#literally please do not ever pirate books

[incogneat-oh]

Hey anon, thanks for the well-intentioned ask but I literally cannot express how against pirating I am. Please support authors.

[spacebaby1]

Hey, I like your content and also I’m autistic fan of anime

So can you do Law meets female autistic reader?🥺🙏🏽

From one autistic girly to another autistic person; Yes, I'd love to write that! Hope you like it.❤️🫶🏻

One would've never thought that you were a pirate let alone the crew member of one of the notorious pirate ever; the heart pirates. Yet here you were under the weighted blanket that Law had no idea where you got from since you were always running away finding new things that catch your interest in any new island they land at. Its been a very chilly week and you couldn't stand the cold weather so you decided to lock yourself in your room and under your comfy blanket. "Yes, Captain?" He heard you question from under the blanket and a soft smile found it way on his lips, "how'd you know I'm standing here?" He asked. Still under the blanket you replied, "I heard your footsteps," you lifted the blanket a bit too look at him, "do I need to do something?" You asked that question with pleading face that showed you didn't want to do anything at all. He shook his head and placed his palm on your head, "it's cold outside, you can rest." You nodded and went back under your blanket.

Law left the room and went to stand on the deck for a while as he remembered the first time he met you. They were in a new island because for once and for everyone's shock Law was hurt beyond repair and none of the crew members could help even with the amount of medical training they had so they needed to find a doctor but they kept getting doors shut in their faces because they are pirates and no one wanted to be involved with pirates.

You were sitting on the house porch when you noticed Shachi and Penguin literally struggling to help their Captain walk since they too, were hurt. You placed your book that you were reading down and rushed towards them to find out what's wrong, "uh, what's wrong?" You asked standing near them your hands in fist as you noticed the amount of blood on their captain's shoulder. "W-we need a doctor, he's hurt! Can you help us?" Shachi pleaded and you nodded leading them to your house.

Your father was a skilled doctor but unfortunately he was away for work and luckily he thought you more than enough about medical care. After Shachi and Penguin laid their Captain on the bed and sighed in relief when you told them that you can help him but they need to relax. You quickly rushed to the kitchen and looked around trying to not get overwhelmed. Taking a deep breath you grabbed the needed herbs. Law wasn't fully conscious at this point but he was still crying in low voice and groaning in pain which made you want to cover your ears and hide because that's a sound you didn't want to hear, it made you nervous seeing someone cry like that. But he needed help and you needed to heal him or he will lose more blood; Shachi and Penguin were standing near and waiting for you to give them orders for anything! But you quietly worked your way on removing his shirt trying hard to not think about the blood that was now inside your nails making you hold back the goosebumps.

Law was about to push your hands away when you got near his wound, but Shachi was quick to hold him back, "please, Captain, she's trying to help!" You went back to work on the wound and noticed how he was wearing a hat that was making you distracted, so you slowly took the hat off and handed it to Penguin without a word. It took you a while to clean the dried blood and stop the bleeding; the whole room floor was covered in blood-soaked clothes. You managed to find the torn muscle that was causing the bleeding; it was so tinny that you weren't surprised how no one would've noticed it. After cleaning his wound, you placed the herbs you gathered earlier, and immediately, Law calmed down because of how the herbs healed and numbed the pain away. You let Law rest after that, and the three of you left the room.

You were wrapping Shachi's wound on his leg when he spoke, "you are a skilled doctor, thank you for helping Captain." You shrugged, "I'm not a doctor, I'm a writer." You gave them the most genuine smile and they exchanged looks better Penguin spoke this time, "t-then how did you do-"

"My father is a doctor. He taught me a few things, and your captain will be fine. Are you two hungry? I made some pastries earlier, a bit too much of them, would you like some?" They sighed with a nod because they didn't realise how hungry they were. After serving them the food, you went to your fathers room and gathered clean clothes, making your way to the room to find Law fast asleep, breathing soundly. You took the hat of the floor and noticed how bloody it was before taking it to the washing room and then coming back with a wet cloth and water.

You took his shirt off and cleaned the rest of the blood off his arms, chest and rest of the body making sure to shut your eyes or look away on some parts of his body; maybe he wouldn't want you to look at him. But his tattoos caught your attention as you looked at them for a long time and wondered if he felt a lot of pain getting them, were they painful? Or do some people actually don't feel pain? You thought as you were completely zoned out before shacking your head and dressing him up in clean clothes.

Shachi and penguin helped clean the room even when you told them it's fine and that you could do it, but they wanted to help as their gratitude for helping law. Three days went by and Law hasn't woken up and on the forth days night you were sitting by the bed and reading your book with calming voices playing in your headphones, it's when Law slowly opened his eyes adjusting to the room and he looked to his right than to his left and that's when he saw you focused on your book, and gently nodding your head. You looked up from the book for a second and flinched when you saw him awake. Quickly, you got up from the chair and went to the living room to call Shachi and penguin, who were playing random games you gave them.

They came in running and literally crying over their Captain's while you stood behind the doorframe watching them, Law sighed at how his two crew members were acting but was happy to see them again and told them to inform the rest of the crew and get ready to sail again in the morning. That night, you helped him take a bath while looking away as you wahed his back, chest, "Why are you looking away? Are you scared of the tattoos?" He asked in an annoyed voice to which you shook your head. "No, I think your tattoos are very funny looking, but they really look good on you. I feel like if anyone else had these tattoos, I would find it weird, but they really look good on you, especially the one in the middle of your chest. It's a funny smile face but I like it and they are black like your hair, you have nice hair, very nice hair." You said that with blank face and he blinked at the amount of information you dumped on him in seconds as you tried to smile at him, "I thought you might not want me to look at you naked, I don't want anyone to look at me when I'm naked. But I changed your clothes, I didn't look though. Promise." You went to wash his hair before mumbling to yourself, "Nice hair."

You helped him get dressed and lay on the bed, "you shouldn’t move around so much-" you were interrupted by a knock on the door; it was your father, he was a very gentle elderly man and was happy to see that you helped one in need. He talked with Law for a long while that night until you told them that Law needs to rest because he needs to heal.

The next morning, most of the crew came around to help Law as you watched them get ready to leave. Law thanked you over and over just like Shachi and Penguin did. You gasped as you ran inside the house and then ran back outside, telling them to stop as your father chuckled. They weren't far when they saw you running with something in your hand. You placed Law's hat on his head, "y-your hat, you almost forgot." You smiled wide at him. "Please, join my crew." Law had never begged anyone to join his crew before. And the rest was history.

Law smiled at the memories before he made his way towards his room but not before stopping by yours and to check on you one last time only to find you cuddled up to your stuffed toy fast asleep. "Sleep well, my Angel." He whispered before closing the door.

[terresdebrume]

"Charles. You promised."

Charles, sprawled on the ground with his feet up against the walls of the office, lowers the cover of his current volume to send an apologetic smile Edwin's way.

"Well I didn't know you meant right away, did I?"

Edwin cannot help a sigh. They have had some variation of this conversation at least once a year since they met, and Charles has yet to actually submit to any sort of schooling. This time, however, Edwin prepared for the inevitable.

"That was also your argument the last time we had this conversation," Edwin sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. "As well as the previous time. And as I recall—"

"Look, Edwin," Charles interrupts, looking up at Edwin again with a half pleading look, "I just really don't like the idea of fighting."

"Sometimes, fighting is the only way," Edwin points out.

He himself has bitterly regretted his avoidance of combat sports as a living boy on many, many an occasion. Who knows how things would have changed, if he had known then a fraction of what he knows now? Perhaps he would have lived. At the very least, he might have died fighting, and avoided Hell altogether. Of course, that would have meant never meeting Charles, but he would not have known that. He would have been blissfully ignorant of what true suffering feels like.

Edwin sighs, then makes himself blink. There is no point in dwelling on the past, especially if it makes Charles look at him with his worried frown, book forgotten on his chest. Edwin attempts a smile, though the look Charles sends him in response does not speak of success.

"I know," he sighs, hard enough to jostle the cross in his ear. "But you'll be there to defend me, yeah?"

Always, Edwin thinks. He is, however, cruelly aware that things do not always happen the way one plans for. Sometimes, students who may have had a very satisfying academic career die and must learn to fight to escape literal Hell. These things are unfair, but they happen. And the thought of Charles, trapped defenseless as Edwin once was... It is unbearable. It does not bear contemplating.

"Charles," Edwin pleads, hearing the touch of despair in his voice. "I will protect you as best as I can for as long as I exist here with you... But there may be times when I am not enough. I might be away and need some time to find you, or—any number of things could happen to keep me from your side. It would ease my mind to know that you have the skills to keep yourself alive until such time as I am able to take up the task again."

For a moment, Charles says nothing. He stares at Edwin, with his bright brown eyes the color of rich soil, with that smile he gets when he thinks Edwin is being particularly chivalrous. Edwin sustains his gaze, sweat filling his palms...and sighs in relief when Charles takes a deep breath and stands up.

"Alright, mate," he says, softly. "Fine. What am I learning then, how to throw a punch?"

"That would be the more sensible choice," Edwin admits around his own smile. "However, since I know very well how distasteful you find any of these activities, I thought perhaps I would appeal to your other sensibilities."

Charles makes an inquisitive noise as Edwin rummages in the coffer he prepared for this exact purpose earlier. He finds the tricorns first, handing one to a bemused Charles before donning his own. The way Charles frowns is as endearing as ever, and Edwin smiles as he reaches back into the coffer to find the sabers.

Charles gasps.

"Get out! You're not seriously teaching me how to be a pirate!"

"I should think you have seen ample evidence to belt that sentence," Edwin points out with a roll of his eyes.

Charles, of course, ignores the barb entirely.

"Can you say 'Ahoy, matey?'"

"Do take this seriously please." Charles sobers up, although his grin remains. As a reward, Edwin makes a point to demonstrate an old fashioned salute before he says: "En garde."

Charles smiles as brightly as if Edwin had told him Christmas would come early.

(Reblogs make the world go round! Consider sharing this if you enjoyed it!)

