#listen i just think self shipping is fun and harmless and everyone who wants to should

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

[1/?] Sorry for venting. I just saw some bad takes that gave me a lot of feelings. Personally, JC stresses me out every time he comes on screen, but I don't mind it when JC fans say fan-typical things like how they like JC because he wears purple, or is grumpy, or they think he's hot, or that they ship x*ch*ng because the cql actors have nice jawlines. They're harmless, fun takes, and while I don't agree with some of them, I see where they're coming from

Hello there anon, vent away as that is what my blog is open for as I love/hate on Jiang Cheng as he is in the plot, as well as all of my beef with what has been done to him for the EN side of the fanbase! I am more than fine listening and engaging with the unsavory "unpopular" discussions of his canon behavior and this goes for anyone of course that needs an open play area. I'll try to engage with what you have sent point by point as succinctly as I can.

[2/?] (some of these are obviously crack, and I am a fan of a few problematic faves). But then there are stans that just have to put other characters down to make JC look good. Like, I think some fans take their freedom of interpretation for granted because most of these takes aren't even labeled 'headcanon,' 'ooc,' or 'crack' anymore. Stans feel that their interpretations are valid, and while they are, valid =/= canon, and they're treating these takes as canon, which becomes popular fanon.

I enjoy Jiang Cheng for what he is, however as I had said it took me another reread to get to my stance of him being the negative mirror to Lan Wangji's positive and my comfort with that for the story once I realized what purpose he served. He is only insofar tragic in regards to his circumstances, but it does not absolve him for what he is at his core (no pun, but I can make a very nice metaphor that even with a piece of Wei Wuxian in him he is still forever unable and unwilling to stand by him equally all while stagnating where as Lan Wangji is able to flourish, grow and mature with nothing of import left from Wei Wuxian in a technical sense). As for ships, I am a little dirty Xicheng whore for fun and can say there is a sense of entertainment for me making it work with two people where one is wildly ignorant and the other wildly rabid. But that is outside of what is established as canon in the work and I always try to keep the two strictly separate due to the skew fanon perpetuates.

3/?] And now, it's not clear what part of the fanon references canon JC or the canon events of mdzs. JC is an asshole; I don't like him as a person, but I do think that he's a complex character motivated by many issues (sup, YeeZY), which makes him fascinating to explore. Unfortunately, erasing his culpability also removes his agency. JC should be allowed to be an asshole character who makes his own decisions even if they're the wrong ones. He has made his own tragedy by constantly casting Wei Wuxian as the villain of his life.

Now thanks to you I will be using YeeZY to forever and now to acknowledge Madam Yu (this is your fault for the new tag). From a standing from storytelling I agree that he is complex in the Jianghu for MDZS. Where in the usual political intrigue of Wuxia, he would be the mustache twirling villain that is outright unforgivable in narration, it is by favor of Wei Wuxian's narration that has an early steeping of empathy for him. And he is not meant to be seen as ultimately sympathetic, the work builds up his hate against Wei Wuxian who tries to rationalize it all several times until he is finally unable to. Jiang Cheng is the antithesis to Lan Wangji and the false bait to get attached to in Wei Wuxian's first life. I will make the note their meeting in Yiling is lukewarm between both as they exchange nothing really in terms of conversation and all pleasantries are left in terms of Jiang Yanli for Wei Wuxian. By this point Wei Wuxian has already switched his yearnings of platonically wanting a part of Jiang Cheng's life, to subconscious romantic inclinations about Lan Wangji and the perceived loss of being in the other's life.

The very point of Jiang Cheng as the deconstruction, is that he has no passion in life despite his apparent exploits because he put a shadow to hang over himself as an excuse to say others think he is not good enough. He has no deeper motivations than pure selfishness by the end of the work and is pure frivolity that he has built up losing the meaning of his sect as a tradition. He had his agency (more than anyone I might add in the work due to his social position) that he used to build his reputation as a passive rich sect leader that has little to do with civilian problems.

4/?] And I think a JC, somehow, that realizes that he did something wrong and is working hard to change for the better and gain self-actualization to become that UWU best jiujiu the stans want him to be, who is ready to talk (not yell at) with WWX, apologize to him, and create a better, healthier relationship with him is a much more powerful reconciliation and happy ending than 'everyone is wrong and mean and they all apologize to JC, which magically gets rid of all his issues'.

He is forced out of culpability in reconciliation because simply put, his audience do not like the reality that relationships fray and dissolve with no further resolution other than we as adults both need to move on for safety and good health. It is not acceptable in real life and fiction is allowed to place that also in it's thematic relationships. He has a small, small spark of recognition at the end of the main story, however he himself seems to choose to ignore it, as change is hard and he has never taken to that well as was foreshadowed with his dogs and the idea of sharing a space with Wei Wuxian. To write this is an awful lot of work into his psyche which is not a nice place, he is a terrible being and downplaying that to make a sugar sweet person does not work instantaneously. He is the one responsible for the entire fallout with Wei Wuxian and he hysterically realizes that even as he tries to continue to blame Wei Wuxian.

The issue that I have with his current stan culture, is that they already view him as something he is not. They play at bicycle with all of the other protagonists that have positive traits that they strip as they see fit; Good affirming loving to children adult Lan Wangji, Self-sacrificing ultimately did it all for love and care Wei Wuxian, Hard exterior but softened to who they consider an annoyance Wen Qing, Loyal as partners in their exploits on the field and always have each others back Wen Ning. They even take Jin Guangyao's persona of playing damsel and using that as a positive to soften up Jiang Cheng into something he has never been for anyone for ships.

[5/5] Also, making WWX/WN/LWJ apologize just makes them look better than JC. Like, stans supposedly love JC, so they ahouldn't be lazy and work hard to give him actual character development. Again, I'm sorry for spamming your ask. It just really baffles me about where they get these 'hot' takes (All I'm going to say is that JC was ungrateful, and WN had a reason verbally dismantle him).

They see this, but, they will spin it in any way to excuse Jiang Cheng due to the story itself showing that he was in the wrong to everyone he flung accusations at and his hate. No one but him is at fault for his spite as he had gotten his revenge on the ones that had ruined Lotus Pier and killed his parents. His own resentment pitted him against good and well meaning people that he refused to help as he mimicked his mother's words about raising their heads higher out of goodness instead of keeping low and staying self-centered. There is the underlying criticism of taking individual arrogance as self-care at the cost of others. Each point that Wen Ning makes is exactly what Jiang Cheng himself knows as he hated Wei Wuxian for being something he could not be or even wanted to be. Jiang Cheng wants kindness but does not understand that kindness to others needs to be selfless and accept the hurt that can come with that in life. He encompasses the fall from the path of buddhist lifestyle, "The Three Poisons" to Wangxian's "Without Envy" at the stories end.

[6/5] P.S. I'm not saying I want reconciliation fics, but I just feel that if stans want JC to have a happy ending, then I think that he should actively work for it. I think it would be interesting to see what force of nature would push him through a character development because throwing a therapist at him would result in a murder.

"I'm not saying I want reconciliation fics, but I just feel that if stans want JC to have a happy ending, then I think that he should actively work for it."

They do not think he has to work for it, they say his tragedy is enough, while heaping accusations against Wei Wuxian and saying his own are not enough to absolve him. Something Wei Wuxian has never denied and told all present they are allowed to forever hate him for what he had done in the past, but that they need to find a way to live in a life that is always moving on. He learned that grudges do nothing once they are absolved and it leaves you with hate with nothing else to do with it once that object is gone. In terms of reconciliation, I do not ever think that either want anything other than a distant peaceful out of each other's life set up. Jiang Cheng does not need Wei Wuxian in his life to be satisfied and never has since he used him as the handicap to hide behind to stay angry and miserable. Being without that fallback opens the world far more for him to change than him ever interacting like an old friend with Wei Wuxian ever again, if he ever had the guts to do that.

[aellynera]

I was wondering if you could write something with Poe or Santi or Oberyn (or all three?) and how they react if their partner gets scared easily by people or their own thoughts? Like their paranoid about people hurting them sort of thing? Sorry if it's weird, it's just I recently watched The Crow for the first (and last) time and my anxiety just went through the roof and added to the feeling of fear I feel almost every day... Basically how would those characters react if their partner didn't feel safe a lot of the time? Sorry if its a bit much, its OK if you don't want to write it. You seem like a really cool person and I hope you're staying safe :)

Hello Anon! So I wrote something with Poe, he was the first that came to mind and I just sort of ran with it. I hope it’s somewhat the thing you were looking for and that you like it. (I may do the others in the future because tbh I really liked this idea. I am sorry the movie made you feel unsafe, though. It’s a completely valid feeling to have but it’s never fun.)

Thank you for being so sweet. Make sure you’re staying safe as well, lovely! 💜

Warnings: slight paranoia, darkish thoughts, panic/anxiety symptoms, self doubt

Sometimes you think Poe Dameron has a sixth sense, and maybe he does. He did grow up climbing a Force tree, after all.

Your struggles with anxiety are not new; you have dealt with these feelings since you were a child. Most adults at the time, and still to this day if you’re being honest and even though you’re an adult yourself, tell you there’s no reason to worry so much about things. No reason to feel nervous. No point in being so fearful. Nothing to be scared of.

They lie.

You can think of several things off the top of your head. The First Order, for starters. Yes, you’d won the war, but had you really eliminated the threat? There had to be sympathizers, had to sects out there that would try to reorganize and dig their malevolent fingers into the galaxy’s freedom and tear it to shreds - again. The Emperor himself had come back, and that wasn’t nothing, after all.

Then there was the way everyone looked at you. Judging you. Giving you those looks, the ones everyone told you were innocent, harmless, but you knew they weren’t. Their eyes, everyone’s eyes, were always on you, all the time. You had to be perfect, all the time, under those stares. That wasn’t nothing.

And how did anyone know that there wasn’t a sympathizer here? Someone who was just waiting to pull the ground out from under your feet and send you into a free fall? That was a reason.

And this planet. Gods, this planet was so hot. On good day it was unacceptable and on a bad day - most days - it was intolerable and--

You are only dimly aware of the clanging that echoes through the hangar as your hands clench and you drop your wrench to the ground. Several other people look up from where they’re doing maintenance on their own ships - those eyes - and your own slam shut.

“Hey,” a soft voice calls from behind you. “I’m going to touch your back and your arm, okay?”

Poe. Where did he come from? You swore that literally only a second ago you’d seen him across the hangar, working on his X-wing, and now he was nearby, almost like he knew.

You can barely nod in response, but you feel one of his hands on the small of your back, and his other closes softly over your fists that were clutching at your chest. He leads you behind a stack of supply crates, shielding you from all those curious, staring eyes. Gods bless him.

Once you’re out of sight, Poe pulls you close to his chest and folds you in his arms.

“You’re safe here,” he whispers into your hair.

You almost want to argue with him. You almost do. But you’ve known each other long enough by now that you know what he means.

Poe never tells you that you’re being silly, or overreacting, that there’s no reason to feel the way you do. He doesn’t tell you it will all be okay and you have nothing to worry about. He doesn’t scold you, doesn’t talk down to you, doesn’t tell you that you’re wrong. He’s had his own traumas, and now he’s trying to make sense and order in the whole free galaxy, but he never acts like your feelings are less than.

When he says you’re safe here, you know he literally means right there, right now, in his arms.

“Wanna talk about it?” he asks.

You shake your head firmly.

“Okay,” he says, still into your hair, “it’s okay. I’m always here if you want to.”

He never pushes you. He just holds you.

You still don’t know how he got to you without you ever saying a word. It’s almost like he knew, he could feel, that you needed him before you knew it yourself. Yeah, maybe he totally had a sixth sense.

Eventually you’ll tell him. It will be the same thing you’ve told him a thousand times before. And like the thousand times before, Poe will listen, and understand, and talk with you and not at you and when your brain signals your mouth to tell him that you want to believe him but how can you be sure that he’s telling the truth, he will just hold you and promise and reassure that he will be there for you.

And maybe kiss you, if you’ll let him.

But for now, you just hold tightly to him, hidden behind the crates, safe in his arms.

[hoekaashi]

3 am Talks - hq pt 3

a/n: almost done, two more left!! i’m not sure why, but these ones were really fun for me to do and i had to cut myself off before i wrote whole fics for each one. also thank you to my wifey for helping me with akaashi, idk why his was so hard for me to do ): pairings: bokuto x reader, akaashi x reader, ushijima x reader, tendou x reader, semi x reader warnings: some spoilers for post timeskip, minor cussing, a bit suggestive (ushi) taglist: @babydabi​, @suckersuki​, @bakugoustanaccount​, @animoozies​ part 2 | part 4

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

⇾ definitely someone who talks about the first things that just pop into his mind ⇾ would literally change topics in the middle of his sentence ⇾ “did you see my last spread, I was centerfold Tsum-Tsum was not happy but when I offered to trade places with him, it made him even more mad - I just got an email saying my new knee pads have been shipped YES - babe are you hungry? Let’s go to the convenience store and get some snacks” ⇾ all over the place ⇾ but the second sleep starts to hit him, he become even softer than he already is ⇾ this baby would def be asking for validation without outright asking for it - we all know he lives to be praised but as he gets older, he stops asking for it directly ⇾ i feel like he just becomes more self-conscious after he realizes that being on a national team means that now the entire WORLD is scrutinizing him ⇾ i could keep going on about him imma stop

“I couldn’t help it, I started laughing.” Even hours later, Bokuto was trying to hold in laughter from the memory of the event. “I think that’s why he’s mad at you Kou.” Bokuto pouted. “I offered to help him up.” “Yeah, but you were also red from laughing so hard and wiping the tears from your eyes. I don’t think he appreciated that.” Bokuto got quiet and you knew what that meant. “But at the end of the day, the pictures came out amazing. You look amazing.” His smile, although soft compared to his usual grin, came back. “You think so?” You hummed. “If volleyball doesn’t work out, you could be a model. I already know one of my friends has a shrine dedicated to you. Which honestly feels weird, but hey, if it’s harmless why should I care?” you said, going off on a tangent. Bokuto brushed off the compliment that normally would’ve stroked his ego. “Nah, I don’t think I could handle the pressure.” You cocked an eyebrow. “People constantly judging you and criticizing you. You know me, I thrive with praise and…” “Become emo with criticism?” He let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah. I’m trying to change.” You reached over and caressed his cheek. “There’s a difference between growing up and mellowing out and changing who you are. You’ve done the growing up part and you’re slowly mellowing out as much as you can. But please don’t change.” “But people keep saying -” “Forget what they say. I love you the way you are now.” Bokuto’s full grin returned to his face. “I love you more.”

.・゜-: ✧ :-　-: ✧ :-゜・．

⇾ more of a listener he learned his ways from babysitting bo ⇾ he would just enjoy listening to whatever you had on your mind ⇾ one to add his own commentary and thoughts to whatever you were saying ⇾ if he were to talk though, he would reminisce  ⇾ talks of bokuto and his old team, things he misses ⇾ but speaking of bokuto, he would go off on how proud he is seeing his former ace doing so well for himself now - even if he still isn’t a normal player ⇾ depending on how open he’s feeling, he might even wander into his insecurities and childhood, things he doesn’t really open up about unless he feels really close to you

“And then I booked it out of there,” you finished your story. Akaashi hummed. “What about the other girl who was still working?” “Look, she never sticks around to help me when I have extra work, I wasn’t going to stick around to help her.” He cracked a smile at your pettiness. “Wait, didn’t you have lunch with Bokuto today?” “Yes. It was nice.” You waited a moment thinking that Akaashi would add more. “That’s it? It was nice?” “Well, you know how he is. But it was nice to see him trying to change himself. Well, improve himself.” You rolled over from your back onto his chest and reached up to play with his hair. “We talked a lot about playing during high school and what the others are doing these days. Everyone is so busy now, it’s hard to keep up. I’m proud of them.” You didn’t let the smile on Akaashi’s face go unnoticed, commenting on how it always seemed to be there whenever he talked about his former ace. “Leave me alone, I’m happy with how far he’s come on his own. I can’t but smile when I think about the people I love.” “Do you smile when you think about me?” “Of course I do, you idiot,” he replied before kissing your forehead.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　-: ✧ :-゜・．

⇾ i very strongly believe he would talk about parallel universes ⇾ he would go into the existence of them but also like ‘what if there was a way for people in a parallel universe who could watch me as if my life was a movie’ ⇾ if he was in a more serious mood, like if he had a big match coming up or sum, he would talk more about his goals ⇾ the things he hopes to accomplish in the future, the outcomes he wants in life ⇾ if he was tired, it would be more like akaashi - more listening, less talking ⇾ i feel like he would always want to know what’s happening in your mind so he would ask you the most random questions or just want to listen to you talk as he drifts off to sleep

“Do you think they saw me when I tripped over Leo and dropped the dishes?” You remembered when he tripped over the cat the two of you were raising and ended up breaking a few plates. As annoyed as you were that the plates you like broke, it gave you a reason to go domestic shopping with your boyfriend. You sighed. “No Toshi. If they were watching you, it would be when you’re playing volleyball or taking a shower.” “But you’re in the shower with me sometimes. You think they saw what we were doing?” “If they did,” you started with your eyebrows raised, “I hope they enjoy it as much I do.” He chuckled. “Why when I’m playing volleyball?” “Because that’s your job now. What else would they watch you do? Play with Leo?” He didn’t reply as he looked down to the cat in his lap. Petting it, the two of you sat in silence for a while. You finally thought he dropped the topic as you started to drift to sleep. “I wonder if the people watching like me. Or what if they think I’m the villain?” You sat up in bed. “Why would you think you would be a villain in a show about volleyball?” “I don’t know. I could be a side character that no one likes.” His voice got quieter the more he talked. “Aw, Toshi. I’m sure you have many, many fans in this parallel universe who all wish to be dating you. You never intentionally hurt anyone. You tried, in your own way, to work with Oikawa, but it’s not like you sabotaged him or anything.” He nodded. “He should’ve come to Shiratorizawa. We could’ve been that impressive first year duo instead of Hinata and Kageyama.” You rubbed his shoulder. “I know, baby. You remind me of that at least once a month.”

.・゜-: ✧ :-　-: ✧ :-゜・．

⇾ he would get deep ⇾ talks about his childhood where he was bullied to where he is now ⇾ while he has his insecurities, he would still be very proud of himself and how far he’s come and everything he accomplished ⇾ on the topic of being proud, he would never pass up the opportunity to talk up his bff ushi and he would hype him up even though it’s just the two of you ⇾ he wouldn’t forget about the other third years aka his other ‘best friends’ (i use quotes bc he only has eyes for ushi lezbehonest) ⇾ the talk would shift over to you and how lucky he feels to have found you ⇾ half of the things he would say would just to get you all embarrassed and shy so he could tease you about it

You woke up an hour ago because when you went to snuggle with your boyfriend, his body was missing from bed. For the last hour, he talked to you about how much he’s grown over the years, not once stopping to let you say anything. You finally had enough of this monologue. “Satori, how much more can you possibly say? It’s been a whole ass hour. Get your ass to bed so I can snuggle with you and lemme sleep.” Sighing, he walked away from the window where he was using the light from the moon to set the mood of his speech. Getting into bed, he waited until you were satisfied and closed your eyes. “But also, Wakatoshi has gotten so far on his own. I couldn’t be more proud of my best friend.” “Satori, please. For the love of God.” “Babe, you gotta let me air this out. Good communication and all that.” “We don’t have a single problem that needs to be ‘aired out’ right now. I got work in the morning and you like the sound of your own voice.” That still didn’t stop him. “And Semi, I gotta hand it to him, the man finally learned how to dress properly. And his music isn’t that bad either so I gotta find something new to annoy him with now. Reon is still keeping his fighting spirit alive and playing volleyball too. My friends, all doing so well.” Tendou glanced down at you who had fallen asleep to his heart beats. “But you. I’m the most proud of you. I’m so lucky to have found you. Not that I needed someone in my life at the time, but all the happiness you’ve given me on top of the great things in my life. You’re an amazing person, and I appreciate the impact you’ve made in my life.”

