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nethhiri · 5 months

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Marooned: Chapter 37

Kid x FemReader x Killer

Warnings: mentions of violence, suggestive themes

Connections

Kid had been ready to rip into you for doing something so stupid. What you did was reckless and brave and if it weren't for that stunt, he was certain that they would have taken a lot more damage. If it were anyone else, even if it were you several weeks ago, he wouldn't care. He hated that he cared. Kid hated watching you toss and turn. It reminded him of his own weaknesses and his own struggles with traumatic events in his life. He couldn't do anything to fight a foe without a form. A physical thing he could punch was so much easier. When he found out that Wire and Killer ignored your cautions, he was even more pissed. It took him a while to come around to the fact that you were a skilled captain, yet it was plain to see. They should have trusted you. Luckily for them all, you were prepared.

It did make him grin to think that you put enough trust in him to catch you before you fell into the ocean or crashed onto the deck. He didn't like that you did it in the first place, but it was something that gave him a warm feeling on the inside. Any time he dwelled on it for too long, he got anxious. He swore that he would never keep someone he liked on the ship. Neither him nor Killer could go through another Victoria situation, and if something developed further between you and either of them, it would be a very real possibility. He knew that you could handle yourself. Still, he worried. What if there came a time you couldn't? What then? He instinctively wanted to protect you, but knew that he would be putting himself at risk if he was distracted by wondering where you were on the battlefield or if you were okay. Not to mention you would probably be pissed at him if he did and take it as an insult.

Selfishly, and against his better judgement, he wanted you to stay. It was nice to have someone like you on the ship. You were strong above all else, but you were also funny, fucked up, and a little kinky. Maybe your looks were an acquired taste for some, to him though, you were hot. He wouldn't lie, it was a huge plus to have a woman warming his bed who wasn't a whore, and not just when they were docked. Killer didn't cut it in that department, no matter what kind of panties Kid made him wear, and the girls on the ship didn't find him attractive in that way. Best of all, and some probably wouldn't be so positive towards it, you spread the love. He was certainly in a better mood when you fucked him. Killer was, too. For the rest of the day after your little dalliance with the four of them, Heat was grinning ear to ear with a pink dusting to his cheeks. Kid knew Heat really had kept your wanted poster in his room, not under his pillow as you surmised. In reality, it was worse. It was your face that Heat had done a bit of arts and crafts with and pasted onto the body of some naked lady from a magazine. Kid made a mental note to find it and show you sometime. They had bullied him relentlessly for it. And dare he say, even Wire was in a better mood since then, whistling in the hallway. It was such a simple thing, for a woman's touch to bring such comfort, and Kid was grateful for it if it meant his officers, his friends, felt some form of happiness. Jerking off was one thing, but having something soft to hold and talk to was entirely different. Killer said it had something to do with 'mommy issues' but Kid refused to listen to this theory.

It pained Kid when you screamed at the lot of them. Knowing you weren't in your right mind didn't help much. The pain in your eyes and in your voice was so vivid, he felt like he was the one that perpetrated some vile thing against you. He was sure he physically recoiled. Killer was somewhat more accustomed to it, having dealt with Kid's own nightmares and triggers. They had assumed that you went through some kind of trauma at the hands of marines. Contrary to what you thought, both of them had noticed the multitudes of scars that covered the inside of your thighs, your chest, your ass. It was clear that some of them weren't made from weapons. Some were bite marks or cigarette burns.

Kid was uncomfortable. He didn't know how to console you. He stood awkwardly in front of you while Killer had his arm around you. Maybe he should pat your head? Say something encouraging? He ended up sighing and leaving this to Killer. Frustrated that he was useless for situations like these, he went to his workshop, which only made him feel worse, staring at where the giant hole used to be. Did he really annoy you that much? That you finally gave in and repaired the wall?

Killer was wracked with guilt for not listening to you. He could tell you were trying to be good by not arguing with him and that you were slighted that neither he nor Wire trusted your instincts. If he had only listened, you wouldn't be in this state right now. The tears had finally stopped. The sleeve of his shirt thoroughly soaked with them. You pressed into his side, like you wanted to meld into him and disappear. He felt you take deep breaths to calm yourself.

"Do you want to take a bath?" Killer prompted. "It might make you feel better."

