#or i'm assuming that's what the ship name should be

[dustykneed]

Hello! Random whipper snipper! Share a WIP of your work!

ooh, with pleasure. six the musical araleyn fanart? in the year 2k24? more likely than you think xDD

i realize this looks finished, but technically i'm still deciding whether to add a background or not lol. still, for the sake of sharing a proper WIP, here's a line or two from an araleyn brainworm WIP that i started reworking yesterday (mild tw for religious guilt and period-typical internalized homophobia from aragon's pov):

She remembers sharing her bed with Anne at Henry's behest, remembers the nights of tossing and turning and trying not to think about Anne asleep next to her-- remembers waking up to dark hair spilling across her pillow and the press of blood-warm bosoms against her own, softer than sin, as hot as the Devil, remembers lying still as death, mouthing prayers into the heat of Anne's neck like an act of penance.

[fandom-geek]

vaguely fascinated by osana sov's naming choices. she chose for her daughter a name that can mean "bitter (strength)" or "lady" in two ancient languages (hebrew and aramaic) and for her son a name that means "old friend" in another ancient language (old english)

like every other golden age character has a name that's pretty normal by our standards, which tbh includes mara, then osana just names her other kid uldwyn. then again, even osana's name is either a variant of the hebrew hosanna or after an obscure and possibly fictitious old english princess-saint whose name means something along the lines of "godly solitude", so i suppose mara might be considered the odd one out

[femmeroi]

My stinky guys

[fantomette22]

Hey, you need to remember that many ships that Exist have not been hinted at in canon - someone one day just "invented" them and other people joined! x) You do not really need community for the ship or pre-existing works, it just feels way more nice and validating if other people are into it too. Like... I for one do not get the attitude that shipping something no one else shipped yet is somehow 'awkward' if not 'cringe'. Questions like 'omg this ship is REAL?' don't make sense either... like, every ship exists as a possible scenario, for example Valtr x Eileen is as 'real' as Valtr x Yamamura, whether someone created stuff for it or not yet is not relevant. Be a trend starter! You might stay alone in this boat, yeah, but you ALSO might get other people into shipping it too, when they see how much fun YOU have talking about this ship or drawing/writing for it. Because they'll wanna have fun too! Be the change you want to see!

(Naturally I am curious what rareship you refered to x) You gotta tell us now dfhhsds I mean if you are comfortable sharing)

You're right and I 100% agree with what you just say!

It's just it's kinda the first time that this happened to me ? or at least the first time I fully realize it. That I was probably the first one who thought about this particular ship? ... but who knows. (I was tired too XD)

To talk a bit about my life, I don't really have that much ships. (even across all the fandoms I have and all, but it's something I really like as well). Of course there's plenty I found cool but only a handful of ships I like really hard/i'm really invested in (not sure if that's an aro/ace thing too lol) (half of the time it's really popular and the other half it's quite rare and except the weird stuff you can find at time I like this particulars ship so much I'm taking almost every content I can found!)

So for all the others I generally have a scale that goes from :

(my eyes!) ew not my thing ->...-> I don't really care/neutral->...-> oh that's valid/ cool-> oh that's cute (-> ship them so hard I'm taking almost ANYTHING XD)

So for Bloodborne now... that's subject is not really the focus of the game too (an I really like that aspect) but yes there's quite a few I "like" or found cool but only like 1 I'm super invest in ?

(Some people here might know who I might reference XD One day I need to actually seriously talk about it... I guess when I will just not care anymore or if someone nicely push me... I know the mutuals I got here are super encouraging about it too x) The problem, it's that I have so much different interpretations of this relationship at the same time I'm afraid it's weird (that create more than 2 AU and one character became like 2 different idk ...)

And recently I thought about another one... so hm on my last post I was basically thinking about Dores x Gate Keeper...

So who wanna join my lil boat ? XD I'm gonna develop a bit here too :

I know we don't know much about them but for me it just makes a lot of sense I guess? I don't know I just think they would be cute. (And it's funny and drama... and really sad at some point too...) Not too serious into it but cool background/minor ship

In the grave guard set description they don't just talk about Dores but about mr Gate keeper as well (and we know other people become mad because in the dungeons but it's only referencing this 2!)

They became mad like... Together ?! They might have done the most of their expedition together as well. Perhaps they help each other with their issues...they probably got the same problems at the same time and the only who could fully understand what one feel was the other... And they both stick with Willem in the end.

I begin to imagined quite a few headcanons about them too. Because well I needed that to prepare my big bb story x) especially the first part at Byrgenwerth.

I do believe in badass young middle aged (+older) woman Dores supremacy. Who is really feral, can kick& punch Pthumerians with only her bare fist. (Willem know he was right to got her by their side, Gehrman is impressed, Liam (the name I choose for mr password gate keeper) is so in love and encouraging and Laurence is just really concerned XD).

If she likes you that's great she gonna scared whoever is mean to you in the best case. If she don't... well hope you don't see her often... For Gate keeper he's usually you know, the "calm and collected one", the guy who was raised in Yharnam and didn't spend all his childhood in like... the forest... But if he needs he's not afraid to shoot people with a shotgun (especially mad pthumerians). And this 2, after Willem, act like the parents of the Byrgenwerth squad/gang at times ? (yes even Gehrman who is just a bit younger than them XD but this trio guys I swear... so much potential)

If I remember correctly there's indeed a moment where I begin to consider them as a ship...it begins when I decided to re take a look how/where you found the graveguard set.

The set is divided between the corpse of two hunters? (who appeared in the game with the yharnam's hunter set, but like the member of the church got the default black church attire in the overworld so...).

One have the mask and the other the rest of the set (I took the first pic I could find on YouTube too). They're really close, but you can't access to the mask directly after you got the rest of the set.

And well obliviously you can wonder why this two have it? They're not Dores right? They might have take her(/their/his) role after she passed away I guess? but who are they really ? (it's highly possible it's just some hunter from Ludwig era or after, who stick with Byrgenwerth or in the lost wood/villagers for some reason or that Dores took in to help and taught them stuff ^^ it's a cute idea but I got another...)

I begin to wonder, what if... what if... this 2 are like her children/grandchildren ?? (depending on their age and this dumb timeline... also if they're the grand kids who could be the kid(s)? Well the Madras twins need to come from somewhere right? hm forget it...I'm not even settle on this they could just be friends) So um... I figure it could be cool if the other parent was like... gate keeper... 😵‍💫

Yesterday in between the G&M hugs, group hugs & the crows I draw this too ^^

(My designs for them are like there and there too...)

