#he's like: look at my internals can you see the future brother?

[wazzappp]

@rokhal okay so you see heres the problem. You asked too many good questions so I opened a google doc to answer them and then things just got going and then I ended up with an entire summary of the story I have so far.

ALSO thank you @moosemonstrous for helping me puzzle through my fugnking ramblings

Also it is IMPORTANT that you know I had this song on repeat the entire time I was plotting my nefarious schemes

OKAY SO. I’m thinking Robbie is some sort of specialized stealth unit. He was originally designed for high level infiltration but was repurposed by the human resistance in the future. He has skin with a metal endoskeleton just like the usual terminators but he ALSO has those nanobots that allow him to heal at the same pace as a normal human. They also would help with repairing any damage to internal systems like wiring. They could also be what repurposes food to grow his metal endoskeleton. I’m debating on whether he can manually speed that up for an accelerated healing process because that would require a level of control over his machinery that I’m not sure it would make sense for him to have right after figuring out he’s a machine. Maybe with some practice he could do it. OHHHHH OR IF HES IN SOME SORT OF ‘EMERGENCY DEFENSE’ MODE IT ACCELERATES AUTOMATICALLY THAT COULD BE FUN!!! 

Also I really like the idea of him being able to heal with those nanobots but like. SPECIFICALLY for Gabe. They’re programmed to create synthetic flesh and skin but only for certain genomes. His and Gabes are similar enough that they can help repair tissue if he’s injured. Like being a blood donor for matching blood types.

STORY WISE HERE’S WHAT IM THINKING: Eli still exists in this universe and he’s still a massive shithead. Still pushes Mama Reyes down a flight of stairs while pregnant with Gabe (their soon to be first child), still a serial killer and still involved with the mob. But shortly after Gabe is born, Eli is caught and sentenced to prison for life. The mob figures he told his brother’s family so that makes them a liability. They kill Alberto and Julianna, but leave Gabe alone in his crib. This happens when he’s about 6 months old.

While this is happening, Robbie is time traveled into the back yard of their house. He goes inside and puts on whatever clothes he can find. When police show up to check after getting a noise complaint from the neighbors, they find what looks to be a 5 year old boy soothing a crying baby and a massive burned hole in the backyard they think is just some sort of already detonated explosive. Everyone just assumes this kid is his brother and they try to get him out of the house without letting him see his dead ‘parents’. He doesn't talk much but does answer that his name is Robbie when asked. 

Things get REALLY weird when they go to the police station and find… absolutely nothing about him. No birth certificate, no social security number, no history of schooling, not even their notoriously nosy neighbors know anything about him. The Reyes’s had not marked down a dependent on their tax forms until Gabe.  Even when they look at the possibility of him being an undocumented immigrant; NOTHING. Half the guys think he’s an illegal alien that slipped through the cracks of.. EVERY country and the other half think he’s an ACTUAL alien For all intents and purposes the kid in front of them does not exist. Eli isn’t much help when asked, he just assumes ‘that bitch of his turned him against me didn’t even tell me that I had a nephew already here god DAMN her’. 

They quickly start questioning whether they're actually brothers, but genetic tests determine that they are. That, and the absolute INSISTENCE of the boy that ‘This is my brother. I HAVE to keep him safe’.

So they do what just about anyone might do. Decide this weird magically appearing child is someone else’s problem, and put them into foster care. From there the story stays about the same for a while. They know Eli exists but they honestly couldn't give less of a shit about him. That guy is never getting out on parole lmao. Robbie catches up with social development and for the most part fits in pretty good (he never gets sick. Like ever. Never gets so injured he has to go to the doctor for emergencies. Just regular checkups, which he passes through with a few raised eyebrows but still good). He’s still a GENIUS with cars and works at Canelos. He understands them in a way that usually takes years of experience way beyond what Robbie has. Things are going.. Not GREAT but they’re okay. And then AMADEUS FUCKIGN SHOWS UP.

Skynet of the future has sent back a Terminator to kill Gabe. No one is really sure WHY but they figure if skynet is going to such lengths to kill this kid then he must be worth protecting. So the human resistance sends back Amadeus to find Gabe and keep him safe from this Terminator. 

He steals some clothes, a gun and a car(not like hes really planning on settling down here anyway who cares about a few broken laws)  shows up at the Reyes residence, meets Gabe.. and basically all his plans blow up. This is absolutely NOT the type of person he was expecting and he sure as shit doesn't want to go anywhere with this random stranger. So naturally he kidnaps Gabe and starts getting the fuck out of the city (while also starting work on an electromagnetic field reader that he thinks can help detect terminators).

Robbie shows up back home after grocery shopping and uhhhhh Gabes NOT THERE theres BROKEN SHIT IN HIS HOUSE and the neighbors keep talking about a STOLEN CAR and some maniac who stole from a GUN SHOP. So he does the only reasonable thing he can think of, checks Life 360 hoping that Gabe still has his phone on him (he does) gets into his car and starts hunting them down. Between his crazy driving skills and freakish persistence, Amadeus can only conclude that Robbie is the terminator sent to kill Gabe.

When Robbie finally heads them off at an abandoned warehouse Amadeus tries to pull Gabe along with him and run away. But when Robbie steps out of his car, Gabe recognizes him and starts trying to get there. Amadeus is panicked, pointing his gun at Robbie to try and keep him away and, at this point, VERY confused. Because he’s pulled out his EMF reader and is getting some absolutely WACK readings off Robbie but hes also very much so being deterred by the gun (terminators couldnt gibe two shits about guns thlse metal fuckheads eat bullets for breakfast). The readings shortly get even more wack when the ACTUAL Terminator sent to kill Gabe shows up. Amadeus fires a couple of shots into the Terminator to confirm what he already knew (subsequently freaking both Robbie and Gabe out sufficiently enough to confirm that at least Amadeus isn’t entirely crazy). They pile into the Reyes-mobile and peel off shortly before the terminator gets into Amadeus’ abandoned stolen car and starts going after them.

Robbie is doing his best to ask what the FUCK is actually going on while getting away but Amadeus is still double checking his EMF readings because Robbie is DEFINETLY not human but also clearly isn’t here to kill Gabe. Quickly puts two and two together that for SOME reason SOMEhow Robbie is here to PROTECT Gabe from this other Terminator. Amadeus is. A little distracted because of this and keeps asking Robbie about his ‘Programming’ (sort of a “WOW your programming must be good you REALLY think he’s your brother and thats WHY you have to protect him!” “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WHO WAS THAT GUY HOW DID HE KEEP WALKING AFTER YOU SHOT HIM” “It was a terminator keep up. Hey did you even TRY to call the police or did you just start coming after me because you knew it would be faster? Cause damnnnnn again. PROGRAMMING!”)

After finally losing the terminator that’s been on their tail, they find the police are not too happy about their reckless driving, arrest them and take them to the station to keep in a holding cell. While Robbie is in said holding cell with Amadeus (Gabe is presently being asked questions) there’s a police officer who recognizes him as that weird little kid who just appeared out of nowhere.

“Yeah we had absolutely NOTHING on you. It was like you hadn't existed until the day we found you!” So Robbie has to sit and listen to this while Amadeus is just confirming in his head what he already figured out. Being stuck in that cell trying to stay in denial with the guy whose favorite thing to say in the world is ‘I Told You So’ is not great. (un)Fortunately this is when the actual terminator shows up again.

This time, being faced with both the Terminator AND police trying to stop him from leaving, Robbies defense systems activate. He goes absolutely HAM on everyone in his way. He’s extremely default Terminator-like (Emotionless, distant, empty, quiet) in this state because all of his infiltration protocols have been halted. He even manages to fight off the other terminator decently well, but not before getting blasted in the arm with a shotgun shell. It goes deep enough that his metal endoskeleton is revealed. I also had this idea of like. His arm getting caught in something and he just stares at whoever trapped it there. Looks them dead in the eyes as he degloves his entire hand then beats the shit out of whoever got in his way with his metal fist. He stays in this state until they steal ANOTHER car, and he finally snaps out of it. And sees his hands covered in blood. And glimmers of his metal skeleton. And his brother looking at him in fear.

AND THATS WHAT IVE GOT RN I CAN'T WRITE LIKE YALL CAN I DON'T HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR IT I HAVE TO GET ALL OF THIS OUT LIKE RIGHT NOW SO YEAH UHHHHHHH ENJOY

[higgssupremacy]

From @yukeesfreezer

[undreaming-fanfiction]

As a crazy cat lady, may I offfer...

Eddie who has always loved cats, how free and soft and elegant they are, how they purr and close their eyes in affection, how they make him forget all his worries and stress. He's loved them ever since a neighbor's cat found him crying behind the trailer after he got bullied for his new haircut, the last gift from his shitty dad before Eddie got whisked away by the social services. The cat ignored his sniffling and jumped in his lap, plopping herself over the bony knees and thin thighs, and when she started rubbing her face against his scraped palm, Eddie felt complete.

He can't adopt one yet because he lives with Wayne who is allergic. Wayne offers to take antihistamines but Eddie refuses, he doesn't want to inconvenience him in his own home. Still, he dreams of one day sometime in the future, a small apartment of his own and at least two cats who will greet him when he comes home.

Eddie finds himself volunteering in a shelter and when a new cat café opens, he jumps at the opportunity. He is hired and spends his days taking of their cat ensemble and preparing delicious coffees. Cats help him be less jittery and more grounded, so it's a win win. Eddie loves this job.

Enter Steve Harrington, an insanely handsome man who stops by to make a reservation. Eddie is his usual flirty self, although he expects Steve will bring a date and that's the end of that. But then Steve leans to Eddie and asks: "Listen, uh...I will need some help."

Suppressing an internal groan, Eddie asks: "what, do you need me to drop an engagement ring into the coffee or something? Because can do, but it needs to be sanitized first."

"Oh no. Not that, no..." Steve runs his fingers through his hair and even though it looks like a nervous gesture, Eddie is seconds away from a cuteness induced nosebleed. "Not at all. I just...I have a little sister, you know? I mean, my adoptive dad is fostering her and she's the kindest girl you've met, but she had it rough in her original family. Apparently there was something involving animals and...she loves cats so much, but is terrified of hurting them. She would never!" he clarifies when he sees a frown forming on Eddie's forehead. "It's just that whenever she showed affection to any animal, her biological father made sure it would get hurt or at least chased away. And that's gone, that man is in jail and I just...I want to show her that it's okay to love animals again. That she can pet a purring cat without worrying about its safety."