[aetherdoesthings]

hello!!! i hope you're having a good day!

i've been suffering from insomnia for a while, and i can't really get a good night's sleep. can i request a female insomniac reader x nico robin? like i love her so much i would die for her. general hcs are fine as well if u don't wanna write a lot.

thank you!!

hello anon!! thanks, i had an okay day today! i'm sorry to hear that you're suffering from insomnia, i hope you feel better. i would literally die for robin too like 🤭

forethoughts: ahhhhhh debating if i should a. write luffy x reader part 3, b. write hanahaki au!reader x robin part 1, c. practice my cello. hmmmm.

notes: fem!reader, platonic-y with suggestive romance

You wanted to sleep.

You needed to sleep.

Ever since you joined the Straw Hat Pirates, you’ve been having some sleeping problems. Maybe it was because of the waves that made you seasick, or the occasional sound of the wood creaking that shook you, making you think the ship was about to crash. You were always a light sleeper before you joined the Straw Hats, but it got worse.

You had asked the resident doctor on the ship for a remedy, after accepting that two sleepless nights might not help you have a good performance the next day. 

A notable example and sign that told you you needed help was during one day, when Nami was doing a ‘routine cleaning’ to make sure we weren’t keeping any junk that would attract bugs and all that. As you were sorting out what you wanted to throw out and what you wanted to keep, you mixed up both piles. If it wasn’t for Robin catching you holding a box of all your clothes and prized possessions into the giant trash bag, you would’ve lost a lot of clothes and trinkets you adored.

Chopper had given you some pills to take to help you sleep, advising you to drink some sort of tea and do meditation before you would rest. You decided to listen to him, as you sat on your bed, taking the pills and the tea, focusing on your breathing for a good ten minutes, before lying back down, closing your eyes.

You immediately woke up the moment a wave hit the boat, forcing you to sit up as you let out a frustrated groan, mad at your incapability to just relax. It was 12am. Everyone should be asleep, aside from the ones keeping watch. You decide to make use of your time, venturing out of your room and finding a more comfortable place than your own bed to sleep in. 

Your legs absentmindedly made their way to the resident archaeologist’s place, your hand turning the doorknob and entering the library. You expected the lights to be off, as Robin was already asleep at this time. However, to your surprise, the lights were on, and the archaeologist herself was sitting on the couch, reading a book. 

Robin glanced up at you from her book, a small smile on her face. “Ah, Y/N, may I help you? It’s quite late; you should be asleep.”

You try to close the door and head back into your room and bury yourself in embarrassment, but it’s too late. You closed the door behind you, looking down at the ground. “Uhm… I was trying to find a place to sleep… I didn’t know you were here. I’ll go, I’m sorry for intruding.”

Before you could place your hand on the door knob, a hand that sprouted from the door prevented you from doing so.

“Please. You’re not intruding; I was just wrapping up.” Robin smiled warmly at you. “Are you having a hard time sleeping again?”

“Y-Yeah… I am… How did you know?” You raised an eyebrow, wondering if Robin had occasionally sprouted a hand with an eye in it, staring at you tossing and turning in bed.

“Your behavior in the day reflects your rest during the night. And let’s just say… you haven’t been the same ever since you joined. And ever since that little mishap during Nami’s cleaning day… I had a suspicion you were having a hard time sleeping.” Robin stated matter-of-factly, her voice warm and lulling.

You scratched the back of your head, looking away. “Chopper already gave me some meds…”

“Is it working?”

“No…” You shook your head, relenting to the fact that Robin was now fully aware of your sleeping problems. Of course Robin would catch onto your problem; she never misses anything when it came to you. So what’s the point of even hiding it from her, then?

“I tried sleeping just now… taking the pills and trying to meditate. I still can’t… the waves just keep jolting me back awake, I don’t know what to do.” You exasperated, leaning against the door as you held your tired head.

“Come. Sit with me.” Robin patted the empty seat beside her on the couch, as a hand helped put her book away. Reluctantly, you trudged towards the archaeologist, creating a dip in the couch. You sat with your knees pressed against each other, your back not pressing against the cushions. 

“I don’t bite.” Robin smiled at your effort to use as little space as possible, patting the spot that was directly next to her. “Please.”

You moved closer to her, until her shirt brushed against your shoulder, the scent of fresh ink and flowers making your body relax. Robin always made you feel as comfortable as possible; she let you nap on her during the day (which probably helped contribute to her speculation about your sleeping problems), always checked in on you to make sure you were drinking enough water or weren’t about to accidentally hurt yourself.

“Why don’t you try sleeping with me tonight?” Robin nonchalantly suggested. 

Your face flushed red, as you furiously shook your head. “Y-You don’t need to do that. I-It’s fine, I couldn’t possibly ask you to sacrifice your space in order to help me sleep-”

“I’m not sacrificing anything, Y/N. Your sleep matters to me. Lie down on my lap. Don’t be shy. It might help you.”

“I’m not sure-”

Several hands gently push you against Robin’s body, making you lie down on her soft lap, your body curled into a fetal position as you laid down on the couch. A blanket was placed on top of your body, several hands tucking you in as Robin placed a hand on your head. She intertwined her fingers and your hair, gently patting your head to get you more comfortable and relaxed. Your shoulders slumped, as your legs moved away from your chest, letting the warmth and comfort Robin gave you seep into your body.

“Shall I read you a story? Perhaps that could lull you to sleep.” Robin suggested.

“S-Sure…” You replied, as you felt your eyelids getting more heavy the more Robin petted your head.

With the help of her hands, Robin picked up the book she was reading, as she began to read it out loud, her soft and elegant voice filling your ears, making your brain calm down, your muscles relaxing. You let yourself close your eyes, letting down your guard in front of the archaeologist. The deeper she got into the story, the sooner you felt yourself succumb into a slumber.

Your body jolted the moment a wave crashed into the Sunny, your head rising from Robin’s lap. But since she had your head in her hand, she gently forced you back down, giving you a warm and reassuring smile.

“It’s okay. It’s just a wave. It’s alright, you’re safe.” Robin whispered. 

You let out a shaky breath, nodding your head to let Robin know she could continue reading her story. You were safe. Safe. Safe in Robin’s hand. Safe with Robin. You were safe. 

Another wave hit the ship, but this time you didn’t flinch or move. You were safe. As long as you were with Robin, you were safe. You closed your eyes, feeling Robin’s warmth and inhaling her scent as you slowly drifted off into a well deserved slumber.

“Y/N…?” Robin whispered softly. You looked adorable in her arms; head resting on her lap, eyes closed and blanket covering your body. She couldn’t help but smile at your form, as she placed her book down. With her own hands, she scooped up your tiny body, carrying you back to her room, laying you down on her bed before crawling in next to you. 

“Goodnight, my dear.” Robin let out a deep breath, as she closed her eyes too.

[omgrachwrites]

Of Pirates and Princes - Chapter One

Pairing: Prince Caspian x Reader

Summary: You are merely a shop owner sharing a street with an insufferable mechanic. If that’s true, why do you keep dreaming of Princes and black sails? OUAT crossover

Warnings: enemies to lovers, fluff, swearing

A/N: First part wooo! Hope you guys enjoy and please let me know if you would like to be tagged! xxx

masterlist

Chapter I

The floor was hard and rocky beneath your fingers, as was the wall behind your head, you couldn’t dig your way out of this cell, that was clear enough. Boots crunched against the ground and you lifted your head, smirking when the tall man peered through the bars.

“Where’s your master, General? Was he too afraid to come and see me alone?” you snickered.

“Where are the jewels?”

You scoffed, “the lady Susan’s jewels? Why would I have them?”

“You were seen in the company of the men who did steal from the carriage down in port. They had the gold and silver but no jewels, and they let you get caught.”

Those men were idiots, your father would have skinned them alive if they weren’t bound to be executed by the Prince. They had failed to protect you.

“Hmm, what a conundrum.”

“Release her,” a different voice, a softer voice came from the shadows, the pale moonlight illuminating his handsome face.

“But, Your Highness,” the General started but he didn’t get a chance to finish as the Prince cut him off.

“We have searched her belongings and her person, we have not located the jewels or any other contraband. It is not a crime to choose poor drinking companions.”

The General muttered something as he walked off and you glanced over at the Prince, “I’ve been here for five days.”

The Prince smirked as his dark eyes beheld you from the other side of the bars, “have you? My apologies, I had no idea,” you scowled at him.

The Jolly Roger was still docked in the port and you smiled as you ran into the Captain’s open arms, “I was so worried about you, Y/N.”

“I’m fine, dad,” you smiled and he pulled out of the hug, holding you at arm’s length.

“How did you get away?”

With a smile, you pulled a dagger out of the wood of the ship and used it to cut a hole in the lining of your tunic, “either the Prince and his men are idiots, or you taught me very well,” you laughed as you pulled out the jewels you had stolen from Susan’s carriage.

-----

The bell to your jewellery shop opened, causing you to lose grip of the crystal that you were trying to set into the ring, “fuck!” you jumped and your friend laughed at you.

“Sorry, Y/N.”

You smiled and looked at the clock as you grabbed your jacket, “no, I’m sorry. I lost track of time, lunch at Granny’s?”

Regina nodded and the both of you left the shop, switching the sign to closed, “how’s Henry?” you asked.

Regina sighed, “he still thinks I’m the Evil Queen.”

“From Snow White?” Regina’s son, Henry held a strong belief that everyone in town was a fairytale character from his book, his relief was so strong that he had brought his birth mother to Storybrooke, all the way from Boston.

Regina nodded at your question causing you to laugh and quirk an eyebrow as you looked at your friend’s clothes, “well, you do have the look.”

Regina rolled her eyes, “don’t be ridiculous, Y/N.”

You laughed as you opened the door to Granny’s, your smile fell almost instantly as you quite literally ran into the man you wanted to see the least.

“Woah, I’m so sorry,” he laughed as his hands came up to steady you, as soon as he realised it was you, his smile dropped and he scowled at you, but his hands didn’t leave your waist.

You recoiled and Caspian rolled his eyes, “your hands are filthy.”

Caspian scowled, “I’m a mechanic, darlin’ kind of comes with the job.”

“Whatever,” you stormed right past him and into the diner.