[jedi-starbird]

Alpha-17 and Obi-Wan being friends (derogatory) on 17's part and friends (threatening) on Obi-Wan's part is such an underrated dynamic

They could be so funny and terrifying, like Obi-Wan went through a soul shredding experience with Alpha-17 as his only company. They're friends because what else are you gonna be after you witness each other at absolute rock bottom from torture.

It's like 'dog put in cage of cheetah who's threatening to go crazy', except the dog is a grizzly bear and also threatening to go crazy.

Emotional support trooper except the trooper in question has never done any sort of supporting in his life and is actively an emotional distress trooper to a great number of the CC batch.

I want them texting everyday, I want Obi-Wan mailing handmade BFF bracelets to Alpha and Alpha sending pics back of him flipping off the camera but still wearing them, I want Alpha using Obi-Wan to keep track of and occasionally terrorize his cadets, I want 17 ending problems in the GAR (like Krell) before they begin because Obi-Wan has him shipped out on a personal transport at the first opportunity, decked out with slug-throwers Obi-Wan got him for his decant-day.

Natborn officers think this is all just an odd indulgence of General Kenobi, the Vode, however, correctly identify it as a goddamn threat and their danger assessment of Obi-Wan ticks up significantly.

When Alpha arrives on Kamino, Shaak Ti presses a shiny new comm into his hand. It has the Jedi Order symbol painted onto it alongside a smiley face sticker, and it pings immediately with a new message: Hello! I hope you're settling in well!

Alpha stares at the message, stares at the singular contact named 'OWK' and then stares Shaak Ti in the eye as he pitches the comm straight into the ocean. Shaak Ti's serene smile only grows larger as she calmly reaches into her robes and pulls out an identical comm, only this one has a frowny face sticker, and presses it into his hand. It lights up: I'm afraid we've bonded, Alpha :). Alpha shuts it off and pockets it with resignation.

Cody arrives on Alpha-17's personal recommendation.

A-17: He's the most difficult little bastard I have. You're perfect for each other. OWK: Thank you, he's very handsome :3 A-17: No. Stop.

The first thing he asks once he gets comfortable is who his general is texting so much that has him swinging his legs and twirling his hair. Cody assumes it's Anakin, given they seem joint at the hip anyway, but little does he know Obi-Wan's ability to consistently have the Weirdest Relationships Ever.

"Oh, it's Alpha-17, I understand you're familiar with each other?" Hmm. OK. Cody.exe is experiencing a processing error, please hold. He exits the room instead of answering. The next day he peeks over the General's shoulder when he's texting and sees walls of rambling messages from Obi-Wan. Alpha-17 replies every hour with a single text: Lose this number. Obi-Wan giggles. "He's so funny." he says.

When Obi-Wan meets the rest of the CC batch, Cody makes sure to stand perfectly angled so that he can record the reactions when his general cuts off their introductions with "Oh, no need, Alpha-17's told me all about you." It's always immediate FEAR.JPG followed by a slow spiral of What The Fuck.

What do you mean by that General. What does that mean Cody. What do you mean they text. No. Cody. What the fuck is happening, Cody. Alpha-17 doesn't have friends he has enemies and enemies he tolerates enough not to shoot on sight.

OWK: Wolffe reached for his vambrace? when I mentioned you A-17: That's where he keeps his spare knife. OWK: Hm that does explain the way he eyed me up, ambitious. A-17: Clearly not enough, he should have followed through. I taught them better.

[solkara]

❛ 𝐕𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 , rhaenyra targaryen ❜

⌗ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 , you since you were young you would be a sailor just like your father you loved the water but the only thing that you loved more than the sea was your family

⌗ 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 , rhaenyra targaryen x fem! velaryon! sailor! reader

⌗ 𝐬𝐨𝐥'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 , ahhh part 2 is here !! so this part is more from rhaenyra's perspective and before you ask idk if I will be doing a part 3 or not maybe if someone send me in an idea then I will

previous part , house of the dragon masterlist , next part

⌗ rhaenyra had always been infatuated with you. though she had never spoken to you directly. she had heard her dear friend laena velaryon tell many tales about you. and while she often saw you at gala's and events. the heir never dared to approach you. as something about the confidence that you excused made you seem untouchably intimidating. so she watched from afar.

⌗ the targaryen had heard the rumours about the eldest valaryon and her younger brother laenor. whispers of how they had a taste for partners of their own gender. and not of the opposite. and part of rhaenyra grew curious.

⌗ spending many a sleepless night imagining what type of lover you would be. would you be loving and gentle? or rough and passionate? oh what she was willing to give to find out. which led her to the brothel with her uncle. and while he indulged himself for the night. rhaenyra ended up bedding a whore who bore a remarkable resemblance to you. even going as far as to call your name allowed as the whore pleasured her.

⌗ but people's tounges wagged. and word of the princess's adventures in the belly of the brothel reached her father. though most assumed the heir spent the night with her uncle. which made it slightly easier to talk herself out of it with a few well-placed excuses. but ultimately left her in a situation where she was forced to wed laenor velaryon to quiet the whispers.

⌗ now while part of her did not wish to wed him. she ended up seeing it as a way to be closer to you. silently praying to whatever gods that exist that this union between her and your brother. could lead to some sort of closeness between the two of you.

⌗ but much to her dismay you ignored her the whole wedding. preferring to nurse cups and flirt with serving girls instead of paying attention to her. rhaenyra envied the closeness laenor shared with you. how he could so easily capture your attention and converse with you. wishing for nothing more than it to be her who you held such great affection for.

⌗ and to dampen her mood even further you did not say long after the disastrous event either. as the very next morning you and your crew had departed after you bid goodbye to your family. leaving her heart yearning once more. and as the years passed the yerning the princess felt did not fade. as she bore children that were not her husbands and dealt with the whispers of the court. the only comfort she found was at night when she closed her eyes and imagined a life with you and her children.

⌗ and that day finally came. but not as she had hoped. as both of your siblings are dead. well laena was and leanor probably a quarter way to essos by now. but no one could know that. rhaenyra watched as you got off your beloved ship tides. and walked passed her and her children as if they did not exist.