Eddie just stares at him with mouth open. "That's...wow," he says. "Sorry. Processing."

Steve does the hair thing again and laughs and Eddie thinks that this man deserves a brother of the year award, yep, he'll ask Gareth to 3D print one right fucking now. "Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean to dump all that on you, but I had to be honest because this is a big deal to her. To me as well. Just...listen, I like cats a lot, but I'm not the best at interpreting what they mean, their body language and all that. And I really need Jane to have someone here that can tell her what to do, when she's doing a good job...someone who will protect the kitties if she messes up. Her words. I know it's a lot to ask, but..."

But Eddie shushes him. "Say no more, big boy. I'll be here and I'll give the young lady the cat experience of a lifetime."

Eddie used to think he couldn't love his job any more. But with Jane's uncertain smile and big eyes, her incredulous squeal when a cat chose her for the first time, when she kept asking Eddie for specifics of each cat in his care - "which one is more shy, which one likes to be picked up, which one is a picky eater?" - he thinks he's finally found his calling. Steve beams at him and comes back the next day with a bag of approved cat treats for the cats and a box of chocolates for Eddie as a thank you, then asks him out for a dinner - "if that is even appropriate, shit, sorry, I don't want you to feel pressured or something, this is your job, I get it, but I just really admire you and you were amazing to Jane, uh, and the stuff you say about cats is so interesting I'd just love to hear more". Eddie's heart flutters like the traitor it is and he thinks - maybe this is someone I could adopt a cat with one day.

And unsurprisingly, he's right.

[crazyk-imagine]

Married Off to a Beast?! (Or Troll)

Pairing: King George x Fem!reader Characters: Charlotte, Fem!reader, King George, Adolphus (briefly mentioned) Warnings: A memoriable scene, fluff, Charlotte doesn’t approve of running away, George is a simp, Reader and George are enamored with each other, Charlotte is a hypocrite, George regrets nothing, reader knows she can’t resist him now, reader showing skin O:O Word Count: 1,356

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You walk back and forth in front of the wall. You take a deep breath and step closer. "Charlotte help me." 

"No," she shakes her head, wanting little to no part in your escape. 

You spin around to look at her, your body visible for anyone to see if they walk down this path to the garden. "Your brother married me off without my consent, you will help me." 

She huffs, scratching the side of her head. Out of the two of them (her and her brother), she's always had a harder time saying no to you. 

"Fine." 

George watches as you call for her assistance and decides to walk further down. Neither of noticed him, not until he cleared his throat. “Hello, My Lady.” 

You glance over your shoulder to find a charming man standing a few feet away. 

He turns to your cousin. “My Lady.” 

Her eye twitches, you know it did; you didn’t have to look at her to know. “Are you in need of assistance of some kind?” 

“Uh, I am quite fine, thank you.” You return to your mission. “You can go back inside and wait with all the other gawkers.” 

Charlotte whispers your name. She understands your feelings about the situation but there is a better way to address someone. 

"I… will. What are you doing?" 

You huff, “nothing.” 

“You’re doing something.” 

You internally groan, not wanting to berate some man for something he had no control over. “I am not.” 

“You are.” 

“I am not.” 

“You are.” 

“I am not.” 

“You are!” 

You jump down from your place and spin around to face him. "If you must know, I am being shipped off into a marriage I did not give my consent to and one I had no prior knowledge of, therefore I am leaving before it can happen." 

"Oh," his brows shot up in surprise. 

“Yes, so I am currently trying to find the best way to climb over this damned garden wall so that I may live my life the way I choose to.” 

He mutters a few things, trying to understand this new information he’s been given. “Whatever for?” 

"For the love of-" She mutters, hearing the wheels turning in your head. 

"I believe he may be a beast.” 

"He isn't," she assures you. 

"How do you know? I mean, do you know what he looks like?" 

She rolls her eyes, knowing you’ve been on edge since... well, since you were informed of your future role. 

“You think he is a beast?” 

“Or a troll.” 

“Uh, who are we discussing.” 

You furrow your brows, “no one who concerns you.” You study the wall, sighing to yourself. “The King. Only because no one will speak of him. No one. So, he can only be a beast or a troll if that’s the case.” 

“Understood.” 

Charlotte shakes her head, lowering it so George doesn’t see the disappointment on her face. 

“If I grab there,” you point to an ideal spot. “You can assist me by lifting me up.” 

“One question. You do not like beasts or trolls? What he looks like matters?” 

You shrug, “I do not care what he looks like. I care about my sanity… and the not knowing. That, that is what I do not like. I do not like the not knowing. Now come here and help me.” You gesture for him to come closer. “She will not help me. You grab here,” you hold your waist, “and lift me.” 

“You want me to lift you over the wall so you may escape?” 

“That is what I said, is it not.” 

You shake your head, mumbling to yourself, “it’s as if he isn’t listening.” 

“Won’t people notice you are missing?” 

“Her brother will make her take my place, I’m sure.” 

“What?” Charlotte nearly screeches. 

“I have little care to worry about that. Now, if you please. I just need a little assistance from a more cooperative audience. Make haste.” 

“I have absolutely no intention of helping you.” 

You’re baffled. You step off the wall and march towards him. “Do you not see I am a lady in distress. You refuse to help me? Again, a lady in distress.” 

“I refuse when that lady in distress is trying to go over a wall so that she does not have to marry someone I think you'll find rather appealing." 

You furrow your brows, "and why's that?" 

"Because I am... his majesty." 

You take a step back, realizing the many errors you’ve made leading up to now. 

“Hello,” he says your name. 

"Oh, no," your cousin mutters. She takes a step closer, pulling you towards her. "Be quiet and bow." 

You start to apologize. “I am deeply s…” 

And then your training (from when you were a young girl) kicks in and you bow, "My King." 

"No, no. Just George." 

"Your majesty." 

"Not your majesty, George." 

"Your-" 

Your cousin rolls her eyes and sneaks away (not wanting to listen to you two anymore). She’s off to find her brother. Not to mention the fact that she needs to hide from her betrothed as well… which explains why she willingly followed you.

"George." 

"You-" 

"George." 

"Y-" 

"George." 

"Your-" 

"I mean, yes your majesty to you, just George… For you, I will be your George, I like that," he smiles. 

“I- I need you to accept my apology. You see, if I had known-” 

“You would have what? Not told me you were trying to escape?” 

“Yes- wait no, I mean…” You huff, “I do apologize your majesty.” 

“George… Your George. The “King” situation towers over us and I was hoping as my wife, I could be just George to you. I mean, that was of course, before I found out that you do not want to be married to me.” 

You furrow your brows, “I did not say that.” 

“You did.” 

“No.” 

“Many times, in fact.” 

You purse your lips in anger, knowing he’s right. “I do not know you.” 

He raises his arms, “I do not know you either… other than finding out… how terrible you are at climbing a wall.” 

You scoff, “you try climbing in this,” you wave to your outfit and lift the skirts of your dress, showing him your ankles. “These garments and shoes. They’re terrible, but if I don’t want to hurt myself, I must.” 

His constant stare worries you. 

“What?” 

“I- No one told me you’d be this beautiful. Perhaps, you’re too beautiful to marry me. People will talk… given I’m a troll.” 

“I believe I said beast.” 

He chuckles. 

Your face twists as if you’re in pain but only thinking of your future marriage. “Your majesty.” 

“George.” 

“George. I- I still do not know you.” 

“What do you want to know?” 

“Everything.” 

“Ev- fine.” He gives you information to help ease you into knowing more about him and potentially help your future marriage. 

“It sounds like you’re bragging.” 

He chuckles, “another to know about me is that… I am- well, nervous about marrying a girl I’m only just meeting minutes before our wedding. Only, I cannot show it and climb over a wall because I am the king of Britian and Ireland and that would, cause a scandal. But I promise you, I am neither a troll, nor a beast. Just your George.” 

The corners of your lips twitch. 

Charlotte’s voice interrupts you two. “My brother is on his way, so we must leave now.” 

“I-” 

“I have one question.” 

“Yes?” 

“Have you decided whether you wish to marry me? Or would you prefer to go over the wall?” 

You gulp. 

“As much as I would love to hear your answer, I have to go because I believe there are some anxious guards who think I’ve been kidnapped.” He grabs your hand and whispers your name as he places a kiss upon it. “I hope to see you in there.” 

You watch as he walks away. “Have you decided? Because there will be a scandal one way or another.” 

“I-” you take a deep breath. “Come with me, you impatient brat.” 

“I am not a brat.” 

“You are.” 

“Am not.”

[theivorybilledwoodpecker]

Advisor: Herald Elrond went too far this time! In taking the rings, he not only defied the king, but endangered the fate of the Eldar. He must be punished.

Gil-galad: (Internally: Okay, but have you ever tried to look into his kicked puppy eyes and tell him he needed to be punished?) You are bold to speak of dealing out punishment to my kin, no matter how distant a cousin my herald may be.

Advisor: Kin or not-

Gil-galad: My cousin has gone through much in his young life. He lost his parents. Was held captive by kin slayers. Lost his brother. And most recently, he sustained numerous injuries from a fall from a waterfall. I believe he has been through enough. Wouldn't you agree?

Advisor: (slowly weakening) Well...even so...his actions...

Gil-galad: I know. Perhaps you can tell him this yourself. (To servant) Please tell Herald Elrond I wish to see him.

(15 minutes later)

Elrond: You requested my presence, high king?

Gil-galad: Yes. Advisor (name) has something he would like to say to you.

Elrond: (Turns the full effect of his puppy dog eyes on the Advisor) Yes?

Advisor: Oh...I...um...I...that is....I just hope you are recovering from your injuries well. (Wags a finger at him) You musn't do that in the future!

[batfambrainrotbeloved]

PLEASE 🙏🙏🙏🙏 YOUR DSB PLAYLIST!!! I keep seeing u talk about it and you have BANGERS on that pl

I think I have shared it before but back when I was only on like chapter 2 so its been buried and has changed ALOT- But here you go!!

