Flour as if she'd already answered his question. Of course, she shut that down almost instantly, even pushing him back, something which he doesn't really take well. His eyes widened, she set him off by just that push alone. She could bluntly tell he was lying, only using their relationship as an excuse, so she didn't let him any closer*

"Burning Spice Cookie, we've known each other for eons, do you really think I wouldn't be able to recognize one of your petty excuses. . . ?! "

"If you knew better, you'd be wise enough to leave, for this so-called treasure you're after, I know nothing about!"

*Pushing and telling him to leave. . . yep, that'll do it. . . Burning Spice broke into laughter as his hair began to glow warms shades of red, orange, and yellow, moving like a sea of flames*

"*HA HA HA HAHAHA!* *Oh!* Misty, ya might just make me angry!"

*His tone quickly shifts from trigger-happy to overall threatening once he'd opened his eyes, now just as bright as his hair, he marches towards Mystic Flour, who was all the more irritated and unfazed*

"And you. . . don't wanna make me angry. . !"

"Make you angry?! *Heh!* Didn't know it was so easy to mess with that small brain of yours!"

*It isn't long before the two engage in full on battle, both sides being equally matched in some way. While this was all happening, you were completely unaware; being inside exploring, you're none the wiser of the destruction going on outside*

Eventually, Burning Spice does manage to bust his way inside, and upon actually seeing the player in their simple state, he couldn't be more disappointed, to think Shadow Milk and Eternal Sugar's bickering would be caused by such a boring little cookie(but those two do fight over a lot of things, so-)

He'd almost considered leaving them, but Burning Spice would rather leave with something than nothing, so taking his losses he hoists up the player over his shoulder and makes, a not so quiet, escape. Much to Mystic Flour's dismay and the player's protests (or cries for help depending on what they choose)

Burning Spice sees the player like how a general sees a soldier. He thinks they're weak, bland, and more notably boring, and wants to, in his words, "spice them up." Because of this, he is unnecessarily harsh, working the player to the bone and expecting them to "get up" when they get too tired

*How long has it been. . ? An hour? Two hours? At that point you didn't know, but all you did know is that it felt like an eternity since Burning Spice started your so called "training." Back and forth, you were forced to run with heavy rocks on your back whilst following him, who was doing the same. All the while he'd yell at you to pick up the pace as encouragement. . .You huffed and panted*

"*Hah**hah. . .* Burning Spice Cookie, please, can't we stop for. . . just a minute. . ?"

*It was the only time he'd turn back at you, what a ridiculous ask!*

"What?! Definitely not! ya still got a lot to go, pipsqueak!"

*You couldn't go on any longer. A mess of sweat and sore bones, you plummet to the ground, numb to the rocks currently on your back, you wanted rest, at least for a minute. . . Burning Spice only reached a good distance away before noticing you were far, far behind. He ran back to you, but not because he was worried*

"Ay! Pipsqueak, what's the holdup?!"

*He crouched down, better viewing your shriveled up body, far too weak to keep going. Despite the obvious, Burning Spice still tried getting you to stand, poking, even attempting to pull you off the ground, but you won't budge. . .*

"C'mon! Quit acting like Eternal Sugar Cookie and get moving!"

"Please. . . let me rest. . ."

*Your sweat could've well stained the ground if it were cool enough. . . You were stubborn & refused to get up, becoming a puddle of flesh. Realizing that you weren't moving, he, grudgingly, decides to do what was best, but first he had to move you somewhere more suitable to your needs*

"*Ugh* Alright! Fine! I'll let you outta this, only once!"

*Swiftly brushing the rocks off your back, he scoops you up and onto his shoulder, no way would he let you die right then and there. You suddenly feel the biggest weight being literally lifted off your shoulders, thanking whatever was out there for this moment*

"I'll let you rest, but not here!"

"*Heh* Thank you. . ."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!"

Everything Burning Spice does, he expects the player to do the same, no matter how difficult. But will give them the benefit of the doubt when the player gets too tired to keep going, much to his annoyance

He's active and moving 24/7, that's why Burning Spice's minigame is directly based on "Super Mario Bros" where the player runs about collecting items, attacking enemies, etc.

If the player is talking to him, he'll most entirely talk about himself, boosting his ego, even throwing insults at the other beasts, which is both annoying and ironic because he does the exact same things that they do. That being said, it's important to never get mad at him or give him attitude because it will work him up, for better or worse. . .

The player can easily get information from him due to his blunt honesty. When talking about the other beasts, he'll always give bits of helpful information about them, some that can be extremely helpful in the future

Similar to Mystic Flour, Burning Spice gives the player free range to do whatever, the only difference is that Burning Spice sets up these "training sessions" on random occasions without notifying the player firsthand, and expects them to drop everything to train with him. This exhausts the player, causing them to only be able to do things during the day, when they've required enough rest

*Stumbling into the room Burning Spice gave you, you flop onto the bed, nestling your head against your pillow, relived. You were finally able to rest your jelly legs, sore running around and doing tasks. But you turn to your side, something catches your eye. . . On the single window of your room, you noticed what looked to be a slip of paper. Despite being entirely drained, your curiosity got the better of you, and slipping from the bed, you make your way toward the windowsill, now realizing how out of place from the rest of the room, appearing more of a light lilac than any of the reds and oranges. You questioned if even came from the place, and upon proper examination, your suspicions seemed correct. . . This was no mere paper, but a letter! Curiosities only felt more rapid as you opened, revealing not only short message crafted in cursive, but a beautiful illustration of a rose*

"Small Rodent, have you been faring well within our world? Have you been eating, sleeping well? I hope the others hadn't been too cruel towards you. . . Word of mouth does not travel fast here, so I apologize if I arrive to you late. . . I wish to reach you soon. . ."

"From- Silent Salt Cookie"

"Small Rodent. . ?"

*Reading through the passage, you took a few seconds to process, hoping that whoever sent it wasn't suggesting what you thought they were suggesting, cause if you got kidnapped one more time. . .-*

"Aye! Pipsqueak!!"

*Burning Spice had, without warning, busted into the room, no time for internal dialogue now! With milliseconds to think, you swiftly hide the letter behind your back, not before confronting the brute for his sudden excursion of your privacy*

"B-Burning Spice Cookie?! What are you doing here?!-"

"What?~ I can't check on my little pipsqueak, can't I?~"

*Again with the nickname. .?! Blushing rapidly, you couldn't tell whether you were annoyed, angry, or just plain embarrassed. . . Burning Spice laughed boastingly, always amused by your expressions*

"*HAHAHAH!~* Ya never fail to entertain me, pipsqueak!~"

*Then he noticed the arms behind your back. . .*

"Say, whatcha got there? Ya hiding something from me?"

*Shoot! the letter was still in your hands! Only seeing this as more of a reason to keep it hidden, you play it cool for as much as possible*

"I-It's nothing! W-What are you talking about?!*hehe*"

*Burning Spice just saw your actions as even more suspicious, he might be a barbarian, but he isn't stupid. He attempted turning you around to see what exactly you were keeping from him, all the while you were trying to dodge him, cold sweat beginning to run down your forehead*

"Are ya sure? Cause *uh* ya starting to look pretty sweaty there. . ."

"Oh!- this?! *Uhh. . .* I'm just, tired! from all the training today *haha!*"

*You two do this dance a bit, with you becoming doubly irritated the more Burning Spice tried seeing what you're hiding, getting additionally irritated while Burning Spice looked completely willing to tear your front open, asking and reinsuring you, again and again to get a little looksee. And you thought Shadow Milk was nosy?! Annoying and driven to your breaking point, you practically yell at him-*

"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, OK?!"

*Hearing those words fall out of your mouth, Burning Spice is beyond tooken aback, clearly, he didn't like being told what to do. You quickly gasp to yourself, slamming your mouth closed with a free hand upon realizing what you've just said, how could you be so stupid?! With the letter still in your other hand, you decide the best course of action was to crumble up the paper, that letter was the least of your worries now anyway. . .*

"Did. . .Did you just yell at me. . ?!"

*You gulped, your sweat becoming increasingly apparent as the brute looked seconds away from having steam shoot out his ears. He proceeds to get unnervingly close, practically towering over you. . .Didn't think it would end this way. . .*

"That. . . Is. . ."

"Great!!!"

"Ya getting spicier by the minute!"

*Burning Spice grabbed both your shoulders, and shook them with excitement, much to your bewilderment. The way his tone can just shift was both jarring and impressive. After a bit of violent shaking and surviving what would've been another death experience, he eventually lets go, not before giving you a hardy slap to the back whilst laughing, dang near knocking you off your feet and the letter out of your hand*

"*HA! HA!* Ya know what!? Take the rest of the day off! I wanna see my hard work!"

*He happily marches out of the room, leaving you in a rather messed up state*

"Be sure to get all the rest ya need! Ya gonna need it for tomorrow!"

*Burning Spice leaves the room, shutting the door, the second he was out of sight, you took the biggest sigh of relief. That was close, way too close! Like you practically dodged a bullet! You pull back out the crumbled-up letter and tried to fix it, somewhat regretting your decision of almost destroying it before. You had to be more careful next time*

During this entire scene, the player must be extra careful around Burning Spice, because despite how it's played, there's a route where he discovered the letter while they're asleep, and he's not too pleased with having Silent Salt trying to contact them, promptly getting so angry he burns the letter to ashes

That being said, Burning Spice, though seeming like a rage-filled brute who fights first and asks questions later, he's never threatening nor outright violent to the player, unless its a final resort. The player is a much-needed piece in a, all be it complex, puzzle, even if they don't even know it, and in order for them to work is through gaining their trust. But don't think that this is a good thing, there are many times where he could've hurt them yet actively chose not to

He immediately got to work constructing another outfit for the player cause in his own words, "there's no way ya staying here looking like that!" And the outfit he gives them perfectly reflects his ego, slick black clothing, paired with red barbaric accents, and brightly colored armor, making the player look like a mini version of himself. It's good enough for the endless training they have to do, but it's clear that some parts of the outfit were put together at the last second and were made from the minimal sewing Burning Spice learned. And if wanting to be honest, it's kinda ugly. . . Overall, it's the player's least favorite of the outfits given (if they decide it is)

Every hour, it feels like Burning Spice is always learning something new about the player, to him at least. Because of this, he celebrates every accomplishment they make with lavished (and very spicy) feasts, no matter how small they might be. Not exactly the best prize for basically being slaved away constantly to a point of exhaustion, but he doesn't need to know that. The only downside to this is that he's loud, like really loud, so loud in fact, he can't hear any other voices but his own, making him clearly oblivious to a certain someone stealing away the player(-again)

So Burning Spice, a not-so great roommate, but a pretty good personal trainer

~Silent Salt~

Ever since leaving Shadow Milk's site, someone else had been watching the player for some time, someone who wasn't too distant from the player, none other than the silent knight themself, Silent Salt Cookie

Once they found out about the player, there wasn't an ounce of disbelief nor hesitation that got into their head, they only had one goal in mind, and that was getting the player out of the other beasts' hands. But like a hungry wolf with its meal, they knew it wouldn't be easy. The other beasts always kept the player at arm's length, even with the leisure they receive, those four always made sure they were watched. And so they waited, and waited, and waited. . . In till they had the right moment to strike

Normally the beasts would be more direct when approaching the player, probably showing some pity towards them, not before whisking them away, Silent Salt on the other hand had a more different approach. They'd leave small letters for the player, all written in cursive and paired with a beautifully drawn illustration which they constructed themselves. Silent Salt essentially gives the player a bread crumb trail, preparing them for what was to come as to not spook them later

"Last one to get back to the base goes stale!"

"Burning Spice Cookie! Wait up!"

*You two were only trying to get back. . . nothing too special, yet of course, Burning Spice just had to turn it into a game of tag, didn't he?! Already tired from the day's activities, you struggled to move forward, and the barbarian is way ahead. Despite how unfair, annoying, and exhausting it was, you sighed, it wasn't the first time he did this. . . As you forced your body further, all you cared about was getting rest. You never understood why Burning Spice pushed your body to such lengths, but if there was one other reason to keep going it was to spite him. But as you were about halfway there, an unknown force suddenly grabbed your arm and pulled you to the side, you yelped, why does everyone here like grabbing you!?*

"*AH!* W-What the!?-"

*Pulled into an unnoticed corner, you practically swing yourself around, already having a good idea of just who decided to yank you out of the way, and you got what you wished for. . . Hovering over your tiny body, was the silent knight themself, quiet and unmoving, looking down at you. . . You jump back a bit startled, those training sessions are sounding a lot better right now. . . Although frozen with fear, it didn't take long to realize that something wasn't right. Sure, they appeared in front of you but that was merely it, just standing there, menacingly, almost like a statue. Your fear quickly dissolves into pure confusion as you stare back at them, the moment shifting into awkward silence. You already had a decent idea of who this fellow might be, and decided to use it as a way to break the barrier between you two*

"*Um. . .* Hi. . ."

"Y-You're Silent Salt Cookie, right. . ?"

*It took them a second to respond, and by "respond" they actually crouched down and got extremely close to your face, adding to your bewilderment, and barely managing to keep your composure*

"*ah!-* I'm gonna take that as a yes. . !"

*As a result of being thrown around so much, you practically knew what was next, but seeing the knight so still felt alien to you, and almost refreshing. . ? Like you were happy to just not be snatched for once, as morbid as that sounds. Oh but no, that's not right, who's to say that this fellow was to be trusted. You make the bold choice to ask them more questions, but before another word could fall out of your mouth. . .*

"Aye Pipsqueak! What's the hold up!?"

It's a no-brainer that Burning Spice finally noticed the player's absence, they have the rightful decision of running to him or yelling out, which Silent Salt covers their mouth and attempts to take them away(what a surprise!) The second route, however, the player's (4th) kidnapping is put on display for Burning Spice, who did not handle the situation well. He immediately rushes in to save them, but Silent Salt was much too swift for him. All the while, the player attempts to save themselves; trying to kick, scream, and squirm their way to freedom, but nothing works, they were a knight after all. Enraged, Burning Spice yells at Silent Salt that he'll get revenge, and he won't be alone. . !

(And before we go on any further, I personally like to hc that Silent Salt is both mute and deaf because 1. it matches with the new ancient heroes since Pure Vanilla is heavily implied to be blind; and 2. it'd make sense that the witches would want to make a disabled cookie. During their pre-corruption days, the five virtues also had to be role models for the cookies, thus they had to, at some extent, be relatable. So giving one of the virtues something that other cookies can relate to makes sense. Oh and as a bonus, Silent Salt is completely fluent in ASL and is fairly good at lip reading; Shadow Milk and Mystic Flour are also fluent in ASL and often act as their mouth pieces. Ok moving on!)

You'd think that the player wouldn't trust Silent Salt from the jump, given the circumstances & that this happened to them so many other times, and yet. . . Silent Salt was the only one to be considerate of the player's feelings before performing the act, they knew the player would be scared, if not terrified, of them, especially when you consider their appearance and quiet nature; thus they planted the letter to let them know. So although this doesn't mean the player fully trusts them, it is a step into the right path

How they view the player is a complete mystery, unlike the other beasts, it isn't just spelled out in ink. Instead, the player has to focus on their interactions and certain body language, since they can't speak

Similarly to Eternal Sugar, Silent Salt will often give the player gifts in an attempt to gain their trust. The main difference on the other hand was that those gifts were much smaller scale than what Eternal Sugar gave them, but still feel more thought out and genuine

*Lilac-colored curtain draped over large windows, comfortable sitting, and a bed that resembled a soft marshmallow, you had to admit, for living in a wasteland, they sure knew a thing or two about decor. But as you admired your new bedroom, you get a sudden knock on the door, and opening it a crack, you see Silent Salt, they appeared to be holding a few things*

"Oh! Silent Salt Cookie! What brings you-"

*Fully opening the door revealed what they were holding, a bouquet of beautifully made paper flowers in one hand, and a sliver tin, filled with salted chocolates in the other. Seeing the gifts, you were pleasantly surprised, not just by the tin of sweets but the paper flowers, so true to life and clearly made by them, you were amazed by the fact they were able to pull something like that off*

"Wow! are these for me?"

*The knight nodded their head, handing both gifts to you. Despite how small the gesture was, you still felt a tiny bit overwhelmed, the smallest hint of blush creeped onto your face*

"T-Thank you! They're lovely!"

Silent Salt was & still somewhat is known for their skills with a sword, thus the reason why their minigame is based on "Fruit Ninja." The player, instead of slicing fruit, is made to cut different pieces of paper according to a dotted line, in an attempt to mimic Silent Salt's paper flowers

While out exploring and doing tasks, Silent Salt will actually partner up with the player & help them, which is already a massive change from the player's other beast encounters. Either they'd find ways to stretch the task out even longer, or just not help at all, so having them there is a huge change of pace. They're always by the player's side, because of this, they can come off as clingy at times

They, like most of the beasts, give the player free range to do whatever, but is quick to set boundaries. The player isn't allowed to go into certain areas without their supervision, especially at night

*Lightly tracking your steps across cold floors, you carefully tiptoe through the Silent domain, moonlight streaking onto every nook and cranny acted as your only light source, which you tried to use to your advantage, the last thing you wanted was to be caught. But when you turned the corner, guess who you unceremoniously bumped into. . ? Pressed into their chest, you abruptly backed away startled & flustered realizing who it was, Silent Salt just looked at you, just like before*

"*Ah!-* Silent Salt Cookie. . ! It's not what you think. . !"

"I-I just have a few other things to do, that's all!-"

*The silent knight only stood there, arms crossed, making their stance all the more stern. You already had a good idea of what was going on in their head, no amount of convincing would change your fate. So with a sigh, you started heading back to your room, not before Silent Salt gently scoops you up, refusing to let you touch the floor, and carried you there themself. Blushing rapidly, you beg and plead for them to put you down, but failed miserably; why does everyone like carrying you so much. . ?*

Silent Salt treats the player like they're the most fragile thing on Earthbread, handling them with care and, with their position as a knight, more than happy to cater to their every need and desire

Due to their disability and limitations in lip reading, talking to them is difficult, creating this communication barrier between them and the player. This, however, doesn't stop the two of them from trying to fix the issue

That being said, Silent Salt most definitely wants to teach the player ASL so they can communicate easier. They made sure they'd take their time, teaching them all they need to know, starting with letters, to phrases, to full sentences. Even if the player struggles to learn at first, they're extremely patient with them, teaching things one step at a time

If it wasn't already obvious, Silent Salt is very delicate with their hands, due to their precise skills with a sword. Because of this, they picked up quite a few hobbies, like painting and drawing, clearly showed by the letter they made the player before, and surprisingly, braiding hair

*Slowly, the silent knight carefully overlapped strand after strand of hair from your head into beautiful braids. They put special care into each braid, constantly checking with you to make sure they were comfortable, even going the extra mile of creating more paper flowers to infuse into the braids. Sitting in front of the bedroom's vanity mirror, you were in awe at how perfect the braids were, your hair practically became an art project! Looking back at them, you couldn't see their face, but you could tell Silent Salt was genuinely enjoying themself, how they added flower after flower, even sometimes placing one directly onto your head; because well, why not? It was moments like this that made you think back to when you first met, back to when their silence felt alien to you, and how you were so unwilling to cooperate. . . Yes, you still didn't fully trust the knight, all of this just felt too perfect, almost too good to be true even, but it does. After placing the last flower, they were finally done, the braids were wrapped around your head and tied in the back with a purple ribbon*

If the hairstyle doesn't make them feel like royalty, then don't worry, Silent Salt had them covered. Cause not soon after doing their hair, they presented their outfit, which looked more like a gorgeous gown than any regular dress. Everything about it was perfect, the long white silk trin that partly touched the floor, the bow around the waste that matched your hair, the simple purple accents, its ruffled layers, everything. But possibly the most radiant part of the gown was these beautiful sewn in embroideries, each more beautiful than the last, all throughout. This was the straw that broke that camel's back, such actions of kindness couldn't go unrewarded; so through ASL, the player is able to sign phrases "thank you" and "sorry," to which Silent Salt immediately accepts. Quite a shame the player couldn't do more. . . The only two downside one could think of is that it strongly resembled a wedding dress, which can give the wrong ideas fast; also the gown length gives the possibility of tripping, but that's a simple price to pay

The relationship between the player and Silent Salt is mostly through action, and to some extent, physical touch. The player is always finding new and creative ways to repay them for everything they've done, often finding themselves cooking or cleaning for them, even gifting them drawings and paper creations they made themselves. Silent Salt does find this sweet and charming, but as a knight, they really have no desires. They crave the simpler things, like holding hands, learning ASL, or just being together in general. No amount of wasted paper would change that

Unfortunately, as stated before, not everything can be too blissful. . . Silent Salt is regularly shown to be extremely overprotective of the player, which does make sense considering their role; Silent Salt is a knight, keeping the innocent safe is their job, and the fact that the other beasts were also after them only made them double down on protecting them. Now, Silent Salt, before meeting the player, had no plans of escape, at least even they think of, in fact, became increasingly fond of their surroundings. . . Only when they learned the player did they start to reconsider. . . with a new opportunity, they couldn't simply pass it up. . .

Because of this, they've developed a 6th sense(or 5th or 4th) whenever they felt the player was in danger. Silent Salt can pick up signals of danger from miles away, and acts quickly ensure their safety, so imagine the player's surprise and confusion when being rushed somewhere else

*Everything was a blur. . . One second ago you and Silent Salt were spending time together per usual, before you knew it you were being pulled into your room, and Silent Salt was doing repeated checks on the door and windows, making sure they were locked. Confused, you try to stop them in their tracks, to get some sort of answer, but all they did was clutch both your hands tightly, looking you directly in the eyes; before abruptly letting go, telling you to never, for any reason, open the door or windows till they came back, then disappears, leaving you in a state of flustered shock. Even if completely unexpected on your end, it became increasingly clear why Silent Salt acted the way they did. . . with a battle axe, guess who was waiting just outside. . ?*

"Salty! right on time!~ It's been awhile, hasn't it?~"

*The knight merely stood there, sword in hand with a tight grip. They already knew what the brute was saying, him placing the axe's handle on the back of his neck as he began to walk towards them*

"Honestly, I'm pretty surprised Salty!~ Out of everybody here, it's you who'd be dumb enough to steal from me, me!"

"Cause when I think of stealing, I usually think of Shadow Milk Cookie, maybe Eternal Sugar Cookie if what we're after is really worth fighting for, but you?! *HA!* Didn't think of ya as the taking type!~"

"*Hmm. . .* I like it! You know I always love a good surprise?~"

*With every step he took, Silent Salt only further stood their ground, having already pulled their sword out from the dirt and getting into a battle stance. Upon reading their body language, his grin only got bigger, he knew exactly what was doing and actively stirred the pot. He put his hands up as he backed away in a condescending yet reassuring tone*

"*Woah!-* *Woah!-* Easy there buddy!~ Now I know what it looks like, but I promise, I didn't come here to cause trouble. . ."

"Instead, I'm looking for a little. . . exchange. . ."

*Burning Spice proceeded to hold his axe behind his back to make himself appear more innocent. All the while Silent Salt didn't once get out of their battle-ready mindset*

"Now I know I can be a little. . . hectic at times, but for this I'm willing to make one exception. . ."

"Say, I won't leave a scratch on your place, if you return what you've stole from me. . !"

"A simple deal, really!- You get out of this with no causalities, and I leave with that little cookie in tow!~ So what do ya say. . ?"

*Silent Salt was only getting parts of the Burning Spice's so called "deal," and already, they were not having it. . ! With just a blink of an eye, Silent Salt went from guarding their domain to holding the tip of their blade at Burning Spice's throat, as if they teleported, they were that fast. . ! Along with Shadow Milk's lies, none of the beasts were dumb enough to fall for one of his exchanges! The knight was clearly provoked; exactly what the brute wanted, so he kicked back far enough to pull his axe out from his back. Though the kick was strong, Silent Salt was still able to hold their ground, using their sword to keep their footing. There was a battle-hungry look in his eyes*

"*HA HA!* You just love surprising me, don't ya Salty?!"

*He then stretched his neck and shoulders, tense bones popped at the motion. Then proceeded to do his battle stance*

"Whatever! Wouldn't have worked anyway! Besides, no one gets dumber around here, right?! *HA!*"

"But one thing's for sure. . . Doesn't matter how tough you act. . . I'm not leaving without my pipsqueak. . !"

*His tone shifted to slight anger as his hair turned into bright flames. Having weapons drawn, it's clear as day as neither was willing to do what the other wanted, nor give in. Both had goals set in stone and willing to follow through with them; but just before they could actually strike at one and other. . .*

"*Yoo-hoo~* Up here!~"

"Apologizes for being so late you two, we've bumped into some. . . causalities. . ."

*In from above, flew in Eternal Sugar atop one of her clouds as Mystic Flour floated beside her, landing onto opposites of the brute and knight, creating this strange box. Burning Spice became all the happier, being the violence-obsessed cookie he was, this just maybe the fight more interesting for him. While Silent Salt was as stern as ever, despite being outnumbered*

"Misty! Sugar! Welcome to the party!! Just when things were starting to get interesting!~"

"*Ugh* Don't overexcite yourself Burning Spice Cookie, some of us only want this to be over with. . !"

*She has a quick glance at the beasts around her, just as annoyed of as before*

"So . . . I assume we all know about our new. . . 'inhabitant,' yes?"

*The silent knight nodded*

"*Pfft* *Uh Duh!-* What's was ya first clue?!"

"That's right! It's been far too long since I've seen another cookie, and when I finally find one, they're snatched from my hands!"

"Oh my poor little mouse!~ They must've been so lonely since they were taken away from me!"

"Being pushed and pulled by some brute and locked away by some scary knight?!~ What can be worse?!"