.・゜-: ✧ :-　-: ✧ :-゜・．

⇾ before we start with semisemi, he plays bass and sings in his band but he also plays the piano and guitar (these are MY OWN hcs, none of this is canon) ⇾ that being said, he would stay up late at night playing his guitar, working on songs and quietly singing lyrics to himself ⇾ his talks would be about purpose - like why he’s on this earth similar to hinata ⇾ aha ha ha so if yall read kuroo’s, you know how i feel about scorpios ⇾ semi babe is not safe from that either ⇾ while he is bad at opening up, he also has a short temper so expect apologies for his random outbursts from him ⇾ imma touch on this more in my semi relationship hcs so i shall stop here

You had been on your computer, finishing up some work of yours that you had been procrastinating on with Semi sitting on the couch, strumming his guitar as he worked on a new song. You hadn’t been paying attention the entire time, not until you closed your laptop and sat back in your chair. “Eita, what’s that song?” Your sudden question caused him to jump a little. “Oh, uh, I didn’t realize you were listening.” “I just heard you singing. What is that?” He rubbed the nape of his neck. “I was hoping to hold out until it was finished.” You walked over to him, draping your arms around his shoulders and leaning your weight on him. You read the lyrics he had so far, your eyes growing bigger with each line. “What… is this?” “An apology.” You pulled away from him. “I know I’m not the easiest boyfriend and that when I have a problem, I should say something rather than exploding on you over the littlest thing. I didn’t really know how else to express this without messing it all up.” “I’ve known you for a long time, I wouldn’t be with you if I didn’t figure that much out.” “But still, it doesn’t mean that I should just stay this way. I should be growing with you as a person, not stuck how I am. I really do need to learn to express myself better.” You let out a small chuckle. “Like I haven’t heard that one before.” You had. Four times already. “And this will be the last. Thank you for putting up with me.” Your arms wrapped around him once again. “Next time, I expect an entire album with love songs dedicated to me. Got it?” “Well fuck, I better not mess up. I don’t have enough material for an entire love album.” You shoved him. “Hey! Maybe I will leave your sorry ass.” “I’m just kidding! Babe! Where are you going?!”

[whendidyou-leaveheaven]

Like I like My Whiskey...

[a self indulgent stucky emotions short piece]

“I like my men like I like my whiskey,” Bucky says, a smile curving into the corner of his cheek like the curl of a wood whorl off of a bevel, that smile just a chip off the block, “aged and mellow.” His eyes are playful but private, quiet but lively.

“I can give ya aged but I don’t know about mellow, pal,” Steve says, closer to giggling than he ever is in any other circumstance. Bucky brings it out in him, that giddiness that smarts of his youth.

They’re both leaning on the polished but worn wood edge of the last bar in Brooklyn that survived the century and the nostalgia is rich. Steve has to resist running his hand over the old wood in pure affection. Old things evoke a kind of appreciation he can’t explain.

Bucky looks just like he did the day they made him ship out with that mahogany hair tucked behind his ears. He’s got a smile on his face that just won’t leave. Steve hasn’t seen him smile in weeks, but now they’re alone and tucked back into this small crevice of the city where time almost stands still and Steve...his heart feels like the last seventy years maybe didn’t happen. Maybe Bucky just pulled him up out of the alley and he’s never fought a war in his life. Everyone else is background noise. Everyone else is so young. They’re misplaced in time but the music is almost right. He’s been searching for the right jazz bar, anywhere that still has that feeling. He probably won’t ever find it again. Some things just don’t persevere. In fact most things don’t. Haven’t. But thank god he’s got one thing that does. He’s got Bucky now. Bucky is wearing some grey t-shirt and black jeans instead of a navy green military uniform but that face still fits the picture.

There’s a vintage piano piece playing and Bucky tips his face up listening. “Hey… I know this one,” he says. “C’mon cap’n, let’s dance.” He’s telling Steve, he ain’t asking.

Steve can’t remember what they were even talking about. Or why Bucky mentioned how he liked his men. His men being Steve? Steve must be his only man. After all, who the hell else could he be talking about?

They have to drink like fish, a whole school of them, to get drunk these days. Steve used to be the biggest lightweight on the entire planet. Bucky used to drink until he woke up smelling soaked to the bone in whiskey but now they both have to drink hard liquor like water to feel it at all. But they prepared for this earlier, (what do they call it these days ? Pre-gaming?) and they’re both a little drunk for once, god bless. Only Thor really got that, the superhuman resilience to alcohol bit, until Bucky came back. Bucky came back…

Steve is too involved in Bucky to worry about what anyone around them might think. It’s not a simple thing, to overcome the fear of prejudice. But no one in their right mind would try and beat him up now. It seemed hard at first and then after everything else he dealt with coming out of that ice, it seemed like nothing. It just didn’t matter. He had problems that were so much bigger than a look someone might cast his way. And Bucky was so much bigger than any pitiful little fear. Bucky, brave and smiling and waiting for him to get off his damn stool and dance with him… they’d never danced. He was a little drunk. Bucky was a little more drunk, perhaps. Bucky had asked all their girls to dance. Steve had always stood on the sidelines. Once upon a time he thought he wished those girls would have asked him. And then when they did, he realized it wasn’t really them he wanted to be asking. It only took a hundred years for him to wise up. What was a century anyway when this man was smiling at him like that, biting his lip? Still doing that thing. Still licking his bottom lip and holding it between his teeth with that look like he was thinking real hard about something. And his eyes were on Steve.

“Well come on!” Bucky urges. He’s not standing there for nothing.

Steve shakes his head but stops looking at his best friend and gets his butt up.

The room is small. It’s a little hole in the wall of a place but they still have live music sometimes and it’s enough, enough room to get by and to stand the test of time.

Steve takes a look around finally, out of curiosity, and they’re mostly alone. And if two men are dancing here in this tiny corner of New York no one really cares now. But him.

Bucky’s arm slides around Steve’s waist as soon as he gets close and it could just be a gag, just for fun. Even though Steve is feeling some way he hasn’t felt in years. In forever. It has been a long time since Bucky’s thrown an arm around him. Like this, or over his shoulder, and not when they were struggling to get across the battlefield, the only thing keeping them up being each other’s arms. This is something different, and also familiar. Steve is nearly taller now than Bucky but-

the music is slow, almost too slow to dance to. Bucky has to move in closer, he pulls Steve nearer until they are hip to hip. He seems more loose than usual, more carefree. But the more loose and carefree he becomes the more warm Steve feels, the more he can't stop. Can’t stop staring.

“I gotta tell ‘em. These lilly young studs just don’t do it for me.”

Steve blinks and tries to sober himself. He’s been staring at Bucky’s face and not hearing what he's saying. “Yeah,” he says, breathing in deep and feeling Bucky’s chest touch his with the inhale. He can almost smell the cold water brine and the iron if he reaches for it; the way Buck used to smell at the end of a long day. After he came home from work.

His hand is on Bucky’s shoulder. Friendly and harmless but -

“You seem pretty mellow to me.”

“You’re just drunk.”

“I can’t get drunk.”

“If I can get drunk you can get drunk.”

“Yeah right, you’ve always been a lightweight. I can drink ten times as much as you.”

Steve gives him a look of pending protest but he ends up just shaking his head and saying nothing because Bucky is right. Bucky's had to carry him home practically any time they had ever gone out drinking. And Bucky looks so happy, for once, finally, he is smiling so much it’s all Steve can think about. “It’s nice to see you smile, Buck,” Steve says. It feels like a mistake instantly, because the smile leaves Bucky's face, like he’d just remembered where he was. Here in the twentieth century on the seedy side of Brooklyn and not in the smoky familiar proletariat bar of 1941.

“I mean, it makes me feel like everything's like it was,” Steve says. He wants to bring the smile back. But he doesn’t have to wait too long. Bucky’s smile returns naturally on its own as he watches Steve, but he’s grown quiet. And they are pressed close now. He feels Bucky’s arm tighten around his waist. He doesn’t even try not to press his hips to Steve’s. He holds them closer, body to body.

Steve moves his hand down Bucky’s right arm until their hands meet and he presses his hand into Bucky’s, feeling every finger between his own. Now it’s like they’re dancing. Slow dancing for real. The way you’re supposed to do it.

“Nothing’s like it was,” Bucky whispers. His mouth is close to Steve’s jaw . He leans forward so that his head is side by side with Steve's.

“Buck…”

“It’s alright.”

After a too-long silence with the sound of an old trombone and sax squealing into the dusky space and Bucky’s warmth gathering in his skin Steve moves back just so he can see Bucky’s face again. He makes his voice light and teasing. “You haven’t aged a day.” This has the desired effect. Bucky’s eyes crinkle at the corners and he smiles again. “I bet you say that to all the girls,” he jabs.

Steve lets himself laugh. A real laugh showing his teeth and letting himself feel it.

They dance like that for a while and Steve could stay that way forever if he wasn’t afraid Bucky would get bored of it. But he doesn’t sound bored when he finally speaks again. He sounds tired and a little fragile and like all the longing in the world has been hiding under his tongue this whole time and Steve somehow missed that. And he sounds like he trusts Steve, with it, with him. “Steve...”

Steve squeezes him tighter, probably too tight. “Yeah?”

“Let’s go home.”

[themangoyogurt]

Clementine: Chapter 4

It was a stretch, but a few long nights spread over cooling cups of coffee and far too many documents was all it took to square away Hanna Hut. You were now the legal owner of an LLC. To even say the words made you giddy. You were a business owner! It was equal parts terrifying and electrifying to know that your future was now truly in your own hands.

Just like that, you only had a short amount of time to get the doors open. It seemed an impossible feat, but having Kylo by your side gave you an abundance of confidence. He was quick to soothe the side of you that felt self-conscious for taking up so much of the man’s time. All it took was one look, and he’d silently give your shoulder a squeeze. A quiet reminder that it was his own choice to come along for the ride.

With all of the paperwork out of the way, it meant time for the “fun stuff”. Which was how you found yourself in Hell’s Kitchen on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. The summer air was stale and muggy in a typical New York City fashion. Still, that couldn’t damper your excitement as you explored a kitchen supply store with Kylo.

This wasn’t his place of expertise, but he was happy to tag along and watch you bounce from aisle to aisle. He loved getting lost in your world, listening to you gush about the different espresso machines, and how each brand differed.

Although, he did pipe up once in a while to gently remind you of a very strict budget he helped calculate the night before.

“Look at these portafilters. Oh my gosh, they’re gorgeous,” you cried out, fingers greedily reaching out for the shiny stainless steel handles. Kylo laughed and shook his head as he held out the red plastic basket on his arm. You hurried to fill it with a few accessories, eager to try everything out once the shop delivered your new espresso machine.

“How do you know so much about coffee?” Kylo asked. He wandered with you down another aisle, this one filled with gorgeous glassware of all shapes and sizes. You picked up a double walled glass cup and mused, “I used to work in a coffeeshop during college. We only ever used crappy beans since it was a college town, but I still loved everything about the job.”

You set the glass down and picked up another one - a pale pink ceramic mug. “I liked how coffee could perk people up. How it was such an integral part to their day. It was fun to see people gather in the shop, too. How it served as a backdrop to so many happy memories for people of all walks of life. I’d love for Hanna Hut to be a source of happiness for people.”

“That’s quite admirable of you,” he responded. Kylo then plucked the pink mug out of your hand and looked it over. “This one. I think it’s so you.”

Your scrunched your nose up at Kylo, secretly loving how much he towered over you. “What about that mug makes you think of me?”

He pretended to be deep in thought as he scratched his chin. “Hm. For starters, it’s small and cute.” Your cheeks pinked, and he chuckled in response. Throwing an arm around your shoulder he continued, “Come on. Let’s finish shopping, get this stuff shipped to the store, and then grab some lunch. How does Italian sound?”

You tilted you chin up to look at him and squealed, “Only if we can get tiramisu!”

Kylo shook his head, as the realization that he was so whipped for you set in.

Apparently “Italian” meant seats at an exclusive restaurant where the chef, himself, prepared your meal. He introduced himself as Pietro Fagiuolli, and ushered you directly to the kitchen, where a secluded spot was set up by the kitchen island. You realized that there was barely any space between yourself and Kylo, especially given how his knees knocked into yours.

He shot you playful smiles as your legs continued to rub and touch throughout the meal. When he finally felt you relax your knee into his inner thigh, Kylo felt a sudden swell of confidence. Surely all of your playful flirtation and gentle touches must mean something. You didn’t seem the type to flirt your way into getting someone to help you out.

It was now or never. He gently set his fork down with a quiet clink, and folded his hands together in his lap. You felt the air change, and put your own utensils down. Kylo took in a deep breath and murmured quietly enough so that nobody in the kitchen could hear your conversation.

“I don’t want to be too forward, and I don’t want you to think that your answer will affect whether or not I still help out with Hanna Hut...but...how would you feel about dating me?”

He hated how his voice cracked at the end. Despite having faced down some seriously intimidating individuals in court, he’d never done something as heart racing as seriously asking a woman out. Not like this, when he was already so invested from the get go.

You tilted your head and considered the man in front of you for a second before your lip twisted in a little smirk. “I thought that’s what we’re doing now,” you teased. You reached across the stainless steel tabletop and opened your hand up.

Kylo was quick to place a hand in yours, intertwining your fingers.

“Doesn’t hurt to check,” he muttered. Kylo was old school, but he knew better than to just assume everyone else had the same expectations. He spent the better part of his life in New York City, a place where people played fast and loose with feelings. Even if you didn’t seem the type to casually date, Kylo still wanted to make sure before investing more into the relationship.

Your eyes crinkled in amusement and happiness. “Only under one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

“We’re exclusive,” you finished.

Kylo laughed, already feeling a million times lighter. Hearing that you wanted him, and only him, made the man’s day. “So I guess that would make you my girlfriend?”

You nodded and stood up on your toes to lean across the table. “Seal it with a kiss?”

He got up to meet you halfway, and your eyes fluttered shut as he pressed his plush lips against your own. It was a chaste kiss, but one filled with promise of a future you could never have imagined.

His tongue swiped forward, and just as you were about to deepen the kiss, a throat cleared in the kitchen.

“Really, guys?” Pietro groaned, his voice laced with a thick Italian accent. “Let’s show some respect for my pasta.” His tone was teasing, and he had a wide smile on his face. The man rested a hip at the edge of the island and tossed a towel over his shoulder.

You pushed away from Kylo and shyly tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. Although it was clear that Pietro was giving Kylo some harmless ribbing, you couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. “Thank you for hosting us. The food is amazing,” you awkwardly sputtered.

“You really outdid yourself,” Kylo added, making a point to gesture at your empty plates. The chef chuckled and slapped a hand against Kylo’s back. “Anything for the man who kept me out of jail!”

He took notice of your shocked expression and laughed even louder. “No, nothing crazy! I was being mistaken for some sucker with mob ties. Apparently having a thick Italian accent is enough of a reason to arrest someone in this town.” Pietro rolled his eyes and gave Kylo a jab with his elbow and continued, “But this guy over here believed me. I was only a sous chef at the time, and this guy defended my case pro bono. Promised Mr. Tall, Dark, and Scary that if he kept me out of jail, he’d get free meals whenever he wanted!”

You smiled at how cute Kylo looked with shy and rosy cheeks. You asked, “By this amazing meal, I’m assuming that you won?”

Pietro tossed his arm around Kylo’s shouldered and cheered, “Hell, yes! I owe this guy my life.”

“Alright, alright. Did you come here with dessert or just to chat our ears off?” Kylo groused, clearly embarrassed from all of the praise. Pietro was unfazed though, and turned to shout some Italian over his shoulder. A young man immediately appeared balancing several plates on his hands and forearms.

There was a giant slice of tiramisu, clearly made from scratch. The cream was so fresh and fluffy, it looked like little puffs of clouds with the finest dusting of cocoa. There was also a bowl with generous servings of gelato in all sorts of colors. What excited you the most though, was a narrow rectangular plate.

Placed in a neat row upon the plate were the most beautiful and exquisitely decorated chocolates. They were like miniature pieces of art, each shaped like an iconic symbol of New York City. There was a yellow taxi cab, a skyscraper, a cute little stiletto, and an apple just to name a few. It looked like the colors were all hand painted for goodness sake!

“These are too pretty to eat,” you gushed. Despite your words, your fingers reached out to pick up a little newspaper shaped chocolate. There was even a tiny “NY Times” painted across the top.

Pietro’s chest puffed at your words, proud that you noticed and appreciated the details. “Go on and try it. There’s more where that came from,” he urged.

You took a little nibble and moaned, causing Kylo’s mind to wander to a place unsuitable for public consumption. It was an impossible task though, as you reached across the table and hand-fed the other half of the chocolate to your boyfriend.

He groaned, partially from the burst of chocolate and hazelnut, and partially from the feeling of your fingers gently brushing a stray crumb off the bottom of his lower lip. “These are good,” he muttered. He caught your eye and couldn’t help but share a mischievous smile.

“I’m still here,” Pietro grumbled. Before you could protest, he stuck a finger up and joked, “I’m Italian. I know what those lovey dovey eyes look like, and you two got it bad.”

Pietro signed and nudged Kylo. “How about I leave you two love birds alone before I vomit, and you tell your lady about the deal, eh?” He threw Kylo a pointed look before pressing a friendly kiss against your cheek and disappearing into the back of the kitchen.

You sat up and dug into the cake, mouth full of cream and coffee soaked cake as you asked, “What deal?”

Kylo smiled at the sight of you licking your fingers and answered, “Pietro’s willing to consign his premiere chocolate collection at your shop. Exclusively. It’ll be a great way to generate buzz and make some sales while you’re at it.”

“Consign?” Your nose wrinkled in confusion.

“It means that whatever you sell, you’ll split 50/50. If any product doesn’t get sold, he’ll take it back at no cost. It’s a way for businesses to wholesale a new product without risk.”

Lips still smacking, you wondered aloud, “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but why me? He’s on the shortlist to earning a Michelin Star!”

Kylo reached over and ran his hand along your arm. “I told him about your concept, and he loves it. He really wants to help your business take off.”

“He feels sorry for me,” you sighed. A little pout formed at your lips. On anyone else it would have looked petulant, but Kylo found the way your lips pressed together to be quite endearing.

“No. He really loves your concept and supporting young business owners. I would be lying if I said what he went through didn’t affect him, but he wouldn’t just help anyone out.”

“Okay,” you murmured, still feeling a little shocked. Kylo sensed your trepidation and immediately stood from his seat. He walked around the table and pulled you into a tight hug. Your face pressed against his chest, and you couldn’t help but sag into the embrace.

He ran his hands through your hair, and wondered when you were last held like this. It was so long ago a date didn’t surface.

“Have some confidence in yourself. You’re about to be a...uh...what is it that they call it online? A ‘boss bitch’?”

You snorted into this shirt, “Please don’t say that ever again. But I do appreciate the sentiment.”

“Only if you promise to be kinder to yourself,” he murmured, lifting your face up by the chin with the tip of his index finger.

“Deal.”

Kylo’s face softened, and he gave you a little kiss. As he held you and kissed positive affirmations into your temple, you couldn’t help but give a silent “thank you” to Poe’s stupid stereo system.

[awkwardtaco056]

so now that i’m no longer in the Hell that was school and after finding the lovely blog @endcringe i’ve decided to talk about my own experiences with cringe culture, bullying, and why it’s Really Bad to not let people enjoy inherently harmless things, especially neurodivergent people (read more because this is gonna get long and triggering at times, TW for mentions of bullying, suicide, child abuse, a brief mention of incest shipping. I won’t be naming any of the peers that I discuss my experiences with, because my point with this post is Not to “cancel” anyone, I just want to speak out on my experiences)

I’m neurodivergent; I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 8 years old. I didn’t know a lot about it, and a family member even painted it as “oh it’s nothing blah blah blah just apply yourself more. Because of this, I had no idea about the concept of hyperfixations until I was in my late teens. Due to that, I would obsess over random things and my family would shame me relentlessly for it. My mother said I had an “addictive personality” and that she feared I’d end up a drug addict or alcoholic because of it.

I look younger than what I am, I’m short, and small. AKA, the perfect candidate for being picked on by people bigger and stronger than me. People made fun of my art when I was around 13, but fortunately that was an instance where spite fueled me to improve drastically. However, just because I happened to take the shitty comments and have it fuel me then does NOT mean bullying people will have that effect all the time. At some point someone put my old South Park fan art on a cringe blog. I was temporarily hurt, and a little angry, but I realized that if someone was making fun of a 15 year old’s art, they probably didn’t have much going for them in life, so I moved on.