Regina followed you as you sat down at your usual table, “that was the most ridiculous argument ever.”

You scoffed, “I hate him, I hate him so much and I don’t know why but there’s just something about him that irks me. I can’t put my finger on it.”

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” Regina spoke up and you glanced at her in surprise to find that she wasn’t looking at you. She was looking past you with a faraway look on her face as if her mind was elsewhere.

“What for?” you asked.

She didn’t say anything, she just smiled wanly and placed your usual order when Ruby came around to take the order.

“I keep on having the strangest dreams.”

Regina raised an eyebrow as she looked at you warily, “what about?”

You twisted your ring round on your finger as you recalled the dream from last night, “there was a pirate ship and a Prince. There was a jail cell in the depths of a great castle, it felt very much like a fever dream,” you laughed.

“Dr Hopper may have something for dreamless sleeps.”

You shook your head; the dreams may have been weird but they were not unwelcome. Lunch was nice, Regina seemed truly happy and you didn’t speak of your dreams or Henry again.

On your way out of Granny’s you grabbed two bear claws, one for you and one for your mom, that was your tradition, every Monday you would have lunch with Regina and then you would go for coffee and a catch up with your mom. You dropped Regina off at her office before driving to your mother’s cottage on the edge of town. As soon as you pulled up to the cottage you could sense that something was different but you didn’t know what until you rang the doorbell.

“Y/N,” your mother smiled with a questioning look on her face, “what are you doing here?”

You laughed as you held up the brown paper bags, “bear claws?”

She nodded with a smile, “sorry dear, it’s been a long day. Come in.”

You smiled as you stepped over the threshold and hugged your mom, kissing her cheek before you walked through to the kitchen, your blood running cold. Twice in one day? Someone really had it out for you. There he was, looking cleaner than he had from when you last saw him a couple of hours ago. He looked up from his phone and he dropped it on the kitchen counter, the clatter making you jump.

You scowled at him as you saw the remains of a bear claw on your mother’s floral plates and a coffee cup, “what’s he doing here?” you complained to your mom as she rolled her eyes and followed you into the kitchen.

“Y/N, don’t be rude, Caspian was kindly dropping off my car after he fixed it for me.”

Caspian shot a dazzling smile at your mother that you just wanted to slap off his face as he stood from the kitchen stool, “it really was no trouble, ma’am, after all I couldn’t have you traipsing all the way into town from here.”

Your mother grinned and handed him a tupperware container which made you glare at Caspian, “you’re a lifesaver, and you won’t have to eat greasy diner food tomorrow.”

“Thank you, ma’am, I’ll see you soon,” he glanced over at you with daggers in your dark eyes, “Y/N.”

You didn’t say anything but if looks could kill he would be six feet underground, your mom walked him out and when she came back into the kitchen she had a disappointed look on her face.

“Why can’t you just be nice to him, Y/N? He’s a lovely young man.”

“Oh come on mom, he’s rude and arrogant.”

Your mom sighed as she flicked the kettle on, “oh, Y/N, you really need to grow up.”

As you were getting ready to close the shop, the little bell tinkled and you looked up with a surprised smile when Henry walked through the door. Regina worked late every Monday so Henry always came by the shop to start on his homework until Regina picked him up. You would have thought that he would have been spending time with Emma.

“Good to see you Henry,” you smiled as the boy placed his backpack on one of the tables in the shop and began to get his things out.

“Hi, Y/N,” he smiled brightly as only a child could smile as he got out a heavy leather bound book and you knew that that must be it.

“So, that’s the famous book, huh? Kind of offended that I’m not in it,” you laughed as you tidied some things away, “want a sandwich and some juice? It’ll be a while before you’ll be having dinner.”

“That would be great, thanks Y/N,” he started to scribble in his notebook as you went through to the tiny little kitchen in the back. You poured Henry some orange juice and made him a sandwich, cutting off the crusts just like you knew he liked it and came back through into the shop and placed it in front of him.

“There you go,” you spoke cheerfully and Henry took one big swig of the drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Oh, I think you actually are in the book,” he grinned and started flipping through the pages.

You laughed as you quirked an eyebrow, “oh yeah? And who am I? A princess I hope,” you sat opposite Henry.

He shook his head as he pushed the book towards you, “no something much more cool.”

You looked down at the colourful artwork splashed across the page and saw the pirate standing at the bow of a ship. The drawing of the woman did kind of look like you, she had different hair but she had the scar through her eyebrow just as you did. As you looked down at the drawing you could almost hear the call of the birds and the ocean breeze.

It reminded you of your dreams.

“So, what’s this story about?” you tore your eyes away from the book and looked at the little boy sitting opposite you.

“It’s about that pirate and the Prince of the land, sworn enemies but they fall in love one day when the pirate saves his life.”

“Why would a pirate save a Prince?” you asked flipping through the book, your eyes coming to rest on a tall man with ink black hair and even darker eyes. You closed the book with a snap and pushed it back over to Henry.

“I don’t know,” Henry shook his head, “maybe she’s good, not everyone has to be a villain.”

“How does the book end?”

“Why don’t you keep it and find out?”

You laughed considering his offer, mentally deciding against it. Regina would never forgive you if you knew you were encouraging her son’s impossible belief.

------

taglist; @notan-applepielife @intothesoul

[doesephs]

Why are you drawing ugly fan art for a show that’s helping murder 20k people 😭😭 I really liked following you but if you’re a Zionist I’m unfollowing asap. Disney is paying for all those kids the actors ages to be under rubble of their homes and ur still supporting the show?

just woke up from the most fitful bout of unconsensual sleep to this y’all gotta learn how to time your hate better 🙏🏼

to address this chronologically, you can fuck off with your opinions about my art because it really doesn’t validate you’re argument 💔 personally i think my art is the shit but not everyone has such palatable tastes as i, it’s okay to be insecure babe

secondly, i literally pirated the first two episodes off a mates google hard drive what are you doing on about supporting murder. sadly i am not chronically online and do not research the ins and outs of every company known to mankind.

thirdly, will you please stop assuming everything about peoples lives just because of something you see on the internet. my aunts family is Palestinian, we mourn the losses of so many of her family members and friends. we pray at the masjid, we attend protests and sign petitions and grieve losses that are not our own. but sure, go ahead and assume that i am a zionist all you want.

please if you are going to villianise people for posting screenshots of a stupid tiktok i made about a book series that i grew up on then perhaps take a breather and put things into perspective. i’m open to people dming me and genuinley contending something i have done or if they have questions but to accuse things then cower behind anonymity i cannot respect. i am not a zionist nor will i ever be. go ahead and unfollow me if that’s what you want because couldn’t honestly give less of a shit. i am not an influencer or a public figure, what i believe doesn’t have to be aired out for everyone to see 24/7 for it to still be what i believe. i am glad that you are strong in your correct beliefs but in the future do not go about it in the way that you have.

min al-nahr ila al-bahr ❤️

[cameronspecial]

Thorn In My Side, Rose In My Hand (Part 11)

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: Reference to a Panic Attack and Spoilers for The Cruel Prince.

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 3.0K

Summary: Halloween, the best holiday of the year is meant to be spent with the people you love.

A/N: Definitely not me adding in the KitKat part because I just went on a road trip in the US and my Canadian self was disappointed with the KitKat.

Masterlist

Friday night, Y/N finally has her first book club meeting. Rafe sits beside her with one hand on her thigh and the other holding his book. “I like how confident Jude’s character is. She is so badass,” Rafe inputs into the conversation. When the other members of the club found out Rafe is a part of it, it is safe to say they were shocked at the revelation and didn’t expect him to actually read the book. But ever since Rafe and Y/N started reading together every night, he has actually gotten through a few books. If they weren’t sleeping in bed together, they’d FaceTime each other and just bathe in the knowledge that the other was a shout away. For the book for the club, they would often take turns reading to each other. “Yass, she is an absolute queen. Like becoming a spy was so awesome,” Kate adds. The conversation continues until the hour is up and everyone has gone home. Y/N is getting herself a snack when she feels Rafe drop his chin onto her shoulder. He gives her a gentle kiss, “I think we should dress as Jude and Cardan for Halloween. You can put your hair up in horns and wear a dress. I can put on one of those flowy shirts that are like a pirate shirt. You’d love it.”

“That’s a great idea, we can go into town now to see what we can get. Ooh, but we should look at fan art first,” Y/N rattles, completely abandoning her snack to go check her phone. Rafe smiles as he sees the excitement on her face. She shows him multiple different pictures and he gives her his thoughts about it. Before he knows it, they are going into town to see what they could find. 

———

Halloween is Y/N’s favourite holiday. The idea of being able to pretend to be whoever one wants is appealing to her. This Halloween is especially exciting for her because Rafe actually wants to do a couples costume with her. Rafe is throwing a Halloween bash in honour of the holiday and she knows he is going all out just for her. He had her help him pick out a multitude of decorations, drinks and candies. She is trying to follow the video to make the horns with her hair for the costume, but she quickly grows frustrated with the task. “Ugh,” she lets out very loudly. This summons Rafe into the bathroom from the adjoining bedroom, “What’s wrong, my rose?” “This video is literally the hardest thing I have ever done,” she complains to her boyfriend. Rafe gives her a wicked smile and approaches her, “Here let me try.” 

He begins to work on her hair and she watches, shocked that he is able to do it without even having to watch the video. He can see her questioning gaze through the mirror, “I’ve been practicing how to do it with my sisters’ help. It took a lot of hair-pulling and arguing, but we were eventually able to nail it.” She feels a rush of heat spread across her neck at the effort Rafe is going through to make their first Halloween together perfect. She never asked him to do any of this, but he went out of his way to make the environment comfortable for her. “Thank you,” she whispers once he is done with her hair, turning to give a kiss on his exposed collarbone in the pirate shirt. He has yet to put on the crown or feather cape they had custom-made based on the fanart they saw. “You’re welcome. Could you help me put on a little eyeliner, please? It seems like something Cardan would do,” Rafe replies, reaching into her makeup bag to bring out the eyeliner. 

