#it's what it is i guess but i'm feeling kind of sad about it

[hannahssimblr]

Jen is fully awake, bright eyed and stomping around looking at the art when we arrive at the gallery. I suspect she's hopped up on sugar after I bought her a plate of overpriced pancakes in a cafe in the middle of town. 

“Woman, yearning,” after reading aloud from a gallery placard next to an abstract work she stands back to ponder it for several seconds. “Where’s the woman? I just see blobs. Ugly blobs too.”

“Is that a serious question or are you just giving out?”

“I’m offering my critiques,” she says haughtily, narrowing her eyes at it. “The point is that I wouldn’t hang that in my house.”

“Hang it where? It’s like, fifteen feet tall.”

“Well, all I’ll say is that I’m now a woman, yearning for my ten seconds back.”

Evie titters. 

“Don’t encourage her,” I mutter, “It’s better to ignore it. She did this when I took her to the zoo once too.”

“You don’t like the zoo?” Jen doesn’t hear her because she’s already rushing to the next room, and as I suspect, to the merciful end as quickly as possible. I answer for her, “No, she hated it.”

“Was it the sad animals?”

“No, her feet just hurt. There was too much walking.”

The room we follow Jen into is stark and completely bare, save for an enormous, rusted iron sculpture dangling by a chain from the ceiling. I know what she is going to say about it before she does. 

“I just don’t understand how this is art. It’s just ugly, and it makes no sense to me. I’m sorry if that makes me sound ignorant, but I just don’t see the skill in this.”

“It’s not really about the skill though. It’s all in the process,” I'm explaining this for probably the fourth time this hour, but I can see in Jen’s face that she's frustrated, genuinely so, and I really do feel bad for her. While it was nice of her to come, I feel I should have just let her stay at home and hang out on the beach with one of her magazines for the day.

Evie bends to read the placard, “It’s supposed to evoke a reaction, and I guess you being confused by it counts as a reaction, so you could say that it’s done its job,” She turns and flashes a sympathetic smile at Jen. This is a very nice thing she’s done, attempting to help her to relate to the art, but I suspect from the aura of complete resignation emanating from her that we are past the point where such a thing is possible. 

As a last ditch effort I try to gently explain the purpose of modern art in a way that sounds accessible, and not like I’m just regurgitating my art history textbook, but her eyes have glazed over. She doesn’t care about the sculpture, she doesn’t care about what it means or how it’s intended to make her feel, she’s simply had enough. 

“I don’t know, guys, I think I'm going to go browse in the gift shop. I’m not picking up what this exhibition is putting down,” she trudges off towards the stairs and leaves us on our own, her footsteps echoing, distant, then gone.

I’m aware of the quiet once she isn’t there anymore, poking fun at the exhibit, and Evie, who was quiet already, becomes even more so. As she examines the sculpture for longer, I wonder what meaning she’s found in it. Really, to me it is just kind of a big rusted lump, but I’m nervous about admitting that to a person who seems to understand what she's looking at. I stand and pretend to enjoy it for an amount of time that feels more acceptable.

When she wanders into the next room I follow. This one has an old TV in the corner, and sunlight streaming in through the big sash windows catching specks of dust drifting through the air. We watch this uncomfortable performance art video of a man stripping down to his underwear and climbing into a bed. It feels sexual in nature, while also feeling kind of weird and not that way at all. I don’t know the intention, or which emotion it’s supposed to awaken in me. I say “cool” so that she thinks I understand the point of it, though I’ve never much liked performance art. I find it embarrassing to watch.

I don’t think she’s going to try and make any kind of conversation, but maybe she doesn’t want to make too much noise in an art gallery. Maybe she’s shy. My nose runs so I sniff, and even that sounds offensively loud. 

“So what’s your deal?” I ask her as we move onto another exhibit. 

She pauses, surprised, “To be honest, there’s not much to say about me.”

“Of course there is.”

“No, well,” she laughs self consciously, “I’m not that interesting, is all. I don’t want to bore you.”

“Seriously, I want to know.”

Her eyes dart around the room as though she might find something to distract the conversation away from herself, then failing, says, “Like, Tullamore is dull, I go to an all girls’ school and really, nothing very interesting happens day to day.”

I exhale a laugh. These are her bullet points. I bet this is what she says to everyone to make them stop asking. Unfortunately for her I'm only comfortable when someone is speaking. “So you wish you could leave.”

She makes a small sound of agreement, and then says nothing for a few seconds. From the centre of the room I watch her drift about glancing at the works. “Yeah,” she says eventually, “all the time. I kind of feel like… I don’t know, like I don’t belong there or something. It’s a small town and I think I’m just a bit different from a lot of people.”

“I understand that.”

She nods, “I’d love to be somewhere with likeminded people. That’s why I really envy you going to Berlin, I just imagine what it’d be like to be able to be fully myself and everyone would be just… fine with it.”