Fast forward to high school. Everything was horrible and I’m not exaggerating when I say I barely made it out alive. I was living in an abusive household up until January 2018 and I found comfort in many different interests. I’ve always found great comfort in music and the arts in general. In 2016, I drew a picture of a mermaid. I was inspired by the chocolate opal gemstone, and I thought it’d be fun to draw a gay chubby mermaid with dark skin and a rainbow tail and freckles. Junior year was lousy and I wanted something that sparked Joy. I was immediately told that “scientifically, mermaids wouldn’t look like that. Mind you, my take looked like this:

Obviously I wasn’t going for realism, I just wanted to draw a cute mermaid. However, they continued to tell me that they wouldn’t look like that, going as far as writing so on the back of said drawing. When I got angry at her for taking it too far (as I’d established before that I didn’t like it when people wrote on my art without permission), they got angry back, accusing me of being unable to take criticism. Heated by the accusation, I went as far as asking my art teacher if it was fair for them to say that, and she said no, stating that constructive criticism would be talking about how I could improve my lineart and coloring in the digital version. I took her actual helpful criticism and since then have improved Drastically in digital art. Even with that being said, I found myself hesitant to participate in things such as MerMay because I was leery of hearing that peer berate me for having cartoony mermaids. 

 During high school I grew to love many musicians, a lot of emo/alternative stuff, a couple being Twenty One Pilots and Melanie Martinez. I love how unique TOP’s style is, their open discussion of mental illness, and as someone who had a rough childhood, I connected with every single song on Cry Baby. It was like nothing I’d ever heard. I started listening to mashups featuring all these different artists I love, adoring how they could change the tone and sound so drastically. A peer Bully of mine in junior year condemned these two artists, declaring that they made “Bad Music” simply because it didn’t fit their tastes. They’d throw my drawings on the ground, write over them in pen, steal my headphones so I couldn’t listen to music, push me around, complain that mashups sucked and gave them a headache, and in general shit all over conetnt that was actively preventing me from committing suicide. 

Some family members were no better. Once high school hit, I began listening to Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and My Chemical Romance. Their deep complex lyrics stuck with me. I would write down quotes from my favorite songs and thanks to hyperfixating, I remember each studio album in order My mother resented when I fell in love with the “Emo Trinity” because “the Columbine  shooters were emo and that event traumatized me” Despite that, not only did the Columbine tragedy occur in 1999 and none of the bands got together until the early 2000s, but I have a pretty good feeling those groups aren’t For gun violence. The other side constantly criticized the fact that I love FOB, P!ATD, and MCR because I’m black and “why must you listen to that white people music.”

 I grew fond of Dan and Phil in high school (and I’m still a fan to this day!), I loved Phil’s kindness and positive aura and I deeply connect with Dan’s sense of humor and personality. Their content made me happy during some very dark times in my life. It’s November 2017, I’m over a close peer’s house at the time, and notice PINOF is upon us. I drew the PINOF whiskers on my face, my plan being to quietly watch them in the corner of peer’s bedroom on my phone through headphones, the others were doing their own thing and I knew they didn’t like them, so I thought they’d respect it if I silently indulged in it. Unfortunately, the complete opposite happened. I was immediately shunned and locked out of the bedroom, told that I’d only be let back in if I washed the whiskers off because “absolutely not”. Me, being stubborn, washed them off temporarily but drew them back on in the room. Life during then was especially bad for me, as the abusive household I was in was getting worse. They noticed, of course, and even though all I wanted was to enjoy this small tradition in a time during a deep depression, I was immediately shoved out the room and locked out, only to have said peer’s family members notice. I’m a relatively shy person, so this was honesty a really harrowing experience that had a lasting effect on me. 

I grew to adore Sanders Sides as well, but the moment I found out most of my peers didn’t like Thomas, I was terrified.  I stopped watching Dan and Phil’s content for months and shied away from other fandoms too, only occasionally indulging in times of complete solitude. One time when said peers were due to visit my house for the first time, I saw the Phandom and Fander stuff I’d hung up on my wall in my little sanctuary that was my bedroom (it was the first time in years I’d had my own room), and I was filled with panic and fear. I took them down and hid them away, genuinely terrified of what they’d do to me if they saw. It’s still incites so much anger in me to this day because they turned around and ended up shipping incest, but somehow liking D&P and Sanders Sides was So. Much. Worse.

They were baffled by my actions, despite having humiliated me Twice by going on a private blog of mine separate from everything so that I could fully indulge and laughing at everything on there, once at a peer’s house, once right in school. I don’t think they realized how traumatizing it was to have a large group of people in public laughing at something I was deeply self conscious about for all of my life. I put on a brave face at the time, but ended up crying in the bathroom after first period began. I continued to be treated as lesser until things came to an ugly head August 2018 when I ended up in the hospital because I nearly attempted suicide. Years of child abuse, bullying, and being deemed “cringy” made me feel like I didn’t deserve to be alive, that everyone would be happier if I were gone.

After arguably one of the lowest points in my life, I cut them off and slowly began to embrace the Real Me. I started letting myself enjoy the things again, made true friends and even found love, my first boyfriend ever at 18. I still get choked up retelling it, but when PINOF 10 dropped, after he found out how much I’d been hurt over the incident in 2017, I was greeted with a photo of him with the whiskers on his face. I cried for a while, blown away at such a pure act of kindness. He listens to me ramble about my interests, he compliments my taste in music, he watched K-12 with me. 

This got incredibly long, but my point is this: Cringe Culture hurts people. You might think it’s whatever if the Thing doesn’t apply to your interests, but content you’re denouncing as cringy could be something that’s keeping them alive, that one flicker of light in a void of darkness. When I was contemplating suicide, I listened to The Black Parade, repeating Gee’s words to myself over and over, that nothing in the world was worth hurting yourself over. Some friendly joshing here and there is okay, but actively ripping someone to shreds constantly to the point where they have a mental breakdown in front of you and later on plan their own demise is disgusting. Nobody should abuse anyone for having harmless interests, no one. Unless you’re participating in p*dophilic/inc*st/s*xual assault/inherently abusive ships/content and pretending it’s not bad because “Fiction doesn’t impact reality!”, you have every right to like what you like and be happy. Read homestuck. Play Undertale. Draw up the Wildest OCs you can imagine. And stay away from people who try to rob you of innocent fun, life is too short and in this cruel, unforgiving world, you deserve to be happy, whether you’re a 13 year old who draws cute furries, a 16 year old cosplayer on TikTok, a VSCO girl, a 30 year old who writes/draws self insert art or a 20 year old who adores Invader Zim. 

Cringe Culture is just bullying under a different name, and it can lead to many instances of people, especially fellow neurodivergent folk to feel isolated and ostracized. Attempting to bully someone out of an interest they have isn’t going to fix them; it’s more often than not going to cause more damage. I suffer from diagnosed C-PTSD, anxiety, and depression, and sometimes I still find myself trying to over-justify my interests. To all who are roped up in bad homes and lousy “friends” who berate you for your innocent passions, I’m sorry you’re suffering, things will one day get better even if it doesn’t feel like it, and fuck those people. I’d also like to note that sometimes even if it seems more terrifying, it’s better to have one or two close friends you can truly trust than a whole group that walks all over you. You have every right to call them out for treating you poorly, and if things don’t improve, you also have every right to leave.

You have a right to live your True Self.

[sanjisock]

Fuck, Marry, Kill (or, how Usopp becomes the best matchmaker of the sea without really trying)

ao3

1.

It’s a classic , Usopp said. Any pirate worth their salt would play this at least once , he said.

Sanji would say he’s around eighty-percent sure Usopp just made this game up, but Sanji is always eighty-percent sure Usopp made something up just by principle alone. It certainly doesn’t help Usopp’s case that Nami is grinning wide beside him, notepad and quill in hands.

“So,” Nami echoes Usopp’s earlier question cheerfully, and her smile is way too beautiful and magnificent for the words that come out of her mouth next: “fuck, marry, kill. Who’s your pick?”

+

2.

There are rules to this stupid game. Actual fucking rules . Not even the world government kind, the ones they break on a daily basis anyways because, hey, pirates. These rules are the kind that forces you to pay Nami a hefty amount of Berries if you break them, which, on the deck of Sunny, means nothing short of Serious Business.

Nami had taken to the game with surprising interest as soon as Usopp told her about it, but then again, she talked about it with the same tone she uses when she’s going to swindle a lot of money from an unsuspecting poor fellow (read: Zoro), so maybe this isn’t much of a surprise at all.

The rules, pinned next to the spice cupboard and right under the dishwashing duty roster, are as follows:

A crew member must be picked whenever possible.

Only one name is to be given for each category.

If, and only if, one has come up with a legitimate reason not to pick a crew member, it has to be someone they’ve met, known, or at the very least, heard.

Choices are based on pure objective reasoning and any FUCK/MARRY shall not be interpreted as anything resembling interest or, worse, intention to pursue. This means you, Sanji.

The same applies to KILL. This means you, Zoro.

Individual answers are confidential and worth B500,000/answer, or 10% of your last loot, whichever is higher.*

*) Payments are to be made in cash to Nami.

Really, it shouldn’t have been a surprise at all. Sanji thinks he saw her eyes turn Berries-shaped. He personally thinks she still looks beautiful, and tells her as much.

She tells him this doesn’t excuse him from the game, and expects his answer by the end of the week.

+

3.

Sanji is the first victim by elimination — Chopper is out of the game because he is young, innocent and, ultimately, not human, Zoro is sleeping like the oaf he is, Luffy doesn’t seem to have figured out that the thing below his belt is useful for something other than peeing, and the others have left the ship to explore the newest island they’ve just docked at.

Sanji silently wishes the marines would start attacking them just so they could distract Nami and Usopp from the shitty game.

It’s not that Sanji wants to ruin what is — Nami’s expensive fine notwithstanding — ultimately some harmless fun. Sanji has never had problems going along with the crew’s antics, and between declaring war on the World Government and punching a royalty so hard they call a marine admiral after you, this one is far from outrageous by any means. He doesn’t think it’s physically possible for him to give Nami a no for an answer, either.

It’s just that... he doesn’t actually have an answer.

He’s a romantic person by nature. He likes to make everyone happy, and when that doesn’t work out, he likes to make everyone he gives a shit about happy. He does preen from the more... feminine attention, but between the bustling customers of Baratie, entering and leaving as they please, he never learned how to pick favorites.

Nami points at rule number two.

Usopp suggests he should just pick Zoro for MARRY, because they already fight like an old married couple anyways.

Sanji threatens to put Usopp under KILL and break the fifth rule, exactly in that order. Usopp has enough self preservation instinct to shut up really fast after that.

+

Brook has never heard of the game, which gives more credibility to the Usopp-Made-This-Game-Up Theory, but it’s not like there’s stopping them at this point, so Sanji fumes and glares, but in silence. Usopp smartly stays quiet.

Brook asks if Nami would show him her panties if he puts her under MARRY. Nami clocks him in the skull.

He settles on Zoro for MARRY.

“What,” Sanji says, stunned.

“Well, Zoro-san is a disciplined, reputable swordsman,” Brook explains, “and any decent swordsman would make a responsible husband.”

That...probably makes sense in Swordsman-Speak, or whatever language people like Zoro, who substitutes normal greeting with stabbing and slashing, speak in. Whatever. Sanji is civilized , and will not bother to even try to understand.

Brook can’t name anyone under KILL. He is, however, curious if anyone wants to pick him, considering he’s already dead, yohoho, skull joke!

Nami groans and hits his skull, again.

+

Franky has heard of the game, but he can’t pinpoint where he’s exactly heard it from, and Sanji suspects it’s from Usopp.

Franky also puts Zoro under MARRY. Franky is so not on Sanji’s list of favorite people today.

“Not you too,” Sanji groans, scandalized, because Brook is approximately a billion years old and therefore would understandably consider Zoro’s neanderthal values desirable, but Franky is, like, the future . Cyborgs are essentially sentient robots.

Franky shrugs. “He’s a super dude, his fights make great shanties, he can help me carry the ship materials —”

“ I can help you carry the ship materials,” Sanji interrupts, and wonders how his life has gotten to a point where he’s trying to compete with Zoro for Franky’s hand in marriage.

“ And ,” Franky presses, “he won’t chew me out for burping on the table after dinner.”

Sanji’s eyes twitch at that. Well. In sickness and health, sure, but that? That’s just barbaric.

“He’s a great dude who breaks the Sunny’s railings once a week,” Sanji points out, switching his strategy. If he can’t win, at least Zoro should lose, too.

His strategy backfires as Franky raises his eyebrow at him and asks, “Speaking of, didn’t you break the front railing yesterday?”

Franky puts Sanji on KILL for that.

Sanji considers smashing his feet through the railing again, just because he can.

+

Robin immediately picks Zoro for MARRY, because blah yadda blah bushido code, something something gentlemanly, yeah, yeah. Sanji mentally apologizes for tuning her out, but if he has to listen to beautiful Robin-chan talking about Zoro being a good husband, Sanji won’t be able to resist arguing, and that just won’t do. He isn’t about to question a lady’s decision, however irrational. Nobody’s perfect after all — not even Robin.

She also puts Zoro under KILL for ruining her flower bed last week when he accidentally dropped his oversized training weight (which is unnecessarily huge and totally an overcompensation for something ), and he falls for her all over again. Robin really is perfect.

She then tries to clarify whether normal Franky and Cyborg Franky count as one.

“Uh,” Nami says, confused, “would it even make a difference?”

“Nami,” Robin says as she leans forward, chin in hand and a mysterious smile playing on her lips, “the hands make all the difference.”

Robin puts Cyborg Franky under FUCK. Sanji blinks.

Usopp grimaces.

Nami has a distant look on her face, the kind of expression that guys wear when they witness other guys get hit in the nuts.

They pointedly don’t ask , and back away from the room slowly.

+

4.

The final tally is:

Sanji gets one flattering FUCK (he hasn’t found out from whom, and honestly, considering the available options of Usopp, Luffy and Nami, doesn’t want to take his chances), Robin gets two (Nami shiftily avoids everyone’s eyes for this one), Cyborg Franky gets one (Franky opens his mouth to question the specificity, turns beet red by his own realization, and promptly closes it), and Zoro gets one ( ew , is what Sanji would like to say, but Sanji is man enough to admit that Zoro can get it, considering those abs and deltoids he keeps flashing due to his unexplainable aversions to clothing. Fucking caveman).

Zoro gets a whopping five for MARRY.

That’s literally all the strawhats, minus Luffy (who probably doesn’t even know what marriage is), Chopper, Zoro himself, and Sanji.

What the actual fuck .

+

5.

Sanji succumbs to curiosity and pays Nami his ten percent.

Zoro put Sanji under KILL, he finds out.

It’s not a surprise. Hell, it’s the most predictable thing coming out of this game—the sky is blue, water is wet, and Zoro puts Sanji under KILL. Whatever. Sanji still hasn’t decided on his list quite yet, but he is certain he’d put Zoro under KILL, too.

Nami asks him if he wants to know what Zoro’s FUCK and MARRY are, and Sanji politely declines because he just doesn’t care which random chick Zoro wants to do the deed with and not because the way his stomach clenches oddly at the thought, really . It’s probably that beautiful marine lady that always tags along with Smoker — Tashigi-chan or something. Zoro always acts funny around her, even when the others never noticed. He’s an open book to Sanji like that.

Sanji walks away and doesn’t give it a second thought.

Bastard.

+

6.

He gave it a second thought.

And a third. And a fourth. And damn his shitty traitorous brain to hell, a fifth.

By the time lunch rolls around Zoro and Tashigi are married with a quaint little dojo at the foot of a mountain and blessed with three bespectacled, green-haired children Sanji can’t even bring himself to hate because they’d smile just so when their Uncle Sanji makes their favorite apple pie.

Not that there’s anything to hate. About Zoro and Tashigi-chan, that is. Well, there’s always something to hate about Zoro because he’s Zoro , and Sanji would probably nag him a little for receiving the affections from such a beautiful lady like Tashigi, but there’s absolutely nothing deplorable about the idea in general. They’d get along swimmingly anyways, probably spending hours and hours just talking about shitty swords and other sharp, pointy things as their three children play in their backyard overlooking a beautiful deep blue sea, the setting sun painting a warm backdrop on the wooden walls of their dojo.

He blinks as his train of thought crashes and derails into a nearby mental chasm.

He blinks again, just for good measure.

Holy fucking shit, he has a problem .

+

7.

“Marines!” Usopp yells from the crow’s nest, and Sanji wakes up, eyes still bleary, to three marine ships surrounding Sunny, cannons loaded and aimed towards the deck.

Be careful what you wish for, he feels like telling his past self.

He rushes to the deck to get a clearer view on their enemies, and hell , he’s convinced the universe finds pleasure in finding new ways to fuck him over because he sees Smoker on the helm of the largest marine ship.

And if there’s Smoker, there’s —

“Shit,” Zoro mutters from beside him, and Sanji only needs to follow his gaze to see Tashigi walk up towards the helm to stand beside Smoker. Because of course Zoro would notice her immediately. There are roughly a thousand marines on three of these galleons and she’s the first person Zoro sees. Great. Awesome. That would make a romantic story to tell their three green-haired children.

God damn it. His brain really needs to stop with the children already. He considers going for a check up with Chopper just for this.

A thousand bloodthirsty marines prove to be a good enough distraction from Zoro and Tashigi’s imaginary children, and soon Sanji is lost in the rhythm of the fight, almost enjoying it. He kicks a marine on the back of the head, does a spinning kick to immobilize another ten, and jumps aside to avoid a gunshot —

Only to find himself face to face with Tashigi.

“Black Leg —” Tashigi says, immediately taking a fighting stance, but Sanji is faster.

Before he knows it, he finds himself kicking the two guys guarding her, lifts and drives his right leg on her sword and into the cabin wall right beside her head, effectively pinning her to the wall. Sanji doesn’t kick women, would never harm a woman, but anything around her is fair game and he feels almost guilty for trying to wrestle a loophole in his own principle.

He needs to do this, though. He has to. She’s a marine, his enemy, a threat. And… there’s something he needs to know.

He blurts without thinking, “fuck, marry, kill. Who would you pick?”

Tashigi starts. “What?”

He thinks he’s blushing, but he figures if he wants to avoid embarrassment the ship has sailed a long time ago so he says, “out of the strawhats. If you had to choose, who would you fuck, marry and kill?”

Tashigi narrows her eyes and pulls harder on her sword. “Are you joking, pirate?!”

Sanji is stronger, though. He pushes her sword deeper into the wall. “I’m sorry, mademoiselle, but I don’t joke about this.”

Tashigi wears the expression of someone who wonders what kind of life decisions she’s made that has led her into this situation, which is something Sanji can relate with. “Well, fuck you , pirate. I’d kill you .”

That’s fair, Sanji supposes. “And marry?”

She opens her mouth, stops herself from saying at least three other different curses before turning an interesting shade of red.

She mumbles her answer.

“Yes, Tashigi-chan?”

“Don’t call me Tashigi- chan ,” she snarls, much louder, before muttering again, though Sanji can hear it this time, a low, shy, “well, that swordsman of yours did save my life back in Punk Hazard.”

Tashigi blushes brighter, and Sanji knows a lost cause when he sees one.

Zoro and Tashigi have four children this time in his head, three girls and one boy, and it sucks, so fucking unfair that everyone wants to marry Zoro, with his stupid hair and stupid face and stupid everything. What’s so good about him anyways? The moron doesn’t even have depth perception . He doesn’t deserve all these beautiful girls, wouldn’t even be able to cherish them and treat them with love like Sanji would.

Who’s to say that they would know him either? Zoro’s a moron , after all, and he probably only has, like, three sets of expressions. Sure, Sanji can read his tics, knows the way Zoro clenches and unclenches his left hand when he sees a potentially strong opponents, the way Zoro would rub the back of his neck when he’s embarrassed — but these girls don’t know that. He doesn’t think anyone knows that, and without knowing the real Zoro, how could they make him happy? Would they know how to find him when he gets lost? Would they cook him his favorite food every day? Would they love him as much Sanji does —

Wait.