She gives a small nod of her head and pats the counter for him to sit on top of. He does as instructed and they both laugh as they realize it made him too tall. Y/N motions over to the toilet for him to sit on. Once he is seated, she brings his head into her hand and starts to apply the eyeliner. He starts to squirm in her hand, making it harder for her to do what she needs to. “Cameron, stop moving,” she chastises, holding onto his head harder. He shakes his head a little, “I can’t. It tickles. 

“Well if you don’t, then it will be all smudged.” 

“Ughh, okay.”

“Rafe Jacob Cameron! Stay still. I’ll give you a kiss if you do.”

“Okay, fine.”

She finishes doing his eyeliner and goes to apply her own lipstick. Rafe is quick to press a kiss onto her lips, smudging her lipstick and imprinting some of it onto his lips. She giggles at the messy lipstick on her boyfriend's lips. She moves from between his legs and goes to get a wet cloth to wipe his lips. “Now, let me get you your crown,” she says, walking over to where it sits in his dress and placing it on his head. Rafe smiles up at her and relishes in the kiss she places on his forehead, “This kinda reminds me of the coronation scene from the book.” 

“Yeah, it kinda does feel like that with you being shorter than me right now. We should’ve gotten Mason to be Oak. Then we can recreate the whole scene.”

“Maybe, but I like this being just an us thing to do.”

“True. I just worry he feels left out sometimes.”

“It’s okay, we can include him when we do family costumes with our kids.”

“When we have kids? You seem to have our future figured out for us, don’t you?”

“I absolutely do. I was thinking you’d probably want to move out to England after you finish at Oxford, which I would definitely follow you to once I finish school. We would have four kids because I know you like the even number and you like the idea of kids always having a playmate. Of course, Sparky would move with us. And the house would definitely need a bay window for you.”

“That’s quite the plan you have. You’d really move to England for me?”

“I’d move to the end of the world for you. You are my forever.”

“You are my forever too.”

But a small part of Y/N can’t help but feel guilty about the idea of making Rafe move. Ever since she overheard Ward talking about the distance, she can’t stop worrying about their future. She knows he always planned to take over his dad’s company after he finished school and she didn’t want to be the reason why he didn’t realize that dream. She knows it’s what he wants to do to make his dad proud. She doesn’t even know what Rafe would do in England with her. It would also mean that they would have four years of being apart before they could be together again and she isn’t sure how she could handle that. Not wanting to think any deeper about it, she snaps out of her spiral and leads him downstairs to get ready for the party. 

————

Lacey and Mason arrive earlier to help set up for the party; the former with booze in hand and the latter with candy. Lacey is dressed as a chef, true to her future career choice and Mason as a handyman. “So what are you guys supposed to be? Pirate prince with pointy ears and a hot badass knife girl,” Lacey asks with a questioning brow, setting the box of beer cans on the counter. Y/N shakes her head at her best friend’s teasing, “Nooo, I’m Jude Duarte and Cameron is Cardan Greenbriar from The Cruel Prince. Silly.” “Ahh, so it’s a couples costume. Cute,” Mason adds, organizing the candy he brought.

————

The party is in full swing now. Music blaring, people screaming, bodies moving and Y/N is getting nervous. She is lost in a sea of people, getting pushed from every side. At a certain point, she couldn’t keep up with the crowd and tripped onto the ground. She curls into a ball to protect her head and heart. She begins to cry and feels as though her chest is tightening. Lacey had seen what had happened to her best friend and immediately shoves her way through the crowd to help. “Come on, it’s okay. I’ve got you,” Lacey picks her up and brings her to Rafe’s room. Lacey sits Y/N on the bed, “Tell me five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste.” “The… The…” Y/N is so frazzled she can’t concentrate on the relaxing technique Lacey suggests. 

Rafe finds the girls in his room after searching everywhere for his rose. He starts piecing the pieces together as to what happened when he sees the pair and rushes to her side. “I’m sorry we got separated, I’m here now. Let’s do some butterfly taps and take some deep breaths in and out for me, my rose,” he advises with his hands rubbing the sides of her hips. He helps her place her hands in a cross on her chest. She copies Rafe’s breathing and begins to tap her collarbones, alternating between the left and right. The other two immediately notice her breathing start to slow down and her shoulders aren’t as tensed. He places a kiss on her forehead now that her breathing is finally steady, “There we go. You’ve got this.” He continues to whisper hushed encouragement to her.

Lacey can’t help but feel jealous at the sight in front of her. She used to be able to help Y/N calm down from a panic attack. Definitely not as fast though. However, she can’t help but feel happy that her best friend has found someone who understands how she works so much. She takes this as her opportunity to slip out of the room and go back to check on the partiers for Rafe, making a mental note to check on Y/N later.

 Oppositely, Rafe is feeling more confident in himself. He thought back to what his father said about knowing sooner rather than later that he couldn’t reassure her. This proves Ward is wrong. Rafe was able to assess the situation without being told what happened and help Y/N through it. He remembered what Y/N said about her panic attacks and jumped into action. He figures the party and getting lost in the crowd are probably the reason for her panic attack. “Wanna ditch the party and see if the pharmacy is already serving discounted chocolate and candies? We can head to the beach and eat it there while watching the waves,” he offers as soon as her breathing has steadied and she moves her hands into his. 

“But what about your party? You and Mason have to stop shutting down your parties before even ten just for me. You’ll both start having a bad reputation.”

“I couldn’t care less about what people think as long as the people I love are safe and healthy. But I was thinking of just letting Mason watch over everything.” 

“I would love to go get candy, but maybe we can go later. I think it would be more fun to go trick or treating. I mean we are in costume.”

Rafe chuckles at her childishness, “Really?! I mean, I don’t object to the idea, but you really think people will give us candy?” 

“Yeah! Not to brag, but everyone on this island loves me.” 

“That’s very true. Come on, let’s go get some clean pillowcases.”

Rafe secures two pillowcases for the pair and sends a quick text to Mason to keep an eye on things for him. Mason replies back quickly saying that he will and asks if Y/N wanted him to come check on her. Rafe answers by telling him she has now calmed down and wishes to go trick or treating. Y/N is excited about going out, but she isn’t sure how to feel entirely about it. She definitely noticed how Rafe would shut down his parties early and forgo going to other parties ever since they started dating. The girl would insist on him going without her or offer to go for an hour or two; however, he would always resist her pleas. She doesn’t want to change his personality, even though he says it is okay. At this moment though, Y/N could not be more glad that he is seriously okay with the idea of going out to get some candy. 

————

The houses on the Kook side of the Island often give out the best candy and it often becomes a competition between the houses. Halloween is the one time a year in which the Kooks do not care if the Pogues are on their property and most Pogues would dare to approach the rich side. Kooks welcome as many people to their houses to prove they offer the best treat with the number of guests coming at their door. Y/N remembers the excitement that would pass around in elementary school as the students would brag about the candies their parents bought. She and Rafe run up the driveway of a house while holding hands giggling like schoolchildren. They arrive at their first house of the night. After going through the trick-or-treating ritual, Y/N reaches into their bag to see what they got as they walk back to the road. Her eyes shine at the red wrapper in her hands. “What is it?” Rafe questions the girl. 

“It’s a Canadian KitKat! Yes, I love these.”

“What’s so special about a Canadian KitKat? We have these in America.”

“The Canadian one isn’t as sweet and it doesn’t leave that weird aftertaste. The chocolate taste much better. I had some when we went up to Canada for my mom’s book tour last summer. Here, try some.”

She quickly opens the package, breaks off a piece of the chocolate and shoves it into his mouth. Rafe’s eyes widen in surprise and he eats the chocolate bar, “Hmm, this is good. Why don’t ours taste like this?” 

“In Canada, KitKat is owned by Nestle and here, it’s owned by Hershey’s.” 

“I see. Well, next time I go to America, I’m going to pack a suitcase full of these for you.”

She looks at him with a huge smile on her face. The pair go to a few more houses and the next house on the street is quite dark. As they approach the house, a little girl dressed as Barbie is walking beside them. Rafe gives her a small smile and a wave. They make their way to the front door to see a duo of teens standing in front of a candy bowl with a please take one sign on a table. The teenage boys laugh as they take the whole bowl of candy without leaving one, even though they saw the little girl. The boys run past the trio without a care in the world. Little Barbie looks at the candy bowl with sad eyes and before Y/N can even do anything, Rafe is handing over his candy bag to her. Her eyes light up and she yells a thank you, running back to her mother at the end of the driveway. The mother waves her hand in thanks to Rafe’s sweet gesture. 

Y/N looks at her boyfriend in awe, “That was so sweet. But now you have no candy. How about we stop by the pharmacy for discount candy and head to the beach?” Rafe nods at the offer and leads her back to where he parked his car. 

————

She is examining the box of candy in front of her when he pops up behind her, wearing Jason’s mask from Friday the 13th. She jumps, startled at his sudden appearance in the strange mask. She gives him a light hit on his bicep and a frown. “Cameron, You scared me! Don’t do that,” Y/N reprimands her partner. Rafe laughs and wraps his arms around her shoulders, “I’m sorry, my rose. I was only playing. I love you.” He kisses her cheeks in hopes to soothe her anger. She shakes her head at him. “Ugh, I guess I love you too. Come on, let’s head to the beach.” 

They head down to the beach with the bag of candy in hand and a blanket wrapped around both of their shoulders. The duo sets themselves a few feet away from the water. The sound of the waves hitting the sand is the only noise that can be heard on the beach. Y/N rests her head on his shoulder and begins to eat the candy they acquired, Rafe looks down at the girl with a grin on his face. She looks more serene than she did at the party and he loves the way she is watching the waves in wonder. 

His life plan was always to go to UNC, graduate, come back home, and work for his father. It was engraved in his mind in his very first memory of his father. It had been their plan and Rafe never questioned it because he thought it was the best path to pleasing his father. He may have known Y/N for more than one-third of his life, but the plan never changed just from knowing her since he never thought he had a chance with her and he just suppressed his feeling for her. But, now, she is his girlfriend and they have a future together. This makes him question everything he thought he wanted for his future. Now, all that mattered to him is her being in the picture and if that meant going off to England with her then he is going to make damn sure he is by her side every step of the way. 