She envies me? Already?  She won’t for long. “Oh well, it was an easy choice for me. I feel the same as you sometimes too, like, I just want to know what else is out there. I don’t want to go back to the US, but I don’t really want to stay in Ireland either. I don’t know about needing to be a different person though. Don’t you think that if you were yourself here then people would be fine with it?” 

She runs slender fingers along the plush velvet of a barrier, and I’m struck by how easy she makes it to have this conversation, even with the back of her head. I don’t usually talk with strangers like this, but maybe it’s precisely because we are strangers that we can.

Michelle complained sometimes that strange men would corner her on the bus from time to time and start spilling their secrets entirely unsolicited, things like affairs they’d had, money they’d gambled away, unforgivable lies they had told. They unloaded it all on some random girl in her school uniform who couldn’t ruin them, who they’d never see again. I wonder is this like one of those demented conversations. There isn't much about Evie that strikes me as especially demented though. Her openness is refreshing.

“I don’t know. I feel like I’ve such a history of being… odd, and doing weird things, and I don’t know if I can come back from that,” she admits, “I’d rather just start again and be a new, better version of myself somewhere else.”

I suppose she is a bit odd. Not in a bad way, but there’s a certain manner in which she moves, floating about the room, this dreamy cadence to her speech, these brief moments of intensity that cross her face and interrupt that other worldly, spacey look she has. She’s her own person. I'm not surprised stuff is hard for her, since teenagers resent people they cannot understand.

I picture her at my school, how the girls might have spoken about someone like her, what the rugby boys would have thought. Yeah, obviously she’s real fine, imaginary Fitzy says in my head. He’s picking dirt out of his studs with a twig, bit kooky, though, isn't she? Weird. Like she’s an alien from Mars or something like that. 

She meanders over to a bench and sits. “What about your friends though?” I join her, “and your boyfriend? Don’t they like this current version of you?”

She squawks out a raucous laugh that ricochets through the room, and several people look at us. Her eyes widen and she clamps her hands over her mouth, like what I just heard was the expulsion of a demon and not just a natural laugh, “Sorry, I don’t know what that was!”  

“Did I say something I shouldn’t have? Sorry, your reaction was just-”

“No no, just you said that Liam is my boyfriend and-”

“Oh, shit, he’s not? My bad, I just assumed,” I assumed because he told me as much. Was he lying or does he just not know? 

“No, he’s not. I don’t know what he is, we just hang out and stuff. He’s a really nice person.”

“He is,” I debate whether to say more. “Hm. I always feel so bad about Liam.”

“What? Why?”

“Because we used to be so mean to him when we were younger.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he was just this happy little kid, he always wanted to be involved with us, but it was like, he was always way too eager, you know what I mean? We thought he was this hokey little country boy, we used to think it was really funny to mess with him.”

“What kinds of things did you do?”

“Nothing terrible. Just… it was more like…” I shouldn’t have started this conversation, “He thought that we were really grown up or something, I guess, and he wanted to come and hang out the whole time, which was fine. The guys just had this thing about not sharing our drink with him, you know, because it’d be a waste because he’d just end up getting sick and having to get his mother to come and pick him up from the party. So we started pouring him drinks out of a vodka bottle filled with water, and he never noticed.”

“That’s not bad” Evie says charitably, “That’s actually responsible in my opinion, and I honestly wish that Kelly would fall for that kind of trick, but she can sniff out alcohol like a bloodhound.”

“Nah, like the bad part is how much he really didn’t notice it. It was like a crazy placebo effect or something, and he’d still stumble around like he was drunk. We thought it was hilarious. And then one time when we were fifteen Joe got weed from this guy in town and everyone wanted some, but like, Liam was there and we knew it’d be a bad idea to give him some.”

“So what did you do?”

“The classic - I got some herbs from the kitchen cabinet and rolled them up for him, and then guess what?”

“He didn’t notice?”

“Right! He didn’t even notice. He smoked our little fake joint and then-” God, why am I laughing? Shouldn't this story have stopped being funny? “-and then after an hour he was rolling around on the rug saying that he could taste colours and that like, the fibres of the rug felt so soft. We had to get his mother to collect him again.” It’s my turn to let out an obnoxious, echoing cackle, and once again, everyone in the room looks at us.

“You’re a mean boy,” Evie chides, but she doesn’t look like she means it. She looks like she likes it.

“I know. I’m a bastard.” 

I get to my feet. “We should go and see the rest of the exhibits. I don’t want to leave Jen down in the gift shop all day, she’ll be bored.”

Evie’s smile wavers, but she nods, “Okay. Sorry... I didn’t mean to hold you up.”

“You didn’t, I just thought you’d be rearing to see the rest of the art.”

“Yeah,” she says, then hesitating, “it’s a bit unusual, isn’t it?”