Sanji pauses.

And.

Breathes.

Tashigi has started protesting now, demanding her swords to be returned now that she’s gone along with his ridiculous demands, but it all sounds so distant now, because.

He loves. Zoro.

Sanji inhales. Then exhales.

He loves Zoro .

He sees it again, the dojo at the foot of a hill overlooking the beautiful blue sea, but this time the dojo belongs to Zoro and him , and two of the four children have blonde hair, and the sea outside is All Blue. The imagination seems so vivid because somewhere along the line that has become his dream , a future he envisioned as clearly as finding All Blue and witnessing Luffy become a Pirate King.

Fuck, he’s in love with Zoro.

“Shit,” he says heartily. “I’m in love with Zoro.”

“What?” Tashigi says, perplexed. Sanji hopes it’s because she can’t hear him amidst the cacophony of gunfire, swords, and bodies hitting the floor.

He lowers his leg and steps back, still in shock by the revelation.

Tashigi is looking at him in confusion, or at least he assumes she does, because he’s no longer paying much attention to his surroundings. How could he, when he’s just come to such a huge revelation about himself, holy fucking hell he’s in love with Zoro —

A passing marine takes the chance and stabs a sword through his lungs.

+

8.

The last thing he remembers is choking on air, mentally laughing at the fucked up irony of living on a ship surrounded by endless seas just to meet his end by drowning on dry land. He thinks he saw flashes of metal, of Zoro’s stupid green hair and stupider face, torn apart between anger and concern, Sanji’s name for once stumbled out of his lips — but Sanji is pretty sure he imagined this last part up. He is a romantic fool like that.

He blinks himself awake to the familiar smell of Chopper’s infirmary, the oddly soothing mix of medicine and sweets. He tries to sit up as far as his bandaged torso would allow, and when he catches the orange of Nami’s hair his heart warms but doesn’t flutter. It hasn’t been, he realizes, for quite some time.

He really is in love with Zoro. God damn it.

“Sanji?” Nami says when their eyes finally meet, and she hurriedly stands up, “oh my god, you’re awake, I need to wake Chopper up, Chopper —”

“Don’t worry, Nami-san,” he says, catching her wrist just in time before she rushes out of his reach, “I’m fine. Let our doctor sleep for some time.”

“But,” she says, but it’s a token resistance at best, as she’s already sitting down again. She tugs his grip lightly at that — a small, playful movement — but he feels the pull reverberate through his arm and to his chest, jarring him into a coughing fit.

He thinks he’s coughed up both of his lungs before a glass of water touches his lips. It takes him a few gulps and a couple more deep breaths before he realizes Nami is rambling a guilty “oh my god, Sanji-kun, oh my god, I’m so sorry.”

He clears his throat and tries to give her his best smile, “please don’t apologize, Nami-san! A beautiful face like yours shall not be marred with unnecessary worries.”

Nami sighs, but it’s fond. “You were unconscious for a whole week,” she says, squeezing his shoulder, “let me fuss over you for a while.”

Sanji whips his head towards her in shock, mouth hanging open

“A week,” he echoes. No wonder he feels so sluggish. He thought it might have been the medicine, but apparently he danced far too near to the grim reaper than he was comfortable with.

His gaze drifts to take in more of the infirmary, afraid that he’s missed more important details like not remembering an entire week of his life . For the most part everything seems to be in place, large shelves filled with Chopper’s neatly-arranged medical books beside his work table, with complicated looking medical appliances situated more at the corner of the room, near the door. His gaze eventually falls on the small bedside table and he does a double take.

Zoro’s katanas — all three of them — are leaning against the foot of the table. Sanji frowns; it’s rare to see them without their owner, and rarer still to see them being parted with so voluntarily, away from the swordsman's sight.

“Yeah, Zoro was here,” Nami answers the unvoiced question as she notices what he’s been staring at, “been by your bedside all week, actually. We had a roster, just in case you —” Nami pauses at that, looks away and — did her voice waver at the end there? “You know. Anyway, didn’t even need the whole roster thing in the end because Zoro just wouldn’t leave. Stubborn man. Just his luck you woke up when he took a bathroom break; serves him right for growling at me when I offered him to switch on the first day. He looked like he was ready to gouge his remaining eye out and leave it in the infirmary if it meant keeping an eye on you, science be damned.”

Sanji blinks, again, at the story. There’s a weird tug at this chest. He lifts his hand up to touch it, and it feels warm, from the inside.

“It’s frankly kind of cute, how he’s been acting like a mother hen,” Nami continues, and her smile gains a mischievous edge as she adds, “or, you know, like a worried husband.”

Sanji wants to say something to that, but Chopper probably gave him some strong stuff because his tongue feels heavy and he can feel the strong pull of sleep dragging him back to unconsciousness.

He sees darkness at the edges of his vision, and doesn’t think at all as he says, “yeah, he would make a good husband,” and eyes already closed, he sees the house at the foot of the hill and mumbles, “I’d marry him.”

Chopper’s medicine really is strong.

+

9.

The next time Sanji opens his eyes, there’s a cottony rasp on the inside of his mouth and dread looming at the back of his mind. It’s reminiscent of days when they partied too hard and he drank one too many glasses of liquor, but worse , because he remembers every single word he said to Nami.

He considers asking Chopper on his stance on euthanasia.

It doesn’t help that the person sitting beside his bed is not the ever-beautiful, ever-wonderful Nami, but the last person he’d rather see after his accidental confession. He has no doubt that Nami has told Zoro everything — has told everyone everything — and while his body has mostly recovered from the injuries, he’s pretty sure he could still die from embarrassment.

He sits up on the bed, scrambling for an excuse, “Zoro —”

“You almost died,” Zoro interrupts before Sanji could even finish his sentence, and takes Sanji’s hand in his. “Don’t you dare do that again, Shit Cook.”

Sanji stares at their hands, and wonders if Chopper’s medicine is even stronger than he thought. “What does it mean to you?”

Zoro shrugs. “You know what,” he answers vaguely.

Sanji doesn’t , though. Zoro shifts in his seat, looking away, seemingly embarrassed by his own words, and Sanji is left wondering what the fuck is happening. Zoro is the type of person who gives brutally honest and oftentimes insensitive answers. He doesn’t give cryptic, vague answers — that’s more of Sanji’s department. “What?”

Zoro pulls his hand away, and Sanji hates how his own hand feels very cold all of a sudden. “You know. Our answers for Usopp’s stupid game.”

Sanji would rather take another sword to the chest than to continue with this conversation, so he does the cowardly thing and practically leaps out of the bed. “I’m not in the mood to talk about that.”

Zoro is faster, though — Sanji is blaming all the medicines in his bloodstream for his slow reaction — and manages to catch Sanji by the wrist. “Where are you going?”

“Away. Out.” He pats his pockets with his free hand, but doesn’t find his cigarettes, unsurprisingly. Fuck, he needs a smoke. “In case you forgot, I haven’t been out for a week from this shitty room.”

“Seriously?” Zoro growls in reply, tightening his grip. “That’s all you got to say? Didn’t you pay for my answers? Nami told me you — if that sea witch is lying again —”

“I told you not to call Nami-san like that,” he replies, almost instinctively, feeling more and more agitated by the turn of the conversation. “What the fuck are you talking about, brainless mosshead.”

Zoro glowers at him, face oddly serious. “Did you or did you not get my answers for the stupid game?”

Sanji is going to lose it. Is Zoro seriously trying to rub this whole thing in his face? The fact that Sanji wants to marry him, even after knowing Zoro only puts him under kill? Knowing that Zoro doesn’t find him desirable in any way, that he’d prefer having three wonderful well-mannered kids with a beautiful marine lady?

“You put me under KILL!” He yells, unable to stop himself. “If this is your way of telling me you want to kill me, drop it. Way too roundabout for your style, Marimo. And just in case you’re wondering, no, I didn’t bother to find out who you want to fuck. Or marry.” He looks away, trying not to choke on his own heart. “Happy?”

Zoro’s eyes widen comically at that, and he loosens his grip on Sanj’s wrist in surprise; Sanji doesn’t miss the chance and kicks him on the chest.

Zoro flies out of the infirmary through the door with a satisfying bang , and Sanji relishes his victory for a moment before growing reluctantly concerned as Zoro doesn’t get up from that. Surely he didn’t kick him that hard, did he? He jogs towards the dust-covered body on the deck, and finds Zoro with his head in his hand, mouth twisting into a hysterical laughter.

“Stupid cook,” Zoro says as soon as Sanji’s close enough to hear him, “are you jealous?”

Sanji growls, and pointedly doesn’t blush. “I’m going to kill you.”

When Zoro drops his hand and looks up, he doesn’t look like he’s making fun of Sanji, though. He looks surprised, and even almost… hopeful? “You are jealous.”

Sanji has about a thousand retorts to that, but all of them die in his lips as Zoro tugs him down by the hand, pulling him to crouch right in front of Zoro. Their faces are really close like this, and Sanji can’t look away.

“Cook,” Zoro says when Sanji doesn’t say anything, “Nami said you put me under your MARRY. Is that true?”

Sanji refuses to answer, but the way he looks away and blushes like a fourteen-year-old is probably a good enough answer for Zoro. Zoro laughs, tightens his grip on Sanji’s wrist and pulls him into a kiss.

Sanji’s life needs to have fewer twists before he dies from heart attack at the tender age of twenty-one.

When they part, Zoro doesn’t lean away; presses their foreheads together instead, his hand large and warm on the nape of Sanji’s neck. There’s a big grin plastered across Zoro’s flushed face, the kind that Sanji only sees whenever the swordsman comes across an alcohol he likes, or wins a particularly hard fight, or — as Sanji begins to understand, heart hammering in his chest like it’s trying to escape — whenever Zoro is really, really happy, apparently. And to think that Sanji is the one who puts that smile on Zoro’s face —

“I put you under MARRY, you dumbass,” Zoro says, though his insult doesn’t carry much weight, considering the stupid grin still wouldn’t leave his face. “Put you under everything , Cook. Kill, fuck, marry — the whole deal. Because that’s how far you’ve messed me up — you idiot, stupid, annoying, oblivious Shit Cook,” he presses another kiss, chaste and light and all too quick, leaving tingling sensations on Sanji’s lips. “I am in love with you.”

The words rattle against Sanji’s ribcage, his heart threatening to burst from his chest. His face feels warm all over, and he’d look away, except for the fact that Zoro’s hands are gently cupping his face, thumb rubbing absentmindedly against Sanji’s cheek.

“You’d make the shittiest husband ever,” Sanji tells him, because Zoro might be the love of his life — and ain’t that a thought that could make his heart miss a couple of beats — but he still wouldn’t miss a chance to tease Zoro.

“Yeah.” Zoro simply agrees at that, laughing softly. “I’d be your shittiest husband, though.”

Sanji doesn’t find a reason to argue with that, heart jackrabbiting against his chest, and simply leans for another kiss.

+

10.

By unanimous decision, and with some heavy censorship by replacing FUCK with SLEEP, they decided that Chopper is at least old and human enough to know what’s going on with the game.

“I’m not happy at all that you decided to finally include me in the game, bastard!” Chopper said with a happy wiggle, his hooves clapping together excitedly.

He puts Zoro under SLEEP. Literally. Chopper thinks Zoro makes a great pillow, and a great sleeping partner because he doesn’t move around.

Chopper purses his lips at MARRY.

“The idea of human marriage is still foreign to me,” he says, explaining his silence, “there are too many factors involved in human marriage. For us reindeers, all we look for in a mate is one who can provide us food.”

As if on cue, Zoro throws a large fish onto the deck. There are three large slashes on its belly, crossing through its gills.

Chopper picks Zoro for MARRY.

Sanji resists the urge to bash his head repeatedly on the ship mast, and doesn’t go through with it only because Zoro leans in and steals a kiss from him, effectively blocking his path.

Bastard. Shittiest husband ever .

[goldblcd]

yes, i’m joining the trend and after of promising, i finally have something that resembles a plot list. i’ve also added links to each of my character’s intros, their pinterest, and a status page. take a look and see if any of these fit your character and if none do hmu anyway and we can come up with something else. like this and i’ll come message you on tumblr, react to it on discord ( calvin and hobbes#5021) if you’d rather i message you there. or you can just message me anywhere !

❛    𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒓.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎    ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒   ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

BROMANCE: yes! please, give him a best friend he can be cute with and have teenagers they’ve never seen in their lives shipping them. they probably met when they were much younger? during one of arthur’s summers in town and remained close friends even 30 years later. 

POKER BUDDIES: we need to have some weekly poker nights for the parents. that is a must. so come bring some people that would be interested in that. ╱ dante armstrong & .

FRIENDS: that’s it. give him friends that will help him get out of this funk. maybe someone who realizes he’s drinking a little too much and is like ‘brooo’.

SIBLING LIKE: they’ve known each other for as long as they can remember, maybe even family friends and act more like family than anything else.

ISABELLA’S FRIENDS: someone who was more isabella’s friends than his and mourned her loss almost as much as the family did and is always checking on them because that’s what she would have wanted. 

NEIGHBORS: i still don’t know who the faulkner’s neighbors are so give us some! they live in some huge estate so wouldn’t be too close to each other but still close enough and i’d love that. 

FELLOW DOG PARENTS: they started hanging out because their dogs met at the park and fell in love so now they meet pretty much daily and just sit there talking and having coffee while the doggos go crazy. ( could also be a club lol )

THE STAN: just someone who is a huge fan and probably already have 90 selfies him and is always trying to get him talk about his part works and whatnot. 

ASSISTANT: listen, arthur probably needs one of these okay. so if anyone is looking for a job babysitting a movie star, he is hiring. also, any cooks around? he is also hiring!

PAST SUMMER FLING: he already has one, but considering he would spend most of his summer in ashcroft, he could have more. it could have even escalated into a relationship that didn’t work because it was long distance and they were too young for that. 

❛   𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏 𝒋𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒛𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎   ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒    ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

BEST FRIEND: ben is in desperate need of a best friend. you know, that one best friend that is inseparable, they probably visited ben abroad when he was traveling. the one the whole family knows to be the best friend and who has been around the house so much that they might as well be family by now. ╱ ariel vega.

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS: kids who grew up with him and now too much about him. they have a life time of memories together and when they all get together is like they’re still twelve and soft. 

CONFIDANT: these two are all about spilling their hearts out to each other. originally when something goes wrong, you can be assured that these two are together. they can go to rooftops and just talk or not say anything at all and just allow the other to be, no questions, no explanations.

FRIENDS WHO USED TO HATE EACH OTHER: they don’t remember why the hated each other but throughout their childhood they could not stand each other, but thankfully time is a thing and they grew up. these day they’re super close and still laugh about the not so friendly pranks they’d play on each other. 

SHADOW: someone who is interested in photography and enjoys following him around when he’s working. ben doesn’t mind giving them some tips and talking styles and techniques with them.   

HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART: pretty self-explanatory, these two dated pretty much of all of their high school years, but when it came time for college they couldn’t make it work. they are still close and care about each other deeply. they will always have the special place of being his first girlfriend no matter what. maybe one of them could still have some lingering feelings that they’re ignoring or just don’t want to go there? ╱ nadine alston.

ONE SIDED CRUSH: this person and ben have had a harmless flirtationship going on for quite some time. to ben, it was nothing more than friends playing around, but unknown to him, this person is actually harboring a proper crush on him for some time now.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN: in another life, these two could have been together and make the perfect couple. they are close friends and although they both try to deny it there is a lot of chemistry and feelings between the two. but there has always been something in the way of anything happening between them, the timing was never right. ╱ pia lively.

FIRSTS: this is the girl who was ben’s first. maybe they weren’t even together at the time, but just friends who were curious and thought the other was hot and trusted them enough to explore their sexuality together. they could still hook up sometimes or just have that connection.

HOOKUPS: past and present just bring them! ben is young and he’s single so have at it!

❛   𝒍𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒋𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒊𝒊.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎   ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒    ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

THE SQUAD: pretty simple! give me the kids he hangs with. much like him, they like enjoying themselves and having fun, but when push comes to shove they will always be there for each other. these babies are as good as family for leo. 

BROTP: they are the ultimate brotp. always around each other and have each other’s back unconditionally. i love the idea of them being super domestic and comfortable around each other. sharing clothes? sleeping over all the time? ready to bury a body with the other. check. check. check. probably one of the only people who can see through leo’s shit.  basically, give me this! ╱ max lockhart.

CHILDHOOD FRIEND: leo and this person grew up together and have known each other since diapers. when they were just little babies they would tell anyone and everyone that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. they’ve since grown up but they remain as close as ever. ( might have even tried something until they realized nope. )

PLATONIC SOULMATE: give me best friends who have a lot of chemistry, to the point where people think they’re together and they do all these things that would be considered couple things but are like ‘nope’ whenever people say they should get together. leo trusts them a lot and he knows he can talk to them about anything and not be judged. they just have an easy relationship and love each other, but not like people think

TEAM MATES: leo has been qb 1 for the football team since his junior year and has been playing varsity since his sophomore year. he’s good. and i’d love to have some of his jock friends, they were even state champs this year. he also plays ice hockey and lacrosse, so even more teammates!

THE BAD INFLUENCE:give leo someone he can be a bad influence on. someone who is innocent and good and soft and gets involved with leo. he won’t entirely ruin them, but he will take them to parties, get them drunk and all that good stuff teenagers are known for. 

THE BROKEN HEART/FRIENDZONED: leo is oblivious to this, but the character is someone who had his heart broken by leo. i like the idea that they were always friends and they had a crush on him ( could be a past thing ) but he unknowingly friendzoned them and broke their heart. 

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS: he already has one, but i think he could have another one. just friends who hook up and haven’t blurred the lines between the physical and emotional connection. it’s easy in a very no-strings-attached sort of way, but it doesn’t mean they don’t care about each other as friends. 

THE ENEMY WITH BENEFITS: they say they don’t like each other and are constantly bickering and giving each other shit, but they’re also very keen on each other when they’re alone and naked. 

EX-GIRLFRIEND: actually an ex-girlfriend he’s on good terms with. they were together maybe freshman or sophomore year and it didn’t last long and it ended but they remained friends and she’s still one of his favorite persons in the world. 

❛   𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒐 𝒋𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒐.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎   ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒    ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

UNEXPECTED FRIENDS TURNED LOVERS: they are opposites he’s a kid with nothing who’s abrasive and cautious and they’re the good kid that has everything. somehow, they struck up a friendship and they’re the one who’s always trying to see the best in him. i would love to run this into something more. ╱ ava faulkner. 

ART BUDDIES: mateo loves to draw. he doesn’t show it to anyone, but loves to do it and is actually really good at it. not that he thinks that or that he would believe if anyone told him that. but art is his favorite class and he was even convinced to join the illustration club. give him some friends who are also into that.

SKATEBOARDING BUDDIES: catch him skateboarding and smoking at the skatepark ( do we have one of those ). it’s probably a very chill friendship and it can get him to relax a bit. 

THE PERSISTENT FRIEND: mateo has tried to get rid of his person pretty much for as long as he’s been in ashcroft, but they keep coming around. checking on him, bringing coffee, starting conversations when he just wants to be alone and let his anxiety drive him crazy. he says he’s annoyed but he’s growing soft.

THE PROTÉGÉ: mateo is a tough soft boy who has been protecting himself since he was ten, and he has a soft spot for people who can’t protect themselves. give me someone who is maybe naïve and pure and he can’t let it be and has to protect them.

LOVE/HATE: they don’t entirely hate each other, but they’re right on the line. one minute they’re having a friendly conversation the next they’re bickering non stop. sometimes you can tell the two care about each other, but the next it looks like they’re about to go for each other’s throats. 

GOOD INFLUENCE: i just need someone to be a good influence on him and try to get him to actually open up and relax enough to be a kid for more than 10 minutes at a time. someone who can at least try to prove to him that he’s not as damaged and far past the point of salvation like he think he is.  

THE HOOK UP: he has a lot on his mind, but he must have gone to a couple of parties even if he pretended to hate it the whole time. and he is the mysterious new kid, give him someone he hooked up with. are they ignoring the whole thing? did that bring them close? 