Full list (and notes)

Oh No! (Tims "Grand plan")

Flight of the Crows (Running away from what he loves, of course)

Nobody (Self imposed curse of isolation)

Colors (Yes. (also just a fav tim song regardless of AU)

United in grief ( Acting as Timothy Drake)

Teen Idle (Mourning his youth, for a second time)

Gasoline (Tim breakdown in luxury vibes)

I cant fix you (I still religiously listen to fnaf fan songs, this one just fits)

Brother (MY COUNTRY ASS SNUCK IN- It doesnt even relate to the AU, I just love the vibe- if anything it fitd Dick towards Jason but thats besides the point)

Passing through (cant the future just wait) (Times running out)

Are you Satisfied? (Literally perfect song about his situation)

Look who's inside again (Again, Isolation)

Coffee (Internal struggle- but the caffine isnt the problem)

Digital Silence (Again, just in here for the vibes)

Over & Over (AMAZING imagining song, like a little movie)

Problems (Tim to Jason)

Oh Ana (Not even kidding, THE MOVIE song- (from breathing as tim bleeds out to the The Angel I couldnt kill just AHH)

Rat (Just a vibe)

Lotta True Crime (Not for Tim actually, but related)

Misery Meat (Mans is the rainbow fish)

Feel Better (Y E A H- No explination needed)

Arms Tonight (This but literally, though he wont admit it)

The Burning pile (Tim ignoring his problems for the "greater good")

Family Jewels (The Drakes.)

Devil Town (Life in Gotham, reminishing his Time as Robin w/ his old fam)

Hermit the Frog (Another "just a vibe")

Michelle (Not for Tim, but relevent :)

Girls (The horror in being Timothy)

Saint Bernard (THIS- THIS THIS THIS (literally so mmmm lore))(might make a PMV when the fic is finished just for THIS!!)

Washing Machine Heart (A vibe.)

The Bidding (Timothy but less ironically)

Seventeen (Tim and Timothy- also just "seventeen" when he died s o)

Cupid (He still loves them...)

Hidden in the sand (Memories.)

dumb dumb (Tim pulling off his shit, mostly Cardinal)

American Healthcare (glitzy) (Tim in his career)

Treehouse (STAY OFF MY LAWN!!!)

Worlds greatest actor (Rec by @ihavenotsleptindays my dear, and its perfect. Tim as Timothy, or are they one in the same??)

Rule #34 (Not for Tim, but TOO him :)

Harpy Hare (Im obsessed okay?)

Prom Queen (Beautiful tragedy all the people envy)

No place like home (Not what it seems)

Again & Again (Another "movie in my mind") song

Labryinth (Movie mind!! Lots of lore and distortion lol)

Youth (Tim being self aware, for once)

Just one Yesterday (YES YES YES YES)

Angry too (Just a vibe.)

Pompeii (He misses what things can never again be)

spy? (Two face.)

Lullaby of the False Hydra ( Once again, im obsessed but for diff reasons)

Sweet Hibuscus tea (GAHHH)

Lights out (Hype song- and Cardinal BAMF)

Nothings New (Tim repeating his whole life and yet failing all over again)

Little Lion man (He wasnt really doomed wasnt he?)

Guilded Lily (The awnser is no, its never enough)

Underground (Once again, Gotham.)

Cast the Bronze (More a canon Jason song actually, but I still adore)

Could Have been me (Not Tim :)

Savior (Duet- but with who??)

Take me home, country roads (The country got me again. And yeah Tim longing for home he lost)

[honeyjars-sims]

3.23 Making an Impression

Part 1 of 2

It’s the day of my hike with Lucy and Lacey. I somehow manage to convince a few other coworkers to come with us even though a lot of us aren’t particularly athletic. Robi, Clara, Quinn, and Lilly are joining us and I’m feeling pretty good about my plan to help Lucy make friends.

While we’re waiting for Lucy and her brother to show up, Lilly shows off her hiking fit. She always has the craziest outfits and they’re usually themed, which is fun.

Today she’s wearing a fishing hat with fabric fish attached to the brim. As Lilly poses for us, Lacey swats at them and they swirl around each other like they’re in a chase. “What’s with the fishing hat?” Lacey asks her.

Lilly starts untangling the fish. “It’s the most outdoorsy thing I own,” she explains. “I thought it really completed the outfit.”

“I think it’s cute,” Clara tells her. “No one said you had to be practical.”

“I don’t think Lilly could be practical if she tried,” Robi laughs.

“I’ll take that as a compliment!”

“I meant it as one!”

“I think that’s Lucy,” Quinn says, looking toward the entrance to the trails. She abruptly slaps herself on the neck, which makes all of us stare at her in confusion. “Mosquito,” she explains, her face flushing red. “They always eat me up.”

Lucy and her crew approach us. A guy I assume is her brother is with her; he looks like the stereotypical Tartosan with his jet black hair and I can see a family resemblance. There's another girl with them, which is great because if there's one thing this trip is lacking, it's female energy.

Lucy introduces them as her brother Paul and his best friend Danica.

Once the introductions are done, we all start making our way up the hiking trail.

“What do you two do?” Clara asks Paul and Danica.

“We’re both students at Foxbury,” Danica answers. “We’re in undergrad now, but I want to be a Psychologist and Paul’s going to be a doctor.”

“Wow, that’s really cool!” Clara replies.

“What kind of doctor do you want to be, Paul?” inquires Lacey.

“I’m not sure yet,” Paul admits. “I want to wait until I’ve done a few clinical rotations in med school before I settle on anything.”

“That’s really wise,” Lilly says, sounding impressed.

All of the girls make their way towards Paul as soon as they hear the word "doctor." They start talking to him about his bright future.

Wow, Paul, it’s so cool that you got a full ride scholarship!

You must be really smart!

I love when guys have a strong work ethic!

I hate to admit that I start feeling a bit irritated. A few weeks ago they all gushed over me when they saw my drawing, but now it doesn’t seem as impressive.

We come to a cliff that Lucy informs us is a popular climbing spot. “If you feel confident in your climbing skills you can go up this way. Otherwise the trail takes you to the top,” she explains.

“I think I’ll climb up,” Paul says confidently. The girls look at him in admiration. I can practically see the hearts forming in their eyes.

I don’t know what possesses me to do it, but I blurt out, “Yeah, me, too.”

As soon as we begin to scale the rocks, I realize I made a big mistake. Why would I think climbing was a good idea? I don’t have any experience and Paul is clearly in better shape. Of course, he reaches the top of the wall with no problem and I’m left struggling halfway up. All I can think about is how badly I need a cigarette.

“Johnny, do you want to just climb back down?” Lacey calls up, with more concern in her voice than I feel comfortable acknowledging.

“No, I’m good,” I lie. It takes what seems like forever for me to get near the top. Every passing second just fills me with more embarrassment.

As I approach the top of the cliff, I see Paul crouch down at the edge and reach his hand out. “Need some help?” he offers.

No, nope, not going to happen! I scream internally, but then I start to lose my footing. Faced with the possibility of this horrible moment being my last one on earth and forever cementing me in everyone's memories as The Dumbass Who Fell Off a Mountain Trying to Impress Girls, I see no better option than to take Paul’s hand. I feel defeated, but at least I still have the rest of my life ahead of me to try and save face.

“I have a lot of climbing experience,” Paul tells me once I’m secure at the top of the cliff.

“No problem, I was just trying to be funny.” Liar! Now that the moment is over and done with, I realize I’m more embarrassed by trying to engage in some sort of macho competition for the girls’ attention than I am in my lack of skill. It’s not the sort of thing I usually do.

“Oh, okay,” Paul responds. He doesn’t sound convinced but at least he doesn’t call me out.

“Are you okay?” Lacey asks me once we catch up with the others.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I tell her. Just a bruised ego is all.

“We’re almost to the top!” Lucy exclaims. We round the corner and Lucy guides us to the edge. “Be careful,” she warns, and I ignore that she’s looking right at me when she says it.

Cautiously, I peek down over the edge. I’m surprised at how much of the city I can see. It doesn’t seem like we went that high up, but laid out below us are hundreds of buildings and trees that seem surreal in their tininess. “Cool,” is all I can manage to say.

“I can see the studio!” Lilly points below, and the rest of us look excitedly at the building we spend 5 days a week in. It’s funny how something we see everyday seems so much more impressive when it’s viewed it from a different angle.

“There’s where the food truck parks!” Clara shouts and we all turn our heads like we’ve discovered a hidden treasure.

“Great, now I want tacos,” I joke, and I feel the embrace of laughter surrounding me. Maybe the day won’t be a total waste.

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

[msookyspooky]

♡ Obsessed Delusional Reader x Sinclair Brother's ♡

Bo Sinclair:

- "Wow, so you want me that bad, huh? 🤭😏 You tied me up because you want to keep me here? That's so romantic! 😍 And out of everyone in my group it was me?"

- Bo is staring at you, trying to scare you and even hurt you but...The drive isn't there with you being so...Willing? Like, there's no fun in this you lil nutjob!

- Match made in hell

- "Are you there? Is your head just decoration or somethin'? What the fuck is your problem?? I am CRAZY and EVIL and will FUCK YOU UP." You: "Okay bby, if you say so. 🥰" All while Bo is short circuiting.

- Alright, that's it. You're getting the glue on your mouth.

- Honestly about to cut something off to make you afraid or hurt...He might but also might not because you fascinate him so are you a person that fascinates him or a toy he needs to break?

- The bondage sex is probably banging though ngl he's even a bit enthralled by how eager you are compared to most victims

- When you are still not afraid and looking at him in a way that melts most hearts even his icy one he can't even truly torture you properly. Most victims he can shut that off because they trigger his sadism by screaming and fighting or cussing him out or begging him but all these years he's never had a victim act so lovey dovey even after finding out his darkest secrets

- At first this has him so frustrated he has to leave the gas station room; having a crisis cause this has never happened before!

- Doesn't trust you but decided to undo the mouth glue or tape and untie you after all the fun to see what you would do...When you follow him around like a love sick puppy he's both annoyed yet enjoys it

- Mad lil unloved boy in a man's body that is both flustered and irritated at his captive being so fucking smitten for him without manipulation on his part. He has to be in control and your feelings for him is out of his control and he hates it.