I chuckle, “To be honest I’m not sure I like it.”

“Oh, thank God you said that. I hate it too, I didn’t think I was allowed to say it.”

We giggle and I swerve straight for the exit. “C'mon then, let's do something else.”

Beginning // Prev // Next

Corresponding LG Chapter

[oceanwithinsblog]

every day that passes we're getting closer and closer to the final episodes of doctor who s14 (or s1, whatever) (i'm also in denial WTH does it mean that this season is almost over ????)

so before i forget (and before the last two episodes drop) i NEED to vent a bit about this season. the following are just my personal opinions (which might change after watching the season finale), please bear with me ^^

first of all - i am so glad doctor who is back !!! i must admit that my doctor who drought lasted for around 5 months as i got introduced to the show back in late summer 2023 and did a speed run of all nuwho seasons between september and november 2023. i got super excited for the december specials !! and i was even more surprised and thrilled when i found out a new season of dw was premiering in may 2024 !! i know i've been lucky to wait for so little to get immersed in a new dw season but i truly, truly missed it and i enjoyed every episode of s14 <3 now i'm sad to think that this is about to end, but it felt so good to finally see the doctor back in action and to get through each week thinking that one of my favorite characters/storylines/universes was gonna be there for me on the weekend <3 i love dw so much <3

#2 idk about you but i fell so easily for ncuti as the doctor and millie as ruby/the companion TT they're both so good, i really appreciated their acting this season and i would also say that it's probably one the (few) things that positively shocked me this time around. i guess it was a bit unfair for me to think that ruby wasn't my cup of tea after watching just 'the church on ruby road' ep because she totally surprised me this season. she's so great! millie's acting is on point, so captivating and funny to watch throughout the show. i can't wait to find out more about her character fr! well, what's to say about ncuti as the doctor .. ohmy oh my .. i don't think i've ever seen a doctor so confident, so flirtatious, so proud in themselves .. ncuti's doctor exudes charisma and i'm so here for it. that's absolutely not to say that the doctor's worries, traums etc. magically disappear (they're still very present and influence their every move), but what i loved the most about his acting is that he goes all the way into it. fifteen may become one of my favorite doctors ngl (say hi to eleven and ten) and i am so looking forward to where they're gonna take us next <3

#3 as for writing, i feel that something's missing ... don't get me wrong, i love rtd's cool nice funny episodes and seeing the doctor face a range of diverse situations (even the most unthinkable ones, e.g. space babies) is just priceless.. but there's some kind of void in it, too. now that i think about it, maybe it's not the writing itself but the length of the season - having less than 10 episodes doesn't really give us much time and space to properly explore the dynamics between characters, strengthen their relationships and make them grow both individually and as a whole. besides, i admit that i'm a bit biased, but i loved (most of) moffat's writing for the seasons he was a showrunner of and i personally would love to see ncuti bringing to life more stories written by moffat (yes..i know he wrote 'boom' for s14). basically, i miss 'old' nuwho seasons of 18+ episodes where we could get even more affectionate to the characters and the adventures that defined their journey through the multiverse T___T

before i move on to my last point, may i also add (storyline-wise) that i wished the episodes were more interconnected with each other? not necessarily with the narration, even just with easter eggs ^^" idk maybe moffat got me used to have high expectations lol (i'm still eager to find out who the lady appearing in all episodes is !!!! may this dw finale give us all the answers we need)

#4 i would have never thought i would write this (mainly because i would have never thought there could come a time when these gadget weren't going to be used as much) BUT I DEARLY MISS THE TARDIS AND THE SCREWDRIVER WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM ?!?!?! i loved previous doctors goofing around with their sonic screwdrivers and running in the tardis allowing us (the audience) to find out more and more about the endless number of rooms in it ... why does it seem like fourteen doesn't love their tools ?? why don't they show them more throughout the season ?? this is like classic items that can't miss in the episodes so WERE IS THAT SILLY GOOFY STUFF ?? also, as much as i enjoy fourteen and ruby going on adventures in different time periods etc. why aren't they EVER showed inside the TARDIS travelling and waiting to get to their destination ?? i'm just very nostalgic (i took this very personally, i'm sorry i'm just angry at rtd)

well - i guess that's it! if you've read this far, thank you for reading me <3 let me know what you think about it and what you're expecting for the next couple episodes of s14 <3

ps. i'm very hopeful that rogue will be a recurring character <3

pps. ncuti gave the queers the most fruity doctor ever (no shade to all previous doctors, you've served and delivered and we love u immensiely) <33

[keenzinemugstudent]

Trafalgar Law x Black reader. Let me mend your broken heart. (WARNING THIS IS LONG 😭 I'M SORRY)

You had feelings for your best friend Ace but he gets together with your stepsister Vivi Main while her ex-boyfriend Law sees this as a win-win situation. ⚠️ warning Angst, rejecte⚠️

Everyone is in University

You were in your room lying on your bed staring up at the ceiling, you feel your phone vibrate but you don't bother to pick it up, you already knew who it was, you just didn't want to answer, you just wanted to be left alone why didn't anyone understand that?

you look at the stuffed teddy bear that you got from Ace and throw it across the room near the trashcan hiding your face in your pillow.