TUTORS: mateo dropped out in 8th grade and the only reason he didn’t get put in freshman year was because he refused, but he’s only taken 2-3 months of class this school year and will have to retake sophomore year. he needs tutors to help him get caught up with things. not that he’d be the one asking for help. ╱ holland faulkner &.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: someone who recognizes him from before he came to ashcroft. it could be some cop that picked him up at some point or maybe someone who bought drugs from him. they just make him anxious because it’s a reminder that he’s not far from everything. 

[canonsuponheadsonepiece]

Sex Ed à la Grandline!

Description: Luffy asks Shanks and his crew where children come from. Genre: Humor —————-

It all began so innocent. A quiet day- as quiet as a day with a loudly drunken pirate crew can be- a few destroyed chairs, four, maybe five shattered bottles, just one fight and some harmless screaming… it rarely is that peaceful. Shanks played with his half empty bottle on the counter, eyeing the wet, roundish marks it left. He admitted, that he almost bored himself. “AND IF I TELL YOU, I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES! WITH MY OWN EYES, I SWEAR-“ “NEVER” “NO WAY” “I NEVER HEARD SO MUCH SHIT OUT OF SOMEONES MOUTH-“ “SHIT??! I’LL SHOW YOU WHAT’LL COME OUT OF YA MOUTH ONCE I’M FINISHED, YOU DIRTY LIL-“ “YES??! GO ON!” Shanks moved a bit to the side, dodging the flying beer bottle and for a short moment he contemplated if he should climb onto the next table and do his job as a captain to keep them calm. But not because the noise annoyed him (they weren’t even at their best yet) but simply because he finally had something to do. But he decided, while another bootle flew over his head, he felt way too lazy to move- and climbing into a table was undoubtedly something that required a minimum of movement- something he didn’t felt like doing. “HEH?! HEH?! WHAT DO YOU SAY NOW, YOU LITTLE DIRTY-“ “BE HAPPY I DIDNT STUFF YOUR FACE YOU MOTHERF-“ Behind him shattered some wood. Apparently there was a beautiful fight forming and he is too lazy to turn around. It can’t stay like that! “Benn.” He moved his head a few inches, just enough to see his vice who sat a few meters away in a corner. The usual unmoved expression and a cigarette in the corner of his mouth. Raising his eyebrows- letting his emotionless expression change to an almost questioning one. What? “Where’s the little boy?” For a moment it seemed like Benn didn’t knew who was meant but everyone who spent years with him knew, that was never the case. Benn always knew. Shanks thought for a second, that his vice just thought about all the possibilities to answer him without actually opening his mouth. “Outside.” Shanks giggled. He probably couldn’t think of a way. “Where outside?” “Outside.” “Ah.” “Just across the street, if you want to know exactly.” “Ah.” “...” “And what’s he doing there?” “Captain, i don’t want to be rude but...how about you’d just turn around? You’ll see him perfectly through the window.” Shanks just moved his hand, which could have meant everything and nothing at the same time. “Don’t want to.” Benn rolled his eyes. Shanks would’ve seen it as extremely rude but for Benn Beckman, it was a clear sign of him being perfectly amused. “Aye, Capt’n.” “So?” “I don’t know, he… is sitting there and starring at the sky…” It bothered Shanks. “And why in God’s name is he doing that?” Nonchalantly shrugging. “Ask him?” “Ungh…” Asking that brat meant he had to stand up and leave the bar and even walk to the other side of the street. Again. Anyways, why’s that child not here? On the barstool next to him, loud and annoying, with a thousand questions and a thousand self made answers, a glass of juice and three times more self esteem than what’s considered healthy for someone his size- so why wasn’t he here, where he’s supposed to be? “Get him.” Benn frowned. “What?” “Get him here.” Shanks emptied his bottle in one go and pointed to the barstool next to him. “There.” He clarified. He only got a loud huff for an answer, not sure if it sounded annoyed or amused. “Hey, you!” Benn sat up straight and Shanks assumed one of the fighting pirates reacted to his command. “Go and tell our little boy that our captains wants to see him.” He didn’t even ask who was our “little boy”. Everybody knew Luffy. Everybody loved Luffy. Everybody did in their own crude, drunken but honest way. The loud bang of the bars’ door drowned in the chants of intoxicated pirates and wrongly sung Binks Sake. Someone softly took the bottle out of his hand and gave him a new one. He raised his head. “Hm?” Makino smiled quietly. “Hm.” He started opening the bottle in an all too familiar motion. The bar stool next to him rattled and a black haired boy let himself fall onto the seat. Shanks happily turned away from Makino and eyed the boy on his right. “Morning, little brat.” “I’m not little!” “How about you also say hello?” “Maybe I don’t want to anymore!” “Just maybe?” “I don’t want to say hello to you!” “Ah.” Awkward silence. “You know… pirates also need to be polite. If you want to join my crew, a nice “good morning Captain!” Has to come…” Someone behind him fell hysterically laughing onto the floor. A glass shattered again. “Ouuu...shit!” Shanks stifled his laughter at the reaction and stayed serious. Them and polite, a good joke! Luffy still fell for it. “Gooood moooorning captain”, sang the boy with the most innocent face he could muster. “Way better.” Shanks gave him a tired grin and Luffys face lit up. “Are you drunk?” The question came with way more enthusiasm than expected for a child his age. “Remember, boy. He’s always drunk.” Yasopp crossed his legs, now sitting on a table, feeling like he needs to join the conversation. “And proud of it!” Shanks raised his beer in one swift motion- the first really active thing he did today- And clinked his bottle with a passing guy. His bottle being almost empty didn’t interested him the slightest once he put it on his lips. “Hello Luffy.” The angle from the other side of the counter appeared. “What would you like to drink?” His face became deadly serious:”Rum” Making smiled. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. You get some orange juice, okay?” “I’d get it anyways, wouldn’t I?” She winked at him:”I think so.” “Okay…” he crossed his arms and pouted:” Mrs Makimoto got really fat. I saw her today.” That’s typical for the boy. He couldn’t and wouldn’t insult Makino for not giving him what he wanted, but someone had to face his wrath. “Fat women?”, Lucky Roux yelled from the back,” you should forget fat women, they’re no good, little man!” Everybody nodded their head in agreement “There on men: AMEN!” “You can’t say it loud enough!” “True!” Makino smiles at their charmless reaction. “Listen Luffy…” she put the juice in front of him,”Mrs Makimoto hasn’t gotten fat, and anyways, it’s really rude to say such a thing, she is just pregnant.” The boy frowned:”pregnant?” “Pregnant.”, Shanks confirmed. His deep voice overflowing with conviction, even though he didn’t even knew who Mrs Makimoto was. “Pregnant…” repeated Luffy and after a short pause, “Can...can you eat that?” The whole crew broke into laughter. “Try it, boy.”, Yasopp grinned like no other,” Just try it!” “Luffy.”,Makino looked at the boy,” pregnant means, that Mrs Makimoto gets a baby.” “She…”, the boys face contoured in a strange way of pure concentration,” That means...ahhhh. I know!” “That’s what I want to hear!”, Shanks slapped his shoulder comradely, “finally understood everything?” “OF COURSE!”, Luffy proudly grabbed his chest, “I’m not stupid.” Shanks grinned and moved the bottle back to his lips. It is only his fifth after waking up, he’s far behind his normal dose! “Say...Shanks...?” “Mmh?”, he blubbered with beer filling his mouth. “...do I have to become fat too once I’m pregnant?” At that moment Shanks suddenly felt like choking. “Ugh…” He probably choked a whole two minutes to get the alcohol out of his lungs, before being able to breath again. “You won’t get pregnant, Luffy.”, explained Yasopp calmly while Lucky Roux is still trying to prevent their captain from choking, even though he already stopped… “No need to panic.” “Oh…”, the boy reached for his juice,”sure?” “A 100% boy, I’ll bet my life on it.” “Uhhh…”, he took a sip,” and why won’t I ?” Nobody answered. Luffy looked at Yasopp, who suddenly seemed to be interested in the floor, before starring at Lou who was still hitting Shanks back. “Why not?” Silence. “Shanks?” “Ehm…”, Shanks scratched his neck, “Well...little boy…” He looked around, stopping at Makinos amused face. “Could you help me?” “I?”, she raised her hands,” why me? This sounds like a talk under real men. Am I Right, Luffy?” He nods enthusiastically-even though he didn’t even know what everything was about. She smiled oh so innocently at Shanks, Schadenfreude evident on her face,” Then start, my beloved pirates- please tell Luffy why he won’t be pregnant anytime soon.” Shanks started at her for a few seconds, before his brain even understood what she just said. “Fuck it…”, he mumbled while emptying his bottle. Not even five minutes ago his biggest problem was, if he even managed to lift himself from the stool back to his ship, and now? Now he’s sitting here, with a vice who didn’t had that much fun in a while and two giggling commanders. How was he supposed to tell a little brat like Luffy with big innocent eyes about the birds and bees? It doesn’t happen often but at this moment he hated himself for not having given into his laziness and spent the day sleeping. Yasopps smile grew to an almost scary size:” so... captain...show us what you can do…” “Okay…”, Shanks took a deep breath and waited until Luffy concentrated on him, “now listen… a priest goes into a pub and he sees a blonde, a brunette and a black haired-“ ~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~ “What’s with the rum?”, Shanks opened the door to the bar a bit and raised his voice. “Makino?” “I’m on my way!” He felt way too sober for this. Makino has put him and Luffy together with Benn, Yasopp and Lou into the now empty storage room, after listening to the end of his- to be honest not really family friendly- joke with a growing frown. According to her, they had to stay in there until Luffy knew, that not storks and neither mermaids brought babies. The boy seemed to have the time of his life though. He crouched on one of the shelves-at about the height of Shanks shoulders, who sat on the floor leaning against a wall- letting his legs dangle looking at the men with big eyes, like they’re about to tell him the biggest secret in the world. Yasopp sat in front of them, Lou shared the corner with glasses filled with pickles and Benn leaned with crossed arms against the door (as nonchalant as always). “Okay…”, said Shanks, stressing each syllable, “Gentlemen? Does someone want to start?” He only faced silence. What an ungrateful crew he had, they don’t even know when to help their captain! “Why are we sitting here?” Starts Luffy,” Why’s Makino making such a fuss?” “Well, little boy”, Yasopp sat up,” we’re here because of something really important. Something that’ll change your life forever.” The eyes of the boys lit up,” something secret?” “Something top secret.”, Lou smirked,”secret for all little brats like you. But you’re lucky, because we’ll tell you. But only because you said such a polite “good morning” to our captain!” “Cool!” Again, silence. “So.”, Luffy pleated, “ What is it?” “Look.”, said Shanks, who somehow felt obligated to direct the conversation into a not so bizarre direction,” You know...that little children don’t fall from the sky, right?” Luffy started at him visibly shocked:” of course I know!” “Okay, well...then-“ “Because little children are just grown up babies- that’s how it is!” So far, so bad. Lou almost choked and mumbled something about “him not being wrong” into his nonexisting beard. “Ehm...right. But do you also know that babies don’t fall from the sky?” Luffy tilted his head. “They don’t?”, he asked innocently. “They don’t.”, Benn said with his monotonous voice and deep down, Shanks felt grateful for his interjection-even if it wasn’t all too helpful. “Exactly.”, began Shanks again,” and that’s why… ahem… Mrs Makimoto is pregnant, do you understand?” The boy frowned. “So you want to say..”, he sounded like he didn’t believe anything, ”...that this dumb cow is carrying a baby in her fat belly? A BABY?!” “Yeah.” His brain started rattling. Shanks already expected he would just proclaim that he didn’t believe a word, but Shanks seemed to be wrong. “That’s dope!”, Luffys expression changed between “fascinated” and “unbelievable”. “That means she won’t stay fat?” “No.”, explained Benn patiently,” after some time the child doesn’t want to stay there and wants to go outside.” The eyes of the boy lighted up:” and then they cut her open.”, added Luffy eagerly. “What?!”, Shanks stared at him perplexed, “Why in the whole world would they do that?!” “But how’s the baby supposed to get out, Captain-Know-it-all? Mmh?!” “Stupid question.”, blurted Shanks before thinking about what he’s about to say,” it gets born, that’s obvious! Cutting open the mom, for God’s sake…!” He only realized his tactical mistake once six eyes tried to burn holes into him. “What does that mean, “Being Born”?” Suddenly Shanks knew what he just maneuvered into. “That, ehm...means, that a child come into our world.” “Of course.”, Ruffy started at him in disbelief,” and how does it do it?” “Yeah, Captain”, Yasopp sounded way too amused for his tastes,” how is it supposed to come out?” “It’s easy…”, he played with his hands while searching for the right words,” the...ehm, the mother...knows when the child wants to come out...ehm…” He threw an irritated look at the group, They could at least try to help him. But nobody felt the need to say something. “And the mother lets the baby outside?”, Luffy really tried to learn from Shanks mumbling. Lou sounded like he tries not to choke, while Benn stayed as calm as always:”Exactly.” His eyebrows furrowed:”she can do that?” “Yes.”, hurried Shanks, “yes she can do it. Period.” “Oh, this one just came to my mind.”, interrupted Yasopp, “goes a pregnant women on a bike to the doctor and-“ “Not now.”, growled Shanks- because on one hand he already knows the joke by heart and on the other hand because he wanted to end this conversation, before venturing into dangerous waters. “Okay, Okay.”, Yasopp raises his hands:” how ‘bout this one: four nuns go to heaven and Petrus asks them-“ “Yeah, Yeah.”, Shanks interrupts him,”haha, funny. Everybody laughed. I-“ “Shanks?” Luffy again. “What now?” “So, Mrs Makimoto has the baby in her belly-“ “Exactly.” “But… how-how did it get in there?” “Arghh…!” It happened. It happened and he wanted to throw this topic under the carpet. “Yess Captain… how did the baby get in there?” Suddenly Shanks felt like he needed to choke Yasopp with his bare hands. But instead he looked back at the boy. “It grew in there!” “Just like that?” “Yes. Just like that.” That’s his chance for an easy escape. “But it’s a bit more complicated though. I don’t even want to know when your last time was, Captain, if you don’t even remember the details.” Threw Lou into the conversation, earning an angry stare. “What details?”, Luffy exclaimed with his interest peaking, “Shanks, What kind of details?” Shanks glared at his two commanders with a starte that’s left his enemies shaking. These drunken, useless, ungrateful…! “So Luffy, Listen: in order for a women to get a baby she needs a bit of...ehm...help beforehand.” “Help?”, the boy tilted his head,”help from whom?” Lou raised himself to his full size despite the pickles blocking his way:”help from a man.” Benn smirked and leaned his head against the wood. “And there was light.” “Heeeehhh?”, Luffy visibly confused,” From a man? Why? What does a man has to do with it?” ~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~ “NO!”, explained Shanks for for the fifth time,”the man does not stuff the baby in there!” You could hear a quiet cough from Yasopp. “But...to be honest… somehow, he does.” “Shut up.”, hissed Shanks. He could explode. He thought of himself as a relaxed man. As far as he’s concerned, he even annoyed the whole world with it- for example when he stayed calm in moments where a bit more concern had its advantages. But at the moment he didn’t feel even the slightest bit of calmness, and what was even worse, he wasn’t even the slightest bit drunk- as if the rum came in no time! The unusual soberness probably fueled his bad mood- “How’s it supposed to work then?” -either that or it’s the fault of this little black haired gnome, who still tries to argue about 8000 years of evolution. “Please god!”, he ripped the straw hat from his head and ran through his hair. “In the name of the seven seas, please help me!” With no immediate reaction he threatened,” this wasn’t a plea.” Yasopp threw a doubting look at him. “Okay…”, he began, hesitating,”well...the thing is…” Lou interrupted him,” I have a comparison for you, boy.” He grinned facing his triumph. “Imagine it as a cooking pot.” A despising huff came from the door. “Ehm…”, Shanks didn’t sounded all too intelligent, “Ehm...what?” “Shhhh.”, hissed Luffy annoyed,” shut up Shanks!” He seemed to be really interested,” What is with the cooking pot?” Lou opened his arms-“imagine.” Throwing in a pause for drama,”...you want to cook something.” “I can’t cook.” Admitted Luffy, irritating Lou for a moment. “Ehm… well, okay, your problem. Still imagine it, okay?” “Aye, aye.” “Good boy… so, when you want to cook something, then everything is supposed to taste good in the end, right?” Luffy nodded eagerly:” I like meat.” Lou waved him off,”whatever… anyways, it’s the same with babies. You need... ehm… certain ingredients to get something good, you understand? Metaphorically speaking… you take a bit of water, a bit of garlic-which you get from the women- and a bit of milk- which you get from the man and then you need a pinch of salt… stir everything, heat it- et voilà! The soup is finished!” He looked at the group searching for recognition, “almost like it is with humans. Remember boy- everything’s like cooking. Only that you’ll burn your fingers more easily…” ~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~ It remained silent for a few seconds. “You…”, observes Benn objectively,” You...just compared human intercourse with cooking garlic soup.” “Yes, and? My comparison fits!” “You…”, repeated Shanks and moved his head back to its place,” You just said fucking is like cooking soup.” “Ehm…”, said Lou hesitating a bit,” again, yes. Yes i did.” Silence fillend the little pantry. Suddenly Shanks started rolling on the floor, filling the room with his hearty laugh. Yasopp jerked upwards, startled by Luffy joining into Shanks laughter. He may not know what’s so funny, but if Shanks thinks it’s funny enough to laugh, it was reason enough- not to mention his problem with staying serious once someone laughs. Outside Makino stopped at the door suprised, before quietly grinning and throwing another shattered glass into the bin. ~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~ It took a whole 10 minutes for Shanks and Luffy to chatch their breaths again. At the same time the seating changed. Yasopp is now sitting on the shelf, Lou’s sitting on the only wooden box he could find, Benn moved down the door and Shanks is now laying across the room- Luffy sitting cross-legged on his broad chest. “So”, summarized he,” Babies grow in the belly of women and they only get there if a men helps them beforehand, right?” Shanks laughed again,” perfect, Luffy!” Yasopp rubbed his hands together,” wonderful! That’s it, I guess we can leave now.” “Shanks?” “What now?” “This whole...soup-story with the baby only works when a men helps a women?” “Yes.” “Does it also work the other way around?” “I doubt it, Luffy.” “Ahh…” “But.”, mumbled Benn absentmindedly, “actually… everyone can try to make a baby. It won’t work, but you can try…” Shanks shifted onto his elbows, trying not to shove Luffy off of him. “How...everyone?” Benn looked up and seemed to have waken up from his deep thoughts. “Well… everyone can.” “Also two men? For example?” A cough from the corner with the pickles filled the room for a second. Every human would’ve turned red with three pairs of eyes starring at them, saying: What the…? But Benn just looked at the wooden floor beneath him, before clearing his throat and giving an almost-smile to Luffy. “I said everyone, little boy… and that’s exactly what I meant.” “Hm.” Luffy seemed to be completely content with the world now- something Shanks and the others didn’t necessarily share. “Tell us, Benn…”, started Lou,” There… isn’t something you want to tell us, right?” Now it’s Benn who’s looking perplexed. “What?” He jumped up to his feet, searching for words, “WHAT?! You...damn! Y’all lost your minds! I-“, he noticed the amused faces. “That were just theories! All theoretically possible answers! Theoretically, understand?” The urge to beat their stupid smirks out of their faces rose. “The child has the right to be informed and anyways-“ “Of course.”, Shanks grinned, “we understand, theoretically.”, he winked at his vice. “Come on Benn, nobody will judge you! You can always-“, he bit his lip suppressing a smile,”... you can tell us everything. You can tell me everything, ol’ buddy- no secrets anymore, how ‘bout that? You don’t even have to-“ “Argh, shut up, you drunk idiots!”. Benn reached for the door nob,”this is like a kindergarten!” “I’m sober, so please watch your mouth!” Yelled Shanks after him, before he shut the door. ~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~ Makino polishes the counter, dodging flying glasses from time to time, before they’d hit the wall. Benn was sitting in his corner again, cigarette hanging from his lips, Yasopp and Lou followed his way. She carefully poured some rum into Shanks glass and there he was- the door of the storage room opened and Shanks marched out of it. Deeply bending under the doorway, so Luffy wouldn’t hit his head sitting on his shoulder. “So.” He announced loudly and in a matter of seconds the whole bar fell quiet. “NOW WHERE’S MY RUM?” She smiled and pointed at the counter. Loud shouts filled the background again, Shanks fell back onto his barstool and Luffy climbed back into ‘his’. The orange juice still untouched. The boy drank like he didn’t drink anything for week, Shanks doing the same next to him, making Makino smile. “So?”, she asked Luffy curiously,” how did it go? Did you learn anything?” The boy nodded, his mouth filled with juice. The glass now empty. She grinned,”tell me.” He gulped down the rest and answered:” women can let their child out of their belly and Benn wants to cook garlic soup with another man.” And this was the second time Shanks terribly choked. End ————- A/N: I just couldn’t stop me from translating this masterpiece. It’s way funnier in german but I tried my best haha… I just had difficulties translating the whole “Kindergarten” stuff and the infamous “na?”-“na.” But I think it could’ve been worse. If you know german please check out the original author, she has even more stories that deserve some recognition!