- "...What the fuck" -Bo after finding you drawing his name with hearts in a notebook and planning your wedding and future with your captor while your chained up in his bedroom instead of the gas station room bc he obviously is in love with you to move you to someplace more comfy; how sweet of him ♡

- You are dead ass scarying him.

- He should kill you but he thinks you're so crazy he's kinda nervous if he misses with his shotgun and what you'll do if he does because you so obsessed with him is a level of coocoo he ain't never had before

- Once you start to show dimension other than flirting with him (Bonus points if you have trauma like he does and it's why you're lovebombing him and so attached) he starts to look at you as less a pest and more a clingy pet.

- Like...You really just have that much of a crush on him after everything he's done? You both can trauma bond and lovebomb each other? (And manipulate even if he's too dumb to realize you're manipulating him too to love you)

- Is actually willing to be crazy with you after awhile and have you obsessed with him because why not? It gets lonely in Ambrose and he likes you as a pet at times. He'd put a ring on your finger as his spouse just to shut you up, claim you like someone claims their chair, and as an act to lure victims

- If you get extremely possesive and jealous and refuse him having anyone strapped in that chair in that room but you; he actually is so flattered you're that possesive of him. Like he secretly always craved a person making him theirs like this PLUS you know his dark side and still want him.

- He'd probably ease up on being so mean and try acting like a crazy possesive delusional married couple together after that even if he still treats you as a thing to easily manipulate and control and he's CLEARLY not being manipulated either (Poor dumb bastard.)

- Vincent is internally screaming and questioning why this person is in their house and has a wedding band from a victim on their finger and his brother is...Being sweet on them??? Lester is happy for you though.

Vincent Sinclair:

- "Wow...I'm your muse? 🥺💘 That's so swee-" *Paralyzing agent kicks in but you have heart eyes still*

- He literally cannot work with you looking at him like that. Stop. He can't even wax your brows off because you're looking at him in a way no one has before

- You weren't even afraid and it makes him hesitate because...He forgot his tools upstairs! Obviously...He'll try again later.

- Once the agent wears off and your spared for now it's ten times worse

- He is blushing so bad under his mask at all your praise and admiring his work and admiring him you're gonna melt his damn mask!

- He is harder to get through to than his twin (HC Bo is more desperate for affection as the least favorite bad seed unloved child than he let's on he just acts cold but they both crave acceptance)

- Vincent pats your head like Jonesy the dog when you smile at him while he works...You're not so bad. As long as you stay outta the way.

- May have to pick you up and move you where he wants like furniture sorry his people skills kinda suck being sheltered for his face then stuck in abandoned Ambrose half his life

- Bo acts annoyed with your obsessed ways but secretly enjoys the neediness for him. Vince is actually annoyed being much more reclusive than Bo and now you're staring at him while he works.

- Dead stares at you when you sculpt tiny little figures of you both holding hands with wax he let you have...He loves it or else he'd destroy it obviously ♡♡♡

- When he lost his mask and you fawned over him (He acted like Erik in Phantom of the Opera the DRAMATICS) he's absolutely panicking and startled

- Once you kiss that side of his face and praise him maskless how on Earth could he not fall for you too despite your odd ways??

- Becomes just as obsessed with you only in a more lowkey way than you. Making sculptures and drawing you all the time. Enjoys you talking, keeping him company etc.

- Bo is bewildered when you verbal rip his ass so viciously when he made a nasty remark to your angel bby his twin brother that this big guy was reeling back thinking you were gonna jump him. Probably said shit that he'll be secretly thinking about tonight with a heavy heart too. Vincent snickers and pulls his guard dog away as you glare at Bo the entire way back downstairs.

- You and Bo do not get along because of how protective you are of Vince and how mean Bo can be

Lester Sinclair:

- "Oooo, you got such a big hunting knife! Is it in reference to...Other big things?🤭😘"

- HUH!?

- His brain shut off because he had never had a victim he took to his brothers flirt with him like this. And while he's covered in grime and roadkill?!

- It's okay it just adds to his manliness. We love a man with hobbies! ♡

- Like...Are you being mean and joking? Are you...Alright up there in your noggin? He would take the long way and other roads to Ambrose just to talk to you more and figure you out (Even when Bo is in a hot ass suit in a Church with no air waiting and is ringing Lester's cell off the hook)

- When you are fascinated by what he does, praising his job, asking about him; he is a blushing mess driving. Then he tries flirting back and cracks his cheesy jokes. And when you laugh??? Ooooh it's over. He's crushing severely.

- Easiest brother to woe. He's keeping you. Gonna show up to the house like Spencer in that one episode of ICarly.

Bo: "...What is that?"

Lester drinking a smoothie while you cheerfully wave love struck on his arm: "A smoothie??"

- He did question your mental state at first but hell he grew up with Bo and Vince so what the hell? He's a lil crazy too! Just part of your charm is all.

- When you are talking about the future he gets a little nervous but not out right opposing it just give him some time, babe! He could give you a ring made of deer antler or bone wittled down and you'd cry and say yes.

- He acts cute with you. You both are so disgustingly sweet on each other it makes Bo gag and Vincent roll his eye whenever you both come to town.

- Both twins are so jealous their goofy dirty lil brother found love before them and they can't stand it

[purpleajisai]

Uchiha Observation n°1: Sasuke’s lineage - headcanons, storyline and hints in canon

This post is part of the worldbuilding process for a fanfic idea that I’ve been maturing over the past year, so I will update this if needed. I have wondered about the relationship between Madara and Sasuke for a long while now, and I knew there has to be a deeper connection than just reincarnations of Indra. The moment that piqued my interest was the point that Hashirama made about Sasuke looking like Izuna, implying that if Madara saw someone so similar to his beloved younger brother he could listen to what Sasuke had to say and perhaps change his mindset in regards to the war.

This cannot be a coincidence. Today, I’m going to share my headcanon regarding Madara and Sasuke’s kinship: Sasuke is Madara’s great nephew, connnected through Izuna. Here is the genealogical tree:

First of all, let’s explain Izuna’s generation. Of course, you can see Madara represented there as an older brother as well as the 4 unnamed younger siblings mentioned in the river flashbacks. The language used by Madara suggest that there were 5 other siblings aside from him, not 5 in total and including him. In the case of Izuna, according to the databooks he died at age 24, which is definitely old enough to be married and have a child.

And perhaps the readers are wondering why I’m not considering Madara to be married as well since he’s not only older than Izuna but also the clan leader. The only reason why I’m not giving him a wife and kids at the time of Izuna’s death is because I want to adhere to canon in this regard (no spoilers about the fic’s plot).

In the storyline I’ve planned, Izuna would die and leave behind a little baby or even a pregnant wife. The exact moment is yet undecided. However, it is through this only son of Izuna from which we can connect him to Sasuke. Once Izuna’s son grows up, having the pressure of being the last surviving heir to the clan, it’s not far-fetched for this man to have more than 2 children to ensure his legacy and prevent the clan from descending into anarchy. The reason why his firstborn son, who would be Izuna’s eldest grandson, is marked as “disgraced” in this chart is because the existence of this generation collides with the 2nd Great Ninja War. A possible reason I may consider to add for his fall into disgrace and shunning by the clan is that he would’ve left some Uchiha comrades to die in order to protect important Konoha intel, therefore gaining the reputation of a traitor and not being suitable for inheriting the clan’s leadership.

With the eldest son banned from the position of clan heir, the younger son would immediately take his place. From the disgraced eldest brother, we get Obito’s ancestry, and from the younger brother we get Mikoto’s generation. For Obito’s case, I theorize a normal Uchiha picked at random wouldn’t be able to handle the toll of Madara’s eyes, whether in EMS or Rinnegan form. Technically speaking, these eyeballs are actually Izuna’s, reinforcing his importance for this lineage. Please consider the importance of genetics in handling kekkei genkai in the Naruto universe. For Mikoto’s case, I added an older brother for her. Why? Because it used to be a custom in the Sengoku period and the subsequent Edo period to follow agnatic (male-only) succession for leadership. The death of Mikoto’s brother would put Fugaku as a leader, given that he’s the husband of a bearer of the lineage of clan leaders.

Finally, we get to Itachi and Sasuke. Neither one nor another were “normal” Uchiha: both unlocked the mangekyo sharingan and handled the toll of the Susano’o, among other remarkable feats. If Sasuke is connected to Madara through Izuna’s descendants, it would imply the existence of a direct line of ancestry that starts with Indra himself. The headcanons regarding the internal structure of the Uchiha clan will be discussed in a future post. The direct family line from Izuna to Sasuke can therefore explain why both looked so similar (recessive genetics) and why Madara felt nostalgic or touched at the sight of someone who resembled his beloved little brother so much.

Thanks for reading thus far, and if you have any questions plkease use the blog’s ask box.

[starlight-bread-blog]

Katara made it very clear that she never ever wants to see Yon Rah again and most of the Zutara fandom supports that decision of hers.

So I guess the possible downside of Katara choosing to marry Zuko means sharing Zuko's burden of reforming and rehabilitating depraved war criminals like Yon Rha and all those who are even worse than him.

Then there's this whole thing with Aaron Ehasz imagining Zuko being Azula's Iroh and she reforms in that way along with my and a few other's ideas of Aang showing her how open and master her own chakras. Speaking of Iroh, does anyone remember his ruthless and brutal 600-day siege anymore? There's no way he'd avoid dropping bodies that whole time.

Looks like Katara will ironically be taking Aang's advice about forgiveness after all but I don't think it'll be necessary for Katara to look for Yon Rah again and say so.

What do you think?

Tw: War crimes, genocide and nazism.

Disclaimer: I don't know what actually happened post canon. I tried to look on internet forums and it seems as the topic wasn't addressed in the comics. For this answer, I'm going under this assumption.

Sorry for not getting to this sooner, life got busy and I didn't want to give some half assed answer to such a delicate topic. There's a lot to comment on so I'll break this down step by step.

"Katara choosing to marry Zuko means sharing Zuko's burden of reforming and rehabilitating depraved war criminals"...

The fire nation commited atrocious war crimes, leaving them with with many war criminals. War crimes are more than punishable. If it were real life, neither Katara or Zuko would have to reform and rehabilitate any of them.