⌗ marching towards your parents. who stood watching with a heavy heart. as you stood before them. one look at their faces was enough to tell you that the rumours were true. your siblings were dead. and with that your tears fell. as you clung to your parents you felt as if the floor had been pulled from under your feet. you should have been here. but you weren't and now they were dead.

⌗ that night you did not eat or sleep. you cried as you stood looking over the waters that you and your siblings were once so fond of. only now they served as a reminder that they were gone. and you were alone.

⌗ "I'm sorry for your loss" you didn't turn around as you knew who it was. the woman you have been avoiding since your arrival home. rhaenyra targaryen. truth be told you didn't care much for her outside of the fact that she was once your sister's close friend. and the girl that laenor was forced to marry. but now you hated her. but not for baring bastard's children or her blatantly lusting over her uncle. no. you hated her for the pure fact she was the reason laenor was dead.

⌗ as on your voyage home you had heard whispers. that she had ordered the assassination of your brother so she could go and hump her uncle whenever she pleased. you said nothing in response. as you turned to leave. you would not listen to another word she had to say. but was stopped by a far more masculine feeling hand. daemon. and with that you turned and punched him.

⌗ as you looked at the two before you couldn't help but seethe with rage. as daemon clutched his jaw in pain. and rhaenyra watched in some mixture of shock and arousal. there they were. the reason your siblings were dead. "come near me again and I will kill you" and with that you left.

[milkytheholy1]

Fitness Regime

REQUEST: Shadow x reader who likes to flirt with him a lot? 

----

You had known Shadow for an awfully long time, not as long as Rouge had known him or even Sonic for that matter. But time had passed and with that, the birth of an unusually bizarre friendship, that you dreamed would blossom into something more, was spear-headed your way. 

It was just your average, boring day, patrolling the cosmos in a rusted ship you called home. G.U.N had shipped you off on a space assignment before you could even sign your name on the health and safety document. But it wasn't all bad, you had Shadow with you for a start. Though you assumed he wasn't completely thrilled by your presence, especially when the white-fanged bat 'persuaded' you to go flirt with him relentlessly. 

"You're doing it again," he huffed, stretching his fingers down to touch the tips of his rocket shoes. You folded your arms over your chest, a smug smile on your face, "Why, I don't know what you mean. I'm simply...inspecting your workout regime."

"Is that what they call it these days?" he mused, although the slant of his lips gave off annoyed old man vibes, the devious glint in his eyes told a much different story. You paced around his form, watching with precision as he jumped and dived into different workout positions. At some point you waltzed right up to him, plucking a singular hair from his brow, "Looks to me like you're getting sloppy."

"Pfft, looks to me like you're blind," he muttered, arrogance laced his tone. You took a step back, Shadow copying your position, "Is that a challenge I hear?"

"Are you deaf now too?" he chuckled, picking up a wooden stick. It somewhat resembled a sword, but unlike a katana crafted with care for years, this 'sword', if you can even call it that, was chipped and scuffed by the countless months in use. Shadow presented you with your own stick, quickly assuming a defensive stance, "First one to get knocked down wins."

And just like that he was off, there was no real chance of you ever going to win if this was how he played. Though you should have known this by now, this is how Shadow was, it was how he worked. He was a good fighter, but a bigger cheat. 

You fought effortlessly, twisting and turning with each swing. With each clang and subsequent pant, you dipped and weaved under each other like it was a rehearsed dance. You stumbled under one of his attacks, a bright and eager smile adorning his lips, "What's wrong? Is winning against me too hard?" 

You could almost melt with the way he said it, so obnoxious but not at all malice. It was nice to see Shadow like this, not bothered and free to be himself; it was one of the reasons why you were so desperately in love with him. He noted your lack of response, pulling his sword away only slightly, "No witty comeback?" he swung again.

You tumbled to the floor with the grace of a flailing bird that hadn't quite captured the magic of flight yet. Your sword was kicked from your hand, your heart beating from the adrenaline, your chest almost a prison. Darkness grew over you, Shadow in all his smug glory. You're certain your face turned to a shade of red that had yet to be put on the colour scale.

"Who's sloppy now?" he all but hissed.

[consumedbyfeels]

To those people saying Tevan can't be endgame because Buck needs to explore his sexuality. He's done enough exploring, he has sampled the buffet and gone for seconds and mixed flavors and even sampled in places you have no business sampling and with things from janitor's closet. Now he want to settle down at a nice restaurant with one meal for the rest of his life that no else samples.

He wants commitment he wants someone to love. And maybe he didn't sample all sides of the table but he can still explore what he might like with the one meal just switch out salad for fries every once in a while or trying adding pear even if it seems strange. You can get creative and explore with one person. It's probably even better with feelings and trust and love. And it's a safe space. So yeah he may not be at the buffet table anymore but he can still explore. And besides he hasn't been at the buffet table in a long while. he has been searching for that one meal since Abby that's what all these years he was doing with Ali, Taylor, and Natalia he wants to settle down.

You don't tell Straight people they have to explore their options. You don't tell people who come out in high school to explore their options. So why is this different?

Edit: I wanted to clarify cuz I think there might have been a little confusion. I'm not saying Tevan will be endgame its too early in the relationship to know what will become of them (yes I love Tevan and would love for them to end the series together but mostly I just want both Buck and Tommy to be happy) The thing this post was ment to address is the fact that a certain subset of the fandom (not naming names but we all know the ones) have been trying to perpetuate the bi people are all ho's stereotype, some even going as far as to want Buck to cheat on Tommy (leading into another horrible stereotype about bi people being cheaters) just because they don't like a ship. They would all be fine with Buck marrying the first man he dated if it was we all know who but since it isn't it's a problem. Assuming Buck and Tommy aren't endgame (again too early to say one way or another) but assuming they aren't Buck doesn't have to sleep around after they break up he can date seriously like he was doing before, now just with this new part of himself on the surface. He could go on dates with men and women. I stand by my point earlier regardless of who it is or what gender they are Buck wants commitment. Who knows maybe when the show is all said and done he marries a woman but that doesn't negate his sexuality or make this point in his life any less valid. We should just be happy that he is happy and living his best most authentic life. That boy deserves a break. Please be kind to each other and be careful what harmful stereotypes and rhetoric you perpetuate intentionally or otherwise. its harmful. Even if you are doing so with fictional characters and not real people. It still causes harm in the real world.