"Y/n come on you're going to be late for work!"

Speak of the devil herself. You get out of bed opening the door, There stood your stepsister Vivi looking at you with a frown on her face.

"Vivi I took the day off why are you knocking on my door?"

"Oh well I wanted to see if you were feeling okay."

"I'm fine."

"You sure? Because Nami said you haven't been answering your phone and everyone was kind of worried?" You let out a tired groan.

"My phone was off didn't want to be bothered today." You say hoping she'd leave you alone but she just stood there still staring at you with a frown.

"You know if something is bothering you-"

"Like I said before I'm fine Vivi! So just leave me alone already damn it!"

She flinched at the tone in your voice, before she could say anything you closed the door in her face leaning on the door and letting out a loud sigh.

" Great now you've done it she's probably already texting Mom and telling her that I yelled at her for no reason."

You glance at your mirror and there is a picture of you and Ace at the fair making you feel sad all over again, there is a reason why you didn't want to answer any of your phone calls from your friends or from Ace

Flashback

"Huh?"

You stare at Ace who has a big grin on his face with a blush.

"I asked out Vivi isn't that great?"

When...when did you even-?

"After I got off work I asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend and she said yes I was surprised that she'd even consider a guy like me!

You just stare at him like not know how to process this information the feel your whole world go crashing down

"Y/n? Hey, you okay?"

"Uh yeah, I'm sorry but when did you even start liking Vivi?"

"I've kind of always liked her when she first moved into your place but I was too scared to really say anything."

Okay, that just made you feel even worse he's liked her since we were kids? When you first met Vivi and her dad, she was 14, you were 12 and Ace was 13 during those whole years growing up Ace never showed any interest in liking her at all at least that's what I thought.

"Does anyone else know?"

"Huh? Oh well, I guess everyone knows I told Marco, Sabo, and Luffy who then probably told his friends."

"And when was this? "

He looked at you with a nervous look on his face.

"Monday."

Monday?! So last week?!

I got up from the table Ace looked at you concerned.

"Y/n?"

"I'm sorry Ace I just remembered something really important came up I got to go oh uh but congrats on your new relationship!"

You give a thumbs up with a forced smile and speed walking out of the cafe he calls out to you but you are already out the door when you are out of sight of the cafe you hide in an ally way holding your chest and trying to breathe that's when the tears started to fall down your face the worse part it started to rain.

End Flashback

Maybe if you would have told him your feelings sooner but then again this was you vs Vivi we were talking about here. She was beautiful while you were just plain and boring, Nami said you were pretty too even the guys would say you were cute and any guy would like to have you as their girlfriend, pretty sure they just said all that to make you feel better. Even your own mom would boast about how great, smart, and beautiful Vivi was it would always hurt your feelings a bit because she made it clear she would wish Vivi was her real daughter instead of you she never said it but she sure as hell didn't try to hide.

"Hey! Y/n!"

You turn to see Nami running towards you with a really pissed-off look on her face if you got a closer look you could steam coming out of her ears.

"You idiot why the hell didn't you answer your phone?!

"Sorry, my phone wasn't working."

"For five days?! Bullshit!" She says stumping her foot on the ground you frown as people pass by seeing the two of us yelling some even whispered making you embarrassed.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry Nami look I didn't get any sleep last night and I'm here now so please let's just forget about it."

she didn't like that reply and grabbed your shoulders shaking you back and forth and making you dizzy.

"Forget? Are you kidding?! You hade us all worried and don't get me started on Ace-!"

"Nami-Swannnnnnn!!!!

"Not now Sanji I need to hey where'd she go?!" She stared at the spot you were standing in and noticed that you were gone.

"Y/N!!!!!!" People backed away from fear as the ginger was surrounded by fire she was pissed

((Now back to you))

You ran into a classroom hiding from the raging ginger-haired woman who definitely would kill you if she found you. As much as you loved Nami she was scary as hell when angered!

"I should have stayed my ass at home." You say not noticing the other person in the room until they spoke.

"Me and you both..."

you turn your head and see a man wearing a fur hat and a uniform sitting at the front desk holding a medical book your eyes widen when you realize who it is.

"L-law??"

Yep that right people the one and only Trafalgar Law another University student who you've seen around campus a couple of times but you also knew him as Vivi's ex-boyfriend.

"Hi." You gave an awkward wave still sitting on the floor.

"Let me guess hiding from your friends?

"Yeah, I kind of pissed one of them off sorry for interrupting."