Author: S_ACD on Animexx

[weerd1]

Star Trek DS9 Rewatch Log, Stardate 1909.03: Missions Reviewed, “Blaze of Glory,” Empok Nor,” “In the Cards,” and “Call to Arms.”

“Blaze of Glory” has Sisko receive a coded message intercepted by the Klingons sent from the Badlands.  It would seem to be a last ditch effort by the Maquis. The message is meant for “Michael” whom Sisko believes to be Michael Eddington, and talks about a missile strike launched as a last ditch effort against Cardassia. Sisko goes to Eddington’s prison, and brings him along to find out the story of the missiles. 

 Eddington tells him he has no real desire to cooperate, and after all, they would need to go to the launch site to stop them. Sisko convinces them to take him there, and after some tense close calls with the Jem’Hadar, they get to the base. They find out the Dominion is already there.  Slowly infiltrating in, they initially find a group of Maquis corpses, but in the main launch room about a dozen survivors, including Eddington’s wife Rebecca. 

The entire set up was a code to allow the Maquis to escape, playing on the fact Sisko would bring Eddington along. He agrees to evacuate the survivors, but they are ambushed on the way out.  Eddington stays back holding off the Jem’Hadar so the others can escape dying a hero.

I don’t like Michael Eddington, and I’m glad he’s dead.  There I said it. I’ve been waiting for him to go since he showed up to take Odo’s job.  I didn’t like him when we were supposed to like him. Good riddance.  This does though bring some closure to the Maquis storyline.  They won’t really come up again aside from Voyager, though they missed a bet in their finally when they sidestepped the question of how their Maquis crew would be received back into the Federation.  As a larger point, it is time to let the Maquis go though, as worse things are gathering on the horizon.

“Empok Nor” has a crew visit another abandoned Cardassian station, a sister design to DS9 (Terok Nor) by that name.  O’Brien, Nog, and four victim…uh, engineers go with Garak to the station to gather parts to make some much needed repairs to DS9.  

Garak is there to deal with all the booby traps the Cardassians have doubtlessly left in place.  What no one is expecting is two Cardassian special forces operatives left in stasis, woken up by the team’s arrival.  Neither does anyone expect they are juiced on a powerful psychotropic drug to make them more violent…and Garak has been affected as well.  The Soldiers take out three Starfleet officers before Garak takes each of them out, and then he takes out another officer.  

He kidnaps Nog and begins a game of cat and mouse with O’Brien, which O’Brien only wins by engineering a booby trap of his own. Back on DS9, Garak is recovering, but also mortified by what he has done. He and O’Brien reach an understanding that both of them have violent pasts…perhaps best left in the past.

This episode is written by Bryan Fuller who will later go on to write “Hannibal” and create the outlines for the first season of “Star Trek: Discovery.” Indeed there are similarities between this episode and the Disco episode “Context is for Kings” and Garak as he becomes more manipulative feels like a proto-Hannibal.  The whole episode is filmed, effectively, like a horror movie, and it is bold to actually have Garak, under the influence or not, actually kill one of the officers. Andrew Robinson is of course fantastic here, as is Colm Meaney.  Aron Eisenberg’s Rom has been used to great effect this season as the cadet, and continues to shine here.  Perhaps a stand alone diversion from the larger plot, but a worthwhile one.

“In the Cards” starts with the single most morose officers’ mess in the history of Star Trek. Sisko has his whole senior crew over for dinner, but negative news about the Dominion has everyone down. Worse, Sisko finds out Kai Winn is coming to the station to meet with Weyoun and discuss a non-aggression pact between Bajor and The Dominion.  Meanwhile Jake and Nog find Quark is auctioning off a bunch of crap, but among the useless items is a Willie Mays rookie card from the 1950s. Trying to buy it at auction as a gift to Sisko, the lot instead goes to a mysterious Doctor Geiger, whom they find is trying to build an immortality machine, and being chased (supposedly) by the “soulless minions of orthodoxy.”  

Though they think he’s crazy, he wants a list of things for his work which are harmless, and he is willing to trade the card. To get the items needed, Jake and Nog begin helping out the crew in trade.  Meanwhile Winn asks Sisko as Emissary what she should do and he recommends stalling the Dominion talks by referring the treaty to the Bajoran council of ministers. Weyoun hears the machine Geiger is working on and investigates, and believes Jake and Nog are involved in some plot against him.

 When he learns the truth, he let’s them take the card and listens intently to Geiger. Jake gives the card to his dad who notes the crew has cheered immensely, due to the help Jake and Nog provided for their assistance.

A fun episode, well crafted in its layering, and light hearted enough to miss the fact that Winn is basically negotiating Bajor into the Dominion’s hands.  This comes into play next episode, but here we get a good Jake/Nog buddy episode, as they work their way through the station in pursuit of their goal.  I almost wonder if Weyoun took Dr. Geiger with him into Dominion custody to continue his research?

In “Call to Arms,” the situation with the Dominion has come to a head. Reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant have been flooding into Cardassia through the wormhole, and the Federation wants it stopped. Sisko tells everyone that they can’t get new Starfleet reinforcements right now, but he wants to mine the wormhole.  O’Brien, Dax, and Rom design cloaked, self-replicating mines but it will take some time to deploy them, during which time the Defiant will be vulnerable; they know there is no way the Dominion will let them try it without an attack on the station.  Sisko advises Bajor to sign the non-aggression pact, and then starts laying mines, and evacuating Bajoran personnel.  Along the we, before she evacuates, Leeta and Rom get married under Sisko’s command. 

The Dominion fleet however is on its way, and Dukat and Damar plan to take DS9 and then Bajor; Weyoun tells them they WILL follow the Dominion’s treaty with Bajor, and first…they need to actually capture DS9. The minefield is almost in place when the fleet arrives, and DS9 and General Martok have to work to defend them. They hold off the Dominion fleet as the Defiant completes the minefield, cutting off the Gamma Quadrant. With the Dominion regrouping, Sisko bids the Bajoran crew farewell, telling them he will return to this place “where he belongs.” He also tells them that Starfleet could not send more reinforcements because while the Dominion was engaged here, a joint Federation/Klingon fleet attacked Dominion ship-building facilities in Cardassian space.  The war between the Federation and the Dominion has begun.  As the Rotarran (Martok’s BoP) and Defiant cloak and escape, Dukat lands on DS9, welcomed by Kira, Quark, and Odo.  Sisko however has booby trapped the station himself, leaving it barely functioning, much as when Cardassia handed it over five years before. 

Rom goes back to work for Quark, but to act as a spy for the Federation, and he finds Jake has stayed on the station as a correspondent for the Federation News Service. Dukat goes into Sisko’s office to find he has left the baseball on his desk. Weyoun is puzzled, but Dukat knows it is a message that Sisko plans to return. The season ends as the Defiant and Rotarran take their place among hundreds of ships in the joint Federation and Klingon fleet. The Alpha Quadrant is at war.

Again, you needed those lighter episodes leading up to this to get things going to hell here.  The war is on, Starfleet has lost DS9, Bajor is if not allied, at least in treaty with the Dominion.  Things are grim, and this is not the way one expects a Star Trek show to go.  It is incredibly compelling though, and for those who might still throw up the argument that DS9 isn’t “Star Trek” because Roddenberry’s Trek was about a bright future, I would counter that GR never truly shied away from conflict in the future (just ask Spock and McCoy) and he often had flawed humans struggling with one another in order to examine the human condition. As sad as it may be, there is no way to truly turn a magnifying glass on humanity without talking about humans at war.  Even Kirk said, “we can admit that we’re killers, but we will not kill today; that’s all it takes.” (“A Taste of Armageddon.”) Starting with TNG, Star Trek shied away from examining humankind at war except perhaps with little glimpses: “The Wounded” and “Chains of Command” on TNG.  The Klingon war that was mostly elsewhere on DS9. Now though with the Dominion War, Trek is going to look our darker nature right in the eye, pick up a mirror and hold it up to our violence. It’s going to make for some of the most compelling television ever filmed; it’s also going to make sure we get a good look at us when we don’t decide “not to kill today.”

NEXT MISSION: Season six opens with the war going poorly for the Federation allies, and Sisko decides it’s “A Time to Stand.”

[fira211]

Late Nights (A Ship With No Headlights): A Starship Iris Fic

Inspired by Krejjh always cheating at cards (and a shout-out to Vignette 8 which is available to Patreon supporters)

"Hey Krejjh, can I ask you something?"

Krejjh looked up from their controls and grinned. "You ask I answer, our lady Arkady.”

There was a long pause before a long-winded sigh echoed through the ship. "I won’t ask who helped you with that nickname. Honestly, I probably don’t want to know.”

“You probably shouldn’t.” It was Crewman Jeeter. Of course it was Crewman Jeeter. There were few people with enough leftover mental space, and not enough sleep, to spend time on nicknames. Honestly, in the name of fixations, there were worse. At least this one didn’t end in Krejjh mumbling in alien languages they didn’t even speak. “You had a different question though?”

“Why do you always cheat?" Arkady asked.

Krejjh’s face twisted in confusion. “That’s your question?”

“Violet asked about our deck of cards, sans the one card, the one you ate,” Arkady said, and ah. That made sense. Arkady wanted to know for Violet. It’s as though squishy feelings reminded Arkady she was allowed to be curious. It was like watching a plant being watered after a long drought. Confusion, followed by growth.

It was kind of great to watch. A little odd, since it left Arkady stumbling around like a lost baby animal sometimes, but great. Arkady had feelings. Krejjh was never going to forget that.

Speaking of things they’d never forget: “Plastic is not as edible as I had hoped. Still, easier going down than some hot sauce!” Krejjh said.

“I’ll take your word on that,” Arkady said with a dismissive hand-wave, “but it made me wonder, why do you always cheat?”

Honestly, what kind of question was that. "It's fun!" Krejjh replied.

"But, it doesn't seem to help you win?"

"Pfft, that's not the point of cheating." Cheating wasn’t to win. Well, sometimes it was. Mostly it was to make Crewman Jeeter laugh. To make Captain Tripathi hide a grin in her coffee. To make First Mate Patel roll her eyes but also hide a small smile in her tea. Now, too, to make Crewman Liu tilt her head in confusion, but giggle, just slightly. There were many reasons for cheating, few of them for winning. Or at least, winning the game at hand.

"I mean, it's supposed to be," Arkady said.

"Then people are cheating wrong,” Krejjh said.

"You are one of a kind, Krejjh," Arkady said. She even sounded like she meant it.

"I do try." Krejjh said, accepting the compliment. From Arkady, they knew it was a compliment. Even if Arkady didn’t realize.

"So it really is just for the entertainment value,” Arkady said, still sounding disbelieving.

"I mean, yeah, mostly,” Krejjh said.

"Mostly?"

Ah right, Krejjh tended to forget Arkady noticed verbal slips. Worse habits to have, but it did mean she wasn’t one to play poker with. "You really wanna get into this?" Krejjh asked.

"Wouldn't mind,” Arkady said, a little mockingly, “but I mean, seems like the week for feelings. So if you have them, shoot.” She even leaned back against the wall, as if she was willing to wait for Krejjh to tell her.

Sometimes Arkady was a good person. Well, no, she was always a good person, but she was often so bristly, like a scrub brush, that you forgot how helpful she was. Then she’d go around and do stuff like ask pressing questions and offer to listen, and even show how actively she was listening.

It wasn’t surprising that her and Violet were slowly spinning into each other’s orbit. They both needed to be listened to, and they both were really good at it.

“I have at least two feelings,” Krejjh said. They did. Squishy feelings for her future spouzze, and delight at the universe in general. Any other feelings were probably gloomy and unnecessary.

“Two more than me,” Arkady said.

Krejjh laughed. “You have at least two: annoyance and a crush.”

“Bite me. No, not literally. Anyway, this is your talk time.”

“Eshalzo,” Krejjh muttered, then a little more loudly, “I guess it's... three? Three things. It's fun, is the biggest one. I like making everyone laugh. And I guess... I mean, not to get too heavy, but I grew up in a really political household? Like my entire sense of self worth was supposed to be tied up in responsibility and prestige and I hated it from the get go. So I bailed out and did the earth equivalent of 'running away to join the circus'. And I found out what fun was. What life was. And I guess it's just a reminder to myself that even if I'm a pilot for a renegade group. Even when things gets rough, I'm not here because I have to be, and I don't have to be stern and serious. And yeah. So… there’s your daily dose of Krejjh feels I suppose.” They grinned up at Arkady, who rolled her eyes, but nodded.

“Fair, and the third?”

“Ah, well, it’s a bit…” Krejjh wiggled a little.

“I promise not to laugh,” Arkady said.

Krejjh smiled, “It’s not so much funny, as a little morbid? I suppose? But if anyone would understand... So, it's a reminder. Of me. To all of you.”

“Krejjh,” Arkady said, a small catch in her voice. She always did cotton on faster than most, and Krejjh isn’t surprised she gets it.

Still, they continued, “If something happens. If something bad goes down. I'll still be here. If I go out. Or if war happens again. Or if Eejhgreb tattles and I have to disappear. When you replace me, I'll still be here. You'll get a new pilot and they're gonna come in and ask why the deck is missing a card and you'll say ‘oh, that was Krejjh, they were a riot’ and I'll still be here. Like a space ghost! But a friendly one.”

“Krejjh—”

“It's a little silly but it's harmless. And I'm having fun now. And you'll remember me later,” Krejjh said, a little out of breath from rushing it out. Feelings were hard.

“Krejjh. I say this with the most sincerity I can muster. We won't replace you,” Arkady finally said.

“You will. You'll have to.” Not that Krejjh expected to go out anytime soon, but they didn’t have any issues with the thought of it happening. Death wasn't scary. Being forgotten was scary. So they made sure they put reminders in place.

They didn’t think to do that, back home. Who would have thought Krejjh would run away? Even Krejjh hadn’t until they did. They weren’t sure how many people remembered Krejjh. How many were already forgetting Krejjh. Eejhgreb knew they were still alive, but Eejhgreb also sounded like they were going to do their level best to forget that. That’s what scared Krejjh.

“No. We'll... Ugh... You're gonna make me say it. We'll replace a pilot. But we won't replace you. We can't. No one could.”

Krejjh looked up, and Arkady looked away. There was an angry slant to Arkady’s mouth, and her brow was crinkled, but Arkady always got angry about her feelings. That she had feelings about Krejjh was… Well, it was pretty damn cool.

Krejjh gave Arkady feelings. This was the greatest day ever. “I am pretty one of a kind,” Krejjh said, trying not to relish too much in the glory and make Arkady annoyed.

“If you like,” Arkady said, trying to be dismissive, but Krejjh knew, “anyway, that's probably enough emotions for one night. So I'm to bed. Try not to crash us before morning.”

“No promises,” Krejjh said, letting it go. They didn’t need to gloat. Today, anyway. Besides that: “... Hey Arkady?”

“Yeah?” Arkady asked, shoulders going tight.

Krejjh threw them a softball. “I also carved 'Krejjh was here' under the controls.”

Arkady’s shoulders, dropped, then shuddered a little, as though Arkady was holding back a laugh. Win. “... Of course you did. Night Krejjh.”

“Night,” Krejjh said, and then, because they really couldn’t let things go, “and uh, actually though, thanks.”

Arkady waved a hand. “Don't mention it. Seriously. Don't. We're even on emotional vomiting and that means we take this to our graves.”

“I mean the chances of us getting graves...” Krejjh joked. There were few people they could make that joke with.

Arkady chuckled. “Metaphorical graves,” she said, walking out the door.

“Fair,” Krejjh said. “Night, First Mate Patel.”

“Night, Pilot.”

Krejjh grinned and turned back to their controls. If they reached out and traced the words they carved, well, no one could blame them.

They left their mark on this home.

[ebonyphotographs]

A Kiss... as A Suggestion

Send me a Ship and a Number and I will Write a Kiss

27) For Ignoct prompted by @unleashed-hell [read it here on my AO3]

I can’t actually thank you enough for the ‘suggestion’ please laugh at my terrible usage of a joke I’m really grateful for the chance to use creative flow. 

“Well then…” Prompto stated sassily. His eyebrows raised high in a fashion that had Noctis as physically on edge as possible. His tone hadn’t sounded as optimistic before as it did now.

“No,” Noctis pointed and raised his voice above the music playing. “Don’t you even, Prompto.”

Gladio had focused in on their conversation a long time ago due to the topic. The burly fellow simply couldn’t resist a flirtatious encounter. He was way more humored than he needed to be, which was another factor that added to the nerves building up in Noct’s stomach.

“Hey, don’t side with him,” he quickly directed to the man as he started to laugh.

Ignis remained standing firmly in place where he’d been listening to them banter the matter. The idea of what Prompto was already insinuating filled him just as evenly as it had filled Noctis with panic. At a time like now, nothing would be more embarrassing than to kiss his partner in front of the both of them. Of course Prompto already knew, but it was starting to sound more like a dare to convince Gladio than anything else. Ignis swallowed hard.

Maybe…

“Oh come on, you guys can’t honestly act so shy.”

Prompto’s gaze returned to Noct with a suggestively smug expression. His cheeks were flushed from the drinks they’d shared throughout the night. It wasn’t as if they weren’t old enough to toss a few back – or to be prepared for the effects of doing so. It was only going to get worse from here at that rate. The apparent had yet to hit the air and yet Ignis felt he already knew. He was pretty sure they all knew. Noct was fighting it enough to start considering what he should say to steer their interests to anything different. What a cheeky situation.

“You guys have kissed at least once, right?” Gladio asked.

Ignis adjusted his glasses. It wasn’t as if he could pretend he didn’t belong in the discussion nor that he couldn’t hear what was being said around him.  

“Well,” Noctis whispered, unsure of himself. “We… uh…”

Gladio waved an arm in the air at him. “Pfft, that about says it all.” He laughed again.

Prompto could see Noct’s self-esteem visibly drop. “That’s real lame bro. You got anything else to justify that lousy answer?”

Ignis stepped forward towards his partner and grabbed his shoulder to reassure him. “Reasonably, you shouldn’t expect him to rush a relationship.” Noct was more than grateful he’d broken his silence.

“It’s not like there’s pressure, right?” Gladio contradicted. “You two clearly love each other; why aren’t you kissing?”

“Yeah, why aren’t you two kissing right now?”

“I already told you P, back off.” Noct’s face was a thicker shade of blush suddenly. Ignis slipped a grin, all too aware that it couldn’t be blamed solely on the wine. “We do… kiss. A-and other stuff.”

“Other stuff?!” Prompto lunged in his seat. The exaggerated motion forced liquid to spill over the rim of his cup.

Gladio gave a nudge into the blonde’s ribs, a provocative notion which the couple attempted to ignore. Noct turned back to face Ignis and saw him pinching the bridge of his nose while shaking his head.

“No way. You’ve gotta prove it then.”

Oh no.

Ignis brought both hands up to cover his entire face. So, he really was frustrated then. “Why do you feel it necessary to antagonize us?” he groaned.

“What’s the matter Igster? Ya flustered? Bothered, even?”

“We don’t have to prove anything,” Noctis followed Iggy’s lead. Despite that Ignis had been holding him well in place with solid thinking, he couldn’t help his mind from going there. It was tempting… to kiss him with them watching – just to shut them up at least.

Maybe, just maybe.