[rollinouttahere-writes]

Lucky Break Chapter 5

Yandere Straw Hats x Fem!Reader

4.6k words

Beginning / Previous / Next

A partial night of rest did little for you. Your head was still killing you, and the dreamless, fleeting sleep did nothing to aid in jogging your far away memories. 

Nami was kind enough to let you stay in her boat for the rest of night, and you were still on it this morning. You didn't feel confident in your ability to cross boats again now that the wind had picked up and the waters were slightly rougher. The last thing you wanted was to fall into the ocean again right after getting a change of clothes. 

You watched with mild amusement as Nami and Luffy bickered about the Grand Line. Well, Nami was bickering. Luffy was dismissing everything. 

“How do you expect to so much as make it into the Grand Line as you are? You have no supplies, no ship, and only two people. You're even more insane than I thought you were if you think that's a good idea.” Nami returned her attention to the map in her hands, muttering under her breath about pirates being a nuisance.

Luffy shoved the rest of the apple he was eating into his mouth, core and all. Cyanide poisoning be damned. He did appear to at least be taking her words into consideration, which was an improvement. “Yeah, we're going to have to get some meat before we go.” 

You snort at the exasperated look Nami shoots him. Of course that was what he was hung up on. Luffy cooked his head to the side, “And what do you mean I only have two people? There's four of us.”

“I am not a part of your crew, this is just a temporary alliance. I'm not about to sail into the Grand Line with anybody, much less someone as in over their head as you are.” Nami pointed at you, “And Lucky doesn't count. She doesn't even remember her name, what are you expecting her to do?”

“What's that got to do with anything? She doesn't need to remember her name to be my crewmate.”

“She's got a gaping head wound! She needs to see a doctor, not get dragged into the most dangerous place on the planet by a delusional captain!” Nami picked up and chucked an apple at his head. An extremely ineffective attack given that he just opened his mouth and ate it whole like some sort of snake-person.

“Maybe we'll find a doctor on the next island, and then she’ll be good to go.” Luffy perked up, “Are we getting close to one yet? I want to get some food.”

The navigator's eyes flitted back down to the map. She still looked annoyed but answered his question, “Yes, we should be at the Gecko Islands soon.”

Luffy cheered and whirled around on his perch to stare into the distance. You followed his gaze and saw a speck of an island in the distance. Being on solid ground again sounded lovely. The unsteadiness of being on a constantly rocking boat felt extremely unnatural to you. Based on that, you felt safe in assuming that you had never spent a prolonged period of time at sea before this. 

And of course, you were looking forward to the possibility of seeing a doctor and having your injury inspected and cared for by a professional. Zoro definitely needed to see a doctor, too, what with his stab wound. 

Though, as you glanced at him, he appeared to be entirely unbothered. The only thing that even hinted at what had happened was the hole and bloodstain in his shirt. Other than that, he seemed fine. Shit, maybe he can sleep off stab wounds. If only you could do the same for your injury.

Luffy kicked his legs in excitement as the island drew closer. “We can get supplies here, and maybe even a new ship! Oh! We might even get some new crewmates! We're going to need a cook before we get to the Grand Line. And a musician.”

Having a cook around made sense, though you were more than a little baffled at him prioritizing a musician over a doctor. Well, whatever. He’s the captain, not you. He can recruit whoever he wants, and you’re sure that he will. Especially considering how much he’s been brushing off Nami stating that she isn’t a part of the crew.

The two boats hit sand as you finally make it to the island. You’re at some empty beach far away from the docks. Nami insisted that this would be for the best considering that her ship has Buggy’s jolly roger plastered over the sail. You jump off the ship and help pull them further onto the beach to prevent them from drifting away.

Being on solid land feels just as good as you had expected. The sand has a give to it, of course, but it isn’t constantly rocking back and forth. You stretch as you scan your surroundings. The beach is boxed in by cliffs, with a manmade walkway leading into a lightly packed forest that helps to hide your ships further. Someone would have to go out of their way to find you guys here.

“The village isn’t far from here, right?” Luffy was looking around excitedly, no doubt eager for a chance to stretch his legs. You were, too. The island appears to be normal and peaceful. It’ll be nice to explore a town without a bunch of pirates in it… you guys notwithstanding, of course. 

“Yes, it shouldn’t take long to get there,” Nami answered passively while scrutinizing the map in her hands. “I wonder where we could find a ship.”

“We’ll worry about that later. Let’s find a place to eat first!” Luffy was actively drooling as he spoke. You’re not sure how anyone can be so hungry after eating what you’re pretty sure was in the ballpark of twenty apples, but you aren’t about to try and get between him and food.

Nami pushed him out of her face harshly, “Would you stop talking about food for five seconds?!”

Your attention was drawn away from them as you saw movement up on the cliffs. You squint and see several bushes rustling from what you’re assuming is some local wildlife. Zoro unsheaths a sword behind you and steps forward.

“Careful… I think we have company.”

That catches everyone’s attention. Nami tenses and steps back while scanning the forest herself, while Luffy is visibly excited about whoever could possibly be here. To you, Zoro seems to be over reacting. It’s more than likely just some animals running around, you’re not sure why he’s instantly jumping to this being an ambush or something.

Then someone starts shooting at Luffy’s feet. Perhaps Zoro was onto something. He scrambles to get out of the way while Zoro rushes forward to help. Before you even have a chance to react, Nami grabs you by the collar of your shirt and drags you back to the boat before shoving you into it and climbing in beside you to take cover. You cough and gasp as she releases your shirt.

The attack stops, so you and Nami peer over the side of the ship to see what’s going on. Luffy and Zoro appear to be fine, thankfully, but now a bunch of flags are popping out of the bushes. All of them have the same jolly roger on them. Ah. So much for you thinking that this island was pirate-free. You just hope none of them have any weird-ass super powers to contend with.

This display does nothing to intimidate Luffy, who by all accounts seems to be having a grand time watching this. A boy suddenly emerges from behind a tree, looking extremely pleased with himself. Some of the tension leaves your body as you are distracted by the fact that this kid has the longest damn nose you’ve ever seen. You didn’t think that was physically possible. You shake your head, reminding yourself that now is not the time to be getting distracted by appearances.

Long-nose crosses his arms and puffs out his chest proudly. “I am Captain Usopp! Leader of the pirates who reign over this village! I’ll have you know that everyone here fears me as much as they sing my praise! Which is a lot!” He gestures behind himself with a dramatic flare, “Go ahead and forget about attacking this village, it’s under my control! Me and my eighty million subordinates won’t let you get far!”

