#and he's clearly not used to being really held accountable

[harukapologist]

Fellow milgrammies! I arrive with yet another 09-related poll. I'm very curious as to what the most popular theory is currently, so,

Please feel absolutely free to rb & tell me your thoughts!!! I'm seeing lots of different interpretations about anything 09 related lately so I want to hear your opinions.

[cloudzoro]

Pumpkin | Roronoa Zoro ♡

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

genre: smut with a little bit of plot (minors dni)

pairings: roronoa zoro x fem reader

wc: 8.4k words

cw: mutual pining, idiots to lovers, reader gets hit on in a bar multiple times, zoros feelings are all over the place bc he's a mess, monster cock!zoro, unprotected sex, soft zoro </3, marking, bad flirting

masterlist here

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You have feelings for Zoro and you know it, Zoro has feelings for you and doesn't know it. Everyone is collectively sick of your shit. It isn't until you get hit on in a bar and Zoro has to step in that he realises how deep his feelings for you run.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

If you squeeze that glass any harder, it's gonna shatter,” says Nami, nodding at the glass of beer Zoro holds in his hand. Zoro waves her off, sparing her a glance just to glare at her before focusing on the cause of his irritation. You're standing at the bar of the dingy lounge, talking to Sanji and the random guy who's been showing you around the new island the strawhats had docked up at. The place isn't too busy, so he can see you without looking past a crowd. Unfortunately, he can also see the new guy you've met. The guy is interested in you, leaning in to talk to you, which gives Zoro a nasty feeling in his chest. He chalks it up to being protective; he doesn't like how the man looks at you. For once, Zoro is actually grateful for Sanji's presence. The tall cook at your side, looking as enraged as Zoro feels, is intimidating to the guy who backs up a little.

“Your girl’s talking to other men. If I were you, I'd kill the guy,” says Usopp, and Zoro rolls his eyes. He is not even bothering to answer. You're not his girl. You're just friends. Zoro isn't even sure he's capable of falling in love. You step back from the guy, clearly uncomfortable, and Zoro starts to see red. It isn't until Chopper and Usopp reach out to grab him that he realises he's even stood up. Ready to jump into action. “Don't make a scene; I'm really not in the mood for a fight,” says Usopp, trying his best to push Zoro back into his seat.

When his eyes focus back on where you're standing at the bar, Zoro sees that Sanji has stepped in and told the man off. You're safe now. The man had run away with his tail between his legs, but the bitter taste in his mouth is still there. He watches intently as you walk back to the table where the strawhats are sitting, with Sanji in tow and drinks in hand. You set another glass in front of him, and just as you walk away to sit on the other side of the table, he pats the seat next to him. You raise an eyebrow at his request, his un-Zoro-like behaviour startling you.

“Just don't wanna sit next to the dumb cook”, he grumbles, looking down at the table instead of at you. You nod and slide into the chair next to him. Now that he can feel your presence next to him, he feels the weight lift from his shoulders.

“So y/n, what happened?” asks Nami, always a fan of gossip. You go to answer, but you're immediately stopped by Sanji, who butts in with his own account.

“That horrible ugly man was trying to steal our precious y/n away for his crew. As if she'd ever leave us.” he huffs out. Luffy laughs at how idiotic the idea of you leaving would be. Zoro doesn’t speak as he watches you sip your drink and roll your eyes at Sanji’s dramatics.

“That loser was just hitting on me,” you say, trying to play it down to get the attention off of you. Despite first appearing extroverted, you aren’t too keen on attention being on you. It's one of the reasons Zoro gels with you much better than some of his other crewmates. Once the conversation switches from the almost bar fight to whatever crazy made-up story Usopp tells, you lean into Zoro’s side to speak quietly in his ear. “I saw you stand up earlier; you looked like you were gonna kill him. Thank you, even if you were held back,” you say, laughing at how ridiculous he looked. Your thanks are sincere, even if you still tease him for it. Zoro has been a silent protector for you since you joined the crew. Everyone knows you’re in his top three Straw hats, alongside Luffy and Chopper. As much as he tries to convince himself that you’re tied with your captain, you’re number one and almost pulling a lead. It's clear to the rest of the crew that the only people in the world who can’t see how you feel are you and Zoro. Zoro offers you an amused smirk, close to a smile but not quite, and raises his glass. You do the same, clinking your glasses and continuing with your drink. You re-enter the conversation, talking animatedly with Nami and Usopp, but Zoro is more than happy to sit back and watch his family in a rare moment of peace. He only speaks whenever Sanji makes a comment that riles him up.

Luffy and Usopp are terrible influences on you. Your captain and sharpshooter like to have fun, which often includes dragging you into their shenanigans. They’re always making terrible drinking games and challenges, egged on by Brook and Franky. You, not one to back down from a challenge, always end up joining them. You’ve put more alcohol away in one night than you have in the last month, and when it's time to leave, Zoro and Robin take it upon themselves to support you as you can barely stand up by yourself. You sway as the fresh air hits you harder than expected. You almost let go of Robin completely as you lean into Zoro. You mumble something about not wanting to walk anymore, and Zoro sighs, signalling Robin to carry on ahead. He crouches down and tells you to hop on his back. You do so, settling yourself and pressing your face into his neck. He hears you mumble a thanks into his skin before passing out.

This isn't the first time one of your crewmates has had to carry you back to the sunny, and it definitely won't be the last. Zoro doesn't mind your weight on him; he brings you to your room, sets you down in your bed, and takes off your shoes and jewellery as carefully as he can before leaving and walking out to the deck.

“One of you ladies should probably go in there just to make sure she doesn’t vomit in her sleep and choke and die”, he says as he walks up to the edge of the ship to look out at the sea. Robin says she’ll stay with you and walks to the girls' bedroom.

“So when will you tell her you’re completely in love with her?” asks Nami, startling him.

“When will you leave me alone so I can enjoy a peaceful night.”

“You’re deflecting.”

“You’re annoying,” he says, unable to defend himself in any other way. Nami sighs and pats his shoulder.

“You need help, dude,” she says condescendingly. Nami has mastered the art of irritating the men aboard the ship; it’s a form of entertainment for her sometimes. “The sooner you tell her you like her, the sooner you can bone, and then maybe you won't be such an uptight freak anymore.” Zoro can tell her own comment tickles her, but before he can spit out a sarcastic response, he is cut off by the voice of his airhead captain.

“Are we talking about Zoro’s y/n kink?” he asks, loudly chewing on the leftovers from earlier’s dinner. Zoro doesn't even dignify that question with a response. He stomps off to the boy’s bedroom and climbs into his hammock. Clearly, he’d only get peace aboard this ship by being unconscious.

✩♬ ₊˚.☁️⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The next day, You wake up with a throbbing in your head, and your stomach turns as you run to the ship bathroom. You empty your stomach of nastiness and head to the kitchen to get some water to drink. Sanji put some food away for you with a little note, and it warms your heart how your boys care for you. You nibble your way through your breakfast and set about looking for where everyone is.

The first person you find is Brook, sitting on a chair and drinking tea. You ask him where everyone is, and he informs you that most of the crew have gone sightseeing in the city at the island's centre. He tells you that Zoro and Usopp are the only people still in the area. Usopp is in his room, recovering from last night, and Zoro is just in front of the sunny, taking advantage of the space to get in a good workout. You decide to go and bother him.

“Hi, Zoro,” you say, approaching him. “Need a sparring partner?” you ask; seeing him shirtless is an excellent motivator. He looks at you in your sweats and tank top and laughs. He knows those are your comfy clothes and just woke up.

“That depends. Are you gonna vomit on me?”

“No”, you get defensive about your weak alcohol tolerance despite having proved your lightweight status regularly. “I don’t even have a real hangover, just a headache” you insist.

“That is a hangover, pumpkin,” he says. Pumpkin isn't a pet name; it's a nickname you were given when you first joined the crew, and almost everyone except Luffy and Robin uses it. Yet it still makes heat rise in your cheeks when Zoro uses it. It sounds different coming from him than it does coming from someone like Franky.

“I’ll be fine, I promise.” If you keep pestering him, he’ll give in eventually.

“Fine, but I'm not going easy on you”, he says, enjoying how defensive you get at any insinuation of weakness.

“I’d be insulted if you did.”

✩♬ ₊˚.☁️⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The sparring session ends when Zoro pins you down on your back for the fifth time.

“You’re getting better at close combat. It took me a lot longer to knock you down this time,” he says. They’re simple words of encouragement, but they make your stomach feel funny. When you catch your breath, and the adrenaline is out of your system, you realise that he's still on top of you. There's something different in how you look at him now, and you hope he doesn't notice it. You're fully aware of how your feelings for Zoro have changed in recent weeks, but you figure he doesn't feel the same way, so you've kept it to yourself. Zoro isn't the relationship type.

He seems to realise by himself that he's still hovering over you, so he quickly moves himself off you and helps you up. He mutters an apology and walks with you in silence back to the ship. In the silence, all you can think about is the view of a sweaty, shirtless Zoro on top of you. You want the image seared permanently into your brain.

When you return to the sunny, you get washed and changed. While you're in the shower, you can't help the way your fingers wander between your legs, pleasuring yourself with the thought of Zoro clouding your mind. The combination of an orgasm and a shower has refreshed you, and you decide to go into the centre to find Nami and Robin. You pass Brook on the way out, who has now been joined by Usopp.

“Were you showering with your boyfriend?”

The question stops you in your tracks. Boyfriend?.

“I don't have a boyfriend, Brook. What do you mean?” Usopp matches your confused expression, looking between you and Brook

“Are you not dating our swordsman?”

“No, of course I'm not. Why would you think that?!” you ask, exasperated by his audacity. Then it clicks in your head. You remember what you did in the shower that could've tipped him off.

“I heard you saying his name.” As the words leave Brook's mouth, Usopp gasps, finally realising where the confusion has come from. You must not have been quiet enough when touching yourself to the thought of him. Usopp looks completely embarrassed, and you hope he'll keep this secret. He's too ashamed of knowing something intimate about you.

“Nope. You were just imagining things. Anyway, I have to go and find Nami and Robin, so I'll be going now. Bye, guys, see you later,” you yell as you rush off the ship to escape the embarrassing situation as quickly as possible.

You catch up with Nami and Robin pretty fast. They split from the boys a while ago and are about to wander through a local market. They're happy to have you along as company, and Robin makes sure to ask about your hangover. You tell them that you were training with Zoro before coming out, and the mention of the green-haired swordsman makes Nami smirk. You already know how the conversation will go, but it's unavoidable.

“Did you finally tell Zoro how you feel about him?” she asks. You turn to Robin, and she just smiles and shrugs, which is code for ‘I want to know the gossip, but I don't want to seem like I'm not on your side’.

“No, because I've told you a million times that Zoro doesn't think of me that way. We had a training session today, and all he did was make fun of me for being a lightweight.”

“Are you stupid? He carried you home last night,” says Nami.

“Everyone's carried my drunk ass home at least once.”

“He's obsessed with you.” She laughs. “In every way.”

“I think Nami's right”, says Robin, and you feel like you're about to be driven crazy.

“I already told you he doesn't feel the same way. He's had so many opportunities to ask me out, and he's never even hinted at it. He's nice to me because we're close friends. That's it,” you say, frustrated at the topic. “it hurts, though; I really do like him”, you say sombrely.

They're good friends to you and respect your boundaries as much as they love to gossip. They can see you don't want to discuss Zoro anymore, so they change the subject to buying cute clothes. You look around the market for handmade garments by real natives of the area. Learning about other cultures through food and fashion is your favourite part of travelling the world.

When you arrive back on the Sunny, You go straight to the girls' quarters, avoiding Brook and Usopp, and put your bags of clothing away. You lay on your bed and let yourself completely relax into it, allowing the wear and tear of the day to seep out of your body.

Zoro, however, is less relaxed than you. Luffy has been asking him what he talked about with Nami all day. He feels seconds away from punching the over-excited man. He's repeatedly said he's not interested in a relationship and certainly not you. He's insisted time and time again that you two are just friends.

“oooh, how about you go into town with her and spend some alone time?” Before Zoro can interject and ask why, Usopp hurriedly continues. “it could be a good way to have a proper talk and find out how she feels about you.”

Zoro, angered by his friend's persistence, finally responds.

“If it gets you two idiots to shut the fuck up, I'll do it. But it's not because I like her or anything.” He says, getting up and dragging himself inside. He passes the girls’ quarters on his way down, decides to pull up his big boy pants and knocks on the door. When you call to open the door, he pushes it open and sees you relaxing. He insists he doesn't have feelings for you; you’re just close friends, but seeing you dressed down and chilled causes a switch in his brain. He wishes Nami had never said anything the night before, or he wouldn't be second-guessing his feelings towards you. “You wanna come into town tomorrow?” He asks, as straightforward as he always is. You nod and smile at him. He hums in acknowledgement and shuts the door as he walks down to his bed. You know Zoro’s personality, so his response - or lack thereof - doesn’t phase you at all. You let sleep take you as Zoro begins to cloud all your thoughts.

“They’re so into each other it's gross,” says Nami, crossing her arms. “I don't understand why they don’t just fuck and get it other with”

“At least y/n is aware of feelings. Zoro doesn't even know he's in love with her,” adds Robin.

“She’s too good for him; I don’t even know why you’re trying to play cupid with them” growls Sanji.

“They’re so obvious about it that Brook thought they were dating,” says Usopp.

“Yes, she said I was hearing things, but I'm sure I heard her moaning his name”, says Brook before Usopp can even attempt to stop him. Silence falls among the group, and Nami and Robin share a knowing glance. They leave the boys to continue gossiping and go to the girls’ quarter. You don’t open your eyes when the door opens, having heard Nami and Robin’s voices approaching. However, when you feel your mattress dip, you open your eyes to see both women sitting on your bed, smiling at you. While Robin is usually the more mature of the women aboard the ship, she still needs a good laugh now and then, and you can tell that whatever they’re about to say will annoy you. Nami’s Cheshire cat-esque grin proves they’re about to either embarrass or pull you into a scheme.

“so”, Robin starts, clearing her throat.