Taglist: @itsalexwin @sublimepenguinpeach-blog @gillybear17 @terraeluce @f4ll-for-you @ineedtosusoutmyreadinglist

[pampushky]

Creature (Both Haunted & Holy)

Vinsmoke Sanji/Reader - chapter 8 - 3.3k

You continue to adjust to life with the Straw Hats. Zoro becomes an unlikely friend when Loguetown proves to be a bit much for you. You and Sanji go shopping.

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Notes on Selkenfolk, from the Journal of Dr. Crocus of the Roger's Pirates When first asking about the patterns of the selkie's skin, Pell and Coth were rather open about it, along with talking about their own pup, Feann. Selkenfolk offspring are born pure white, just like seal pups, along with being born in their true forms-- which resemble the merfolk of Fishman Island. Selkenfolk pregnancies are longer than human and merfolk--- likely to develop the pelt of the pup, lasting around eleven months. As the pup matures, usually around age two to three, they are able to turn to their humanoid form for the first time, and their pelt is thus created from this. Many patterns can be traced to regional and ethnic varieties, but when two different types of selkenfolk mate, and then produce offspring, they merge to create a new pattern. Noticably, Coth has a separate appearance from Pell, with the white parts of her pelt making it look as though she has virtiligo around the front of her neck and around her mouth, which trails down to the front of her torso. Pell, rather, just has a slightly lighter coloring around his underarms and inner thighs.

Luffy is about ready to throw himself from the ship and make you fetch him from the waters with how bored he is. There’s only so much he can do between watching Zoro train, having Usopp shoot at things, and then watching yourself and Nami plot your course. Sanji would often rush him out of the kitchen, as well, often before Luffy could sneak any snacks. 

So, here he was, laying on the ram figurehead as Sanji fished, with you editing the records of the ship, occasionally scratching things out and writing something down a few lines below, little notes marking the page. You had offered to teach him how to do a few of these things, and Luffy had flat-out denied it, declaring it to be overly boring, and much too academic for him.

“Can you even write your own name?” You shut the book, looking at your captain. “Genuinely asking, are you literate?"

“Yes, I’m literate,” Luffy stuck his tongue out, folding his arms grumpily. “I know how to read, it’s just dumb and stupid and I don’t like it. ”

You only let out a low rumble, leaning your head back against the railing, letting the noise travel further, getting a bit louder. Luffy looked at you in curiosity, whining when you stopped.

“What was that?”

“Just a noise,” you opened the book again, cross-referencing what grain stores had gone down in your journey so far. You would need to stock up again soon, especially on rice. “Seals make them back to me, sometimes.”

“Can I do it?”

“Maybe,” you muttered, biting your lip, not really paying attention. The ammunition was lower than you liked. Perhaps you’d get Usopp to stock up, at the next port. “I’m unfamiliar with human vocal structure, but ours is a bit more robust—”

The sound of something inflating drew both your and Sanji’s attention. Luffy had blown up his throat, before letting out the loudest rumble you had ever heard, making you clamp your hands over your ears until he stopped. It reminded you of stories told by your mothers, to get you to behave. Of whale fishmen, who would come on land and feast on naughty selkie pups, rumbling and making the water shake as they came on land. Orcas had been your natural enemies, followed closely by sperm whales. 

“Okay.,” You were still shaking a bit, trying to ignore the way your instincts were practically wailing to flee from your captain. “You sounded like a whale, and if you don’t want me to toss you into the sea, please don’t do that again. Be… smaller. Gentler.”

You set the book down fully, looking at the curious captain, calming your nerves.

“Not that,” you mimed how he had inflated his throat, before letting out your own rumble, Luffy leaning in to listen. Sanji had even set his fishing pole down, watching. Your rumble sounds much healthier, these days. More practiced, refined, even, as you lean your head back, puffing up your chest a bit as you reach a higher note, the gentle warble making Luffy gasp. “That was… hm, it’s hard to explain what they mean.”

“It’s a language?” Sanji watches you, storm-cloud eyes alight with curiosity.

“Oh yes! Underwater, it’s easier to understand- it flows better, I guess.” You scratch the back of your neck, a bit embarrassed. “It’s, uh, well it’s really tonal, on land, and we tend to use clicks as well,” your fidgeting with your hands now, looking away from both of the boys. 

“That’s… so… cool!” Luffy jumps into you, arms wrapped around your waist as you let out a surprised warble that turns into an involuntary thrill of happiness, which Luffy, however, garbled, manages to somewhat mimic, rolling off you and standing atop the figurehead, trilling as you laugh.

You trill again, in shock, and he repeats it back to you. You are saying joy, happy, together, and he manages to repeat joy, though with an odd accent, but the last two form a word that sends shivers down your spine. Luffy repeats his trill, singing joy, pod, joy, pod for all of the world to hear. You freeze up, as he continues to speak to you, not knowing what he’s saying. It’s— it’s a bit cute, to hear him call you and Sanji his pod, even if he doesn’t know. And it makes your heart ache, especially because this is someone who was willing to risk his life for you, and the only other person you’d consider a member of your pod, Nami, right now.

“Is something wrong?” Sanji looks at you and notices how you watch your captain so stiffly, despite the smile on your face.

“It’s… he’s just saying something else.” You laugh, relaxing. “My trill roughly meant joy, happy, together. It’s a ranking, the last spoken usually is the most powerful, or meaningful.” You sigh, a sad smile on your face as you ruffle your hair to get you out of this mood. “Luffy is saying joy, pod. It’s… well, it’s a way of declaring a family."

“We are family!” Luffy says stubbornly, and you hold up your hands as if you're shielding yourself.

“Respectfully, not yet,” you get up, and take your book with you, shrinking in on yourself a bit, shying away from the concerned look Sanji follows you with. All of that laughter and joy you had been expressing just minutes ago has faded. “You are my crew, but you are not my pod, not yet, I'm sorry," you murmur something to them about arriving in port soon, and needing to do a few last checks, before you've disappeared into the women's quarters.

Luffy and Sanji watch you retreat, with the captain scratching his head, and the cook casting his line again, not liking how you had so easily retreated from them, and almost seemed afraid of whatever reaction was to come. And the apology? 

He sighed. You reminded him too much of himself, especially in his childhood. Hesitant to ask for help, scared to be too loud, for fear of his father and brother's wrath. Would his mother have liked you? He pushed the thought from his head— his mother was of no consequence to your trauma, and how he was to help you heal from it. You had faced hell for two years and had lost your entire family to boot, and that had all been dropped on you in the past week and a half. You needed time, if anything. And affirmations that you belonged where you were now, and could do what you pleased. 

You're already gaining a bit of weight back, from your training with Zoro, and Sanji helps you portion your meals so you don't eat to the point of making yourself sick, even when you're convinced you're going to starve, a hunger in your stomach you cannot get rid of, no matter what you eat. He lets Nami help you, in those moments, letting the two of you sit alone in your room.

But Sora would have liked you, his mind rebelliously chimed. Would have liked your stubbornness and your dedication to your duties and Nami. She would have laughed at your snark and banter, and the tight schedule you run on the ship. An idea fizzles into his head, reminding him of something Zeff had done when he had officially adopted Sanji, and bought the Baratie. Just him and Zeff, legs hoisted up on the barrel, making a promise that one of them would find the All Blue, and Zeff then promising to take care of Sanji, for as long as he needed. He buries the idea down when he sees a city on the horizon, watching as Nami starts to make calls for the sails to be brought in.

The arrival in Lougetown goes smoother than expected, especially with your gentle guidance of the waves, standing at the back of the boat. Soon enough, you’ve convinced Luffy to pull down their flag, convincing him to hide it as you make it into the main port and check in the ship by another name, Merry-Go-Round. After some bribing and a slight slip of cleavage on your part, the wharfmaster lets you go without much trouble, especially when you slip him a ten-thousand-berry note to hide that you don’t have the proper documentation

Luffy pulls at the collared shirt you’ve made him wear, rubbing at the concealer Nami used to hide his scar, moaning about how a true pirate would never hide his identity, quickly silenced by Nami tugging on his ear harshly, hissing that a real pirate wouldn’t get caught then, either, just as Luffy’s wanted poster flutters by in the wind. You move to the side a bit, pulling your shirt back up to fully cover your chest again, Sanji holds his face a bit, bright pink up to his ears as he looks away, muttering about how a woman should never have to use her body to do what she wants, while also trying to affirm that a woman can do whatever she may want with her body. You walk a few paces ahead of the group, and Zoro only gaps at you, noticing that you’ve changed your outfit, replacing your pants with a pleated, black skirt.

“Where’d you learn that?” Zoro hisses, as you walk by, winking at the old man as you pass by the wharfmaster's station, before hurrying the group along. “Wha— and since when did we have money?"

“Since I took half of the treasure from Arlong,” you whisper back, taking in the buildings around you. You can’t help it, this is the first island you’ve been to other than the park, and your home island. It’s much more urban and warm than yours was— it snowed for half the year back home— and you’re filled with wonder at just how different it is. You all stop at a large and prominent fountain, and you can already hear the bustle of the main square just a few streets down. The new smells and sounds, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t a bit overwhelmed.

Zoro sighs heavily and lays a hand on your shoulder when he notices how you fidget, “Focus on one thing— that’s what helped me when I first left my dojo,” he was quiet, gently squeezing your shoulder as if to ground you. “Just one sense. That’s all.”

You nod, focusing on what you can feel around you. Under you. The cobbles are the first thing. They’re uneven and hurt your ankles a bit as you walk on them. And then there’s the sea breeze, coming in from the port. It’s familiar, and warm, and reminds you of where you are, and how water surrounds you at every step.

Opening your eyes, you find Zoro looking down at you. Though he tries to stay neutral, there’s concern etched on his features. 

“Better?”

“Much.” You run your hands through your hair, letting out a deep sigh. He only squeezes your shoulder a bit harder, as if to affirm he’s still there. “Thank you.���

“You’re welcome,” He watches as the rest of the crew catches up. “Talking… is hard. But we could be… friends. If you'd like.” He grunts out, blushing a bit when you laugh softly. 