Eighty… Eighty million? You and Nami share a sideways glance at each other. That seems… a touch far fetched. The island doesn’t appear big enough to hold even one million people, much less eighty million plus the villagers. Now that you think about it, It’s odd that he didn’t name drop his crew. He just called them “the pirates”. You let out a sigh and slump against the boat, relieved that this appears to just be some display rather than a real threat. Nami pinches the bridge of her nose, looking annoyed more than anything, and Zoro puts his sword away with a huff.

Luffy, meanwhile, is star-struck. 

“If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable!” Nami calls out to him.

Usopp gasps, stumbling back in shock, “How did you know?!”

Nami rolls her eyes, “And now you’re admitting to it this easily? You’re terrible at this.” She climbs back out of the boat, and you’re quick to follow suit. You glance up the cliff to see Usopp beating himself up for failing miserably at his intimidation attempt. 

He whips back around to face all of you again, trying desperately to save face. “Well, maybe I was exaggerating a little bit, but I can assure you that I do have some very powerful men at my disposal!” He points at a cluster of bushes not far from him. Unlike the rest of the flags, the ones coming out of the bushes were moving, implying the presence of at least a few people. 

Still, those bushes weren’t particularly huge. You can’t imagine that there were that many people hiding in them. You squint, “What? Like three people?”

The literal second you say this, precisely three people spring out of the bushes looking aghast at your accurate prediction. These “powerful men” looked to be a bunch of kindergarteners, who screamed in terror and ran away immediately while Usopp yelled after them not to leave him here alone. Another impressive victory under your sword-belt, you suppose.

Luffy looks at you in awe, “How did you know?”

All you offer him is a simple shrug and say, “Lucky guess?”

Nami sifts through the sand and pulls out some tiny pellets. She examines them with absolutely no sense of urgency. “Huh. I’ve never seen a pirate captain use a slingshot before.”

Usopp gasps and clutches his chest in offense, “What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t insult me!” He pulls a slingshot from his bag and takes aim at her. Nami stares at him blankly. “I have a lot of pride in my weapon! So much so that people call me ‘Proud Usopp’!”

You’ll give him this much: he doesn’t abandon the bit easily. You call out to him, “By people, do you mean yourself?”

Now Nami’s comment didn’t seem all that bad to him. Usopp changed positions to aim at you instead, “Many people call me that! In fact, they call me ‘Proud Usopp’ more than ‘Captain Usopp’ because they’re that impressed by my pride!” He pulls the leather pad holding another pellet back further. “Behold! You’re about to see that my slingshot skills can put a pistol to shame!”

Given how many other things he’s lied about or exaggerated greatly, you aren’t scared. The pellets that he shot at Luffy had some oomph to them, sure, but comparing them to bullets fired from a gun seems excessive. Getting pelted by some pellets is hardly going to be the worst injury you’ve endured.

Before Usopp can decide if he really wants to fire at you or not, Luffy steps in front of you with the brim of his hat pulled down over his eyes. His voice drops to a surprisingly low tone as he addresses Usopp seriously for the first time, “Now that you’ve drawn your “pistol”, you’ve put your life on the line.”

Both you and Usopp gawk at Luffy. Usopp was clearly scared by the sudden mood shift, and even you felt a chill run down your spine. You’re so used to seeing Luffy be carefree and goofy that hearing him openly threaten someone in a genuinely intimidating fashion has completely thrown you for a loop. On top of that, you feel confused. Nothing about this scenario feels heavy enough to warrant this kind of a response.

“You don’t use those to threaten people.” Luffy makes a show of loudly cracking his knuckles while maintaining intense eye contact with Usopp, who is now looking like he’s really regretting his previous actions.

Zoro grinned and stepped forward, just barely unsheathing a sword, “You’re dealing with real pirates now… Are you prepared for that?”

This is escalating quickly. You lean over to Nami and whisper, “Should we stop them?” 

Nami did not share your concern. She examined her nails, barely even sparing you a glance, “No. He’ll lose his nerve before it gets to that.”

For a long, tense moment, there is silence as Usopp is stared down by Luffy and Zoro. Then, just as Nami predicted, he caved. The pellet slipped out of the slingshot and onto the ground. Usopp fell to his knees immediately after, looking thoroughly shaken up from the exchange. His hand clutched his chest as he muttered about how much scarier the words of real pirates are.

Mercifully, the tension dissipated instantly. Luffy dropped the disconcertingly serious look from his face and laughed loudly. “I stole that from Shanks! Your dad is Yassop, right?”

Usopp reels back at that question. “You know Shanks?! Wait- You know my dad?!” He clambers forward, but he isn’t paying attention and tumbles right over the side of the cliff. He rolls the whole way down, landing ass-first at the bottom. You wince, swearing that you felt some of that. The fall does little to deter Usopp, who quickly gets to his feet and stumbles closer to Luffy. “Yassop is my dad, but how did you know that?”

Luffy opens his mouth to answer, then stops abruptly. “I’ll tell you, but you have to take us to the nearest place to get food first.”

The deal was immediately accepted by Usopp, who nodded eagerly, “There’s a tavern not far from here, I’ll show you the way!”

Luffy followed close behind, cheering at the promise of food. How he intended to pay for it, you weren’t entirely sure, but who were you to ruin his excitement? No one else seemed concerned about the financials of this meal, so you suppose you shouldn’t be either.

Zoro casually trails behind Usopp and Luffy, while you and Nami were at the back. You two walked in silence while you mulled over something. This wasn’t the first time you’d heard the name Shanks. You can recall hearing the name thrown around while Luffy was duking it out with the clown-guy… Bucky? Boogie? You shake your head. That doesn’t matter.

Was Shanks someone important? Or was he coming up a lot purely through a series of coincidences? The name wasn’t ringing any bells for you, but given that you couldn’t remember your own name, that really wasn’t saying much. There’s only one way to find out the truth about him.

“Hey, Nami?” You wait for her to glance your way, acknowledging your inquiring tone. “Who’s Shanks?”

Her eyes widened, “You don’t know who Shanks is?”

You raise a hand and tap near your head wound, only to flinch at the pang of pain that shot through your head from that action. Oh, that was stupid. 

Nami sighs, “You really don’t remember anything if you don’t even recognize his name.” Her face turns to a sneer, “He’s some bigshot pirate that’s worked his way up to being an emperor.”