*Eternal Sugar whined and whined, nitpicking everything that she deemed "cruel treatment," and although most of the things said were true, Burning Spice couldn't help but take offense*

"Aye! What do ya mean by 'pushing and pulling around?!' I have you know I treat them with utmost respect and care!"

"*HA!* You call your so called 'training' of yours respect and care?! Don't make me laugh!"

"Unlike you, I provide my little mouse with everything they could ever need, everything they desire. . ! I make them happy! All your training does is ruin their perfect mind and body!"

*She looked over to her two other comrades*

"At least I can be assured that those two actually kept them safe, otherwise, I wouldn't know what I'd do. . ."

"Even Shadow Milk Cookie takes better care of my little mouse. . ."

*That's when most of the group realized a crucial detail, where the heck was Shadow Milk?! Unannounced to them, Mystic Flour already had a good idea of where he was, but waited to answer. . .*

"Oh yeah! Shadow Milk Cookie isn't here! Where is the guy anyway?!"

"When we found out the pika was being kept here, we came as soon as possible. But it wasn't long before Shadow Milk separated from us; we tried to pursue him but by then, he was already gone. . ."

"Perhaps we should wait for him. . .Knowing him, he likely has something planned. . !"

*With Shadow Milk being the smartest of their group, waiting for him seemed like the safest option, after all he was known for his tricks, who knows what he could be planning. Yet the brute and angel, who always had something to say, didn't have the patience for such. . .*

"And let him get another chance on stealing my little mouse away again?! Absolutely not!!"

"Yeah Misty, not having Shadow Milk Cookie around means less of us to get through, even if it is kinda boring! *HA HA!*"

"Wouldn't want his filth to rub off on my pipsqueak. . !"

*Eternal Sugar gasped in surprise and utter disgust*

"'Your' Pipsqueak?! are you delusional?! Clearly they're mine!!"

*Burning Spice cracked his knuckles, as he puffed his chest*

"Oh yeah?! Then why don't ya prove it?!"

*Mystic Flour groaned in irritation, if her eyes were open she would have definitely rolled them, this charade was going too far*

"*Ugh* You two are bickering like children! Could you at least not treat them like some object?! It's likely that the pika will return to me or Silent Salt Cookie, at least we don't see them as a mere pet. . !"

*Silent Salt nodded in agreement*

"And yet, I think we all know what we're really after. . . "

*With that sentence alone, it made Burning Spice and Eternal Sugar as quiet as Silent Salt was. . . The whole area was hushed, quiet enough to hear a pin drop. . .The four beasts side eyed each other, as if ready to duel; evidence was undeniably clear, they wanted to use you. . .for something? After keeping their running mouths shut for what felt like decades, Burning Spice finally breaks the silence, drawing his weapon, his patience was already dissolved. . .*

"Alright, that's it! We all want the cookie, and just sitting around isn't gonna help!"

"So, let's settle this. . . once and for all. . !"

"Agreed!"

"*Ugh* Suppose we should get this over with. . !"

*As Silent Salt drew their sword, the battle had began. The four played sides, the three of them trying to barge their way in, and Silent Salt trying to keep them out; and despite how unfair the fight seemed, not only were they evenly matched, but they all were fighting for themselves, for their own selfish goals, all of which surrounded getting to you. . . Speaking of that, you were once more left in the dark, spared from the situation. Not to say you aren't curious about what was going on either, in fact you were completely willing to open the windows to look outside if Silent Salt didn't tell you to keep them closed. Laying on top of the marshmallow bed, you stare up at the ceiling in boredom and something else. You received another to be alone with your thoughts, really rekindle and wonder. . . What the hell was going on?! First you were teleported to this strange place, then you were kidnapped five times, then you basically died and came back to life? Nothing about your situation was normal! Not to mention the cookies you're trapped with, if you can even call them "cookies" what even were they? You didn't know anything about them, what to feel about them, let alone if you could trust them or not. . . Questions were swimming in your head like fish upstream, feelings fighting for control in till. . .*

"*AH HAHAHAHA!~* no matter what, the story always stays the same!~"

*You hear a voice, a squeaky, arrogant, yet oh so voice. . . You look around in surprise, was that who you thought it was?!*

"That's right!~ The hero has arrived!~"

". . .To save his damsel in distress!~"

*CRASH!*

*Destroying one of the windows, bursts in the self-proclaimed trickster himself, Shadow Milk Cookie, the suddenness of the action making you fall off your bed startled and almost near giving you a heart attack. When hitting the ground, he did a quick barrel roll before landing on one knee in a sort of "ta-da!" position, acting like he didn't ruin a perfectly good glass plane, and much to your bewilderment. You quickly get up and stand towards him*

"S-Shadow Milk?! Are you ok?!"

"Awh~ Look at you!~ worrying for lil'ol me!~"

"I'm perfectly fine my little mousey!~ Absolutely splendid!~"

*You knew you should've expected a reaction like that from him of all cookies, but it didn't stop you from going dumbfounded*

"You just jumped in through a closed window!!"

*He then went on this long, overexaggerated, winded speech about how much he missed you, how you two had been separated for far too long, what lengths he had to go through just to get to you, but you were wise enough to know that he was partly spewing out lies. . . Mystic Flour knew he had a plan, and had a plan he did! whilst everyone else was occupied, he'd snuck in through a back window, unbelievable how such a cheap tactic was able to work. . . It wasn't long for Shadow Milk to notice the beautiful dress you were wearing, and lights up with glee, zipping toward you, and scaring you once more*

"And might I add, that is quite a marvelous gown you have on!~ *AH!* It makes you look so much more like a proper damsel!~ who made it?!"

"Well-. . ."

*He cuts you off before another word could come out of your mouth*

"-Oh, no, no, no, wait!- don't tell me, Silent Salt Cookie made this, didn't they?~"

"*AH!* It's such a no brainer!~ They make such amazing things, of course they'd make something this cute!~ I'm a little jealous!~ *hehehe!~*"

"*Whew!~* Okay, I think we had enough excitement for one day, hadn't we?~"

*He abruptly grabs your arm and pulls you close, startling you as blush begins to creep up your cheeks*

"Time to go home!~"

*It was the mention of "home" that threw you into a loop, what did he mean by "go home?!" Shocked, you pulled yourself away from the trickster, causing surprise and slight annoyance on his end*

"H-Home?! What are you talking about?!"

"Oh, you ask such silly questions, I'm taking you with me! Back to my humble abode!~"

Obviously, going back to the guy that had the player turned into two halves, is something that they aren't fully ready to do, thus are given the choice to go with him or not; to which both have different, yet very grim results. . . If they say yes, Shadow Milk Cookie will carry them out of Silent Salt's domain, not before being founded out by the other beasts, causing the player to be caught up within the drama, eventually getting stabbed through the chest from all the excitement. . ! On the other hand, if they say no, Shadow Milk with become more persuasive toward the player, reminding them of their time spent apart. If they deny him enough times, his patience begins to wane as his persona falls apart. Becoming more demanding till he snaps, forcing the player to leave with him; but it was already too late, as the other beasts had shown up, who aren't too happy about his late arrival, and chaos ensues, leading to the player getting decapitated. . !(Woooo-)

~Final~

The player ends up back at the top of the altar in the Silver Forest, completely passed out from the shock. All the beasts, after freaking out over their dead body, head there in a heartbeat, arguing over who'd be the one to take the player home, till Mystic Flour decides enough is enough, ending the argument and declaring the Shadow Milk should be the one to take in the player since he found them first, further saying that arguing wouldn't get them anywhere and wants to start a meeting before anyone else could argue back. . . Fast forward to Shadow Milk's base, the player is getting some well needed rest as the beasts are discussing what to do next, although it isn't entirely apparent that they remember how they got there, having them around could be beneficial to their much bigger goals. After a bit of talking, Shadow Milk conjures up a wonderfully, awful, idea. . . keeping the player as their hostage. . . Think about it! From the outside world, they already have reputations for being cold and cruel monsters, if they found out they had a cookie with them, they'd go nuts! Plus, who'd be more inclined to get involved? None other than the new Guardian Of The Seal, and Ancient Hero herself, White Lily Cookie. . . Long story short, they all agree with the plan, as it will guarantee their escape, and check on the player not long after, who was still passed out

*In your dormant state, you lay unconscious as all five beasts watched you, each of them claimed a corner of the bed. As they watched, Silent Salt noticed a slight twitching in your hand, and instinctively embraced theirs into yours, rubbing their thumb on your wrist. Not everybody took it well, cause Eternal Sugar shooed their hand away just a few seconds later*

"*Ugh* Get your hands away from them, you're ruining their slumber. . !"

*She turns back to you as her mood shifts from annoyance to gentle delight*

"Awh~ They look so precious!~"

*Burning Spice leaned forward on the bed to get a better look at you, he seemed upset*

"How long are they gonna be like this. . ? It's been awhile now. . ."

"Roughly a few hours, but I believe they will be awake by tomorrow. . . Poor thing, must have scared them quite a lot "

". . . I think it'd be wise to not tell the pika about our plan, after all, we did get this far with them"

"Right you are, my dear comrade!~"

"If it were to get out that we were keeping them for our own sake, it'd surely shatter any trust we might have, and we don't want them defying us, now do we?~"

*The other beasts agreed*

"*hehehehe!* So it's settled!~"

*Running a hand up your arm, the trickster looked back at you with his signature smile*

"*Hehehehe!*Oh be sure to get all the rest you need, my little mousey!~"

"Cause you'll be in for quite the performance!~"

And that's pretty much how the story begins, the player is their little doll for the time being, none the wiser about the beasts' plans for hostage type deal with The Guardian Of The Seal

(holy crap we're almost done, guess it's time to talk about some background and bonus info)

~Background~

You are playing as the new resident of the Faerie Kingdom, a half-faerie who grew up in Crispia. There, they are known for two things, having cookie genetics and being kinda an a*s, everything makes them unique compared to other faeries, especially the lack of wings on their back, and their personality isn't exactly a pocket of sunshine either. So throw that in a blender, and you got yourself unnecessary fame that many don't want. The player receives the full "little sibling treatment" with faeries being overbearing and constantly getting doted on. Which, of course, sucks, day by day, no matter where they go, they can't escape it! The only escape they have from it all is their day job, working as the librarian's assistant is when they could finally have some peace and quiet, alongside the librarian, who became the player's good friend

Ok! Bonus Stuff!

With the player's kidnapping and life within the Silver Kingdom, a few bonus relationships the player can have are with Silverbell, Mercury Knight, Pure Vanilla, and of course White Lily. SB and Mercury are like childhood friends/crushes, having met the player before the events of the main game, making the player more acquainted toward them. White Lily and Pure Vanilla on the other hand, take a parental role, acting as the player's protectors much later in the game. Both are relatively more alien to the player, especially White Lily, but the two quickly insert themselves, insisting that they only want to keep the player safe(which makes sense considering their mission is to protect Cookiekind, and the player certainly counts) Out of the two, it's White Lily we end up getting the closest with(a mother + child bond if you will), as Guardian Of The Seal, she was horrified to find out the player was being held hostage by the beasts, and wanted to do anything in her power to save them. She also took a liking to their personality (which's fine I guess???)

It may not look like it, but this game is all about choice. It's about the ideas and importance of choice, how decisions affect your life, how even bigger decisions are often made by selfish people, and (I'm probably gonna get publicly executed for this!-) how a democracy should be handled, because let's be honest, we need a better one. . . We'll see plenty examples of a bad democracy among the beasts, as Shadow Milk, the proclaimed "leader" constantly makes choices for others, in reality only thinking about himself; it's through the player he learns to give the others a say in the matter. Speaking of which, it's the player's choices that will have the most impact as the story continues, like how most games do, the only difference is that the game provides a much wider buffet of choices, making the opportunities endless!

.

.

.

If you're reading this then, Congratulations!

You Made It To The End!

Here's A Trophy!🏆(for both me and you cause omfg this took FOREVER! I'm happy with the final result but like- I never thought this would take like 5 weeks to make ;w;)

If I could go back in time, I would've definitely made this shorter. . !

If you any other ideas for this strange fangame, then feel free to let me know!~

Ok, bye!~^^

*decomposes into the soil*

[vendetta-ari]

Hi I was wondering if you could write a Velvette x fem reader one shot or head canon first meet (like I can’t fine any fanfic of her)

(Srry but if my writing is bad English is not my first language lol)

Hope you’re having a nice day/evening/night.

I decided to do velvette headcanons because it's a lot quicker to do lol, hope that's alright, enjoy!! :3

VELVETTE SFW + NSFW HEADCANONS

WARNINGS: [nsfw headcanons after the break]

SFW HEADCANONS

~ you two first met via a meeting with carmilla, both of you being uninterested, you got along and she showed you around her section of voxtek. she soon fell head over heels for your beauty and you started dating in less than a week. no slow burn here folks!

~ She definitely always posts you on social media, everyone has to know you two are dating. 

~ Always is asking you to be one of her models, she thinks you're prettier than any of her other models, and I mean, let's be honest. you are <3

~ Loves going shopping with you, she keeps your wallet empty and your happiness full.

~ likes dressing you up, will always want you in her clothes.

~ Calls you doll, dear, baby/babe, and pretty girl.

~She loves receiving flowers. you gave her some rose's once and she squealed so loud she almost shattered a mirror 

~ she will give you flowers every month, tries to make them different every time

~ let's you style and play with your hair and vice versa, she likes trying new hairstyles on you. like previously stated your her doll she likes dressing you up and doing your hair and makeup.

~ she lets you paint her nails any color, even if she hates the color.  she does anything for her preettyyy girlll <3

~ you are not allowed to leave her side in public, when you're with the vee's she keeps you 10 feet away from Valentino the whole time.

~ speaking of the vee's, you always hang out with them and they are like family to you, your best friends. 

~ when she's done with work she sits on your lap and complains all day, then you go out on a date and cuddle.

~her love language is words of affirmation, she's always complimenting you 

NSFW HEADCANONS 

I feel like velvette is a switch, but usually more dominant.  on more tiring days she lets you take control though.

She is an absolute brat tamer, dont give her attitude or she'll fuck it out of you.

her kinks would probably consist of praise, degrading, painplay, dacryphilia, public sex, and handcuffs/rope

all of these kinks go both ways, although she prefers doing them to you. 

Aftercare with her usually consists of her running a shower for you both to clean up and then watching romance movies :)

hope you enjoyed anon!! I love velvette sm shes so girl boss

-xoxo Ari

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - a shocking upset to the rankings

Organized, in each category, by ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Nov 2023 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thurs iQIYI) ep 5 of 8 - It remains absolutely delightful. We already knew this pair does boyfriends damn near perfectly. It’s a pleasure to watch them as a couple, coupling all over our screen. The relationship does feel a bit rushed but frankly I like the pacing, it’s kind of Korean style which makes sense considering the original IP. 

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 1 of 10 - You know what this is? It’s FUN is what it is. I haven’t felt this way about a BL in a while. Sure is has an uneven story, fight sequences, pacing, and acting but still… yay! Billy is great, he very good at thirst. It’s a crime Lee Long Shi isn’t in this, but otherwise weeeeeeeeee!

(Also was that Bangsean I spotted?)

Last Twilight (Fri YT) ep 3 of 12 - The montage of them learning and training together was so stinking cute I can hardly contain myself. Plus a little language play? (Did you catch the added “na” on to thank you? Gah! So sweet.) Have mercy. I love the banter that these two can execute so smoothly. It reminds me the most of TayNew back in their Kiss days. Or Nanon & Ohm in Bad Buddy.

There’s this breezy casualness to friendships and long-term relationships that Asian BLs seem to find really hard to execute (I’m thinking about something like Hospital Playlist as the best example). It’s more a friend chemistry than a lover chemistry, although of course it can morph into that.

Anyway, I am waffling, but I’m loving this show. (The bit with the teacher made me cry.) I also really love how much actual Bangkok we’re getting from it for a change. 

Finally... how much did @respectthepetty and I love the pink milk shirt moment? SO MUCH. Color theory, plot devise, fashion, food, and a trope reference all in one. Well done GMMTV! Very well done.

Twins the series (Fri GaGa) ep 4 of 10 - I would like it if we got onto the BL section of this BL. Please and thank you. 

Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 2 of 14 - it's delightfully trashy, btu slightly less trashy than last week because they introduced AlanJeff who are my new babies of age gap delight and you cannot have them. THEY ARE MINE. Also Way. WAY IS MINE. Also, I decided to do a trash watch.

Bake Me Please (Mon Gaga) ep 1 of 6 - It’s nice. It’s fine. Atmospheric and pretty and full of deserts. What’s not to love? Is it inspired? No. Definitely has an Antique Bakery (play it again, BL). But I do love food based cinema. 

Middleman’s Love (Fri YT & iQIYI ep 3 of 8 - What’s annoying is that this could’ve been so good. It’s a poster child for squandered potential. 

Absolute Zero (Weds iQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - Because of the temporal paradox, and Thai BL not being all that great on narrative consistency anyway, this is a confusing piece as well as a painful one. Now Ongsa seems to be nothing more than a stalker who cries all the time. 

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 2 of 14(!) eps - This really feels like Thailand is trying to relive the gory days of Japan's pinks. I wasn’t into it then and I’m certainly not into it now. It’s a mess and weirdly mechanically not sexy. I’ll stay watching it but, like Only Friends, I don’t think I’m gonna warm to it. I just don’t like shows where there are no likable characters. 

Also imma say it, so plug your assears. This is about as deep as a dildo can go. Which is to say, the size queens seem to be finding it more deep than the rest of us who are already bottoming out. Just make sure you're taking adequate lube prep with your psyches.

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) Friends Forever ep 14 of 24 - No thank you. 1/10 

I've decided, for spreadsheet reasons, that each of these is going to be tracked as its own 2 part show.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

A Breeze of Love (Korea iQIYI) eps 5-6 of 8 - The shopping together scene was absolutely darling. But I’m getting a little frustrated not knowing exactly what happened in the past.

VIP Only (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 1-2 of 10 - Of course it starts with the crash into me trope, oh Taiwan. It’s cute enough, I love the support cast, and it’s always nice to have something from my favorite tiny island on my dash. 

You tell me: is it safe?

One Room Angel (Japan Gaga) 6 eps - This one finished. It's an adaptation of Harada’s manga (which I did not like and dnf'd) about a clerk who nearly dies and ends up cohabitating with an angel. Thoughts? Is it sad? Is it meh? TELL ME!

It's Airing But...

The Whisperer (Sun ????) 1 of 10 - Thai horror BL that ALSO involves cheating (what joy is mine). He has dimples (My Ride) but I don't think even that gives me the will. You can tell me how this goes if you can find it.

SHADOW (Thai Gaga) 14 eps - I'm not wild about Thai horror (or horror at all) even one featuring Singto and Fluke. I'm holding off. If told it's good, I'll binge.

7 Days Before Valentine (Weds WeTV) ep 1 of 10 - trailer here, horror-esk. Adapted from y-novel of the same name, directed by Tu (180 Degree) stars Jet (Why You… Y Me?). Giving me Luminous Solution vibes, so I'm waiting to binge if told it's safe.

Beyond The Star (Weds iQIYI) 8 eps - House of Stars meets Boyband. I was NOT impressed with ep one. Waiting to be told if I should bother.

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - I find this series more fun to binge, so I'm waiting until it completes its run.

In case you missed it

I posted 20 BLs with the BEST Thirst! and decided to distinguish the different type son need in BL as follows:

Thirst wants to slide a hand under his waistband right tf now and grind.

Horny wants to rip his clothes off, and probably pop buttons and laugh about it.

Yearning wants to run both hands up his back while they kiss deeply.

Hunger wants to lift him by the ass and slam him against the wall.

Next Week Looks Like This

(Today) 11/26 Cooking Crush (Sun YT) 1 of 12 - OffGun are back, trailer here. Adapted from the novel “Love Course! เสื้อกาวน์รุกเสื้อกุ๊กรับ” by iJune4S this is about Prem who runs a not-so-popular restaurant with 2 friends. About to go on a cooking competition with a huge reward, Prem gets involved with Ten, a stressed-out med student who wants Prem to teach him to cook.

11/30 For Him (Thurs iQIYI) ep 1 of 10 - high heat trailer From the people who brought us Unforgotten Night (please no) based on a y-novel, man nursing a heartbreak has a one-night stand, but the other boy didn't want it to end. It looks terribly trashy so I'm in!

Original 2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Look at how gd cute they are!

Ah yes... (both Last Twilight)

We stan a supportive bestie/brother (orphans together? - not sure on the backstory)

It is a rule universally aknowledged that an cutie in a baceball cap must get his brim tweaked. (all from The Sign)

Way is the best.

I kinda love the BTS for Pit Babe.

(Last week)

[fariesoiree]

caution! mdni 13k wrdz, best friend's bother!hobie x black fem! reader, hobie is twenty one, reader is 19, small town in the country, everyone knows everyone, a very brief moment of angst, reader is jealous, misunderstanding troupe (?) but quickly resolved, crybaby reader, kitchen sex w/people in the house, unprotected sex, fingering, handjob, cunnilingus, p in v sex, unprotected sex, facial, cum eating, open ending

miffy's note! this took me like two weeks to write which is so much faster than every other fic i’ve written in a while. i knowwww she has a lot of words but she is my baby and I hope everyone loves her as much as I do. enjoy <3 pls do not spam like my blog if you enjoyed it, feel free to tell me in the reblogs

there’s a waxy smell in the freshly opened soda shop, one that reminds you of the shiny tiles that line the floor of the high school you graduated from, the high school most people graduated from.

highbury high, smack dab in the middle of highbury hills. it’s the only high school for miles, operating on a set curriculum and generic uniforms. fits right in with the small town vibe.

“do you know what you want?” your long-time friend, maise, glances over at you. she’s a darling thing, curly hair braided into pigtails and tied with two white ribbons. her arms are crossed over her stomach, clothed in a white tank top just barely cropped. “there’s so many options, i can’t decide.”

you sniff, eyes glazing over the yellow tinted menu. your tongue skims over your lips, getting a taste of the vanilla flavored lip gloss. “i dunno. i don’t even think i want anything. i’m too nervous, like i’m gonna throw up.”

maise’s deer shaped eyes find yours in sympathetic understanding. “aw, honey. it’ll be okay. it’s been years, now. i doubt he even remembers.” her hands massage the kinks out your tense shoulders in a tight grip. “you were a kid, anyway.”

“yeah, maybe.” you offer a small smile in return. you find you’re disinterested in the menu, stomach rolling in its queasiness for the anticipated scenario. “i still don’t think i want anything. i don’t think i could keep it down.”

maise just shrugs and orders a rootbeer float for herself. she gets your anxiety but she’s never been the best at helping you through your emotions, even more so when she can’t relate. maise doesn’t have an older brother, not one with an attractive best friend that she used to have a crush on as a child.

with the acrylic, milkshake cup settled between the fingers of your friend, you both move towards the booths surrounding the perimeter of the retro-styled shop.

it’s really, very cute. quaint with pop music softly wafting from the speakers and a red, white, and blue theme consistent throughout. america’s sweetheart is what this place is known as, although you prefer to think it’s talking about a better, more ethical version of the country.

“you have to admit it’s kind of exciting, though.” despite your claims, maise still pops a second straw into the float and settles the cup between you. “i mean, your brother and hobie are coming home today and you haven’t seen hobie in like, two years. the last time anyone saw him was on graduation day, right? and then he packed up and left town. and your brother! he kept contact this whole time and didn’t tell anyone? doesn’t that bother you a little bit?”

you wait until she’s retreated to grab the straw between your thumb and pointer finger and tap a long, drawn out sip. the sugary sweetness does nothing to quell your nerves but it gives you time to come up with a response. “mm, not really. hobie is quen’s friend. plus, everyone knew he was gonna skip town. he didn’t like it here and he made that very clear.”

although your words convey otherwise, there’s a small seed of discomfort in your tummy. it would have been nice to keep you in loop, especially since you were under the impression that you and hobie were somewhat acquainted with each other. after all, he’s been good friends with quentin since elementary school and has known you for just about the same amount of time.

“okay but you’re not even curious? not even a little?” maise tilts her head inquisitively, lips drawn in a pout. “hobie is coming home after being gone for two whole years and you don’t care at all.”

“i didn't say i don’t care, mai. i do care and it's nice that he’s stopping by for a visit but let’s be serious, it’s hobie. in all the years we’ve known him, when has he ever committed to anything?” you turn your gaze towards your baby pink nails, shiny and just long enough to clack against your phone when you text. “i don’t want you to get excited over a summer romance that hasn’t even happened and won’t happen. we’re friends and barely that. his loyalty is with quen.”

you can feel the change in the atmosphere the longer you sit in silence. you’re hesitant to look her in the eyes and find a sudden interest in the condensation trickling down the side of the glass.

“uh huh. so if you feel all of that, why are you nervous? you don’t like hobie anymore, and he owes you nothing. what’s the problem then?” she rests her cheek in the palm of her hand, supported by the elbow resting on the table.

instead of answering her question, your hand smacks down against the table. it echoes in the empty room, filled by only you two and mr. terry, the owner of the shop.

“you know what, i have to go. it’s almost three and quen should be home soon. you know how punctual he is.” you grab your purse and sling the strap over your shoulder.