“We just want to warn you that next time you have a wild sex dream about Zoro, you should moan his name a little quieter,” says Nami, giggling at the look of exasperation on your face. It takes you all of two seconds before you realise that Brook and Usopp snitched on you, and you jump out of bed to confront them.

Brook hears you scream his name and knows you’re about to beat his ass and has the sense to run. Usopp, however, drops to his knees and apologises, hoping to appease you. The scene is entertaining to the rest of the crew, who all chime in about whether or not you should have mercy on Usopp.

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When morning comes around, you wake up and stretch. You spend a little extra time getting ready in the morning. When you leave the ship, Zoro is already waiting for you, leaning against a tree. He lets you take the lead as you walk into the town centre. The market stalls are busy, and you grab onto his shirt so you don't lose him. Zoro usually wouldn’t even bat an eye at the action. You’ve always had a mutual agreement to protect each other, but with the recent stirring feelings he's been forced to acknowledge, he’s hyper-aware of any physical contact between you. He’s taken some money from the ship to buy you food. At first, you don’t talk much, and he just watches you walk from stall to stall. You approach a stall selling jewellery, and Zoro stops behind you. The vendor looks over your shoulder at the man and pushes some chains towards you.

“What about something for your boyfriend?” she asks, and, to Zoro’s surprise, you don't correct the lady. You just nod and pick up a chain, turning to Zoro and signalling him to put it on. You don’t do it with ulterior motives; you just like buying your crewmates gifts. Maybe you didn’t correct the vendor when she called him your boyfriend to feed your secret crush, but he didn't correct her either, so no harm is done. When Zoro puts on the chain, he raises his eyebrow and asks what you think, and then he keeps it on as you pay the vendor. He still doesn't believe you have feelings for him or vice versa, so he thinks of the gift as a friendly gesture. You, however, keep getting distracted by thoughts of the chain you bought for him dangling over your face as he fucks you. He says something to you, and you have to ask him to repeat himself so you can focus on what he’s saying this time.

“We should go to that bar over there”, he suggests, pointing across the market to the bar you had been to a few nights before. You agree and follow him. You both decide to sit at the bar and get a drink each. Usually, small talk flows between you and Zoro naturally, but things seem awkward. You don’t know what's wrong with Zoro, but you’ve never seen him flounder like this. He excuses himself to the bathroom, and after he leaves, another man slides onto the seat next to you. You’re not interested, so you try to ignore his presence, and then he attempts to talk to you.

“You’re not from around here, are you? You stick out like a sore thumb,” he says, and before you can respond, he just keeps going. “I don’t mean that in a bad way, of course. You’re beautiful. What’d you say, I'll show you around?” You’d already been shown around when you first arrived on the island.

“I'm here with my boyfriend; he just went to the bathroom,” you say, hoping the guy will take the hint and leave. He doesn't and just continues to talk about himself and pitch himself as a potential partner to you. When Zoro exits the bathroom and sees the man speaking to you, he feels bile rise in his throat. You make eye contact as he approaches the bar, and your expression immediately shifts into a smile.

“Hi, babe.” The words shock him, and it takes him a second to process, but when he puts two and two together, he immediately helps you out by taking a step closer to you, so now he's stood directly behind you as you sit on the stool facing the strange man who’s approached you. He puffs out his chest and rolls his shoulders back to show off a little.

“Who’s this guy? Is he bothering you?” he asks. The role of a protective boyfriend comes naturally to him. You look up at him and nod, placing your drink on its coaster and backing up against him. His hand settles on your hip, and he internally panics about possibly going too far.

“I think we should go,” you say, grabbing his hand and turning to leave the bar. He feels that letting that loser stay in the bar and potentially harass other women while you have to leave the bar early isn't much of a punishment, so he grabs the guy by his shirt. You weren't expecting a bar fight immediately, but this is Zoro, so you take a step back and get ready to back him up if he needs it.

“You should go too; if I catch you anywhere near her, I will kill you. If I come here again and you're here, I will kill you,” he says, his other hand secured around one of his swords, and then he lets the man go. He hurries past you and out the door. When Zoro looks back at you, you’re smiling at him, and it shocks his system that you aren't even a little bit scared of him. He’s incapable of looking anywhere but you, but he knows the other patrons in the bar are watching him warily in fear. Not you, though. Your eyes are filled with something he’d never imagined to be directed at him: awe and respect. In that moment, he finally makes peace with the fact that maybe he likes you as more than just a crewmate.

“Thank you,” you say as you leave the bar. It seems like you’re always thanking him for something.

“Don’t mention it”, he says, brushing it off and focusing back on the market stalls. You pick up a few more gifts on the way home. Zoro accepts his feelings for you quickly, but now he has to figure out many other issues. Do you like him back? Is it possible for someone like him to pursue a relationship? Is he even worthy of your love? You linger on his mind when he returns to the men's quarters that night.

✩♬ ₊˚.☁️⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You had spent the afternoon with the rest of the crew planning your next destination. When night finally fell, you had decided to stay out a little longer, chatting to the remaining crewmates who hadn’t gone to bed yet. When you get tired, you get up to go to bed, and Jinbe and Sanji thank you for their gifts and bid you goodnight. When you return to your room, Nami and Robin are waiting for you. You know they’re about to grill you for details about your day with Zoro.

“So, how did it go with Zoro?” asks Nami as you sit on the edge of your bed. 

“It was fun. A guy hit on me in a bar, and he pretended to be my boyfriend and then threatened to kill him. Poor guy almost pissed his pants,” you say, laughing at the memory of the terrified look on the man's face.

“And you still don’t believe he’s in love with you?” she says.

“He would’ve done the same thing for either of you,” you say in defence of yourself.

“Maybe he would’ve threatened the guy, but he would never have pretended to be my boyfriend,” says Robin. You sigh and throw yourself against the mattress.

“Why are you so resistant to the idea that he might like you back?” Robin asks. “Maybe some romance would do you good.”

“Robin’s right. You two are perfect for each other. He’s an emotionally constipated loser with no social skills, and you’re an emotionally constipated loser with slightly more social skills.” Nami has gotten up from her bed and is kneeling beside you, leaning over your face.

“That was mean”, you pout, looking up at her. “I’m not a loser.”

“But you do suck at emotions.” 

“It’s not that. I just don’t see why he would be interested in me,” you say, finally admitting what has been bothering you since you first developed feelings for him. The mattress on the other side of you dips, signalling Robin has joined the two of you. 

“Y/n sweetheart, you’re smart, funny, and beautiful. There’s no reason Zoro wouldn’t like you,” she says, reaching out a hand to pet your head.”We’re telling you he likes you, but he's probably having thoughts similar to yours.” Robin is always a source of comfort for you, so you appreciate her words.

“Yeah, and your boyfriend is dumb as rocks, so you have to tell him,” Says Nami. You groan at Nami’s word choice.

“Whatever, I think we should go to bed”, you huff, closing your eyes in protest. Name and Robin give each other an amused look and get off of your bed. You drift off to sleep, trying to push the topic of Zoro to the back of your mind.

✩♬ ₊˚.☁️⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You’re in the shower the next morning; it's your final day on the island, and you’ll celebrate at a restaurant later in the evening. You think over your conversation with Nami and Robin, and you figure there’s a possibility they're right. Before confessing to him, you decide to test the waters first and see if Zoro has feelings for you. You’re not the best at flirting, but you decide you’re going to try to hint it to him. After your shower, when you’re all changed into your outfit for the day, you go to the dining area for breakfast. When you enter the room, Sanji is bustling about in the kitchen, and Nami, Zoro, and Luffy are sitting around the table, waiting for food.

“Morning, Sanji” you call. The cook immediately turns around at the sound of your voice. “Think you can add an extra portion?”

“Of course, Pumpkin! Please take a seat,” he calls back, and you follow his instructions, taking the empty seat next to Zoro.

“Morning Pumpkin”, greet Nami and Zoro as Luffy greets you with your real name instead of the nickname. You cheerfully bid them a good morning and shuffle your chair closer to Zoro’s, who doesn't seem to notice until your knees touch under the table and he looks at you. You know you have feelings for him, but you're still thrown off by the way simply making contact with him causes you to feel butterflies. Sanji brings out the food, grinning at the instant praise he gets. He then retreats to the kitchen, knowing the rest of the crew will be awake soon.

“Food looks good,” you say to Zoro before shovelling it into your mouth. By the time you’ve finished only one bite, Luffy has cleared his whole plate and is whining at Sanji for another portion. “I can never understand how he puts away food like that.”

“It's pretty easy; I can’t do it as fast as he can, but I'm still pretty good at eating”, he says, noting his ability to demolish a plate of food in seconds.

“You can do a lot with your mouth”, you respond as his cheeks flush red and he freezes. You had initially meant his third sword, and it hadn’t crossed your mind that your response could be flirting. You fear you’ve made him uncomfortable as he’s never responded like this to flirtation before, and you quickly start to reassure him of what you actually meant.

“I didn’t mean it inappropriately; I just meant about your sword skills. Y’know, like your third sword thing. I wasn't talking about anything sex-related. I'm also not saying you’d be bad at it, and I'm sure you're great at oral-” You stop yourself before your rambling gets you in even more trouble. You and Zoro stare at each other for a second before silently turning back to your plates and continuing to eat your breakfast. You know Nami heard your entire conversation, even over Luffy's yelling, but she doesn't say anything to you for the rest of the day, which you’re grateful for. You spend most of your day talking to your crewmates on the ship. You accidentally fluster Zoro multiple times throughout the day. Not even attempts at flirting are causing his reactions, it's other interactions that could have way more suggestive meanings. He knows you don't mean them inappropriately; however, with the way your relationship has been changing lately, Zoro can't help but interpret them differently. At first, when he’s arguing with Sanji over their appearances, you compliment his physique, and he seems to shut down at your words completely. The second and final chance you get is when Chopper accidentally calls Zoro dad, and the whole team bursts out laughing, swordsman included. Through his tears, Usopp asks who the mum is, and without hesitation, Sanji and Nami both point at you. Everyone except you and Zoro laughs even harder. Poor Chopper is extremely embarrassed but only further proves everyone's point by crying about it to you.

“Y/N!. Everyone’s laughing at me. They're all so mean.” he cries, hugging at your legs. You lean down to his height and wipe some of his tears. You love Chopper, but you can't help teasing him a little.

“Oh Chopper, it's ok. Why don't you go and ask Daddy if he'll beat them up for you?” Chopper huffs and storms over to Zoro. Zoro barely responds to the reindeer, too focused on the fact that you'd just called him daddy. He breaks eye contact with you to pat the reindeer on the shoulder and threaten the rest of the crew into quieting their laughter. It only half works as multiple crewmates are still snickering under their breaths. Satisfied with the results of Zoro’s threat, Chopper sits next to Zoro. You think that all three of your unsuccessful attempts at flirting - even if they were unintentional - made him uncomfortable and decide that you'll apologise to him later when he's not surrounded by people. You excuse yourself to your room, saying that you'll start getting ready early. It's a perfect way to avoid Zoro without people getting suspicious.

You're in the middle of getting ready when the other girls enter the room. Nami and Robin both start comparing their wardrobe to the dress you have lying on the bed. When they decide on the dresses they want to wear, you get ready with casual chatter. Neither of them mention your green-haired problem. You try not to show your dejected mood.

✩♬ ₊˚.☁️⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Zoro isn't as lucky as you. You're all the other men want to talk about as they get ready.

“I can't believe Pumpkin has been flirting with you all day. What do you have that I don't?” growls Sanji. Zoro would usually start listing off a bunch of traits, but his response this time baffles Sanji.

“She's been flirting with me?” he says. Sanji almost falls to his knees in pure annoyance.

“You're usually pretty observant, especially with her. Have you really not noticed?” asks Usopp. It finally all clicks in Zoro’s head, and he suddenly feels like he's going to throw up. You actually might reciprocate his feelings.

“I just thought she was teasing me”, Zoro says. You're no stranger to winding him up. His temper makes him an easy target for jokes.

“She called you my dad and then acted like my mum. She already thinks you're together,” says Chopper, heart secretly pounding at the thought of the two of you actually getting together.

“and I don't think she was just playing along with the joke”, adds Jinbe. “she looked very sincere.”

Zoro listens in silence, not having the energy to argue with six men as they recount your behaviour. Sanji points out how you had interrupted their fight to compliment Zoro specifically, and Luffy recalls your comment to him at the breakfast table, which makes everyone who wasn't there gasp. You've always been a jokester, but never have you gone out of your way to fluster someone like this.

“You need to tell her how you feel, " says Franky, the only one Zoro is even thinking of listening to on romance, considering he pulled Robin of all people. “Women like vulnerability and manly emotions. You've just got to be upfront and tell her you like her. Pumpkin is special; don't lose her,” he says, offering Zoro a thumbs up. Zoro just sighs and leaves the room.

✩♬ ₊˚.☁️⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You finish getting ready and turn around to show off to Nami and Robin, who are more than happy to hype you up. Getting ready and chatting with your best friends always makes you feel better. They look equally hot, which you're not shy about telling them. When the three of you finally head out to the deck, all the guys are already there. You hear a few wolf whistles, Jinbe politely compliments, and Sanji stares at the three of you with tears in his eyes. Zoro, however, avoids looking at you until you're directly in front of him. His eyes flicker down your body, and you instinctively follow suit, checking for imperfections in your outfit.

“You look nice,” He says; it sounds like he's forcing out the words, but you thank him for the compliment regardless. The tension is thick, and you don't think you'll even make it through dinner without talking it through first. Once everyone is ready to go, you say something before it's too late.

“Can we talk first? I just want to sort this out,” you say, and he nods despite looking puzzled. “You guys go on! Zoro and I need to talk,” you call as everyone starts to leave the ship. They all immediately agree and walk away with smug, knowing smiles.

Now that it's just you and Zoro, you're still trying to figure out what to say. You look down at your hands, desperate to avoid eye contact, and search your mind for how to begin your apology speech.

“So, Y/n, what did you want to talk about?” he asks, prompting you to start. Zorosing your real name instead of your crew-appointed nickname startles you, and you finally look up at him. Zoro’s always been a scary figure to the public, but this is the first time you're feeling shaken by his presence.