The answer only served to confuse you more. “Emperor? What does piracy have to do with being one of those?”

“It’s just a title, he isn’t a literal emperor.” She waves her hand dismissively, “Don’t think about it too much. The less you know about pirates, the better.”

Aren’t you kind of a pirate now? At least by association. Not to mention that you’re traveling with two of them. Something tells you that Nami wouldn’t care for you pointing that out, so you continue to walk beside her in silence.

A large wooden sign with the words “Syrup Village” is sticking out of the ground once you’ve walked through the small forest. The village itself was small and quaint, possessing a sort of rustic charm that made it feel homey even if you've never been here before. Unlike Orange Town, this place was clearly populated. The local villagers milled about, going about their daily routines. It was a pleasant change of pace. 

Usopp beckoned all of you into a small tavern. There weren't any customers inside, just an elderly man sitting behind a counter, and what sounds like a small staff in the kitchen. 

“I have a lot of influence here. Go on and take a seat, I can handle the rest.” Usopp hurried over to the old man and started giving him some spiel about how you guys were a part of his crew, and thus, deserved only the best. The old man didn't even look up from his newspaper, but was nodding along anyway.

Nami picked out a booth for you all to sit at. Zoro slid in next to her, while you sat at the bench across from them. You glanced over to see Luffy sticking his head into the kitchen, apparently having not listened when Usopp insisted on handling everything. He was demanding an obscene amount of food, more than you thought all of you could reasonably eat in a week, much less one sitting.

As soon as he was done ordering enough food to make it feel like its own lunch rush, he bounded over to your booth and plopped onto the bench next to you, visibly elated. Usopp joined a moment later, dragging over a chair so he could sit at the head of the table. 

“So, how do you know my dad?” Usopp was staring at Luffy expectantly. 

Luffy perked up, “Oh, right. He was a part of Shanks’ crew, I saw him a lot growing up.”

Usopp's jaw dropped. “He's a part of Shanks’ crew?!” He kicked his legs under the table, a dreamy look on his face, “So that's where he's been.”

You quirked a brow at that statement. He didn't know where his own dad was? Did they never see each other? Or at least talk once in a while? You're surprised he doesn't look more bitter about it. You think that you would be if you were him. 

There's a pang in your head, and your eyes go fuzzy for a moment. It's a sharp pain right behind your eyes. You put your face in your hands and massage your temples, trying to will away the pain and cloudy vision. 

You're startled slightly when you feel someone lightly kick you under the table. You pull your face from your hands only to find Zoro staring at you questioningly from across the table. 

“Everything alright?” His face was casual, so much so that it could be mistaken for disinterested, but it felt like his eyes were staring into you.

“I'm fine, I'm just… hungry.” Complaining about a headache felt childish, so you kept it to yourself. These people are being needlessly kind to you, you don't want to start annoying them and risk making them change their mind. 

Zoro stares at you hard, and you get the impression that he doesn't believe you. He sighs and brings a pint of beer up to his mouth, “Well you better eat something quickly before Luffy gets it all.”

Hang on. You look at the table and finally take notice of the drinks and plates of food on it. When did these get here? You thought you only had your head in your hands for a few seconds… how did you not even hear the dishes being set down?

You really need to see a doctor. 

A plate of food and some water are slid to you by Zoro, who apparently thought you were taking too long to make a move. You mutter a quiet thanks and gulp down some water before digging into the food. Hopefully having something of substance in your stomach would make you feel better. 

Something was tickling at the back of your mind, but not clearly enough for you to make anything of it. The faintest whisper of a voice and a bizarre feeling of empty loneliness hung over you despite being surrounded by people. The responsible thing to do would be to focus on the essence of a memory that was trapped beneath the surface of your mind, begging to come forth. You should be trying to bring it to the front and realize it for what it was. But… apparently the person you're supposed to be isn't one for responsibility. You shove more food into your mouth and push the thought down. That memory didn't feel very pleasant. You try to focus on what’s going on around you instead of that.

The table is lively, unlike your foggy mind. Luffy is happily recounting childhood memories of Yassop while Usopp hangs onto every word of it, completely rapt in the stories. Luffy is also choking down an obscene amount of food at a cornering rate. You're not sure he's even chewing any of it given how fast he keeps going back for more. No wonder Zoro was insistent on you eating sooner rather than later. Another minute of hesitation and you would have been shit out of luck.

Nami finishes the rest of her drink and levels Usopp with a stare, “Say, you wouldn't happen to know where we could get a ship around these parts, would you?”

“A ship?” Usopp hums in thought for a moment, then stiffens up. “I wouldn't know anything about where to get one of those. This is a small village. We don't even have many ships passing through, much less up for grabs.”

“What about the people living in that mansion up on the hill?” Zoro nodded his head in the direction of it. The large home was in clear view from where all of you were seated. “Surely someone in a house like that has at least a few caravels at their disposal. Maybe more.”

Dishes clatter on the table as Usopp abruptly stands up and slams his hands down. “You can't go there!” His shout and sudden mood change startles everyone. Just as quickly as he became upset, his face dropped into a more bashful look. “Oh, would you look at the time! I have very important business to tend to, bye!” And with that, he sprinted out of the building, only reappearing briefly as he sped past the window. 

What was that all about?

Nami sighed sharply. “What's got him so worked up? He ran out of here so fast that I just barely managed to grab this,” she held up a small, leather wallet. 

“Nami!” You attempted to scold her, but the smug look on her face told you that your words meant nothing. 

“What? He said he'd take care of everything, and that includes paying the bill. I'm just ensuring that he keeps his word, that's all.” Nami barely even glances at you before opening it up and counting the money. Based on the way her face contorts, you're guessing that it isn't as much as she was hoping for. 

Luffy didn't appear to be even slightly concerned about that. He was happily licking the plates clean. Including yours, which was a little weird, but whatever. Not gonna ruin your day. 

When you hear the door to the tavern open again, you don't think much of it. It's not until some little kids storm up to your table wielding wooden toy swords that you decide to pay attention. It dawns on you that these are the same kids you scared away earlier at the beach.

“W-What did you do with our captain?!” The boy with green hair asks the question as if he is already assuming the worst. All of the kids are shaking like chihuahuas while trying to act tough. 

“Man, I'm full! That was some really good meat!” Luffy flopped against your shoulder heavily, having apparently finally satiated his massive appetite. The boys stared at him in abject horror.