“chicken!” maise points a finger at you. she’s glowing with a toothy grin while watching you prepare to bolt for the door. “you can’t avoid it forever, honey.”

you brush off her comment with a hug and a wave. “whatever. love you. i’ll call you tonight with the details, maybe. bye!”

you all but run out of the shop, white sundress blowing with the opposing force of your movement. it’s not quite three o’clock yet but leaving is better than letting maise interrogate you further. she’s a riot but she got you pinned up against the wall and there’s nothing fun about being forced to answer her questions and face the music you’ve been tuning out for weeks. at least now you’d have some time to freshen up before the great arrival.

by the time you’re finished primping and set the hot curler down to refresh your styled silk press, you can hear the engine of your brother's lexus rolling into the driveway.

you lean forward and tug the curtains back in a firm grip to peak out into the driveway. between you and quentin, you received the larger room with the connected bathroom and it offered a perfect view of the front yard. said view is particularly handy for times like these.

you watch the driver door pop open, breath hitched in your throat and refuse to make any movements until you get the answers you're looking for.

a polished sneaker makes its appearance and becomes stationed on the white pavement. a body follows, tall and stocky and unlike the statuesque frame you’re subconsciously excited about.

pushing yourself even more to your feet and across the expanse of your vanity, you flick the latch of your window until it clicks to signal its unlocked. you push it up with such force that it soars much farther than you anticipated but that’s the least of your concerns right now.

“quentin!” you yell from your bedroom with a wide smile and a vigorous wave at your older brother below you.

your voice gets his attention and he snaps his head in your direction. “ ☆ !” he mirrors your expression, arms open wide in a hug as if he expected you to fly down into his embrace. he bumps the car door closed with his side. “i’m coming up.”

quentin’s words don’t stop you from flinging your door open, running down the stairs, fingertips grazing the wooden railing as you go. to some it may seem odd to be so cheery over the reappearance of your sibling but he’s your best friend, a staple part of your life to which you’d be lost without. if you aren’t running to the front door to see him, then there’s clearly a problem.

he’s already in the entryway, though, and peeling off his jacket to hang in the coat closet. the pittering of your feet long alerted quentin of your presence so he’s not shocked when you’re throwing yourself at him. “jeez, girl. did you eat a whole cow? you’re strong as shit.” his arm comes to wrap around your back and become settled between your shoulder blades.

“shut up,” you roll your eyes in return and separate yourself from him. you give him a once over, from the two strand twists at the top of his head, across the gray nike tech, and to the pristine white laces of his shoes. “wow, you really don’t look like you belong here anymore. that’s crazy, quen. you’re all grown up.”

“yeah well,” he pushes the closet door closed, waiting for its creaking hinges to silence before continuing his sentence, “gotta get out of this town someday. not you, though. you can stay. it suits you.” quentin’s eyes are filled with a brotherly fondness while giving you a similar once over. “where’s ma?”

you follow him to the bathroom to watch him wash his hands. “at work. dad, too. told me to text them when you get home but, uh, where’s all your stuff?”

quentin flicks his wrists into the sink and side-steps you. he rounds the corner to enter the kitchen, making a beeline for the fridge and popping it open. “oh, it’s at hobie’s place. i figured i’d leave the extra shit there since he has his own crib. do you know what mom’s making for dinner?”

you’re still trailing behind him, now leaned against the countertop with your arms crossed over your chest. when you’re face to face with the source of your turmoil, it’s hard to pretend it doesn’t exist. “so he really is back in town, huh.” it's not a question with the way you say it, staring at your fluffy sandals designated for wearing inside the house.

“mhm. forgot how talkative people here are. news spreads fast.” he pulls out a container of last night's leftovers and sets it beside you, already closing the fridge and moving on to find a plate. when his eyes find their way back to you, he’s surprised to see you glaring at him. “why are you looking at me like that?”

“because i’m a little upset that you didn’t tell me he was coming home. i get it if he didn’t want to draw attention to himself but it’s just me. i thought we were all cool.”

“we are all cool. it just slipped my mind, swear.” quentin bounces around the kitchen. he’s still engaged in your conversation though his sole focus is getting some food in his system but every now and then, he’ll glance at you while scooping fried rice onto a plate. “i didn’t intentionally not tell you. i just had a lot to do with the packing and the whole coming home thing. plus, you just finished your first year of college so i didn’t think you’d care so much. which you also still have to tell me how it went,” he puts the fork in his mouth and sticks the plate in the microwave.

“quentin,” you’re tempted to stomp your foot, no matter how childish it will come across.

“i didn’t exclude you on purpose, ☆ . i forgot and i’m sorry. next time, i’ll tell you as soon as i know.”

you’re somewhat pacified with his response, tossing his words over and over in your head until your concerns are soothed and the gloomy feeling dissipates. “fine but you have no idea what i had to go through with maise today. i swear she had all these theories and speculations about what its going to be like that i could have avoided if you told me.”

the microwave beeps, ringing its alarm that the timer has finished all throughout the kitchen. quentin is quick to take out his steaming plate and make his way towards the table with you still in tow. “oh, maise! how is she? i haven’t seen her in a minute.”

“she’s good. good grades, likes her college, majoring in child development. who cares, though. i want to know about hobie. it’s been two years.” you sit next to him, even going as far as pushing the chairs closer as if the topic needed it, as if hobie is a taboo subject.

“he’s great. he’ll be by later, said he wanted to stop by and see you and then he has to make his rounds.” quen shovels a forkful of food into his mouth. he’s eyeing his plate with an almost blank stare. you’re too close for him to feel comfortable looking at you, expectantly. as if he’s going to drop some big news about hobie’s return.

he's not an idiot. he knows, knew, about your crush on his best friend. it was obvious watching you go through all the childish phases, giggling to clinging onto to him to trying to play it cool. quentin has seen it all and he doesn’t think he can handle watching your excitement grow and dull when hobie ultimately makes his decision to leave. “he’s got that place he rents out when he’s not here. don’t know how long he plans on staying, though. when i asked, hobie said two months so i guess we’ll see.”

you’re blissfully unaware of the idea that quentin’s words are for your sanity, to calm the budding excitement as you gather strands of your hair between the tips of your fingers and stare at the freshly trimmed ends. “that’s nice. maybe he’ll come to the summer festival in a few days.”

that elicits a scoff out of your brother. “fat chance. hobie brown? he’s not showing his face at those things. he thinks they’re capitalistic holidays that prey on children. personally, i think he just really hates this town and is coming up with a bullshit excuse not to go.”

you let the bundle of hair between your fingers go and it drops back towards your shoulder in a soft heap. “did he say that or are you speaking for him?”

“he doesn’t have to say it, stupid. i just know.” quentin points his fork at you, flinging grains of cooked rice in your direction. despite the gross reaction that flashes across your face, all he does is laugh. genuine laughter with his head tilted back, clearly delighted to have bothered his dear sister. “it was an accident. i didn’t mean to.”

“get away from me.” you scrunch your face in disgust and shove the chair away from the table. it screeches against the floorboards with each movement. “you don’t point your fork at someone, dumbass. that’s fucking gross.” you say as you rise to your feet and make your exit, rolling your eyes on the way out.

it’s futile to pretend you aren’t looking forward to hobie pulling into the driveway. behind the closed door of your room, you barely watch the virgin suicides. the volume to the movie is turned down so low, you can almost hear your neighbor’s dog trotting on the pavement enjoying its walk. you’ve even gone as far as to open your window just in case you’d be too preoccupied to hear him as is.

you haven’t bothered to change out of the pretty dress, wanting to give off the best first impression you possibly could. after all these years have passed, it’s nearly critical that hobie sees you as you are, an adult. not because you still harbor feelings for him, but because that’s what you are now. you’re all grown up, just as he is.

quentin’s asleep in his room and offering you no answers as to when his friend is actually arriving nor did he request you to wake up when he does so. it’s only right to assume he’d rather stay asleep when hobie arrives then, isn’t it? especially after such a long trip.

hence why when the sound of hobie’s motorcycle reverberates through the glass pane of your window, you roll off your bed and to your feet with a sudden quickness. contrary to the excitement you greeted your brother with from your upstairs bedroom, you close the window the moment you reach it.

as soon as the white latch clinks shut, you’re flying out the door and down the stairs. the tips of your fingers graze the railing, only truly grasping it when you find yourself losing your balance at the speed you’re moving. if only maise could see you now.

you pull the front door open before hobie has a chance to ring the doorbell with such force, he flinches. there’s still a finger hanging in the air, adorned in silver rings and what seems to be a hand tattoo. that same hand is connected to a body, just as tall as you remember. your eyes trail as far as his shoulders, gaze already tilted upwards and too nervous to continue. it never occurred to you what being face to face with hobie would mean, would entail.

you didn’t think about him and his pine scent, paired with the natural musk of being outside. not once did you even think about the possible changes he’d go through within the past two years. even without looking at his face, you can already point out differences. he’s leaner, more muscles protruding from his tank top. grungier too, with dark wash baggy jorts sitting so low on his waist, you can see the calvin klein boxers peeking through the bottom. if you thought seeing hobie show off his toned stomach was a lot, the sight of the ink on his arm has you at a loss for words. a full sleeve of various line art and doodles.

you’re sick to your stomach.

“you’re back in town!” you finally gain the courage to look him in his eyes and nearly fall to your knees. “and you pierced your face!” your eyes dart between the nose piercing, the lip piercing, and the eyebrow piercing. slowly, you soak it all in, including the shoulder length locs tied into a ponytail. only after all of that do you look him in his eyes, filled with the same warmth and wonder as they were two years ago.

“ ☆ !” hobie’s face lights up with the same childlike glee as before, too. it’s like nothing has changed when he throws his arms around you to envelop you into a tight hug. “you noticed, did you?” he chuckles, deep and smooth right in your ear. unfortunately for you, it sends spirals into your stomach.

“do you like them? i want to get my tongue pierced this summer, too.” he finally pulls away and reveals his toothy grin, full of dazzling white teeth that can only come from regularly visiting a dentist. “but how have you been? i haven’t seen you in forever. you’re so . . .” he gives you his own once-over, much shorter than the one you gave him, “not a little kid anymore.”

you aren’t too sure what to make of that but you step aside anyway to welcome him into your home. suddenly, you’re far more nervous than you were at the mere thought of hobie coming over. he was intimidating just as a concept but in person? he’s even worse. he’s too pretty and composed. “i’m so not a little kid anymore?” you try to offset your awkwardness by turning the situation back to him.

“yeah. i mean, you look nice, ☆ .” hobie stands with his hands in his pockets and a lazy smile. there’s not one ounce of embarrassment or hesitation written on his face. however, it oozes out of you. “so, where’s your brother at? he’s supposed to be going around town with me. it makes it less weird if we’re both there.”

“oh, quen fell asleep a few minutes ago.” you say with your back to hobie, disguising your reluctance as a sudden interest in turning the lock rather slowly. “you’re welcome to wait until he wakes up but he’s out cold.”

hobie clicks his tongue with a sigh, eyeing the walls of your childhood home. it’s still lined with the same family portraits and kindergarten crafts. there’s even his own graduation picture on the mantle, sandwiched between yours and quentin’s. he snorts at the sight, dressed in the same black graduation cap and gown but missing some of the cords adorned by the others. not only was hobie not too involved in the community, but he merely did what he had to in school with the exception of a few clubs and hobbies. “no, he’ll probably be knocked for a while. i’ll just do it later, i guess.”

you nod, hugging yourself in a tight grip. your act to self soothe during your one-on-one isn’t very effective. the air feels thick with tension. you have the impression that it’s one-sided because hobie turns to face you. 

“how about you come with me instead? we can ride around and go to that one park we used to go to as kids.”

for a moment, your heart drops to your feet. staring into his eyes does nothing good for your nervous system. as much as you attempted to convince both maise and yourself that you harbor no feelings towards hobie at all, everything in you is screaming otherwise.

your eyes settle on the floorboards and you sniff. “i don’t know. i don’t think i’d feel comfortable on your bike. don’t you have to wear gear and stuff?”

“well, yeah i’m supposed to.” he shrugs. his head is tilted to one side. “i don’t, though. not here at least. if i’m on the highway or in a big city then yeah but not here. nothing ever happens here.”  parts of the hobie you subconsciously fear appear as a shadow on his face. the corners of his mouth twitch downwards and his eyes become clouded, but only for a second. “we can take your car if you’d like. i saw it in the driveway. it’s cute.”

he’s referring to the little volkswagen beetle parked just outside with a tan exterior and a decorated interior. it’s full of flower vent clips, pink seat covers, and scented with gain car air freshener.

“um,” you busy yourself by smoothing your hands over the skirt of your dress. suddenly, you’re reflecting on the fact that you are somewhat dressed up. sure, you curl your hair and wear cute dresses on the regular but never have you worn a cute dress, curled your hair, waited for someone to come over, and beat them to the door before they could announce their arrival. “sure. i guess we can do that. i don’t want you to think you have to, though. you came for quentin and he’s asleep so don’t force yourself.”

you’re surprised when hobie laughs, nose wrinkling with genuine enjoyment. he shakes his head and places his hand on your shoulder. it engulfs your skin like a warm blanket and gives you a squeeze. “never change, okay? you’re so sweet. get your keys and let’s go.”

there’s a strawberry field just across the park guarded by a wire fence. some kids gather around the edges and pluck the berries off the overgrown branches that poke just close enough for them to reach with their little fingers.

the breeze carries the sounds of high-pitched laughter and squeals from the children running about. with school just recently letting out, the park is well occupied. it’s a surprise to no one to see a crowd of elementary schoolers running around the slides and pushing each other on the swing.

you sit at a bench. the metal is warmed from the sunlight beaming down. you have your phone in your hand, pumping out back to back texts to maise filled with terrible grammar and even worse spelling. to say you're panicked would be an understatement. you’re more than panicked. you feel so wrong about being here, more or less alone with your brother’s best friend. the same best friend that you’ve had the biggest crush on for years, only for him to disappear and for you to assume everything you’ve ever felt and thought would be gone with him. the same best friend who’s return brought back the juvenile feelings from your youth.

he’s gone to the ice cream truck parked in the parking lot to buy you both popsicles and therefore, giving you about five minutes to figure out your game plan. maise is no help. most her texts consist of “i told you so” and laughing at your inevitable demise. you feel just about ready to melt into the pavement and through your phone across the park, in no particular order. your nails just might break your screen with the amount of force between each push.

“are you mad at someone?”

you're quick to turn your phone off in the amount of time it takes for you to look up at hobie, standing in front of you with two popsicles, one in each hand. “huh? oh, no. it’s just maise. she’s being so stupid.” the frustration has yet to dissipate and your face shows it, huffing a breath of annoyance. “you’d think you ask someone for advice and they’d actually give it to you instead of making fun of you.”

“mm,” hobie has a seat next to you. he hands you the powerpuff girls popsicle, very obviously supposed to be styled after bubbles. its still in it’s wrapper and it’s a good thing at that. already the popsicle began to get a little soft in the summer heat. “advice about what?” he, himself, holds one of those spongebob ones that never come out right. for a moment, you consider that perhaps he’s reminiscing about the days where you, quentin, and hobie would run out at the sound of the ice cream truck and get the silly cartoon popsicles, only to compare who’s looks the worst.

“oh, just about my classes. i don’t know if i want to take one of my electives or not.” you spit out the lie faster than you can really process it. you peel the wrapper off the popsicle and stick it in your mouth to give you an excuse not to speak.

“i definitely can’t help you with that. i didn’t go to college so i really wouldn’t know.” for a brief moment, hobie finds humor in the distorted face of his spongebob popsicle before taking a small bite of the cold corner. “what’s it like? do you like it?”

the question makes you sigh. there really is no response you can give him that would push the conversation forward, especially when you have been asked the very same thing so many times by almost every adult in your life. “um, it’s okay. it’s hard, y’know, to find the motivation to make myself go to class and there’s always some sort of drama going on between someone and someone else.” you reminisce on the boy and friend drama you’ve both witnessed and experienced from a bittersweet perspective.

hobie nods, watching a group of giggling ten year olds run by. they seem to be participating in a game of tag, their cheeks rosy and eyes glistening with what can only be found in childhood. “can’t believe you’re in college now. that used to be us, playing at the park and then going to your house to have dinner.”

you don’t mention that hobie didn’t come to your graduation. instead, you kick a rock by your foot and change the topic of the conversation. “so, if you don't go to college, what do you do?”

“i’m a server at a restaurant. it makes pretty good money, actually. i can afford a one bedroom apartment in the city so i don’t mind. i’m in a band now too and sometimes i make stuff to sell.” he pulls out his phone for a split second to check the notification that vibrated in his phone before sliding it back into his pocket.

you’re grateful that he doesn’t outright tell you what he makes so you’re able to participate in the conversation and ask him, “what kind of stuff?”

“oh, like paintings, crochet stuff, stuff like that. arts and crafts that people like to buy. it does pretty well since that kind of thing is trending.” 

the conversation falls a bit flat after that. you fault yourself, too self conscious to relax around him. a part of you is overjoyed to have him back and another part of you feels like a neglected afterthought. all this time, hobie was doing just fine. he was living his life and choosing who to keep contact with. it hurts your heart that he didn’t consider you at all but is so comfortable with returning and acting like nothing has changed. perhaps he didn’t take you as seriously as you would like.

“oh, that’s cool.” you try not to sound too sour when you say it. “it’s great that you made a life you enjoy.” you watch a blue drop of melted popsicle roll down and drip onto the white plastic gripped between your fingers. gravity continues to pull the droplet down towards the stick and it stains the wood blue.

hobie glances at you, eyebrows knitted together. he takes in your expression and the subtext behind it. it’s obvious what he’s doing behind his scrutinizing gaze. “yeah? you can be honest. you know that, right?”

“mhm,” you nod with a hum. you’re not interested in engaging any further with the topic. instead, you eye a ladybug crawling on the bench armrest. it’s not like you planned on discussing your deep emotional feelings with him anyway, especially not here. “i’m happy for you, really.”

you can still feel hobie’s eyes boring into the side of your face but the feeling does nothing to capture your attention and turn your head back towards him. instead, you nearly praise whatever higher power caused your conversation to be interrupted by an onlooker.

“oh my gosh, hobie brown!”

you both turn your head to the perpetrator. hobie is just as surprised as you are to see magnolia, from high school, walking up to you both. you don’t know her very well considering she was in the same graduating class as your brother but you’re aware of her.

truthfully, you’ve never liked her very much during your younger years. you despised the way she’d cling onto hobie and quentin, often forcing her way into their circle. at least, you’d consider it forcing. quentin always told you not to worry about it.

here she is again, forcing herself into your hangout with your supposed friend who’s there with you. she’s grinning as she walks up to you both, hands planted on her waist. you so badly want to judge her for her outfit choice but you know you can’t. it’s not like you don’t know what type of person magnolia is and how much she pushes the social standards most people operate with. still, something vile twists inside you and even more so when you catch hobie’s eyes wandering across her body.

that is also no surprise because you know their history. of course hobie wouldn’t be able to deny himself from staring at magnolia like this when she’s wearing daisy dukes, a tiny shirt, and so ready to reopen the book of their past.

“look at you. can’t believe you didn’t come by the moment you got back,” she teasingly smacks his arm with a tinkling laugh. her eyes briefly drift to your direction and she smiles out of politeness. “oh hey, sugar. tell your brother i said hi, would you?”

you nod and pull your lips tight. suddenly, what interest you did have died a painful death and you turn back to the ladybug as your only comfort. unfortunately, that too is gone and you’re left with nothing but the ability to listen in on a conversation you want nothing to do with.

“aw, maggie. don’t worry, i’m still planning on it. you’ll get a very special and personal visit, just for you.”

“promise?”

you nearly choke, face scrunching up in disgust. you’re not five and can read between the very obvious lines. you feel the need to remind them that you are quite literally right there and swallow the green monster making a nice home in your heart. “i don’t mean to interrupt but i have to get home and get ready for dinner. do you want me to give you a ride, hobie, or are you good?”

you try to hide your disappointment before hobie can say anything. you can tell by his hesitation and expression what decision he’s going to make, glancing between both you and magnolia. he’s going to spend some quality time with her. “i think i’m good but you should get back. drive safe, okay? text me when you get home.”

“okay. then, i’ll see you later.” you rise to your feet and dig your hand into your purse, searching for the keys to your car. “bye magnolia. it was nice seeing you again.” her words of the returned gesture fall on deaf ears as you turn and head back to the parking lot. there’s a frown etched on your face and you dump the mostly-eaten popsicle into the trash.

it never crossed your mind that you’re not the only one who is looking forward to hobie back around. you’ve been so used to viewing yourself as the center of the universe that not once did you think about literally anyone else who has been involved in hobie’s past.

you pull the door open of your car and get inside, staring out of the windshield. you feel so teenage girl romcom movie but you don’t know what to do about it. one half of you wants to sob and rot in your bed and claim your heart is broken and the other part of you just wants to go home, eat dinner, and call maise.

you sit there like that for a few minutes before eventually turning on your car and starting the drive home. sza blares through the radio and is your only solace on your lonely drive home.

“no! and then she just shows up and takes him?” maise pulls out two small boxes of sour patch kids out of the plastic grocery bags on the counter. her eyes are wide and she’s hanging on to every part of your story.

it’s been about a week and a half since that time in the park with hobie and you’re still reveling in the emotions of it. you have yet to make a decision on how to conduct yourself around him and as a result, have begun to avoid him. you find it’s better not to be near him at all than to stand there and know that he wanted you to leave him so he could probably have mind blowing sex with his small-town fling.

“she just walks right over and he basically starts drooling.” you’re also unloading various snacks and a liter of soda from the grocery bags. tonight, you both plan to watch movies and eat junk food until your tummies are threatening to burst and you’re both ready to pass out from exhaustion. “i’m so stupid. i should have known. we weren’t even in the same crowd back then. why did i think anything would be different now?”

maise pities you just a bit. she sympathetically presses her lips into a pouty frown and reaches over the counter to grab your hand. “poor baby. in your defense, you have more of a southern belle, sweetest girl in town thing going for you and hobie is the exact opposite. it makes sense why he’d go for magnolia. you two have nothing in common and you’re virtually inexperienced.”

“i have experience!” you begin to pile the various snacks into the bin you brought down from your room just for the special occasion. “i have plenty of experience.”

“you had one situationship for half of your first year of college that treated you like shit. that’s not experience, babe. that’s trauma.”

you whip your head to give maise a pointed glare at bringing up what you’re trying so hard to forget. that chapter of your life is over and it died the moment the academic year ended. “okay but the point is, i am not a baby and i bet i could fuck just as good as she can. he just sees me as a little girl and i can never change that.”

“so what are you going to do?” your friend leans against the counter on the opposing side of you. she crosses her arms over her chest after adjusting her black leggings as they have risen above her ankles.

“nothing,” you say with a sigh. you grab the basket and hoist it onto your hips. “like i said, he sees me as a child. i’m just going to do what i’ve been doing, nothing. ignore him. just keep my distance until he goes home and forget all about him.”

what you don’t tell maise is that magnolia isn’t the only one. sometimes, the habits from your childhood return and you sit yourself at quentin’s door with your ear pressed up against the wood. you listen to his conversations with hobie, sometimes on the phone and sometimes in person, about his recent endeavors with the locals in town. so far, there has been at least one other girl since magnolia. whether he bounces between spending his nights with the two, you’re unsure and you don’t think you even want to know.

maise begins to open her mouth to say something but snaps it shut at the sound of the front door opening. there’s an irregular pattern that comes from two people coming through the door and for a moment, your face flashes with panic.

“i’m beginning to hate going out with you. every single time there’s always some girl ready to — oh hey.” quentin stops in the middle of his sentence as soon as he spots you standing in the kitchen. he jumps a bit, not having expected to see both you girls watching him walk into the house. “what are you doing here, maise?”

“we’re having a movie night.”she rises to standing and positions herself at your side.

“the sun is still out.” quentin lifts a finger to point to the window with the blinds open. sunlight streams through the trees of your backyard and reaches the living room.

“yeah. we just came back from the store and now we’re pregaming by talking shit.” she throws an arm around your shoulder, taking notice of your silence and lack of movement. it’s almost like you’re not breathing and it’s definitely because hobie is standing right there in all his glory, smiling right at you. maise using her grip on you to subtly nudge some sort of humanity back in you.

“anyway,” you clear your throat and take a sudden interest in reorganizing the bin of snacks, “we’re going to get going. we have a lot of girl stuff to talk about so see you later.” you take maise’s hand and take the lead in walking past the two and up the stairs of your house. you don’t miss the quizzical looks from both men at your hastiness to get out of being around them.

frankly, this isn’t the first time you’ve made a bolt to get out of being in the same room as them, but only when hobie is around. however, no one makes a move to question it and lets you do as you please. to quentin, it’s a sign you’re no longer hung up over his best friend and is far better than getting your hopes up for nothing. to hobie, you’re abhorrently avoiding him for some reason and he can’t stand it at all.

it makes him antsy, as if there’s some big impending doom coming that he won’t be able to stop. it makes him uncomfortable to see you get along so well with others and flee the moment he steps into the room and oddly enough, it’s only ever started happening since that one day. was it something he said or did? surely it can’t be because he didn’t accompany you back home. after all, you did text him to let him know you made it safely like he requested so he thought everything was fine. what is going on with you?

it’s somewhere between the hours of two and three am when you make the decision to trek downstairs for a cold glass of water. maise had fallen asleep on the left side of your bed a half hour ago and you had beaten her. you won by staying out longer than she did and decide to reward yourself with a neutral drink to wash the syrupy taste out your mouth.

the house feels awfully cold during such hours of the night and you regret leaving the warmth of your room in your oversized shirt and little pink shorts. both of your parents came home hours ago, wished you a fun night and retired to their beds in preparation for work the next day. you’re assuming no one else is awake with the only other options being quentin and hobie, if hobie is even here.

you sniff and rub your hands along your arms as you round the corner and enter the catch. in the darkness of night and with your squinting eyes, you use what spatial awareness you have to guide your way to the glasses in the cabinet.

you just manage to wrap your fingers around it before there’s some sort of shuffling behind you. you’re unnerved, almost dropping the glass in the time it takes you to look over your shoulder at the perpetrator. “hello?” you try to make out the form in the dark and find purchase in the knife drawer in front of you.