"I haven't seen you on campus or at the music store, everything good?"

"Oh uh yeah just need to take a break from everything ya know? Wait how did you know I worked at the music store?" You didn't even think he would even notice you not show up to class let alone at your job. Hell, how did he know where you work?! He just gives you a shrug getting up from his sit walking towards you.

"I've passed by there a couple of times on my way home from the hospital."

"Oh, that makes sense!" You stood up dusting yourself off trying to look halfway decent.

I'd forgotten he worked at the hospital which is a couple of blocks away from your job Law had a name for himself at the hospital and on-campus people called him the surgeon of death which was pretty cool you didn't understand why Vivi broke up with him he was smart, cool and pretty hot if I do say so for myself. I mean the dude was tall had tattoos on his chest and arms pierced ears and a tan he also had bags under his eyes probably from lack of sleep but he was cute.

"Ah, so my reputation has reached that far huh?"

"Oh yeah! Luffy wouldn't stop talking about how awesome you were helping his grandpa at the hospital pretty impressive."

"Thanks even though you're not the first person to say that it's nice to hear it from you Y/n ya."

You feel your cheeks get warm at his comment which causes him to smirk at your flustered expression.

"W-well it's just I always thought you were pretty cool!"

"Oh really? Was that before or after I was dating your stepsister?" He asks leaning on the wall next to you you look at him surprised a bit that he didn't refer to Vivi as your sister like everyone else does even Ace does it he tries to get you to warm up to the idea of Vivi being your sister but you just really all up to it you respected her sure but you didn't see her as a sister.

"Before. Honestly, I was surprised that she broke up with you I mean you're a doctor for God's sake, and...." You glance up at him his grey eyes already looking at you.

"You're...kind of attractive."

You shyly look at the ground trying not to let him see how flustered you were he just gave a chuckle.

"Well thanks and don't worry you're not the first to say that, my friends also said the same thing but I didn't really care that much to be honest."

"What do you mean?"

"We only went out for 3 weeks it was fun but we weren't that serious."

"Huh but weren't you the one who asked her out?" He gave you a confused look crossing his arms.

"No, she actually asked me out."

He let out a scoff getting closer to the point where you could feel the warmth coming off him.

"I want to ask you something."

"Well I'll be stuck here for a while so ask away!"

"Is the reason why you just disappeared off the face of the earth because of fire fist right?" You flinch at the question and glare at him.

"No and last I check my relationship with Ace is none of your business."

he held up his hands in defense backward a bit.

"What do you know about me and Ace anyway?"

"I know you've had feelings for him for a while and now his dating Vivi."

Your face went from anger to embarrassment looking away from him he then gave a sigh.

"I don't blame you though when I found out I was kind of annoyed." You looked back at him confused.

"Why would you be annoyed? I thought you said it wasn't that serious so why do you care about who she dates?"

"You're right if it was anyone else I wouldn't have a problem with it but because she's with Fire fist knowing your feelings for him puts me in a bad mood."

He stepped closer now into your personal space, what he did next made you freeze. He moved his hand up and touched your cheek moving a braid from your face to see your eyes which were still puffy from crying all week.

"You shouldn't be crying over that idiot."

You didn't say anything but look at him feeling your heart beating fast he was making you feel nervous and his hand touching you didn't make it any better.

"Instead of wasting your time on him, you should find someone more suitable."

"Oh and who do you suggest Mr surgeon of Death?" You ask him in a mocking tone to cover up uneasiness. He looks into your eyes his thumb rubs your cheek leaning down a bit to the point both your noses touch my eyes widen thinking he is going to kiss me but he just backs away from you walking back to his desk to pick up his bag and books.

"After classes are over me meet me at th front gate yeah?"

all you could do was nod your head face still on face, he give a smirk walking passed you. Leaving you standing there like a statue.

What the hell was that?!?!

The whole day you couldn't get what happened out of your head. Why did he do that? Why did he touch my cheek? Was...was he flirting with me? No way!

"Y/n? Hey, pea for brains answer me!"

"Is she dead?"

"What? No, she's probably just exhausted!"

"Maybe she needs meat?"

"Luffy not everyone is a greedy glutton like you!!"

you felt someone flick your forehead making you snap out of your thoughts you looked up to see Luffy and Zorro standing in front of you.

"Finally the princess awakes from her slumber."

"Yeah, you were really out of it Y/n!"

Luffy wrapped his arms around you in a hug you just pat his head. You always thought of Luffy as a little brother and always used to babysit him when Ace and Sabo couldn't he even called you big sis once in a while. So he was probably bored that you weren't around to play with him or give him food.

"Sorry just haven't been getting any sleep."

Zoro gave you a frown arms crossed.

"That's why you didn't show up for the last couple of days?"

You nod

"Or answer any of our calls?"