“I just want to apologise for making you uncomfortable.” you stutter your way through your first sentence, and even more confusion washes over Zoro’s face. “It was completely unintentional, but I still accidentally flirted with you. I really like you, and sometimes, I say mildly inappropriate things on instinct. And I'm sorry if anything I did today made you feel bad. I'm also sorry for admitting I like you when you definitely don't like me back. Why would a man like you want me? Anyway, that's beside the point. I just wanted to say sorry so that we don't have to sit through dinner with this awkward tension I've created.” you say, taking a deep breath as you prepare yourself for his response. He takes a minute to take in everything you said to him, and you hope you didn't make it worse.

“Okay, first question. What made you think I was uncomfortable? I froze up because you flustered me, which you wouldn't have been able to do if I didn't like you." Your mind doesn't even register the initial question; you can only focus on the last half of his sentence. You don't know how to respond, being completely shocked. He continues, unbothered. “Second question, who says I don't like back? Why wouldn't I like you?”

“That's two questions.”

“don't deflect, baby” He takes another step towards you, hesitantly resting his hands on your hips. “look, I hate sugarcoating shit. I like you. The rest of this insane crew has been bugging me for days about coming clean. I like everything about you. How could you think a woman like you isn't enough for a demon?” You both probably look like idiots, holding each other with bright smiles. He's in your arms, and he does like you back. “Now, do you wanna go to dinner and pretend we didn't confess our love for each other or do you wanna kiss me?”

You don't even verbally respond to his question and lean up to pull him into a deep kiss. He kisses you back with a passion and strength that could only belong to Zoro. He's so sure in his feelings for you that it makes you weak in the knees. His tongue pushes its way into your mouth as his hands move over your body. Big palms smooth and squeeze every part of you they can reach, and you groan against his mouth as he grabs your ass.

“my bed”, you pant as he pulls away from the kiss. “If the others come back, then the girls are way less likely to barge in”, you explain, grabbing his hand and pulling him to your room.

As soon as you walk through the door you turn around to face him and pull him right back down to your mouth. It's easy to get lost in his kisses; they're reassuring you that he likes you and only you. His kisses are intense, and they make you dizzy. Your nails dig into his biceps as he moves his kisses across your jaw and down your neck. You let out a moan that makes him groan against your skin.

“Been waiting for this for so long, baby.” his voice has you in a chokehold. You couldn't focus on anything else if you tried.

“me too,” you whimper, moving your hand to his hair and keeping him in place.

“Can I mark you? let everyone see you're mine?” You frantically nod, and Zoro nips at your neck to let you know your response isn't enough. You don't need to be told. You know Zoro well enough to guess he'd want you to be vocal.

“yes, please.”

With your confirmation, he attaches his mouth back to your neck as he slowly backs you up towards your bed. His teeth anchor him as he sucks on the skin, marking it so everyone knows you’re taken. When he's finished, he trails his mouth back up to your lips and presses a soft kiss to your lips. He pulls back to take another look at you, and he feels whatever coils control his emotions tighten. You look beyond fucked out, and he's barely even touched you. You're staring up at him in awe and desperation, and he can't believe what he's seeing. He thanks every deity he doesn't even believe in that you're in front of him, looking the way you do. The way your eyes shine with love and respect makes him feel funny inside, and he needs to voice it so he doesn't explode.

“You're so beautiful”, he whispers, kissing you again. “You're too good for me” He adds. You protest but are once again cut off by his lips. His fingers find the bottom of your dress, and he looks you over again. “You look so good in this. Do a twirl for me?” when you oblige and give him a full three-sixty view of the dress, he whistles lowly. He gives you one last request to take the dress off for him while he sits down on your bed.

“Can you start me off? I can't reach my zipper,” You ask, turning around. Without a word, Zoro tugs the zip down your back, and you hear him hiss slightly at the sight of your bare skin. You face him again and slowly push your dress down your body, trying to be as seductive as possible. The satisfied smile on Zoro's face tells you you're doing a good job. You unclip your bra, and his eyes greedily take in the newly exposed skin. He's practically salivating in anticipation but remains in his seat and lets you finish. He audibly moans as you turn around and bend over, slowly pulling your underwear down your legs. You kick off your shoes and approach Zoro as he takes off his shirt so you don't have to be alone in your nakedness.

He lies back against your mattress, beckoning you to join him. You climb on top of him, pressing a kiss to his lips before trailing your lips across his chest and down his abs, stopping at his waistband. Your hands are shaky and desperate in their attempt to unbutton his trousers, but you do and follow it by yanking them down and exposing his cock.

He's big. That much was evident to anyone who looked at him, but you never expected it to be as big as it is. It clearly shows on your face as Zoro runs his hand through your hair.

“Don't take more than you can” he says as you swirl your tongue around the tip of his cock. As soon as you wrap your lips around him, he feels like he's about to burst, and he immediately uses his grip on your hair to stop you. “on second thought, if you suck me off right now, I won't last very long. C'mere,” he says, pulling you up his body. “Let me get you ready for me. Sit on my face, pretty girl,” he says, trying to help you get situated above his face.

“Are you sure?” You ask, hesitant to lower yourself at all. Insecurity creeps in on you as you think about the possibility that he might not like the way you taste or you might crush him. He growls at the question, almost considering it an insult, before he realises that you need reassurance.

“Do I sound unsure to you? You better sit that pretty fucking pussy on my face right now,” he says, pulling you down flush against his mouth. His nose nudges at your clit as his tongue explores your dripping hole. You're so disgustingly wet, and Zoro loves it. He's messy with his eating, making obscene noises, so you know just how much he likes your taste. The vulgar slurping of his tongue as he all but makes out with your pussy makes you slightly embarrassed, but it's so sexy how much he enjoys pleasing you. You lose focus quickly, unable to pay attention to anything that isn't your man's glorious tongue. His enthusiasm would've had you toppling over if it wasn't for the grip he has on your thighs. “Grind on my face”, he instructs, with a slap to your ass, and this time you don't waste any time before doing as he says. You're fast approaching your orgasm as you rock against his face, and all you can do is moan his name and reach down to grip his hair. When your first orgasm washes over you, Zoro’s grip on you holds you in place as he licks you through your orgasm. You haven’t had someone else make you cum in so long, and having Zoro there makes you feel more satisfied than you have in a long time. When your hips stop moving and your breath slows down, Zoro slowly moves you off his face and helps you lay against the pillows.

“You feeling ok?” he asks, although the giddy smile on your face and the dazed look in your eyes answer his question before you even open your mouth. The Zoro from a few years ago would’ve laughed at Zoro now, A man with the monicker king of hell giving his entire heart and soul to someone else. You nod at him, giggling as he rolls on top of you. He uses his arms on either side of your face to hold himself up. You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss you again. You never want to stop kissing him, and he realises this when you don’t let him pull away to speak. The way you cling to him fuels his pride. He gives up on trying to talk and kisses you back. One of his hands squeezes your boob before trailing down the rest of your body and cupping your pussy. He plays with your clit as you make out, working your up again. You try to adjust your hips so that he can slip his fingers inside you, but when he doesn't do that, you groan in frustration. “If you want something, you gotta tell me,” he says, voice dark with lust.

“Stop teasing me and fuck me”, you whine, reaching between your bodies to grasp at his cock. He lets you guide him to your entrance before swatting your hand away. He slides his cock between your folds, gathering your wetness and gives his cock a few pumps to coat it in your juices.

“Are you sure you can take it?” he asks, unable to resist teasing you for a little longer. You let out a bratty whine and writhe beneath him.

“Of course, I can take it” " you insist, despite your worries that you can’t. You’ve never slept with anyone as big as him.

“Atta girl”, he mumbles against your lips before pushing his cock into your hole. “Relax for me, baby”

You try to focus on his lips, kissing and sucking wherever he can reach and relax your body so he can bottom out inside you. He gets three-quarters of the way in before he starts to get impatient. He takes a few shallow thrusts to ease himself the rest of the way in, and the feeling of your cunt wrapped around him tears a feral growl from deep in his chest. You are equally affected, head thrown against the pillows as you moan his name. He rubs at your hips, attempting to soothe you so he can start moving. When you give him the go-ahead, he pulls out most of the way and thrusts back in, slowly picking up the pace as you claw at his back, looking for something to hold onto.

“That's it, hold on tight, baby,” he says, encouraging you to scratch up his skin. You're the perfect fit for him; Your pussy grips him so good that you almost have him believing in fate for a second. He can smell your sweat in the air, and though it should be gross, he buries his face in your neck to inhale your scent even closer. Neither of you speak from this point, and you don’t need to. You’ve both already said you wanted, and now all that's left is the sound of your moans and the way your bodies intertwine. When you pull him against you, tilting his head so that you can attach your lips to his neck and replicate the pretty marks he left on your skin, he almost cums on the spot. He belongs to you as much as you do him. Your legs shake around his waist, and your moans devolve into high-pitched whimpering, signalling your impending orgasm. He's not far behind, so he reaches a hand between you to rub your clit, and you're instantly sent over the edge. Your orgasm crashes down on you as you arch into Zoro's chest as much as you can. Your legs lock around his waist, giving him nowhere to go but over the edge with you. You gush around him with a cry of his name as he groans expletives in your ear. He fills you up with his cum, cock twitching inside you. He doesn’t pull out when he's finished, choosing instead to get comfy on your chest until you calm down. His hands tenderly rub at your tired limbs. When your breathing evens out, he gently pulls his cock out of you, hissing at the loss of warmth. He leans down to press an appreciative kiss to your tummy.

“You’re all mine, yeah?” he asks, pressing a sweet kiss to your cheek.

“Always”, you respond, pulling him in to kiss your lips. His hands merely brush against your chest, and he feels himself getting hard again.

“What do you say we go for a round two in the shower?” he asks, playfully nipping at your lower lip.

“I’d like that”, you hum as he scoops you up and heads off towards the bathroom

✩♬ ₊˚.☁️⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The other nine strawhats sit around the table at their booth, eating their meals, when Luffy realises the two of you are still not there.

“Y/N and Zoro aren't back yet”

“If they're not back yet that probably means they're banging” says nami, through a mouthful of food.

“Don't even speak about Pumpkin with that idiot” grumbles Sanji, stabbing at his plate.

“Stop complaining Sanji, it was always gonna be them” says Franky.

“Well, guess we better wait a bit before heading back to the ship” says Luffy, still stuffing his face.

Everyone's been rooting for you two from the beginning.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

thank you for reading! hope you enjoyed :)

comments and reblogs are appreciated ♡

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

[babywriter]

It was hard enough to be taken seriously as a young woman in such a male-dominated field. You even had the added disadvantage of being particularly pretty. Younger men saw a potential date while older men, if not pervy, saw a girl which to them meant that you were ditzy and weak. 

This particular client was a man. Maybe five years older or so, you guessed. When he opened the door, he seemed surprised. And you thought he looked at you a little condescendingly. But were you going to show him. You walked inside with an authoritative air, your tools by your side. Cool, calm, collected. You started working on his cabinet right away.

Thing is, normally clients tend to leave the room when you work. You know, since they have things to do and it’s awkward to stand in the corner for an hour. Didn’t bother him clearly. You felt him staring at you. For such a long time too that it became a distraction. You figured he was looking at your butt. The man was attractive, you had to admit, but it felt so disrespectful. You became flustered. How to make him go away? There was another reason you didn’t enjoy people staring at your butt. You happened to wear diapers.

You’ve always like diapers and you had decided to go 24/7 a few years back. This was generally not a problem. Actually, it was great when you were working because you didn’t need to use the client’s bathroom. But when someone watches you like a hawk exactly where you don’t want them to look, it tends to stress you out. And of course, of course, your diaper was peaking out.

You heard a little laugh.

“Oh. Little lady.” the man said. Little lady, really? “What’s that you’re wearing underneath those overalls?”

Either he’s used to asking women what they wear, either he was doing it just for you. Regardless, you didn’t feel like answering him.

“None of your business, sir.” You answered. In spite of his awful behavior, you wanted to remain professional.

“If you’re wearing, what I think you’re wearing, you shouldn’t be dealing with all those tools!”

“Sir, if you don’t let me finish my work in peace, I will leave.”

“Oh. Are we throwing a tantrum?”

A tantrum? Who the hell is this guy?

“Alright, sir, that’s enough.” You tried to leave, but he was bigger and stronger and blocked the entryway. He held your wrists.

“Sir, let me go.”

“Oh no, little lady. Work’s not done.”

He forcefully removed your overalls. Your medical diaper was exposed. 

“Go on, keep working if you’re such an adult.” 

You obeyed, but did so red and humiliated. Nevertheless, he never left the room. Not once.

You figured that he would need to leave the room at some point. But what you hadn’t accounted for was that you would need to go to the bathroom much sooner than he would. Normally, using your diaper was a pleasure. But in this situation, it certainly didn’t feel like that. Your bladder suddenly ached and while you tried holding it as much as possible, your bladder was too weak from years of going into diapers. You barely held out for a few seconds before leaking into your diaper.

“Oh no.” you said in a high-pitched voice under your breath. You were bending down  to see the damage to your diaper. You had been completely and thoroughly humiliated. Brought down to nothing more than a baby who pisses her pants.

“Looks like princess went in her diaper! Good thing you were wearing them, baby!”

“I’m not a baby!” you bawled out.

“Shh-shh. It’s okay.” The man came to comfort you. You didn’t like him, but it did feel good to have strong arms around you. You felt safe. “Don’t worry, Daddy’s here. Daddy’s going to take of you from now on. No need to be a big girl.”

You liked being a big girl, but you had a feeling you didn’t have much of a choice.

Photo credit: Shantal from ByteMine

For more stories by me: https://reamstories.com/babywriter

[sturnwh0re]

*- jealous -*

( this is a quick fic. )

Contains: angry sex, p in v, unprotected it (wrap it then tap it folks), pet names, overstimulation, yelling, jealously (duh), whining/whimpering, begging, commanding, dirty talk.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

description: You decided to be petty to Chris. You and Chris weren’t dating yet and you always liked to tease him and pretend like you were with another boy. You had posted on your Snapchat story

“Me and him r hanging out again!”

Knowing you weren’t hanging out with any boy, you just wanted to rile up Chris.