Dirty as it was, Noctis wasn’t so cautious about their bond. The same could not exactly be said for the more reserved of the duo. Ignis was professional; he was proper (as demonstrated by his ability to hold down his alcohol). Even still, the implications were taking their tole on his poker face and Noctis could tell he was overthinking it.

“You know,” he emphasized towards Ignis. “It is just the guys. I mean, they’re not gonna tell.”

Ignis stammered. “N-Noct.”

“It’s a celebration,” Gladio reminded them with a cheer. “You should loosen up!”

Prompto playfully winked and kicked his legs around. “Go for it, loosen those lips!”

Ignis’ shoulders tensed. “Are you… honestly thinking-? Noct?”

Noctis inched closer to him. “It’s just harmless fun. Besides, it’s not like I’m ashamed of us.”

Keeping the hoots and hollers of their friends as much in the background of his attention as he could manage, Ignis aimed his eyes away from everyone. Evidently, he wasn’t so structured afterall.

“If you’re gonna say you’re dating ‘and stuff’,” Prompto mimicked a quotation with his fingers, “then I suggest you seal the deal with your mouths.”

“Yeah, and none of that cheap one-second puckering either,” Gladio added. “Make it a real one!”

The tips of Noct’s shoes tapped against the floor tile as he closed the gap between their chests. From up close, he could see how undone he truly was. He was starting to sweat and with his body language so posh, it was outrageously obvious that he was putting on a front. In the reflection of his shining iris, Noct could see his camouflaged trembling. Was he quietly pleading, or was he struggling to deny his want to touch him?

Poor thing. He worried just a bit too much.

“Brace yourself, Specs.”

Ignis grounded his feet. He looked back at their audience (who had both leant in – almost in disbelief – to gawk and shout at them) but his green spotlights came back to Noctis with speed. The raven-haired boy’s eyelids fell shut and his jaw angled so their noses could brush. Noctis raised both arms to lace them around Ignis’ neck, then lifted onto his tiptoes for good measure. All practical train of thought fled Ignis’ brain the instant he had Noct’s lips upon him. It was a firm kiss, warm, and just as sure as it would have been if they were alone. His eyes finally closed as he gave in.

Noctis seemed especially pleased. It wasn’t so awful to demonstrate his affections like this. He pushed the kiss deeper, much to Prompto and Gladio’s surprise. Yes, it was all in good fun. Noct knew this could potentially leave somewhat of a scar on his beloved, but he hoped that the trust the four of them shared might outweigh the fear. Plus, the he could test Iggy’s limits. He hadn’t stopped him or shoved him away. There may have been some slim chance this moment proved more for the two of them than it would for anyone else.

So he kissed him again. Then a third time. And four, and five. He dipped his fingers into Iggy’s hair and rolled the strands around teasingly.

Prompto squealed loudly from the couch at the corner of the room. “Aw, damn! He looks so into it!” He gave a few slaps against Gladio’s exposed upper arm.

Ignis’ attitude utterly betrayed the composure he’d failed to sustain. He couldn’t keep his hands from cupping Noctis’ hips, particularly when he sensed his drunken wobbling. Curiously however, Noctis seemed rather steady. At least the motion of his mouth had him thinking as much. Perhaps it was he himself who was dizzy.

For a second, Noct pulled away, but only slightly. Ignis anticipated his love would be completely gone soon and it admittedly saddened him (once he put the prospect of their onlookers away). What passion, he thought. Was he being cocky or was he actually showing off? Was Ignis proud to be shown off?

Just as he was beginning to lessen his embrace, shock flooded his body when Noctis slipped his tongue deep into his mouth and licked all along the inside. Ignis grabbed at his shirt tightly and moaned from the wetness; an immediate regret. It didn’t help that Noctis had taken his own clasp of his shirt into his hands to keep him from pulling away.

No taking that one back.

Prompto was screaming. “You did that on purpose!”

Gladio had rolled to the side for air after witnessing them part. “Oh man- I don’t believe it! Aha!”

“You purposely turned to the side so we could see your tongue!” Prompto continuously repeated his statement in broken fragments over and over.

Noct spun to hide his face just long enough to register what he’d done. Why was it so difficult to hide his giggles? He prayed inwardly that it was worth it; he tasted Ignis’ tongue for the very first time right there in front of them. No way was he going to confess such a thing out loud. A revelation of that caliber would never die down. He’d be hearing about it for years. “You had better believe it now, you perverts. I’m not doing that for you again.”

He eventually accepted that he’d acted selfishly and started to feel bad. He threw his head back to check on Ignis and bit his bottom lip sharply – practically scolding himself – because he looked like he might start to cry.

“Ignis, you okay?” Calling his full name should have indicated his sincere concern. Surely he hadn’t crossed a serious line of some kind.

Ignis stood in the same place with the back of his wrist sheltering a partly concealed smile. Noctis blinked with a bit of apprehension. A huff of laughter parted from him.

“Too much?”

Ignis removed his hand and unveiled a blissful grin, stretched ear to ear. He shut his eyes tight and snorted before fully vocalizing his happiness, much to Noct’s relief. Thank goodness.

“For you, Noctis, too much is never enough.”

[dsmroleplay]

#OnceAndForAll #DSM Part One

Be advised: Rated R Sex, violence etc. 

Written by: @DefenderGuard & @DeanWinchester_ 

Ethan : He was hovering over the memory of the other night flooded my mind like water rushing into a sinking ship. With his drunken Text. He was laying back in a hammock in his boxers. When his arms folded behind his head. closing his eyes on a random beach. Listening to the waves hitting against the rocks. This was painful and soothing at the same time. With his memories of the happiest day of his life.

He begins waking to the sound of breaking glass. He wanted to have it out with him over his text. Ethan jumped down from the hammock. His toes we're buried deep in the soft warm sands. Picking up his shirt and a pair on Jean from the tree. Getting dressed. He wanted to make sure Colt was alright. Especially with what his Text was about. Within in Few minutes. He was stomping his feet along the path going straight to @DeanWinchester_ house. He could have had just arrived at his house. In any room of his choosing. He could tell the House was becoming busy with everyone, he's been moving in recently. He stops at the Front door, banging on the door with his fist. ::::::::::::::::::::::: Colt : Colt was still drinking on the couch went someone started banging on the damn door. Fuck didn't everyone and their brother have a key by now? Getting up he sat his bottle of Jack down and padded over the tiled floors and down the hallway. Still, in just a pair of grey sweats and nothing else he opens the door and to his surprise, Ethan was standing there. He suddenly got a little sober if it was possible. Years of conditioning, you do not get stupid with an angel, especially this particular angel who will kick your ass.- Well hey there... you in the neighborhood at 2am huh? :::::::::::::::::::::::: Ethan : -He looked him up and down. He could smell the alcohol oozing off him. He could tell the state he was in. What itself wasn't the best way.

”Yeah, look at you. I am, someone thought It would be funny or a good idea to texting me. Are you going to let me in or do you want your guests and neighbours to find out why I'm here. I don't care who hears. That's your choice?” ::::::::::::::::::::::: Colt : -Doesn't really give a fuck at the moment but steps aside letting him in and then slams the door walking back to the living room.- Can take a fuckin' joke Ethan? Or was my text a major offense on you? ::::::::::::::::::::: Ethan : He followed him to the living room. Looking around the room. Picking up the bottle on Jack. His Jaw clenches listening to him with the attitude he was giving out.

”What's this a pity party for one? Do think you can go around sending out ~ texts. Where there wouldn't be any consequences to your harmless Fun? Right now you will need to deal with me. This is what you wanted right. Turning up at your for?” ::::::::::::::::::::::: Colt : -Putting the bottle to his lips as Ethan preached he turned it up and downed a good amount before offering it to him.- So you came to tell me I'm a bad man because I sent my ex-husband a text? -Smirks- Fuck, I didn't know you cared E. ::::::::::::::::::: Ethan : Taking the bottle from him. Putting it down on the table. He glares at him. Stepping closer. Closing the gap between them. Looking down to meet his eyes.

”You think this is funny, don't you? I'm here because somehow I fucking still care about you. So tell me Something Colt am I the only one you are playing with tonight? Or how many from your little black book did you text to get a response from? ”

-He lays his hands on his shoulders. pushes him down onto the couch. -

”you better sit here before you hurt yourself or someone else might.” ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Colt : -Colt listened and when Ethan touched him he closed his eyes he missed him so fuckin' much but he'd be damned if he said it. Has to sit because the fucker is /him/.- Oh you know everyone. I mean dude it's like a phonebook and I mean hey can you see it's a mad orgy around here. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Ethan : -His blood was beginning to boil listening to him talking. -

”You are fucking arsehole Colt. Is this the end game for you tonight. Let’s see how many guys can turn up and take turns on your ass. Is this what this place has become now. A ~ whore house Since you move on. hi, the name is colt come and ride my ass.

-Ethan turned his back on him. Running his hands through his hair. He was pissed as hell. He wanted to punish him. Right here and now. Since he has felt for him ~ and his gameplay. -

”When he went Fuck it. ”

- turns back in no speed at all. He slaps him across the face with a backhander- :::::::::::::::: Colt : -Colt wasn't really paying attention to him not in the conventional way had tuned out of "the whole you're a whore" thing since he'd heard that speech a million times. Laying his head back against the couch cushion he closed his eyes. Ethan would probably leave now, that's what he did when he got pissed. But then he felt the whoosh of air and his head snapped to the side and immediate pain sparked in his jaw. He didn't move right away, stunned he tasted blood in his mouth. His temper was barely in check these days anyway and he rocked forward to his

feet and tackled Ethan. Their combined weight hitting the coffee table and shattering one of the glass panels. Drawing back he punched Ethan in the face making contact to his left cheek.- Fuck you!! Just fuck you! You son of a bitch! All you ever do is sit in judgement, acting like you're a goddamn saint! Listen dick it's none of your business if I am a slut! You're just fuckin' pissed off you're not along for the ride anymore huh? I mean hey not like you fucked everyone that has gotten near me anyway! That's how you roll, always fuckin' contest with you! Lemme ask you something, where's all those bitches at you fucked as I watched? They making you feel good? Poor little Ethan, "Colt mistreats you." Cause lord knows I can /force/ your big ass into all the shit we've done... I sure the fuck couldn't make you cum less you were liking it... :::::::::::::::::: Ethan : He smirks for a second watching him bleed. When he was surprised he was brave enough to take me on. Falling onto the coffee table. His strike hitting against my cheek. He smirks at him. Rolling him onto his back sitting on him. Pinning his wrists to the floor with one hand.

”Look at you getting on manly. You are finally standing up for your self. There was me thinking you would just jump onto your knees and take what I want to do to you.

Come on Colt this is fucking Us. You and I play and fucked hard. So what of we have others in our sex life. I don't recall you ever saying ”NO Ethan” but you just sat in your chair chained up and I saw the look on your face while you were watching me fucking others. You and I play and fucked hard. So what of we have others in our sex life. I don't recall you ever saying ”NO Ethan” but you just sat in your chair chained up and I saw the look on your face while you were watching me fucking others.

You think you couldn't get me off without any little helpers. Come on I’ll prove it to you right here. How much that's a lie. Because this is what you want right. To be fucked tonight. Why not I’ll just take what was once mine.

- He leaned back with one hand still holding his wrist above his head. Pulling down his sweats pants. With his hand. looking down to his hard-on-

”Oh, look at you all excited about seeing me already. Tonight I'm having you. You can accept it or not. No matter what tonight this piece of ass is mine. ”

Pulling his hand back from tugging on his sweat. undoing his jeans taking out his cock. Forcing it into your mouth. :::::::::::::::: Colt: -You know there’s always a time in life you gotta just go with flow. I knew he was stronger, it was part of the appeal. I didn’t expect him to just to take what he wanted though. Ethan had always been this fierce motherfucker in a fight. He’d drop demons like nothing but he he’d never physically got this aggressive, sure they’d slugged it out countless times and ended up having angry sex but nothing like this. Ethan had confidence he hadn’t had before and it was attractive as hell to Colt. I mean who the hell in their right mind wouldn’t want him. Held in place, chest heaving from the adrenaline he watched his husband get his cock out. I wasn’t fighting this or second guessing he was my other half. No matter what happened over the years I’d melt for him ever time. Parting my lips giving him what he wanted. Totally relaxed from the booze he filled my mouth. Gapping as he went to far but swallowing back. Lifting my head as I could I sucked hard, tongue molding to him as I showed that he indeed had been missed and he was right. I wanted him.

Ethan : Ethan wanted to show Colt, he was the guy that always the one he wanted. Their relationship was fiery and fierce. This was one of the reasons they worked so well. They had many years of pleasure and excitement over the years. They knew they could trust one another without needing a safe word. Ethan had missed his lover and by God, he was going to have him. This was one of those nights they both wouldn't want to forget. He wanted to ride him. This body was his. He had longed for this night to happen. Colt Winchester was his and always would be. Not forgetting this piece of ass. The fire in his belly was burning. When he gasps with his lover mouth actions around his cock. taking his hand to his throat.

Tightening the grip around his throat. Moving his cock deeper down his throat. Moving in rhythm with him fucking his mouth. ” that's it Colt make him all wet for you so he rides you in this ass of yours”

Colt: -Fuck Ethan had geared up since they’d been apart. Nostrils flared trying to get more air between that thick cock and the pressure around hi throat. If Ethan had been able to see behind him he’d have saw Colt was rock hard and he was weeping steadily. The precum was running down his shaft and his hips were bucking into air. Pent up like he was he’d cum without his cock being touched if Ethan kept this up.

Ethan : Ethan let go of his lover's throat. When he did come with a little surprise that he liked to keep in his pocket. Colt cock ring which was engraved his name on it. He didn't want Colt to come too soon. Because he knew Colt wanted him. ~ Taking the ring out of his pocket. Ethan could see Colt was enjoying this with his leaking cock. He stroking his cock a few times before sliding the cock ring over his cock. Making it fit into place. He moved to turn onto of his facing ~ colt cock. Making his way down his blowing some hot air over the sensitive tip. Licking up his cum.

Colt: -Once E let go and pulled out he dragged in air as much as he could get it. Heart pounding...- What the...fuck! E no... you’re fuckin’ killing me! -Colts body tensed, his skin covered in goosebumps. He leaned up on an elbow watching that damn angel torture him. Reaching out he strokes Ethan’s dark hair.- Suck it, I know you want to. It’s been so long...

Ethan: - He could tell his eyes were on him. When He looked back with a huge smirk on his face knowing exactly what he did. No way he was letting him cum until he said so. -

”I don't think so C. I'll be the judge of who is killing who. Now lay ~ back and let me play with your cock.”

- He was going to tease him with everything he had because tonight he was his. Tonight doesn't have a time limit on it. E took his hardening cock into his mouth sucking on him. Teasing his tip with ~ his tongue. Stroking his balls.

Colt: -Brow rose, bossy damn angel... he knew he didn’t have a choice so he laid back and looked at ceiling enjoying it. Hips rolled slowly as that warm mouth took its sweet revenge.

Ethan: ”Remember C you are always my drug. This is the time, I'm in control; so you be a good boy and don't even move those hands of yours. I'm gonna drive you crazy, then stop, then do it all over again until you beg me to finish this. Even then, I won't. I'm just gonna do every naughty thing to you until your mind and body explode. I hope you are ready for a long night”

He devours his cock. Sucking harder and faster on his shaft. Making him wet. Coating him.

Colt: -It's hard to put it all in perspective with Ethan, you just can't have one without the other to complete the picture. From day one the angel had straight-up saved Colt from giving up and even though they were twenty years down the road he was doing it again not in the way he had that first day when Colt was taking his last breath after killing the vampire that had broken his brother's spirit. Now it an overwhelming feeling that regardless of what he shit went south but maybe, just maybe this would save the angel too. Maybe it was a one-off of hot sex tonight buy Ethan and Colt had changed, grown, and evolved into different people. Learning long ago that Ethan had a better plan than himself regardless of what they were doing the hunter laid his head back on the carpet and didn't fight it. And as the night went on they came together like a well-oiled machine. Colt couldn't remember how many times Ethan had brought him to the edge only to keep him from going over. It was exhilarating.-

Ethan : My life is never been a calm storm but I have the one thing in my life that calms my storm. When I found him many years ago. When it's was us against the world. Nothing would stand in our way. We were always some pair when we go in together in those hunts or between the sheets. Whatever we were doing our life was Hot. Colt and I may have any our fiery fights but at the end of the day, we would work out our differences. Our passion for each was there and he was my perfect drug. To the naked eye, he's just my perfect Drug.

To my enemies ever found out my weakness is Colt. I'm weak when we are apart. We are stronger together. I tried to hide my weakness to everyone. With my strong abilities as an angel. No harm will come to Colt or his family while I'm around. Nothing will stand in my way. There have been a few times when Colt was hurt or taken from me. Now Early tonight with his drunken text. I'm making my claim on him. Somehow I always find my way back to him. When he calls out my name. He will find me coming running to him. Our love isn't a bed of roses. We both learned in our many years together we like to adventure into our little kinks into our sex life. They are no boundaries for us. Where we have roles of pleasure of sex, passion and torture and tonight is no difference in the hot passion we are sharing.

[libbybleu]

😘😘😘 x485737 TELL ME ALL ABOUT UR OC SHIPS LIBBY

Send me 😘 for me to tell you all about one of my OC ships

SO HERE ARE MY 3 PERSONAL OTPS (i have a lot of otps though.... i have a lot of ships actually, which include some of these ocs with other people hahaha so keep sending these in and i can just keeeeep oooooon gooooing)

Emilia x Quinn

so i am utterly weak for these 2. emilia is mine and quinn is tae’s. i linked the drawing i have of emilia in her name but i don’t have one of quinn yet rip. 

anyways, so these 2 happened because tae and i were talking about these ocs we had for futuristic verses. she had quinn who is a very cold, logical, flat emotioned person. he is an utter genius and finds human interaction and friendship to be pointless. he is my favorite oc that taelor has and will be my son until the end of days. he’s also missing his right eye.... this is where things get funny.

emilia has 2 stages in her life: pre accident and post, in which she is 2 very different people. pre accident she’s a sporty, competitive individual who is very outgoing and has friends in many social circles. she’s very persistent and stubborn when she wants to befriend someone and hates seeing others being bullied or left out. she will take it upon herself to try and “save” that person. this is how she meets veronica garland. things get fucked and veronica intentionally makes it so emilia loses her left eye and eventually goes completely blind (i won’t go into details of how that happens). after that, the many friends emilia had turn on her as now she cannot do the things that gave her a connection to those people and everyone else finds that she looks monstrous. her relationship with veronica grows closer and she develops a form of stockholm syndrome. the friendship is very toxic, and veronica has made it some fact in emilia’s mind that the only person that will ever be friends with emilia now is veronica.

that’s simply not true, and is proven to be so as emilia begins making friends with an oddball group outside of school. a cripple, her mechanic, a lolita hacker, an android and her father/creator, his girlfriend who is also the creator of time travel, aaaaand quinn, the brilliant genius who just wants all these people to leave him alone.

so quinn and emilia meet.... and quinn is utterly stricken. this is a girl who understands his plight. they’re both monsters on opposing sides of the face. emilia can’t see it, but she feels the draw too. quinn is obviously cold to her at first, as he is with everyone, but its on a shaky foundation. emilia, while much more meek-hearted now, is still stubborn, and she begins working almost as an assistant to quinn. they befriend each other... and then they fall for each other. quinn obviously tries denying it, and emilia is too self conscious to expect any kind of feeling to be returned, but with help from their little misfit family, things work out.

IDK I JUST LOVE MY BROKEN BIRDS I LOVE THEM AND THEY ALSO HAVE LIKE A MODERN DAY, NON FUTURISTIC VERSE AND THAT’S GREAT TOO.