“Your captain?” Zoro's once neutral face curled up into a surprisingly sinister grin. He leaned forward, making the children almost trip over each other to back away. “We ate him.”

The children grew deathly pale, screamed, then promptly fainted into a heap on the floor. 

“Zoro!” You kept switching between looking at the incapacitated children and the swordsman. “Why would you say that?!” 

All that he does is chuckle, looking awfully proud of himself for terrorizing some little kids. Luffy is laughing loudly at the whole spectacle, and Nami is staring at both of them incredulously but also not doing anything about it. You huff and climb over Luffy to check on the boys. While they do look horrified, even in their unconscious state, they appear to be fine physically speaking. You glare at Zoro, “That was mean.”

Your attempt at scolding is once again entirely ineffective. He waves his hand dismissively and downs the rest of his pint, “It was just a joke. If they want to be pirates then they should be able to handle it.”

“They’re little kids. They probably want to be something different every week.” There will definitely be a change next week after having a run in with what they believe to be cannibalistic pirates. You crouch down beside them, shaking one of them gently in hopes of waking him up. He starts to stir and cracks open his eyes behind his glasses. He blinks a couple of times, then focuses on you. For a moment, he stares at you dully. Then his eyes snap open wide and he yelps as he scrambles backwards.

“Calm down! I’m not going to hurt you,” you hold up your hands like you’re dealing with a scared animal.

This does nothing to quell his fears. He tries to get to his feet quickly, and you don’t have a chance to warn him before he cracks his head on the table he clearly didn’t realize he was under. Once again, he falls to the floor unconscious.

“Oh, shit!” You curse and scramble over to him, wanting to check and make sure he isn’t now suffering the same kind of brain damage you’ve got. You lift him up to get a better look at his head, when you hear dramatic gasps.

“She’s got Tamanegi! They’re going to eat him next!” The other boys have woken up and are back to hysterics.

“NO! No one is getting eaten!” You glare at your crew that is doing nothing to help and is instead laughing at the absurdity of the situation. “Would one of you help me here?!”

Zoro laughs loudly at your demand, “No, it looks like you’ve got it covered.”

You can’t believe these are the people you’re stuck with.

[queenquinzel715]

3.1 Halforc Rothwell

Wrd count 2,469

Princess (Y/n) P.O.V.

When I turned fourteen I knew things were going to change in the worst possible way. I saw the royal doctors leaving my mother's chambers, and her ladies in waiting looking down so upset. I had just turned sixteen when I got woken by my mother's closest lady in waiting telling me to come quickly. I sat with my mother for an hour when she finally let go. My father stood by the door silently crying to himself. They did actually love each other.

That night my life became hectic. I took over Queen duties for the kingdom. Which is no problem, however my father's advisors are like the devil in his ear. My father is so poor minded that the lies they tell him he believes them. I do feel bad for my father. He was just a guard when he and my mother, the princess, fell for each other. He does care for our people, he just doesn't understand how to communicate with them, so he leaves it to William. William is the head guard that is supposed to help my people when they need it, but he's just a tyrant.

Like today, William and Henry, the main advisor, are telling my father that the creatures that are coming to do trade are tricking my father. They are telling him that these creatures are raiding savages. I've heard enough from these two.

"Alright that's enough. What are your sources for all this?" I stop them just as they walk to the maps to map out an attack on the incoming ships. "My sources tell me the reason for any attacks was that the Tearings Kingdom enslaved them." I look at my father's indecisive face.

"I have insiders in the Silentdew Kingdom, Sire." Henry boosts with a mocking smile.

"I don't remember a ship leaving for that long of a voyage, so when was this?"

I'm completely ignored.

"These creatures are here simply for land. I myself have sent letters with their King, so I will not have these stories to be spread. If no problems are caused then no problems will occur. They should be docking in just three days, and we must greet them accordingly." My father takes over. He turns to me. "(Y/n) I need you to be there for their reassurance that we give faith into our new arrangements." I give my father a reassuring smile.

"I was hoping to meet them at dinner." I try to sound proper, not too obvious.

"I know, I know. I just need them to know even with your own… legacy, we are here united for good reasons." I laugh at his pausing for the right words.

What he had difficulty with is my true title. Queen General (full name). At fourteen my mother insisted my father train me in some sort of defense. What she didn't expect was for me to get completely infatuated with fighting, and well I became General after my eighteenth birthday. No one argued the title placement, because they knew I actually worked for it. Sadly I had to give that title to William last year when I turned twenty. My father told me it was time for me to settle down, so he's been finding suitors for me. Most of them did seem good on paper, so I don't fault my father on that point. It's just when they open their mouths nothing intelligent comes out just pompous showboating, or their egos get destroyed from my legacy. At least my father doesn't fight me when I tell him I won't marry them.

Besides, my biggest problem is dealing with an overly cocky William. He's been following me around assuming I'm turning the suitors away for him, because we've known each other since childhood. Granted as a child he was better to tolerate. Over the years I've learned just the type of man he's become, and the amount of female servants I've helped from his whole group. My mother taught me very early that I can't stop men like that, so that's why the only females that work in my castle are my own close ladies. I have made an example of what happens when I catch you in certain acts which helped the women in the town as well. Sadly mother was right. That's why I pray to her that I'm right with these creatures that come here, they docked yesterday. Tomorrow I will actually meet their leader, and have dinner.

This morning I'm woken up by my ladies to get ready for the creature's arrival. They should be here by midday, and by then I should have my nerves somewhat controlled. Which doesn't seem fruitful when the laces of my dress are being pulled back to cut my breathing off. I wasn't used to these formal dresses, and hair styling anymore. I mostly stayed in work dresses, and kept my hair braided to the side. I look like my mother with my hair like this, and she'd love this.

I walked down the main steps as the gates opened for three mountainous horses carrying orcs. I come to a stop in the only open place next to my father. Of course it's next to William. I keep myself looking at the gorgeous horses, but I'm stuck on the short haired one with a scruff-like beard. His yellow eyes scan the crowd, they seem to shine with curiosity as he sees something new.

"I like your hair this way, Princess." William takes me away from the orc. "I wanted to surprise you, but Friday I'm telling your father about us." I feel his hand move along my arm. "I can't let you keep this charade of the suitors." The entire feeling from him makes me nervous, causing me to move away immediately.