I was sitting in my bed and refreshing the story views just to see if Chris was going to look at it. I had gasped when I seen his account pop up for the views. My heart had skipped a couple of beats and I waited for Chris to text my phone.

10 minutes had gone by and no text or even sign of Chris being bothered by this. Maybe—

my own thoughts were interrupted by 6 hard knocks on my front door. Fuck. I trembled myself to my front door and prepared myself for when I opened it. I opened it and Chris basically there himself at me.

He walked in then closed and locked the door behind him. “You like making me jealous, huh?!” He said pushing me back into my room, to where he locked the door behind us. “Do you like it?!”

He said angrily. He grabbed my face and made me look at him “tell me. FUCKING TELL ME.” He growled. I couldn’t help but feel myself get wetter at his jealous. ugh. Why was I liking this so much.

“I— I didn’t mean too..!” I mumbled. It was clear I knew what I was doing because I’ve been doing it for so long. He put one knee on the bed. “Oh really?” He chuckled. He clearly didn’t believe me.

He had started to undo his pants as he pushed my flat down on the bed “you always want to make me fucking jealous. I’m done with it.” He had sprung his cock free quicker than a blink of an eye.

Before I knew it he had snatched my shorts and panties off and thrown them to the other side of the room. “How many times do I have to fucking tell you?! YOUR MINE.” He said slamming into me, his length rubbing against my pussy walls. He had given me no warm up to adjust to his size, so his thickness was stretching me out around him.

“say it. Say your mine.” He said grabbing my neck and continuing to slam into me without mercy. Fuck.. I couldn’t help but love the way he fucked me like he hated me. “I’m— nghh..” I had struggled to get out.

“Tell me y/n say it. I wanna hear it from your dirty little mouth.” He said pushing and holding his cock deep inside of me. “Say it. I’ll give you 3 seconds.” He growled again.

“I’m— I’m yours.. please..” I whined out. He had chuckled again. “And you think I’d believe you?” He said. He started to slam into me again, making the headboard hit the wall. “Who the fuck were you hanging out with?!”

He said continuing to punish my insides. My breath was hitching and it felt so miserable but so damn good. His grip tightened on my throat as he brought his mouth up to my ear. “tell me y/n. I’m not gonna ask again.” He vibrated through his throat

“N—nobody.. nghh..” I moaned. The way he used his length as a weapon got me even wetter right there.

“Nobody? Yeah?!” He said continuing to slam into me. I had felt my legs start to shake and that knot in my stomach build from this almost repeated beating in my tight cunt.

“don’t start fucking shaking on me.” Chris growled holding my legs open. “You like making me jealous?! You like making me mad?!” He growled into my ear again.

The knot in my stomach slowly was getting tighter and tighter. “N—no.. fuck..” I whimpered as I held the wrist of the hand that was holding my throat. “I—I don’t..” I mumbled again.

“Good.. good fucking girl.. and who do you belong do again?— who does this tight little cunt belong to again?” He said bringing his hand on that holding my leg, down to my clit to start rubbing it with his finger.

I felt the knot get really tight as the over stimulation built up. I let out a long and loud moan as he started to rub my sensitive clit furiously. It was too hard to let words out. I simply just brushed my hand on his shirt and poked at him.

He chuckled and kissed my neck as he slowed down his pace. “Good.. you know..” he said. He was preparing to go faster before he felt something unleash onto his tip. I had came. The knot in my stomach broke and I unleashed my cum to coat Chris’ dick.

“Done already ma?” He chuckled as if he hadn’t fucked the sense out of me. “Don’t try that shit with me again. I fucking love you.” He said kissing up my neck again.

“I— love you t—oo..” I said panting and whimpering. But fuck.. he knew how to make me feel good..

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[yallthemwitches]

Legilimens

Perhaps the real James was doing it on purpose--using memories of Lily to either drive him insane or to push away the real secrets that hid beyond. If it was true, he was succeeding on all accounts.

During a duel, Snape attempts Legilimency on James. Canon compliant. Oneshot NSFW moments

AO3 Link here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57734398

He knew he would be alone in the corridor. Word had spread through the proper circles that Dumbledore was tightening security around muggleborns, especially at night. Of course Potter would jump at being a hero; trying to take his ego from being head boy to a new extreme. He clearly delegated himself to strut around the dungeons at night just for a chance to fight. 

Earlier that day he had watched him argue with Lily over it. He was standing across the dining hall from them, but her body language was unmistakable: shoulders square, jaw tight, and even being a head shorter than Potter, her eyes pierced through him. They spoke in quick, hushed tones before Lily stormed away with James chasing after her. They moved closer and Snape could start to make out their words. 

“I’m not WEAK,” Her attempt at keeping her voice down was meager at best. 

James grabbed at her hand and caught it deftly in mid swing. Lily swung around again, fists clenched.

“I know, Lils. Trust me, I know,” he pleaded. Hearing his nickname for her stabbed his chest. How dare he be so comfortable with her, especially when it was his fault she was this angry.

“Then let me come with you–we can do patrols together like usual. I don’t care what Dumbledore says—” despite her words teetering out, her gaze on him held strong. James was still holding her hand but the other remained curled at her side. 

“He needs you to work with the others. NOT because you can’t handle it, but because you need to be there for everyone else,” James took a sharp intake of breath. There was a rattle in his chest Snape had never seen before. The air seemed to be caught in James’ throat and his eyes looked heavy. 

“You are a target, you know–please, let me finish–I know that doesn’t mean anything to you but if someone like Mulicber or Nott found you—I dunno—It’s not a risk I’m willing to take.”

Snape waited for the blowback. Despite James’ rare upset of emotion, his Lily would never buy it. How dare he diminish her like that…tell her she was incapable—

“Ok, fine,” Lily huffed. “But only because only one of us can go— and because I know Mary has been having a rather rough go of it recently.” Both of their bodies softened a bit and James pulled her in and buried his face in her hair. Snape could see his mouth move to say something else, but it was lost to anyone but her. He could feel the acid in his stomach bubbling. Watching them together and rowing was one thing, but to have to see their acts of affection day after day was like an everlooping cruciatus curse. 

Now, Snape stood in the small corridor alcove. Perhaps Potter was too thick to realize it, but he was a target just as much as any muggleborn. Mulciber himself had expressed wanting to attack Potter and his crew for sullying the pureblood lines, for “shagging a mudblood slut” as he had put it—clearly referring to Lily. For Snape, it was strictly personal. 

He could hear James’ footsteps from the adjacent corridor. He was whistling a tune softly under his breath. So arrogant. 

He turned the corner and started towards where Snape was standing, but stopped some paces away. Snape held his breath and there was a moment of silence.    

James made a dramatic sigh, then spoke. “I’m really not in the mood Snivellus–”

Before he could finish his sentence, Snape jumped out. Stupefy!

James must have known where he was standing because he dodged the curse with relative ease, putting a ruddy parchment in his back pocket and brandishing his wand at the same time. 

James flicked his wand at Snape and he felt a soft burning sensation start to crawl up his arm. Snape needed to move quickly before it spread to the rest of his body. 

Bombarda! A blast hit the side of the rock wall and scattered dust. James stepped back wiping his glasses. Snape took the moment as his best opportunity. 

Incarcerous.

James’ body fell to the floor as though thousands of ropes had wrapped around him. He thrashed, watching his wand roll towards the far side of the corridor. 

It was too easy. Snape whispered a counterspell at his arm which stopped the increasing burning sensation. Potter continued to twist on the ground, but his wand was too far out of reach to be any help.

Snape stood over him and watched for a moment. It was a very rare experience to see Potter so incapacitated. He could feel the smile cracking at the sides of his face. 

This was the perfect moment. He wasn’t stupid; he knew that Potter and his little crew were already planning on joining Dumbledore against the Dark Lord the second they left school. Knowing Dumbledore, he had already confided in them secrets that would be valuable to the death eaters. Defeating Potter was a victory in itself, but to get in the good graces of the Dark Lord too? There was no greater luck. 

Snape twirled his wand tauntingly. From his writhing, James had dislodged his glasses and they hung from one ear. Snape wanted to remember this look forever. 

Legilimans.

The corridor blurred around him, he had the feeling of being sucked towards James for an instant, but then found himself standing in a rather plush living room. He was small: a child. An elderly man with crooked glasses was handing him a broomstick with a golden bow on top. 

Crack

He’s still a foot shorter. His arm is around a young Lupin who is sporting fresh cuts along his body. His clothes are shabby and torn in comparison to his.

“I’ve never told anyone before —If you don’t want to be my mate I-I understand.”

He can feel his hand tighten around Lupin’s shoulder. His mouth moves and he hears James’ voice come out.

“We’re going to figure it out, together.. There’s got to be a way for it to be better–right?” 

Lupin has tears forming in his eyes. He laughs. 

Crack

They are older. In a room filled with Quidditch posters and stagnate pictures of muggle rock bands, a younger Sirius looks down at a pile of opened books. His hair cascading around his face and a cigarette hanging from his mouth. 

“It sounds doable mate. Look—” 

Crack

He’s back in his own body for a moment. Potter’s eyes are wide and burning. He is trying his best to block him, and seems to have succeeded for a moment, but it takes just another push and the corridor blurs once more.

She couldn’t be older than 4th year. He knew because she wore her hair just past shoulder length then. Her head bowed to a textbook open between them. She lets out a laugh: a real laugh. His hand moves to turn the page and brushes hers. A small blush forms on her cheeks. Is this when it began? All the way before 6th year? He could remember her giving him glances before, but had always assumed they were of the disgust she claimed to have for him whenever probed. Had he misread her?

Before he could watch what she did next, she disappeared into smoke with another Crack. His vision was different now. His eyesight was no higher than a few feet off the ground. He could smell earth and an oncoming rainstorm. He felt all his senses heightened and he watched the trees of the forbidden forest sway with the shift in weather. 

A still young Sirius sat back in shock on the ground. He breathed heavily but his smile enveloped his face. 

“Blimey James, You’ve bloody done it!” Sirius lets out a cathartic laugh. 

What had he done? Snape didn’t understand. 

Crack. 

He was standing back in the corridor again. James had inched himself closer to his wand and was in the process of shifting to be able to reach it. 

“What did you do?” Snape screamed, despite knowing he was unable to answer. Snape took a step forward and kicked the wand farther away and James’ eyes darkened with malice. 

“You’re too weak, as expected.” James closed his eyes. He looked like he was focusing hard. Perhaps he was trying to tuck everything he didn’t want Snape to see away in his mind. Snape let out a laugh.

“What’s wrong Potter? Not such a top student in Occlumency I see.” James furrowed his brow. Snape flicked his wand and the corridor disappeared again. 

His eyesight was normal again and he was older now. He could feel the weight of a quidditch kit on his shoulders. She was there again, looking closer to how she looked now. There was color on her cheeks much like the last memory of her. She reached out her hand and placed it softly on his arm. 

“Good Luck, Potter.” Her eyes rose to his and she gave a small smile. She had looked at Snape a thousand times, but never like that. With a quiet tenderness, not of friendship but of timid attraction. 

Snape felt his own heart flutter, despite it not being directed at him. 

Crack. 

There’s a flash of red hair. The smell of roses. Lips moving against his. He feels her hands reaching up to curl into his hair as she sighs into his mouth, letting his tongue wander into hers. She’s flushed and pressing herself up against him. 

When was this? 6th year? Later? They are in an empty classroom and the flickering lights signal that it's late at night; perhaps she was doing rounds.

Disgust and joy mix in his stomach. He had always dreamed of holding her—kissing her like this. How could Potter have been so lucky? How did she allow herself to be tricked by him so easily?

Another Crack.

Perhaps the real James was doing it on purpose--using memories of her to either drive him insane or to push away the real secrets that hid beyond. If it was true, he was succeeding on all accounts. 

Again the smell of roses. He felt her hands moving deftly around his chest. She was on top of him— no, not just on top of him, riding him. Her face was flushed, eyes blown-out and staring with an ecstatic yearning. She was still clothed, but her white blouse had been unbuttoned and the pink curve of a nipple peaked out behind the fabric. It took moments of shock before he could actually take in how good he felt. There was a heat mounting from where their bodies connected underneath her skirt. She leaned forward to put her lips against his neck; her nipples hard against his body. 

“James, I think I’m going to come.” 

Crack. 

Snape, back in his own body, slammed a fist against the stonewall of the corridor. He had known they fancied each other. He had known they were going out–had seen them too many times flaunting their relationship and snogging around the classrooms and corridors. But he didn’t know that they had done that. 

Snape’s heart pounded. On one hand the exhilaration of seeing Lily in such a state of desire—it was all he ever wanted. More than the good graces of the Dark Lord, more than any power anyone could give him. But not from his eyes. 

He gave James a swift kick to the stomach and James made a muffled wince of pain. 

“Stop toying with me,” Snape roared. He had half the mind to keep kicking him until James’ face no longer resembled the beloved Quidditch hero everyone fawned over, but he needed to try one last time. 

At this point Snape couldn’t tell what he wanted: to finally get the information he needed or to see Lily, as vile as it was, vicariously through Potters’ eyes. 

She was there again. He felt her skin pressing on his. They were both naked, lying in a four poster bed that was shrouded by curtains. She layed half draped over his body while his hand moved absentmindedly though her hair. 

This couldn’t have been, by his judgment, more than just weeks ago. 

Her body felt soft and warm, if not flushed with sweat from activities that had clearly just ended. 

She sat up abruptly, leaning one of her elbows on his chest. It was difficult to ignore the feel of her breast touching him lightly when her chest rose and fell against him. 

 She looked at him. The green in her eyes was still deep and heavy from sex; her hair fell in a ruffled mess around her face. 

“I love you.” She said it so simply. It rang out into the air and hovered there. He could feel James’ body tighten. There was a feeling of flying;of absolute joy within his chest. 

“Don’t respond yet. Please. Just— let it exist by itself for a second.” In any other circumstance it would sound like chiding. 

“I love you.” She repeated. James’ hand reached out and grabbed her chin while the other snaked around her body, twisting her so he laid on top. Their lips found each other, and he could feel how absolutely ravenous his body was for her. She responded to him, holding onto him tightly and running a hand through the hairs on the nape of his neck. 