"Shower's fine." Your voice came out gravelly. You agreed that the warm water would make you feel better. If you hadn't just woken up, a good hard cry was usually followed by a good hard nap.

When you were done, Killer was in his room with a bowl of soup waiting for you. The warmth soothed your throat as you ate.

"I apologize for not listening to you," he said.

You studied him briefly, deciding what to say. It didn't matter what you said. What's done is done. You weren't an officer on this ship, so you shouldn't have expected to be treated like one. "Apology accepted."

"If it makes you feel better, Kid yelled at us."

That piqued your curiosity. "Did he now?" A weak smile graced your lips. "That does make me feel better."

"Don't be a wise-ass. He's gonna yell at you, too."

"For what?!"

"For doing something batshit insane!"

"What does he care?"

"He cares," Killer lowered his voice, unsure if he should have said that.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you care?"

"Of course I care. I care about everyone on this ship."

You hummed. "I think I'm through being a crybaby for today. The pity party is over."

"It's okay to cry you know. You can take your time getting back to work."

"I'm fine, Killer. Thanks though." You weren't going to argue with him. It wasn't okay to cry, not in your book. You were already ashamed that they saw you in that state. Full-on sobbing and having a semi-mental breakdown in front of Kid and Killer was inexcusable to you. How were they supposed to see you as strong and a worthy member of the Kid Pirates if you did shit like that?

You went to the infirmary, figuring you would have to tidy up, but also because you wanted to see Mini. Before you went in, you hesitated by the door to Kid's workshop, wondering if you should tell him you were back on service. Killer would probably let him know. There wasn't much to clean up, to your shock. Someone had probably cleaned it after taking care of the wounded. You did feel a bit guilty for being unavailable to do your actual assigned job.

There was a knock at the door. You weren't expecting anyone, least of all, Wire. The tall man ducked through the doorway. Often, you wondered how you would look in his outfit. Mesh bralette, leather hot pants, fishnets. You could definitely get behind it. It was rare to see on a man, but he pulled it off. It would look better on you, in your opinion. He didn't say anything as he came up to you and you couldn't read him.

"Can I help you?" You said cautiously.

"We should have listened to you. I'm sorry."

"I don't know if Heat or Killer asked you to come here, but you don't have to apologize to me if you're just doing it to appease them." It was fine. You were over it.

He looked angry for a second. "No one asked me. I'm apologizing to you, so accept it or don't. I don't care."

"Oh." That took you aback. "Accepted then."

He stood there uneasily, like there was something more he wanted.

"Is there.... something else?"

"I don't hate you."

Your eyebrow went up.

"You think I hate you, but I don't. I was...am... distrustful of you."

"I think that's fair." You would be the same way, though you didn't presume he would tell you to your face.

A look of relief flashed over his face. He must have thought you would be mad or something, also fair, since you tend to react with fists.

"How much more pussy do you need to trust me?"

His face went entirely red. "Wha-? I don't- That's not why I came here."

"I'm teasing. Kind of..." You said the last bit under your breath. "Lighten up."

"Actually... I also wanted to say... um the other day... I don't think those things of you either."

"The marine whore bit?" You smirked. "I know. You were playing your part well and I did literally ask for that." You continued, "You know I never fucked marines? Only pirates."

Wire was amused by the factoid. "Why?"

Shrugging, "Felt dangerous I guess?"

Wire nodded in understanding. "Now that you're a pirate, will you fuck marines?" He was fucking with you.

"So they can wow me with their prowess in missionary and ability to never make a woman cum? I'll pass."

Wire shook his head disapprovingly and ducked back out of the infirmary.

No one else came to visit you. Out of boredom, you pressed your ear to the wall, trying to see what Kid was up to. You heard things banging around in there a while ago. The only thing you could make out was the extra loud cursing whenever he fucked up or hurt himself. That made you smirk. What a dumbass. Turning your attention to Mini, you flopped down by the boar. She grunted in agreement. She was bored too.

"I need to practice more with my fruit." You scratched her head. "Wanna fight or something?" There was absolutely no way you were cleared medically to do that, but who was gonna tell you no? You were the doctor.