“I’d like that,” you hold out your pinky, and he stares at it, confused. 

“What’s that for?”

“It’s a pinky promise.”

“What— okay, but what do I do with this?”

“You— you’re impossible, Zoro .” You make him stick his pinky out, then wrap it around your own, shaking it. “There. Now we’re friends.”

“That’s dumb,” he can’t help but grin, shaking his head, “So, friends can give each other money…”

“Not happening,” you flick his nose, “It’s the crew’s.”

“Wish I’d known that before I borrowed off of Nami,” Zoro growls, folding his arms, “...not even a little?”

“It’s for the crew, I have to go buy more supplies for general upkeep anyway,” you flick the swordsmen in the nose, before approaching Sanji with an envelope, which he opens with a low whistle, looking at the notes. “Speaking of which— here. Weekly allowance for produce and fresh meats. We’ll look at dried goods together since that's partially in my department." You also hand an envelope to Usopp, who gasps at the amount of money in his hands, already calculating what he can get for the ammunition stockpiles, and for his own experiments.

“So the waiter gets money and I don’t?” Zoro complains, which makes Sanji bite down on his cigarette, the two are about to start bickering when Luffy pushes his way between them, making a beeline for you when he sees the envelope of money in your hands.

“I’d like some money!” Luffy chimes in, holding out his hands expectantly to you, looking up with big eyes. "I want a statue."

“Uh, no. We’re only coasting on what we have now because Arlong had so much in his hoard.” You sigh, rubbing your temples. “Okay— that sleaze ball will let us dock the ship there for two days. We will leave tomorrow morning,” you glance at the large clock tower above you, frowning at how early it is, knowing some of the shops you need won't be open yet. “Meet in the main square at five. Get what you need done,” you sigh, and most of the crew bolt away, with Sanji left waiting, snubbing out his cigarette on the bottom of his shoe.

“Should we go look at dry ingredients now, then?” Sanji bows his head, offering his arm to you, which you politely decline, walking ahead of him. 

“May as well,” You look behind you, tilting your head as he matches your pace, walking by your side and listening as you speak. “I’ll need to find a hardware store so I can make some supply orders.” 

The two of you ease into a casual conversation, at a relaxed pace. The grains are easy enough to find, with Sanji spending an unusual amount of time bartering over the quality of rice, oats, and flour he’s decided to buy. You don’t mind, instead watching the cook try his best to butter up the old woman behind the stall, who looks unimpressed with his antics, an antique carved pipe hanging from her mouth. 

“ Madam, I simply would just like to examine it in closer detail, to be assured that I am getting the finest quality—”

“It’s in front of ya, ain’t it?” The woman leans closer, tanned face and dark eyes staring into his soul, chomping down on her pipe in emphasis. “Not to touch unless yer’ buyin’.”

Sanji leans back, clearly a bit frustrated, looking at you in his desperation. So, you step in, laying a gentle hand on his arm, looking pleadingly at the woman, while also trying to telepathically tell Sanji to stop freezing up at your touch, if the act is to look convincing.

“Apologies, for my beloved’s behavior,” you smile sweetly, making sure you present yourself as soft as possible. Your hair is pushed to cover the scars on your cheek, and you bat your eyes, leaning into Sanji’s arm, finally getting him to loosen up. “He’s just a perfectionist, just wants our pups to grow big and strong, don’t you, my love?”

Sanji blushes a bit but plays it off by looking the other way, sighing heavily and ruffling his hair. “But if I can’t examine the grains —”

“I’m sure she’ll let you look if you’re quick,” you purr, running a hand down his back as if to smooth him, Sanji shivers at your touch, finally looking down at your pout with a sigh, and you turn your head to the old woman behind the counter with a dazzling smile, hiding your canines and premolars. No need to scare the human, especially when you're supposed to be some little housewife. “Right?”

Begrudgingly, and ensnared by your charm, she allows it, and you practically gush over her, thanking her and shaking her hand with such enthusiasm that Sanji has to pull you away, cooing at you to let him do the rest, not before pecking your forehead with a sly grin. He manages to strike a deal, and you offer to pay a bit extra to have the supplies delivered to your boat, which Sanji objects to, and then offers to pay out of his own pocket for, saying;

“It’s for our pups, isn’t it, darling? After you did all the work for nine months, let me do something.” And he holds a hand to your belly, rubbing it. Despite yourself, you blush, sighing and letting him pay, thanking the old woman once again before you walk off, taking Sanji’s hand to keep the act going.

“Good thinking,” Sanji grins at you with a slight blush, when you're out of her view, and you can’t help but blush, looking anywhere but his face as you continue to walk through the market, letting him pull you to the next stall, this one selling spices. 

“Yes, exactly as planned,” you hate the way your heart hammers in your chest when he uses pet names with you, and how you do feel a bit annoyed when he flirts with some younger, handsome, and pretty merchants, letting you pout as he has an arm around your shoulder, explaining the spices to you. But it’s not as if it’s real. You only just know Sanji, and though he helped to free you, you owe him nothing. You remind yourself that, even when he looks at you with a bright smile and tucks some beautiful white flowers,  astilbes, behind your ears, something a shopkeeper had given him for free as part of his flirtations, looking at you in pity as you walk away, still fake pouting at your 'partner'.

Carefully, he adjusts the branches, just enough so that your scars peek through your hair, smiling down at you when you come up to delicately touch the tiny flowers, looking at them as best you can through your eyelashes. Sanji admires how they sit in your hair, almost looking like a laurel crown, beautifully contrasting your features, long fingers helping to adjust them so they sit just right, softly tilting your face to the side to get a better view.

“Oh— it’ll reveal my scars—” you fret, worried about being recognized, only to have Sanji gently take one of your hands as he continues to adjust the flowers with his other, squeezing your hand as you wind your way through the stalls of the market, now in search of coffee beans and black tea leaves when he's satisfied with how the flowers sit in your hair. 

“It won’t. And besides, they’re nothing to be ashamed of,” He holds your hand, looking back at you with a warm smile, and you can’t help but admire how handsome he is. “You’re free. And you’re a part of this crew.”

Hesitantly, you nod, smiling up at him nervously as the two of you make your way through the market. This act continues until the dry goods are bought, with the cook even accompanying you to the hardware store, opening the door for you like a proper gentleman, and then smiling before taking his leave, off to buy fresh produce. You almost wish it wasn't an act.

[mykaeba]

really cool posts!

(this is a very incomplete masterlist made by me for whoever is interested. there are a lot of links that lead to more masterlists, so- prepare to browse!)

tumblr lore and very cool posts i guess:

goncharov (1973), apparently (unreality)

the tumblr folk stories

tumblr obsessions alignment chart

humans looking for Someone else

internet is haunted

the legacies people leave behind in you

humans are space orcs

how do you make memes

lighthouses

making toast

the body is round

the rat poem

cool stuff:

just a bunch of useful websites

life hacks (good websites)

in case you’re having a bad night

33 good things to know

learn things for free

for trans afab friends (takes you out of tumblr)

if you love cool socks, artists being paid and to get packidge from the post (takes you out of tumblr)

sew some frogs!

muslim-made modest fashion

pirating is cool i promise (be careful though):

the best beginner’s guide (takes you out of tumblr)

pirating 101 (reddit)

use firefox smile

other search systems (fuck google)

free books

photoshop but online

photoshop never gets hacked. ever. (i can’t guarantee this one, be careful <3)

adobe x pantone bullshit 1

adobe x pantone bullshit 2

for dsmp/mcyt peeps:

every technoblade video (reddit post)

where to read mangoball

for fan artists and writers: put it on your résumé

references for when you wanna draw and need help why is it so hard:

free morpho fats and skin folds this is literal gold

i literally found even better than one morpho: more morphos. and other stuff??!

smithsonian open access! a gigantic bank for free images

same energy (pinterest but cooler)

outfits of older eras holly molly

heads in every angle possible

how to draw hands the way old disney artists did

how to draw wings

how to comics

some brushes (free)

more brushes (still free)

even more (guess what)

these brushes are for making cities fast (wowwie it’s free)

some fonts

color palettes generators

png or jpeg?

references for when you wanna write and need help why is it so hard:

writing deaf/mute/blind characters

writing children!! when you don’t remember how it was

common medical mistakes

some fucking resources

Resources For Describing Emotions

how do i do x on ao3???

how to read like a writer

if any link is missing or deactivated, please tell me! i’ll try to find the missing post again,,,

[azrisweek]

Azris Week 2023 || Prompts and Rules

We are so excited to announce the prompts for the event! Blurbs and suggestions have been included with each prompt to help spark creativity, but don't feel like you have to follow them—they are just ideas.

An Azris Week Playlist to help inspire you :)

Remember: Azris Week will run from June 4th until June 10th 🖤

Day 1: Prologues & Prequels

Azriel and Eris have a history stretching back over 500 years prior to the beginning of ACOTAR. With such a vast expanse of time largely unaccounted for, one does wonder what these boys got up to... The five times Eris caught Azriel spying and the one time he didn't? Maybe you want to dive into tragic backstories? The first war before the wall? (their courts were allied after all.) Your sandbox is five-hundred years large.

Day 2: Favorite Tropes

Enemies to lovers? Definitely. Only one bed? Potentially. With the wonderful world of tropes at your fingertips, let your imagination run wild.

Day 3: Conceal/Reveal

Eris the politician, Azriel the spymaster—two jobs which demand the use of deception, espionage, and a persona; two males with trust issues the size of Texas. What do they conceal? What do they reveal? This is a broad theme, take it as literally or figuratively as you'd like.

Day 4: Free Day

This is your bingo card free space, take advantage.

Day 5: Alternate Universe

Are they in rival boy bands? Street Racers? Professors? Are they dragon-shifters? Merfolk? Pirates? Is the year 1123? 1887? 3005? Is there a crossover with another book/movie/game/show etc that's been itching to escape you? Now is the time to exorcise it.

Day 6: NSFW

Does this one really need an explanation? Just let your mind take a deep dive into the gutter and you'll land within the prompt parameters. Inappropriate use of flames and/or shadows ✓ Monsterf*ing ✓ Anything filthy (as long as it's appropriately tagged) goes.

