#in love with the boy who i comforted before dying in love with the sea monster girl in love with the boy who held my hand in love with the

[macbethsymphony]

I know you said you have a hard time writing him, but can I request something with Sanji? I really love your enemies to lovers dynamic in your Zoro fic, so maybe something like that? Can you make it spicy too? just something short pretty please!

(No stress if you don't want to)

-💙

Anon!!! Now I don't know if I made this man justice! I'm sorry it took so long! I really tried my best!! I got a little carried away, so this isn't really something short anymore... BUT I hope you'll like it 💕 I'm also tired and didn't proofread this as much as I should have!

I Hate Flirts

Sanji x Female Reader

wc: 2.6k

warnings: NSFW, MDNI, 18+, enemies to lovers, smut, oral, p in v sex

To say your first impression of the cook, as you first joined the Straw Hat Pirates, was bad was one hell of an understatement. You weren’t a fan of pretty boys, and most of all, you weren’t a fan of flirts. 

Hell, you hated flirts.

When Luffy had introduced you to the crew, you’d tried to put on your best smile. Everyone seemed nice enough—Zoro, with his comfortable demeanor; Nami, who welcomed you with a knowing smile; Usopp and Chopper, who were immediately friendly. 

And then there was Sanji.

He’d approached you with that cheeky smile, a bouquet of flowers seemingly conjured out of thin air. “For the beautiful new member of our crew,” he’d said, taking your hand and kissing it with far too much charm.

You’d yanked your hand back, not being able to keep the sneer breaking on your lips at the gesture. “Don’t do that,” you snapped almost immediately.

It’d been entirely reactionary and the guilt you felt at the hurt in his eyes only served to widen the rift you’d created.

Sanji’s grin had faltered, just for a moment, before he replaced it with an exaggerated bow. “As you wish, mademoiselle. But my admiration knows no bounds.”

Your eyes narrowed at his answer. Something about it irked you beyond comprehension.

From that moment on, it was war. Sanji flirted relentlessly, his attempts becoming more and more ridiculous as he tried to win you over. You, in turn, shot him down at every opportunity, sometimes with a sharp retort, most of the time with a well-placed punch to the shoulder.

Despite the ongoing one-sided battle, you couldn’t deny that Sanji excelled in many places. He fought well and in the boredom of the endless sea, the meals he prepared were a highlight of your day. After all, you most definitely had a taste for the finer things in life.

As his cooking slowly broke away your apprehension towards him, you started to grudgingly admire his dedication to his craft. There was something about the way he moved in the kitchen, all precision and passion, that you couldn’t help but respect… Not that you’d ever admit that to him.

The rest of the crew found your dynamic endlessly entertaining. Nami would give you knowing looks, Zoro would snicker behind his sake, and Luffy, bless his heart, was just happy to have another person on board.

Despite everything, you had to admit the cook had his moments.

You weren’t sure what had taken you over but one extremely boring afternoon, your feet mindlessly brought you to the kitchen. Just as expected Sanji was there, elbow deep in preparations.

You leaned against the doorframe, quietly observing as he twirled the knife in his hands, as he chopped at a speed that was lightning-fast. “Need any help?” The words left your mouth before your mind could register them.

Sanji looked up, surprise clear on his features but a certain pleased glimmer filled his eyes. “A lady—“ he started to protest, the words dying on his lips as he saw your expression start to shift. “I-I’d love the help,” he muttered uncertainly instead.

You stepped into the kitchen, rolling up your sleeves as you moved to stand beside him. The countertop was cluttered with various ingredients, a testament to the elaborate meal he was undoubtedly preparing.

“What can I do?” you asked, glancing at him out of the corner of your eye.

Sanji handed you a knife and a cutting board. “Can you, uh, chop these vegetables? Uniform pieces, please.”

You took the knife from him, noting the gentle brush of his fingers against yours. Ignoring the slight warmth that spread through you, you focused on the task at hand. As you worked, the kitchen filled with the rhythmic sound of chopping, accompanied by the occasional clatter of pots and pans.

“Not bad,” Sanji commented, peeking at your progress. “You’ve got a good hand for this.”

“Surprised?” you shot back with a coy smirk, your tone teasing.

He laughed. “Maybe a little. You never struck me as the domestic type.”

You couldn’t help the soft chuckles that passed your lips. “I’m not,” you admitted. “But I have picked up a few skills along the way.” Your gaze was distant for a moment. “There’s nothing like good food and an excellent bottle of wine.” You punctuated your statement with a fancy twirl of your knife.

“Good wine, huh?” He said, curiosity piqued. 

“Oh the things I would do for a good Cabernet and dark chocolate,” you mused dreamily.

Sanji’s eyes lit up. “A fellow connoisseur? Now that’s something I didn’t expect!” He set down his own knife and looked at you with genuine interest. “What’s your favorite dish to pair with a good wine?”

You paused, contemplating your answer. “I’d say a rich beef bourguignon. The deep, savory flavors work perfectly with a full-bodied red.”

Sanji’s smile grew wider, an expression of pure delight. “You have excellent taste,” he said, clearly impressed. “How about you help me make that tonight? I’ve got some top-quality beef in the pantry.”

Your eyes widened slightly in surprise. “You want to make bourguignon? Right now? What about all this?” You gestured at what you’d been chopping.

“Why not?” he replied, enthusiasm shining in his eyes. “It’s a perfect way to spend a boring afternoon, don’t you think? The prep can serve for tomorrow.”

You couldn’t help but smile at his infectious excitement. “Alright, let’s do it.”

For the next few hours, the two of you worked side by side, prepping ingredients and discussing various cooking techniques. Sanji’s knowledge of culinary arts was vast, and you found yourself genuinely enjoying his company. He was patient, guiding you through the more intricate parts of the recipe without a hint of condescension.

As the bourguignon simmered on the stove, filling the kitchen with a mouthwatering aroma, Sanji uncorked a bottle of red wine. “Here,” he said, pouring you a glass. “A little something to pass the time while we wait.”

You took the glass, savoring the rich, velvety flavor of the wine. “This is amazing,” you admitted, glancing at him. “Where did you get it?”

“A gift from a grateful villager,” he replied with a wink. “I’ve been saving it for a special occasion.”

You raised an eyebrow. “And making beef bourguignon with me counts as a special occasion?”

Sanji’s expression softened, a hint of sincerity shining through his usual flirtatious demeanor. “Every moment with you is special.”

You rolled your eyes, but this time, it was more out of habit than annoyance. “If you think this is getting you into my pants, think again,” you admonished though your tone remained playful.

He blushed and sputtered, choking on his sip of wine. 

Cute.

You smiled as you looked at him. It was the first time you’d seen this side of Sanji – the side that wasn’t really trying to win you over with charm and gifts, but simply being kind. You really looked at him for the first time. Maybe there was more to Sanji than the flirtatious exterior. Maybe, just maybe, he was worth getting to know beyond the playful banter.

As the weeks flowed, your dynamic shifted. Sanji’s flirtations became less over-the-top, more sincere. He still never missed an opportunity, but there was a gentleness to it now, a hint of genuine affection. And damn it, you found yourself responding in kind.

You weren’t sure when exactly it happened, but one day, you caught yourself laughing at one of his ridiculous flirting attempts. It was a real, deep and true laughter, the sound surprising both of you. Sanji’s eyes widened, a slow smile spreading across his face.

From that moment on, he craved to hear the cheerful din of your laughter again and again, especially when it was only for him.

One evening, as you mindlessly sipped a Cabernet with dark chocolate, you looked at him differently. As he hummed to himself, washing the dishes, you found yourself thinking this was nice. 

“You know, Sanji,” you started, munching on chocolate. “I think I wouldn’t mind it if you tried to get into my pants.”

Sanji nearly dropped the plate he was washing, turning to face you with wide eyes and a face quickly turning as red as the wine you were sipping. “W-What?” he stammered, clearly caught off guard.

You took another sip of your wine, a teasing smile playing on your lips. “You heard me,” you said casually, savoring the rich liquid. “I think I wouldn’t mind it. If you tried, that is.”

Sanji blinked, his usual suave demeanor momentarily replaced with genuine surprise and nervousness. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again, seemingly at a loss for words.

You chuckled softly, enjoying his flustered state. “Cat got your tongue, cook?”

You got up, slowly making your way to him. Your fingers traced his jaw as you looked at him through your lashes. “Unless I’m mistaken and you’re not interested. That’s fine too, I guess.”

Sanji swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously under your touch. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. “No, no, you’re not mistaken,” he said, his voice a little shaky but sincere. “I’ve just… I’ve...”

You couldn’t help but smile. “Well then, in that case, you could kiss me,” you suggested, your voice soft and inviting.

Sanji’s eyes searched yours for a moment, as if making sure he wasn’t dreaming. Then, with a deep breath, he leaned in, his lips brushing against yours with a tenderness that made your heart flutter. The kiss was slow and sweet, filled with the promise of more to come.

Promises you didn’t want to wait for. 

You softly bit at his lower lip, asking for more. Sanji’s hesitation melted away as he responded to your encouragement, deepening the kiss with newfound confidence, His hands found their way to your waist, pulling you closer as your lips moved in sync. His tongue met yours in a careful dance, the taste of chocolate, wine, and cigarettes mingling between you.

Time seemed to slow as you lost yourself in the moment, the gentle sway of the ship only adding to the intoxicating feeling. Your fists bunched in his shirt, then his hair, desire clear in the desperation of your movements. He stumbled forward, pinning you to the counter, your back arched and you wished you could melt into him more than physically possible. 

You pulled away slightly, breathless and dizzy with lust. “Does the door have a lock?” you asked breath hot against his. 

Sanji’s breath was ragged as he struggled to form coherent thoughts. He looked towards the kitchen door, then back at you, eyes dark with desire. “Yes,” he murmured, his voice husky. “It does.”

You grinned, biting your lip. “Good,” you whispered, your lips brushing against his ear as you did so. “Lock the door for me, pretty boy?”

The click of the lock seemed to break the last of Sanji’s restraint. He captured your lips again, this time with more urgency, his hands roaming your body with a newfound boldness. His touch sent shivers down your spine, igniting a fire in your core.

You tugged at his shirt, impatiently pulling it free from his pants, your fingers tracing the hard lines of his abdomen. Sanji’s breath hitched at the contact, his hands moving to unbutton your own clothing with equal fervor. 

As your garments fell to the floor in a haphazard pile, Sanji lifted you onto the counter, the cold surface a stark contrast to the heat of your skin. He paused for a moment, his eyes drinking in the sight of you, a reverent expression on his face. You moved to remove your black lacy underwear but his hand stopped you.

“I want you to keep it on,” he breathed, his voice filled with genuine awe. “You’re a vision.”

Your eyebrow arched but still you blushed at his words and you most definitely didn’t let them slow you down. “Show me how much,” you challenged, pulling him closer until there was no space left between you.

Sanji didn’t need to be told twice. His lips traveled from your mouth to your neck, leaving a trail of kisses and gentle nips that had you gasping for breath. His hands were everywhere, exploring, caressing, driving you wild with want.