“I love you too. Merlin, I love you. I love you. “ The words were tumbling out and Lily laughed underneath him, before letting out a sigh as his mouth started to kiss it’s way down her neck and towards the rest of her body—

Crack

He hadn’t noticed that he had started crying. He had clearly been crying for a moment as his nose had already begun to run and his cheeks were stained. He only had time to wipe his face before a voice rang out. 

Expelliarmus. 

His wand flew back. She was there. Not in one of Potter’s memories but in the flesh. She looked much like she did in the last memory he saw, but instead of pure adoration in her eyes, there was a dark hatred. She ducked down and whispered an incantation on James, which freed him from his binding. 

James quickly jumped up, grabbed his wand and slashed it in the direction of Snape, which pushed him back into the wall with crushing force, knocking the wind from his chest. 

Snape pushed himself to stand and moved to make a cutting motion in the air, but Lily jumped in front of James, arms outstretched. 

“Sev. STOP.”

It was almost ironic. The last time he had seen her stand like this, she was protecting him from Potter. 

He could hear her words ringing in his head still. I love you. But not to him.

Before he even recognized he was saying it, he cried out at her. 

“How dare you love him. After everything.” He knew he probably looked like a child; tears staining his face and dirty from the explosion earlier. Lily didn’t move from her stance but gave him a confused look. James moved forward and tried to muscle his way past her. 

“He knows how to use Legilimency Lily, he’s trying to—” but Lily pushed him back, giving Snape a small pang of satisfaction to see a bit of his Lily come through.

She turned back to him, the confusion lost and her features now hardlined. 

“How dare I? Dare I?” Her eyes were slits. This all felt remarkably familiar to Snape. He took a step back. The last time they rowed like this, she was still his friend; still saw Potter for what he was. Now, he didn’t know what she would do to him. 

But she did nothing other than speak in a flat, emotionless tone. 

“I’ll give you one chance Sev. Walk away.” James looked ready to retort, but Lily held him back with one hand. 

“Please.” She was giving him an out. Even he knew he didn’t deserve it. James’ eyes seared into him. Did you see what you wanted? Snape wanted to tear his face apart for everything James had been able to do that he couldn’t. Everything he was for her, that he wasn’t. 

Snape turned his back and felt both Lily and James’ eyes on him for a while before he could hear Lily relax. He turned just slightly to watch them. Lily now fussed with his scratched and ruddy face and James talked in quick, rough whispers to her. She kissed the side of his temple and James’ eyes caught his before he turned the corner. It didn’t matter if he had technically won the duel with him. James’ eyes reflected what Snape felt inside his gut. 

You lost. 

[jjwantsme]

It’s Christmas, Charlie Brown!

j.m

pairing: jj maybank x girlfriend!reader

summary: after years of neglection, christmas was never an excitement in JJ’s life- that is, until he met y/n

warning: kind of grumpy boyfriend x sunshine girlfriend trope, fluff, mentions of abusive family, cussing, references to smut, let me know if there’s anything missing!

authors note: i couldn’t sleep at 6am and came up with this. Time for a holiday special!!! Sorry im over a week late 😭😭

masterlist

JJ groaned a bit as he felt his shoulder being shaken, still half asleep as he listened to his girlfriend’s bubbly voice.

“JJ, wake up, wake up, it’s christmas!” Y/n cheered, excitement radiating off her flushed face.

“baby, baby,” JJ rasped, “it’s 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 christmas. Don’t cream your pants over it.”

“‘Just Christmas’?!” She gasped dramatically, pretending to be overly offended- which, wasn’t too far from the truth. “now, come on, get up so we can make breakfast!”

JJ couldn’t really relate to her excitement.

Unlike his loving girlfriend, he grew up in a broken home.

Growing up with an abusive father, and an absentee mother, JJ never really got to have Christmas. His father never held them by the fire or watched movies with him; he received a present once, but it was taken shortly after on account of bad behavior.

So, because of him never getting to experience all of the christmas magic, it was never a big deal to him. In his book, it was just any old day.

And, normally, that would be a deal breaker for y/n. However, seeing as JJ is perfect for her in every other aspect, she let it slide this time.

She’d just have to make-up for all of the christmas he’s missed.

“Breakfast?” JJ sat up and groaned, “I thought your parents would be doing that!”

“Well, yeah…but, I asked if we could do it,” y/n grinned, clearly not understanding his exhaustion, “It’s part of the fun!”

She began putting bottoms over her bare legs, still half-naked from when JJ undressed her the night before.

JJ couldn’t help but let out a small smile at her excitement, looking over all the hickeys on her stomach.

Boy, was he in for a long holiday.

“Oh, JJ! This is for you,” Mrs. y/l/n chirped as she handed JJ a gift, “from me and y/n’s father!”

Y/n had definitely received her positive attitude from her mother.

“Oh, shit, y-you guys really didn’t have to get me anything,” JJ chuckled and shook his head, rubbing his neck as he grabbed the present.

“Of course we did!”

JJ smiled wide as he opened the gift, feeling like a little kid again as y/n sat right next to him.

He wasn’t used to any parents loving him the way y/n’s did, it was definitely still something to get used to.

Her parents absolutely adored him, always inviting him over for meals and letting him spend the night

When they first met, JJ thought for sure they’d despise him, the same way most parents do. He thought they’d say he’s a bad influence on their daughter, and that he’s no good just like his dad.

But, they never said that. They took him in with open arms.

JJ opened the gift slowly, his smile growing when he opened the box to reveal a ring.

A ring with the letter “J” imprinted onto it.

“Do you like it?” Y/n smiled up at him with her innocent voice.

“I love it!” He was so happy, he almost laughed, “Thank you guys, so much!”

He gave her parents quick hugs.

“Now open mine, open mine!” Y/n couldn’t contain her excitement, and anticipation, as she handed him the gift she picked out.

He opened hers much more quickly, and he swore his cheeks were going to break from smiling too hard when he saw it. A necklace with her first initial on it.

“Do you like it? Look, I got us matching ones!” She pulled hers out of her hoodie pocket, (the same hoodie she stole from JJ), and showed it to him.

It had a J on it, and he blushed so hard that he saw stars. He wouldn’t be surprised if there were hearts in his eyes.

“Oh my god, baby,” JJ kissed her head, and then her cheek, and then her lips. “I absolutely adore it.”

Y/n couldn’t help the giddy tears that welled up in her eyes as she watched him put it on with so much pride.

“I’ll never take it off!”

“Who’s idea was it to invite them over? Like, seriously, who let John B in?” Kiara jokingly asked as she watched him and pope nearly break y/n’s family vase.

“Ha-ha, very funny, kie.” Pope sarcastically replied, taking his seat at the dinning table.

After everyone’s parents approval, y/n had invited all of the pogues over for christmas dinner at her place. Her mother made a five-course-meal for them, and let them have sparkling water to drink.

Y/n was pretty close with the pogues, especially sarah, as she grew up a kook. Well, nobody really called her a kook. She had a foot in both worlds; her parents were filthy rich, but she never acted snobby or better than anyone. She didn’t fit in with the other kooks, which is why she was more of a lone-wolf- that is, until she met the pogues.

“Oh, it’s fine!” Y/n’s mom insisted as she took her seat, “We can afford a new one, no worries!”

“Thank you, Mrs. y/l/n, this all looks amazing,” Pope nervously changed the conversation topic as he examined the meal, already having his heart set on the glazed ham.

“Hey, princess,” JJ spoke quietly to y/n as everyone else engaged in their own conversation, “can i talk to you in the other room for a moment?”

Y/n bit her lip, which was an anxiety-motivated habit, before nodding.

“We’ll be right back!” JJ smiled at everyone, taking his girl’s hand and leading her to the living room.

“What is it?” Y/n asked once they were alone, watching as JJ took a present from under the tree.

“Just wanted to give you your present…” he trailed off, handing a wrapped, book-shaped item to her.

“Awh, baby,” she pouted as she took it from him, “you know you didn’t have to get me anything!”

“What, you really thought i wouldn’t get you a present? On your favorite holiday?” He raised his eyebrows, “Jeez, i’m not that poor.”

Y/n unwrapped the gift, letting out a small gasp when she saw what it was.

A scrapbook of their relationship thus far, with polaroids of them from the very beginning.

JJ grew nervous when he saw how silent she was, her usually being his little chatterbox.

Most people probably found it annoying how talkative she was, but he thought it was just the most precious thing.

“Do you not like it? I’m sorry if it’s not…i don’t know, fancy enough? I was on a budget, i thought it was cute, but i completely understand if you don’t like it, it is kind of cor-“

Y/n cut him off by kissing him, passionately, as she rested a hand on his shoulder.

She pulled away after almost a minute, looking him in the eyes.

“Is that your way of telling me you would’ve liked a more sexual gift? Cause, y’know i have no problem getting you a-“

“JJ!” She spoke sharply as she cut him off, trying not to laugh, “I love it, you dumbass!”

“Really?” JJ’s face went from a smirk to a soft smile as she spoke.

“Of course, I do! I’ve never gotten anything this thoughtful. Thank you so much. I’ll read every single page.” She grinned and hugged him tight, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He smiled wide and hugged her back, just as tight.

He was so nervous about the gift, only having a few dollars to spend.

But, her reaction made him proud of himself, and happier than words can explain.

“So…about that sex toy-“

“JJ!”

“I really can’t believe you’ve never seen this before,” Y/n and JJ cuddled on her bed, watching a charlie brown christmas special. “It’s a classic!”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” He shrugged in reply.

Y/n giggled at his remark, making him smile.

“Y/n, I actually, uh, I wanted to…talk to you about something.” JJ rubbed the back of his neck, making her pause the movie.

“What is it, baby?”

“I just…” he sighed, “I wanted to say thank you.”

She furrowed her eyebrows, “Thank you? For what?”

“I don’t know, I guess just…being with me. Y’know, letting me be yours. I know we’ve only been dating 10 months, but…you really are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I really can’t thank you, or your family, enough for everything you’ve done.” JJ shook his head and sniffled, “I don’t deserve it.”

“Awh, my love,” y/n pouted and sat up to cup his cheeks, “of course you deserve it. You deserve more, actually. I love you so much, and I just know there’s many more christmas’ like this to come.”

He rested his forehead against hers and whispered, “I love you more, beautiful.”

Y/n finished their conversation with a kiss, a kiss that didn’t end until JJ moved his hands up her shirt and began kissing her neck.

“Gonna show you how much I love you,” He mumbled against her neck as he nibbled on it.

Let’s just say; what they did that night, definitely would’ve gotten them on the naughty list.

[spopsalt]

How to show abusers Helluva Boss vs Hazbin Hotel vs Rick and Morty

So, I've been meaning to make this post for a while, but an anon said they'd like to see the post, so I was finally motivated to make it!

Ok first up, let's do Helluva Boss, I was wondering wheter to use Stolas or Stella for this one, since both of them are horrible portrayals of abusers, but there is a similar portrayal on how Stolas is portrated with Hazbin Hotel, so I chose to use Stella.

Yep. This is an actual line from the show. Depth? What's that!? Stella is just made to be a Saturday one-dimensional cereal box villain. Who only exists so people can feel bad for poor Stolas. The thing is she had potential to be an interesting and complex character but nope! She just exists to make you feel bad for the poor baby Stolas ohhhh noooo she's mean. They acts like this isn't hell and even is supposed to be nice.

Hazbin Hotel

So Lucifer is Charlie's dad, and this image is the best way I can describe his portrayal. He was emotionally neglectful of Charlie's (Fuck you to anyone who says neglecting isn't abuse it's a form of abuse) and he does not get held accountable. He doesn't even apologize for neglecting his daughter for years on end. He also makes it very clear that he does not support her dream in the slightest and allows angels to kill his own people because he considers then beyond saving, and he does this despite knowing that his daughter hates it. All he does is say "Oh wait I support your dream now" then he gets portrayed as some amazing person. He clearly still sees Charlie as a child he literally says "I'll shelter and adore you more than anything" while hugging her. And he only called her when he was bored. He didnt even improve after his shitty half-assed rushed "redemption" being dismissive after she was feeling extremely upset about the amount of casualties in a war instead of trying to understand her. What an amazing father.

Rick and Morty

Rick Sanchez is a really amazing portrayal in my opinion. The gif I'm showing above shows his trauma with someone named Rick Prime. Showing that abusers are normally the way they are due to something horrible happening to them in their past, and while it makes a lot of what he did make sense, he's still held accountable because he's still a VERY horrible person. He constantly emotionally abused his grandson (Morty) there were even times where the abuse got physically (4 times if I'm correct) and has done awful things to keep him codependent. He's very codependent on Morty and relies on him for various things, like keeping him emotionally stable when thats a ridiculous and unfair thing to depend on someone for, especially your 14 year old grandson. But Rick isnt shown as being in the right for this and is called out mainly by Morty and some of the other family members when he's being a piece of shit. But he's shown to feel guilt for the shitty things he done at times and hates himself because of it. He's also shown mutiple times that he does truly lover and care about Morty mutiple times throughout the series, being very protective over him and even willing to die for him on one occasion. It still shows him as being human without glorifying him or demonizing him. Like it or not, abusers are still people. They aren't good people, but they are people nonetheless. And I love how Rick and Morty shows that. They have 2 neglectful parents here but I'm only covering one abuser per show so maybe I'll cover them in another post.