Day 7: Epilogues

What happens 5, 10, 100 years after they say the words or do the deed? What does their happily ever after look like? What does the future hold in store for them? Prythian's hottest pair of High Lords? Another generation of Vanserras? World domination? A running tally of chess games? Have fun with it!

1) Be respectful. We're here to celebrate Azris and appreciate the creations made in their honor. This is a positive, inclusive space which won't stand for bashing of any kind.

2) Please direct any event-related questions to this account, not to the mods individually.

3) Tag us and use #azrisweek2023 when posting here or on instagram so that we can reblog/repost. If you are posting a work to AO3, add it to the event collection here.

4) Creations of all kinds are welcome and encouraged! Fics, fanart, mood boards, headcanons, incorrect quotes, edits, playlists, etc. We will not be promoting AI generated/altered images.

5) A caveat to the previous rule. This event values maintaining the integrity of characters as they are canonically portrayed and won't tolerate characters being warped to fit heteronormative roles. We reserve the right to use our discretion and not engage with content, regardless of how it is tagged, if said content perpetuates harmful stereotypes.

[neuroses]

sending out yet another 1x1 discord rp call (21+) — as someone who has literally only read one sarah j. maas book i don’t have the right to be so obsessed with period/fantasy/royal plots and yet here we are … !

if you’re into soap opera level twists and storylines and doing a ridiculous amount of world building and me sending dms at odd hours of the day, please check out these three semi-fleshed out plots under the cut that i’d love to explore :’)

a romance between a leader of an underground rebellion and the prince/princess: muse a is a high ranking guard at the palace and has been assigned to watch over muse b, but muse a is actually working as a mole for an underground rebellion against muse b’s corrupt parents ! think slow burning and yearning and muse a having complicated feelings about how different muse b’s life is from theirs, muse b coming to grips with how sheltered they’ve been their entire life, maybe muse b gets thrown into an arranged marriage and that’s a whole other plot line we have them navigate … so much potential i would lose mind if you gave me this plot quite frankly !

a second-born prince/princess hiding from their family in a sleepy little village: muse a is a slightly spoiled royal who’s upset with how controlling their family has become as they’ve gotten older—so one night they run away to a small village in a neighbouring town to stay with their old governess and get away from how suffocating the court is and stay somewhere where nobody really knows who they are and they meet the governess’ child, muse b (who might be a baker, a librarian, any profession that could plausibly be one of the villagers in beauty and the beast) who’s initially put off by muse … but they end up falling in love but there’s sm drama because muse b still doesn’t know muse a is royalty, the king and queen are looking for muse a omg do you see the vision …

the classic pirate kidnaps the prince/princess: muse a is a notorious pirate who accidentally targets a royal ship that muse b happens to be on ! muse a is honestly very annoyed that they’ve taken on a captive because they think they’re much more work than they’re worth and it’s not really their crew’s mo to have captives at all, muse b is meanwhile delighted because they’ve grown up so sheltered and have been a goody two-shoes all their life and this is the first time they’re ever seeing the world ! muse a is a notorious rake and class a-asshole but they become so protective over muse b, muse b cleaning muse a’s wounds … i’m frankly screaming

ps. we could have it so the second and third plots are mixed together so the royal sneaks onto the pirate ship to travel the world !

like, dm, send a carrier pigeon, etc. if you’re interested in any of these ! i typically write m/f and f/f, bonus points if you let me write aaron taylor-johnson, tommy martinez, michael evans-belling, sam claflin and/or you write sofia boutella, adeline rudolph, alisha boe, sydney park <3

[firstdivisiongirl]

Hi, I saw your requests are open so I wanted so send you an ask. Can I please have headcanons for Ace and Smoker (separately) with a strong but reckless and careless male s/o?

Feel free to ignore and have a good day/night.

Hi friend! Omg this was a whole lot of fun! I love that I got a male s/o request. I was so afraid it would be super hard, but it wasn’t. I guess it’s from the months of writing my original novel where their is literally only 1 female in the book lol. But I’ll stop rambling! Here you go and enjoy!

Smoker and Ace with a Strong, Reckless, and Careless male S/O

Smoker:

Is happy that you are able to protect yourself

Like this man is a stressed marine

The last thing he needs is to worry about his boyfriend being taken advantage of or worse beaten up

If you’re a Marine, even better

Maybe you two can tag team and kick some pirate butt

It’s like having Luffy around ALL THE TIME

But this one is on his side

And cuter/hotter/sexier

He hates that you always seem to be where the action

Even when you guys are doing something so simple that should be so calm

“Can this boy not cause a ruckus everywhere he goes?”

Stops making plans for things anymore

Because you will never ever go through with them

Never, ever listens to anything

Screw the rules (if you understand that reference congrats)

”Just because you’re a Marine, it doesn’t mean you can just walk into a place and fight!”

Tried to give you a speech as to why you need to be more careful and pay attention

But it went in one ear and out the other

Somehow the smoking has increased, due to stress

Ace:

Oh this boy.

He’s a little reckless himself, so you two are like peas in a pod

So who is his pranking buddy?

Of course his lovely boyfriend.

Literally, treats his BF like Luffy when it comes to talking to other about you

“Look Pops, I can’t believe his bounty is so high!”

Want to go on an adventure?

It’s you and Ace

But you’ll probably lose Ace because you were too excited and ran ahead, not thinking

”Babe, you can’t just beat up Marines.”

Would let his boyfriend wear his hat, but he’d probably lose it or forget it

Like Smoker, is so happy that you can handle yourself in a fight

Less worrying for him

You two would annoy Marco so much with doing reckless things ALL THE TIME

Unlike Smoker, he doesn’t lecture you on being a reckless person

He has Marco and Thatch to do that

Please do not copy, modify, translate, repost my writing on other platforms. Comments, reblogs or likes are highly appreciated!

[beanghostprincess]

Late Valentine post (really late holy shit)

But zeff is not great at gift giving and his default was just chocolate and flowers but he remembered the yasopp doesn't like chocolate (usopp doesn't like chocolate either) and fucking panicked and he called up his son for help. Sanji being the hopeless romantic instead of talking through snail he physically visits his dad to help him with Valentine's Day gifts. He ended up buying most of the stuff I'm going a little bit overboard. Like he didn't need the stuff seeking nor did he need the wine but his son gets lost in the moment and just picks up anything he thinks is nice. He honestly forgot why he was there and just started buying stuff for usopp

This is so cute 😭💙💛 It doesn't matter that you're late to Valentine's Day because this was definitely worth it!!

Zeff has never been good at gift-giving, actually. The first Christmases/Birthdays he had with Sanji were... A bit difficult. Sanji wasn't expecting any gifts at all, and Zeff had never had a son before, so what was he supposed to do? He was a pirate! He's not made for these things. But it was so sad to see his little Eggplant not asking for anything or even being excited about it that he started getting him stuff. But Sanji was an easy kid, you know? At least he used to be before he started getting into tailored suits and big romantic gestures. When he was a kid, even a small book brought joy to his face. A new knife. A new apron. Whatever the kids were into nowadays-- Zeff literally had no idea what kids were into, he just knew his kid was into cooking, so he got him the stuff he liked. Never animals, though, he had enough of him befriending random rats if they ever got inside the restaurant (happened once, never again. Zeff almost murders Sanji for feeding the little thing).

The man has never been good at this, right? So when he finally dates (kind of dating. Sort of. It's complicated. They have something romantic going on) somebody after years of not even thinking about it... He needs to ask Sanji for advice. It's a bit too embarrassing to do so, you know, asking your own child for romantic advice. But at the end of the day, Sanji is the most romantic person in the world. And at the end of the day, Zeff can just say he's asking him in case his boyfriend knows something about it (actually, Zeff personally asks Usopp but the guy just stands there like "??? My father left me when I was a kid and we recently started talking again, do you really think I know what he likes? But he doesn't like chocolate. Oh- You've already tried that? Huh. He likes fish? And dancing? I don't know, man, he's your boyfriend." / "Please, don't say that to my dad." / "Babe, you need to start moving on from this, you're literally the only one acting like a fifteen-year-old seeing his father kiss someone for the first time."

Sanji ends up visiting his dad because he has little to no perception of personal space when it comes to romantic gestures, and if his father, for the first time in his life, is going to show he can do something similar to a grand gesture like that, he doesn't want to miss it. Also, he's sure he's going to mess it up on his own. And he really, really, really doesn't want Usopp's dad to be all sad about it because then that would mean less time with his boyfriend.

I think it'd be really cute if Usopp and Sanji had been together for a while, but since Zeff and Sanji don't see each other much, seeing Sanji's romantic side (actual romantic side and not the 'I wanna fuck every girl that appears in front of me' side) is actually... Liberating? Kind of? It's not that Zeff has been worried about the kid, he can handle himself just fine. But... But it's a relationship they haven't talked about much and it's clearly important to him. So realizing that he has people who love him and somebody he's willing to do something romantic for makes Zeff feel extreme joy. A joy that he would never express out loud because it'd get too quickly to Sanji's head. But yeah.

So they go shopping together! Sanji starts explaining to him different things he can do for Yasopp. Either an activity or maybe just a simple present like wine. Clothes. Maybe a romantic dinner, so they should buy ingredients, too. Fish, because everybody likes it. Usopp only happens to like it too, so Sanji will just use the chance to think about what he should make for his Valentine's dinner. Also, speaking about clothes, Usopp needed a new hat, so he could get that too! And wine is alright, but Usopp is more fond of sweet cocktails rather than wine, so maybe buying something for that would be great. Usopp doesn't like chocolate either, but there are millions of sweets they can try to find. Also candles. So many candles. And perhaps a handwritten note! Because Usopp always leaves drawings around the ship for him, so he should do something like that too. Maybe gloves for his precious hands-

Sanji ends up forgetting about Yasopp, actually, and turns out he's been dragging his father around shops the whole day talking and talking and talking about Usopp. He snaps out of it when Zeff drops the "You care about him a lot, don't you, kid?"

And Sanji doesn't hesitate when he responds laughing at him. "Care about him?" Because to him, that's such simple wording. "I'm in love with him. I don't know about you, old man, but he's the one to me. Saying I care about him is not enough, but you do you."