As he trailed down your abdomen he dropped down to his knees, hands going around your thighs and dragging you to the edge. He looked up at you, veneration in his eyes. “Can I taste you?” He almost begged. 

You took your time to answer him, reveling in the sight. Your hand lazily cupped his cheek, tangled in his hair. “Yes.” Your whisper was almost lost against the sound of waves crashing against the hull.

His tongue met already dripping black lace. He lapped and sucked with adoration and the muted feeling of ecstasy threatened to send you over the edge again and again. Until your thighs shook and you were reduced to a babbling mess, begging for his tongue against your flesh. 

When he at long last dragged the ruined piece of cloth down your legs and his tongue finally met your slick with worship, his name flowed across your lips like a prayer. The waves of pleasure that washed over you were overwhelming and as orgasm after orgasm flowed through you he didn’t relent, drinking you in with a fervor born of reverence. You could feel your arousal drip down your trembling thighs, down his chin, the moans that escaped you as you implored him to stop obscene. 

When you collapsed in exhaustion and your shrieks born of overstimulation became soft sobs and whimpers he finally backed off. Gently, he guided you lower, a hand behind your head as he lay you down against the cool granite of the counter. 

His lips found yours in a soft kiss, allowing your mind to slowly come back to reality. His tongue danced with yours with careful consideration, the taste of your slick flooding your mouth. “I want to feel you around me, I want to feel your warmth, I want to…” he pleaded against your lips.

“Sanji, please,” you whispered, your voice laced with need.

Forehead to forehead Sanji’s eyes met yours, his gaze blown with lust. “Anything for you, my love” he promised, his hands unsteady as he positioned himself.

He slowly slid in, both of you moaning, your breaths mingling in want. You mewled, your head falling back as Sanji began to move, each thrust a symphony of pleasure that built and built until you thought you might shatter from the sheer intensity of it.

Sanji’s rhythm was desperate, his movements ragged and teetering as he brought you higher and higher.  Your name fell from his lips in a litany of praise and need, each syllable driving him to push you further.

As the tension within you reached a fever pitch, you clung to him, your nails digging into his back as you rode the waves of ecstasy that crashed over you. Sanji followed soon after, hips stuttering, hot seed mingling with your slick as it slowly overflowed and dripped down unto the counter.

For a moment, the world was nothing but the sound of your ragged breaths, the steady beat of your hearts, and the gentle sway of the ship. You clung to each other, lost in the afterglow, the reality of what had just happened slowly sinking in.

You were the first to break the silence, your voice raspy and filled with a mix of satisfaction and exhaustion. “Sanji, that was incredible,” you chuckled. “I don't think I can stand.”

His laughter mingled with yours, a rich, heartfelt sound that filled the room. Your heart filled with contentment. The moment was perfect, a blend of intimacy and joy that neither of you would ever let go of.

Masterlist

[loveofastarvingdog]

i am always in love when i am sleeping. i always fall in love in my dreams and then i wake up and it is a love that lingers

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Hi! Can I request a reader x xaden fic where she gets badly hurt and he freaks out. The ending is up to you. Thank you

Not responsible for this. That’s your warning. You asked.

Breathe me in

“What’s up with you today?”, you nudged your boyfriend’s shoulder as you finally managed to find him in the back room of the training hall. Xaden simply shrugged, reaching for another dagger to throw. But you quickly stepped in front of him. “We don’t do that”, you crossed your arms over your chest, “Talk to me”, you breathed.

You could tell from the way his jaw clenched that he was calculating his answer. “I don’t like the formation they are sending out today”, he said drily. “For the petrol?”, you questioned and Xaden only nodded. “We never flown over there. Ever. And suddenly we have a new location to go to?”, he shook his head in frustration. “You think it’s a setup?”, you brushed your fingers over his back hoping to give him at least some comfort. “Who knows… I doubt it, they are sending the best. Killing them off…”, Xaden trailed off. “Well, I care because you are on the list so, I ain’t looking to lose you”, you leaned forward, kissing his chest before nuzzling into him. “So are you and I guess that’s why I am so… On edge. I don’t want to bring you into an ambush”, he admitted, leaning in to kiss the top of your head. “We would give them hell”, you muttered, making Xaden let out a low chuckle, “We would but let’s hope that we don’t have to”.

Now he wished he hadn’t brought you. Wished it would have been him and the boys. Because he had lost you and Imogen when the fire had started. You all had barely flown over the valley when the sea of arrows came. Followed by flames. “Fuck”, Xaden cursed, flying over the peek. “Yn, come on love, where are you?”, he muttered scanning the fields. “Nothing”, Bodhi shouted, flying from the left side. “Nothing here as well”, Garrick shook his head. The panic in Xaden only intensified. “We will find them”, Bodhi said firmly, “They probably just took shelter in the caves”. And Xaden truly couldn’t put into words just how much he hoped that was true.

“Xaden”, Sgaeyl's voice pierced his consciousness, “boy”, and that’s when he felt her sadness seeping into him. His eyes landed on the two huge figures down by the river. He didn’t even have to motion for the two males to follow suit. But even through the sea of emotions, he didn’t let himself lose hope. Not until Imogen’s screams filled the air. Not until the sight of your dragon slumped to the side came into view. “No”, he breathed, “No, no…”, “Stay in the saddle”, Sgaeyl warned him but Xaden was already swinging his leg over her body, “Xaden”, she hissed tilting to the side so she could at least break his fall.

“Yn”, he shouted, “Yn”, his legs hit the ground and he was running. Running towards kneeling Imogen. He was going to fix this. He was going to make it better and then… then he would kill everyone who was in on this. “Yn”, he repeated over and over till his eyes landed on your limp body on Imogen’s lap. Imogen who was sobbing so hard her body shook, “I couldn’t, I can’t”, she choked out, brushing some of your blood-soaked hair away from your face.

Xaden fell to his knees, reaching for you. “Hey, baby, hey, hey”, he gathered you in his embrace. The sound of your dragon growling in pain echoed through the field. You blinked slowly and he quickly gathered your face in his hands, “Look at me, I will get you back, we will fix this”, but you simply shook your head, “Want to… die… here”, you choked out. “No, no, you’re not dying”, Xaden shook his head, “We’ll go home, okay? We will…”, “Xaden”, you breathed out.

A pained cry ripped through him as he pressed you closer to him. His hands soaked in your blood from the open wound on your back. He lifted his eyes to look at the friends. Garrick had gathered Imogen in his arms, his own eyes red from tears. Bodhi was kneeling by your dragon, trying to soothe the pain. “We need to go”, Xaden urged, trying to lift you but the pained growl that left you had him stilling instantly.

“To the river…”, you breathed out, lips rimed with blood, face growing paler. Xaden didn’t even have to think twice as he turned towards the shore where the water was running. “Pretty”, you muttered, eyes growing heavy. “Let me help, let me become I can’t…”, Xaden choked out. Nuzzling closer to you. “I… love”, your voice died with a pained cough. “Don’t do this”, Xaden shook his head, “You can’t leave me, that’s an order”, he tried to suppress the sob but that only left him shaking. “Best thing… that happened to me… was you”, you lifted your hand as much as you could and Xaden instantly leaned to meet your touch nuzzling into your warmth.

“I love you”, Xaden muttered, trying to smile at you, trying to give you that one goodbye. “Love”, you breathed out right as Xaden leaned in to carefully kiss you. Brushing his lips over yours one last time right as your body fully limped. A pained sob echoed as Xaden shouted. Pulling you as close as he possibly could. Rocking back and forth as he held you. Feeling the cold setting in. The never undoable coldness taking you from him forever.

[zer05trange]

Roaring Sea

000. Prologue

⋆｡°✩ (childe x fem!reader)✩°｡⋆

⋆｡°✩ premise: When Ajax stumbles across a humble bakery with his brother, he has no idea the new fight he'll have to win. Because though the Fatui Harbinger explored the waters of many nations and many different conflicts, he knew nothing about the dangerous sea of relationships.

⋆｡°✩wc: 2.1k

⋆｡°✩content warnings: none for the prologue!

The premature coolness of Snezhnayan autumn is nothing to Ajax and his brother. It’s comforting, in fact. It reminds him of an older, easier time when his soul wasn't tainted by the horrors of this world. Often, Ajax thinks of what it would be like to be normal, to have a normal social life.

If his work could possibly permit it, he would've loved to meet someone with whom he could share his heart. But thanks to his plummet into the abyss, and the years he's worked for the Fatui, he doesn't have a heart that could be given to someone.

The part of his heart that hasn’t faltered is for the love of his family. And that’s why on a more lax week of work, he finds himself walking down a city street with Teucer by his side, glancing at different shops and places that interest his little brother. Their destination was one shop that his brother kept talking about, one that he needed his big brother to try out.

“Big brother! We have to go,” Ajax remembers his brother exclaiming just a few hours earlier. The young boy continued to ramble about a bakery he often frequented, with a kind, yet strong-willed owner that would never fail to make time to converse with his little brother.

Almost the entire stroll to the destination, Teucer spoke of when the owner; the time she slipped Teucer extra pastries free of charge for his other siblings, showing him how to make his favorite items on the menu, or never letting him venture out into the cold without some sort of hot drink to keep him company.

“This one’s it!” He hears Teucer pipe up, stopping in front of the row of shops. It was two stories, fitting with the rest of the line of stores. It was cute, and shockingly modern looking on the outside. He can see the soft illumination on the inside, with a sufficient amount of booths and tables for its size. Teucer goes running into the shop, leaving Ajax to catch up to his little brother. 

By the time he enters the shop, Teucer is already chatting away with someone behind the counter, peering up at the woman who’s smiling down at him. 

“ if you give me a few minutes, your favorite is just about done baking, and it’ll be nice and hot for you, all right?” He hears her say.

Oh, her voice is much younger and brighter than he imagined it would be. He looks up at her, and she was not what he thought she’d look like as well. Young, sophisticated, and positively gorgeous . He straightens up his posture a bit before walking toward the counter. 

“Good evening,” She says, “You look a little like someone I know.”

“Y/N, that’s my big brother! The one that got me that toy I showed you a few days ago!” Teucer responds, jumping up and down with his hands on the counter. 

Y/N. Fitting, Ajax thinks. 

“I have heard about you. The toy maker, yes?” You turn to him and he nods, “I’m Y/N.”

“I’m Tartaglia,” He says in return, “You have a lovely bakery, and the food here looks delicious!”

You laugh, and Tartaglia feels his smile widen ever so slightly as his chest tightens up. He thinks he may be dying.

“Thank you, pick whatever you’d like, please,” You say back to him.

Though you were expecting Teucer to come into your bakery, since he hadn’t been in a few days, you were not expecting to see his striking, tall, and slightly intimidating brother. 

This Tartaglia was an odd one. From what you’ve heard from him he seemed to be a caring, loving, and attentive brother. But you struggled to find a spark in his eyes, and that sent a chill down your spine. 

He’s donning an oxblood colored long sleeve button up and white pants, and you don’t fail to miss the hydro vision on his waistband either. He has the same deep gingered hair, blue eyes, and freckles that his brother has. However, he’s very tall and muscular, with a sharp facial structure adorned with a pretty-boy face. You’d make a bet that he’s nothing but trouble. 