“it’s just me.” the voice is gruff and familiar and washes over you like a relaxing wave of warm water. “sorry, i wasn’t trying to scare you.”

“hobie?” you lean towards him to make out his figure in the shadows. the moonlight does little to aid in visibility. there is only a pale light struggling to come through the window. you have to reach over and turn on the stove light just to see him since your eyes have yet to adjust. “i thought you went home?”

“i did. i went to see my parents and it went just about as well as i thought.” hobie takes a seat at the bar stools behind the aisle. he seems strained, running his hand over his face with a sigh. “so i came back because i like it here more.”

“why didn’t you just go to your own house?” you feel a little underdressed in your attire all of the sudden. sure, you are preparing to go to sleep and in the comfort of your own house but you’d hate to give off the impression that you’re walking around without pants on.

“because i like it here more. pretty sure i said that,” now he’s rubbing his eyes, sitting up to lean against the back of the chair. “if you’re getting a glass of water, can you get me one too?” hobie’s lips turn up into a small, sad smile. his eyes look tired, worn out from whatever went down at his parents’ house.

you forgot all about the glass in your hand, looking down at it as if it’s appeared from the ether. “oh, you can just have mine. i’m probably going to go back to bed.” you’re still dead set on ignoring hobie. for one,  it makes it so much easier to get used to the feeling of disappointment that he doesn’t see you when you literally don’t have to see him. not to mention, it’s difficult enough to look him in his eyes but to be alone with him and look him in the eyes? you have to go.

you set the glass down on the island and slide it over to him, prepared to take a quick and silent walk back to the safety of your room and your best friend asleep on your bed. “goodnight, hobie.”

you don’t make it very far before hobie is speaking to you, again. his gaze is following your attempt at escaping him and it’s annoying him that this is probably the thousandth time you’ve evaded him. “what is up with you? i’m clearly going through something and would benefit from talking about it with someone. i literally just left your house and showed up again and you’re not even going to ask me how i got in?”

you try to not huff when you turn to face him with an eyebrow quirked. “what are you talking about?” you clench your hands into small fists, only to flex them and release what tension you carry.

“what am i talking about? you speak like, five words to me now. i don’t know what i did to make this happen and i’m sorry but you’re literally avoiding me. you came down here for what, a glass of water? you gave me yours before you even got one and now you’re going back upstairs so you don’t have to talk to me. what did i do?”

you shake your head at his words. he’s not wrong. you have been avoiding him and looking for any way out not to speak or be around him more than you need to. still, hobie doesn’t have to bring it up. he shouldn't have brought it up. what are you going to do now? “i still don’t know what you’re talking about. i haven’t done anything to avoid you. i just don’t want water anymore and i want to go back to sleep.”

hobie presses his lips together. he’s doing his best not to stare at you with hardened eyes so he turns away, looking at the countertop instead. his frustration is palpable but he’s sensible enough to restrain himself, to keep himself from turning it into an argument. “okay, go to sleep then. goodnight.” he taps his nails against the side of the glass, listening to the little plinks ro distract himself from the unrest in his soul.

you stand there, staring at the back of hobie’s head even though he’s dismissed you. you’re free to go with no repercussions but the guilt from doing so while knowing he wanted to talk about whatever is plaguing him is too much to handle. “oh my god, fine. what is it? what happened at your parents'?”

your feet drag all the way towards the island and you sit on the bench beside him. you rest your hands in your lap and stare at the numbers reading back the time on the stove. they’re green and a great source of something to look at that isn’t hobie.

“no, it’s okay. you don’t want to hear about my problems because it’s such an inconvenience to you. i’m just going to sit here and mope, maybe cry, and go home.”

“don’t piss me off.” you tsk, picking a strand of string off your shirt. your eyes cut to him in a sideways glare, urging him to talk and quickly before you change your mind. “what’s wrong? what happened?”

hobie pokes his cheek with his tongue. he stares at the ceiling before slowly closing his eyes. “i dunno, man. it was so bad. they think i’m a disappointment or somethin’. it’s written all over their faces.”

“that’s not true. they probably were just overwhelmed that you came home.” you do your best to reassure him but even you know that’s probably a lie. hobie’s parents disapprove of him, everyone knows it. they’re embarrassed their only son turned out to be some sort of punk neanderthal and actively denounce him in public.

“don’t kid yourself, dove. my parents hate me and you know it. we all know it. i went over and they practically screamed it in my face. we had dinner for five seconds and got into a screamin’ match about how i let everyone down by runnin’ wild in the streets.” he’s squinting now. “when have i ever run wild in the streets?”

you can only shrug, unable to give him a response. you don’t know what to say to him. there is no denying what he experienced. all you can do is listen and shrug. “i’m sorry about that. you’re not a disappointment. they just can’t understand why they like it here so much and why you don’t. that can’t be easy to understand.”

“yeah well, i’ll get over it. i’ll just stay away from them and they can stay away from me and we can all pretend we aren’t related.” hobie doesn’t sound bitter, he sounds defeated. he sounds like he’s been down this road many times before and expected an outcome no different than before. however, it’s only natural for a child to wish for their parents to understand them. “anyway . . .,” his head lolls to the side until he’s looking at you, staring at you, “why are you avoiding’ me?”

your lips curl into themselves and you feel the need to excuse yourself. “i’m not avoiding you. if you’re done with your rant, i’m going to go to sleep now.” you go to rise to your feet but your attempt is short-lived when hobie catches you with his hands on your shoulders.

“yes, you are. look. you’re trying to do it right now. you’re tryin’ to leave because i’m confrontin’ you about it. i’m not going to stop pressin’ you about it until you tell me.”

one look in his eyes and you can tell he’s serious. hobie has caught you alone in the dead of night. he’s got you face-to-face and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it but lie or tell the truth, neither of which would work here.

“i’m not avoiding you, hobie. i just –,” you avert your gaze until you’re looking at literally anything else, “– i just think it’s best if we keep a distance and remain cordial. we don’t have to be friends because you're friends with quentin. you don’t have to feel like you have to be friends with me.”

“what?” the man lets you go. his arms drop back into his lap and he’s looking at you as if you’ve just proclaimed your undying love for present day denzel washington. “where is this coming from? you’ve always been a friend of mine. we grew up together. just because i’m closer to quentin doesn’t mean we aren’t close at all.”

you rack your brain to find a way around the real reason by cherry picking the words until they form a sentence that makes sense. “well, yes but i’m not like you. i don’t think there’s anything you – i just – we aren’t the same. we’re in very different crowds and i don’t want you to force yourself to get along with me.”

“okay, we’re in different crowds. what’s that supposed to mean? i’m friends with you because you are different from me. if i didn’t want to be around you or anyone who isn’t the exact same as me, i wouldn’t have come home. you’ve never been insecure about our friendship before so what’s going on?”

you’ve just about reached the end of the line. you’re frazzled and unable to keep pumping out excuses. he’s just going to disprove every single one and deny you a reason to run away. he doesn’t get it and he won’t get it. there’s only one option left to do. every ounce of your soul is screaming at you not to, already burning from the humiliation but as far as you’re concerned, you have no other option. “you don’t get it. jeez, hobie, you’re so stupid. obviously, i’m avoiding you because i have feelings for you and you don’t feel the same. i don’t want to be around you when i know you’re just going to go out and fuck every girl in town.”

your little spiel is followed by silence. while what weight was lifted off your chest, your hands are beginning to sweat from the anxiousness. still, you’ve already said it and you can’t back down so you sit firm in your decision. your eyes still begin to water from the overwhelming emotion that comes with speaking your mind like that and being met with absolutely nothing.

finally, hobie tilts his head. “fuck every girl in town? what are you talking about? is that what people are saying about me?”

you burst into tears, partly because you took that as rejection and partly because you think he doesn’t care. he just brushed off everything you said to talk about his sexual endeavors. “you’re so mean. you’re so mean and you hate me and you want me to die,” you blubber through a watery gargle. your hands are unable to keep up with the tears that stream down your face. by the time you brush one away, there’s another one that takes its place.

“oh my god.” hobie’s eyes widened in shock at your immediate reaction. it happened faster than he can blink and he’s terrified that someone is going to wake up, find you crying, and blame it all on him. “why are you crying?” he pulls you into an embrace, tucking your head beneath his chin and into his chest. despite what many would think, his skin is awfully warm to the touch and it would have been comforting if he didn’t stomp on your heart.

“because i just spilled my deepest, darkest secret to you and you don’t care. you’re bragging about how many times you got laid instead of having human emotions.” you only sob louder as he runs his fingers along your spine in what’s supposed to be a soothing manner.

“i’m not bragging about anything. i haven’t even fucked anyone since i’ve been here. where are you getting your information from?” hobie can’t decide whether or not he’s concerned or humored. he lifts your head, but only briefly, to wipe the tears on your cheeks. the moment he sees your lip tremble, he allows you to go back into the comfort of hiding against him.

“i don’t have to get my information from someone. i just know. you literally left me for magnolia and i know that you’ve been seeing some other girl. plus, quen was saying something about every girl and you when you walked in.” your words are muffled in his shirt. you feel a little guilty because of how wet it is but then you think about how hobie wronged you and wish you soaked it with your sobs.

“okay, first of all, i did not fuck magnolia. i’d have to bash my head with a brick to consider doing that. second of all, i’m not seeing anyone. i’m trying to get a temporary job while i’m still here and i have to suck up to the manager because she doesn’t like me. and why is it my fault that people like me? i can’t stop them from liking me and i can’t stop someone else from talking about it. you’ve misunderstood every single thing and now you’re yelling at me.”

you sniffle and tilt your head up. there is suspicion and doubt written all over your face. “so if you don’t like magnolia like that, then why were you looking at her like that? like you were thinking about taking her clothes off.”

hobie reels his head back, giving you a similar mystified expression. “girl, what are you talking about? if i was looking at her any sort of way it was probably because she was standing in front of the actual sun and I couldn't see. i wear contacts and i forgot to put them in. you know i wear contacts so now i’m confused.”

for a moment, you don’t say anything. you sit there and replay his explanations over and over again, searching for any holes in his story. you slowly run your tongue over your lip as the embarrassment slowly sets in. he’s right, he does wear contacts. he got them senior year of high school and you suppose you just forgot. you forgot and cried and went on him for no reason.

hobie watches you come to the realization. he can tell it’s dawning on you when your face relaxes and forms into one of mortification. this is where he decides it’s humorous to him. it’s even more hilarious when he adds the cherry on top. “and your deepest, darkest secret? i already knew. it’s not really a secret if everyone knows.”

that brings you an entire new wave of waterworks but instead, they build and build in your waterline until they eventually spill over in an occasional spill. “so you knew this whole time and let me embarrass myself? and you’re rejecting me?”

hobie reaches off and tears a paper towel square off the roll. he shakes his head, bending the square into a smaller one. he uses it to dab your cheek with a tut of his tongue. “you have to stop crying. i can’t talk to you when you’re refusing to listen to me. at least cry silently or ask questions that i can actually answer.”

“no,” you take the square from his fingers. really, you snatch it and use it to clean your dribbling nose. “i’m so mad at you. i don’t want to talk anymore.” you take this chance to get off the bar stool and move towards the trash can. you’re still sniffling and occasionally gasping for air while you clean yourself up. “you knew this entire time and didn’t say anything? i’d rather you turn me down from the beginning than give me this false sense of security. you led me on.”

“no. no, i didn’t.” hobie watches you rinse your face with water. hearing his denial just makes you angrier.

“yes you did. you knew and you said nothing.”

“no i did not. you didn’t even ask me –”

“i don’t have to ask you because i already know. you’re the worst person alive and you only care about yourself –”

“ ☆ , listen. you’ve been assuming things for weeks and look where that got you. just, stop talking and let me speak, please.” his firm tone knocks any thought out of your brain and gets you to tighten up, real quick.

you look over your shoulder, not yet ready to look at him but finally ready to accept that you just might be wrong. you lift the neckline of your shirt over your face and use it as a method to dry it.

“in order for me to have led you on, you’d have to actually confess your feelings to me. at what point do you think i should have just walked up to you and say ‘hey, i know you have feelings for me that you aren’t ready to talk about yet but i just wanted to let you know that i’m not interested’? why do you assume that i don’t feel anything towards you, anyway? maybe i do but i don’t say anything because i know it’s not going to work. let’s think about it, i rarely ever come into town. you love town. at what point would i ever come along and see you?”

“you would get your ass on your bike and drive here like you did this time,” you mumble under your breath. you stand by the sink for a moment to gather your thoughts. you’re gaining clarity through the fog but now you’re drained. you’re tired and you don’t have the energy to feel displeased over whatever he has to say. it doesn’t matter what he has to say because in the end, it’s all going to be a no. “but whatever you say. we don’t work, okay. you’re leaving soon, okay. if that’s all, i’d like to go to bed now.”

“are you mad at me?” he asks from behind you, softly. he almost purrs it and it tugs at your will. you want so badly to let him in but he doesn’t want that and so you must persevere.

you shake your head with a breath. “no. i’m not mad at you. you’re entitled to your own opinion.” you put on the blankest expression you can manage and turn to face him. you cross your arms over your chest and manage to maintain what little composure you have.

he quips a brow at you, obviously not believing your claim and even more so when you don’t say anything to confirm it. “come here for a second.”

you shift your weight until your weight is all on your right side and your hip is popped. “hobie . . .”

“just for a second,” he outstretched his hand as an offer for you.

reluctantly, you take it and give no resistance when hobie pulls you into his personal space. his hands find your cheeks and squish them together until your lips are forced into a pout. “be honest with me, baby. are you mad at me?”

he doesn’t act surprised when you pause before nodding in response. “are you still going to be mad at me if i kiss you?”

hobie watches the thought go through your mind. you consider it and the consequences that come with it. it’s going to be a meaningless kiss because hobie has drawn the line. he can’t be attached to anything from this town and you know that. still, it’s an incredible opportunity to just pass up because of morality.

you shake your head.

hobie’s lips are soft against yours. there’s a subtly sweet taste but it’s possible you’re high off  oxytocin. again, you clench your hands into fists but this time it’s to restrain yourself from holding onto him and pulling him tighter. you have to keep reminding yourself that it’s a meaningless kiss.

it’s even harder to maintain that thought when hobie’s mouth fits so perfectly against yours. he doesn’t move his hands from your cheeks but the kiss grows heated, regardless. his tongue, wet and warm, runs over the expanse of your bottom lip before worming its way into your mouth.

you mewl when it finds yours and sucks. you have to tuck your hands behind your back to hold onto your composure. your feet betray you, though, by bringing you even closer into him and in turn, into his lips.

“are you done cryin’?” he kisses the corner of your mouth and jumps to the skin along your jawline. like before, he kisses and sucks the trail of skin from there to your neck. “because it wouldn’t be right if i just left you here.”

you squirm in your spot and do your best to conceal the whines that threaten to bubble up out of your throat. “hobie, you said – you –” you finally rested your hands on the tops of his thighs. the voice in the back of your head telling you to give in is getting more and more convincing with each passing second.

“what did i say?” he pauses his ministrations to catch his breath and give you a second to find yours. he isn’t sure how the conversation took this turn but he isn’t complaining. if anything, he’s hoping it’ll never end.

you stare at him in the yellow light from the stove. there’s still a chill in the air but you’re buzzed with need. suddenly, you’re hot. it’s sweltering even without the heat being on. you need to find a solution to your lust and quick. you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him back into you, deciding the solution right there in the moment.

your lips crash against each other with a burning passion. hobie stands up out of the bar stool, his hands circling around your waist. he takes steps forward and forces you back against the counter across from you. you don’t mind, entangling your hands within his scalp. you’re willing to let him do whatever he wants to you and it shows.

hobie turns you around and presses his hardening cock against the plumpness of your ass. you gasp at the feeling of him rutting against you with his breath fanning over your shoulder, warm and sticky. there’s something that takes over, a horny little monster that throws all your inhibitions out the window. you’re equally as turned on, rolling your hips back on his in tandem with him.

“fuck, okay. don’t get too loud.” he whispers under the sound of the fabrics moving together. out of he corner of your eye, you barely get a glimpse of him shoving his fingers in his mouth before sliding underneath your clothing. he pulls your shirt up in a balled up fist and watches his hand disappear beneath the waistband of your shorts and elastic of your panties.

they waste no time finding your clit, sticky and growing swollen from your insatiable desire. “already so fuckin’ wet.” he rubs the nub in little circles, growing accustomed to your body and what you like most. occasionally, his fingers slip and unintentionally fall too close to your entrance.

your mouth falls open in a tiny “o”. you throw your head back onto his shoulder, eyes squeezed shut and grinding against both his dick and his fingers. you’re sandwiched between pleasure and doing your best to keep your moans limited to a whisper. you grip the edge of the counter and you’re actually grateful for it. it’s the solace that’s keeping you grounded to reality because without it, you’re sure you would have soared to the sky. “d – don’t tease,” you pant. you reach behind you searching for hobie’s dick and you find it easily. it’s hard to miss with the hard feeling of it against your skin and you swear you feel it grow harder when you wrap your fingers around it, still clothed over his sweats.

“sorry, dove. whatever you want,” hobie flattens his palm against your pussy. his middle finger prod at your sticky entrance to test your reaction but it slips right in, much to your pleasure. he has to take it slow with your sensitivity but hobie savors every moment. he’s not in a rush, especially when your fingers squeeze and rub at his clothed cock. he’s ready to stick it in now if he truly wanted but hobie wants this moment to last. he wants to burn the memory into his head and stain his life with whatever effects you have on him.

“mmm,” you hum, spreading your legs farther to accommodate his size. just one of his fingers could make you feel so full that you’re nearly satisfied like this. you have to close your lips and run your tongue along the inside of your cheeks to wet them again. “that feels so good.”

“yeah?” hobie asks. he’s so focused on you, he doesn’t notice how you’ve also managed to get your hand under the waistband of his boxers. he only realized what’s happening when your hand brushes against the stubble of his pubes and wraps around his shaft. “oh baby,” he whines in your ear. you can feel his dick twitch and jump at the tightness of your palm. he nearly falls over your frame when your thumb begins to circle around his tip.

hobie’s fingers stutter inside you. they push farther, deeper, making contact with your g-spot accidentally. he hasn’t gotten a chance to stick another finger in before you’re whimpering and nearly finger fucking yourself with his hand. “oh my gosh, right there. right there, right there!”

if hobie could have laughed at you, he would have. however, he has better things to worry about. like how your voice is beginning to rise in volume and he just cannot have that happen. “shhh,” is all he can manage throughout his full-body shudders. he uses his other hand to drop your shirt and instead stick his fingers in your mouth. they serve the purpose he intended, muffling your noises. he didn’t anticipate for you to suckle on them as if it’s the last thing you’d ever have in your mouth.

that, paired with the handjob and your gushing pussy around his fingers, he could have came right then and there. he could have exploded in his pants and made you cum and end it there but he didn’t. instead, he forces himself to pay attention to you. he puts his pleasure on the back burner and pushes his finger deeper, even going as far as to stretch you farther by adding a second one.

with his fingers deep in your throat and drool pouring out the corner of your mouth, your legs begin to shake. your chest rises and falls with each heaved breath. if you weren’t forced into somewhat silence, you’re sure you would have been calling out hobie’s name, drunk of him and him alone.

he has no idea what words you’re gurgling but unless you’re chanting about how you’re on the verge of cumming, he doesn’t care. luckily for him, it’s almost certain that you were and it’s evident with how your body falls slack in his arms and your cunt spasms around his fingers. the sight is an ultimate turn on.

hobie pulls his fingers out of your mouth and wipes the saliva over your cheek. he takes the opportunity to yank your bottoms down until they’re confined to your ankles. you step out of them and turn around, reconnecting your lips with his.

once again, you’re kissing hobie as an act of hunger, pushing your lips so hard together that they nearly swell. you cup the back of his head to draw him in. you’re delighted to feel his hands on the globes on your cheeks and set you onto the counter. it’s cold on your skin and so you flinch but it becomes a faint thought when hobie’s hands are anchored on the backs of your thighs. he pushes them back until your feet are flat on the counter and your glistening pussy is all on display, still creamy from your recent orgasm.

“just gotta get a taste,” he mumbles, mostly to himself as he eyes the shining cunt open and throbbing for him. he wastes no time wrapping his lips around your puffy clit, slurping at your slick. he enjoys the sapidity that’s unique to you, tangy and a bit sweet, like a refreshing dessert he could eat for the rest of his life.

he can feel the juices drip down his chin and coat the lower half of his face but that doesn’t stop him from eating your pussy like a starved man. you have to bring a hand up to your mouth to muffle the moans, watching the hobie lick between your folds and lap at your clit. your eyes are ready to roll back when hobie’s tongue pokes at your entrance. you want so badly to scream, to pull hobie’s head even closer to your aching pussy but you can’t. you can’t risk moving your hand off your mouth, knowing that the moment you do, you’ll wake up the whole house.

you compromise by using your other hand to support your weight and shift toward, putting yourself a little more onto your toes. in this new position, you’re able to move your cunt along his face. you push farther, going as far as to brush your clit along hobie’s nose.

his response is to tug your body to the edge of the counter and wrap your legs over his shoulders. your lower body is solely held up by him, his shoulder, and his hands. he swallows every ounce of your slick and sears your clit with a kiss.

it doesn’t take long before you’re finding yourself closer to the edge of a second orgasm. you ball your shirt up and shove the jumbled mess into your own mouth. your brain is foggy. you can’t think of a single thought that isn’t full of hobie, the pleasure, and the need to cum, immediately. 

“mmmf,” you wrap your legs around his neck. dig your fingers into his hair, and tug just in time for another gush of cum to come flowing out of your pussy. every muscle in your body has relaxed and become putty by now. you’re at hobie’s disposal and you love that.

“you’re so perfect, i’m devastated.” he kisses your inner thigh, continuing to trail those kisses up your stomach, between your tits, and onto your lips. he doesn’t wipe the cum off his face as he does it. instead, he makes you taste it, wrapping his tongue around yours and wetting your cheeks with the stickiness as your arousal as he does it.

“no you’re not. you won’t stay for me.” you whisper between kisses, running your hands along his bare chest under his shirt. you grab the hem and pull it up until hobie inevitably allows you to pull it off. it’s discarded and tossed onto the floor.

“i won’t stay for anyone. you know this.” he disconnects from the kiss, but only for a moment. during this time, he drops his pants to pull out his cock, raging from watching you cum not once, but twice. in the darkness, you can make out an outline of it, long and skinny with a mushroom tip and bulging veins. he’s been straining this whole time but hadn’t complained at all, loving every second of pleasing you. he could do it for hours if he had the time.

you resort to pouting as hobie sets your feet back onto the ground. with his hands on his hips, he turns you back around until your back is pressed against his chest, once again. “just say you hate me.”

“keep saying that and i’ll shove my dick in your mouth.” he says, aligning his tip with his sticky entrance. you don’t mention how his threat holds no weight if you’d enjoy it. instead, you play into it and huff, resting your hands flat on the counter.

you brace yourself when hobie begins to push deep into you. the stretch is painful at first, enough that you have to grit your teeth and will yourself to relax through the shallow thrusts to ease his way into you. it only takes a few seconds before the pain is blooming into satisfaction.

he fits so well inside you, filling you as if he was created solely for this purpose. you reach up, resting your hand on his cheek for a source of intimacy in the slow thrusts. you use the leverage of the counter to push your ass back to meet his thrusts.

you don’t know how much willpower you have to continue standing on your own when hobie is doing such a good job of fucking you dumb. even with the slow pace, you have to give in, leaning over the counter. to hobie, this is leverage for him to take control of the situation. he slots a large hand over your mouth and the other rests on the small of your back.

almost instantly, his thrusts increase tenfold. you’re certain if this was done on a bed, it would have been rocking with such an intensity against the wall. you grasp his hand covering your mouth with yours, almost screaming into his hand.

“shh, you’ll w – wake someone u – up.” he leans over you. hobie doesn’t compensate for the sound of skin slapping against each other by speaking louder. instead, he gets closer to you and because of that, angles his dick deeper into your cunt.

in this new state, you can hear every soft moan and whimper that leaves his mouth. he’s not rough about it, almost singing in your ear. his breath feels moist on your skin and adds to the fire burning in your core. “just t – take it, baby.”

you almost sob, rising onto your toes and writhe underneath him. it didn’t occur to you that you’d be overstimulated by the time you’ve reached this point. as much of your fault as it is, you like to blame most of it on hobie for pushing it this far. you wouldn’t be tempted to push him away, feeling as though he would be forcing another one out of you, if he didn’t.

you’re still, almost stuck in place. he’s too good at delivering. your body craves more and less of him at the same time. you’re certain you can feel him in your throat, ready to pop out the other side and through your mouth if this continues long enough. it’s driving you crazy, so crazy you squeeze your legs together.

it doesn’t last long because coincidentally, hobie hooks his hand under your leg and pushes it onto the counter. your cunt squelches as it swallows his size greedily. he’s obsessed with watching his length disappear inside you and the white sheen that surrounds the base. “shit, you’re gettin’ tight. gonna make me cum.”

you can only wail at his words and press your forehead against the granite. your legs have begun to quiver for the second time that night and you’re almost certain your insides are about to explode. you’re unsure what is building up inside you but it’s drawing from somewhere deep in the pits of your stomach and you’re getting nervous. there’s not much you can do about it, nor can you think about it too much because hobie’s fingers are rolling your clit between them.

the bud is all swollen and practically hot to the touch. you’re dripping down your own thighs at this point. there’s a musk that accompanies sex in the air, thick and sending you into a daze. your eyes flutter closed before they roll back. you let loose, weak streams of squirt falling into the floor beneath you.