An example of this would be the Nuremberg trials after WW2. Even recently, in 2022, Irmgard Furchner (an 98 year old women) faced a trial for being a secretary of a concentration camp (to put it lightly, she was very much a murderer). No one is getting away with their actions.

I read the relevant section from a Red Cross's document titled "Analysis of the punishments applicable to international crimes (war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide) in domestic law and practice". (The section being "States’ obligations under IHL to prosecute and punish international crimes").

I found something interesting. (ID in alt text).

*Grave breaches are more serious, vile violations of humananitarian law. Everything above applies to "genocide and crimes against humanity".

If Katara were in a position of power in the Fire Nation, not only would she not have to reform anyone, she also might get to help with the trials for them.

"Then there's this whole thing with Aaron Ehasz imagining Zuko being Azula's Iroh"

I don't know about his plans for Aang's other ideas, so I can't comment on them. What I did find was a short thread of his. And after reading it, I maintain that – like most ideas – his vision can work with sensitive execution.

Azula was still very much a 14 year old victim of grooming when the series took place. Her brother can help her through her redemption under one condition – the desire to be better should come from her.

He shouldn't sit through any mistreatment whatsoever. He'll guide her through a path he already went through, but she has to walk with him. Azula needs to be safe for Zuko. Only then, redemption would be possible.

"does anyone remember [Iroh's] ruthless and brutal 600-day siege anymore?"

The difference between Iroh and Yon Rah is what they're up to now. In the present Yon Rah is just some guy living with his mother. Meanwhile Iroh took back Ba Sing Se from Fire Nation colonizers.

Yon Rah isn't out here fixing his mistakes, he just got off scot-free. On the other hand, Iroh is a changed man and took action to correct his past on the same scale.

At the end of the day redemtion isn't Aang's idea. It's one of the major themes of Atla. It wants to show that people can change and grow. So it does. Zuko changes, Mai changes, Ty Lee changes, and Iroh is their future.

He tried to conquer Ba Sing Se, and now he took it back from conquerors. He was the worst of them all, and now he's unrecognizable. He's warm, wise and sweet. There's a meaning to it.

That doesn't mean that war criminals in the current day, scums who made no affort, will get away with their crimes. That doesn't mean Katara would have to go through the mental torture of reforming her colonizers.

That is it! I hope I didn't come off as aggressive, I didn't mean to. Thank you for the ask, sorry for taking me forever to write this, and have a lovely day!

[ticklishraspberries]

Assessment (Cristina, George)

Summary: Cristina asks George to help her practice a simple abdominal examn, and it goes differently than expected. (Based on this prompt by @allytheally. Hope you enjoy!!)

“Just let me practice on you, Bambi!” Cristina said, her tone uncharacteristically close to begging. It still wasn’t quite begging, which George would have taken great joy in, but it was close enough to give him a little bit of satisfaction.

“Fine,” he said. “But you’re buying my lunch today.”

“Deal, lay down.”

Feeling ridiculous, George laid down on one of the extra beds in the hallway, elbows at his sides and hands resting on his chest.

“Bailey claims I’m too rough when I give secondary assessments,” Cristina said. “You’re wimpy, you’ll tell me if I hurt you, right?”

“Hey, I am not wimpy! I grew up with two older brothers, I can take a punch,” he replied.

Cristina rolled her eyes. “Whatever, just…Tell me if I hurt you.”

George nodded, looking up at the ceiling. He could have been scrubbing in on a surgery, but instead, he was helping Cristina practice her patient etiquette.

Without warning, Cristina brought her hands to his abdomen and pressed, and he twitched under her sudden touch, but it wasn’t as painful as she’d made it sound.

“See, you’re already squirming! I’m not that heavy-handed, you’re just being a baby!”

“People’s bodies react to stimuli,” he replied. “I’m not being a baby, I’m literally just reacting! It doesn’t hurt, just hurry up.”

“Fine, bossy,” she replied, and did as instructed, but George noticed that she did lighten her touch ever-so-slightly. But that just made it worse, because it hadn’t hurt in the first place, and now it…Well, it tickled, and George would rather be in pain than have Cristina Yang find a new thing to tease him about.

He tensed despite his best efforts, but he assumed the average patient would do the same. It was awkward, uncomfortable, sometimes painful and sometimes ticklish to get felt up by doctors. He would have to keep that in mind in the future, try and make the experience less uncomfortable.

“Why are you so tense?” she asked, annoyance clear in her tone.

“I’m not,” George replied, defensive.

“You are, you’re being all weird. There’s no way I’m hurting you, this is the pressure I’d use in pediatrics.”

To prove her point, she lightened her touch again, barely pressing down, brushing fingers over his belly through his scrubs and he couldn’t help but let out a little squeak.

Time seemed to freeze in the hall, and George looked up at Cristina, feeling as vulnerable as a patient with their chest cavity open on the table beneath her curious gaze.

“No way,” she said. “Are you…Are you ticklish?”

“No, I’m not, and I think I just heard my pager, actually, so—”

“Oh, no, O’Malley, you are not getting out of this one,” she said, grinning. “Lay down, I’m finishing my assessment. Have you been having any abdominal pain lately?”

“Cristina, seriously, don’t you dare!” George cried, but was quickly cut off by his own giggling.

“I am never letting you live this down. I’m telling Meredith, and Izzie. I’ll even tell Karev, he’ll have a field day with—”

“No, Cristina, please!” he said, batting uselessly at her hands. “I’ll murder you, I’m serious.”

He had always hated being tickled, his brothers always taking it way too far. If the others all found out, he would be tormented every day, just like when he was a child.

“You don’t sound so serious when you’re giggling,” Cristina said.

She used both hands to scribble fingers over his belly and sides, and George squirmed like mad on the gurney, whining. He felt ridiculous, blushing and giggling like a child while on call as a surgical intern.

She focused on the sides of his stomach, one of his worst spots, and he squealed in the most embarrassing way. God, he was never going to hear the end of this, he knew it.

“Oh my god, this is priceless,” Cristina said. She was laughing, too, but it didn’t feel malicious. George wasn’t as close to her as he was to Izzie or Meredith, but he still considered her a friend. She’s grown on him, despite her know-it-all attitude, her relentless teasing, and apparently, now, he would have to put up with her tickling him.

Life as an intern could get weird.

“What is going on here?”

George groaned when he recognized the voice as Izzie’s, and if Izzie was here, it meant that Meredith wasn’t far behind.

“O’Malley’s ticklish,” Cristina said. “I was practicing an abdominal exam on him, and he started giggling!”

Izzie giggled. “Oh my god, no way! George, how am I your best friend and I didn’t know this?” she asked.

George forced himself to sit up, squirming wildly away from Cristina. “No, no, we are never speaking of this again. I’m serious, both of you!”

“What’s George serious about?” Meredith asked, coming around the corner, just as he’d predicted.

“That we aren’t allowed to tickle him,” Izzie replied.

“I hate you all,” George said, arms crossed protectively around his middle. “And I’m leaving now, I’m gonna go do my job instead of messing around.”

He stormed down the hallway with the sound of his friends laughing, his cheeks still flushed, still slightly short of breath, but also feeling oddly lighter than he had when he entered the hospital that morning.

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1120 - Initial Thoughts

And we're here again

Back from Break and Ready for a Robot Rumble The transmission continues and the Gorosei are converging, but the crew are still looking for a a way out

Let's see what we have going for us this time

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Relase

Yamato's problem with the kids is swiftly resolved with Denjiro's appearance, now the Daimyo of Kibi

Oda's notes mentions Rayquaza which is my favourite legendary Pokémon so I gotta shout that out

And with the title being 'Atlas' I think we know what's gonna happen

26 years ago in Punk Hazard, Clover comes to visit Vegapunk to help him research the Void Century

You can see a head at the top of the giant fence, which I would assume is one of the Numbers, the one in the Bruce Lee suit back in Wano I'd guess

Also Vegapunk's artificial dragon is diddy sized

Since he works for the Government, Vegapunk of course says no, wondering why Clover keeps getting released

Of course he's the smartest man in the world, so he quickly surmises that Clover is likely attempted bait for his associates

He insists that the past should be left behind, but Clover has personal reasons for investigating it

He knew someone who was a D. his older brother!

Claíomh D. Clover, surprised but should've expected an Irish name from him, Claíomh or Claidheamh means 'Sword' btw

His unnamed brother was killed in front of him for being a D, he lied and told the killer it was just a friend

'How am I meant to accept a world where you can die for having the wrong name?' - tragic given that he died uttering a name

Taken aback, Vegapunk tells Clover to leave, forgetting what he heard and telling his old friend to stay safe

'The voices of the past call out to you' - again with the heavy hitters Clover

Insisting that he will uncover history to the point he will be unable to be ignored, we flash forward to the Ohara Incident, where he uncovered history to the point where he was unable to be ignored

Fuck you and your bowl cut Caesar, revelling in the fact that Ohara got nuked

And excuse you that ain't some brat that is Nico Robin my (at that point in time, future) wife

We see another internal thought from Vegapunk while at Ohara, sad that Clover and the scholars chose death, hoping that someone would continue where they left off

And back to the present, Vegapunk's transmission echoes Clover's words about the voices of the past, but also that History is written by the Victors

Zeff cameo, also Tequila Wolf shown again - Oda keeps having it show up what is the secret?

Also my wife Nico Robin, still listening while having to handle her past trauma as Vegapunk notes how history is erased or rewritten, but still lives on in the survivors and the oppressed

Zoro and Jinbe didn't latch onto the ship as planned, because Lilith is objecting the plan to leave now

She has done all the math and the wind direction, calculating that any change of direction caused by V. Nusjuro can be fatal since it'll change the landing position

But up comes Atlas, and she smacks the shit out of Lilith

The crew is naturally confused, but Lilith is KO'd and something switched off in her head

'I'll leave her in your hands, take off! I'll make sure you make it in One Piece' - ...is, is that a roll credits moment?