His overall energy is intense, ominous, and foreboding. But he's friendly to you, at least, and his body language was a little more than friendly, but you shrug it off. It’s not every day that a handsome customer takes an interest in you.

The two brothers found their seats a few minutes ago, so you go back to preparing other baked goods and taking care of the few customers who are also in your store. However, you don’t fail to miss the glances Tartaglia keeps making at you. 

He looked awfully familiar, and not just because he was the brother of your most loyal customer, but you couldn’t exactly pinpoint why he was so recognizable. You hear Teucer call your name and you perk your head up to see the little boy calling you over. No one was ordering, so you come from the confines of your counter and over to their booth. Walking over to their area, you see Tartaglia’s eyes go straight from your face, to your hip. You glance down for a moment, wondering what in Tevyat he could be looking at. 

Ah, you think, as your own eyes find the soft glow of your vision. But you shrug that off, you already saw his vision that resides on his waist. 

“Yes, Teucer?” You say as you look down at the younger boy. 

“Did you put something new in your frosting?” He asks, with his eyebrow cocked up.

“I did, actually. I added more sugar as an experiment. Do you like it?” You respond, stunned at how he would’ve figured that out, especially because it was such a miniscule amount of sugar.

“I really do,” He says as he takes another forkful into his mouth. 

“Ms. Y/N,” you hear the other brother, “Are those moon pies?” He points to your display case. 

“They are. I try to have a little something from each of the nations, it’s a good source for variety,” You respond as you look back at your assortments of goods, most of which were taken by earlier customers. 

“And you make all of those?” He asks. You nod your head, letting out a quaint ‘mhm’ with a proud look on your face. 

“Well what I’ve had is delicious so far, I need to come back to you and try everything!” He exclaims, beaming up at you with a wide smile and a wink.  

You chuckle awkwardly before a couple walks into your store, unknowingly becoming your saving grace. You rush behind the counter, feeling his eyes burning into your back as you walk away from him. As you serve the two customers their order, you notice how the two were looking at each other lovingly and how the man pulled out the chair just for the woman to sit down. The way the two treated each other pulled at your heartstrings, though a normal reaction when one witnessed romance, there was a tinge of jealousy behind the feeling as well. 

Sure, you thought about entering the terrifying world of relationships, but you're way too focused on your blossoming business to have yet another stressor on you. But, more often than you’d like, you imagine what it would be like for someone to sweep you off of your feet, to spend time with, and battle the cold of the nation by being bundled up together. You always reason with your thoughts, because it is simply not the wisest thing to do, no matter how bitter the lovey-dovey couples make you. 

You bring yourself back to the present, the couple already left, as have many other customers. It’s getting later in the evening, and you look over at the remaining two customers that reside in their booth. A small smile makes its way to your face when you see how engaged Tartaglia is in his brother’s rambling. It wasn’t often that you saw siblings this close, even in a nation where family is treasured. 

The two look over at you as you finish cleaning up for the night, their mugs empty and their saucers clear, except for a few crumbs. You call them over to your display case, and they follow suit. 

“Pick whatever you’d like,” You sternly demand of them, “They either go to me or my dog, so take however much you want. Maybe some for your other siblings?” 

Teucer’s eyes brighten as he frantically starts studying the case, pointing out a multitude of sweets before you can even reach for the tongs. The entire time, Tartaglia switches his eyes from his brother to you, both in admiration.

You can feel his intimidating gaze and although he's never spoken to you until today, he's taken a liking to you. His energy toward you has been… interesting, to say the least, in the few hours you've known him. But surely it’s completely harmless, and you doubt that any of his weirdly flirty intentions were something he was going to take seriously.

So why not just let it happen?

“It’s getting dark, Teucer. let's get on our way so Ms. Y/N can get home,”  Tartaglia says while his eyes stay focused on your face, a sly smile pulled on his lips. 

“Oh it’s no big deal, my house isn’t too far away,” You point to above the shop, where you reside upstairs, “I’m much more worried about you two getting home before you freeze.”

Tartaglia laughs at that, causing you to look to the side awkwardly. Did you say something that hilarious? You brush it off and hand the two their large bag of assortments. 

“Get home safe, you two,” you say as the two prepare to leave the bakery, “I can’t have my favorite customer and his older brother frozen to death!” 

As they leave, Tartaglia turns around and waves to you with a wink, making you scoff and roll your eyes as you walk toward the door as well. You lock it behind you, and switch the OPEN sign to CLOSED. You watch the two walk off, Teucer still chattering on and on as they disappear down the city.

Walking over to their booth to clean it up, a velvety blue bag catches your eye. It must be a mora pouch, next to a napkin with wording on it. 

You have to teach me how you make such an excellent apple cake! I’ll be back soon, Лапушка.

                     P.S. Thank you for treating Teucer the way you do. 

     —Tartaglia ;)

You scoff and roll your eyes, yet again, this time without him there to see your reaction. What is this guy’s deal? You open the pouch and almost drop it, shocked at what is inside. It has to be thousands of mora, too much to be considered a tip. If this is how he’s trying to harmlessly flirt with you, it’s not working too well. Instead, it freaks you out as to what to do with it. A customer shouldn’t be tipping that much, you think, so you plan on returning it whenever he comes next as he promised.

You eventually finish cleaning up and rush upstairs to your apartment, much like most nights. But tonight, your cheeks feel more heat in them than usual.

As Ajax walks his brother home, his mind fills with more emotion than he's felt in a long time. The fact that you could bring out a little crush within him stunned him. In all his travels, even his life before his corruption, he never felt anything romantic for anyone. 

Why was he yearning to see more of you, though he just met you? Was it the way you took such care for his brother, your kind attitude, though you were slightly austere to his dumb advances? Was it the vision, the sigil that proves you’re a warrior? Or was it your beautiful eyes, your skin, your hair, your lips, your—

No. A Fatui Harbinger should not become weak in the knees for one person. One person he just met an hour ago? Absolutely not. His job called for his time, his body, and his everything. And he doesn’t have the time to become so attached to anyone. 

Though maybe, a microscopic part of his mind was scared. Scared of having feelings for anyone. 

Because though the Fatui Harbinger explored the waters of many nations and many different conflicts, he knew nothing about the roaring sea of relationships.

⋆｡°✩translation: Лапушка— sweetheart, darling

⋆｡°✩a/n: thank you so much for reading! this work is already fully--written so updates should be every few days or weekly!

[everythinggrishaversebxm1012]

(Not) Just A Healer

Summary - Nikolai Lantsov has all the more to lose when he returns to Ravka having fallen in love with a certain Healer while on the True Sea

Part I - Nikolai Meets His Healer

You had met Dominik and Nikolai when they both took a bullet in battle in the earliest years of them both serving for the First Army. Dominik felt it was right and it was an opportunity to be with Nikolai since Vasily cut off their abilities to see each other. Nikolai felt at the time that was the best way he could serve his country. Both had been shot and it was Nikolai screaming for a healer that got your attention. What got Nikolai’s attention was that you ran a few hundred yards through a dangerous zone to use your powers as a Grisha. It was no mystery that the First Army and Second Army did not get along well. To your credit, you saved them both. “Might I get your name?” Nikolai asked, sitting up and looking right at you.    

“May I ask why,  Moi tsarevich ?” You asked in response, wiping your hands of the small amounts of blood on your hands.     

“So I may know the name of the ever-beautiful person who saved me and my friend’s life,” Nikolai responded, seriously before the slightest smile graced his lips. You had heard many things about the second-born royal, and you weren’t sure what to make of him. Handsome–yes, loved by the people, sure had some level of authority about him, but a different kind. A kind that you might just follow if he sat on the throne.    

“Y/N.”     

He repeated the name, quietly to himself before standing. Only days later, much to your fellow Grisha’s surprise and your’s did you find yourself being taken wherever Nikolai Lantsov went. Not that he didn’t give you the choice, he seemed to be a gentleman in that regard. “There has always been tension between those who are Grisha and those who are not. You of course would understand that. I would like you to travel with me and my regiment. Act as a healer for us. If you wish.”      

“I suppose we can’t have Ravka’s wonder-boy dying, can we?” That was your response and it only left Nikolai chuckling, something bordering along the edges of a smirk danced over his face, eyes sparkling.     

Nikolai grew to trust you, and found comfort in your presence. You had healed him countless times and each time he became a little bit more bold with the flirtations, though you were not entirely sure if that was any reflection of any feelings towards him.    

In Nikolai’s eyes, you became his confidante and more than a healer for him and his colleagues. He sought you out for advice on occasion, mostly because you had proven you weren’t going to simply nod along because he was a prince. Dominik enjoyed your presence as well, and grew an attachment to you as well, happy to see you were not afraid to knock his dear friend down a peg or ten.     

Nikolai remembered the day of his eighteenth birthday his thigh got a deep slice to it and he came into the tent, making his stupid jokes, claiming his mother was like an oyster and he was the pearl. You were not having it, and you simply told him “Shut up and get it on the table so that I may take care of your injury.” That was the moment he realized how much you actually meant to him.      You acted as a healer for him until he was nineteen. He told you in secret that he was leaving for the seas, realizing he would be much better serving his people as a Privateer than a soldier confined to land. He ensured to stress Privateer, not pirate. He then asked you to go with him. “You said it yourself, ‘I suppose we can’t have Ravka’s wonder-boy dying.’”   

You gave him a I’m not interested look.    

“Think of the money, the adventure!” After a few more minutes of making those stupid charming, borderline puppy-dog eyes he managed to convince you.   

It was on the True Sea that you learned of his feelings for you. The feelings you very much reciprocated. At first it was gentle, quick physical touch or gentle hugs, and it slowly built. Though neither of you confessed feelings until the day you had been injured fighting a group of slavers a few months into your journey.   

You had been laying there not finding the energy to tell him to just be quiet until it felt like Nikolai cursed himself around the world.    

“Nikolai, I’m truly alright. It was a simple graze!” You said to him, ever so slightly lifting your head.

“Well what if it wasn’t?!” He snapped, in your direction before cursing himself out again. He was angry with himself more than anything. “What if it–” His voice broke and you didn’t know what to do. Maybe it was because you were exhausted, probably the exhaustion, but you pulled him towards you kissing him. After a few moments pause, feelings were finally confessed.    

From that moment on Nikolai didn’t seem to care who was around. If he so desired to wrap you in his arms that’s what he would do. You spent two years out on the water until the famed Alina Starkov and Mal Oretsev got charter on the Volkvolny and you were headed home yet everything was different. Before you were a healer for the prince, now you were his partner and that was certainly going to change some things.

[theweirdestroller]

Purr

Reaper had always been drawn to the dead and dying. It's how he found Geno. The selkie had been attacked by poachers and on the verge of becoming sea foam when the leviathan first saw him. He didn't quite know what compelled him to save the selkie that day, but he was glad he did. Geno... not so much. The poor leopard seal now had a constant follower, a clingy orca mer he just could not shake. It wasn't the worst, considering the alternative was that he died, but it wasn't the best either. Because this particular orca was a massive flirt. Geno wasn't good with romance. He was a solitary selkie who didn't much appreciate the new company. At least, for a while. Some way, some how, Reaper grew on him. They started courting. And it was shortly after that when Geno learned what his partner really was. A giant leviathan with control over ice and death itself. Boy was that a chilling revelation.