“holy fuckin’ shit,” hobie pulls out of you so fast, you whine and crumple onto the floor. he, as the kind gentleman he is, don’t force your weak body to move positions again. instead, he steps to your side and turns your head with a hand under your chin. “open your mouth for me. atta’ girl.”

you watch him through half lidded eyes jerk his swollen cock in front of your face until he’s spurting cum all over it. your tongue dangles open and catches what remnants dribble downwards into your mouth.

hobie’s equally sensitive body stands there for a moment to catch his breath. he slowly lowers himself onto the ground until he’s able to run his thumb over your cum-covered face to collect some of it on the pad of his finger and swipe it over your tongue. “how do you feel? want water or something?”

you wordlessly shake your head and crawl into his arms, despite the fact that your face is ultimately covered in his nut. you don’t mention that what you really want to know is what happens now. “just want to shower and sleep.”

he looks at you, half asleep against him, and then around the kitchen and the few pieces of evidence left behind. for one, the scent has got to go. “i’ll get you into the bath and i’ll handle the cleanup, okay? you just rest your pretty little head.”

you’ve already beat him to it, humming in response and envisioning the comfort of your queen sized bed. if you considered things awkward before, just what until you see how you try to navigate it in the morning.

[linkemon]

Toru Oikawa headcanons

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi.

Other headcanons from this series can be found here.

• Relationship with Toru would be a bumpy and winding road, one that is sometimes nice and pleasant and then turns around and leads you through the worst forest you have ever seen in your life. I think Oikawa would fall in love with someone who blew his mind with their indifference towards him. It doesn't matter if you were a childhood friend or someone he happened to meet at highschool. It would be important for him whether you don't treat him like his fans do.

• Winning the hearts of the girls he could have easily wouldn't be a challenge at all. And the best things always require effort and work. He follows this philosophy in volleyball and it would be no different in the case of love.

• You can hit him on the shoulder and in the head with books for every stupid comment but if he sets his sights on you, you can be sure that he won't give up. A relationship with him would consist of flirtations that you wouldn't take seriously and rare, serious moments when you would feel that what he was saying was sincere and came from the heart. Of course, someone or something would always have to interrupt you.

• Have you styled your hair? He will destroy it. Is this a new hair tie? Now it's his, he'll keep it for good luck. Who gave him permission? He gave it to himself. Same case with casually adding -chan to your name...

• Hajime would be the greatest wingman in your relationship. For a long time he would say that Toru needs to take care of himself because he doesn't deserve you but eventually he would realize that you couldn't live without each other. He wouldn't push either of you to confess but he would certainly discreetly try to give you as much time alone as possible. And it's not easy to find excuses for so many Aobajosai members...

• Toru knows what he wants. And although you would have to wait to hear it in a serious and mature way, it would have been worth it. He would go for a walk with you somewhere on the boulevards, by the water with a nice view. Surrounded by the dim, night lights, he would tell you how he felt. And these would be sincere words. Different from those that he feeds many people on a daily basis. Thoughtful and adequate as always but not superficial, hidden in the depths of his mind when he thinks about your smile in his free time.

• Oikawa likes it when you take off his glasses and then kiss him. He jokes that it's a bit like a scene from a movie. And it's even better when your friends are watching. Let them be consumed by jealousy. One time Kageyama asked you if you were sure you knew what you were getting into.

• Half of the serves since you became a couple are dedicated to you. At training, in high school, he will shout about it loudly, as long as you are anywhere nearby. In more serious matches, when he got into the Argentine national team, he simply put two fingers to his lips and blew a kiss towards the audience. Half the fans were dying of delight before they finally realized you were in the bleachers.

• Sometimes it's hard to balance a career as a professional setter with daily responsibilities. You travel with Toru but for most part, your relationship is a long-distance type. You talk a lot on the phone and on video calls. You get as many discounts on airlines as possible to see each other as often as you can.

[ectomoog]

How to Get Your Friends into Doctor Who (2005) - A Guide

Ok I really like Doctor Who, and of course I like introducing people to it, but oh my god do you forget how randomly terrible and/or cringy and/or uncomfortably Moffat-esque some of the episodes are, *especially* when you're watching it with someone who has no idea what to expect.

SO I made a list of ten episodes that I think would be the best loose sequence of episodes for a causal introduction to the show...

But first, some requirements:

It has to be a one-off (NO TWO-PARTERS), low commitment, etc

It can't require watching previous OR following episodes to be enjoyable

It needs to actually be good

It needs to represent Doctor Who well

In a social setting where you're showing a group of people an episode, most of these would be fine. Watching consistently with one person however, loosely follow this order, and if your person decides at any point that they want to commit to actually watching the show, skip straight back to The End of The World and watch Series 1. Ok list time...

1. Rose (S1, E01)

I think Rose is the perfect episode of Doctor Who to start on. It's campy, it's fun and weird and it sets up almost everything you need to know for the Revival Era. You get the companion, the Doctor, regular Doctor Who tropes and themes, etc. Plus, if they can't get past the Mickey bin scene, this show probably isn't for them anyway.

2. Dalek (S1, E06)

Skipping a few episodes into Series 1, Dalek is a great way to get a feel for the format of the show, and also a great and intentional introduction to the Daleks. The Doctor and the companion turn up in a mysterious place and have to battle an alien force and really unlikeable one-off side characters, the works basically. It's a fun monster-movie of an episode.

3. Vincent and The Doctor (S5,E10)

Jumping a whole five series forward, Vincent and The Doctor is a notoriously heart-wrenching historical that I think is a classic (if a little indulgent) example of Doctor-meets-famous-historical-figure. It's nice to jump to a different Doctor and a different era of the show, to get a feel for its' diversity. Although there's a few moments relevant to the greater series plot, it's contained, very pretty, very sweet, and easy to understand.

4. Midnight (S4, E10)

Midnight just feels like an essential episode to be honest. A fantastic one-off sci-fi horror/thriller, with one of David Tennant's best performances, a great introduction to the 10th Doctor. It's a shame you don't get more Donna, but I think this one would be my go-to if someone asked for the best episode to watch stand-alone, just based on how genuinely great it is.

5. Heaven Sent (S9, E11)

Jumping to Series 9 with another critically-acclaimed episode, but also one that I think is an amazing introduction to the 12th Doctor. Heaven Sent is a little unconventional, and I'm not 100% sure it should be here, but it does give Capaldi a whole episode to just act his ass off, and he completely delivers. It's artsy, mysterious and dramatic, very much the high concept sci-fi style of Moffat's later scripts, so I think an appropriate watch.

6. The Voyage of The Damned (2007 Special)

If you're not in a festive mood, try The Lodger or Demons of the Punjab instead

The Christmas episodes are too iconic not to show, and as far as Christmassy vibes, celebrity cameos and whimsical concepts go, this one is a fun one. This is David Tennant in his prime, with Kylie Minogue, a massive budget and a romp of a script.

6. Blink (S3, E10)

I mean, duh, but genuinely I think Blink is just *too good* not to include. A tense, creepy, tightly-written piece of horror TV with twists and turns and drama, it's considered the best episode of Doctor Who for a reason, and along with Midnight is an amazing stand-alone episode. It's not super conventional, but all the timey-wimey stuff is very Doctor Who.

6. The Mummy on The Orient Express (S8, E08)

If you're a Tennant stan you could swap this out for The Planet of the Dead

This one is just a fun one really. The Mummy on The Orient Express is stylish and fun, with a cool concept and a little peek into a more complex Doctor-companion relationship. With a short explanation you can get the context pretty easily, and it's a good example of your typical episode anyway.

HOWEVER if you have time, there's a bunch of two-parters you should watch instead, like The Family of Blood, The Empty Child, Silence in the Library, even Extremis.

9. The Haunting of Villa Diodati (S12, E10)

Finally some 13th Doctor rep! This one has some of the strongest writing in the Chibnall era, and is a fun horror mystery that serves as a fun introduction to Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor. It has a little bit of series-wide arc, but that's okay.

10. The Church on Ruby Road (2023 Special 4)

If your person liked all those episodes but still doesn't want to watch 13 seasons of TV, just abandon ship and watch the 2023 Christmas special in preparation for Series 14 (or Season 1) in Spring 2024. The Church on Ruby Road is the beginning of the latest soft reboot of the show and has been explicitly created as a jumping on point for new fans. Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson absolutely shine in this special, it's fun and silly and in my opinion bodes very well for the next season of Doctor Who...

"in 900 years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important" - Bannakaffalatta

I hope that was a success! After all those episodes hopefully you either had a good time with whoever you were watching it with, or you've already moved onto Series 1! I'll be trying this out the best I can with my girlfriend this year, so look out, because I may be back with adjustments later...

[kimetsu-chan]

~Welcome to my blog!~

Hello! You can call me Kimmie or Kim (some nicknames my sweet friends gave me 😋)

I am not going to disclose my exact age but I am a minor

I do art and sometimes I’ll write!

I am a pessimist— (I will hate on my art sometimes)

My birthday is December 4th :D

My persona

Here is my OC Masterlist!

I do take requests for art and writing, and you can find those rules, here!

The things I have written are here :)

My gamejolt is my BSD focused area, although I will post BSD here occasionally. The username/tag is the same as here!^^

and @soyyyyaa is my twisted wonderland focused blog :3

⚠️ I do take emergency requests and those will take top priority no matter what. Emergency requests will almost always be open, even if normal requests aren’t. If I have a request I am actively working on and I receive an emergency request, I will let the person who sent the first request know that their request is being put on hold until the emergency request is finished. Consistent misuse of emergency requests will result in a temporary ban from placing requests. I will ultimately decide what qualifies as an emergency request.⚠️

More info about emergency requests here

I have a roleplay account for my oc, Yuna at @ask-yuna-handa

Male Kny oc, Zeno Arakawa, can be found on @ask-zeno-arakawa

My time zone is Eastern Standard Time!

These are my emoji coded tags:

🍁 is my writing tag!

🌾 is my mental health tag. I use it whenever I post something related to mental health or when I’m sad

🪻 is my drawing tag. I use it whenever I post art that I made!

🌹 is my animation/time lapse tag, I’ll post 🪻 and this together since animations are technically art

These are my moots! They are lovely people and I recommend following them!

@natsukishinomiyaswife (SUPER talented writer and has adorable art! Also super super sweet :D )

@cherry-bomb-xoy (DELICIOUS, ABSOLUTELY DELECTABLE ART, I LOOK UP TO CHERRY SO MUCH-)

@zenitsustherapist (ISA, BESTIE, ILYSM. MWAH MWAH!!<3)

@shjsjskshsjs (we have the occasional super long convo and it’s a lot of fun, I like yapping with her >:3)

@nothingtoseehere1-2-3 (I don’t interact w/ her a lot, but she’s cool!)

@midnightmah07 (SHES SO NICE OMG- my twst mootie :3)

@local-giyuu-simp (my twin that I tried to eat in the womb)

@gyutarowritings (my child :3)

@donkeybro (VERY NICE. Very fun to roleplay with too! :D)

@your-local-demon-slayer-nerd (very funny, would do stupid crap with)

@ame-delights (our ocs have become Milo’s guardians)

@ayunakatsukiwolfhashira (jaw dropping amazing fics. I should’ve followed her sooner. She’s also rlly nice :D)

@mooechi (beautiful, amazing, gorgeous, delectable art. AND THEY CAN RECREATE THE KNY ART STYLE SO PERFECTLYYYY)

@saffron0v0 (certified sweetheart. I think you could stab her and she’d forgive you— don’t do that though.)

@squidifier (such cute art omg—)

@ryn-loves-cheese (THEIR ART IS SO GORGEOUSGFIUEGFRYH)

@ta-ni-ya (amazing art yum yum)

@night-mince0 (my other child >:3)

@scrimblyscrorblo (one of my art idols. I freaked out when we became moots)

@tinyperson00 (very nice, Akira is so pretty)

@naramaiz (Amari makes the best cookies yum)

@larz-barz (she’s literally an angel omg—and she is my wife, my one and only I love her sm)

@shycroissanti (another art idol, is so so nice. Says im her art idol too??!! EugfakgeGHWVDUY)

@kiyokatokito (the human embodiment of straight up sugar)

@muichiroslovermwah (I would like to adopt you please :>)

@boo-simplified (YET ANOTHER ART IDOL)

@tokito-dulya20 (very yummy art and fics)

@cloudymistedskies (ANOTHER ART IDOL—)

@mrs-k0zume (she said I could officiate her and Kenma’s wedding teehee)

@rion-isnot-an-ai (literally an angel #2)

@silliestsakura (i foam at the mouth bc of how pretty her art is)

@aceofstars0 (my first mutual and second follower!! ILSYM ACE.)

(Thank you to @saradika for the dividers!)

[m-u-g-i]

No One Else

Straw Hats X Plus-Size Strategist Female Reader

| Masterlist |

Genre: Angst to Fluff

Summary: Life with the Straw Hats have changed your life for the better. There was never a dull moment on board. Recently, the crew had returned after an intense battle with a bandit tribe who apparently stole something precious to everyone. However, when returning to the ship after patrolling, you overheard the crew members talking about you and, unfortunately, it wasn't all that nice to hear. Despite it all, your love and loyalty to the Straw Hats remained, even if it meant giving up your dignity or maybe even, your life.

NOTE: The following contains mentions of pedophilia, rape, violence/gore, and vulgar language. Please keep in mind this is all for entertainment purposes and the circumstances of the following are purely fiction. The author refuses liability of any offense, so please feel free to exit if you're sensitive towards any of the said topics.

⚠️DISCLAIMER⚠️: Pedophilia, gore, and mentions of rape ahead. Please read at your own discretion.

"Get back here, you bastards!"

"Check the dock!"

"Give that back, you thieves!"

Another night of new encountered enemies, another night of pure chaos.

~~~~~~~~~~

Monkey D. Luffy, one of most wanted and dangerous criminals known in the entire world with his just as dangerous crew, the Straw Hats. However, the vulgar and despicable image plastered on their faces contrasted from their true nature, yet no one in the world had yearned to know about it. These supppsedly ruthless, cruel pirates of such high bounties were, in actuality, immature, kindhearted folks with supernatural abilities and skills on board a ship.

Despite their incredible strengths and skills, they're more humane towards others than the World Government is with their citizens. Being the first member of the Straw Hats, yet considerably one of the strongest, had made quite the change in your life. Opposed to others, your fighting style consisted of mainly martial arts with a bit of weaponry expertise on the side, including swordsmanship. However, it's definitely not up to par with Brook, let alone Zoro. But, you had no such ambition.

Though with no Devil Fruit abilities, using your knowledge of human anatomy and sharp, almost-superhuman senses, you'd specialize in temporary paralysis, instant murder, broken limbs, basically anything that'd physically weaken your opponent. Due to your plump figure, the concept of being a master of martial arts would be the last thought in people's minds as they have a habit of underestimating the strength and flexibility of your body. As a result, you managed to make your mark during the infamous Pirate Era and your skills had brought your bounty almost as high as Robin's.

Your role on board was the Strategist, the one who'd conjure up thorough and accurate plans that'd often turn the battle into your favor. Although tonight, you were thrown off-guard considering it led to the thievery of the crew's belongings.

Having recently finished a dreadful and exhausting voyage with the Navy Headquarters on your tail, the crew ended up arriving on what seemed to be a remote island. Anchoring the ship by the shore, Luffy and the others had gone out to forage out for personal needs and it became your shift in patrolling during the night, however, the fatigue of the previous adventure began to catch up to you. You hadn't realized you fell asleep only to be waken up by the ruckus of the ship, from what it seemed to be bandits. Alongside the strange figures sat a large bag of items and from the view, you could see Nami's treasure and most dreadfully, the Jolly Roger.

Instantly engaging a fight, the thieves were quick to retreat taking the belongings with them. With no hesitation, you went after them.

Your ambition was to stay with the others until you passed, yet you don't know what this fateful night may have on store.

~~~~~~~~~~

Using the obvious scent and tracks the bandits left behind, it was quite the breeze to be able to track the bandits and their hideout.

Deep in the forest, what seemed to be a surface of dirt and rubble covered a passageway underground. The oblivious figures scanned their area to reassure their confidentiality before doing what seemed to be a secret knocking pattern on this rather large tile of wood underneath the surface. Once finished, the tile opened, revealing a mysterious staircase as the questionable men brought the bag of stolen belongings inside the passage. The moment the door was beginning to close, you swiftly managed to sneak yourself inside the hideout, remaining in the shadows of the dark location.

"Where's the match?" A deep, rough voice spoke.

"Got it," another answered.

Within a few moments, the rugged men managed to light up their lantern before paving down the path of what resembled to be an underground tunnel. Quietly yet quickly, you followed the group of thieves deeper into this unknown abyss.

You'd be dishonest if you claimed to be unafraid of the potential dangers at hand. The nerves in every inch of your anatomy trembled in cold sweat, quickening your breathing pattern and heart rate. Every passing second was agonizing with every step you took. The anticipation of what laid ahead almost had you surrender to unconsciousness as the anxiety became barely tolerable.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the group of thieves turned right of the tunnel, leading into a large, secluded area of more thieves. From the looks of it, it seemed that there was a banquet going on.

Tables were littered with pints filled with who knows what, plates either empty, shattered, or half-eaten, excessive laughter and cheers filled the room as the clashing of glass and music played a complementing tune. Savage dancing on the tables, unconscious bodies laying uncomfortably on the floor and stools from the constant alcohol consumption, off-key hymns being sung from the drunken tribe, their ruckus being neverending, it seemed all too similar to the chaos on the Sunny, yet it lacked the sense of innocent joy or pleasure.

You could sense the malice seeping from this unknown tribe. You remained hidden in the shadows of the tunnel, secretly analyzing how the situation would play out. Once the group of thieves made their presence known, the cheers escalated in volume as they welcomed their comrades into the festivities.

"Boss, they're back!" A voice called out.

'Boss?' You internally question.

Curious, you shifted slightly to a better view to catch a glimpse of who could be the possible boss of this group. With your figure still hidden, you saw this huge figure sitting in a much sophisticated seat compared to the poorly crafted stools for the rest of the men. Seeing the male had your heart jump to your throat as pure horror painted your expression.

There sat the Captain of Kayakalas, the well-known thieving tribe of the Grand Line, also known as Red-Hand.

He's known for his swift robberies where not even a trace of evidence is left to track him down. However, if he's ever caught, he immediately kills the witness or witnesses in cold blood, leaving a red handprint using the victim's blood on a nearby wall, tree or even their clothing.

However, he had a sadistic kick for women and children. Let's just say he'd have a little bit of "fun" before finishing the job. Involving, screams of agony, broken or torn limbs, tears and cries to end this torture as they're being penetrated in the most vile way. In fact, many of the escaped victims who've experienced it or witnessed their loved ones go through it testified that when he's too lazy or tired, he lets his underlings have their way with them.

Considering he has a whole tribe in his palm, you could say their treatment with those poor innocent bystanders would be considered way worse compared to Red-Hand.

Therefore, other than the entirety of the Kayakala tribe, the World Government identitified him as the most disgusting criminal the world had ever known.

"Ah! Did you take the treasure?" A much more threatening voice rang through the now silent room.

"Sure did, boss. But, we took some extras, if that was alright," an underling responded.

"Oh really, now? Like what?"

The underling with the large bag brought it before the male before emptying the goods. There laid a large pile of Nami's gold and the Jolly Roger.

Your heart clenched in anger and guilt seeing that you had let the crew's prized possession be stolen because of your carelessness.

The captain shrieked in joy, seeing the treasure, but most importantly, the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hats. He cackled seeing the piece of cloth.

"You managed to steal the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hats! Well done!" Red Hand complimented.

The thieves lifted their chests in pride as you quietly scoffed in agitation.

"In honor of these fine men, we shall commend a banquet and plunder the Straw Hats' ship to end the night," he commanded.

In unison, the tribe yelled in agreement as the lively atmosphere became more lively, if that was even possible. The volume of the music and cheering increased as you internally decided to silently retreat back to Sunny, reassuring yourself no one was able to detect your presence.

With your adrenaline running in regret and worry, the only thought running through your head was warning the others and regrouping to figure out how to deal with these ruthless criminals.

Finally reaching the shore, you could see light filled a room on the Sunny and the obnoxious laughter of your captain and crewmembers filled your ears, calming the tension in all of your muscles. Boarding the ship, though out of breath, you continued to run to the dining room where the light illuminated and the sounds of enjoyment radiated out of.

Huffing and puffing, you noticed the door was slightly open.

"Guys, Red Hand and hi--"

"Yeah, I don't know what the whole point of the plan was. We barely made it out of there," Sanji stated.

"Y/N was just trying to provide our options," Nami responded, irritated.

Still hidden outside, you became curious as to what they were discussing about, especially why your name was involved in the conversation.

Remaining by the somewhat closed door, you began to eavesdrop on the conversation your beloved crewmembers were having.

"But, that took away very valuable time as a usual," Zoro added.

"As much as my pride burns saying this, Moss Head's right, Nami-san. I know Y/N-san means well, but she needs to pick up the pace," Sanji inputted.

"Not like it's her fault you guys have superhuman strength," the ginger snapped.

Your heart slowly but surely broke with every word spoken.

"I don't know," the raven-haired female said. "Half of our missions were a success due to Y/N's thorough intellect."

"Wish her brain was as fast as her stamina though," the cyborg included, recalling the times your body tended to move faster than your head when fighting occurs.

"If she had any stamina," Zoro insulted.

A loud bonk echoed throughout the room as Nami's fist made contact with the swordsman's head.

"Her stamina is just fine! At least Y/N doesn't get lost every 5 seconds!" She scolds.

"How could you miss her? Everytime she runs, it feels as if there's an earthquake nearby," Sanji stated, earning a bonk from the female as well.

"Why, you little--"

Without realization, tears began to fall frequently as your fingers trembled horribly in shock.

Silent sobs began to push out of your lips as your chest tightened in pain. Hearing such words by your beloved members--no, your family-- hurt more than you thought it would.

Granted, you wasted time multiple times and stuffed up on various missions, but you didn't know it'd negatively affect the members to this extent. Second thoughts began to flood your mind as you genuinely questioned your relevance in this crew.

Slapping your palm on your mouth to remain unknown to the others, you couldn't help, but continue to eavesdrop.

"Nami's right. Everyone develops at their own pace. Plus, it doesn't help that she's always the one a little too busy dealing with the amount of stupidity on this ship," the long nose defended.

"You're one to talk, you know?" Franky dissed.

"Shut up! At least I'm not half-naked all the time, you perv!"

The shipwright chuckled smugly, finding pride in the supposed insult.

"Luffy, what do you think?" Usopp asks, turning to the captain who's literally in the middle of stuffing his face.

"Mmhhff ffmmk nnammm mmffmm."

The crew stares at their captain in disbelief until one answers.

"He said she's cool and a fun cuddle bug. He's always warm at night because of her," Chopper translated.

"Yeah, Y/N's cuddles are to die for," Nami softly compliments, sighing in content remembering the cuddle sessions you'd have together.

The reindeer and Robin nodded in agreement as they recalled their past cuddle sessions with you as well.

"Hmm, do you think Lady Y/N would allow me to see her panties if I cuddled her as well?" The skeleton proposed.

Bonk.

"What the hell is up with you, you perverted skeleton?" Nami scolded.

"I'm this close to committing arson on this ship!" The ginger head raged, while being held back by Usopp.

"Please don't burn Sunny," the long nose rationalized.

With a grumble, Nami sat down with a slight pout.

"What's your guys' problem with Y/N, anyways? Do you guys hate her or something?" Usopp questioned.

"I understand she may not be your type, Sanji, but I honestly don't know why you're so harsh on her. I mean, she tries so hard for all of us."

"This has nothing with her not being my type."

Sanji remained almost quiet with a scoff heard from his lips as he lights a cigarette, refusing to involve himself in the conversation anymore.

"And Zoro-kun," Brook says. "What about you, as well? Has there been an incident where Lady Y/N must have offended you?"

"I'm just saying, she could do better. We could've done better in choosing our members. If anything, she should learn about getting stronger," Zoro defended.

"What do you mean? I think she is getting stronger. She just needs time," the doctor defended.

The ginger rolled her eyes.

"Don't mind them, Chopper. Just eat," she implied.

Already occupied with the food in front of him, the captain was unable to really understand the entire discussion whereas everyone else grumbled with every bite they took. On the other hand, you remained in a puddle of emotions right outside the door. Muffled cries escaped your lips as your palm began to damp up from the constant tears falling. The only thought going through your head was getting out of here.

Finally with a decent amount of strength, you stealthily ran towards the shore once more, refusing to be aboard the ship that you once called home. Adrenaline had kicked in, motoring your feet elsewhere into the dark group of trees. You ran and ran, unaware of where you were really going, not that you cared anyway.

Heartbroken from their "secret" conversation, the tears began to pour as you recalled their words.

Once in the darkest pit of the forest, you allowed your emotions to flow in tears, sobs, hiccups, cries, you name it. Chest heaving from hiccups due to lack of oxygen, hands trembling while wiping every pouring tear, body aching from poor sleep; your condition became concerning. Second turned to minutes, minutes into hours, as you became an emotionless void of flesh curled up in the middle of the forest. There was nothing left to release from your exhausted body.

'What do I do? I can't go back. Not like they noticed I was gone anyway,' you contemplated.

Various thoughts and solutions ran through your head as you theorized what to do in your current situation. Despite it all, they'll forever be considered as your family, as your crew. Nothing on this earth would ever change that, even insulting conversations as such. You couldn't bring yourself to blame them for their words, let alone hate them.

Slowly, you began to recall all the memories on the ship, twisting your heart in the most sadistic manner. You remembered when sharing their own personal ambitions, you promised to help them achieve it, no matter what. Even if it meant sacrificing your well-being.