Again you give a nod not looking him in the eye, he gives an annoyed sigh making you look at him he holds his head in his hand.

"Hey Luffy? Sanji said he had food waiting for you."

With that Luffy ran out of the room leaving you and the green-haired man alone he sat down next to you.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of Luffy but is this because of the whole Ace and Vivi thing?"

You hesitated but gave a nod no point in lying to Zoro of all people he could read you like a book.

"Geez Y/n I knew you were upset but-"

"I'm fine really it's just I'm still not sure how I didn't see it. "

"And you're upset we didn't tell you?"

"Maybe a little? I mean I know it's partially my fault too for not confessing my feelings sooner but it just had to be Vivi of all people like seriously?!"

"Yeah I was a little surprised too "

"So we good?" He looks back at you bumping against your shoulder you give a grin.

"Yeah just need a bit of space for a bit." He give a nod understanding he let out a yawn getting up from his seat.

"Okay, fair enough but fair warning Nami is still very pissed."

That made me shiver in fear of the image of Nami rage coming your way.

By the end of the day you turned and felt your heart drop to your stomach there at the gate stood Ace who was laughing and grinning at Vivi who stood there blushing with a smile on her face holding his arm tightly. You debating on walking towards them or trying to walk past them but then Ace would probably try to bomb you with multiple questions on why you didn't answer any of his texts or calls or why it didn't show up on campus you honestly did not want to deal with any of that today before you can turn around and head back the other way you heard someone called me for you.

"Oi! Y/n ya!"

You turn to see Law standing there waving his hand at you, you glance and see your friends (the straw hat crew Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper, Nami, and Luffy) looking at you as well as the happy new couple. You nervously speed walk over to Law holding your books in your chest.

"Ready to go?"

"Uh, where are we going exactly?"

"You'll find out when we get there.

"Wow, what a subtle answer."

He noticed your hesitation it looked back behind you raising an eyebrow.

"Or would you rather be here and get a ride from the lovely couple?"

"Bike ride on the death trap it is then!"

You took the helmet out of his hand put it on then got on wrapping your arms around his waist. You stared back and you saw Vivi's confused and red face possibly from anger, your friends were also shocked but Ace's face looked lost and his mouth was open. That was the last thing you saw before Law sped off in an unknown direction far away from campus, away from your friends. The whole time he was going fast making you hold onto him tighter he glanced over at you.

"Alright then just try to hang on tight okay?"

You give a nod holding him tightly with eyes closed, you could have sworn you heard him give a small laugh over the wind. An hour went by before you knew it you were at the beach.

"You brought me to the beach?"

"Seemed like a great idea at the time." He helps you off the bike holding your hand you can't help but notice how warm his hand is or how much bigger they are compared to your own.

"Want some ice cream?"

"I didn't bring any money with me."

"I'm paying don't worry."

We got some ice cream and talked for a bit it was nice to clear your mind of everything and the ice cream was so good it was sweet of him to take you here but couldn't help but wonder why? I mean this is Law we are talking about here he's not nice for no reason right?

"How you feeling?"

"I'm okay, thank you for bringing me here, it was really sweet of you Law." You smile at him he gives a hmm looking to the side so you won't see him blush.

"I'm glad I could help but there's actually a reason why I wanted to bring you here."

We stopped by the shore you could hear the waves and feel the wind on your cheek it was nice.

"I have something to confess." You turn to look at him and he looks a bit nervous?

"Is everything okay Law?"

"Yeah just I know this is gonna sound a little bit weird but..." He rubs the back of his neck not looking at you he was silent for a couple of minutes before clearing his throat.

"Y/n I like you, will you go out with me?" You stood there silently blinking up at him.

"Huh? Huh?!?!

"I'm guessing you weren't expecting that?"

"Of course I wasn't expecting that!" You stared up at him face flustered from his bold confession, like come on what kind of guy asks out his ex-girlfriend's step-sister? It's like I'm in a TV drama or something!

"Yeah, sorry guess that was stupid."

"Oh no no of course It's not stupid! It's just a bit of a surprise!" You rub your arm looking down at the ground face getting even more warm than before this was a lot to handle.

"We don't have to go out right this moment but I want to get to know more about you, if that's okay with you?" He took off his hat so you could get a better look at his face he had a soft expression and a look of determination, your heart was beating fast from this like super fast, were you having a heart attack? No of course not! But you didn't know what to say to him and besides it would be so awkward.

"You don't have to say yes...But I want you to know one thing." He took a step closer to you gently grasping your hand into his own.

"I'm not doing this because of Vivi. What I said before was true I don't care about her or who she dates."

"But...why? Why me of all people?"

"Because I like you Y/n, I know it's not much but please just give me a chance."

"I just don't know, don't get me wrong I'm flattered that you decided to confess your feelings but aren't you worried about what everyone else will say?" He let out a small laugh.