Geno was busy chasing down penguins on his lonesome when he spotted the skull of his partner peeking from the water. He almost wanted the scold the behemoth, but that would only frighten away the prey. So Geno remained silent and continued his hunting. Until he was unceremoniously plucked from his hunting spot by a large hand.

"Hello darling!" Reaper chirped as he cradled his tiny seal in his hand.

"Put me down." Geno growled. The orca sighed dramatically and fulfilled his love's wish. And promptly beached himself to be right next to him. "REAPER!" Geno screeched as he tried to maintain his balance on the ice that was now weighed down by one- nevermind, Reaper was back in his smaller form.

"Here!" He gave the seal a smile and presented him with two penguins, freshly caught and ripped up in just the right way. Gifts weren't uncommon but something was different. Geno stared at his partner, hoping for some answer to the gifts to emerge. The cheeky bastard only gave him a dopey grin in return.

"What's the occasion?"

"Does there need to be one?" Reaper tilted his head in confusion, giving him the look of an innocent sea creature. Red blush crawled on Geno's skull.

"N-no. But, why hunt penguins? It's not exactly easy for you,"

"Can't I do something nice for my love?" The selkie's face got redder and rather than give the orca a reply, he dug into the meal he was presented with. Reaper smiled, something soft and sweet, looking almost unnatural on the face of death itself, and he curled around his smaller mate. Geno said nothing as he pressed against the warm body and continued his feast.

A pleasant silence settled around the two, Geno crunching away at the penguin carcasses whilst Reaper was content to just sit and watch. The two simply enjoyed each others company. It was only when the meal was finished and Geno felt exhaustion creep up on him that something changed. A rumble from the selkie started up, not startling Reaper as much as it surprised him. His- Geno was purring? It was a sound of utter contentment and Reaper was so happy he could provide. He curled his tail closer around the leopard seal and pressed a gentle kiss to his skull before allowing the smaller to fall into a comfortable and safe sleep.

[cherrieslvr]

RHAENYRA TARGARYEN & ALICENT HIGHTOWER - TRANSITION FROM BEST FRIENDS TO EVIL STEPMOTHER TO USURPER (TV SHOW)

Rhaenyra Targaryen was just fifteen years old when her father decided to wed her best friend, Alicent Hightower, who also happened to be fifteen as well and the Hand of the King’s daughter. This marriage was already an outlandish decision as it was custom at the time for Targaryen kings to marry either another Targaryen or a Velaryon, who also had Valryian descent. But with Queen Aemma Targaryen dying along with Prince Baelon Targaryen, this left King Viserys desperate. It also did not help that Otto Hightower, Alicent’s father and Hand of the King, was pressuring Viserys to wed.

With the loss of her mother and brother all on the same day, Rhaenyra turned to Alicent with her grief. Both girls only had each other for comfort. "I want to fly with you on dragon back, see the great wonders across the Narrow Sea, and eat only cake." (Rhaenyra to Alicent, Season 1 - Episode 1) The girls were inseparable as they only had each other at court. With intimate and raw their connection was, I full-heartedly believe that there was a deeper, more romantic love that these two girls shared. They only had each other at court and it is said that there was rarely a time where Rhaenyra was seen without Alicent. This speculation only makes the betrayal between the two girls so much more heartbreaking. The start of this betrayal was when Alicent wed King Viserys.

Without knowing it, Alicent was essentially being groomed to marry the king by her father, Otto Hightower. He made sure that Alicent was the one who would go to Viserys’ chambers and comfort him after the loss of his queen. Otto even made sure that his daughter wore more mature dresses so that the king wouldn’t be distracted by the reality of Alicent’s age. Otto toyed with the idea of the king briefly marrying Laena Velayron, who was just twelve years old but had already decided that his daughter would be the next queen. (Funny that the King’s younger brother Daemon ends up marrying her before marrying Rhaenyra.) I feel I must point out that this action was not Alicent’s fault. She was fifteen years old and wanted to do whatever pleased her father. I do not say this because I am a Alicent Hightower defender, even though I very much am, but I say this because it is the truth.

The union between her father and her best friend was simply too much for Rhaenyra. keep in mind that the princess had already been named over the king’s brother, her uncle, Daemon Targaryen. Rhaenyra felt that her father was trying to take back her claim and give it to his future son that he would have with Alicent. There could also be an argument made that Rhaenyra felt that Alicent never really was her friend, and her only goal was to be queen when Rhaenyra’s mother died.

With Aegon Targaryen still in the womb, King Viserys decides that Rhaenyra is now next up to be wed. He even arranges a wedding tour so that the many royal houses will present a son for the heir to choose from, but Rhaenyra is entirely against this. “Because you mean to replace me… with Alicent Hightower’s son, the boy you always wanted. You have him in hands now. Y-You have no further use for me. You might as well peddle me for what you can.” (Season 1 - Episode 3) Rhaenyra fully believed that King Viserys was just trying to marry her off so that Aegon could ascend the throne which couldn't possibly be further from the truth. In actuality, the king just wanted Rhaenyra to have joy in her life and he believed that if she had a family of her own, she could get over the death of her mother and brother and the loss of her best friend.

Now at the time, Alicent was also against the idea of her son ascending the throne over Rhaenyra, but this quickly took a turn as her father started to plant the idea that it would be better for the realm if a man was on the throne over a woman. For a while, Alicent stood firm in her decision that she would not partake in the usurpment of her long-lost best friend but that quickly washed away after the scandal involving Ser Criston Cole, Daemon Targaryen, and Rhaenyra.

By this point, the princess is spiraling. She is still not over the loss of her mother and brother, or the betrayal of Alicent, and now her father is going against her wishes in an attempt to marry her off. Rhaenyra ends up getting very familiar with Criston Cole, her sworn protector, even going as far as to sleeping with him. Now what Criston did not know is that this happened just after her uncle, Daemon, took her to a brothel and attempted to sleep with her but thought against it. Rhaenyra feeling rejected took it upon herself to take the initiative in her little flirt game with Criston and sleep with him. The next day when Alicent confronts Rhaenyra about sleeping with Daemon, Rhaenyra swears on the memory of her mother that Daemon never touched her and that they were not in a brothel that previous night. Alicent knows that it’s a lie and that severs the remaining love that the two girls shared. There is also belief that the two girls were in a more intimate relationship here and that’s why Alicent took it so to heart when she heard that Daemon and Rhaenyra were seen in a brothel together. I believe this theory 100%.

Criston Cole tries to convince Rhaenyra to run away with him, but she declines causing the knight to share their night with Alicent which helps build resentment towards Rhaenyra for both of them. Criston Cole ends up becoming Alicent Hightower’s sworn protector after this and Ser Harwin Strong becomes Rhaenyra’s.

Rhaenyra ends up marrying her second cousin Laenor Velaryon and her uncle, Daemon, marries Laena Velaryon, Laenor’s sister.

Years go by and Rhaenyra now has three children, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey. All three of these children are not Laenor’s as Rhaenyra and he married under the acknowledgment that Laenor was gay and would not be able to give her any heirs. Rhaenyra had these children with Ser Harwin Strong, her sworn protector. The only problem with this is that all three boys have brown hair just like their father and they are white. Both Rhaenyra and Laenor have white/silver hair and Laenor is black. So obviously the entirety of the realm knows that Rhaenyra’s children are bastards.

By now, Alicent has four children, Aegon, Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron. Alicent and Rhaenyra’s children are all around the same age and do not get along.

With years to fuel Alicent’s resentment against Rhaenyra, she does wicked things to her. One of them is making Rhaenyra bring Alicent the baby Joffrey right after he is born just to take pride in knowing that Joffrey does not look like Laenor. This action sparks even more resentment and anger in Rhaenyra and her father is oblivious to it.

Few months later after Daemon loses his second wife, Laena Velaryon, to childbirth, Lucerys takes the eye of Aemond after being attacked by the prince. Aemond took the dragon of Laena Velaryon which started this fight as it was entitled to her and Daemon’s daughter, Rhaena. This sends Alicent right over the edge as she grabs a dagger and lunges for the boy only to be stopped by Rhaenyra. The two girls who were once friends are now mothers protecting their children. The desperation is clear on their faces as they speak to each other. You can see the longing that these two women share for each other, but it’s overcome by their duties as mothers. Rhaenyra and Alicent never pictured themselves on different sides of anything let alone a war. Seeing them long for what could have been if there hadn’t been a dominant male influence in both of their lives leading them to what they considered better for the realm is so devastating. I also think that the quote from Alicent in season 2 of House of the Dragon furthers my point on this. “You have no idea the sacrifices that were made to put you on that throne.” This quote just shows the devastation that Alicent feels towards Rhaenyra as she had to give up her connection with her. Alicent begs King Viserys to defend their son, but he does not and takes the side of his daughter as he has always done.

With the eye of her favorite son being gone, Alicent is all done with Rhaenyra.

Years go by and King Viserys’ illness is starting to take him. Rhaenyra and Daemon have faked Laenor’s death and have had two sons together, Aegon and Viserys, and are pregnant with a baby girl.

King Viserys and Queen Alicent have married their two eldest, Aegon and Helaena, together and the couple have three children, Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor. Aegon has also expressed his disdain for the idea of taking the throne. His love for his half-sister is there. “My sister is the heir ... what sort of brother steals his sister’s birthright?” (Fire & Blood)

King Viserys dies but not after confusing Alicent with Rhaenyra. Alicent confuses the words that her husband says and thinks that he is talking about putting Aegon on the throne even after knowing that the king never wanted anyone but his daughter on the throne. While Rhaenyra and her family are in Dragonstone, Alicent, Otto Hightower, and Ser Criston Cole convince Aegon to ascend the throne under the pretense that Rhaenyra would kill him and his family.

Rhaenyra hears word of her father’s death and the succession of Aegon on the throne and goes into early labor. Her daughter, Visenya, comes out stillborn. “According to Mushroom, Princess Rhaenyra had cursed Visenya while giving birth, calling her a monster. He also claims that Visenya had dragon-like birth defects, describing her as having been twisted and malformed, with a hole in her chest where her heart should have been and a stubby, scaled tail.” (A Wiki of Ice and Fire)

After this sad event, Otto Hightower visits Dragonstone demanding that Rhaenyra denounce her claim to the throne and bend the knee to her half-brother, Aegon. He gives Rhaenyra a torn page from her and Alicent’s favorite book trying to appeal to her emotions towards his daughter (yet again this can be chosen to be taken as platonic or romantic, but I think we know the obvious answer) but after a single tear, Rhaenyra refuses to bend the knee. In the end, whatever love those two girls shared was destroyed by the male influences in their lives that pushed them into a state of hatred and resentment for each other. This blaming just fueled the war as there was now a more personal betrayal between the girls.