An admirable trait about you is how you always fulfill your promises, no matter the circumstances to achieve them. Reminding yourself of such had you finally come to a conclusion.

You would fetch the Jolly Roger yourself before formally removing yourself from the crew.

Seeing the burden you placed on your crewmembers left with no choice, but to actually remove yourself. You want them to move on and achieve their dreams and goals in life, even if it meant you weren't present to witness it. However, there's no way in hell you'd allow them to carry on with their lives without their symbol of pride.

The dangers awaiting you when seizing such a risk had completely been forgotten, if not, ignored. Basically running on pure emotion and adrenaline, you were instantly on your feet before gunning it through the unknown abyss in search of the hideout of the criminals responsible for the Jolly Roger's thievery. It took some time, considering it's nearly midnight, based on the moon's position, creating quite the obstacle during your search.

Eventually, the wooden tile was found.

Similarly to thieves from earlier, you thoroughly scanned the area to reassure the confidentiality of your presence by the entrance. Committing an attempt of the secret knock, thankfully, the entrance opened, but suspiciously, there were no guards by the entrance. Though skeptical, you shrugged the feeling quickly before resuming your sprinting through the tunnel to the room where the familiar cheers and singing echoed.

Halting to a stop shortly before the room, you peeped your head a bit before seeing a similar setting from earlier. The difference is the increased amount of drunken, unconscious men littering the premises. Other than such, the remaining men continued their festivities of celebration. Scanning through the room, your eyes landed on the targeted male that supposedly led this tribe of burglars, Red-Hand of the Kayakala's.

His right hand held a pint of a very unfamiliar and almost suspicious beverage. Built similarly to Blackbeard, his round yet grand figure sat comfortably on his throne-like seat as his large black afro was pulled into a high bun. A dirty, velvety cloak sat upon his shoulders, matching the style of his stained, white dress shirt and ripped, striped pants. Unlike numerous other pirates and criminals, he remained barefoot, mainly due to the gigantic size and being unable to find a proper fit of shoes.

Without noticing, your blood began to boil seeing the Jolly Roger hung as if it were a simple trophy behind Red-Hand's seat as he was laughing along his underlings without a care in the world. You hadn't been so pissed about the Jolly Roger since that one time it was stolen by that snobby family living in the icebergs. This time, it was taken by an internationally wanted criminal that spares no one.

Retrieving the Jolly Roger proved to be quite the task as you began to conjure up a plan. Then, a sudden shove of your back coerced your figure into the room, revealing you to all the men in the room. The foreign woman before their eyes caught almost of the men's attention.

Their gazes varied from perversion to malice to utter confusion. Red-Hand's obnoxious laughter was quick to end, turning to see you. You turned behind you to see one of the underlings, him being the one who pushed you into the banquet.

"We had a little rat snooping around, Boss," he stated with a smirk present on his face.

No hesitation did they aggressively hold you, one man per arm, before dragging you in front of the very man responsible for this entire predicament. Pushing you on your knees before him while harshly gripping your chubby arms, Red-Hand chuckles deeply and viciously, amused by your helpless situation.

"Why, what do we have here?"

Analyzing your figure, a maniacal laugh left the male's mouth.

"Why, it's Masteress Y/N. The most gracious yet firm martial artist of the Straw Hats. 'Gracious' may be debatable, but I can definitely see why they call you 'firm'," Red-Hand disgustingly mentioned.

Red-Hand's eyes traveled all over body while biting and licking his lip, leaving an uncomfortable impression. With his eyes wandering, your skin crawled in disgust, feeling the perversion radiating off the captain and his tribe. Your expression twisted in discomfort and annoyance.

"Shut it, you perverted bastard."

"Perverted? Why such the horrid name?" He smugly asks.

"Don't even get me started. You violated all of those women and children in ways I didn't want to imagine, but then again, you were never human in the first place."

"Never human, eh? Well, I suppose you're right."

Leaning down to the side of your head, you could feel the slight breath leaving his mouth unto your ears, sending shivers down your spine.

"I'm a God," he whispers before pulling away, cackling at your intimidating expression.

"You are quite the hoot, Straw Hat. May I ask you what honor I have been privileged to see you before me?"

"I only came for my crew's pride. Our symbol."

"Oh, this little thing right here?" He mocks, pointing at the piece of cloth.

Spitting on the space in front of him, the rest of his tribe growled in agitation, pissed at the audacity you had to disrespect their "beloved" leader.

"Give it back, you bastard." You hissed.

"You little b*tch," said one of the underlings holding your arms.

He ended up kicking your gut in retaliation from your rude remark with the rest of the men cheering and laughing at the action. Red-Hand lifted his hand to silence them all to which they immediately obliged.

"Now, now, let's not be hasty. Today's supposed to be a day of celebration, remember? Now, we have a special guest from the Straw Hats."

He leans forward to you, literally inches away from your face, giving you no choice but to intake the reeking scent of what you assumed to be alcohol.

"Fortunately for you, my lady, I'm in a very, very generous mood," he softly spoke with ill intent seeping with every word.

Despite your unfazed expression, the fear became a potent effect on your body as your breathing and heart rate increased at an incredibly concerning pace. Leaning back on his seat, he stroked his slight beard as he fell into deep thought.

"I'll make a deal with you, you precious little thing. Since I know how much you love your little crew, I want to test the waters and see how long your loyalty remains," he proposed.

You grumbled followed by a slight scoff as you rolled your eyes in attempt to shield the agonizing fear practically overwhelming your body.

"Try your worst, *sshole."

He hissed in "pain", holding his chest dramatically.

"Ouch, that's not very nice, is it? I was trying to be nice, but I guess not everyone accepts kindness when given."

Red-Hand snapped his fingers to one of his underlings. There, they approached the leader.

"Gunther, light up the sh*tty flag," he commands.

Responding with a nod, Gunther grabbed one of the candlesticks from their lanterns before making his way to the Jolly Roger.

In a panic, you attempted to pounce on Gunther, only to be forcibly held back by the two men holding your arms. You began to struggle and squirm in their grip as the desperation of preventing harm being inflicted on the flag increased with every step the underling made toward the cloth.

"W-Wait, no! Please, don't! I'll do it! I'll take the deal! Just please don't do this!" You cried out, entertaining the tribe around you.

Teasingly, Gunther would bring the small flame near the cloth, earning sobbing yelps and exclaims, begging Red-Hand to stop. The frustration and anger within you poured out of your eyes as tears streamed down your chubby cheeks. The veins in your forehead and neck bulged and pulsed violently from the constant screaming and begging.

You aggressively struggled against the strong grips on your arms as you attempted to stand, but to no avail. In fact, the two men stood painfully on your calves to still your movements. All the men surrounding you roared into fits of laughter, finding your current state amusing.

"Aww, look at her plea so pitifully. So cute."

"I didn't know the Straw Hats had such a useless crewmember. Good thing she's plump in the right places."

"I would definitely hit that just to see her writhe and cry in pain."

The vulgar side comments continued to spew from their disgusting, yellow mouths as your pleas and cries continued in such high volume, in hopes Red-Hand would be merciful just for once, though the possibility is less than 5%.

"Please! I'll do what you want! Just leave it alone!" You pathetically begged with puffy eyes.

Thankfully, the captain stopped Gunther, raising his hand once more to silence his group, to which they obeyed.

He chugs down the rest of beverage before wiping his lips with the back of his palm. Making eye contact with you, he releases his share of chuckles in the silent room before returning to your gaze.

"Good girl. You're a little feisty, but I like a little spice in my women. Now, if you're able to hold your end of the deal, I'll grant you a wish of your choice. However, it can't include killing me, my tribe, or anything of the sort," he negotiates.

In between sniffles and hiccups, you nodded obediently.

"I understand. J-Just tell me what you want," you surrendered.

"You have two options. You can either help me turn in your crew to the Navy and I guarantee your safety or allow my men to have their way with you until they're satisfied for tonight. And I mean, all of my men. You manage to do either, I'll grant you a wish."

He lifts your chin with your faces, centimeters apart.

"What will it be? Betrayal or sacrifice?" He softly spoke.

The captain smiled with poisonous intent while his underlings had similar expressions, but you had already knew your decision.

"Not like you could defeat the future Pirate King and his crew," you spat with no hesitation.

"Oh, how shocking," the malicious captain smugly stated.

"I'll do whatever the hell you bastards want for tonight, but here's my wish," you interrupted.

"And what is that?"

You look at the treasure sitting beside the group of thieves that plundered your ship and the Jolly Roger hanging behind the captain before directing your attention to the male in front of you with such determination.

"Give me back all of our treasure and the Jolly Roger once we're finished here. And if you go back on your word, I'll finish you off here myself," you hissed.

Another smirk appeared on the captain's face before nodding at the two underlings beside you, mentally messaging them to release you.

"Very well, Miss Y/N. Boys, have at it," he commanded.

Without a second to spare, the tribe tackled you the floor so aggressively, one of your shoulders became dislocated, earning a shriek of pain. They began to tear off your clothes while doing just the same whereas other mainly began to beat you, attacking you with whatever they pleased. Whether it be their own limbs or a piece of wood randomly found on the ground, these men went ballistic while their leader watched in entertainment.

Letting a few stay tears fall, you began to pray for your survival at the end of this hell.

Time Skip

At the Thousand Sunny

The crew began to tidy up the ship before preparing for their slumber. Tonight had such a beautiful view of the stars, so everyone decided to sleep outside.

The crew set out their mats, blankets and pillows before releasing any last ounces of energy. Well, more specifically the captain, the sniper and the doctor.

"Okay, I think we have everything, right?" The navigator thought aloud.

She began to scan the premises before realizing there were only 9 mats set out. Confused, she took a mental role call of the crew until realization hit.

"Oh crap. Forgot about Y/N. Y/N!" She shouted to the top post, used for patrol.

No answer.

"Y/N! Come down and sleep with us!" Nami called out.

No answer.

The ginger tilts her head in concern.

"Hey, it's okay. She's probably already sleeping. I mean, the Marines can be quite the handful. Sanji-kun!" Nami yelled out.

"Is she alright?" Chopper asks. "She didn't even eat dinner," he pouts sadly.

"Yes, Nami-swaan!" The blonde proclaimed with heart eyes.

"Go and get Y/N, please. Bring her down to sleep with us since she skipped dinner."

"Of course, mademoiselle!"

Immediately, the male climbs to the top pier.

"Y/N-san, time to g--"

The male's eyes grew in size seeing the emptiness of the post. There, he saw the Jolly Roger is gone as well. His eyes widened in complete shock before he frantically ran down to the deck.

"Y/N-san isn't there and the Jolly Roger's gone!" He announced.

Everyone froze in confusion, the lively atmosphere turning into suspense.

"W-What?" Nami exclaimed.

"Y/N! Where'd you go?!" Luffy calls out.

The entire crew split in search of you all over the ship, calling out your name constantly. Everyone ran up and down the deck, going through the aquarium to the kitchen, even all their personal rooms. Despite the thorough search, not one trace of you was left.

Chopper morphed into a more realistic reindeer form before inhaling the air around him. The scent finally being processed in his brain had his heart drop to his stomach.

"I have her scent! But...." he turned to the others.

"...she wasn't alone," he clarified, horror potent in his eyes.

"Don't worry, okay? She's a strong fighter. She'll be fine. We'll just go out to see if she needs help, alright? Let's go," the navigator attempted to optimistically state.

Contagiously, the rest of crew halted in complete terror except the Monster Trio who seemed irritated beyond belief.

Nami nervously chuckled.

The nerves were very noticeable from the wavering and shakiness in her voice, yet they disregarded it before leaving the ship in search of you.

"Zoro! Stay with Sanji and me! Luffy! Stay with Nami and Chopper! Franky, Robin, and Brook! You guys go together! Got it?!" Usopp reiterated, earning grunts and nods in understanding.

The designated groups split up, but not too far to stray away from each other. They're all a yell away. There, they began to call out for you.

"Y/N! Where are you?!" Usopp calls out.

"Y/N! Did you find any new meat?!" The captain shouted, gaining a lump from the ginger.

"Idiot!"

"I'm picking up her scent! This way!" Chopper facilitated.

He ran off following your scent with the navigator and the captain following him in pursuit, praying you'd be alright.

Back at Red-Hand's Hideout

Strips and strands of cloth barely covered your heavily wounded and bruised body as you were thrown out of the hideout by a few underlings. Laughing at your condition, they threw the treasure and the Jolly Roger beside your barely conscious body. Fixing the hem of their pants, they soaked in the sight of your battered figure.

"Man, lady. I've f*cked many virgins, but dang, you had to be the best so far. Good luck out there, b*tch. Hopefully, you can find a way to walk," one of them cackled.

"Tell the Straw Hats 'Thanks for the gift'. You were pretty fun, honey girl."

The others were engulfed in laughter as one of the others landed one last kicked on your already swollen face before returning back to their hideout with laughs echoing vividly into your ears. You were left alone, basically nude in the middle of a dark forest, your life hanging by a thread.

Your hair was brutally bald as they would carelessly grip your scalp, yanking large chunks of hair, causing bleeding from your head. The remaining hair had been poorly cut from the daggers in their hands, leaving you with 3 inches of length max.

Your forehead contained multiple lumps, varying in size while your nose bled from the bone being broken by the constant face slamming in the walls and tables. In fact, in their hideout, the walls and tables are decorated in your own blood.

Literally being kicked around during their sessions, your teeth, thankfully only your back teeth, were missing, leaving bloody gums and your cheeks are swollen and bruised.

Moving down, your neck area to shoulders and collarbone consisted of a horrific amount of bite marks, hickeys, fingerprints and even wounds. Red dripped from the animalistic markings as black and blue pulsed from the harsh prints on your flesh.

Your breasts consisted of similar markings of mainly hickeys and bite marks, however, deep cuts pierced the sides of the flesh near the broken ribs from the constant beatings.

Large areas on your sides, even your stomach, varied from purple, yellow, blue and black as your back had lashes from being flogged and derogatory terms carved by a blade. It pulsed in excruciating pain, yet you were too numb and exhausted to scream out.

Both of your legs had been decorated with deep wounds, fingerprints, dark lesions and even burns. Numerous limbs on your body had been burned by the small flames from the candles or the heated blades, varying in size as well. Your left knee had been dislocated while your right leg is broken with a sprained ankle.

Most agonizingly, your private areas burned bitterly as red seeped out in a consistent flow from both areas. The assault the numerous men had on both areas led to both areas being swollen and slightly ripped, making any slight movement tragic and dreadful.

As much as screaming had been a help of relieving the pain, your voice became shot, giving you no other choice than to whisper.

'No, I have to get this back to the others. I need to,' you internally monologue as you pitifully stretch your wounded arm to the treasure and Jolly Roger.

Time passed so slowly as you could feel your body begin to surrender to the darkness engulfing your vision.

Frustration built in the pit of your stomach as you struggled to even move an inch. Sadly, you could only grab a handful of the cloth before your body surrendered to exhaustion, dropping your arm onto the firm forest surface.

Still conscious, you shut your eyes as you slowly fell into a deep abyss. An abyss you weren't sure you would be able to leave.

'I'm sorry, everyone. I couldn't even return the Jolly Roger, much less give you all a proper goodbye. Please forgive me.'

Your body felt heavier with every passing second and your heart beat began to slow in pace. Your body temperature dropped significantly with the cold breeze of the night worsening the situation.

"There! I found her!" A familiar high-pitched voice yelled out.

Though your eyes were closed, the voice perked your ears.

"Y/N!" Nami says. "I'm glad you're o--"

The ginger froze in compete terror as her eyes laid upon the gory scene before her. Her organs churned sickly, her knees buckled causing her to collapse near your body, and she shakily crawls to lay on your bare chest. Tears left her eyes in great amounts while sobbing and shrieking in fury. There, the most agonizing scream left her throat with inhumane volume.

The blood curdling scream gained the attention of the separated members. Hearts dropped hearing Nami's shriek, motoring their legs to find her location.

"No, no, no. Y/N! What happened to you?! Help! Please!" The woman pleas. She connects your foreheads in desperation to feel your warmth, only feel a figure of icy skin. Droplets fell on your swollen, bruised checks as her tears became uncontrollable.

"Please, wake up for me, Y/N. You're not leaving us! You can't, you just can't," she conversed to your unresponsive body while Chopper snuggles into your neck, allowing his own waterfalls of tears to fall.

More footsteps began to become more audible as a medley of gasps followed after.

With your eyes shut, you were unable to see the absolute terror on everyone's face or the tears threatening to leave their eyes when witnessing your condition.

"Y-Y/N?" The captain almost whispered, shaking at the horrid sight.

Your figure laying there compete naked with useless strands of torn fabric laying your body in an attempt to "cover" you. Almost lifeless, a variant amount of bruises, suspicious markings and prints, burns and a few stab wounds decorated your plump body, yet the puddle of pure blood that flowed from your body ignited a trigger inside them all you never knew existed.

Nami and Chopper look at their crew with their swollen eyes, seeing the crew's dilating pupils from the sight before them.

"L-Luffy," Nami almost whispers. "Please, help her."

Immediately, Usopp ran to your side.

"Y/N! H-Hey, wake up! What happened to you?!" The sniper questioned in a hectic manner.

Placing his head on your bare chest, listening to the pumping organ near the area, while gently touching certain parts of your wounded and beaten body, Chopper choked on his tears.

"S-She's alive! B-But, she's badly beaten. W-We need to t-take her to the s-ship," the doctor hiccups in between sobs.

You then felt someone lift you into their lap and your once exposed body felt warmer from a cloak. Usopp's cloak to be precise and, therefore, it helped you regain consciousness. The writhing in your slumber encouraged the entourage surrounding you as you then weakly opened your swollen, black-eyes, seeing Nami holding your head in her lap.

"N-Nami?" You whispered out.

Her tears finally spilling, she chuckles and smiles so sadly.

"Y/N. You're alive. Thank goodness," she chuckled.

"W-What happened?" You asked.

"We should be asking you that. Who did this to you?"

The long nose gently held the navigator's forearm.

"Nami, easy. She's just woke u--" he tried to state.

"Thank goodness. Y-You guys are here," you whispered with a slight smile, although it caused excruciating pain on your cheeks and gums.

Weakly, you pointed to the treasure and Jolly Roger thrown beside you, directing everyone's attention. Robin and Sanji approached the objects, closely analyzing them. The raven-head squatted near the golden valuables, hovering her hand over the objects before looking at everyone else.

"This is Nami's treasure," Robin concluded.

Sanji bent down, picking up the cloth.

"The Jolly Roger?" He questioned aloud.

Everyone redirected their eyes to you, confused as to why the ship's most valuable items were by your beaten body. Losing breath due to the strain of the many wounds inflicted on your body, you mustered as much strength as you could to voice out an explanation.

"R-Red-Hand. H-He's here," you whispered with enough volume for everyone to hear.

The crew froze, puzzled, except for one.

"Red-Hand?" The captain asked.

"Who's that?"

"Red-Hand, Captain of the Kayakala Tribe. One of the most heinous criminals in the world," Robin stated, gaining the eyes of her fellow crewmates.

"He's known for his swift robberies and his victims vary from normal civilians to government officials. He's usually never caught, but if he catches any witnesses to his crimes, he kills them instantly. But, women and children are a different story," the archeologist explained.

"W-What would happen to them?" Usopp asked, gulping down the large lump in his throat.

A snarl appeared on the archeologist's face, hesitant of the next words about to be spoken.

"Rape and torture. It'd occur until he's satisfied. It's said if he isn't in the mood, he'd allow his tribe to have their way with them and it's rumored to be worse compared to if Red-Hand dealt with them. Rarely are there any survivors."

The raven-haired female's usual soft ocean gaze hardened in anger as tears of fury began to poor. Everyone else's expressions shared similarities. The ginger stroke your almost bald hair, caressing your bruised, swollen face.

"What did he do to you?" She sobs.

Gently holding her wrist, you tried your hardest to contain a smile, in attempt to comfort your crew, not realizing it only brought more heartache.

"I was careless, N-Nami. I f-fell asleep during my patrol and c-caught them stealing the Jolly Roger and your t-treasure. I-I couldn't j-just let them go, y-you know?"

A cough erupted from your chest, leaving droplets of red decorating your lips and teeth.

They froze in shame as their eyes widened hearing such words.

"I f-followed them to their hideout and f-found Red-Hand. He s-said he would r-return to the ship and p-plunder it, so I ran back to warn y-you, b-but I--"

Your eyes burned along with your strained voice as you attempted to keep your emotions calm and collected.

"I-I didn't want to i-interrupt your dinner d-discussion," you barely voiced.

"D-Did you...?" Nami asked, implying to the "secret" conversation on the Sunny.

You nodded with a struggling smile.

Their heads shot up. Usopp began to stutter and ramble out pleas and begs in such a loud volume, tears already streaming down his face.

"Every word. B-But, don't worry. I-I had been thinking about resigning from t-the Straw Hats."

"W-What?! Why?! You can't leave us! You promised! Didn't you?! You promised you'd be there when we got to the All Blue! You promised to be there when Luffy becomes the King of the Pir--"

"U-Usopp," you whispered.

His sobs continued, disallowing his words to go any further.

"I promised to help you all a-achieve your dreams, I didn't necessarily n-need to be t-there to see it h-happen," you whispered.

The invincible Straw Hats, feared and admired internationally, have now been demoted to emotional wrecks, unable to contain the emotions conjuring within themselves. Nami sobbed as she continued to caress your head.

"Stop it, Y/N! Don't say such things!" The female exclaimed.

"N-No, Nami. Y-You all were right. B-But, I-I had to steal the Jolly Roger back f-for you all. It was the o-only thing I could do to t-thank you all for the part few years," you chuckle, resulting into more blood spewing from your lips.

"I-I went back to the hideout, b-but I was caught and h-he made a d-deal with me. I-It was to either b-betray y-you or a-allow his entire tribe to-- Ugh, t-to have their way w-with me until they were s-satisfied."

"Y-Y/N," the reindeer ran to your side.

The poor doctor began to sob loudly into your chest as you stroked his back, making it difficult for everyone else witnessing this scene to contain their personal feelings.

"I-It's alright. I-In return, I-I told him to r-return the Jolly Roger. A-And Nami's t-treasure, of course. Nami would've killed m-me if I didn't. Right, Nami?"

Her bawling increased in volume and harshness, shaking her head in denial.

It's twist after twist with every word you attempted to speak out.

No longer able to tolerate this aching situation, the blonde immediately carried you bridal style before running off back to ship.

"Wha-- S-Sanji! W-What are you doing?!" The long nose called out.

Ignoring him, Sanji continued to sprint away from the others.

"S-Sanji," you weakly mumbled.

"Hush! We got to get you back to Sunny for treatment, understood?!" He slightly scolded, disregarding the cracks and shakiness in his voice.

Leaning your head against his chest, your hand resting alongside it, you hummed in tranquility, finding comfort in his touch.

"I never t-thought I'd e-ever be carried in such a w-way, let alone by y-you," you softly shared.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, his eyes burned, urging liquid to pour, yet he managed to resist as his pace began to waver.

"W-What are you talking about? You're lighter than a feather," he denied while going at a rapid pace.

A scoff left your lips.

"Yeah, right. I'm h-heavier than all of you combined. B-But then again, I can't help it. Especially s-since we h-have the b-best cook on b-board to f-feed us."

There, the male halted as he allowed a few droplets to escape his eyes. He dropped unto his knees, however, you remained tightly held in his arms. His head hid in the crook in your neck, his silent cries gaining volume.

"Y/N-san, I-I...I'm so sorry," he hiccups through his tears.

You laid your hand behind his head, soothingly scrubbing his scalp which led to him leaving the crook of your neck, caressing your face.

"S-Sanji, I don't h-hate you for what you did. In fact, I-I've already f-forgiven you. I w-was just r-really hurt, y-you know? A-And I don't want to be a h-hassle in y-your lives."

"Y/N-san, please. Don't say such things. Don't leave us. I'll do anything. I'll serve your favorites for an entire year. I'll be your personal servant for life. I'll do your bidding. Just p-please," he stuttered.

He conjoined your foreheads with his gentle palm still on your purple cheek.

"Don't leave us."

Suddenly, he joined his lips with yours, intoxicating your metallic mouth of blood with a hint of tobacco and mint. As gentle and slow as he was, the desperation and yearning in the action had become potent from the passionate movement of his lips to the soft touches of his hands clutching onto Usopp's cloak covering your body. Almost in a trance, he kept up the intense contact for a few moments before finally departing, staring back into your swollen eyes.

"Don't leave me," the blonde whispered.

Barely any strength remained in your body, yet you strained your arms to cup his damp cheeks to reconnect your lips once more. Your ambitious move created more fat tears to wet his fair skin as you felt relief and relaxation for the first time the entire night.

"I-I've always w-wanted to do that," your fatigued voice spoke out.

"Y-You can always do it, i-if you stay with us, yeah? I'll smother you w-with all the kisses I c-can muster, if it keeps you w-with me. Please, Y/N. I'm begging you. D-Don't do this. I take it all back. S-Stay. If not for me, at least for the crew," he begged.

You smile before leaning into his chest.

"Sanji, i-it was always for you," you whisper.

His breath hitched at your words until your body became limp in his arms, causing his heart to jump out of his chest. Looking down back to your beaten face, his heart broke seeing the calm content radiating from your lax and smiling expression as he realized your breathing slowed in pace with your eyes closed.

"H-Hey! Y/N! Hey! Wake up! This isn't funny!" He sadly chuckles.

"Sanji!" The same adorable voice called out.

"Don't you dare go limp on me! Come on, wake up! Open your beautiful eyes for me. For me, lovely," he barely voiced as his volume decreased with every word due to constant tears falling from his mesmerizing eyes.