"Huh. With how much shit you're getting him I hope he feels the same."

"What? Usopp doesn't want all of this."

"The hell are you talking about?"

"I mean- He does want it. And he does enjoy the gifts. But he doesn't care about them? It's not like he's with me for all of this. He always drops some sappy things like 'the only gift I need is being with you'. He doesn't need to get me anything, either."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Are you hearing yourself? Of course I am. The only gift I need is being with him."

"And all of this bullshit, then?"

"I don't expect you to understand since you're a rancid, old, bitter man who somehow managed to date the complete opposite of himself. But... Guess it just feels right to get him things, since he never asks for anything? The first time we did this he thought I wouldn't get him anything, can you believe it?"

"Reminds me of someone."

"Shut up. We need more shopping to do and you still haven't chosen your present."

"What about the whole 'the only gift is being together' shit?"

"Pfft. Do you really think you can pull that off? And on your first Valentine's Day? To a man who was married and had a kid? You haven't been dating that long, even. That is not working for you."

"And what if it did?"

"Then you need to get him a present anyway. I was happy enough being your kid and yet you still got me stuff, didn't you? It's a nice gesture."

Zeff chooses to make Yasopp dinner and have a whole romantic date planned when the Baratie is closed (decorated by Sanji, of course, because who else would've turned the restaurant into a romantic paradise?) and Sanji runs away as quickly as he can from there because he's been thinking about Usopp too much and now he misses him like crazy. And he also needs to get ready for their own Valentine's Day.

I think it would be sweet if Yasopp called Usopp to ask him about Zeff too and ended up doing the same thing as Sanji, except that he only gets him something small and Yasopp starts asking him how is it possible that he (storyteller. Superhero. Extremely over the top all the time) doesn't buy Sanji something more spectacular. Usopp only says that the last time he did something like that for Sanji he ended up having a whole breakdown from how overwhelmed with love he was, so now they choose simpler stuff. But! But Yasopp should not do that and he should definitely do something magnificent instead.

It would be cute if they ended up being extremely exhausted from running around all day long and didn't even want to celebrate Valentine's Day. I think Sanji would try to force himself to be extremely romantic and energetic but Usopp would just drag him to bed with him and go "No. Not today. Me tired. Sleep with you." / "But- But what about-" / "You're a pillow now. Shhh." / "Was it really that tiring?" / "I don't know how my mom married him, my father is awful at this." / "The old man is shitty at romance too. I had to explain to him why not getting Yasopp anything was a bad idea." / "Idiot. The 'you're everything I need' thing only works when-" / "When it's true. Yeah. I still got you something, though." / "Mmm. Me too. But now, sleep." / "It's alright, we'll just eat the fish tomorrow. And the cake. And drink the cocktails. And-" / "Now I'm hungry. Let's go. I hate you." / "But sleeping?" / "Eat first, then sleep." / "You're the love of my life."

And then both couples have very cute and romantic Valentine's dates 🫶

[aceofstars16]

1-3, 5-7, and 27-30 for the Star Wars Rebels ask, please?

Well I forgot to answer this but I saw it now and my brain isn't giving me the writing vibes (even though I want to write) so I will finally attempt to answer! xD

Also apparently I can't just put 1. without it making it a list so...uh...that's annoying...

One: What is your absolute favorite episode of the show?

Oh man....it's been so long hnnng, I might go with Flight of the Defender...that's the one where Sabine and Ezra steal that ship in S4 right? Though a lot of season 1 makes me happy so...honestly a lot of those could fit too...there are too many good episodes xD

Two: Which episode did you not like at first, but grew on you after one or more rewatches?

I cannot remember the name, but the Purgil one, I didn't love it but then my sister just...it's the only episode she remembers and she just says "the space whales one!" and I just...really like it now xD

Three: How do you feel about the Ahsoka show being live-action Rebels season 5?

Ha....haha...ha...I don't really like it...first, it should've been animated and second I...I think the Sabine being force sensitive is the stupidest idea ever I'm sorry but not actually sorry.

Five: If you could change one (non-death-related) plot point in the show, what would you change?

*eye twitches in still annoyed by what they did to Kanan* but aside from that...make Kanera less...weird in the last season, just...have them be secretly married this whole time, because that just...makes more sense than them being awkward

Six: What are your two favorite ships from the show (canon or not)?

HAHAHAHA I'll just...

And Kanera side from the weirdness of S4, but yeah...Sabezra ALL the way, like...if you knew me back in the day...I wrote SO MUCH of them lol

Seven: Who is one character you feel isn't appreciate enough by the fandom?

Uhhhh...bro I actually don't know lol I mean I like Jai so....maybe him? Or Zare cause he had that book series that was actually pretty interesting

Twenty Seven: Which plot point do you wish the show had expanded on?

It's been a while but...probably the loth wolves and...all that, like S4 had so much that was just like "what?" and then we never saw it again

Twenty Eight: Favorite recurring character?

Hahaha....I'm going Hondo cause I love that space pirate xD

Twenty NIne: Favorite piece of music from the show?

Hold on, I gotta find it..."Journey Into the Star Cluster", it's not even my fave episode but like...one day I had it on and it was raining and I literally felt like I was in a Nancy Drew game it was just, amazing

Thirty: Most under-rated episode?

The way I want to say the Purgil episode again lol...but maybe the third episode? When Ezra and Zeb steal the tie fighter? I don't know that one is just fun and I love how the tie comes in at the end of the season again haha

[harrowfaints]

So I thought of a lot of ways do to this, but I ultimately decided to go through what I reread the most (TLT is exempt from this list because obvz I love that) and just know that if you're already in the sapphic fantasy book scene, you've probably already heard of/read these:

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: This is honestly one of the most stupidly romantic books I've ever read that I think everyone should read. It's not too long. And let me reassure you, I hate time travel story lines, but I emphatically love this book. The first time I read it, I literally did so in one sitting because I was so captivated by the beautiful letters exchanged between two spies on opposites of the war. PLEASE read it if you love sapphic scifi/fantasy. The Abyss Surrounds Us duology by Emily Skrutskie: I've usually sold people on these books via "there are pirates and government sanctioned and manufactured sea monsters to fight the pirates." But it features two young heroines in a deliciously complicated situation with muah complications in their relationship. The Jasmine Throne/The Burning Kingdom series by Tasha Suri: An exiled princess and her hand maid with ulterior motives. I was so sucked into the plot and also especially the world building of these books. The writer is British with a South Asian background and an academic history with that literature I believe and it's amazing. Youngblood by Sasha Laurens: If you love vampire narratives but hate the age gap issue, this is a really great read. It's one of those great twilight-esque highschool narratives with all the complicated relationship webs, but it really sings and does its own thing. I was especially in love with the Taylor, the baby butch vampire. Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon: If you're into something like Games of Thrones or anything else that utilizes sociological story telling, this is a great book. That's not always my thing, but I found all the characters compelling. There is a queen and a handmaiden whose relationship that drew me in a lot 1) in the various ways their relationship was complicated over the novel and 2) in the ways intimacy was expressed between them. Gearbreakers duology by Zoe Hana Mikuta: The government has power ranger robots and the rebels have task forces that specialize in taking them down. Two people on opposite sides of the war end up tentatively joining forces. Again, deliciously complicated relationships and trust issues being explored.

[chaoskirin]

Watching the internet go after "major publishing houses" because they won the case against the Internet Archive is so upsetting.

I don't think people realize this, but they don't pay their authors enough to survive. Even if you're published through one of the big four, you're generally not going to earn enough to live, unless you're pumping out 6-10 books a year.

There seems to be this pervading belief that authors published with major publishers earn a LOT OF MONEY, IE that an advance might be in the range of six figures. Which leads people to the conclusion that piracy hurts no one.

In reality, your advance on a book might be in the range of $6K if you're a new author, and doesn't really go past the $20K range for established authors, unless you're really famous. They HAVE the money to pay authors. They just... don't.

I know $20K seems like a lot, but an adult living on their own needs a whole lot more to live, especially because authors in the US need to purchase health insurance. They don't get it through work.

In 2023, the living wage for a family is, at the very minimum, $80,000.

So what happens when you boycott Penguin, or Harper Collins? They aren't going to give their CEOs less. They're going to give their authors less. Because to them, authors are disposable. There are always more people willing to sell their books, until they realize they can't make a living wage off being an author. Then they stop writing.

And the CEOs keep getting yearly raises.

I really, REALLY wish I could get through to people on this. Every time I try, I'm usually slammed with one of two arguments: 1. Piracy hurts no one. Or 2. I ought to get an actual job and stop treating a hobby like a job.

Which just baffles me, because y'all are out here consuming books, but you're literally despising the authors for trying to write full time and survive. It sucks. And it's gotten progressively worse. Not even 5 years ago, the prevailing opinion was that you Do Not Pirate Books.

Honestly, it's hard to care anymore with wave after wave of instructions on how to pirate books. It's barely worth the effort to write anymore, and the desire to put the work into creating a story, editing, and then searching for a publisher just isn't there.

And that's how a lot of queer and marginalized authors feel. By pirating books, you're losing the voices you want to read, while elevating the voices who are doing real harm.

I just think you all should know that and accept that before pirating. If you're okay with that, then I guess go ahead and do it. You'll definitely be satisfied in the short term, but just understand that queer voices are FINALLY getting their stories heard. Pirating is just going to erase all that progress.

That being said, if I ever earn out 6 figures, pirate my books with my blessing. But right now, here's a picture of my March royalties:

So please, don't pirate my books.

Also, despite what the comments say, this is NOT a slippery slope toward destroying fanworks archives. The Internet Archive was literally pirating books (not purchasing them, like libraries do) then scanning them and putting them up on the internet to borrow. If the IA purchased books from authors to scan, it would be considered a library, and authors would be happy.

Fanworks like fanfiction fall under derivative work, or parody. It's a totally different ballpark.

So many organizations reached out to the Internet Archive in an attempt to come to a license agreement, and the IA did not respond.

I really hope people consider reblogging this post. My source is that I'm an author, and have been following this case very closely.