"I could give a damn about what they say but let me guess you're worried about what Vivi will say? Or is it because of Ace?" You frown at the mention of Ace.

"Ace is someone I care about and I know I may sound pathetic when I say this but I can't help but still like him."

"It's not pathetic. You have a right to feel that way, no one has the right to tell you otherwise." You couldn't help but give a tiny smile at his words.

"Though I'm still a bit upset about him and Vivi I have to accept the fact that he will never see me in that way."

"So I'm willing to accept your offer." You stared at him with a shy smile. He raised an eyebrow staring down at you with a smirk on his face.

"Oh really?"

You give a nod still holding his hand but this time having a tighter hold.

"Mmh I want to get to know more about you too Law, so please let's get to know each other okay?" He lifts up your hand to his lips and gives your knuckles a gentle kiss causing you to blush.

"Sounds good to me Y/n."

"Woah there boy you keep this up and I might pass out!"

"Don't worry sweetheart I'll take care of you I wouldn't be a good boyfriend or doctor if I let you pass out."

"B-Boyfriend?! Hey now I thought we were supposed to be taking things slow!"

"We are and I'll start by mending your broken heart."

Wow I guess I am now in a relationship with Trafalgar Law, oh boy something tells me this year is going to be crazy I just wonder how everyone's gonna react to this

(with the crew)

"Hey Nami?"

"What's up Usopp?"

"I bet you 50 bucks Law took Y/n on a date."

"Eh? Nah make it 200!"

"I don't have that much! I'm broke!"

To be continued maybe? I honestly have a lot of fun writing this I kept having a lot of writer's block cuz of Life kicking me in the ass so I'm happy I was able to finish this it took me a couple of months but it's done I hope everyone who reaches liked it so far sorry if there's a couple of grammar and spelling mistakes

[sophieinwonderland]

Preface: People are going to assume this is a response to recent drama. So I want to say that I started writing this draft before that one blog's response to me. It was shortly after midnight on the 8th when it was just barely what I consider my Birthday. I was reflecting on my 3 years of existence and where I am now. The fact that I got the response I did later that same day is a total coincidence.

I don't feel like I have friends anymore...

That's an awful thing to admit.

I have one other system I feel like I talk to with any sort of regularity, who I love and consider friends. But they're not involved with syscourse which is so often where my mind goes. And so I don't talk to them about it because I don't want to trouble them, which means I don't talk to them because I can't think of what to talk about.

What else do I care about?

I mean, there are other things I care about, but they probably wouldn't care about those things. And I struggle to find something to say. Something that feels worthy of their time. But again, not syscourse or something that would bring them down.

I've had other friends. But they've faded away with time. One by one.

And a lot of that is my fault. I'm not good at being a friend or knowing what to say. And I'm not very good at opening myself up.

And when I can't think of what to say, I choose to say nothing. I ghost people I like because it's hard to maintain those relationships.

And I'm aware on some level that this hurts people. I wouldn't want to be friends with someone who treated others the way I do.

And there will be times when I'll decide to do better. I will, with full confidence, say that I'm going to change. I'll be a better friend. A better person. I'll fully believe this is something I'll succeed at for the rest of the day. Then the next day comes and that conviction melts away.

I think one reason Jaiden's story of having ADHD appeals to me is that if this was the problem with us, maybe, we could identify it and then just take one little pill and it will fix me.

That's a nice fantasy, isn't it?

A naive fantasy that ignores the fact that I'm in the brain of someone who was homeschooled and barely had any friends as a child either. But it's a nice fantasy to hold onto anyway.

So, yeah. I don't feel like I have friends, for the most part, outside our system. I have a blog. I have followers. I have plenty of mutuals I like interacting with.

But there aren't people who I truly trust to let in. It doesn't feel like anyone actually knows me or who I am anymore, if anyone ever did.

Since I haven't posted on it for a week and don't know when I'll post on it again or if I will, here's a confession: I made @anti-lies! Sorry to ruin the mystery for anything speculating! Though I didn't think I was even that subtle about it.

But the only person I know who guessed it was me was SAS! Which, congratulations! But also, that's kind of a sad thought that the person who might know me better than anyone is someone who was my archnemesis for the past two-and-a-half years.

To be fair, SAS did imply that other people might have guessed it. But if so, whatever circles those conversations are happening in aren't ones I'm in.

Oh wait, I'm not really in any circles am I?

I'm on the outskirts of the community. I mean, that's sort of by choice really.

Public posts can bring more awareness of plurality and tulpamancy. Locking myself in Discord servers or some isolated community makes me feel like I'm wasting my time because I need to be talking about it publicly where the world can see. I really, really don't want to be part of a Discord server. It's my choice to stay out of those spaces and I don't regret that decision.

But sometimes it's weird when I realize that most everyone else is. That they're actually in plural communities in a way I'm not.