The male stayed in his current position as he cried out to the reindeer who was followed by the rest of the crew.

"Chopper, help her! S-She's not breathing!" Sanji cried.

"Y/N," Usopp whispered to himself.

"Chopper," the captain coldly said.

Chopper looked back at the captain in a panic, seeing Luffy's hat hide his eyes and his usual bright smile gone.

"Take Y/N back to the ship for treatment. Nami, Usopp, go and help Chopper if he needs anything," the Straw Hat ordered.

The three grunted in agreement, moving quickly. After the blonde laid one last kiss on your forehead, he loosened his grip on your figure as Chopper transformed into his monstrous form, carefully removing your body from the cook's hold.

"Don't worry, Sanji. I'll do my best," the reindeer reassured.

"I trust you, Chopper," Sanji responds.

Nodding in understanding, Chopper, Usopp, and Nami began to sprint back to the Sunny, desperate to get you treated. Finally on his feet, the blonde lit a cigarette, turning to the rest of the remaining crew. His once emotional expression hardened into complete rage, similarly to the rest of the others whose eyes have darkened.

"Sanji," Luffy maliciously spoke.

He peeked one eye to look at the male.

"What would like to do?" The captain asked, the rest of the Straw Hats ready to obey the next orders the cook may have.

Sanji blew out a cloud of smoke as the veins in his forehead and neck, pulsing violently.

"If what Robin-chan said is true, do as you please," he starts.

He glares into the night with his cigarette in hand.

"....but make sure they aren't able to ever violate a woman or child again."

They all nodded their heads as they made their way to the hideout. Busting through the wooden tile, Luffy led the members through the tunnel, his gaze remaining hidden behind his hat.

Oh, poor Red-Hand does not know the type of hell coming his way.

On the Thousand Sunny

"Is she done with the bathing yet?" Usopp asked from outside the bathroom door.

"Almost," Chopper called out with the help of Nami.

Eventually, the blood and dirt decorating your body had been washed away, magnifying the deep color and size of your wounds and bruises. Though they came to be smaller than expected once the blood and dirt was washed away, considering the amount of marks littered all over your body still leaves a great amount of concern.

The two wrapped your body in a towel before Chopper transformed back into his monstrous form to carry you to his infirmary. In attempt to match his pace, Nami and Usopp ran after the doctor, following him into the room, ready for any further orders from the reindeer.

"Chopper, what now?" Usopp asked.

Chopper laid your body gently unto the bed, preparing you for your treatment.

"Nami, I need the blue container in that cabinet above my desk. It has the necessary ointments, medicines, and materials for stab and burn wounds. Usopp, I need my utensil kit along with that black container. It has the cotton pads, casts, and bandages inside."

"Got it!" The duo responded in sync.

In an instant, they searched for the necessary items in the designated areas, handing them to the doctor. Chopper began to set up the equipment for your operation with the other members waiting in tense positions.

"I need you guys to wait outside until I'm done," the doctor suggested, getting a nod from the two in response.

The navigator and the sniper left the infirmary, quietly closing the door behind, allowing the doctor to focus with utmost concentration.

With gloves and a surgical mask worn, the doctor began to clean out your injuries and cuts with the alcohol before starting any of the serious procedures. He even discarded the infected tissue of skin that was burnt and smothered soothing medicinal lotion. Once all your wounded areas were cleaned, he started stitching the deep stab wounds with such concentration and precision. Thankfully, not many of the stab injuries were deep.

Moving his eyes along your body, he noticed a sight tear in your lower area, twisting his heart in fear and hurt.

"What have they done to you?" The reindeer quietly asked.

He began to stitch your area after cleaning the tear. Of course, the tender-hearted doctor had to shed a few tears of his own seeing his beloved friend in such a state.

"Please, Luffy, everyone, give those bastards hell to pay," he mutters through his cries.

Going down to your legs, analyzing your left leg, he popped your dislocated knee back in and placed a brace to keep the bone in place. Then, moving to your right leg, he applied a large cast on the entirety on your right limb to treat the broken bones.

With a few more ointment applications, wraps and bandages, Chopper wrapped up his equipment as the operation has finally been brought to an end. He placed you in a hospital gown that he placed in the emergency kit for coverage.

"Guys, you can come in," he called out.

Usopp and Nami returned into the infirmary, first looking at your refreshed body, dressed in a hospital gown, freshly wrapped, and your skin beginning to pale from the lack of body warmth in your body.

"How is she, Chopper?" Nami wondered, softly.

"She's stable, but she's been roughed up pretty bad. There are a few areas I need to treat on her scalp, but that means I have to shave off her hair. I don't want t--"

"Do it."

The three jumped at the weak voice. Turning their heads, they see you with your eyes barely open as you struggled to speak.

"Y-Y/N! W-Wait, don't strain yourself!" Usopp warned.

"Chopper, thank you for caring about me, but it's just hair. It'll grow back. Do what you have to, doc," you warmly consented.

His cute whimpers and cries began to intensify. Covering his weeping eyes with his arm, you pitifully reached your hand out to pat the top of his hat.

"U-Usopp," the doctor stuttered through sobs.

"T-The blade, p-please."

Hesitantly, the long nose goes out the door and takes a sharp edged blade from the weaponry before placing it in the animal's hoof. Carefully, Chopper guided the blade, shaving off every bit of remaining hair off your head. You flinched and winced every once in a while, but it was mainly painless.

With only skin showing on your head, the three trembled at the sight of the lesions decorating your scalp. Immediately did he start disinfecting the wounds and patching them up after ointment applications.

"T-There," Chopper sniffles.

"A-All done."

"Thank you, Chopper. For taking care of me," you thank.

"Please don't leave us, Y/N. Stay," the poor creature sobbed with his microscopic arms laying on your torso.

With a sad smile, you hold his small hooves in your comparably large hand.

"Don't worry. I just need time to think about things. Alright? I'm not going anywhere."

"You p-promise?"

"I promise, Chopper," you softly answer.

Gently, the doctor throws himself into your arms, afraid of letting you go. You automatically began to comfort him, allowing his tears to dampen your gown.

The duo abiding on the side felt their eyes burning, urging water to escape their eyes as well, but they managed with a bright grin on their faces.

"Y-You're not mad a-at us? You're staying?!" The sniper optimistically exclaimed.

"Honestly, I was never mad. Mainly hurt. I believed I was unwanted in my own family, but then again," you chuckle. "Family always makes fun of each other."

Nami and Usopp's smiles dropped in guilt, remembering their recent conversation with the others.

"Don't worry. It was mainly Zoro's and Sanji's words that hurt, but I think I was a bit overdramatic about it. I just wasn't prepared to hear something like that, you know?"

"Y/N, don't thi--" Nami attempted to comfort.

"Let me finish. After a while of analysis, I came to realize that they were right. I need to be stronger as a Strategist."

Your bright smile began to waver as you pet Chopper's fluffy fur.

"I have made far too many mistakes and I haven't been taking the time actually sharpen my expertise. Those two were only looking out for me. They had high expectations and I didn't reach it, let alone even try to. They truly believed I'm capable of more, but I've been procrastinating."

A smile gradually built into your face as your eyes curved into crescents, turning to the others.

"Besides, it's quite foolish to leave my family because I didn't like what I heard, don't you think? I've heard worse, believe me. I love you guys too much too leave,"

"Y/N," the duo called out in tears.

They all engulfed you in the tightest hug you'd ever received from them.

"Thank goodness! You're staying!" Nami cries out.

The long nose weeps alongside with her until he felt a slight push on his gut. Moving away from you for a minute, the reindeer gasped a great breath, implying he must've been squashed underneath the male.

"Oh, sorry, Chopper," Usopp apologized.

Despite the grumbles of agitation from the reindeer, you rubbed his back in comfort, leading to a sulking reindeer snuggling into your chest. Giggles left your lips as you realized, this is where you belong.

At Red-Hand's Hideout

"You son of a b*tch!"

Red-Hand was sent flying by the blonde's monstrous kicks.

The captain along with the other Straw Hats sat idly on the side, allowing Sanji to release the fury stirring within him. Unconscious bodies and corpses of the underlings decorated the hideout floors as they all grab had a large gauze of blood oozing from their pelvic area and a multitude of manhoods or pieces of them laying alongside the bodies. Other than the tribe members, nothing but red painted the floor and walls while bits of it splattered along their clothes and skin--none of it being their's, of course.

Red-Hand coughed up a river of blood until Sanji stepped his foot on the criminal's chest in a threatening manner.

"No man should live if he were to violate a women, but if he does it to children and women, especially to my Y/N, he deserves the most painful and slowest death inflicted on any man," the blonde threatened, eyes narrowed in pure anger and vengeance.

Red-Hand chuckles in amusement.

"Well, at least I got to hear that b*tch's cries for help before I went. Oh, it was so heavenly. Her sobbing and screaming for you guys to save her," the male stated with a smirk.

Before the cook could crush his ribs under his foot, a sheath of a blade could be heard following by an agonizing screech from Red-Hand. His eye had been stabbed by one of Zoro's sword, but not deep enough to kill him. The blonde looked behind him to the swordsman.

"Oi, Marim--"

"Talk about her like that again and I'll make sure you squeal louder and worse than she ever did," he menacingly warned, shadows covering his narrowed pupils.

A chill ran down the spine of everyone, including Sanji. Zoro being personal is a rare occasion, so witnessing the malice seeping from his words froze the stances of his fellow mates, even the captain.

"Zoro," Luffy calls out with his eyes behind his hat.

Zoro looks at the captain as Luffy raises his head to glare at the male who violated his nakama in the most vile way possible.

"Give it to Sanji. That's an order."

Though the blonde was confused, Zoro understood his vague order and looked at the cook in a serious manner.

"Eyebrows, take it out of his eyes. I'm giving you my sword for 1 minute. Do what you like to the bastard before I do."

Refocusing himself to the screaming male before him, Sanji removed the blade, seeing a geyser of red gush out his eye used to be. He bent down, eye-level to Red-Hand, taking one of the latter's hands, spreading each of his fingers apart.

"W-What you doing?" The male asked.

Remaining silent, Sanji began to slice off his finger nails, gaining a shriek of pain with every nail. Ignorant of every beg and plea for mercy, he began to slice his fingers and continued his detachments of limbs until satisfied. He honestly could've cared less about the blood stains on his clothes. In fact, he found it satisfying feeling the sensation of sick bastards bleeding and screaming because of him.

"Rot in hell, *sshole."

Time Skip

Back to the Thousand Sunny

The gang finally returned to the ship, exhausted and bloody and though concerned and surprised at the outcome, the three Straw Hats in charge of your health checks welcomed the other members warmly, content that the disgusting tribe and their horrible leader had been dealt with--thoroughly. Expectedly, there were no traces of personal injuries or wounds on their bodies, hinting to the weakling trio that it was not their blood on the clothing. Refreshed and cleaned, the crew hung outside on the deck of the ship, silence filling the area.

"Chopper," Luffy called out.

"How is she?"

"She's fine. She gained consciousness shortly after the operation and seemed well."

"Conscious?" The blonde asked, nearly jumping out of his sitting position.

"She's resting now, as she should be. With a few medications, renewed patches, and rest, she'll make a speedy recovery," the doctor informed.

The flips of everyone's hearts in relief definitely helped ease the tension of the entire situation.

"That's good," the captain added with his bright smile and a couple of giggles.

The rest smiled in content, thankful that you're alive and well.

"I'm assuming you took care of Red-Hand and his tribe," Usopp assumed.

Nodding, the green head sat on the grassy deck, leaning against the post with his hands at the back of his head.

"Cut off their d*cks like Eyebrows wanted and did worse to the dumbass who led 'em," Zoro casually stated, having the weakling trio freeze in slight horror.

"Huh?! You what?!" The three yelped in unison.

With the weakling trio frozen in shock and the others sitting and standing casually as if the recent mission was nothing, but a walk in the park, a pair of heavy footsteps was heard from the second floor of the deck.

"That was a little excessive, don't you think?" A voice stated.

Looking towards the direction of the voice, there you stood, heavily bandaged from head to toe in the hospital gown Chopper dressed you in. Temporarily did their hearts ache seeing you in such condition, especially seeing their head is now completely bare. You leaned against your crutch as you struggled to move due to both your legs being severely injured.

"Lovel-- U-Uh, Y/N-san!" Sanji exclaimed.

Running up the steps, Chopper approached you, about to scold you to rest, but you weakly turned to him with a delicate smile, causing to halt in place in front of you.

"Chopper, help me walk, please. I want to talk to everyone," you softly requested.

Hesitant, the doctor nodded before pushing against your left hip to support your imbalanced figure while holding your left hand, indicating you to lean against the railing of the staircase. Slowly but surely did you make your way down to the deck.

"Y-Y/N, you should be resting! Go back to b--" Usopp scolded before his words were brought to halt by a raise of your hand.

While descending from the second floor using the stairs, your body would tend to wobble and tremble horribly with every descending step, but you were quickly assisted by another figure--the blonde. Shocked, you met his eyes with yours, seeing the hesitation in his movements, unsure if you'd consent to his assistance.

Reassuringly, you softened into a smile, dusting his cheeks bright pink.

Taking your hand with his and using his free hand to support your back, Sanji helped Chopper guide and support you to the deck before delicately placing you onto the bench attached to the port. The reindeer sat and remained beside you as the others kept silent and jaw-slacked.

"Y-Y/N! Your hair!" The captain acknowledged.

Without warning, the captain began to sob and run to you.

"I know. Chopper had to shave it all off in order to treat the wounds on my scalp," you explained. "Don't worry about it though. It's just hair. It'll grow back."

"Y/N! I thought you wer-- Ah!" Luffy yelped.

A sly trip to his ankle resulted into Luffy falling face flat into the green surface of the deck.

"Oi, she's wounded. You can't be rough with her, moron," Zoro interfered.

Face still planted into the ground, the captain rose a thumbs up.

"My bad," he apologized, muffled into the floor.

You couldn't help the small giggle that escaped your lips.

"It's fine. I just wanted to talk with you all," you reassured.

Curious, everybody stood up right, tense and anxious of the potential outcome whereas Chopper, Nami and Usopp knew the possible statements you were about to voice.

"First, I wanted to apologize for what happened. I was careless and this whole mess could have been prevented if I had done what I was supposed to. Even at the end of it, you guys were the ones that had to clean up my mess and I am so sorry, you guys," you share, tears becoming present on your face.

As difficult as it was, you took a deep breath to control your emotions as best you can before you continued your speech. Gratefully, your hand was caressed by the doctor's small hooves as he looked up in empathy.

"Second, I wanted to thank you all for what you did tonight. Again, although it was my mess, I shouldn't have brought you guys into it and allowed you all to clean up after me. You guys were right. I need to get stronger and I promise I'll work on it right awa--"

"No."

Baffled, the crew turned to the moss head who answered in such a manner. Still leaned against the post without a care in the world, he turns to you.

"I don't accept your apology," he nonchalantly claimed.

"Oi! Marimo! How dare you say su--" Sanji started.

"Shut up!"

Silencing the blonde, the rest of the Straw Hats jumped at Zoro's aggressive manner. Standing up, the swordsman approached your sitting figure, towering over you with a gaze as intense and fierce as his blades, leaving you slightly trembling. Unexpectedly, the man kneeled before you, this time being the one towered over.

"You shouldn't be apologizing over something that wasn't your fault. Everyone makes mistakes, but it doesn't lower your value. And don't pay no mind to what Eyebrows and I said earlier."

Tilting his head, the captain curiously turned to the archeologist.

"Robin. What is Zoro talking about?" Luffy asked.

"At dinner, Swordsman and Cook stated how Y/N's lack of strength was a sign of procrastination and could potentially leave her behind," Robin reiterates.

His eyes widened at the raven-haired female's response, redirecting his attention to the one-sided conversation between you and the swordsman.

"Regardless of your strength level, you're still part of this crew. You understand? We're in the future Pirate King's crew. What kind of crew would we be if we didn't look after one another?" Zoro said.

He lowers head into a bow.

"We'll help you become stronger. We're a team and we don't leave each other behind. But, only if you choose to let us. It's my fault for acting high mighty and being inconsiderate. Forgive me, Y/N."

Without a single word in, Sanji kneeled beside him, his head hung low similarly to the male in front of you.

"Me, too. Y/N-san, it was our fault you considered leaving, so please forgive us for making you think such things. Please don't leave us because of our recklessness," the blonde begs.

Their words surprised you as you weren't expecting this type of reaction. Zoro's tendency of remaining conservative had you believe he wouldn't apologize publicly, let alone kneeling in front of the entire crew.

Usually, if a member left the crew at their own will, he'd allow their leave since he wouldn't want to coerce their duty as a pirate crew member upon them, especially since Luffy aspires to be the next Pirate King. Yet, it boggled you to see him beg you to remain in the crew.

Sanji, on the other hand, tends be a prideful man. Similarly to Zoro, it was a shock seeing him publicly apologize to you, let alone kneeling before you. However, you knew Sanji is a man of manners and he will own up to his mistakes, even if it meant his own humiliation.

With a soft smile, you gently laid your hands upon their heads.

"I forgive you. Just please, talk to me if anything is the matter or if I need improvement on anything," you graciously replied.

Tense from the neck down, the two men relaxed under your touch as your words brought ease into their anxious hearts. Giggles and grunts of approval radiated from the group behind the males, gleeful at the scene before them, you along with them. Out of your sight, the swordsman and the cook before you simultaneously grinned along their beloved crew.

Purely ecstatic, Sanji delicately lifted you in his arms, spinning you around, still considerate of your injuries. With no thoughts in his mind, he gave you the most passionate kiss he could provide out of the rush in his system. Red painted your cheeks deeply as the ginger witnessing on the side smirked unlike the shocked expressions of the sniper and doctor.

The kiss now dawning into his head, the smile plastered on the blonde's face dropped out of embarrassment as his face flushed into a darker shade compared to your's. However, his grip around your body unwavered.

"O-Oh, I'm s-- Mmph!" He started before being interrupted by a pull of his collar and your addicting lips.

Though surprised at first, he quickly melted into the touch, sweetly caressing your cheek. The session occurred for a few moments until you pulled away allowing the male to catch his breath.

"That was-- I mean-- You are-- Wow," he stuttered.

Laughing softly, you kiss his cheek.

"You are a bit 'wow' yourself. Although I'm not sure about myself though. You sure you want my bald and chubby mess of a bo--"

This time, he took the initiative to silence your self-destructive words with his lips until he was ready to pull away. Pulling away, he gazed into your gorgeous eyes, caressing your cheek once more.

"Of course. I want all of you and only you," he almost whispered.

He pecks your nose before joining both of your foreheads.

"No one else."

~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you enjoyed!

Good night, my loves ❤

[she-who-fights-and-writes]

HOW TO WRITE A FINAL DRAFT

(From Someone Who’s Been Working on the Same Book for Over Ten Years)

Listen, I know what you might be thinking: “why the hell would I want advice on how to work on my final draft from someone who can’t even get her shit together for her own book?”

However, because I’ve had to re-draft my own novel so many times (Primarily due to poor outlining, lack of time and inspiration, and my own insecurities as a writer), I’ve learned a lot over the years on when to know if your book is done (or not!) and how to keep motivated. 

Just a disclaimer that these are my own tips and tricks that you may not agree with, and that everyone’s writing process is different! Don’t feel pressured to do things my way if you feel like it doesn’t work for you as a writer; everyone’s experience varies, and there are always exceptions!

1. Know If You’re Ready to Start a Final Draft

Some vocabulary for writers to know:

Content editing is a form of editing that revises the overall style, substance, and content of a story. Copyediting is a form of editing that revises grammatical, spelling, readability, continuity, and factual errors within a story.

A way I would know if I’m ready to make a final draft is if I am no longer doing major content editing on the book. This means I am no longer making major changes to the plot, characters, setting, and other facets of the book. There isn’t any re-writing of entire scenes, or major plot holes that require an overhauling of the entire book.

You know you’re ready for a Final Draft if your primary concerns are copyediting. 

Of course, with copyediting errors such as continuity, there will inevitably be some re-writing required, but I personally would not want to start a “final draft” at a stage where the book’s major plot points must be constantly changed during the editing process. 

This varies so much, from writer to writer; so my best advice is to start your final draft when you think you’re ready!

2. Consider Getting Some Beta Readers

Again, this is an incredibly complex process; some people like to have beta readers on their earlier drafts, while others like to have beta readers for their later drafts.

A beta reader is someone who reads a work of fiction before it is published in order to mark errors and suggest improvements, typically without receiving payment (although it’s nice to swap stories and beta read for each other!) You can find people willing to be beta readers all over, especially on tumblr!

Having a round of beta readers is a great opportunity to have unbiased eyes on your work, and to have people pointing out plot holes and inconsistencies that maybe you hadn’t noticed! It also gives you a much-needed break from writing your story, and helps you come back to it with fresh eyes once everyone is done.

I personally am waiting to finish my current rewrite before having a round of beta readers, and after they look it over, doing a draft of my own editing before moving on to a final draft.

(Things don’t work out the way you think they will, though—that’s life! Take as long or as little time as you need!)

3. Consider Taking a Break

In my opinion, the best way to start editing a final draft is doing so with fresh eyes. After finishing your second-to-last draft, shelf your project for a few weeks (or maybe a few months!) and move on to another work. Then, you can come back to your story as if you were a new reader, and catch mistakes that you may have missed if you were still in the groove of writing!

This can sometimes be dangerous for writers who struggle with inspiration and getting back into things, though, so do whatever works best for you!

4. Tips to Keep Inspired

How to Overcome Writer’s Block

How to Write Consistently

Writer’s block and lack of inspiration will be your greatest enemies on your final draft! Oftentimes, people lose steam once they see the finish line is ahead. Check out the tips in the above post to help keep you on task!

5. Learn How to Stop Editing: It Will NEVER be Perfect

You are your own worst critic. You will always find something to tweak every single time you comb through your own writing; hell, even published authors sometimes read their own books and think of ways they could’ve improved certain sentences or scenes! Understand that “Final Draft” does not mean “Devoid of Flaws.”

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your book is to know when you need to stop overworking it and send it out to the world. Writers who struggle with liking their writing can find this especially difficult, which is why it can be helpful to have beta readers or a writing buddy who can put their foot down and say: it’s done! You’re ready!

Hope this helped, and happy writing! I believe in you!

[loregoddess]

while writing the sleeping HCs I wrote something about Agnea needing a lot of time to brush out her hair and my brain was like "yeah sure, silly hair care headcanons be upon ye" so here we are (edition: both games!):

Ophilia: Takes very good care of her hair, but doesn't do anything fancy or special, Ophilia's hair just looks really nice if she's consistent with brushing and combing it. Tangles a bit, but not terribly (Lianna's hair tangles something fierce, and Ophilia got really good at brushing it out without causing any pain). Let's one of the nuns or Lianna cut her hair, and is generally fine with one of the other travelers cutting it (Primrose almost always does because she's fascinated by how soft and silky Ophilia's hair is with so little effort).

Cyrus: Despite his best efforts, his hair tangles fairly easily. Brushes and combs it regularly, but doesn't actually worry that much about how it looks (although it always ends up looking very nice, which Cyrus is of course, not aware of). Ties it back to keep it out of his face while reading, but honestly has more loose strands than not. Absolutely attempts to cut his own hair to save himself time, which is why the length is so uneven, and yet it still somehow manages to look nice when he's finished.

Tressa: Has a sort of undercut style where she can tie the longer top layer up underneath her hat and keep it all out of her face at once, but still wanted the option to wear her hair long and loose if she wanted (listen, the official artworks are inconsistent with Tressa's hair, this is the best explanation I have). More interested in selling hair tonics than using them herself, and actually has a fairly simple hair care routine. Hair doesn't tangle easily and is thin enough Tressa can get by with just a comb most days. Prefers to let her parents cut her hair, and will only let Primrose or Ophilia cut it while traveling (doesn't mind letting barbers cut her hair, but only after she's inspected their past work thoroughly).

Olberic: Wavy hair, but keeps it slicked back with a tonic to keep it out of his face (used to keep it shorter when he was younger, and then decided to grow it out on a whim when he realized it wouldn't be too hard to keep out of his face). Hair hardly tangles, but Olberic's pretty regular about combing it so it doesn't have much of a chance to tangle in the first place (all his personal grooming habits come from his knight training). Usually just gets it cut at a barber's, will let the other travelers cut it though.

Primrose: Has the most complex hair care routine, although her hair isn't naturally inclined to tangles. Would prefer to cut her own hair, but allows others to cut it depending on the situation (enjoys taking care of other people's hair though). Brushes and combs it before going to sleep and after waking up despite the fact that her hair rarely tangles while she's asleep. Hair starts to curl in humid environments, and is incredibly thick and strong.

Alfyn: Hair hardly tangles but this isn't obvious because it looks like a mess at any given time (his hair is just wavy/curly). Uses a tonic that sort of acts like a gel so he can get most of the shorter strands up and out of his face. Alfyn's hair is thin enough that it looks smooth and lays flat when he ties it back, but it would look nothing short of a lion's mane if he let it all loose. Aside from the tonic, doesn't really do anything special with his hair. Will ask whoever's around for a trim when he needs one.

Therion: Hair doesn't tangle often which is a miracle considering he doesn't always brush it daily. Not too fussy about his hair, except when he needs to disguise himself, but doesn't neglect it either (in general is very good about his own personal health, he did after all somehow manage to recover from a very steep fall seemingly alone). Therion also cuts his own hair and refuses to let anyone else cut it. Begrudgingly lets some of the other travelers brush it when they ask, but only after traveling together for several months.