Preparing for war, Rhaenyra sends her two eldest sons, Jacaerys and Lucerys, on dragon back to the royal houses to remind them that they swore fealty to her. While Lucerys is in Storm’s End, he sees his uncle, Aemond, there. His eyepatch is prominently seen by Lucerys as a reminder of their encounter. Lucerys tries to remind Lord Borros of the fact that his father was a fierce supporter of his mother, but Lord Borros rejects him and sides with the Greens.

On his way back from Storm’s End, Aemond, flying on the war dragon Vhagar, kills him, starting the Dance of the Dragons and severing any chance of peace between Rhaenyra’s family (the Blacks) and Alicent’s family (the Greens). I believe that Alicent never wanted Lucerys to die even after what happened between him and Aemond.

I do believe that if the two women just sat down and spoke to each other about their resentment and apologized, none of this would have happened. There were just too many miscommunications and the love of these two girls was not strong enough to withstand it. Alicent should not get the hate that she deserves as it was not her fault that King Viserys spoke to her thinking it was Rhaenyra and the queen got confused. It might be her fault for thinking that he would ever place Aegon on the throne as he had been the biggest supporter of Rhaenyra being his heir from the get-go and had years to name their son his heir but didn’t. It is very sad to see the heartbreak between these two women and the idea that they will never get to fly around and eat cake together but the circumstances around them forbade it. Otto Hightower never would have let that happen as he would have done anything to get his blood on the Iron Throne.

All in all, Rhaenyra is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne and her children should’ve been her heirs. It is so sad to see all the death that could have been prevented if these people knew how to communicate.

Word Count: 2189

[mugiwat]

sanuso headcannons

highkey sadder than my zolu ones

both are bi with a tendency towards women. both are attracted to men, but neither thought they would actually date a guy

usopp and kaya never really end up together at the end of the journey, the sea changed that village liar too much

sanji was always pushed around as a kid for being the soft one. the vinsmoke brothers laughed in his face when he mentioned to reiju that he might like boys and girls

usopp and sanji didn't really get close until after the whole arlong experience. honestly, usopp thought sanji was a pompous asshole even after the whole bartie incident and sanji thought usopp was a coward who shouldn't be on the seas

after the fight with arlong, usopp came to appreciate sanji's loyalty and sanji came to appreciate his wits

after retrieving nami, the crew talks a little about their homes in east blue, leaving sanji as an outcast from north blue

it was during a late night with usopp coming in for a midnight snack after watch that sanji mentions his vinsmoke past. he doesnt offer much detail, but more hints that his childhood was cruel with siblings and a father who hated everything about him.

"i don't know why im telling you this" "it's because no one will believe the liar"

since then, the two became a little closer and usopp moved his mini workshop into the galley. often they work in comfortable silence, enjoying the others' presence. no words are needed between the two, but they become dependent on the others' sanity

it was somewhere between entering the grandline and recruiting chopper that the two begin to date

during alabasta, Mr. Prince becomes the later inspiration for Sogeking. Usopp admires the persona that Mr. Prince represents and it was only natural to model his courage and bravery after Sanji

sanji loves going shopping for groceries with the sniper, usopp knows a surprising amount of rare spices and herbs

unlike luffy and zoro, the two are much much much more subtle about their relationship, keeping it under wraps. its not until late that nami and robin figure it out

after sanji is shocked by eneru, almost dying, usopp really realizes that maybe he shouldnt have taken those quiet nights on merry for granted. it was during that last night of celebrations that the two hid briefly away in merry, sharing a kiss and getting caught by robin's wandering eyes

their relationship often is spent in quiet moments in the galley and subtle signs like favorite foods or quick inventions for the kitchen

usopp fighting luffy and leaving the crew tore an instant rift in their relationship; "do i mean nothing to you?"

still, sanji found usopp after the fight and took care of him, cooking him food and not letting him starve on the street. they decided to cut off the relationship before it began... better for them to move on with their dreams than cause leftover pain

sanji's heart just about stopped when he saw sogeking and hearing that funny deep voice of his made him just about cry

after enies lobby, the two got back together, never quite repaired, but willing to heal those wounds

they reveal their relationship in the first few nights on the brand new sunny go

thriller bark was a whirlwind of an adventure and sanji couldn't be more proud of usopp's victory over perona

once kuma separated the crew, the two worked extremely hard to become stronger not only for the crew, but for each other. sanji going to kamabakka kingdom and eventually talking to iva-chan honestly made sanji question himself even more

usopp worked extra hard to turn into the man he imagined himself to be. working to be muscular and strong at least in appearance... and becoming more brave than he was before

reuniting in sabody was short and rushed... it wasn't until they settled in fishman island that they two actually got a chance to be alone.

seeing fishman island reminded usopp how small he really is in the world. sanji's bright eyes looking at the bubbles below them reminded him of home and east blue, but also of the uncertainty of the tides

however, the rose colored glasses shattered once sanji practically died from seeing mermaids. this left usopp unsure about his own position in their relationship, feeling ugly, inadequet, and undesireable

usopp ends it with sanji shortly after that with no explaination. he refused to talk to sanji unless it was needed. he ended up taking a backseat in the crew. they weren't the same quiet teenages that would sit in the galley anymore. this was the new world, they needed to grow up

usopp spend punk hazaard and the interlude of dressrosa not speaking to sanji, unless needed. their fight is a partial reason why the crew splits up to pursue different goals

it isn't until after sanji goes missing back to the vinsmokes that usopp reconsiders his stance. when he hears the news all he could think of is that innocent sanji back in east blue, talking about his disowned family back in north blue

after they retrieve sanji from wholecake and practically declare war on the world, all usopp can do is hug the cook and apologize for everything

the two end up giving it a second chance, restarting as "new people" in the form of wano

and that's all for now, honestly, my hope is that they end up going back to east blue together, owning the baratie and visiting syrup village... I think usopp would love the balance between the sea and home... but who knows with these two. I love their relationship so much, I feel like its so real and so traumatic. these two are the most emotional of the straw hats, in my opinion. lot of trauma here

I absolutely can't wait to see the upcoming arcs and hopefully a little more sanuso <3

[iris-writesx]

now that i’m grown i’m scared of ghosts | gentlebeard

read it here, or read it on ao3 <3

akdkwf i feel like this one is WAY worse than the last fic i posted, so everyone be nice about it. i wanted to write hurt-comfort so bad and i was thinking for ages about what to write, but then i realised i obviously had to inflict pain onto stede. go me :,)

but if anybody has any ideas for more fics like this please tell me!!! i’d love to get inspiration from other people <33

title is from “would've, could’ve, should’ve” by taylor swift x

2k words — hurt-comfort and whumpy, nightmare fic, mentions of stede’s trauma, panic attack, vomiting

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

He had never seen so much blood.

Of course, that was a hard statement to make as a pirate — but Stede wasn’t sure, now, if he had ever truly been one.

But he really hadn’t ever seen so much blood before. He didn’t even know that someone’s head contained so much of the stuff. He couldn’t look away.

Chauncey — or what was left of the poor sod, anyways — was splayed out on the floor in front of him, his head fired open by the gunshot, bleeding out into the damp greenery beneath him. Stede’s stomach lurched as he stared, but he couldn’t look away. Even as he heard himself scream — a deep guttural noise that he felt as it ripped itself from his chest — he couldn’t look away.

It was his fault. His fault.

People kept dying and it was because of him.

Nigel was dead, Chauncey was dead, Izzy had almost died, and he had essentially killed Blackbeard — “You even managed to bring history’s greatest pirate to ruin.” — and who’s to say it wouldn’t happen again-

Chauncey’s body shifted and Stede felt himself scream again, stumbling backwards. Just as he had seen visions of Nigel — impaled by his sword, talking to him — Chauncey lifted his head, or what was left of it, and Stede felt cold with the horror that flooded him, then, as Chauncey lifted the gun once more, aiming at him.

“The Stede Bonnet reign of terror ends toni-”

Stede was rigid as he flinched awake, his heart in his throat, breathing so rapidly that he was near on hyperventilating. It took him a moment to blink and recognise his surroundings, but it was the warmth of Ed beside him that grounded him. Asleep beside him, hugging most of the covers, Ed looked peaceful.

He didn’t even realise that he was crying until his chest hitched, painfully so, and Stede had to wipe his eyes as his vision blurred over with his tears. It wasn’t a conscious decision to get up and out of bed, he just started walking, out of the Captain’s quarters and out towards the deck.

He used to do it a lot, when he was a child. Sneaking out into the garden at night when he was upset to look at the stars. It always calmed him. A habit he had picked up again since going to sea, he went out when he was feeling upset to stargaze. Sometimes it helped. Distracted him enough from the plagues of his mind to calm down, and by the time he had named as many constellations as he could remember off the top of his head, he was calm enough to return to bed.

But as Stede reached the edge of the deck, gripped the railing with such a tight grip that his knuckles went white and his hands shook, he could tell that this time the stars wouldn’t help. In fact, being outside on his own probably made it worse. Stede gasped for air, sobs erupting up and out of his already sore chest, and he could do nothing but hold onto the railing and cry.

He felt like a child, and whenever he felt like a child, he thought of his father.

“A weak-hearted, soft-handed, lily-livered little rich boy. That’s all you’ll ever be.”

He was right, annoyingly and embarrassingly so. If his father could see him now he’d just be disappointed. Ashamed. Regretful.

What had he become? A façade of a pirate who had nothing other than a string of deaths and mistakes haunting him.

He couldn’t even say that he had the accomplishment of being a father, after he had left Mary and the kids to chase his silly little dream. Of course, the second time he had left her he did it right, but he often thought about his old family sometimes, his children.

And Ed… he had messed up so many times on that front. Sure, now they were stronger than ever, they were something, but it didn’t change the fact that Stede had fucked up. He had left him, and Ed had become… become The Kraken, which in itself had caused so many unnecessary horrors.

Like Izzy’s leg…

Stede could remember the first time he had realised just what had happened. Saw the look on Izzy’s face — the grief — and realised that he had pushed Ed so far that he had hurt the person most devoted to him.

And that had been Stede’s fault. Because he had been so guilt-ridden after killing Chauncey.

…in a sick manner, he realised it all sort of came full circle.

Stede leaned further over the railing and his stomach actually lurched that time, his jaw clenching with the will to keep his dinner in his belly. After a moment he gasped around his tears, his face wet and cold, hands shaking, chest aching, lily-livered little rich boy.

“…mate, where are you?”

The distant call from inside the ship was registered, but Stede couldn’t make himself pull away from the railing. He was still making a poor attempt at choking back his sobs, and not throwing up, and it was all too much.

Would it have been better if Chauncey had successfully killed him that night?

“Stede! Fuck, man, I’ve been looking for you all over. Why’re you out here?” Ed’s voice was at that scratchy-deep tone it was at when he was sleepy, and where it usually filled Stede with fondness, it just piled up more guilt. He had woken him up, ruined his sleep. Now he’d have to comfort him.

“Just- just wanted some air!” Stede sniffled, not turning to face him. “Go back to bed, darling. Be there soon!”

Instead of hearing Ed comply, he heard boots knocking against the wood of the deck, growing louder and closer. “You alright, babe?”