The KOing of Lilith was tactical though, since she switched off her connection to the main hub - causing York to believe Lilith is dead

V. Nusjuro makes a charge as the Straw Hats ready their Coup de Burst, but is met by a charging Atlas

V. Nusjuro cleanly takes the arm of the Vegapunk of Violence, but she doesn't need that arm to do what needs to be done, as she pulls the Gorosei away for the Sunny to fly off

Back down below the Navy have to take in the fact that it's a full blown Kaiju movie going on right now

Luffy, Sanji, Franky and the Giants have the classic One Piece 'boys love robots' moment

Emeth speaks to Joy Boy, glad to meet them again

Luffy though, confused, doesn't know that he's being addressed

Even centuries old giants are able to do the 'oy' backhand gag

Noting that the Gorosei are Joy Boy's enemies, Emeth resolves that they are their enemy, and they are glad to fight for Joy Boy again

Ju Peter and Warcury are still very willing to put down Emeth, and end Vegapunk's transmission

But Luffy and the Giants are making their leave, as Brogy asks if Emeth's a friend

Luffy notes that it said it was protecting 'some guy called Joy Boy'

But here's the interesting part, the Giants didn't hear a voice: that was the Voice of All Things, perhaps even a voice of the past huh?

Still a kid, Bluegrass attempts to refocus the Navy back on the longboat

Vegapunk's closing words mention that people should have the right to learn from the past, from all perspectives

Ju Peter preps a big human teeth chomp, but Emeth is readying an attack

Sanji and Franky await the beam or a rocket punch, but instead they get a fizzle

Blue balled, Emeth gets its arm bitten off, the 900 years have done a number on the weapons it had

Saturn meanwhile comes charging, leaping off Ju Peter to land on the longboat

His main focus seems to be Kuma and Bonney, but Sanji spots the Sunny taking flight from up above

The trajectory seems good but the distance is still short

and not far behind V. Nusjuro cuts through Atlas, mocking her attempt at a grand sacrifice

but Atlas' expression turns soft, and with a smile she notes she's simply lending a hand

And from her death, the explosion propels the Sunny towards the sea

Usopp and Chopper doing right by thanking Atlas, as York revels in being the 'Last Vegapunk' - only to be corrected by V. Nusjuro

Emeth realises that it has rusted for too long, but there was a time Joy Boy spoke of, and they wonder if they can 'use it' for this moment

During all this, Vegapunk notes how Roger and his crew must know the full story, that they must've heard it from the 'purest source possible', and that it may end up determining how things transpire in the future

Prisoners cover the final panel

Oh shit he did say it, the government did try to keep it under wraps: Gol D. Roger

Well it looks like it's curtains for Emeth. We pour one out for Atlas, the first Vegapunk Luffy met, who was nothing but welcoming to him, who fought even when outmatched against Lucci, and sacrificed themselves to help the Straw Hats, just as Edison did.

Last chapter many were suggesting Bonney4Nakama, but I wonder if this chapter does anything for Lilith4Nakama. She was a bit argumentative, but it is still a hell of a feather in the cap to have a Vegapunk on your team, even if it is Grand Fleet. Plus she is the most pirate of the Punks, looting ships for resources and funding, and as the 'evil' one the WG would spin the story so she can't persuade the world about what truly happened.

This chapter had some good stuff when it came to the importance of history, it could've been very easy for Ohara to have been forgotten to the story, but Oda maintains it as a centerpiece of history, the destruction of Ohara literally triggered so many other smaller events that have snowballed and come to bite the Gorosei. Emeth speaking using the Voice of All Things is interesting too, because Zunesha did that as well, the Sea Kings did that too, did Joy Boy unite all races under this voice perhaps? And what is it really?

Questions upon questions, but now that Luffy has heard the name Joy Boy I wonder if he will at one point try to inquire into it, Robin has been quietly soaking up this knowledge, it is a lot to take in but it also feels like she will have more things she can reveal to the crew from it.

The Sunny makes it to sea though, Saturn seems to be the last obstacle (Egghead has been pretty cyclic; Lilith and Atlas were the first met Vegapunks but were also the last allied Vegapunks, Saturn was the first Gorosei obstacle and now he's the last), who does it fall to in order to stop him? Sanji is due a moment that's not undercut by failure, but it can also fall to Kuma to push away the first true obstacle and mastermind behind every tragedy in his life one last time, his powers are designed to push things away.

There seems a tiny bit left of Vegapunk's transmission and I'm still waiting on why it needed a video feed, but it would bode to finish on a strong closing argument.

[dancingundermoonlight101]

hiiii I love all your little blurbs that show on my fyp your angst stuff hits so well…could I ask for something following Megs’ “death” after the TFP premiere and Optimus struggling to mourn, due to them being enemies and having to keep a brave face? Again, luv your stuff. Have an awesome day.

Optimus had to smile. Pretend he was as glad as everyone else. Had to ignore the bitterness he felt as his teammates, in their own ways, expressed how glad they were over Megatron's death. Feel unending guilt at the fact that he even feels bitter about it. He cares about his teammates. He knows each and everybody has lost something precious at Megatron's, Decepticon's, or at the war's hand. The war they all believe Megatron had started.

They don't know. They don't see. They don't realize what brought uppon this war, and now what Optimus will have to fight alone towards. Megatron represented hope. Hope for a better future, hope for equal treatment to all that the previous system ignored and abused. Hope.. Even so, Optimus doesn't regret disagreeing with the way Megatron wanted to go about things. He just regrets that he and Megatron couldn't have come to a compromise. Couldn't find common ground.

'Now he's dead.'

"He could be alive." Optimus comments out loud.

"Who?" Ratchet asks. Probably hoping to Primus that Optimus doesn't mean-

"Megatron?" Bumblebee beeps out, making everyone else stop in their tracks

"You don't seriously think he's still alive, do you?" Bulkhead adds

"Well," Arcee begins. "Even though it feels like there is no way he could be alive. You have to admit, he has survived worse." She scowls.

The mood of the base drops. Optimus already feels an argument brewing. He decides to stop it before it begins. "We do not know if he is alive or not. Arce is right, Megatron has survived worse. But even so, we must remain alert. We do not know what Decepticons will do with the loss of their leader. Only time will tell if this loss is temporary.. or permanent."

His team nods their helms with serious expressions. All except Ratchet, who is looking at Optimus with a look that says they will have a word about this later.

Optimus can only internally sigh as he walks off after a few more reassuring words. His team also dispersed after that. Ratchet followed after him.

"Optimus! Surely you can't be hoping he's alive! You of all mechs know of all the evil deeds he has done!" Ratchet begins once Optimus stops walking.

"I know all too well, old friend. I still wish things could have gone differently." Optimus admits this small bit to Ratchet. Hoping he of all bots could understand...

Ratchet only scoffs, crossing his arms. "Well, they didn't. Megatron made his choice, and he chose genocide. He chose to continue this war even after what happened to Cybertron! So many were killed because of his choices, Optimus.. You should stop being a bleeding spark for mechs that don't deserve it. Especially for a monster."

Optimus felt a part of his spark break. The small hope he had about trusting anyone with his thoughts was gone, just like that. It's fine. His field is still pulled tightly against his frame. Ratchet won't be able to feel how deeply those words hurt him. Optimus sighs. Trying to regain his composure. "Once again, you are right. Perhaps it is for the best that things ended up like this." The words felt like lead to his tongue. He had to force them out anyway.

"Damn right I am," Ratchet mutters, nodding. About to say something more. But Optimus tunes him out.

...

The Prime finds himself out at night, staring up at the singular moon. Why is he here? He should be back at base recharging. Rarely does Optimus come out at night. But when he does, he likes to drive to a secluded place. A place only he knows of.

"A place that reminds me of you.."

'Megatron.'

"My sworn brother turned enemy. How did things end up like this?"

'You betrayed him. You became a Prime.'

"I didn't wish to become a Prime!"

'A Prime shouldn't think about not wanting to be one. You are a fake. A failure as one. It is an honor and a privilege to fight for the people of Cybertron.'

"There is no Cybertron left to fight for.."

'And for the people?'

"They will always be worth fighting for."

'Then why are you here?'

"Megatron."

'He's dead.'

"He could be alive."

'It would be better if he wasn't.'

"Perhaps.."

'Why do you want him to be alive?'

"I do not know."

'You don't wish to admit it.'

"I wish things could have gone differently. That me and him could have rebuilt Cybertron side by side."

'Why?'

"He was my sworn brother. The Decepticons follow his lead, and I know with his help, no unfair laws could have ever been put in place."

'He was more than your sworn brother. You wished he was more than-'

"He shouldn't have been. That was a mistake on both our ends. We were both foolish -"

'You still love him. You still wished you both were more than enemies. Now he's dead.'

Optimus remains silent. Covering his optics with a servo. "This is ridiculous. I am a Prime. A protector of all life. If these feelings and thoughts are going to cloud my processor. It would be best if I didn't have them at all."

'Are you going to hide from your feelings? Your thoughts? Your memories? What you truthly long for? How many times will you do this, Optimus?'

Optimus paused when his processor conjured up Megatron's voice the moment he opened the folder he had been searching for. Shocked by the sheer amount of data he was hiding in it. One small folder he always forgot about. Was curious over. And always regretted opening again and again. It was all Megatron. Every memory, every thought, every feeling, it was all too overwealming. Optimus felt overpowering grief—

Optimus Prime did what needed to be done, closed, and hid the small, unassuming folder. "For however long I continue to be a leader."

Then he stood. The moon now hidden by clouds. Rain already beginning to pour.

And with that, Optimus Prime drove back to base. To the place that he knew could never replace home.

[writing-whump]

Will there be another part of the Rip’s arc?

I would love to see Isaiah’s thoughts on everything Rip told him, and more of Dylan’s thoughts and feelings about the entire situation. Maybe you can write something about Dylan feeling a bit under the weather, because of stress and fatigue because of everything that happened, with Sel or Isaiah as rhe caretakers, if you go with Sel maybe there can also be a talk between Sel and Isaiah. If you write something inspired by my ask feel fre to change anything however you’d like.

Also is there any fics with Mat as the sickie on the horizon?

Maybe i'm wrong or misundersanding something, but Matt seems upset in recent chapters. Can we explore it a little? Somebody in comments mentioned about him interacting with Rip, i think it could be interesting.... (nothing specific. I'm simply curious how this new situation would evolve... For everyone) A.

We dived into Isaiah's perspective last time, so let's see some of Matthew's. Right guess that he was upset! Also Matt getting sick from some internal turmoil. Thank you for the asks :D

The weight of shadows

"You should get some sleep," Seline said as she stepped into the kitchen in the early morning.