H'aanit: Doesn't have a fancy routine but is very careful with brushing, combing, and braiding her hair (it's not practical for hunting, she just likes keeping her hair long). Hair is thick and a bit frizz-prone, and therefore a pain to brush out if it tangles. Linde wants to join when she realizes H'aanit is doing "social cat things (ft: grooming)" and gets brushes when H'aanit finishes with her own hair. Cuts her own hair, but only because Z'aanta failed Once at cutting her hair nicely when she was younger (also cuts Z'aanta's hair).

Ochette: Hair doesn't tangle as easily as one might expect, but Ochette also takes a fair amount of time to brush and comb it as part of her personal grooming routine, which she takes very seriously. Beastling brushes are designed in a way that she can brush both her tail and hair, and she probably brushes Akala as well (Mahina preens her own feathers, but will do so at the same time that Ochette is taking care of her hair). Doesn't mind tying her hair back, but only if it's a bit loose. Cuts her own hair, isn't too fussy about how good it looks, but usually it comes out really nicely. Enjoys helping others with their hair a lot too (used to brush Juvah's mane a lot).

Castti: Prefers to keep her hair tied back out of her face, and will also sleep with it tied back. Absolute mess of tangles if she sleeps with it loose or gets caught by the wind, and it takes her forever to brush it out afterwards. Makes her own hair tonic and tries to keep up with her hair for health purposes (although she sometimes forgets to brush it regularly if she's had a rough load of work). Will usually ask someone else to cut her hair, and Eir's Apothecaries used to take turns cutting each other's hair, but will also just try and hack off the split ends herself is no one is around (hair length is a bit uneven when she does this).

Throne: Incredibly fussy about her hair, and very particular about her hair care routine (it helps calm Throne's nerves, and gave her a bit of personal freedom early in her life). Had to learn to cut her own hair because of the looming threat of internal assassination attempts, and isn't keen on letting other people cut it for her as a result. Throne's hair is about average for how much it does or doesn't tangle, although her hair is naturally very silky so it's easy to remove the tangles.

Osvald: He keeps it long because it's wavy and frizzy enough to be an absolute horror of bushy curls if it's cut too short, and finds it easier to tie back when he's researching. Brushes his hair regularly as a habit to keep up with his personal health, but doesn't really care much about how it looks. Osvald's also bad about getting the split ends cut, and only gets his hair trimmed when someone offers to do it for him (Rita used to take care of trimming his hair). Tangles fairly easily and takes some time to brush out (was the worst after his two-day trip passed out in the ice boat). Very picky about how he keeps his facial hair though.

Partitio: Hair would tangle a bit if he grew it any longer, but Partitio's hair is also thick enough that taking care of it while it's longer is more of a hassle than it's worth. Uses a tonic to slick it back, although his hair's wavy-curly enough to need a fair amount of tonic. Takes good care of his hair, since he knows having a professional appearance is just as important in making a sale as the quality of the products being sold, and was taught all his hair care routines from Roque. Usually just relies on the local barber to cut his hair, and has had varying results from other barbers he's encountered on his travels (after a particularly bad haircut, Throne convinced him to trust her with cutting his hair, which actually worked out due to her precision).

Agnea: Wakes up with the worst bedhead and it takes her a good while to brush it out. In general, her hair is very prone to tangling which is why Agnea keeps it braided most of the time. Surprisingly thin hair, but this isn't obvious unless it's braided because Agnea's hair is very wavy and looks like it has a lot of body to it. Agnea takes good care of her hair though, and travels with a few different tonics to keep it healthy. Pala and Agnea cut each other's hair, typically, although Garud used to cut their hair when they were younger.

Temenos: His hair rarely tangles, and he really just needs a comb to keep it in order. One of the clerics was the designated hair-cutter in the church where he and Roi were raised, but Temenos decided to start cutting his own hair in his early teens and has refused to let anyone touch it since (insists this has nothing to do with the fact that one of the other cleric's had their ear snipped on accident). At first his self-cut hair was a mess, but he's become quite proficient. Doesn't really do anything special otherwise though.

Hikari: Very soft and smooth hair, although it means Hikari needs a hair tie coated in a special substance to keep the tie from slipping out when he ties it back. Takes incredibly good care of his hair as a matter of discipline and routine. It doesn't tangle easily, but is easy enough to comb out when it does. For reasons Hikari hasn't figured out, almost everyone he's met wants to comb his hair if he's okay with it, despite him being perfectly capable of the task himself.

[crossdressingdeath]

Today on things in TSatS that I love: the first encounter with Epiales. Not the nightmares they give Nico and Will (although those are also good, especially the bit where Will wakes up and is immediately like "Of course it was a dream, Nico would never"), the encounter with them personally. Because the way Nico first tries to distract Epiales with false compliments while he gets himself into a position to obliterate them is very much the sort of thing Percy would do; Percy's go-to strategy tends to be "lie to and trick your enemy at every opportunity", I can absolutely see him going "Oh yeah you did great work you're fantastic at nightmares please ignore me gathering my power" in this situation. But when Nico tries it... it totally fails. Epiales immediately sees through it. And I love that, because Percy and Nico have very different MOs when it comes to dealing with situations involving talking to an immortal being like this!

Like, the thing is that Percy is a liar. And I don't mean that as a bad thing; it's a viable strategy for the situations he ends up in, and while to an adult mind his tricks seem to only work because every god and monster he faces is a moron I remember being impressed with them as a kid, so they're clever enough for the target demographic. But if you look at his interactions with immortal beings, he tends to go for lies and tricks first. Nico on the other hand is actually an incredibly honest person. Other than that time he claims he and Thalia are fine when they are Absolutely Not Fine in BoO, his few lies are lies of omission. In TLO he just doesn't mention his planned detour in the Underworld to Percy and when Percy finds out about it he's very forthright with what (he thinks) will happen, and in SoN he never actually denies knowing Percy, just doesn't confirm it (when Percy says they've met Nico's response is just "Have we?", turning the question back on Percy; it's actually possible he was trying to subtly test how much Percy remembered, since if he properly remembered Nico rather than just having a feeling he'd argue the point). It's a nice touch that this approach extends into how they handle enemies, where Percy is willing to lie to them but Nico tends not to.

So Nico tries Percy's method of dealing with Epiales, lying to them and tricking them to put a being that's absolutely more powerful than he is at a disadvantage, and it doesn't work because Nico doesn't lie to people. That style of trickery isn't his way, so Epiales immediately sees through his attempt. The actual fight against Epiales is fun because Nico does have a knack for dream magic (even if TSatS mostly forgot about that, can Rick please be consistent about Nico's powers) so once he knows it's a dream caused by someone directly in front of him he can snap himself out of it pretty easily. And then Will basically just uses rock-paper-scissors on them, since light beats darkness. But once Epiales is subdued Nico and Will just choose to be nice to them; there's no benefit in it for them, it's not a ploy, they're just choosing to be kind. The bit where they pause to offer Epiales genuine compliments on their work is... honestly quite sweet, I love them actually taking that moment to say "No, no, that was really impressive, it was tough to get out of". There's a difference between being opponents and being enemies, and you can really see here how the boys don't see Epiales as an enemy now that they're not in their way. I also find myself wondering: does Epiales attack when they see Will hesitate because they think it's a moment of weakness they can take advantage of... or because it'll be better for them to get killed and resurrect than to admit to Nyx that they even semi-willingly let Nico and Will go, and they want to make it easier on Will to finish the job when it becomes clear he can't bring himself to do it without cause? Because honestly I feel like with the way Epiales interacts with the boys (and the way Nyx treats her children) it could go either way.

But there's another part of it that I find interesting, which is... if Nico had successfully tricked Epiales in that first instance, getting them to lower their guard through compliments and then cutting them down, there's a good chance Epiales wouldn't have turned against Nyx at the end. After all, why would they risk their mother's fury for the sake of people who tricked them? Just in general, it's a little unclear why Hypnos turns on Nyx (I think his part in things would've been a lot stronger if he'd actually... y'know, spoken to Nico and Will at any point), but the impression I get is that for Nemesis at least and likely Epiales too it is at least in part a genuine fondness for the boys. Which is something Epiales would not feel if instead of complimenting them and only blasting them to bits when they forced the issue the boys had tricked them in order to kill them quickly. It's like... tricking Epiales would've dealt with them quicker and more easily in the short term, but in the long term Nico failing to trick them and instead kicking their ass and then being nice about it worked out much better; instead of making an enemy, the boys got at worst a fairly neutral acquaintance out of it! Which, going back to how tricking Epiales would've been Percy's move, is really interesting when you compare Nico having a very unusual number of gods and other immortal beings in his corner to Percy making enemies wherever he goes. There really is something to Nico making so many powerful friends because he consistently chooses to be kind even though so often in people's POVs they go on about how creepy and weird he is. Although I do wonder sometimes if it's as simple as Nico legitimately just being a very kind person or if it's partially that he's just as cunning as Percy but more focused on the long-term than the short-term. If it's the latter it's probably a good thing for the monsters that they don't tend to directly work together, because Percy's knack for tricking gods and monsters to get the advantage in the short term to the point where he can win a fight against the god of war combined with Nico's knack for winning the affection and even loyalty of immortal beings in the long term to the point where he can essentially get divine intervention on his behalf for free would either be a total disaster for them or absolutely terrifying for their enemies. Either they'd cancel each other out or they'd just become utter nightmares to deal with (even more than they are already), which... honestly I would like to see either way.

Also I adore Nico lowkey fanboying over Epiales because he thinks they're just so cool. Even though the way Nico is clearly drawn to every nonbinary character he meets but is never confirmed nonbinary himself Irks Me. Rick, Mark, please give us this? It really felt like it was going that way, I would legitimately buy another spinoff solely for Nico being confirmed nonbinary.

[yrthr]

☾ JUST ONE DANCE ; RICKY

ricky masterlist / zb1 masterlist wc ; too lazy to wc this

➛ genre / trope ; royalty au 🎧— trying a new style of writing , definitely fun to write but it may not even make sense

the annual festival at the southern kingdom was today.

your father had definitely told you its name , however he spoke too fast so you didn’t quite catch its name. he seems more excited than you about it. although from your mother she did state that the traditions were similar to that of valentines day.

anyhow , there would be a celebration at the castle tonight and your father stated explicitly that the family would be attending.

knowing the tendencies his oh-so-obedient child has of skipping out on the royal family duties , an order was established in which you were not to leave the castle grounds till the family set out to the festival.

which means all eyes on you.

leaving you without a choice but to attend some boring celebration.

with the time ticking the setting slowly warped itself and now you found yourself sitting on the warm seats of a roofless carriage , the sky a nice shade of warm blue with clouds slowly fading away.

the carriage rattled when the wheels popped over rocks , the hooves of the horses throttles were somewhat comforting to the ears along with the mix of birds chirping or the occasional sounds of a waterfall. all accompanied by the deep green forest leaves pumping out a consistent flow of oxygen which produced fresh sets of air to breath in.

nature itself was enough to drown out the endless amount of words flowing out your parents.

speaking of your parents , they had also made a point of informing you that prince ricky would be there tonight. 

well it wouldn’t be strange for the southern kingdoms own prince to attend the festival of course , but there was something slightly.. off.

a gut feeling one would say.

in all the gatherings you had attended , whether it be by force or by will , he would always catch your eye.

smartly dressed but not too extreme , hair neatly styled or a not too noticeable lazy comb , skin in perfect condition with the perfect princely image one could only dream of having.

however he wouldn’t even attend these events for more than ten minutes before completely disappearing for the night. rumours circulated that an argument broke out with him and his parents over finding him a suitable spouse. which lead to ricky being trapped in his own home for a month.

but rumours were , well , rumours.

questioning him about the matter out of pure curiosity would be rather inappropriate.

without thinking twice you were suddenly trying to come up with reasons as to why he would attend a valentines day event if he was that opposed to marriage.

was he forced ? a likely possibility.

maybe he was needed ? another likely reason , he was the prince after all. perhaps he was hosting this year.

or… maybe he had his eye on someone. at first the idea seemed impossible - but come to think of it in all the years you’ve attended this event he was absent throughout all of them , all but this years.

wait why were you so interested about his love life. it wasn’t right to stick your nose into other peoples business.

…but perhaps you’ll watch him closely tonight , just to see who his secret crush might be.

arriving at your destination , the castles ballroom had been almost completely transformed. the walls decked out with iridescent silks that swayed every so slightly , the rich pearl-grey fabric gently shimmered in the corner of your eye. the warm colours radiating off the delicately designed chandelier lazily drifted across the ballroom , the balcony dripping with every flower and colour known to man which heavily contrasted the warm toned atmosphere making them stand out even more.

the southern kingdoms family waltzed up to yours greeting you with warm welcomes.

but you weren’t paying attention to the shameful excuse of small talk , all your attention was focused on him.

a white button up slight unbuttoned showing off a sharp set of collarbones which perfectly matches his jawline , a black coat with the purest and most transparent gold details rested on his broad shoulders paired with a sleek pair of leather dress shoes. to top it all off was the white gloves that adorned his sleek slender fingers and the horizontal tattoo that was drawn so delicately on his neck.

a work of art he was.

thankfully - he hadn’t noticed you.

oh goodness , look at you. he hadn’t even noticed your presence and yet you were gawking over a man who would probably be taken by the end of todays festival. how awful , to think that you’ve gotten yourself into yet another one of your delusional fantasies. at least it saves you the embarrassment of the fool you’d make out of yourself if you’d have to talk to-

“ y/n was it ? pleasure seeing you once again. “

oh lord , he’s speaking to me. once again… does that mean he knew i existed even before this ? quick , say something y/n or at least react !

well you must’ve said something because he’s now laughing in a way that makes your stomach flip. oh how his laugh was heavenly.

“ seems like my fathers calling me , help yourself to the refreshments over at the balcony. i shouldn’t be long i’ll find you again my dear. “

my dear ? did he really just call you that.. ? by the time you stopped malfunctioning and came up with a half decent reply , he was already halfway across the room.

maybe detective work wasn’t your thing as standing on the balcony watching down on ricky chatting and laughing with other guests produced no results to your initial goal. finding his secret crush. instead it produced more problems for you finding it rather difficult to keep your eyes off the said male.

every few minutes or so , his eyes would scan the room before darting towards you which you’d have to pretend to be searching for something else or faking admiring the rather boring paintings that seemingly covered every inch of these brick walls.

he’s got to be trying to impress someone. the body language is telling as it is !

but you’ll never be able to crack the case if he keeps making eye contact with you. maybe it’s time to hatch a new plan.

engrossed in your own thoughts , you failed to notice the shift in the atmospheres mood.

what’s that sound ?

it seems like the musicians have started a new piece and judging off by how the guests were scrambling to find a partner it was officially time to open up the dance floor.

ah yes the clique dance is a must have during kingdom festivals , i mean seriously who enjoys this kind of- wait.. this was your chance. just wait and see who he dances with and you have your mystery crush ! oh you are a genius y/n , now where did he go…

“ y/n ? “

oh here he is , and… he’s offering you his hand. he couldn’t possibly mean…

ricky let out a small chuckle , “ my dear i don’t mean to rush you but the musics about to start. may i ? “

you must’ve agreed as the next thing you knew his hand on your waist guiding you closer to the middle of the ballroom. he took a step back and bowed which you gladly returned , before taking you back into his arms once more beginning the dance.

without years of practice you could say with full fledge confidence that you weren’t very good at this.

“ im afraid you weren’t very subtle , am i really that interesting to look at ? “

embarrassed you admitted to your staring , but how could you not he was decked down in luxury , to impress someone perhaps ?

“ why yes i am dressed differently - but i do have to disagree with you there , you yourself are the most stunning being here tonight. “

he’s avoiding eye contact with you with a blush appearing on his cheeks , “ as for impressing someone , that was my intention would you say i’ve succeeded ? “

of course whoever it is they couldn’t possibly ignore you , you’ve probably impressed the whole guest list tonight even if that wasn’t your goal , do i know the person in question ?

“ ah. “

well that wasn’t much of a response.. you looked at him with confusion adorning your features as his arm tightens around your waist pulling your body closer to his.

“ it seems like my intentions have not been clear tonight , my dear the one i’ve been trying to impress is you , if you’ll have me. “

“ this dance signifies the many differently ways love is shown whether it be friends or family. in any case , this specific song although only slightly different from the normal ones we play , signifies a completely different meaning. this dance is a confession of romantic love - sincere , undying and forever lasting. do you see what i’m saying y/n ? “

you do , and you tell him as such.

“ my darling you have no idea how long i’ve waited to hear you say that. “

his fingers traced the outline of your jaw lifting your head up to face his.

“ now then , why not i show you a more familiar sign of affection. “

if anyone saw what happens next , they don’t say anything. it was after all the princes first dance to this song , he couldn’t be blamed for skipping to the final step.

divider by @/animatedglittergraphics-n-more

©️ yrthr 2023

[carlos-in-glasses]

Nice Ask Week! Cig, I have some Lone Star Season 5 would-you-rather style questions for you!

1.Would you rather have Carlos as a Texas Ranger OR Carlos still working for APD but away from TK for 3-4 episodes on an undercover mission?

2. Would you rather have the search for Gabriel's murderer wrapped up in a few episodes OR have it stretch over the entire season?

3. Would you rather have Carlos sitting by an injured TK's hospital bedside OR have TK sitting by an injured Carlos' hospital bedside?

4. Would you rather have TK and Carlos angstily fighting for three whole episodes but culminating in a scene that the entire fandom agreed was unequivocally better than the soulmates scene and the proposal combined OR have no internal relationship conflict the entire season but also no new Tarlos scene that would warrant a place in the top 5 best scenes?

5. Would you rather have a season 5 consisting of lots of incredible Tarlos scenes but including one brief but questionable Tarlos storyline you didn't like very much OR only really good Tarlos storylines but with half the amount of Tarlos screen time?

Ooh thank you Anne! ❤️

Omgggggg. Ok. Bloody hell. I don't love the idea of Carlos as a Texas Ranger (although I'm very on the train of thinking that he is either a detective or ranger in s5, due to lack of bts). Sooo...I'd actually go for the second option but only if it meant they were very much together in all other episodes that provided plenty of Tarlos content. And the writing would need to be mint. If that wasn't to be the case...ok I'll take the Texas Ranger thing, but only until he finds Gabriel's killer and then switches jobs again.

I'd rather the search for Gabriel's killer was an entire season arc if it meant TK and Carlos (and the 126) were working as a team to solve it over time. If it's that Carlos is estranged from TK, then I'd want it wrapped up over a shorter arc.

I honestly don't have much of a preference here, but I think I'd opt for Carlos sitting by an injured TK's bedside, reflecting on all the things that have happened. I think it could be an amazing parallel to Push.

THIS is so hard but I think the first option! I'd hate it to begin with, not knowing that it would be resolved, but once it was resolved I'd be screaming like a banshee that it's the best TV I've ever watched. I love it in fics when they fight because I trust the author to give them a happy ending, so it would be a similar thing here (except I do have some trust issues with the show.)

I reckon I'd go with the first option here too. It's basically what season 4 was for me, but I got through that and ended up having a great time overall.

Thank you! This was fun!

Wedding smoochies!

[sukuna-kinnie]

[Ironhide x human reader part 2]

You still weren’t quite sure about Ratchet’s plan, all he did was give you instructions on what to wear. You were instructed to style your hair nicely as well as wear makeup. The outfit consisted of a red blouse that displayed your cleavage along with a black short and tight fitted skirt that allowed you to show off the majority of your legs. Although the most embarrassing part of it all was when he instructed you to wear your best lingerie, you didn’t even think the Autobots would know anything about that. This all was different from your usual jeans and buttoned-up blouse outfits, not to mention the black high-heeled shoes you were wearing were making it harder for you to be comfortable. Somehow you managed to walk into base without tripping. Upon entering the base you were greeted by Bumblebee who stood before you in a thinking motion as he looked you up and down. “Looking good girl!”, Bee’s radio chimed. You bashfully thanked him for the compliment before making your way towards Ratchet who appeared to be talking to Optimus. They stopped their conversation upon noticing you. “Greetings Y/N, I hope all is well, especially regarding Ironhide’s behavior yesterday”. The prime’s statement caused you to give Ratchet a questioning glance. “There’s no need to feel shame Y/N, we all took notice of Ironhide’s affections towards you and we see no harm in it, which is why we are all willing to support you and help with the plan”. With that, you smiled feeling moved by the prime’s statement. “Alright! What’s the plan then?”, you asked feeling a bit more motivated. “The usual, give us our mission, while you do that I and the others will attempt to make him jealous”, Ratchet explained. You gave him the ‘Are you serious’ look. “Well there’s more, but it’s a surprise”, Ratchet stated with a wink. You rolled your eyes at him, before shouting for everyone to get in position as you pulled out your work tablet that Lennox would email the bot’s missions through. With the little bit of confidence you had, you swayed your hips as you walked between the lines of Autobots. “Alright, Bumblebee you will be guarding cargo with Lennox”, you stated. “Whatever you say hotshot”, you paid no attention to Bumblebee’s response and proceeded to tell Sideswipe his mission. “Sideswipe you get to join Lennox and Bumblebee as well”, “As you wish pretty lady”, Sideswipe responded. One of Ironhide’s canons could be heard starting up, which caused Optimus to give everyone a signal to tone it down. You turned your attention towards towards Optimus and Ratchet. “Optimus, you and Ratchet will be meeting with the president to discuss certain matters concerning humanity's safety”. “Will do, Y/N”, Optimus responded, “you should come with us, your presence would certainly make the meeting tolerable”, Ratchet added. “We shall see on that one”, you replied while lightly chuckling. As you made your way towards Ironhide, you could tell he looked a bit upset, like he was ready to punch someone. However, his gaze softened when his eyes fell on you. Your heart ached as you remembered Ironhide’s rejection, but you shook it off and with the best assertive voice you could muster you read the email. “Ironhide, you will be assisting…”, you stopped, not sure if you were reading it correctly. “You will be assisting me with organizing weaponry…”. Before Ironhide could respond to that, Optimus called all the Autobots to huddle in a circle. “I wish the best of luck to all of you on your missions”, Optimus started. “Is my mission supposed to be some kind of joke!”, Ironhide exclaimed to which Ratchet quickly nodded his head. Ironhide glared daggers at Ratchet, not appreciating his response. Optimus interrupted by stating, “I had personally asked Lennox to let you have a day off, so you can talk things through with Y/N”. “Why? There’s nothing to discuss with her! What do you guys even expect me to do with her?!”. Before Ironhide could continue ranting, Bee’s radio chimed in, “Sha-la-la-la-la-la, don’t stop now, don’t try to hide it how you want to kiss the girl”.

“Ayo Bee, ain’t that from the little mermaid”, you shouted from afar. Bee peeked his head out of the circle and gave you a thumbs up for correct. “As Bumblebee suggested in the song, we are all aware you love Y/N and it’s about time you admit that”, Optimus sternly stated before leaving base with the rest of the Autobots. All but Ratchet left to go to their missions. Ratchet placed his hand on one of Ironhide’s shoulders as he brought his face next to Ironhide’s ear to whisper something. “You are not the only one who adores Y/N, any of us would love to have her as a little sparkmate. So it’s quite a shame that you are trying to deny her, especially with how much she loves you. So much so to the point where she was willing to go along with our silly plan, even going as far as to wear lingerie to gain your attention.” Ratchet didn’t even bother waiting for a response and walked off to join Optimus. Once you were sure everyone had left the base, you spoke up. “So…you ready to start on that mission Ironhide?”. Ironhide said nothing, he didn’t even bother to turn towards your direction. “I’ll just…go ahead and start on our mission”, you stated quietly while trying to contain the tears that were threatening to spill out. His behavior towards you currently truly was making your heartache in the worst way possible. You had no reason to believe your Autobot friends would purposely lie to you, but you can’t help but think maybe they were wrong and that you and Ironhide’s relationship will never be the same again. Before you could walk too far off, Ironhide finally spoke up. “That mission they gave us was just a setup to get us alone together, so don’t bother with that”. You weren’t entirely surprised since you knew they had something planned, that now just left you confused on what exactly you were supposed to do. “They think I’m concerned about what they will think of me. I could care less what they thought of us, my pride is nothing when it comes to you”, Ironhide stated matter-factly. “Then why did you reject me?”, you asked softly. Ironhide finally turned to your direction and the look he gave you was full of love, but also that of sorrow. “I’m scared Y/N, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I hurt you or even worse if the Decepticons get their hands on you. I rather die or even bow down to the likes of Megatron than have you in harm's way.” His explanation left you slightly speechless and all you could do was ask Ironhide to lift you. Ironhide allowed you to climb onto his hand and once he knew you were secure he walked to the nearest wall and slowly sat down with his back against the wall. He then proceeded to lift his hand to his shoulder, allowing you to climb onto it. After situating yourself on his shoulder you spoke, “You’ve always been gentle with me and treated me as your equal…I know you won’t hurt me, besides it is thanks to you that I have not died by that Decepticon’s hand and even get to be here with you guys”. Ironhide hummed at the memory of how you two first met. He could tell you were scared as the Decepticon held you captive, but despite that you kicked and thrashed, even managing to kick one of the Decepticon’s eyes. The kick to the eye, fortunately, did enough damage for the Decepticon to be distracted long enough for Ironhide to shoot him in the face and save you. Ironhide was so impressed by your actions that afterward he asked if you’d join the Autobots, while also promising you safety. It was after that day that the two of you were inseparable. Ironhide took a deep breath before speaking, “I’m sorry Y/N, I shouldn’t have rejected you over something like that and to make up for it I’d like to ask…will you be my sparkmate?”. “Of course!”, you responded before giving Ironhide a peck on the cheek. There was a comfortable silence between the two of you as you nuzzled your heads together until Ironhide remembered he had something to ask you. “Y/N, what is lingerie?, Ratchet mentioned that you were wearing it for me, but I don’t even know what the hell that is”.