The urge to accept the comfort was so strong, so strong he ached with it, but so much had been his fault and he wasn’t… he wasn’t deserving. Stede didn’t deserve anything good, he certainly didn’t deserve Ed.

Maybe Chauncey should have-

Stede did throw up that time. He gripped the railing even tighter, if that were possible, and leaned as far over the railing as he gagged, the contents of his stomach spilling out and into the ocean.

Ed was by his side in a second. His hand was on his back, a firm palm rubbing between his shoulder blades, and he knew Ed was talking, spoken comforts — not because he could hear him, just because he knew Ed. No, he couldn’t hear any of it, not over the throwing up or his sobbing or the sound of Chauncey’s gun firing in his memory or his father’s words or-

“Stede, hey, you’re alright, c’mere, I’ve got you.”

He only realised he was still hung over the railing just sobbing when Ed pried him off of it, away from the cold wood and into his arms instead. Ed was warm, and Stede was selfish as he clung to him, sobbing into the crook of his neck.

“Fuckin’ hell, man, you’re freezing? Why did you come out without shoes you nut? You’ll get sick.” Ed was being so kind — rubbing his back and talking to him and trying to warm him up — and all Stede could do was cry-

*“…lily-livered little rich boy-”*

It was after a minute or so that Ed must’ve realised something else was wrong. Stede felt his grip on him shift, hands on his shoulders instead, bringing him back enough so that Ed could see his face, and Stede could see his.

Ed deserved so much better.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” One of Ed’s hands cupped Stede’s face and the warmth was so nice, he nuzzled into his palm as he continued to cry. “Stede? You’re fuckin’ scaring me, man. Talk to me.”

His chest hitched, breaths nothing more than short sharp bursts, and he really did try to form a coherent explanation for his little tantrum, but all he could get out was a whimpered little sentence;

“I- I had a nightmare.”

Ed’s eyebrows scrunched — perceptive, his Ed was, he could probably tell that it wasn’t just a nightmare — but he didn’t mention it. Instead, he was just pulled into another hug, lips against his hairline, warmth surrounding him, and after another couple of minutes or so he felt like he could finally breathe.

It took him more time than that to calm down, but Ed was patient. He whispered soft comforts to Stede as he worked down from crying, until he could finally breathe smoothly, until there was merely silent tears tracking down his cheeks. Ed had been the only person to ever help like that when he cried. His father certainly had never done it, but then again, fathers weren’t supposed to be kind, were they?

…were they?

“Sorry,” was the first thing Stede murmured, the word muffled against the skin of Ed’s neck as he spoke, where he refused to pull his head from just yet. “Sorry, love. Didn’t mean to cause a fuss.”

“Hey, c’mon, don’t apologise for that shit,” Ed stroked his back again, kissed his hair. “Do you feel any better?”

Stede nodded, huffing out a breath. The breakdown really had taken a lot out of him, he felt so tired — his body lulled against Ed’s, head pounding, chest aching. He was actually feeling the cold, too — so much that he had started to tremble in Ed’s embrace, his teeth near chattering. Ed seemed to notice at the same time, as he wordlessly started to lead them both back inside, and Stede just silently went with him. He wanted nothing more than to lay down again-

Well, he wanted nothing more than to fix all of his past mistakes, all of his problems, but that would never happen. If anything, he’d just end up causing more someday.

His expression crumpled slightly, tears slipping faster down his face.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Ed asked as he pushed the door to their bedroom open, ushering them both inside before he shut it again behind him. “The nightmare, I mean.”

He didn’t want to. Stede knew he’d have to explain it to Ed one day — Chauncey, what happened in the woods that night, what compelled him to go back to Mary. But he couldn’t say it yet, not when he would probably just get so worked up again.

Instead, he asked;

“Do you think it would’ve been better if I had died?”

Ed looked mortified. He froze stock-still, no longer walking them back towards the bed, and just stared at Stede for a moment.

“I just mean, I’ve had so many attempts on my life by now, surely I’ve got to give in sometime, right? Make it fair for everyone else?” He tried to joke, sensing Ed’s horror. But the sight of him — face red and blotchy, eyes teary, trembling — probably didn't help.

When Ed finally seemed to catch up with himself, he grasped Stede so desperately by the shoulders it shocked him. “Never fuckin’ say that again, okay?” Ed squeezed his shoulders again, and for a moment it looked like he might cry. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me so don’t- don’t say that.”

Stede’s eyes widened, once again feeling guilty. He was upsetting him. “I’m… I’m sorry-“

“Don’t apologise, just… don’t say that. You’re fucking amazing-“

“I’m not.”

Ed scowled at him. “You are. You’re the best fuckin’ pirate out there, you hear me?” He brought Stede closer by the shoulders and kissed him, hard, his mouth hot and his urgency more pressing than any arousal that normally would’ve been in it’s place. “If you weren’t here, if you had died, it would’ve ruined my life, and everyone else’s on this ship. They need you. I… I need you,” one of his hands lifted, stroking Stede’s cheek gently. “Don’t say that, don’t… don’t even make me think about you not being here, okay?”

“Okay.” Stede’s voice was hoarse as he spoke, almost in shock. He had never had somebody care for him so violently before. It was foreign, but also selfishly felt so good.

…he was allowed this, wasn’t he? He was allowed to be happy?

“Tomorrow,” Ed started, only stopping to kiss him on the lips once more, just a gentle press. “We’ll talk about the nightmare, and what’s bothering you,” he kissed him again — kissed him until Stede hummed and nodded in agreement. “But tonight, I’m going to show you just how much you should be here.”

Stede was crying again, big fat tears that rolled down his cheeks, but he was smiling.

Maybe he didn’t believe that he was worthy of any of it, but Ed did. And if Ed did, then maybe — just maybe — Stede would some day have a chance or believing it too.

“I love you.” Stede’s voice was barely above a whisper, but he knew Ed heard it. Saw it in his smile.

Ed kissed him again, sighing. “Love you more.”

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

comments would mean the world <3 requests are open!

[beanghostprincess]

Heeeeeyyyyyyy boooooooooo~

Have you read anything by Stereden? I am OBSESSED and INSPIRED okay it is AMAZING I love

So yeah.

Those works I spired me into making my own lil AU - Haki is a matter of will. It's an innate thing in all living beings, everyone has Haki, but you have to train to be able to control or sharpen it, and some are born with a special ability to IMPOSE IT ON OTHERS. Roger was among those.

Haki could be boiled down to soul energy.

((Shamelessly dropping another special interest with my one piece ideas mwahahah so evil))

Some of the theories regarding ghosts or repetitive cycles of hauntings is due to the amount of emotional energy affixed to a person or place, OR by the will of the person remaining. If one who died had a strong enough Will to Continue Existing, then it's theorized that they could either remain or pass between the veil.

Roger had v strong Conquerors Haki. He had the Voice of All Things, too.

He was sick and dying and so he chose what he thought was best to act as the end of his time. But I do NOT doubt for a single second that when he was up there on that platform that he could tell Shanks and Buggy were exhausted, scared, hurt, grief stricken and alone.

Where was the rest of his crew? Why wasn't Rayleigh with them? Why hadn't Crocus treated those wounds on theirs? Why was Buggy so worn thin, like a live wire, and why did his little Red feel so hollow and empty? What in the seven Seas happened to his kids?!

He's too weak to break out. The best he can do with misdirect attention from them as best he can. The best he can do is send his haki out to wrap around them, a blanket, armor, whatever they needed bc he'd do it, he'd do it all for them, thise are his kids and he loves them and he pours ever single bit of that love into it.

Roger dies on that platform, but he's still there.

He bears witness to the way the crew meets back up not even an hour after his head hit the cobblestone ground, and he is seething as he watches Rayleigh officially disband the crew. He is frothing when Buggy, voice shaking and thin and pale and everything Roger refused to let the child be ever again, asks through tears, "what do we do now?"

And Rayleigh, face blank, just responds with, "go back to what you were doing, kid. You survived this long."

And Roger is furious, is livid, is terrified and angry and hurt and-

One of the nearby lanterns explodes.

The crew shoots looks that direction, and Roger thinks they might just see him, but nobody reacts beyond his kids blinking hard a few times before looking away. And Oh. Oh, That Is Odd.

Roger is a pirate, a Captain, is deadDeadDeadDeadOhFuckHeIsDead- but he's a selfish man at his core. He has made peace with that.

He watches over Shanks and Buggy, sometimes goes to check on Rouge and her growing little bump. He winds up baring witness to the events of Baterilla, and he is furious beyond reason by the Marines. But he is there to see Rouge's last breath and Ace's first, and hebwatches Garp take his child, just as requested, and he holds his wife in his arms as she joins him in this odd limbo.

They both bare witness, hand in hand, as Shanks and Buggy fight tears, panic attacks, and unfiltered rage as they help dig graves and mourn the losses of innocent lives, and Roger aches when they keep a meticulous count. Rouge cries with every friend and family member she sees lowered into the earth, but she is still trying, futile as it is, to wipe away Buggy's and Shanks' tears, hands gently on their backs and heads and cheeks. She has never met them, not personally, but Roger had told her so much, and these boys are hers as well, hers to love and protect and adore.

The pirate king and his wife, his queen, keep watch over their children, trying to give comfort where they could, protection in any way they can manage.

Roger aches with Ace's hatred. He understands, he'd never blame him for it, but it hurts and he may hate Garp's choices a little more with each glimpse into the situation.

For a long while, things are fine, are normal, make a routine. Three years in, there is a change.

A pulse ripples along the world, jarring and sudden, like a cacophonous drum beat. As quickly as it comes, it goes. Roger and Rouge exchange glances. None of the living have reacted.

They meet Luffy not long after.

His tiny body thrums with energy, heart an odd but not harmful pace and Roger Knows.

He never thought he'd get to see this.

Luffy is still so small, so tiny, but he is loved, so much so.

And, the couple learns, he is the epicenter of so much by way of Fate.

He goes on to become so much to so many, a friend/son to Shanks, a person of interest to Buggy, a brother to Ace, and Roger is cackling over having five whole sons as soon as the cups clink together, much to Rouge's amusement.

Just. Roger ((and Rouge)) watching over their children.

Occasionally even being VISIBLE to others in times of high energy.

Alvida seeing Roger sitting on the edge of Buggy's bed when he spikes dangerous fevers.

Benn seeing Rouge brush Shanks' hair back when he gets blackout drunk after a particularly hard time.

Dadan seeing both parents soothe a sobbing little baby when she was still so new to this parenting thing, and never breathing a word of it.

Chopper occassionally getting glimpses of a giant of a man and a powerful looking woman whe Luffy is badly injured, both gently offering him comfort or standing guard.

Koala occasionally sees strangers in the base when Sabo is sick or hurt or has nightmares.

Whitebeard nearly chokes when he sees Roger sitting next to his son on his deck, smiling fondly at the newly snoring young man and patting his head gently.

Nobody breathes a word of any of this, not for a good long while because stranger things have happened. And besides...

It's good to know the kids are being looked out for.