Now was the perfect time to spar. You were still full by the time dinner came around. While everyone was enjoying dinner, you and Minerva took up the sparring deck. For a warmup, you grabbed her tusks and tried to push her backwards. Your efforts didn't budge her and when she actually pushed, you were knocked flat on your back. Using your fruit to augment your muscles, you tried again. This time you could move her, but you were still knocked flat when she pushed back. There were some other things you wanted to try with your fruit, but you wanted to wait until you had more test subjects in case it whatever you did was irreversible. You stepped up your strength in small increments until you could match Minerva's full strength. The issue was your body couldn't support that much extra musculature, reduced to exhaustion in only a few minutes, so you undid most of it. Instead, you picked up a spear and sparred with Minerva that way. That way, you could both build skills, remembering how to fight with a spear for you, and learning how to avoid a spear for her. Next time she encountered a spear, she would know how to avoid it. The session was over after you were both tired and locked in a stalemate.

Sighing, you went to the main mast. It looked the same as it always had. Felt the same, too. If only you could access that same power whenever you wanted. Maybe the only limits on your power were mental. The rules for your power were kind of self-made, when you were trying to figure out what you could and couldn't do. But that didn't mean those were actually the rules. You were sick of rules. You followed enough as a marine.

You made your way to the bow of the ship, to sit in the skull. Taking out your eye, you checked the log pose needles. They still pointed in the same direction. Giemsa's didn't move anymore. You found yourself checking less and less. There were still a handful days until you got out of Big Mom's territory. One more guard post. Though word would have gotten out now that they were sailing through these waters and that many of her crew had fallen to the sword of the Kid Pirates. It wouldn't be easy.

"Not hungry?" Heat's voice came from next to you.

"Nah."

"You okay?"

You nodded.

"Mind if I join you here?"

"You're already doing it."

He sat down next to you.

You scooted closer to him and leaned against his shoulder. If he was gonna be here, might as well keep you warm. "You're so hot."

"Thanks. So are you." His mind short-circuited not expecting the sudden compliment.

You pulled away and looked at him with your head cocked. "I meant like temperature hot."

A blush rose to his cheeks. "I knew that."

"Heat, you dog." You decided that the cure to your boredom would be flustering Heat. "Are you trying to fuck me?"

"I'm abstinent."

"Yeah you really abstained the other day." You moved to face him, hands on his knees, leaning forward.

"It's a new thing." He was grinning.

You acted like you were going to kiss him, giving him a peck on the cheek last second. "That's okay. I respect your choices. We can just be friends." You snickered when you heard the tiniest whine, returning to your spot next to him. Leaning against him again, you asked him, "We are friends, right?"

"Yeah?" He didn't know what you were getting at.

"I didn't know if the other day... if it messed things up. I like having you as a friend."

He put his hand on your knee. "Why would you think that? Friends fuck all the time. Well, maybe not all the time, but you get it."

"I don't." You looked at him sheepishly. "I never really had friends. Or if I did once, they're probably dead."

"So that would make me your first friend, and, by default, your best friend."

"Don't say that too loudly. Quincy will fight you on that." You laughed. "I guess it's true though. You were the first person that was nice to me."

Heat put his arm around your shoulders, keeping you nice and toasty in the crisp sea breeze. Doubtless, talking to him got you out of the weird mood you had been in. The two of you enjoyed the soft rocking of the ship, watching the reflection of the stars in the water until it was time to retreat back to your own cabins for the night.

Next Chapter

#reader is bad at coping unless sex jokes count as good coping skills #wanted this chapter to kind of flesh out reader's relationships a little #I really liked the dialogue and Kid's internal monologue #I need Heat carnally but respectfully #massacre soldier killer x reader #eustass kid #massacre soldier killer #one piece #marooned #kid x reader x killer #killer x reader #eustass kid x reader #x reader

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thatpodcastkid · 4 months

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Magnus Archives Relisten 10, MAG 10

Do we think Jonny Sims has read Twilight?

Spoilers ahead

Facts: Statement of Trevor Herbert regarding his life as a self-proclaimed vampire hunter. Statement given July 10, 2010.

Statement Notes: I just love that Trevor's episode is right after Julia's. It really lets you see the wheels turning in Jonny's head as he planned out the series.

On my first listen, this was one of the statements I truly did not believe was true. The combination of Trevor's traumatic childhood, cancer, and admission that he killed a "non-vampire" made the whole thing seem like a complex fantasy. But on the second listen, I realized that is exactly how the horrors work. They specifically target vulnerable people so that their experiences will be dismissed or explained away by more "rational" people. You don't believe Trevor because you aren't supposed to.