[kisscara]

pity party [scaramouche x gn!reader] ⎯⎯ modern au, minor angst, fluff

scaramouche claimed he's never come to care about his birthday. anymore, at least. since kindergarten and every other grade after that, not a single person cared to show up when they were invited. he clearly remembers sitting at the dinner table, party hat atop his head seemingly drooping in the sad setting of the room.

but there was another thing. he always invited the whole class, except for one person. there were a lot of rumors about you and scaramouche wanted to stay as far away from you as possible so that his classmates wouldn't mistaken him for being your friend. it'd completely ruin his image.

however, on scaramouche's eighteenth birthday, he wondered what would happen should he invite you. of course, he'll slide invitations in the lockers of the rest of his peers, but just like before, they probably wouldn't care to come. it didn't even matter if they didn't have a gift, just their presence alone would put scaramouche over the moon.

and so, he waited in the living room. every now and then, he'd play video games on his phone, hoping to wait out the arrival of his peers much more quicker but in reality, he was trying to get his birthday over with.

suddenly, the sound of the doorbell going off caused him to sit up from his slouching position. could it be? scaramouche tossed his phone aside and practically ran to the front door. he swung it open and his heart began doing somersaults in his chest.

you awkwardly stood there, waiting for him to speak up. when he didn't say anything, you took it upon yourself to engage the conversation. "happy birthday, scaramouche." you presented your wrapped gift for him with a smile. he idly stood, frozen as you placed the gift in his hands.

you welcomed yourself inside of his home, and that's when he finally snapped out of his trance. "that took me a lot of time to wrap, so i'd appreciate it if you viciously ripped it apart when i leave," you playfully commented. scaramouche carefully put your gift on the table in the dining room and a grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

"this is a big occasion, isn't it? after all, you're finally an adult." you sat on the couch and scaramouche joined you. "um, yeah. listen, we haven't properly met before, right?" he asked. you murmured, "mhm, i figured you were avoiding me like everyone else." at that, scaramouche tensed up.

you burst into a fit of laughter, "c'mon, i'm just kidding! what's with the serious look?" scaramouche relaxed his shoulders in relief. his first party guest and he nearly screwed it over. you grinned, "i'm (name). they don't really like me just because... you know what, i don't know either but hey,"

you took a party hat from the table and placed it on your head. "i didn't know eighteen year olds still held birthday parties like this," you giggle, to which scaramouche replied in a flustered frenzy, "my mom put those out!" you laugh, "i get it. by the way, do you like horror movies?" scaramouche looked to the side.

"my mom still has me on a netflix kids account and she gets notified whenever i try making a purchase using my credit card..." scaramouche covered his face in embarrassment. you leaned against the couch, "you too, huh?" scaramouche looked up from his hands to glance at you.

has celestia sent down an angel for him?

you waved around a few dvd cases that came from your bag, "i used my friend's money to get these. i obviously paid them back." you stood up and crouched down in front of the dvd player on the tv set. "you ever watch a nightmare on elm street, poltergeist, scream, halloween... any of the classics at all?"

scaramouche shook his head and you flashed him a smile, "great, me neither!"

that evening, scaramouche lost track of time marathoning horror movies with you. the two of you ate the snacks from his dining room and hid under a big blanket, all of the lights turned off to set the right mood. he was grateful that you didn't question where the rest of the guests were, not once.

you tightened the grip on your popcorn bowl and scaramouche intently watched the screen. "i can't look," you squealed, covering your eyes. scaramouche couldn't help but let out a chuckle. he had a feeling that if he were watching horror movies alone, he'd be looking away as well. but he wouldn't miss this for the world.

suddenly, the front door slammed open and you and him shouted in unison. you fell off of the couch and scaramouche looked over. "oh, it's much too dark in here, it's bad for your eyes," ei tutted, turning on the light. she tilted her head, "kuni, who's that, dear?"

scaramouche gritted his teeth, "i'm busy, mom-" ei gasped, "is this a party guest?" she started giggling, "i expected this birthday to be like the rest but i'm glad you found a worthy friend, kuni! i'll be in my room, okay? don't stay up too late, you two!" you sat back down on the couch and exclaimed, "thank you, miss!"

the second scaramouche heard ei's bedroom door close, he turned the lights back off. "sorry about her," scaramouche muttered. the movie served as pure background noise as you remarked, "she seems sweet. where was she the whole time, work?" scaramouche mumbled, "yeah, runs a business."

your pupils dilated, "really? that's so cool, no wonder you have a ton of friends." scaramouche froze up from where he was sitting next to you. friends. in class, they'll act like his friends, but it's like they're strangers the second they step outside of the school grounds. i mean, they don't even go to his birthday parties.

"mhm." he rested his chin in his palm, "after this, are you going to pretend we don't know each other in class, just like before?" you perk up in surprise. "why would i? i have a new friend now ⎯ ah wait, i don't even know if it's mutual," you nervously corrected yourself with a sheepish smile.

scaramouche's porcelain complexion flushed red. "you... want to be my friend?" he asked in a small voice. "definitely! you're funner than i took you for, scaramouche!" you happily comment before tossing another popcorn into your mouth.

"okay. let's be friends, (name)." scaramouche gave you a smile and you smiled back. he looked at the television set. "by the way, funner isn't a word," he said. you complained, "is too!" scaramouche laughed. for the first time ever, he genuinely laughed with a friend.

a half hour later, you checked your phone's notifications. "oh, i got to go, my mom's car is outside." you quickly gathered your things and put on your shoes. scaramouche solemnly watched as you reached for the doorknob. "hey," at your call, he looked up from the floor.

"you can keep the dvds, i'll come back another time to get them. you can watch the rest without me or wait 'til i'm free. got it?" you winked at him and scaramouche lightly chuckled, "yeah, i'll wait for you." you waved, "thanks for the great night, scara! i'll see you at school tomorrow!"

and the front door shut with a click.

scaramouche's gaze caught your gift on the table. he made his way over and began to delicately unwrap it. he read the sticky note on the box, word for word. 'happy 18th birthday, scaramouche!! i don't know you too well, but i sewed this up myself. i hope you like it ♡'

scaramouche removed the top of the box and his eyes lit up. a felt doll that looked just like him. with caution, he took it out of the box, feeling as if he'd ruin this precious treasure so easily if he wasn't careful. he held it to his chest and sighed in content.

from that point on, he looks forward to his birthday, all because of one person.

© kisscara

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

"Murder is Werewolves" - Batman

I don't got the SPOONS to do this thought train justice, I have seriously been trying to write this thing for MONTHS so just, idk, have this half baked skeletal outline of the essay I guess:

I don't believe that Batman's no-kill rule is primarily about rehabilitation or second chances.

His refusal to believe that Cassandra could have killed someone when she was eight years old because "how could a killer understand my commitment not to kill" is absolute fucking MOON LOGIC from a rehabilitationist standpoint. No jury on the planet would think for even a second that she could reasonably be held accountable for her actions in that situation! Her past cannot condemn her to being incapable of valuing human life under a rehabilitation centering framework. However, Batman's reasoning makes perfect sense if he believes that killing is a spiritually/morally corrupting act which permanently and fundamentally changes a person, and that corruption can never be fully undone.

Dick Grayson killing the Joker is treated both narratively and by Batman as an unequivocally WIN for the Joker. The Joker won by turning Nightwing into a killer. Note that this is during a comic in which the Joker transforming people was a major theme! Batman didn't revive the Joker because the Joker deserved to live; he revived the Joker to lift the burden on Dick.

His appeal to Stephanie when she tried to kill her dad is that she shouldn't ruin her own life. He gives no defense of Cluemaster's actual life. Granted this is a rhetorical strategy moment and should be taken with a generous pinch of salt, but it fits in the pattern.

When Jason becomes a willful killer, he essentially disowns him, never treats him with full trust ever again, and... Well, we can stop here for Bruce's sake. Bottom line is that his actions towards Jason do not lead me to believe that he thinks Jason can become a better person without having his autonomy taken from him, either partially or fully.

The Joker is, for better or worse, the ultimate symbol and vessel of pure, irredeemable evil in DC comics now. He hasn't been just another crook in a long time. He will never get better, he will only get worse. If you take it to be true that the Joker will not or can not rehabilitate, then there's no rehabilitationist argument against killing him.

Batman does not seem to consider it a possibly that he'll rehabilitate. Batman at several points seems to think that the Joker dying in a manner no one could have prevented would be good. Yet Batman fully believes that if he killed the Joker, he himself would become irredeemable.

Batman's own form of justice (putting people into the hospital and then prison) is fucking brutal and clearly not rehabilitative. He disrespects the most basic human rights of all criminals on a regular basis. It is genuinely really, really weird from a rehabilitationist standpoint that his only uncrossable line is killing... But it makes perfect sense if he cares more about not corrupting himself with the act of killing than the actual ethical results of any individual decision to kill or not kill.

In the real world cops are all bastards because they are too violent to criminals, even when that violence doesn't lead to death. Prison is a wildly evil thing to do to another human being, and you don't use it to steal away massive portions of a person's life if your goal is to rehabilitate them. In the comic world, Batman is said to be necessary because the corrupt cops are too nice to criminals and keep letting them out of jail. I don't know how to write a connector sentence there so like I hope you can see why this bothers me so damn much! That's just not forgiveness vibes there Batman!!

I want to make special note here of the transformative aspect. You don't simply commit a single act when you kill, no, you become a killer, like you might become a werewolf.

The narrative supports this a lot!

Why did Supes go evil during Injustice? He killed the Joker. Why did Bruce become the Batman Who Laughs? Bruce killed the Joker. Why was Jason Todd close to becoming a new Joker during Three Jokers? Because he killed people, to include the Joker.

Even if these notions of redemption being impossible aren't the whole of his reasoning (people never have only one reason for doing what they do) it is a distinct through-line pattern in his actions and reasoning, and it is directly at odds with notions of rehabilitation, redemption, and second chances.

So why does he give so many killers second chances?

Firstly because this doesn't apply to all versions of Batman. Some writers explicitly incorporate rehabilitation and forgiveness into his actions. You will be able to provide me with examples of this other through-line pattern if you go looking for them. The nature of comics is to be inconsistent.

Secondly the existence of that other pattern does not negate the existence of this one. People and characters are complex, and perfectly capable of holding two patterns of belief within themselves, even when they conflict to this degree. You can absolutely synthesize these two ideas into a single messy Batman philosophical vibescape.

Finally and most importantly to this essay: he has mercy on killers the same way that werewolf hunters sometimes have mercy on someone who is clearly struggling against their monsterous nature, especially if they were turned in exceptional circumstances or against their will. They understand that they are sick, damned beasts, cursed to always be fighting against themselves and the evil they harbor within. It is vitally kind to help them fight themselves by curtailing their autonomy in helpful ways and providing them with chances to do some good to make up for their eternal moral deficiency.

I think in many comics Batman views killers as lost souls. Battered and tormented monsters who must be pitied and given mercy wherever possible. (The connections to mental health, addiction, and rampant, horrifying ableism towards people struggling with both is unavoidable, but addressing it is sadly outside of the scope of this essay.)

Above all, the greatest care possible must be taken to never, ever let yourself become one of them, because once you have transformed the beast will forever be within you growing stronger.

To Batman, it is the most noble burden, the highest mercy, the most important commandment: Thou shalt suffer the monsters to live.

[w-a-t-e-r-m-e-l-o-n-e]

eye stuff

featuring: hinata shoyo

warnings: none, sfw, fluffy, smooching, maybe a little cringy

hinata shoyo x g/n reader

a/n: this was my first time writing a kiss so hope it’s okay </3. at least, I think it is. maybe just on this account. not really sure why but I really like this fic

masterlist

being best friends for years would lead you to believe you knew everything about someone. you would think that after moving across the world to a different country with him, there could be nothing left about hinata shoyo that would surprise you. yet, here you were, surprised and chasing him around your shared apartment.

it should’ve been an ordinary day. you were supposed to buy groceries and go back home, but on the way out of the apartment, hinata spotted a beach volleyball game short one person and immediately jumped in. without his goggles.

“shoyo, it’s just one drop in each eye and you’ll feel so much better!”

he shook his head vehemently, managing to run around the couch despite his clearly irritated, teary eyes. “I can’t do eye stuff, y/n. it freaks me out!”

“stop calling it ‘eye stuff’, you make it sound like I’m trying to do something weird!”

you continued to circle each other slowly, him always managing to stay out of your reach. despite your pleas, he held firm that he could never willingly use them. you made one last attempt, deciding to jump over the couch. hinata’s eyes widened as you stepped onto the cushion, ready to launch yourself over. he was making his escape when he heard your yelp and crash as your foot got stuck and you plummeted to the ground.

“oh my god, oh my god, are you okay?!”

he ran to your side and kneeled next to you as you groaned on the floor. he spotted the mischievous glint in your eye a second too late. you looked over to him and tackled him backwards, cackling at his look of horror. you scrambled to sit on his waist before he could get up.

he looked up at you betrayed, still trying to blink the sand out of his eyes, “was that all a set-up??”

you shook your head and held your throbbing nose with a strong sense of victory. he squirmed at the sight of the drops in your hand, trying to cover his face. you managed to pry his arms out of the way, leaning in as he squinted. you inspected his expression and sighed, “never mind, I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

you began to get up, but his hands gently grabbed your hips. when you looked back, he was defeated, eyes red, “just get it over with.”

you smiled and leaned over him, your free hand cupping his face. he watched the bottle nervously, but his gaze eventually shifted to your concentrated look, eyes narrowed and lips parted. your eyebrows furrowed as you watched his face, waiting for him to stop closing his eyes at your every movement. they finally managed to stay open long enough for you to squeeze a drop into each one quickly before he could change his mind. his hands squeezed your hips instinctively and then relaxed as he got used to the feeling. he blinked harshly, tears rinsing the sand out. you gently wiped his cheeks with your thumbs and grinned triumphantly at him, “that wasn’t so bad, right?”

he stared at you for a moment, neither of you looking away. being with shoyo was always easy, comfortable, but for some reason, the way he was looking at you was making it hard to breathe. his eyes flickered between yours and your slightly agape lips. with a characteristic lack of hesitation, he pushed himself up on his elbows and pressed his lips to yours.

you were still, your eyes wide and lips unmoving. in your years of friendship, nothing like this had happened before. at least, not to this extent. sure, you’d found yourself admiring the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled and how it felt like the sun was beaming down on you when he waved, but all of that was normal. simple, fleeting feelings in passing moments that lived deep in the recesses of your mind. little things that you would never let ruin what you had with him.

you pulled away and watched his eyes fly open, face turned panicked, “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t ha-”

you grasped his shoulders and looked to the side nervously, “no, it’s- it’s okay. can I..?” your voice trailed off as you turned back to him, hand moving back to his cheek. he nodded once and that was all it took.

your eyes fluttered closed as your lips met. this time it was steadier, realer. he reached up to trace your jaw and let his hand linger. your heartbeats were loud, reverberating between the two of you. it was sweet. like shoyo. your shoyo.

that thought had your face flushing and you pulled away, out of breath. he pushed himself up, chasing after you. he finally opened his eyes and soaked you in. he gripped your hips like he was afraid you’d try to leave and asked, tone serious, “can we do that again?”

thank you for reading <3

[gh0stsp1d3r]

OK LUKE X CHILD OF ERIS

The goddess of chaos,and reader fucking has wings!