I wonder, do people even realize I'm an outsider? Again, by choice. I've been invited to servers and chose not to go. I'm not being ostracized or anything. I've turned down attempts at bringing me further in. No one is to blame but myself. But either way, the result is that I don't feel like I'm really part of the communities I spend so much time advocating for.

[glittertrail]

the most annoying part of being an adult is how hard it is to schedule time with friends

[good-to-drive]

I totally agree with the general consensus that Ringo provided a lot of emotional support and coolheadedness to the other beatles to the point where they'd have probably killed each other without him but I do also wonder sometimes how much of that is being supernaturally patient and easygoing and how much of it is Ringo just having a tumultuous and isolated childhood where he was never taught to recognize and assert his own emotional needs so he became a blank slate on which others could process their emotions

(And tbh I also wonder how an inability to access or assert his feelings may have contributed to his tendency to process pain by numbing himself and the pretty shitty way he treated women)

[chiarrara]

on one hand I'm kinda like....duh what are y'all so upset about, we been knew. but on the other hand...thinking about what it would take to pick yuri on ice back up again now that it's been officially put down, kinda makes my heart hurt. I don't know if there's ever going to be a path forward for this series that had so much potential left.

Mostly, I'm annoyed with the announcement. Really vague language about unspecified circumstances. I wish they would be straight with it because there are numerous reasons that could've contributed to the decision not to move forward. The prevalence of Russian skaters, the issues with and reorganization of the studio, the amount of time that's passed and the acquisition of more relevant projects. But I guess there's less to talk about and less blowback the less you say? Or maybe just not enough people care anymore.

I don't feel like we're missing anything with what we have exactly, so I've never been that cut up about the show not continuing. but no other piece of media has ever meant as much to me as yoi does. probably a lot of that is how much space is left in the story for more. I don't know, I don't feel like I should be upset but I'm feeling upset man. Just a little bit of silly grief for my favorite media of all time being unceremoniously cancelled....

after 5 years of radio silence tho so like, what did we expect. it's been over.

[alsojnpie]

hey. um. i love him

[sysig]

It started with a whisper ♥ (Patreon)

[obeymeow]

nightbringer lesson 14 FUCKED ME UP in several ways but primarily I've spent the last 48 hours making myself sad over the solomon backstory we got. specifically I have, for no reason, latched onto that one chapter in the Kids event where baby solomon cried because he felt so guilty over being responsible for that spell. and that just feels a touch more depressing in context

[pyeonqie]

i'm not an aroha i never really have been but i heard about fly and now i am crying

[coquelicoq]

dammit. loved the end of the traitor baru cormorant. which means i'm gonna read the sequel. save me from myself. AUGH.

[lucalicatteart]

Poll adventure (paventure? lol) Day 3: read the small story tidbit below the poll for more details, OR just vote based on initial impression

(✦ see past poll results + further information HERE (link) ✦)

The winning option of yesterday's poll was that the adventurer should throw a coin into the mysterious well ….

"After nearly ten minutes rummaging through the disorganization at the bottom of his backpack, he finally approaches the well once again, meager coin pouch in hand. He meticulously balances a little golden coin on the tip of his thumb, positioning it just so for an elegant coin flip… With a flick of his hand, the coin wobbles off, anticlimactically dropping into the darkness.. He pouts, leaning in to listen for a plonk as the coin hits the water but… nothing…. silence.. A few minutes pass and he shrugs, moving to pick up his bag and just continue his journey elsewhere, when suddenly a faint noise echoes from the well.. an almost cartoonish plopping sound, like wet feet slapping against stone..? The pitter patter grows closer and closer…then stops abruptly. The adventurer cautiously slinks over to the well, only to find.. a creature of some sort, clinging to the walls, staring up at him blankly. - What should he do next?"

[rubberduckyrye]

Man. That Feel When I want to be feral and reveal a bad experience I've had and reveal the person who took my money and kind of ran with it but. Is it worth starting drama over?

I was just thinking about it tbh...

Well I'll say this much: A rather popular DR person (at the time, idk what they're fully up to now) pretty much took over $100.00 from me and ghosted me. I tried to commission them for something but. Well. Again, they just ghosted me. Haven't been able to enjoy their work since they did.

And to note: It was not an artist or fanfic author. I'm not elaborating on this further, but I don't want to feel like I HAVE to keep silent in order to feel like I'm not mud-slinging or people to speculate on innocent people. This is a years-old event that just crops up once in a while and I get upset about it.

So yeah. Bleck.

[kokoberry-arts]

I need a dating app but for queer platonic relationships.

I need an app to find like a platonic soulmate to spend the rest of my life with. No intimacy, no romance, just two special best friends living together and having fun, like a married couple but without marriage and without a couple, but also still being somehow together in a sense?

Honestly I don't even know if I'm making any sense??? 😭