Oh damn. Okay. I've never really been into ghost stuff and things like this, but this is so cool??? Honestly, turning it into soul energy makes it so interesting. They're there to look out for them and keep an eye on them and it's such a beautiful concept!!! <3

[lurkingteapot]

Last Twilight ภาพนายไม่เคยลืม Ep 8

And we're back to belated but 'regular' liveblogging of episodes.

Songkhla!!! have we EVER been to southern Thailand other than Phuket in one of these shows??

doc, no shade but you sound like he's dying

love that Night comforts Mawk here, goddd

Day can be CUTTING and I love that they let him

is Night gonna put in a word for them? he looks like he might

Night!!!

oh ffs Day

I sense we're gonna learn what their deal is sooner rather than later

MERCH PLACEMENT hi

I'm the furthest thing from a colour theory person, but the red and blue colour coding is really noticeable rn

oof this is an OPPRESSIVE car ride

who's gonna check on Night?

oooh are we gonna take a minibus?

WE ARE!

I whether Night's going to come along anyway, or whether this'll be the end of Mawk's job

NIGHT <3 (also he's Phii Night in Mawk's phone and I love that)

Jimmy's FACE, man, his acting really has improved

tuktuk??? tourism board really doing its part here

ah, songtaew (if that's what they're called in the South)

sound mixing blunder, uuurgh, classic gmmtv

I wonder who that cameo was

BEACH!!

"green sea", huh?

CLASSIC beach scene, god I love them

oh, that's a cute kiss. a good one. believable.

nooo they forgot the book in Night's car?!

I think that was a song/meme reference just now, hold on.

YEP it was, it totally was (this bit specifically: 1:04-1:11. The whole Ii-Gii (E-Kie in the subtitles on the vid) thing was a huge meme in early 2023.

อีกี้นี้มันเป็นสก้อย ไปกับผู้บ่อย ผู้พาไป skrt อีกี้ชอบไป skrt แต่เปลี่ยนผู้บ่อย สงสัยไม่เวิร์ค

Honestly I respect the memery SO much)

oh boys, this was not smart

the book's gonna be in Night's car, right?

… Day, you absolute TROLL

I don't think Mawk would actually leave him there, but this was still cruel

annnd he turned it into the ILU gesture, god these two

PRODUCT PLACEMENT hi once again

TUKTUK

everthing's always shot so close and I bet that's a deliberate choice, but I like it

so snazzy and then? TRAINERS. please.

I wonder how many changes they had to go through to make sure no pit stains or other types of sweat stains showed

I LOVE these outfits

HANDS!! again!!

promises made in ep 8 tend to be dangerous; the overall structure makes me think something's gonna go WRONG wrong towards the end of the episode

BUS STOP SCENE MUSIC (no I'm never calling it anything else ever again)

Wedding!

BIG PILE OF BOOKS what a great wediding gift idea!

they look so nice!! not sure about P'Bplaa's gloves, but other than that …

P'Aof coming in with the big statements about disability again, I'm very here for it

I think I've seen Mrs Pen before? not sure where/what show or when, but her face seems familiar

oh I love this. this wedding seems real, y'know? we get super flashy ones in shows so often, but this seems like something I might attend or have attended at some point

Niiice this looks like good ballroom stance? not that I know much about that sort of thing but … yeah

ooh topical bgm

Mawk looks SO fond, idk when Jimmy learned to do that but it's really impressive, he's come SUCH a long way in just two years!

more hands, P'Aof knows what we want, huh

OMG????

I was thinking it might be something like this when he didn't tell us what town he was from, but WOW man man MAN

wait is this why his mum did not want him to go

I do not like these time skips they've been doing for the product placements. like. I do like the extra scenes we get, but I'd like it BETTER if they actually integrated them with the story and didn't follow directly after impactful emotional would-be cliffhangers.

Mawk when he watches Day … just. OOF. and wow.

kiss! :D

oh they're GONNA get in trouble eventually

A friend on discord said "they just keep choosing less and less safe means of transport" and I concur but man, this was a fun ride.

[ariel-seagull-wings]

COMFORT MOVIE CHALLENGE: MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND

@thealmightyemprex​ @goodanswerfoxmonster​ @angelixgutz​ @moonbeamelf​ @world-of-puppets​ @princesssarisa​ @softlytowardthesun​ @the-blue-fairie​ @themousefromfantasyland​ @amalthea9​ 

Released in 1996, his is the second Muppet feature film directed by Brian Henson, based on a classic work of literature and released in partnership with the Walt Disney Company (before the aquisition of the Muppet franchise by Disney was really officialized in the early 2000s), after 1992′s The Muppet Christmas Carol.

This time adapting the famous children’s pirate adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, they cast the human actors Kevin Bishop as Jim Hopkins, Tim Curry as Long John Silver, Billy Connoly as Billy Bones, and Jennifer Saunders as tavern owner Mrs. Bluveridge, while the Muppet actors are Kermit the Frog as ship Captain Smollet, Miss Piggy as Smollet’s fiancee Benjamina Gunn, Sam the Eagle as Mr Arrow, Fozzie Bear as Squire Trelawney and the duo of Gonzo and Rizzo as eighteen century versions of themselves.

Meant as an energetic adventure and musical comedy movie for the whole family, the film is quick to extablish the characters of Jim Hopkins, Gonzo and Rizzo as three on their luck tavern workers.

Rizzo is sardonic and prefers a life of comfort, safety and plenty of food, while Jim (who here is portrayed as a young orphan of both parents) and Gonzo dream of excitement travelling trough the seas.

One of the clients of the tavern, former pirate Billy Bones, dies, leaving the map to find the treasure of Pirate Captain Flint to Jim, while pirates burn the tavern down.

So the trio goes to ask the rich Squire Trelawney a ship to search for the buried treasure. Squire Trelawney, a person of unconventional mind that confindes in an imaginary friend who lives in his finger, called Mr Bimbo, is excited with the idea, and presents to them the ship called Hispaniola, that shall be comanded by Captain Smollet and his right hand man Mr Arrow.

Among the crew that Squire Trelawney hires for the travel, Jim, Gonzo and Rizzo meet the ship cook Long John Silver, a charismatic man with a dark sense of humour, who becomes a close friend of Jim.

The young boy, naive and longing for a father figure, becomes trusty of Long John, while Gonzo and Rizzo, neglected by Jim, feel something is off with the cook, because before dying Billy Bones had warned them to beware of a one legged man, a description that fits Long John, who has only one leg and walks with a cane.

Jim is the normal every person who acts and is a surrogate for the audience, that gets emerged in the colorfull world of the port, the ship and the island.

You get a nice balance of chaotic meta humour of the 70s version of the Muppets with dramatic acting and character focus that would become strong in the 90s.

While the main cast of characters is firm in being their roles and invested in their emotional conflicts, you get little fourt wall breaking jokes like rat tourists visiting the location in modern atire right while the movie is being made, Statler and Waldorf as two wood ship figureheads who makes about the movie and a small cameo of the Swedish Chef dressed as a parody of an island native preparing to cook the imprisoned Rizzo, Gonzo and Smollet while the vegetables say to the audience “Well, how did you expected we would put him in the movie?”

And being a Muppet movie musical, you can expect well elaborated numbers presentings fun, beautifull, catchy songs the somber opening villain song“Shiver my Timbers”, the I Want song “Something There”, the epic “Sailing for Adventure”, the hilariously random “Cabin Fever”, the intimidating “Boom Shakalaka”, the romantic ballad “Love Led Us Here” and the dancing relaxing reggae “Lover Power”, courtesy of none other than Bob Marley’s son Ziggy Marley.

This colorfull, age of sail musical fantasy with Muppets gives a strong atmosphere that reminds of the joy of summer. 

There is an entertaining combination of character drama, action, a touch of a horror atmosphere, romance and the goold old comedy that only the Muppets can, and it now enters in the list of my favorite movies, that is probably the best pirate movie ever made.

[almamaterx]

@tommymaddox

TW; mentions of past abuse (physical), mentions of death, mentions of medical issues and machinery, alcoholism

The steady beep, beep, beep of the machine was steadily beginning to drive Alma crazy, it was a bit messed up really. Sat there at the bedside of her dying fathers hospital bed and all she could think about was how annoying the thing monitoring his heart rate sounded, was it the noise she was annoyed at or the fact that when she'd entered the room there had been no change to it? No quickening of pace, no difference. Like her presence didn't even matter to him or, somehow worse, like her showing up hadn't been a surprise, like he knew the whole time that she'd come running back to be by his side...bastard. Only she had hadn't she? And for what? He couldn't talk to her due to the breathing tube shoved down his throat, what would he have even said? Maybe it was better this way. Maybe she secretly got a kind of fucked up joy watching him struggle to breathe, just like she had all those years in that house....maybe it was more complicated than even all that. Her father hadn't cried at her mothers funeral, that's what had come into Almas head after she got off the phone with the hospital. He hadn't cried at her mothers funeral and she wouldn't cry at his, a promise to a ghost that probably didn't care about all that anymore. The woman had been studying her fathers eyes, which were unnervingly enough also her and Teo's eyes, since she'd come in the room, a sort of silent staring competition that was only broken up when a nurse would come in to check on him. She could tell that some of them were unnerved by just how calm she seemed, sitting cross legged in a chair next to her dying father and not even a mist in her eye. Then there were the older nurses and Doctors, the ones who had been there all those years ago for all those ER visits because one of the Cardozo ladies had walked into a door again or fell or whatever other excuse they used, they seemed to be content to let her be as she was.

Alma was brought out of her musings by the distant ring of a cellphone, it took a moment for her to realize that the ringing was apparently not so distant as her mind was. She rooted through the pockets of the oversized grey hoodie she had thrown over her tank top before heading here and pulled out her phone, she hit accept without checking who it was. Thankfully it was only Liam "So...how are you holding up? "I'm fine" Her reply is immediate, quick. A lie that she doesn't even have to think about. There's silence on the other end of the phone, the silence isn't uncomfortable but patient as he always is. "I mean I don't...I don't know its-" "complicated" she nods as he finishes her sentence even though she knows he can't see her, he doesn't need to. He knows. The familiarity is a comfort, he's always been that for her. An oasis, a calm island in the middle of a stormy sea. "How's Teo doing?" "Do you want to talk to him?" "What do you mean talk to him? He should be in bed!" "I'm working on it, he's a bit hyped up after all the excitement with this last minute sleepover" in the background she could hear her boy saying something that sounded like 'best surprise ever' and she shook her head as moved to rest it on one hand "Put him on please" "Mama when are you gonna be back?" "I don't know baby...but I'll be there when you wake up" Alma could practically hear the pout through the phone "So if I go to bed now..." "You'll get to see me that much sooner" There was silence on the other end of the phone, weighing his options. In the distance she heard hurried footsteps, a loved one rushing to get to their persons room perhaps. "Okay fine..." She was too busy chuckling at the overexaggerated way in which Teo had sighed to realize that the footsteps were now less hurried and a lot closer.