𝒞𝒽𝒶ℴ𝓈

I LOVE THAT???? THIS IS SO GREAT, also im so sorry this took me a while to finish ): ugh

Warnings- profanity, beating someone up (what’d you expect tho), mention of blood

As your mother didn’t have a cabin, you spent years in the Hermes cabin. You were her only child, no sense in making a new cabin, plus, Dionysus and the others didn’t like Eris at all, she was one of the most hated among the Gods.

And since you’ve been there for so long, you became close with the Hermes children as a child. You became especially close with one boy named Luke.

Growing up, the two of you would pull pranks and mess around with the heads of camp. Dionysus, the old counselors, Chiron, and at one point the Gods themselves.

The Gods disliked you and your mother never talked to you, you were bound to cause trouble.

You had proved to be quite a problem around camp, and somehow managed to still become a counselor.

Now you were skipping stones on the lake, after cancelling the lessons you had with some campers.

“Thought you had lessons.” A voice said, coming up behind you. You didn’t have to turn around to know it was Luke.

“I cancelled.” You replied, only turning when he came next to you.

“Why?” He asked, picking up a stone from the ground and skipping them with you.

“Didn’t feel like it today.” You said with a small shrug, your wings were tucked but slightly fluttered as you moved.

“Mmm.” He mumbled, and you both skipped the stone at the same time.

“Looks like I win.” You said with a smirk on your face. He groaned.

“You always win.”

“So, why are you here?” You asked the boy, turning to him now.

He shrugged. “Bored.” Lie. He wanted to see you.

You nodded. “Well, i would say we should fuck something up but I’m guessing you’re busy.” You spoke, looking around the scene.

“Never too busy for you.”

You rolled his eyes at his flirtatiousness, you two often “jokingly” flirted and teased, you shoved his shoulder and he just laughed.

“You’re weird.” You spoke, walking away. He followed and was soon walking next to you.

“I’m weird?” He scoffed. You gave him a glare.

“Sorry, I was joking.” He held his hands up in defense. You walked back to camp, new campers were being brought in.

“Hey, uh, I’m really sorry, but do you think you guys could show the new campers around? I have a uh… emergency.” One of the Aphrodite counselors spoke, coming up to you both.

You furrowed your eyebrows.

“What’s wrong?” You asked her, not believing her for a second.

“One of my sisters is in the infirmary.”

Before you could speak, Luke spoke. “Okay. Yeah. Sure, no problem.” You nudged him in the arm.

She thanked you and ran over to another cabin.

“Dude!”

“What?”

“She’s lying.” You motioned to her now running over to her boyfriend, kissing him with a smile on her face.

“Oh.”

“Jesus Christ, you need to learn not to be so nice to everyone. She’s an asshole.”

“One of us has to. Why’s she an asshole?” He shrugged, looking at the campers.

“Because. I can just tell.” He furrowed his eyebrows and just began to talk to the kids.

“Okay, hello, everyone! Welcome, to camp half blood. I am Luke Castellan, and this is Y/n L/n. We are going to be giving you your tour instead, on account of…”

“On account of him being a naive idiot.” You spoke to them, a small smile on your face as you motioned to luke.

He rolled his eyes. “Ignore her. Any questions before we start?”

“Uh, how will we know who our parents are?” One asked.

“Well, if your Godly parent is nice enough to, you will be claimed after you show some sort of glory.”And if you’re lucky enough, you’ll get your own cabin. Clearly I did not get lucky enough.” You told them, mumbling the last part.

The campers looked confused.

“Okay… any more questions?” luke asked.

“Why do you have wings?” One asked, their voice curious.

“Yeah, I’m not answering that. Any non-personal questions, you jackasses?” You asked, loudly.

Luke’s hand flew to your mouth. “Let’s get on with the tour, shall we?” He said, a nervous smile on his face.

The kids didn’t seem to have any now. They walked as Luke spoke, showing them around. Luke didn’t notice however, that you had snuck off to somewhere until he turned around to ask you something.

He sighed, calling your name out. Of course, you came back with a bloodied nose and knuckle. He groaned, all the new campers whispering and talking about it.

He came up to you, grabbing your wrist.

“I leave you alone for 10 seconds! What the fuck happened?!”

You shrugged, feigning innocence as the same counselor who lied was dragged out from behind, you whipped your head the other way.

Wiping the blood from your nose, you had a proud smile on your face as you turned back to the kids.

“So, how was the tour?”

[ellebakers]

✭・. IF ONLY YOU WERE MINE.

Theseus Scamander x reader

Summary : Theseus doesn't really like you and his brother being close. he doesn't want to admit it, but he's jealous of your bond. so rather than confessing his feelings to you, he decides to make you pay for it.

Warnings : jealousy, language, some angst but fluff at the end.

"i beg you y/n, come with me to this dinner."

the girl growled. "newt, you're a big boy, i think you can handle a family dinner."

"no no no, you don't understand, you're the only person who understands my passion, my family has no interest in it. please."

again she growled in frustration."okay, but please get out of my office before your brother comes here for lunch, I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

newt smiled shyly. "because you don't want him to think that something is going on between us, so you will still have every chance with him."

“i think I will reconsider my decision.”

"okay, okay, i'm leaving, see you tonight."

.

ten minutes later there was a knock on the door of Y/n's office.

"come in."

"hello darling."

you couldn't help but feel your cheeks turning red. "hello thésé, please sit down, i'll finish my file and i'm yours."

théséus let his eyes slide along your body, the dress you wore was slightly open at the front, leaving the top of your breasts visible, he licked his lower lip while thinking "if only you were mine".

"so i saw my brother coming out of your office, what did he wanted ?"

he didn't want to ask in a harsh way, but his jealousy got the better of him.

you frowned, clearly surprised by his tone. "he invited me to your family dinner tonight and-"

"why did he invited you ?" once again, his jealousy prevailed.

"excuse me ? he asked me to accompany him as a friend."

theseus sneered "newt has no friends."

again, he didn't mean to be mean but his emotions controlled him in the moment.

"what's got into you ? you're talking about your brother, he's an exceptional person with a big heart and—"

"are you sleeping with him ?"

"what the — get out of my office ! "

theseus clutched the stitch to contain himself. "very well." then without the slightest glance for you, he left the room.

.

the day passed slowly and with difficulty, you couldn't help thinking about these’s behavior. why did he say those horrible things ? one thing is certain, you were not going to stop there, and tonight, you will hold him to account.

unfortunately, what you didn't know was that by not answering these’s last question, he had to draw a conclusion, newt and you were together. that's why a few hours after your argument, he went to find leta and asked her to accompany him to the family dinner. one thing was sure, an emotional evening was waiting for you.

.

It was 7 p.m. sharp when newt rang your doorbell. when you opened the door to him, he greeted you with his usual shy smile and a rose.

"good evening y/n you are resplendent."

"thank you, you are very elegant too."

and with that, he offered you his arm which you accepted and side by side you set off for the family home.

.

"y/n my dear, how happy i am to see you !" mrs. scamander greeted you with a warm hug.

"it's a pleasure to see you too."

once newt's parents greeted you, you walked into the dining room where the dinner was being held, and stopped in your tracks when you saw theseus sitting next to leta. what was she doing here ? were they together ? newt, who had just seen them, turned to you to analyze your reaction, he was worried about you, but you gave him a reassuring smile and decided to sit down in front of leta, you didn't want to meet these’s gaze.

"hello leta."

"good evening y/n i'm glad to see you." it was obvious that she did not know what she was doing here. never before had she been invited to the scamanders, but when theseus had asked her, she had not been able to say no to her friend, exactly as you.

the hosts of the evening settled down and the meal began. what a fucking night you thought.

the longer the evening passed, the more you wanted to run away. between the inappropriate comments of newt's uncle, the fact that his parents are hardly interested in him and the looks that theses gave you, you didn't know where to stand.

"we are so proud of you theseus, you have a great career."

you looked at newt who lowered his head, a feeling of sadness invaded you as well as anger towards his parents. mr and mrs scamander were lovely, but for them, newt's job wasn't good enough. you then took his hand and squeezed it lightly to comfort him. seen from the outside, this gesture meant nothing more than friendship, but for these it was a declaration of war. how could his little brother, the person to whom he confided his feelings for you, do such a thing to him ? and how could you, the woman he's loved for years let him down. he then did the only thing that could make you react, he turned to leta, took her face in his hands and kissed her.

your world stopped spinning for a split second, but for you it felt like it had gone on for hours, the man you had been in love with since your first year at hogwarts was standing in front of you, kissing one other, the worst was that once the kiss was over, a kiss that leta did not return, théseus turned to you and smirked at you. a silence fell over the room, a dead silence that suffocated you. you felt the tears welling up, so you cleared your throat and said "please excuse me, but i need to get some fresh air."

.

once outside, and once assured that no one could hear you, you let the tears come out. it's was as if someone had stuck a dagger in your heart, your head was spinning, your heart was beating hard, you tried to comfort yourself as much as you could by embracing yourself with your arms, but your body kept convulsing with every tear that came out.

"y/n."

you wiped away the last tears with the back of your hand and turned to the person who had just entered the garden.

"leta, congratulations, i'm sure you'll be happy with–"

"i don't like him, at least not like that, he's my friend, that's why I agreed to come here, but that's all. i want you to know that i'm sorry. but i think he loves you and that's why—"

"leta, please stop. he doesn't love me. a person who's supposed to love you doesn't hurt you like that. i love him, i’ve been in love with him for years, but from what i've seen, it's not reciprocated."

the brunette approached you and hugged you.

"i know how dumb he is sometimes, but believe me when i tell you he loves you, that's why he acts so stupid."

"but he hurt me leta, it hurts so much."

"i know, but try to talk to him."

"not tonight, all i want is to go back to bed."

she nodded and went to get newt to bring you home. back home and after newt told you a thousand times how sorry he was and how he was going to kill his brother as soon as he sees him, you washed and got into bed, you fell asleep after crying for a few more hours.

the day at work tomorrow will be complicated.

.

the next day you woke up with a headache, probably due to the fact that you cried most of the night and during your sleep. it took you a while to get up, a time during which you decided whether to go to work or run away. but you weren't a coward and it was out of the question for theseus to ruin your work.

once your breakfast swallow and change you set off.

when you arrived at the office, a small box was placed on top of the desk, as well as a letter.

"y/n here is a box of your favorite chocolates, if some are missing it's probably because of teddy. with all my sympathy. "

— newt.

you laughed lightly and got to work. you were immersed in your work when there was a knock on the door.

"come in."

"y/n..."

you lifted your head sharply recognizing the voice.

"what are you doing here theseus ?"

the fact that you used his full name hurt him because he knew how much he had hurt you and that it would be difficult to get you back.

"can we talk ?"

"no, now, please get out of my office, i have a lot of work and—"

"i was jealous."

"what ?"

"i was, no, i still am. i’m still jealous, i don't know how long you and newt have been together but—"

you growled when you got up, exasperate. "newt and i are just friends, how many times do i have to tell you ? plus he's in love with tina, and. arghh. why am i justifying myself to you ! i don't even know why i'm talking to you, you hurt me last night theseus, and you want to know why ?" that's it, the machine was launched, everything you held back from telling him was about to come out. "because i’ve been in love with you since our first year at hogwarts, and for all those years my love for you has only grown. a love that hurt me every time you talked about another woman, every time you looked at another. but last night, last night this love made me suffer like never before, and i'm tired, tired of waiting for you to finally deign to see me, when i know very well that you will never see me. on this, excuse me but i have files to return."

it was a pretext, but you couldn't wait for him to answer you. as you hurried through the main hall, these ran after you, calling out to you. "y/n." no. "y/n stop." no. "Y/N Y/L/N STOP IMMEDIATELY, IT'S AN ORDER. "

for the first time, theseus scamander had yelled at you, right in the middle of the hallway, a hallway full of colleagues who had stopped and watched you.

"don't. give. me. ord–"

"shut up and listen to me. i love you, i love you more than anything. i've loved you since the first day i saw you in the third cabin of the hogwarts express. i kept on loving you more and more every day. the women i've dated were there to get you out of my head, but despite that you haunt my thoughts, do you have any idea what you're doing to me ? i could die for you, and i'm sorry that i hurt you, i could never forgive myself, but damn it, having you by my side and not being able to call you mine is the hardest thing to live."

for the second time in two days, your world stopped, but this time, the man you love had just opened his heart to you and in front of everyone, you knew what you had to do.

you took a safe step towards him, took him by his jacket and kissed him like you had always wanted to. he didn't have to be asked to return your kiss, his hands were wandering all over you, and when you ran out of air you stopped and whispered to him.

"i love you." he smiled at you and ran his thumb over your lips. "i love you even more."

then to the cheers of your colleagues, you kissed each other a second time.

[vickyvicarious]

I noticed something that I thought you may find interesting as you like parallels: When Jack is on his rock bottom (July 20th), he says

To me it seems only yesterday that my whole life ended with my new hope, and that truly I began a new record. So it will be until the Great Recorder sums me up and closes my ledger account with a balance to profit or loss. Oh, Lucy, Lucy, I cannot be angry with you, nor can I be angry with my friend whose happiness is yours; but I must only wait on hopeless and work. Work! work! If I only could have as strong a cause as my poor mad friend there—a good, unselfish cause to make me work—that would be indeed happiness.

On October 3 Jonathan starts his journal like this:

As I must do something or go mad, I write this diary. [...] Poor Mina told me just now, with the tears running down her dear cheeks, that it is in trouble and trial that our faith is tested—that we must keep on trusting; and that God will aid us up to the end. The end! oh my God! what end?... To work! To work!