Nari x Damien

so nari is mine and damien is tae’s. and.... wow.... i wanted to hate this ship when tae first brought it up to me. I WANTED TO HATE DAMIEN SO MUCH. but guys.... i’m weak.... they’re childhood friends in main verse and i’m a slut for that. they’re partners in crime and flick each other shit. THEY LITERALLY HAVE ONLY HAPPENED ONCE IN AN AU, AND DON’T EVEN HAVE ANY SORT OF ROMANCE IN MAIN VERSE BECAUSE NARI RUNS AWAY WITHOUT TELLING HIM AND DAMIEN DIES JUST BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL.

but listen okay damien was a shithead when they were kids and would bully people and nari was just this little orphan crybaby girl who was too stubborn for her own good and their nanny paid really good money for her to mow their massive lawn. nari befriends his little sister, momo first, and since now she’s spending double the time around them, she learns to grow thick skin to damien’s shithead antics. and then she gets him to cut the shit for a little while in favor of pulling harmless pranks and its great. THEY HAVE A TREEHOUSE OKAY ITS CUTE.

but nari’s dream is to get as far away from that orphanage as possible.... so she does just that, leaving without even saying goodbye. she doesn’t find out about damien’s death until she’s well and graduated from high school.... so like 8-10 years later and the first thing she does? DROPS EVERYTHING AND IMMEDIATELY RUNS BACK TO COLORADO.

like okay, platonic or romantic, those 2 are great, but i live for when they’re romantic. because then they’re just..... they get to be kids. and they’re such good friends and know a whole hell of a lot about each other. they’re so awesome. i’m weak and i wanted to hate them so so so so much....

Ven x Ruka

VENKA...... V E N K A. VENKA IS POETIC JUSTICE. Ven is my edgy boy who i don’t have art to link RIP. Ruka is tae’s utter mess of a blue headed self destruction bomb. 

Fun fact! Ven is actually modern verse Veronica’s brother. They also have a triplet sister named Vera, but this story is about Ven.

Ven grew up in a highly abusive household. His parents didn’t want kids outside of using them as playthings or slaves. They are also, however, in a position of power in the town they live in, so even if people find out, they all turn a blind eye. This has all given Ven a very misanthropic person. He’s antisocial and doesn’t talk much. This, on top of him being rather heavy set in his younger years, led to a LOT of bullying at school. it wasn’t fun. there were only really 3 things getting him through those days: his sisters, sheer spite, and the blue haired wonder who moved into the cul de sac he lived in. This was ruka, and ven very quickly and very easily fell in love.... or mayhaps just grew an obsession. now, i will be the first to admit that, in the beginning, ven’s feelings for ruka were rather unhealthy, especially considering he never actually talked to her. he did end up somewhat befriending the girl that would become ruka’s best friend, blakely (you may remember her name from when i was talking about aiden and isadara), but despite how much blakely tried to help, ven still never talked to her.......

and then ruka started dating damien ilith...... one of the people ven hated the most.

ven kinda veered away then, started focusing on self betterment. he started working out and looking into how to solve his family situation. during the summer in between middle school and high school, ven was looking clear for getting emancipated and building a case to help his sisters. he also glew up. puberty and self progression did wonders for the boy and now he looked like a god. he was much more confident in himself and actually somewhat happy with his life. things were looking good. there was just something missing, and i will still admit that it was kinda unhealthy, he still wanted ruka. to hell with damien ilith, he was much better than that guy now, obviously.

soooooooo high school started and he tried to talk to ruka.

he found out a bit too late that damien ilith had passed away that summer from a tragic diving accident... and ruka did not want to talk. it wasn’t long after that ‘conversation’ that ruka ended up transferring to an out of country boarding school.

the explosion of events kinda broke something in ven, and he handled it poorly. he started sleeping around during high school, breaking hearts and getting into fights. the emancipation process did end up going through and he ended up moving in with blakely’s family. she managed to whip him into shape by graduation (in turn, he helped blakely get out of her shell and be more confident in herself, but anyways)...

YEARS PASS. Ven graduates, Ruka graduates and moves back to the town, and in a weird twisted turn of events, the two run into each other at a supermarket. They actually talk. Apologies are had. They manage to find things they have in common. They actually have a lot in common.... they have the same viewpoints, the same hobbies, their favorite colors are her hair and his eyes, but most importantly they understand each other better than anyone could have other guessed. they speak and think on the same wavelength, ones thoughts are anothers words. they could speak without words. its great. 

and then yeah, the rest is history. two people who have had a lot go on in their lives manage to forget it all with each other. they cook together, chase each other around the house, have sex, play monopoly, its suuuper awesome

and its poetic justice and character growth if i have ever seen any

god bless venka, the loving ship that was meant to be a hatemance.

[goldblcd]

it’s been a while since i posted this, and with new people around i reckon it’s time to sell my boys again. this is a plot/connections list of sorts, and i’ve also added links to each of my character’s intros, their pinterest, and a status page, even though the intros are a little outdated and i haven’t touched pinterest in a hot minute. anyway, take a look and see if any of these fit your character and if none do hmu anyway and we can come up with something else. it’s definitely easier to catch me on discord ( calvin and hobbes#5021), but if you prefer tumblr that’s cool too. likes will get messages on tumblr and reactions will get dms on discord. 

❛   𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒓.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎    ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒   ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

BROMANCE: yes! please, give him a best friend he can be cute with and have teenagers they’ve never seen in their lives shipping them. they probably met when they were much younger? during one of arthur’s summers in town and remained close friends even 30 years later.

POKER BUDDIES: we need to have some weekly poker nights for the parents. that is a must. so come bring some people that would be interested in that. ╱ dante armstrong & .

FRIENDS: that’s it. give him friends that will help him get out of this funk. maybe someone who realizes he’s drinking a little too much and is like ‘brooo’.

SIBLING LIKE: they’ve known each other for as long as they can remember, maybe even family friends and act more like family than anything else.

ISABELLA’S FRIENDS: someone who was more isabella’s friends than his and mourned her loss almost as much as the family did and is always checking on them because that’s what she would have wanted.

NEIGHBORS: i still don’t know who the faulkner’s neighbors are so give us some! they live in some huge estate so wouldn’t be too close to each other but still close enough and i’d love that.

FELLOW DOG PARENTS: they started hanging out because their dogs met at the park and fell in love so now they meet pretty much daily and just sit there talking and having coffee while the doggos go crazy. ( could also be a club lol )

THE STAN: just someone who is a huge fan and probably already have 90 selfies him and is always trying to get him talk about his part works and whatnot.

ASSISTANT: listen, arthur probably needs one of these okay. so if anyone is looking for a job babysitting a movie star, he is hiring. also, any cooks around? he is also hiring!

PAST SUMMER FLING: he already has one, but considering he would spend most of his summer in ashcroft, he could have more. it could have even escalated into a relationship that didn’t work because it was long distance and they were too young for that.

❛  𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏 𝒋𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒛𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎   ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒    ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

BEST FRIEND: ben is in desperate need of a best friend. you know, that one best friend that is inseparable, they probably visited ben abroad when he was traveling. the one the whole family knows to be the best friend and who has been around the house so much that they might as well be family by now. ╱ ariel vega.

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS: kids who grew up with him and now too much about him. they have a life time of memories together and when they all get together is like they’re still twelve and soft.

CONFIDANT: these two are all about spilling their hearts out to each other. originally when something goes wrong, you can be assured that these two are together. they can go to rooftops and just talk or not say anything at all and just allow the other to be, no questions, no explanations.

FRIENDS WHO USED TO HATE EACH OTHER: they don’t remember why the hated each other but throughout their childhood they could not stand each other, but thankfully time is a thing and they grew up. these day they’re super close and still laugh about the not so friendly pranks they’d play on each other.

SHADOW: someone who is interested in photography and enjoys following him around when he’s working. ben doesn’t mind giving them some tips and talking styles and techniques with them.  

HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART: pretty self-explanatory, these two dated pretty much of all of their high school years, but when it came time for college they couldn’t make it work. they are still close and care about each other deeply. they will always have the special place of being his first girlfriend no matter what. maybe one of them could still have some lingering feelings that they’re ignoring or just don’t want to go there?

ONE SIDED CRUSH: this person and ben have had a harmless flirtationship going on for quite some time. to ben, it was nothing more than friends playing around, but unknown to him, this person is actually harboring a proper crush on him for some time now.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN: in another life, these two could have been together and make the perfect couple. they are close friends and although they both try to deny it there is a lot of chemistry and feelings between the two. but there has always been something in the way of anything happening between them, the timing was never right.

FIRSTS: this is the girl who was ben’s first. maybe they weren’t even together at the time, but just friends who were curious and thought the other was hot and trusted them enough to explore their sexuality together. they could still hook up sometimes or just have that connection.

HOOKUPS: past and present just bring them! ben is young and he’s single so have at it!

❛  𝒍𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒋𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒊𝒊.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎   ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒    ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

THE SQUAD: pretty simple! give me the kids he hangs with. much like him, they like enjoying themselves and having fun, but when push comes to shove they will always be there for each other. these babies are as good as family for leo.

BROTP: they are the ultimate brotp. always around each other and have each other’s back unconditionally. i love the idea of them being super domestic and comfortable around each other. sharing clothes? sleeping over all the time? ready to bury a body with the other. check. check. check. probably one of the only people who can see through leo’s shit.  basically, give me this! ╱ max lockhart.

CHILDHOOD FRIEND: leo and this person grew up together and have known each other since diapers. when they were just little babies they would tell anyone and everyone that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. they’ve since grown up but they remain as close as ever. ( might have even tried something until they realized nope. )

PLATONIC SOULMATE: give me best friends who have a lot of chemistry, to the point where people think they’re together and they do all these things that would be considered couple things but are like ‘nope’ whenever people say they should get together. leo trusts them a lot and he knows he can talk to them about anything and not be judged. they just have an easy relationship and love each other, but not like people think

THE BAD INFLUENCE:give leo someone he can be a bad influence on. someone who is innocent and good and soft and gets involved with leo. he won’t entirely ruin them, but he will take them to parties, get them drunk and all that good stuff teenagers are known for.

THE BROKEN HEART/FRIENDZONED: leo is oblivious to this, but the character is someone who had his heart broken by leo. i like the idea that they were always friends and they had a crush on him ( could be a past thing ) but he unknowingly friendzoned them and broke their heart.

EX-GIRLFRIEND: actually an ex-girlfriend he’s on good terms with. they were together maybe freshman or sophomore year and it didn’t last long and it ended but they remained friends and she’s still one of his favorite persons in the world.

ENEMY: someone who hates leo. we can plot out the reason. a girl he slept with and never called? a guy whose girlfriend he slept with? we can think about a lot of possibilities with this one. 

❛  𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒐 𝒋𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒐.

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎   ╱   𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒    ╱   𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓

UNEXPECTED FRIENDS TURNED LOVERS: they are opposites he’s a kid with nothing who’s abrasive and cautious and they’re the good kid that has everything. somehow, they struck up a friendship and they’re the one who’s always trying to see the best in him. i would love to run this into something more. ╱ ava faulkner.

ART BUDDIES: mateo loves to draw. he doesn’t show it to anyone, but loves to do it and is actually really good at it. not that he thinks that or that he would believe if anyone told him that. but art is his favorite class and he was even convinced to join the illustration club. give him some friends who are also into that.

SKATEBOARDING BUDDIES: catch him skateboarding and smoking at the skatepark ( do we have one of those ). it’s probably a very chill friendship and it can get him to relax a bit.

THE PERSISTENT FRIEND: mateo has tried to get rid of his person pretty much for as long as he’s been in ashcroft, but they keep coming around. checking on him, bringing coffee, starting conversations when he just wants to be alone and let his anxiety drive him crazy. he says he’s annoyed but he’s growing soft.

THE PROTÉGÉ: mateo is a tough soft boy who has been protecting himself since he was ten, and he has a soft spot for people who can’t protect themselves. give me someone who is maybe naïve and pure and he can’t let it be and has to protect them.

LOVE/HATE: they don’t entirely hate each other, but they’re right on the line. one minute they’re having a friendly conversation the next they’re bickering non stop. sometimes you can tell the two care about each other, but the next it looks like they’re about to go for each other’s throats.

GOOD INFLUENCE: i just need someone to be a good influence on him and try to get him to actually open up and relax enough to be a kid for more than 10 minutes at a time. someone who can at least try to prove to him that he’s not as damaged and far past the point of salvation like he think he is.  

THE HOOK UP: he has a lot on his mind, but he must have gone to a couple of parties even if he pretended to hate it the whole time. and he is the mysterious new kid, give him someone he hooked up with. are they ignoring the whole thing? did that bring them close?

TUTORS: mateo dropped out in 8th grade and the only reason he didn’t get put in freshman year was because he refused, he barely made it into 11th grade. he needs tutors to help him get caught up with things. not that he’d be the one asking for help. 

BLAST FROM THE PAST: someone who recognizes him from before he came to ashcroft. it could be some cop that picked him up at some point or maybe someone who bought drugs from him. they just make him anxious because it’s a reminder that he’s not far from everything.

[trendblogpost2019-blog]

Safe in the City: Cluster blogpost

When it comes to safety, many people don’t want to take wild risks. It is one of the only things that I think nobody would willingly sacrifice. Especially when talking about traffic, there are a lot of things that can go wrong and go wrong on a daily basis. Considering the amount of people that travel from A to B every single day, it is a miracle that our safety still comes first. When it comes to the Netherlands it can get quite complicated. The reason why? Bikes. Millions of them. According to the BOVAG-RAI Mobility Foundation (2018) there were about 22,8 million bikes in the Netherlands in 2018. Considering the Netherlands only have a population of about 17 million people, I think it’s safe to say that that’s gigantic. The huge number of cyclists with the combination of technology often doesn’t go so well. That also goes for young adults in their cars. This is why the Dutch government decided to launch a campaign in September of 2018 about the use of technology in traffic and the dangers that come with it. The name of the campaign was MONO. According to Minister van Nieuwenhuizen, the Dutch minister of infrastructure, the campaign was heavily needed because of the increase in accidents including mobile phones in traffic. The campaign is supposed to last for a minimum of ten years. There are many upcoming innovations that are designed to increase the safety in traffic. Today I will share a few of them.

Figure 1.

First of all, what is it exactly?

First up is a project that has been in use in the Netherlands since July of 2018 called WegWijsVR. WegWijsVR is an app that helps children to get more insights about the dangers of traffic and how to deal with them. With the help of virtual reality children get to experience different scenarios that can happen in traffic in real life. Because the app is in a game like form it serves not only an educational purpose, but is also pretty fun to do. There are two versions of the program, one specially designed for schools, and one for at home. The school version can be specifically designed for the environment where the school lies, so specific traffic problems can be taught accordingly. According to WegWijsVR themselves, the app serves three core tasks; safety, education and fun. The app is designed to increase traffic awareness by children and help them prepare better for unexpected situations that may happen in traffic. Parents can also track their progress and see which situations their child struggles with. Apart from that the app is also designed to actually be fun for children to do. Children can collect points in the game and challenge their classmates. WegWijsVR was a collaboration between Interpolis, an insurance company, and Veilig Verkeer Nederland, an organization that is committed to traffic safety in the Netherlands. The reason why this collaboration happened was because of research. Stichting Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Verkeersveiligheid, also known as SWOV, concluded in 2017 that between 2014 and 2017 the amount of accidents in traffic that involved children under fifteen years old was raised by nine percent. They also concluded in 2017 that most children don’t possess enough knowledge about traffic when they are permitted to walk or cycle to school independently. Interpolis found these results shocking and decided to design something that will help children get more independent and increase their safety in traffic. As they should, according to CBS in 2017 the number of deadly traffic incidents was 613, with the deadliest incidents linked to those that had bicycles involved in them.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

The next invention is the Invi bracelet, a bracelet designed on Dutch grounds. The brand Invi was founded by Roel van der Kamp, who first had the idea in 2014. In the beginning of 2017 the first tests arose in Rotterdam, and now, in 2019, we can buy the official and final result. The bracelet is a self-defence mechanism, to simply put it. The bracelet is very simple and seemingly harmless upon first glance, but that changes when the silver part breaks. It releases a very foul smell that is supposed to wear off anyone that wants to cause you harm. The bracelet is supposed to make people feel safe and provide a way to defend themselves without using violence in the process. The scent should deter any aggressors and alarm others. The Invi bracelet was designed to increase the safety of everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity or age. Living in a large city can cause people to feel unsafe at times, but this bracelet was designed to make people more confident when walking alone on the street. The smell that is released when breaking the bracelet’s silver part was specifically designed to reduce sexual arousal. The smell is all thanks to Dr Charmaine Borg, a psychologist who worked at the University in Groningen at the time.

Figure 4.

The final innovation is called the Bee Smart, a headset which allows you to listen to music through your bones. Sounds crazy, and it is indeed a very unique thing. The Bee Smart was designed by Olivia Jeursen, a Dutch woman. She worked on her project for three years, and now in 2019 it is finally ready for use. The headset isn’t supposed to be placed on your ears, but a bit before them. Because of this the vibrations go directly to your cochlea through your cartilage, resulting in the eardrum to be completely free. This is ideal for people who frequently listen to music in traffic, as it allows them to listen to music, but also hear everything around them. It therefore increased the safety of listening to music in traffic, the latter being something that is very common in the Netherlands. Veilig Verkeer Nederland, an organisation I mentioned earlier, supports this headset wholeheartedly according to José de Jong, spokesperson for VVN in 2019. The headset isn’t the cheapest option, as it retails for about 120 euros. But then again, the well-known airpods that apple sells don’t come with a cheap price tag either.

Figure 5.

What is the future potential?

Traffic is something in our society that will always rapidly change as long as we do. It evolves with us. It also is something that causes lots of frustration in our daily lives. It can also be extremely dangerous. But despite all of that it also connects. It connects us to friends that we met on a vacation to Spain. It connects us to family that live abroad. Or it simply connects us to our soulmate that lives a few blocks away. According to Worldometers in May 2019, there are 7.7 billion people on this earth. All those people want to travel safely. The three innovations I mentioned are just examples of how our safety can be secured in our society, and in the one after that.

Sources:

AD. (2017, January 7). Armband met stinkbommetje in strijd tegen aanranding. Retrieved May 8, 2019, from https://www.ad.nl/rotterdam/armband-met-stinkbommetje-in-strijd-tegen-aanranding~a726d25f/

Bee Sports. (n.d.). BEE SMART, Groove 4.2 Bone Conduction Headset - Blue ( €119,95 ) - Bee Sports. Retrieved May 13, 2019, from https://www.bee-sports.nl/winkel/bee-smart/bluetooth-bone-conduction-headset/bee-smart-groove-4-2-bone-conduction-headset-blue-new-01-11-18/

Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. (2018, April 25). In 2017 meer verkeersdoden op de fiets dan in de auto. Retrieved May 5, 2019, from https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2018/17/in-2017-meer-verkeersdoden-op-de-fiets-dan-in-de-auto

Dijkgraaf, J. (2019, January 5). Huh? Muziek gaat via je botten met deze Twentse headset. Retrieved May 6, 2019, from https://www.tubantia.nl/enschede/huh-muziek-gaat-via-je-botten-met-deze-twentse-headset~ad1431b6/

Interpolis. (n.d.). Kinderen oefenen verkeerssituaties virtueel met de WegWijsVR-app | Interpolis LAB. Retrieved May 5, 2019, from https://www.interpolis.nl/lab/verkeer/kinderen-zijn-zelfstandiger-in-het-verkeer/wegwijsvr

Invi. (2019a, April 18). Invi | Self-Defense Bracelet | Free Shipping Worldwide. Retrieved May 8, 2019, from https://invi.world/

Invi. (2019b, April 18). Smell research | invi - invi self-defense bracelet. Retrieved May 8, 2019, from https://invi.world/smell-research/

Onze parlementaire redactie. (2018, September 13). Nederland moet ’mono’ rijden. Retrieved May 1, 2019, from https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/2550366/nederland-moet-mono-rijden

Stichting BOVAG-RAI Mobiliteit. (2018, January 5). Fietsen in Nederland: de stand van zaken | Fietsen123. Retrieved May 13, 2019, from https://www.fietsen123.nl/fietsnieuws/fietsen-in-nederland-de-stand-van-zaken

WegWijsVR. (n.d.). WegWijsVR | Verkeerseducatie in Virtual Reality. Retrieved May 5, 2019, from https://wegwijsvr.nl/

Worldometers. (2019). World Population Clock: 7.7 Billion People (2019) - Worldometers. Retrieved May 8, 2019, from https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

Source Figure 3: Invi. (2019, April 15). Invi Bracelet [Photograph]. Retrieved May 14, 2019, from https://invi.world/invi-bracelet/

Source Figure 1, 2, 4 and 5: All images own work, by Nina Nagel (2019)