She was brought back to the present by the sound of her fathers EKG machine suddenly increasing like he was panicked, when she looked back at him he was no longer staring at her instead his gaze was fixed on the doorway. Curious to see what had prompted such a reaction she turned her own emerald gaze to the door. Her breath caught, she could feel her heart either skip a beat or stop entirely she wasn't too sure. What she was sure of was standing in the doorway was the last person she'd ever expect to see. Alma's mouth opened and closed, her eyes widened "What's that noise?" The phone, she was still on the phone. "It's nothing baby. I love you, I'll see you in the morning" the brunette waited until she heard those words repeated back and then ended the call. Her fathers heart still beat out of control, she didn't take her eyes from the man at the door even as she reached out a hand and rested it on her fathers arm. It was a response she'd learned when she'd been a child, it was her job to soothe, to fix.

"Tommy...?" her voice was soft, confused. Almost as if she was questioning not why he was there but if he was even really there or if, in the emotional complexity of the situation, she'd just lost it completely. "What are you doing here?"

[thornfield13713]

So.

Stede’s mother was alive when he and Mary were married.

I’m not reaching, this is in the script, and Ros Gentle is credited as ‘Mother Bonnet’ in the credits of episode four.

A lot of people seem to have missed this detail, given just how many fics have Stede’s mother dying either during his childhood or having died in childbed - and it’s not hard to see why, given that she is nowhere to be found in any of our flashbacks to Stede’s childhood. Which- 

We get a pretty full picture of the dynamics of the Teach household when Ed was growing up. Violent, abusive, possibly drunken father, and a mother who loved Ed, seems to have treated him kindly, and who he loved enough to kill his own father to protect her (and possibly himself as well, as Ed is clearly terrified of his father, but we only see physical violence aimed at Ed’s still-unnamed mother) but whose legacy is distinctly mixed - she gave him his red silk, the one taste of finery and luxury and beauty he had in his life, but also told him that this as about as much of it as people like them could ever expect to get, that God had decided otherwise and they could not hope for more.

But in our estimations of the Bonnet family, Stede’s mother is conspicuous by her absence. We don’t admittedly, get that many flashbacks - that one to Stede’s father butchering animals in front of him and then telling him that all he’ll ever be is a spoilt little rich boy, which- I’ve talked before about the class implications that can be drawn from this in context, but either way it’s only a couple of scenes from which a mother’s absence is understandable. We get more flashbacks to Stede’s time at what I’d guess would be an all-boys boarding school, probably in England. But...it is still kind of notable that Stede’s mother’s influence on her son appears to be pretty much negligible. Her most notable contribution to the story is that she is the one who presents the matched set of gravestones as wedding-presents for Stede and Mary. Which- Wow. That is probably our best insight into what the point actually is, what the great end-goal of gentry life really is. The point is to die landed and wealthy, with a son to pass it on to. Stede will have done what is expected of him when he dies and passes this on to his son. Nothing he does between this wedding and that inevitable death is really supposed to matter except fathering the necessary son and probably a couple of spares.

That said, in the brief moment we get of her, she seems...not exactly unkind. Not particularly good at reading the mood, given that she’s offering congratulations on a marriage that both participants are clearly not thrilled about, and entirely misses Mary’s clear unhappiness with the choice of gift...but she doesn’t appear to be as actively cruel and disdainful as Stede’s father, which...is something, I guess? But we’re never given any indication that Stede is particularly close to her. They never exchange a single line of dialogue, he never flashes back to her specifically at all - she’s an incidental player in a flashback about his unhappy marriage, at most - and while the insult ‘mama’s boy’ might be expected to be hurled at a quiet, sensitive boy who likes to read and pick flowers, it’s one we never hear hurled at Stede by his adolescent tormentors.

And all the time, I was thinking...there’s something familiar about all of this. And that is when it hit me: Stede’s own relationship with his children. Like- It’s not a total absence, we get to see him playing pirates with them...after he’s been prodded into it by Mary. Otherwise, he seems almost entirely disengaged from family life. Like, Louis completely forgets who Stede even is within months of Stede going away to sea, and that...isn’t normal even for a child that young. I wonder if Stede’s relationship with his mother was similar - a parent who was...kind enough, when she remembered he existed, but so utterly uninvolved with his life that he couldn’t turn to her for comfort. Except that where Alma and Louis had Mary, who does seem engaged with her children’s lives - unusually so, in fact, for a woman of her class in this time period, where it would be entirely usual for an upper-class woman to leave the raising of her children to nursemaids and governesses - and is shown to be a loving and supportive mother, Stede had his father, who is...yeah.

I don’t really have a point to all of this, it’s just...interesting to consider all the ways in which Ed and Stede are, primarily, their mothers’ sons.

[darkravenstag]

tagged by @figsandphiltatos :)

shuffle your on repeat playlist (on spotify) and list the first 10 songs and then tag 10 people

First Time by Hozier -- Been listening to this one (and the album in its entirety) since last October and like much of Hozier, it spoke to me! I think my favorite part is about the flowers,,,, mothers gifting life to you again, how a plant lives mostly underground in the roots, deadened to light and sound but reaching for the light anyway, even when it's doomed to be cut back for its beauty?? how the plant knows it's dying but puts forth its every effort to make flowers anyway?? "fighting off like all creation the absence of itself, anyway" ANYWAY????? and the end hurts a special kinda bad ough! ough!

Sjamboksa by Gang of Youths -- god knows I love these boys, but this one is an unsung gem from their earlier albums. "In the thick of my heart, by the skin of my teeth, until I'm forgotten, and covered in weeds, and my withering soul is in the sea, i will hold on to you, hold on to me." It has a warm, heartful sound that gets me emotional

Keep Me In the Open by Gang of Youths -- not your typical love song. It's about a relationship in the end stages of failing. It's always been a heartbreaker, and I appreciate it filling an uncommon niche. "When did everything get this weird? how the fuck did it start? did you ever believe in me? was it always so hard?"

Welcome Home, Son by Radical Face -- I've loved this one since like 2018? or 2017? It's an EXCELLENT "thinking about your OCs" song with excellent vibes. Generally this band is good for this purpose, recommend their other stuff since I think this is their only big song. I enjoy Small Hands iirc. They have very visual lyrics that I can smell yk? "Sheets are swaying from an old clothes line, like a row of captured ghosts over old dead grass, was never much but we made the most"

Wildflower and Barley (Feat. Allison Russell) by Hozier -- This makes me think of Seurri and Erastos' year together in their mutual downtime, enjoying the glade together and Philander learning to be comfort in a gentle, quiet love. the fuck . the vibes are... like, jazzy and folksy. "springtime from my window, another month has not much longer now, the sun hesitates more on each evening's darkening, would all things god allows, remain above ground? like grief and sweet memory, wildflower and barley"

I Don't Know You by Mannequin Pussy -- Excellent intro to their show in Atl. Started us off easy for sure lol. It's soft, it's about regret, it's about knowing your regret and still being unable or unwilling to act on it i think. plus longing

Little Dark Age by MGMT -- I don't remember listening to this a ton recently but in general? yes. I'm claiming this one back from the fashy teens who wanna use it in ww2 edits, this song slaps severely and the dark and mysterious vibes speak to me. good for OC imagining lol "The humor's not the same, coming from denial" IDK if this song has a coherent meaning (ik MGMT can be cryptic) but I havent interpreted it and I like it that way frankly

Too Sweet by Hozier -- Who could have predicted! OHhh! who knew! This song is for Solomon and Solomon only idc idc idc idc "But you worry some I know, but who wants to live forever babe" like yess mercenary queen work i need you to concern your elf nobility non-wifey wifey endlessly

We Don't Believe What's on TV by Twenty One Pilots -- Middle school makes a bold return! I stopped listening to these guys before 2016 I think, but I got a hankering for this particular song because I'm so unsure of what I want to be or do, or if I can even be or do that. I want to be unafraid of the future with somebody and I don't think I could relate to this song in middle school but I get it now! Also I refuse to factor religion into my interpretation of top or I'll stop enjoying it again shh

Archie, Marry Me by Flyte -- This song is one I'd occasionally play on loop late at night, the echoing choir and soft, what, organ? in the background? If I had a wedding this would probably be in it. It's so warm and personal, but I love the original by i think Alvvays! This cover I just think I love more.

I don't think I have any steady mutuals who haven't already been tagged in figs' post so... like or rb this or otherwise let me know if you'd like to be tagged in anything in the future :)

[justmebeingcurious]

Reading Amadís of Gaul Cap. 4

We are picking up right where we left off. In short, King Gandales hands the Child of the Sea and his son over to King Languines and his Queen, because the kids are a package deal, not to be separated. The Queen will love and raise the Child of the Sea like her own child. (You know his name, call him as such). Also, King Gandales gives Amadís a lil speech, so that he is not afraid.  

Meanwhile King Perión receives word, that Eilsenas father died, and they finally can marry. So, they do that.

On their way home, Perión goes out for a ride and pray, meets a hermit who will immediately do some prophesying... (Because that never had shown any repercussions, right? (Cap 3)).

“Truly, sir answered the good man, therein should I greatly fault, and you would hold me for a heretic if I should divulge what was said in confession: suffice what I tell ' you, that she loves you with true and loyal love. But I would have you know what a damsel, who seemed very wise, said to me at the time when you came first into this country, and I could not understand her : That from the Lesser Britain should come two dragons, who should hold their sway in Gaul, and their hearts in Great Britain ; and from hence they should go to devour the beasts of other countries, and against some they should be so fierce and furious, and against others so gracious and mild, as if they had neither talons nor hearts.”

Their first night spent together, Perión asks her, if she had a child before, which she denies.  

After their arrival in Gaul, they have two kids, a son and a daughter, Galaor and Melicia.

When Galaor was two and a half years old, the family travelled to a city close to the sea. Perión watching over his wife and some ladies teaching the kids to walk, from a window, unable to do anything when a giant appears. The ladies run away and fell.  

“But Perion took her [Elisena] with him to their chamber; and, when she was somewhat calmed, he said to her, Now I know that what the wise men told me was true, for this was the last heart: so tell me all the truth, for, considering the state in which you were, you ought not to be blamed. And then the queen, though with great shame, related to him all; and he comforted her, and bade her live in hope to hear good tidings of both their sons, whom it had pleased God to take away.”

The boy is stolen and taken with the giant away to a bark. They sail to an island, where the Giant of Leonis, called Gandalac (I am not making these names up. Gandales, Gandalin, now Gandalac) had gathered Christian people. Gandalac hands tiny Galaor to a hermit.

“Friend, said he, take this child, whom you must bring up for me, and teach him all that is convenient for a knight, for he is the son of a king and queen; and I forbid you ever to be his enemy. The good man asked him, why he had committed that great cruelty.”

But don’t you worry, there is reason to this cruelty. A giant killed his father and stole a rock Galtares. His rock had name, kinda adorable.  

“While these things aforesaid past, King Falangriz reigned in Great Britain, who dying without children, left a brother named Lisuarte, of great goodness in arms, and much discretion, who had married Brisena, daughter of the King of Denmark, and she was the fairest lady that was to be found in all the islands of the sea. So, after the death of Falangriz, the chief men of his land sent for Lisuarte to be their king.”

Is that a cliffhanger? How conveniently.

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