It's pretty fascinating how Jonathan starts his narration as a hopeful, enthusiastic man, full of purpose, and becomes similar to the wreck that Jack was at the start, post-rejection, losing hope and clinging furiously to working, to not lose his mind.

Work! To work! That is a fun parallel to be sure...

Actually, I've noted before that Jonathan and Jack start out in opposition to one another in a lot of ways:

engaged to be married vs proposal rejected

recent career advancement and excited about it vs already well established but still clearly wanting to make his mark somehow

held prisoner by someone who calls him 'friend' and abuses power over him vs abusing the power he holds over someone in his care who he calls 'friend' (and all the various subsets of this one, such as 'gets his correspondence read' to 'reads private diary of his patient', etc.)

isolated by force vs chooses to isolate himself (not entirely but he definitely does retreat into work)

sleep-deprived due to being forced into a nocturnal schedule vs appears to regularly suffer insomnia/have bad habits around sleep

coded secret diary on pencil and paper vs audio diary spoken aloud into a phonograph at work

In the very beginning, Jonathan is also looking forward very much to his future, while as you point out, Jack is pretty miserable. He is ending his former life, closing a chapter. Meanwhile Jonathan is starting one - though it doesn't turn out to be the one he expects by any means.

I've not really considered the ways that those comparisons may shift later, though. October 3rd is definitely a close to a former chapter/life and the start of a new one for Jonathan. And he too struggles a lot with keeping up hope and throws himself into his work, his cause.

(While Jack wished in vain for a cause that would let him throw all his morals away, and looks to the idea of that as something that would make the work more effective in easing his own distress, Jonathan has a cause right away. And he later determines that he will throw his morals away if it come to that but is working ceaselessly to ensure it won't. Though he too has plenty of moments when there is no real action he can take and he "must only wait on hopeless" while they are trying to catch Dracula's ship.)

And while Jonathan never is romantically rejected, there's later a door shut between him and Mina, and there's this huge unspoken tension of what to do if she becomes a vampire. On the other hand, Jack was never accepted as Lucy's lover, but he does later on get closer to her as a friend while she is his patient. Their careers also switch emphasis a bit; though both abandon everything to go vampire hunting, prior to that Jonathan inherits everything and can put his name on it, while Jack is exhausted from treating Lucy and not keeping up super well with his work/patients. Increasingly after his arrival but especially when chasing after Dracule, Jack is in fairly close communication with Van Helsing and working as a team, but Jonathan gets very quiet and withdrawn when Mina is turning into a vampire (he always was but when he's not all living flame, in the aftermath of October 3 he appears even more so). We even get a little bit of Jonathan refusing to sleep when he should/can (until Arthur convinces him), while Jack is traveling at a rapid pace but his likely sacrifice of sleep is necessary to keep up that pace (and he claims it doesn't bother him). Jonathan kills his former captor/abuser. Jack's patient dies after he refused to let him leave when he begged to do so.

...If I'm looking for them, I can definitely find various ways they continue to be in contrast later in the novel as well.

[dracaelus]

Do you ever just think about how in Batman The Knight, Bruce mentions they promised to not use guns and yet Bruce is the first one to shoot Luka to protect Khoa? Especially considering his small flashes whenever he had to use guns even at inhuman targets? And he still did it?

YES!!! Yes, I do!!!

I went through this specific issue recently and i have so many thoughts, I hope you don't mind me using your ask as an excuse to ramble :)

Bruce was having such a bad time in this issue it's not even funny. Luka just decided to kill the only constant figure in his life at this point, his partner, his bestie, his boy crush, his only companion, and just expected him to sit and watch while he shot him right in front of his eyes, like, bro, right in front of the traumatized by loved ones being shot in front of him boy??? WHY

And of course that happened after months of him relieving this particular trauma repeatedly on account of having to use guns and interact daily with a guy who, bc of his past career, he couldn't help but compare to his parents' murderer. Why not, after all. Just marinate him a bit before going for the kill.

Obviously, Bruce couldn't let Luka just kill Khoa, so he takes the gun, and he doesn't even kill Luka, but taking that shot was such a difficult thing to do in such a stressful situation in which he's clearly relieving his biggest trauma. And like, sure, he made his promise to Luka, but more than that, guns are forever associated with his parents death and their murderer. Bruce very much can't use guns on real people without shaking, trembling, throwing up, yk, feeling like he's putting himself in the shoes of joe chill and feeling so intensely guilty. It’s really his last resort - if it was Bruce’s life that Luka was threatening, he might even have let himself be killed in order to not have to use the gun.

However, since the universe is not over with him yet, and still has some ideas about how to make his day worse, it decides instead to force his hand by making Minhkhoa be the one being held at gunpoint. Thus, Bruce does take the shot anyway in the worst way possible and in the worst situation ever, and literally the only thing that could've been worse would be making him kill someone, so of course,

THEN

MINHKHOA TAKES THE GUN

AND SHOOTS LUKA RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM

MAKING SO THAT BRUCE'S SHOT REALLY RESULTED IN SOMEONE'S DEATH

ONCE AGAIN

RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS TRAUMATIZED EYES

and as if this wasn't enough

HE THEN POINTS THE GUN AT BRUCE

Honestly his biggest crime, I don't care about the murders and other felonies, this moment right here is the only thing he ever did wrong.

Like, can you imagine the level of brain damage bruce was receiving that day?

Khoa went from loved-one-about-to-be-killed to being the one walking on joe chill's shoes. His range, honestly. No wonder Bruce got so mad and then so heartbroken. Crying his eyes out, literally hugging himself. The saddest, most traumatized boy ever

Anyways, bruce still misses him, even after all khoa put him through. Or, as he says, he misses who he thought he was. After their first breakup khoa's image took a lot of damage - bruce really starts to wonder if khoa wasn't just a monster and he was the only one not seeing it. He thinks minhkhoa is sabotaging him, and that he might have killed alfred and his ex-girlfriend.

But of course nothing of this it's true and Khoa manages to undo some of the damage to bruce's opinion of him by trying to warn him about the guy actually sabotaging and trying to kill both of them (he also almost dies in the process, which i'm sure made him seem extra harmless and babygirly to bruce), so i guess that was enough to take away the thoughts of khoa being very likely to kill him one day.

He also offers a justification for the two murders he committed (Luka and master Ouahbi - honestly, what's the deal with all those criminals/ex criminals being both so good at diagnosing people with psychopathy and hating them so much????), and it was good enough for bruce, i guess? Tbh, he was mostly just trying to not think too deeply about it, 'cause he just wanted to have a little more time with him so badly. He would do so many things for khoa, and forgive him for so much stuff. HOW COULD KHOA FUMBLE HIM SO BADLY-

One thing I think about a lot is how in btk #7, bruce’s broken heart is addressed - he only references his trauma with his parents death in the issue, but the last issue ended with him saying his heart was broken bc of khoa so we can infer that he’s thinking about what happened between the two of them too. I find it interesting how this seems to be bruce’s way of dealing with khoa - he doesn't talk about him. Dick mentions it in Batman (2016) #104

And bruce never says a word about what happened between him and khoa to zatanna

I wonder if this is his way of keeping khoa with him. As he says, his heart never heals bc he doesn't let it - and so, he never talks about khoa, he only talks with zatanna about the loss of his parents, and he tells dick some of the bad khoa did to him, but doesn't delve into how important he was to him, or the good times they spent together, or how willing he was and still is to forgive him (tho he ends up showing him this part anyways when he goes to ghostmaker to ask him to coparent batman inc. with him when he first started it). He tells their story in a way that makes it seem like their separation didn't affect him negatively at all - dick only realizes bruce still misses him bc of his super powers of seeing right through bruce’s emotional barriers. But bruce keeps refusing to talk about khoa, or adress the ways in which he is still hurting, so he nevers gets better, and thus, khoa is still with him in a way, if only in wounds he left behind.

I also think bruce focuses a lot on everything bad khoa did to him and tries so hard to not even think about the good parts of their relationship bc the truth is, in his heart, the good outweighs the bad by a lot. Which is the reason why khoa barely has to do anything to win him back every time he comes back - bc despite everything, bruce has always been way too willing to forgive him for everything, and all he really has to do is to come back, and be willing to stay for a little while longer.

[izvmimi]

cw: pop star au! alcohol mention. suggestive.

“unsure what your mentor gojo might have told you about me, yuuji,” you start, swirling your drink with the tip of your pinky finger with just one rotation before looking up at the man before you. "but i don't particularly enjoy the idea of being used to springboard another artist's career."

yuuji itadori hasn't picked a soloist name yet, still known by Yuyu as part of his four-member boy band, but the cutesy name doesn't fit with the venom of your voice, so you call him by his first name. plus, if you are truly meant to be working together, close and personal, you might as well get comfortable. he grins when you pronounce his name rather than bristle at your statement, the gleam in straight, heartthrob-white teeth almost a taunt to you.

"i don't think that's exactly what i'm aiming for but good to know."

his eyes flit from yours to the drink you just stirred, and watches as you put it to your lips, not saying a word. he looks practically cautious, and for a moment you wonder if he's grossed out by the action or if he's just intrigued by the shine on your glossed lips.

yuuji's dressed relatively subdued tonight, in a simple black turtleneck, unlike the shimmery gold chain shirt you remember him wearing on his most recent performance, standing out amongst the crowd despite his quite attractive band mates. the dusky pink of his hair which his design team clearly insists on accentuating doesn't help to avoid drawing your eyes to his among the group like a beacon. everything about him says look at me, look at me from the bright hue in his brown eyes and his build at the perfect balance of thick and aesthetic. you can't deny you too have been looking but you're tired of offering olive branches to bright eyed up-and-comers who lack the ability to be grateful.

you're not some type of gatekeeper but you know this game and gojo wasn't even subtle about it.

make my boy a star! toodles!

you roll your eyes at the thought, but even you have to admit he's mentored you a bit too though to get you where you are. despite being about yuuji's age, you're practically a household name, thanks to gojo's willingness to believe in you. you sigh.

"anyway, i'll have my agent contact you in the morning. we don't have to discuss anything more."

you throw back the rest of your drink and reach for your purse. yuuji raises his eyebrow at you then chuckles. the drink before him is untouched implying a bit of trepidation, but he's leaned back in his chair, one leg propped up on the chair stretcher. it's a look that's far too casual, that would look slightly disrespectful if he weren't so soft-looking.

"if you're uncomfortable being that close to me, you should really just say so," yuuji says. his arms stretch out above him and you tilt your head to the side.

"excuse me?"

yuuji also rises to his feet, and the difference of stature between you two is suddenly noticeable as you hang your purse around you. he intimidates you a bit, you have to admit, especially when he's close like this.

sweet. harmless. a little cocky. fuckable.

he skirts a little closer to you leaning in, his voice honeyed, ready to strike.

"you don't have to be my springboard. if anything, you can bounce off of me if you'd like."

yuuji laughs as your breath catches in your throat, but you shake it out and press a hand against his chest, pushing a comfortable distance between you two.

you're not going to be held accountable for a comment you made in a variety show months ago, even if it were true.

"don't push your luck," you hiss. he beams, and he's no longer sweet venom but the sweet man coming to you for a simple opportunity, no strings attached.

"you're right! i'll do anything you say," his lips pull sweetly and you wonder if you're being sucked in just like his fans.

he's polished perfect for the people, but that doesn't mean he's perfect for you.

but as he follows you out and your driver arrives depositing both of you safely at your respective homes, you wonder if perhaps a little romp will do any harm.

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I think season 2 of OFMD has some really interesting things to say about forgiveness with Ed's arc. Yes, there's stuff there with how Ed needs to make amends to the crew, but I think the biggest thing there is this: when you're trying to heal, it helps if you make a start towards forgiving yourself.

With Ed's mutiny, there's a tremendous amount of guilt on both sides. The crew love Ed and they didn't want to hurt him, but he made them beat him to death. It sucks, for everyone. The crew are horribly riddled by guilt, scrubbing at blood only they can see. Ed is 100% convinced no one loves him.

Part of Ed starting to feel better about himself is earning the trust of the crew back. Lucius is a harder one, because he was holding on so hard to hate that he forgot he still had a life to live. But Ed's apology and working to make amends do wonders for the rest of the crew. He has a great time having a heart-to-heart with fang. Jim and the others clearly feel miles better after Ed's apology, willing to see through the lousy speech to how Ed's wearing the sack and the bell and trying - "I thought it was pretty good, for him," Jim says. Public apologies are always a bit shit, but Ed's trying, and that's good enough for them. In eps 5 and 6, Ed is lighter and at ease with himself.

But that could only ever be the first step. Ed was perfectly willing to do what he had to and make things up to the crew, and by ep 6, they're feeling much better with him. In a way, despite how horrible the whole mutiny thing was for everyone, though, and despite how Ed needed to earn the crew's trust back, forgiveness was a bit easy in that case, on all sides. I'm not saying Ed's actions to get the crew to mutiny on him were right, I'm saying there's a point where people can't fully be held accountable for their actions, and in the middle of a suicide attempt is one of those times. Yes, it was wrong, yes he needed to make amends, but he was in such a terrible place he wasn't acting like himself or making rational decisions. All factors considered, it was probably pretty easy for both Ed and the crew to reach a place of forgiveness once Ed was back on the ship, feeling more stable, and working to make things right.

Ed throwing his Blackbeard outfit overboard feels, to me, like he's trying to run away from that part of himself. With good reason, too, he's hated being Blackbeard for a long time. But Blackbeard began in living tissue, it wasn't entirely a myth, and Ed needed to be able to make a start at forgiving those parts of himself, too.

Pulling his Blackbeard outfit out of the ocean, Ed makes a return to the parts of himself he's convinced are completely unlovable, and he does it for love. He does it so he can avenge Stede, first, and then so he can fight to protect the man he loves and their crew. He's making a start towards forgiving himself and finding something valuable in the parts of himself he hates the most.

Ed's been trying to do this since he got back on the ship. Fixing the latch, personifying it - "it's not your fault you're broken, you didn't break you." Finding the Blackbeard outfit and using it as a tool to protect others. Ed is starting to see that not everything that happened to him was because he was fundamentally broken, and he can start to come to terms with himself. It'll be slow, but he can forgive himself and meet himself where he's at.