Dylan was probably in the process of making coffee or something to eat, judging by the empty cup by his head currently pillowed on his hands on the dining table.

"I'm fiiiine," he said, speech all slurred.

Seline came up behind him, running her hand through her little brother's hair. He was always a ball of energy, always up for adventure and seeking trouble.

She had never seen him as dedicated to something as she saw him taking care of Rip.

"Seriously. He is steady, there is three of us—"

"Isaiah's not here," Dylan protested, not opening his eyes.

"Yes, but me and Matt are. And he is stronger now, manages to move on his own. I think it's safe to take a break."

"Can't have him around another wolf, you know it."

"Soon enough you will be in your own apartment and he will feel safer too. But there is not that much that can happen. Go take a nap on the couch." Her hand slipped to his nape and to his shoulders, shaking him a little.

"Hmmmm....will you take it up with mom?"

Seline made a face, glad he couldn't see it. Dylan finding a place of his own would be good news, except they couldn't exactly tell their mother he was helping a stray wolf with a stab wound. She would string up five theories of drugs, gangs and more stab wounds in the future.

They have both settled on not disclosing the more brutal and dangerous details of wolf lives to their very human parents. Seline kept moderately safe with her two bodyguards, but Dylan usually jumped from one friend to another. Not long or accepted enough to be part of any fights.

Even if fights were a lot more common and "natural" for wolves, than they were for normal teens on crazy hormones picking fights and posturing like roosters with big muscles.

Gentle footsteps from the stairs had her head turning backwards.

Matthew came into the kitchen. He made a lot less noise these days, creeping around his own apartment and pack. Just to put Rip and Dylan at ease.

Her heart squeezed at the sight of him. He looked pale, hair all ruffled and he kept his distance as he came through the kitchen, settling in the farthest corner from them as possible.

She kissed Dylan on top of head, one more little nudge to his shoulders to take the couch and get some sleep, before heading over to the red-haired wolf.

Matt looked up and then down, as if shy although she knew he was anything but.

"Do I smell like him too much?" Seline said quietly, leaning against the wall next to Matthew. She didn't want to upset him by touching him.

Matthew shook his head, his lips pressed so tightly together they were almost transparent.

Dylan seemed to have picked up on the mood and dragged himself upright. A loud thud came from the living room as he collapsed over the backrest of the couch into the cushions.

Matthew stayed silent still. Something about that rigid defeated posture had her stomach sinking.

"Lots of foreign wolves you can't fight, right? Must be hard," Seline said tentatively into the silence.

Matthew shook his head. When he wasn't talking it could as well be he was having troubles with it because of his shadow.

But he was unsually quiet for the whole past week. And she didn't exactly feel fighting intention from him.

If Isaiah was here, he could probably tell what was wrong.

Her own lack of understanding frustrated her. She turned towards him, reaching out with a hand. "Can I?"

Matthew hesitated, then nodded.

Seline moved slowly, giving him time to take his decision back. She wrapped her hands around him, loosely and then snuggly, when he didn't protest.

The effect wasn't immediate, but as she held him, he slumped against her.

She huffed under the weight, surprised and pleased. It didn't feel complete when she wasn't with him, when she wasn't getting her dose of his closeness, his shadow, his scent.

His arms came around her back and he buried her nose in her shoulder, taking deep breaths. As if being able to breathe after a long time under water.

...

Matthew felt entirely stupid and out of place, gripping the railing on the balcony.

Though being held by Seline he was proud that her suggestion wasn't true - he didn't feel any inclination of fighting either the hurt kid or her little brother.

On the other hand, he was horrified that was on her mind and that he would feel happy with himself for achieving something like that.

Feeling like a stranger when his place was invaded by pack outsiders was something his shadow struggled with. But he also felt strangely...protective.

They were young, so lost and in his layer. Isaiah was accepting of them, making up solutions and promises.

Seline was taking care of Rip and everyone could see how caring she was towards Dylan.

Maybe all that contributed to Matt feeling like they were his responsibility. In his care. He had never felt it with younger wolves. He had not felt it until he, Sel and Isaiah formed a pack.

Then what was this creeping sensation up his back? Why was his shadow, even if not let out for a longer time, twisting and turning, crawling under his skin?

He could barely string out a sentence. Blood was rushing in his ears like before a fight and his stomach hurt almost constantly now.

He didn't understand the reason, why being a witness of this made him upset, why it made his throat tight and his chest hurt. The walls seemed to be closing up on him.

Sitting still hurt, but it went against the other protective side of him that wanted to stay, wanted to be near.

Which went against his rationale that he should not, for Rip reacted with such deep-seated fear and agression whenever other wolf aside Dylan came near him, Matthew didn't dare even pass by his room.

Which was his own room, thank you.

His head was a mess of contradictory sensations and wants. He wanted to run. He wanted to stay. He couldn't stay. Something about Rip made his chest hurt, made him feel trapped and sympathetic, afraid and nostalgic.

Agressive shadow, huh? How was he supposed to be of any help, when he was the same?

Matthew had never lived on the streets. He was in a boarding school, usually alone. When he couldn't get his pack to train with him, to talk to him, to even look at him, he roamed the streets at night. Looked for strays, cause they never rejected a challenge, even if it came from him.

Even when his sisters were afraid of him, even if his mother scoffed at him. Even if he felt like he would drawn in the darkness and loudness of his own thoughts, his shadow wanting to tear something up. And he couldn't tell why or how and he didn't understand it and there was no one who could make it better.

He knew he was close to being just send to one of the Big Three to get rid of him.

That if there was an Executioner in town, he would have been considered for the list.

What was the difference between him and Rip then? If there was one to speak of.

Matthew paced the balcony up and down. The fresh air nor the view were helping. The sounds of the city coming to life for the day weren't helping.

He turned back inside only for the guilt to hit him, when he spotted Dylan passed out on the couch.

He couldn't help Rip by being near. He wanted to be near. He wanted to tear himself to shreds.

Matthew sped through the door and up the stairs as quick as he could.

Seline's hug, her touch and her calming presence helped. He could feel her sympathy even if she didn't understand what was wrong. Not like he understood it either.

He went into the bathroom, locking himself shut. His shadow was crawling up again, like a fan behind his back, licking the walls behind him like black flames.

He collapsed in front of the toilet, knees hitting the floor hard and heaved. His body convulsed, his stomach turning itself inside out as water and his meager dinner splashed inside.

He trembled, a hiccup shaking his chest. His stomach whined, cramping together and he heaved again, another watery wave hitting the porcelain. It came out thicker this time and he could feel it in his nose too.

He whimpered, hoping no one from downstairs could hear.

Time dragged. Matthew felt nauseous and spend. At no point safe enough to leave the bathroom.

When he wasn't heaving and gagging mouthfuls of liquid into the toilet, he was curled up underneath it around his cramping stomach.

He kept seeing little snippets of fights with street wolves and little strays. Flashes of the life on those streets, glad to have at least the dormitory to go to. That his pack cared at least that much, even if he was a burden and failure.

At times he must have passed out, because his wrist watch sometimes jumped forward, when he was zoning out. Lunch came and went.

Seline was knocking at the bathroom door at one time. He wasn't sure if he wasn't dreaming it up. She asked him if she could do something. Bring him something.

His shadow covering the walls and mirror of her bathroom, he felt too ashamed to let her in.

And if he saw even a flicker of fear in her eyes, he knew it would be his last drop, though he didn't know what that would entail.

A particularly strong cramp had him cradling his middle when a soft knock sounded against the door. Matthew didn't bother answering. Sending Seline away was just as painful as having her there—

Then a tiny click went from the door and it opened and closed just as quickly.

Matthew forced his bleary eyes open to find a familiar black-clothed figure sliding down to the floor at his side. "Oh, hey..." He didn't want to say that it took Isaiah damn near forever to come from his scheduled breakfast meeting with Arnie, just thankful he was finally home.

"Buddy, hey, what happened to you..." Isaiah's voice trailed off as he likely took in the state of the black-swirling bathroom. Matthew shut his eyes right back to not see any disappointment in his expression.

"How did you manage to unlock the door?"

"Shadows can slide under, you know? And picking up a lock with this easy mechanism is simple."

Matthew snorted, despite himself. "You'll have to show me that sometime." He must have looked pathetic in the fetal position by the toilet. Cold dread went through him as he couldn't remember if he flushed after the last bout of fruitless burping, only a mouthful of bile coming up.

Isaiah knelt beside him, hand resting on Matthew's neck and then gently against his cheek, as if checking for fever.

"W-won't stop," Matthew admitted quietly, glad to have control over his voice again. Both his hands were still tightly wrapped around his stomach as if the warmth could help with the insistent cramping.

"Shhhh." Isaiah stood up to wet a handtowel in cold water, dabbing it against Matthew's forehead. "It's so warm here, no wonder you are all clammy."

"Yeah, not a good season to be sick." His head was muddled from dehydration and his throat was rough as sandpaper. But the more tired he got, the less his thoughts swirled around. At least he was getting too exhausted to even torture himself.

"Come on, let's get you up," Isaiah said, not waiting for Matthew's permission to slide his hands under his back to pull him up. The black-haired wolf propped him up against the wall, shoulder to shoulder.

Matthew didn't like the jostling, curling back up again, this time into Isaiah's side. His hands stayed where they were, which made him a little imbalanced, but Isaiah held steadily under him. His arm came to readjust the cool towel around Matthew's neck and then to wrap around his shoulders to pull him even closer.

Matthew sighed contentedly. His leader's return meant part of the responsibility had shifted back to him, giving him one less thing to feel torn about.

Isaiah sat there, button-up shirt and black pants getting all wrinkly under Matthew's weight on the bathroom floor. Calm and patient as always, only thin lines around his eyes betraying his concern.

"You are feeling for the kid," Isaiah said into the silence. "But you two are not alike."

Matthew swallowed dryly, eyes shooting open at the words. His insides vibrated at the words. Somehow, it hit right.

"He has control problems with his shadow, and you see yourself in him because of that," Isaiah continued, his head tilted to the side in thought. "But the cause is different. You didn't have the right training, and you fight against your shadow too much because you were taught to see it as an enemy—something scary and dangerous to suppress and not to understand and comfort."