Jon says he can't find the "vampire teeth" in the Archives or in the "Secure Containment Room" (Btw both "Archives" and "Secure Containment Room" are proper nouns in the transcript). Is this an early name for Artifact Storage or a subsection of it? It would make sense for the Institute to have a separate facility for the dangerous artifacts, but this raises questions regarding how "secure" this facility is. Assuming this is where the real artifacts like Leitners and the table are held, Jon can access it fairly easily at the end of season 2, but he's relatively high-ranking at the institute. Would Elias ever allow an outsider into the facility like he allows them into the library? Or would that violate his desire to hoard knowledge?

Character Notes: This statement is a "photocopy of a photocopy," which speaks to Gertrude's organization. Something had to have happened to the original, whether she destroyed it or Elias took it, but she had a backup. Knowing that Trevor Herbert is still active in monster hunting, she made another copy to preserve the information. Presumably, she was hoping Sasha would find it and be able to access Herbert when she became the Archivist, but instead it was found and dismissed by Jon.

This episode also establishes that Martin was there when the statement was taken. Many fans assume Martin was hired to work in the archives, but this statement was given SIX YEARS before Gertrude's death, meaning that he would have had to work in research or another facility before the archives. Also, he's worked at the institute for at least 8 years by the time he reveals he lied on his resume, meaning he was TWENTY-TWO when this statement was given and was told that Trevor Herbert died.

The rumor of Herbert's death raises other questions. Why would that story spread? It seems to be another part of Elias' long game. If Martin--who he specifically selected to eventually be on the archival staff--believed Herbert was dead and told Jon so, then Jon would not seek him out and put himself in danger too early. Additionally, he would not be able to find the skin book and speak with Gerry before the time was right. Elias needed everything to run on his schedule.

Entity Alignment: With Trevor, there is a definite Hunt alignment. His whole life is driven by the desire to seek out and kill vampires. It's become the core tenant of his identity and drives him to forsake all personal relationships and attachments, centering his life around the fear of vampires and the need to kill them. The need to eliminate his own fear is what leads to him becoming an avatar of fear itself.

But I struggle to find a clear connection to what fear the vampires are connected to. They could be Hunt avatars or aligned creatures themselves. They have a desire to find and destroy living things, mindlessly hunting. It would also make sense for a Hunt creature to draw in Herbert and turn him into a Hunt avatar, turning him into what he fears most. This tactic is seen throughout the series with multiple fears, but I am specifically reminded of the Hunt in MAG 112 as the book club turns against itself.

There is an element of the Flesh within the vampires, however. They turn humans into food, removing their identities and degrading them into their physical existence. A large portion of the Flesh is dedicated to removing any idea of a consciousness or soul and reminding us that we are meat, which the vampires seem to do effectively.

I also noticed connections to the Stranger in the vampires. While their ultimate actions don't match with the Stranger's modus operandi, their mannerisms are similar. The primary similarity is the fact that vampires don't speak, as if they "don't have a voicebox," yet they still manage to be understood. The Stranger draws people in with its apparently human attributes, and only when it's too late do victims realize something is off. So long as the vampires are understandable, victims don't realize the not talking is odd until it's too late. Furthermore, the first vampire Herbert meets offers him rotten fruit, and many Stranger-aligned creatures and avatars give strange gits as an attempt to form a human connection while still unsettling people (tooth apple, metal heart, etc.). The fruit made Trevor uncomfortable and afraid, but he didn't leave the old woman because he reasoned she was trying to be kind in a twisted way.

But I also wonder if the vampires are aligned at all. Trevor describes them as being driven only by the vague desire to feed. While this could signal a Hunt or Flesh alignment, they don't have a connection to the rituals of these entities nor their other avatars. In Mag 111, Gerry explains "What's out there doesn't care about blood," before correcting "Yeah, obviously except for the vampires." Again, the need to consume blood could align the vampires with the Hunt or Flesh, but they don't seem to be driven by the desire to cause fear. If the vampires are fueled by an actual, physical need to consume blood for survival, could they accurately be associated with a fear-driven entity? Or are they just another monstrous thing that exists in this universe?

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