Matthew winced at the words, feeling himself sink forward into Isaiah's lap. A wave of helpless grief washed over him, but the embarrassment was burning away in face of Isaiah's understanding. Isaiah always somehow understood shadows better. Even Matthew's.

"Rip is different. His shadow is actually very much in synch with his feelings. It obeys him on an instinctual level. It's rare to see this kind of...harmony between the two. His shadow is his extended hand, his sword, his wings. He sees freedom and justice in it."

"But—when he can't stand other wolves—"

"That's because he feels that threatened by everyone. He lived in such a constant state of danger and vigilance he learned to see everyone the same way. He had no one to trust. When it goes on for too long, your shadow starts to embody it."

"Then why can't he tolerate humans?"

Isaiah sighed, his chest rising and falling under Matthew's ear. "That's a family reason, really. His father was human—and the one person who hurt him the most. Human weakness compared to wolves seems like a disguise now. He wants to attack them, although he knows he shouldn't. Our shadows are just reflections of our deepest feelings. No logic, no restraint, that's what he would like to do the most."

Matthew let out a surprised breath. Deep-seated desire to rip humans to shreds...yeah, even Matt wasn't that far gone. He was mostly angry at himself—at his shadow, not at others.

The knot in his stomach eased at the idea. No, they weren't that similar. Matthew wasn't that close to dying. Even if his control or rather, his relationship with his shadow, was actually worse than Rip's, their problems weren't identical.

Matthew could help with something like that much more than he could help with something he suffered from too.

His muscles unlocked and he slumped down, not realizing until then how rigidly he held himself together. He was sprawled over Isaiah like a puppet cut from its strings.

Isaiah let out a quiet but long exhale, leaning his head back. One hand went to Matthew's shoulder, while the other petted his hair absent-mindedly.

His shadow began to recede.

[wings-of-ink]

Hello Lunan,

First, I want you to know how passionate I am about your story. I feel like I read all the IF on itch.io but most of them has been abandoned by their author for a few years. So I am so elated to know that a story like yours with so much potential carry on being written regularly.

I am so fond of Dov and Kip, I never thought I would like growing in my MC's family so much. Usually, our MC's family is disfounctional or without parents or with bad parents. Here, I would have loved being cherished by parents such like them. Especially our Papa. He's my favorite of all the characters. So genuine and caring.

So regarding the story, I was wondering if you will add other POV to help us understand the internal turmoils of the other characters. I am especially asking for Kip and his secret past (Is Dov aware of it? What does he thinks about Kip keeping our MC in the dark? What was Kip feelings about seeing someone from the past he seems to want to forget? Etc) and for Oswin and why he changed so much growing up, what was is state of mind? Maybe a conversation between Kip and him would help us understand something? Are his parents reacting to his change? Do others have noticed how he is acting towards our MC? What do they think about it? I genuinely would be interested in having more scenes with or without Oswin in it that would enlightened us about about how he is acting towards the others? What others are thinking about his behavior? (Maybe Lakota or his parents POV). And obviously I'd like to get Lakotas and the MC's POV too about subject related to the MC.

And finally, I was wondering how would be intimate relationships like depending on the LI? Would they cuddle, kiss, PDA, hold hands, touch subtly or less so, sweet talk them or dirty talk intimately, how would they describe the MC behind their back? I would love for Oswin to be more open with his feelings and especially to the physical aspect of his love towards the MC depending of our MC personality. I feel like Oswin's emotions are bottled up for a very long time, he keeps to himself and even his own brother doesn't understand him. So I hope that we can have more physical demonstration of his love for our MC. I can't imagine being with someone who's isn't physically prone to show me his love in some way publicly or intimately. I see so much potential for Oswin. I can't wait for his character development. I imagine he won't be into soft bdsm but I hope he would be a passionate lover who would try and experiment along with the MC so that they can find "their thing" into the love-making process. I hope there will be choices to make that would encourage and guide our LI at the beginning of our relationship as lovers to help him understand what we like/don't like and find our pace.

I crave to see what others would tell about the MC and their LI once they start dating.

Sorry, that was a lot, I am aware but I re-read the story for the 5th times today and I was wondering how our relationship with Oswin would evolve so I had to ask.

Thank you so so much for gracing us with your talent Lunan. I feel so content every time I dive into your world.

Hello my dear and thank you for your message and patience in getting a response.

I am so happy that you are enjoying the story. I am loving working on it and interacting with readers like you. The project and fans of it have brought me a great deal of joy.

I wanted good parents for our MC from the start. I still appreciate IFs that take on difficult or bad parents, but I needed something a little fresher. The MC is going to have a lot to deal with physically, emotionally, and mentally already - I wanted to give them support and motivation to get through that.

I do plan for some POVs to come up in the future. I go back and forth between doing them as extras or not as I might try to keep the story proper in the MC's perspective. POVs can be really gripping and it's cool to see that inside look in another character's head, but sometimes they're distracting. If I add them to the main story, I want to be sure I'm capable of making it a fluid transition back and forth that adds to the experience.

Dov is completely aware of Kip's secret past and has helped him keep it secret, though he did not want to keep the secret from MC. Since it was Kip's ordeal, he had the final say, and he firmly believes that MC not knowing is safer. It was hard on Kip to see Ansar, but he was mostly focused on his child in the moment. He saved his little breakdown for after MC left. This is why he had the ring when MC spends time with him before departing. Kip had been thinking on it a lot, it was keeping him up at night.

Oswin's shift in mood and personality was pretty evident to everyone in some way. His mother had some good long talks to him about it as did Kip. Ultimately, though, the choice in his actions were left to him. These would be some great POVs as well.

Once the MC has breached Oswin's walls and the romantic relationship has begun in earnest, he's going to become quite affectionate if that's what the MC wants. The goal is to see him soften with time and return to who he really is and was before he lost his way. There's parts of him that can't thaw all the way because he's been through some shit too, but he's soft under that. You'll definitely get a physical demonstration in Oswin's route if chosen. He's been inhibited for so long, that it's a little overwhelming for him at first. Part of the physical route of his relationship is doing just that and getting him accustomed to physical intimacy and literally kind of learning it. He has zero experience so he's a blank slate. There's a lot to discover with him, and it should be a lot of fun.

Thank you for the wonderful questions and discussion, my friend! I have been eager to get to your ask for a long time and really sit down and think it through. ^_^

I've been considering lately of doing a POV special and maybe something spicy to go with it in August. :D

[tae-rambles]

Apologies if this was answered, but what are your thoughts/analysis about the natural way Oda portrays characters internalizing/repeating beliefs from others? Such as when Law word for word told Tashigi what Doflamingo had told him regarding "the weak not choosing how they die". It was rather baffling, because though Law and Doflamingo may share the "same eyes", to reiterate anything, even if true/you agree with, that someone you truly hate had said feels foreign to me (particularly because it doesn't necessarily feel like a scene where a victim hurts others the same way they were hurt?). Secondly, the amount of scenes Luffy has talking about his dislike for "weak people" or "crying" (Shirahoshi). I know Luffy had similar sentiments when meeting Shanks but to me, everytime he repeats it, I just see Ace talking. It almost feels like a subconscious way of holding onto a part of Ace. Interested to know any other instances you noticed!

Heyo, thank you for the ask and sorry for the very late reply. I was busy and then just kept getting distracted.

To talk about the scene with Law and Tashigi we first need to keep in mind that at that point, Doflamingo was basically living rent free in Law's head as he was so focused on taking revenge on him which must have triggerd a barrage of intense emotion of hatred, pain and fear on his psyche making him slip back into his sadistic habits that he gained after the Flevance genocide. So it isn't so far fetched that he subconsciously quoted the man he saw as an inspiration for three years when his mind was most vulnerable for manipulation. However, Law puts his own twist to the meaning of this quote. when Doflamingo says "the weak do not have the right to choose how they die", he uses it to justify murder. But when Law says it, he uses it to refuse Tashigi's request to kill her. "Murder isn't my style. I'm a doctor" (- Law in ch 918) - a principle he inherited from his parents and regained after Rosinante saved him and both his literal and metaphorical heart. In conclusion, Law saying that to Tashigi was a reflection of both the people who had the most influence on his minds and actions during the whole Dressrosa saga. The words may be the same as Doflamingo's but the heart of the message carry Rosinante's love - just like Law who acts aloof and grumpy on the outside but actually has a soft heart.

When it comes to Luffy hating "crybabies", i do believe he got those words to express his feelings from Ace. I'd also like to point out that all the characters Luffy told that too were younger than him (Koby, Shirahoshi, Momonosuke) so you could say he channeled Ace's big brother energy in those instances. But it is also important to point out that unlike Ace, who would scowl at Luffy when reprimanding him for being a "crybaby" or a "weakling" (note: this is not a dis on Ace, he was going through a lot and his bad attitude is understandable), Luffy has a big grin on his face (with Koby and Shirahoshi at least, i don't remember how exactly he was with Momo, i'd have to re-read, sorry) which indicates there's no real heat behind his words since we also know what it looks like when he actually hates someone (Luffy's expressions can be scary sometimes but it's also often times very deserved reaction).

There are plenty more instances of characters internalizing and repeating beliefs of others since inherited will is one of One Piece's main themes. Some examples off the top of my head:

Luffy's idea of what a pirate is came from Shanks

Nami's soft spot for children and love of tangerines inherited from Bell-Mère

Franky's "existence is not a crime" from Tom's speech about building ships/weapons

Iceburg revitalizing Water 7's economy by founding Galley-La like Tom did by building the sea train

Robin's love of history and her determination to preserve it from the scholars of Ohara

Shirahoshi refusing to hate humans to preserve Otohime's wish for the future

Chopper wanting to become the greatest doctor inspired by Hiriluk

Sanji refusing to kick women and fight with his hands to honor Zeff

Bonney believing in Nika like Kuma

Rebecca refusing to fight offensively to fulfill Scarlett's wishes of not staining her hands with blood

Yamato being inspired by Oden to seek his own freedom

Roger inspiring many to strive to become the Pirate King

and many more... i'd be here forever if i were to name all of them

Hope that satisfies your question and i'm again really sorry it took so long for me to answer