I hear him chuckling as I step to my father as he steps closer with the orcs following. Once I take a deep breath I realize I didn't hold my composure when my face relaxes. My father introduces me to Lord Rothwell and his guards. I look up at him in amazement as I outstretch my hand.

"Welcome Sir Rothwell." I offer him my hand.

"I'm very happy to be here, My Lady." His smile brings his tusk to a better view as he brings my hand to meet his lips, letting me feel just how smooth his tusks are.

Throughout the day, we are in the meeting hall going over the maps showing them their lands, and discussing laws. I was surprised when we have similar laws, granted they had more for the different creatures, which they gave us their law books.

Once dinner is served, it's like we have all known each other for years with the laughter coming from the dining hall. I sit left of my father as Rothwell sits across from me. I could listen to him talk about his people all night. He talks with such passion, the way his eyes light up when he speaks of certain people, well creatures.

"I'm glad we are on the same page about this settlement." I'm father raises his cup to cheer.

"Yes, I like how we are using the river as a boundary. It is very clever. That way no one can say they don't know where they are going." He cheers with my father.

"That was (y/n)'s idea. I swear if you spend a day with her you'd be amazed with what she comes up with." Father laughs as he shakes my shoulder making my food fall off my spoon.

"I'd love to spend a day with you." Rothwell looks me in the eyes as he says this, his voice makes my ankles lock together on their own.

"Sir Rothwell, do you hope this is a permanent settlement or just for the resources?" I generally want to know for my own knowledge and my kingdom's.

"Completely permanent, Princess." He smirks once responded.

My father grabs Rothwell's attention for some battle stories, but William decides now will be best to slide into the seat next to mine. I roll my eyes at his drunken smile.

"Father?" I try to properly get his attention.

"I was thinking about sunset for our ceremony." William begins. "The windows in the church shine perfectly at that time." He reaches for my piece of hair, but I move back.

I look back to my father to see him still talking, but Rothwell is eyeing William with hard eyes. William leans closer to continue his wedding talk, trying to touch me, making me grip my eating knife. He goes to reach for me again, and I snap. I push him back with my knife pointed at his lower rib. He drops his cup, leaving the wine to puddle the floor, and raises his hands. I slightly lean forward with my eyes locked on his terror filled ones.

"I've tolerated you all day, with your wedding bullshit talk, and you trying to touch me." He goes to speak, but me pushing the knife slightly further makes him stop. "If you so much as think of coming near me in the next couple of days. I swear the moment my eyes land on you I will cut your ribs out right there. Am I understood?" I sternly finish with a last push of the knife.

"Yes, Princess. I'm terribly sorry I won't bother you again." He rushes out his apologies as he nods quickly.

I raise my knife to the side for him to shakily run to the doors of the dining hall. Everyone is still silent as I turn back to my food. As I bite into my food I look up to Rothwell slightly biting his lower lip. I can feel my neck up to my face get hot as I look back down to my plate. Everyone starts to mumble about me as they get back to dinner.

"Daughter, must you embarrass the poor boy." Father laughs as he fills my cup with wine.

"Yes I must. Animals like him don't listen to normal talk, so I must get straight to the point." I take a big gulp of my wine as I stand. "Well goodnight father, enjoy your night." I kiss my father on the forehead. "Please don't get him completely gone. I'd like him to be somewhat functional." I laugh with Rothwell as the others raise their cups to me.

I walk to my chambers with an orc on my mind, and how my mother would be shocked that this is who I'm thinking about. Once in my chambers I change into my night dress getting comfortable as the night bonfire is lit in town Square. I lean against the balcony door crossing my arms at William's nonsense. I'm brought out of my thoughts as a crowd forms, and William steps through along with Rothwell. I could finally see that Rothwell is three feet taller than William, and is much bigger as well. The small group that came with Rothwell cheers for Rothwell as the fight starts. I watch as Rothwell practically throws William like a child around the circle. William slides along the ground making me laugh, and Rothwell raises his arms as he roars in celebration with his men. One of the creature men point up toward me, making him look up at me. I give him a sarcastic clap, but inside I want to scream for him. His roar was much louder as his men crowd him like he won something. William steps back to him in a drunken like sway, maybe it's a painful sway. Rothwell swats the air telling him he's done, but William says something that's obviously antagonizing. Rothwell actually throws him this time, but I feel that still wasn't his full strength. I watch William use his horse to stand. Rothwell walks away with his group of men as my men get back to work on the weapons. William however takes his sword from the sheath he keeps on his horse, and runs toward Rothwell with the sword high in the air. I grab a book that I left on the balcony, and throw it at Rothwell. It hits one of his men, making him turn to me. I just point at William. I quickly run down the stairs as the yelling echoes off the walls. They grow louder as I get to the Town Square. I signal to the cannon gunners to shoot a cannon. My men stop, and stand to attention. The creatures slowly stand to their feet. I step calmly through the sea of men to the ones that are still gripping onto each other. I take the sword of one of the closest men.

"Enough!" I use the sword to push William back.

Once he sees it's me he falls to his knees.

"Meeting hall, NOW!" My voice booms off the walls.

As I follow the two men into the hall my father is standing there with an angry expression. As I walk around them I throw the sword into a table. I look at the marks William somehow got on Rothwell with worry, but when I look at how William looks I couldn't hold my smirk.

"I don't mind when you men fight for show or for your own amusement. However I will not tolerate you having war IN THE MIDDLE OF MY KINGDOM!" My father yells out like he never has before. "Not only did you want to spar with an orc, you tried to strike an unarmed man in the back." My father speaks in shame at William. "Lets not begin to discuss what happened at dinner with my daughter." He turns to me. "Why was he threatened anyway?"

"Well throughout the day he has tried grabbing me, telling me that I am to marry him, and how the suitors I've declined were for his benefit." I tell my father honestly.

While I explain to my father Rothwell snaps his head to William like he actually wants to kill him.

"Guards!" Father suddenly yells, making me jump in surprise. "Lock William in the tunnels until I can deal with him in the morning." William is pleading as he is being pulled out once he's gone father sits with a deep sigh. "I should've done that years ago." He looks up at me as he rests his head on his fingertips looking between me and Rothwell. "Hmm well. Should we start the courting process?" He asks Rothwell with a no tolerance voice.

"Yes." Is all Rothwell says with a last look at me before storming out.

"Courting process?" I question my father.

He just dismisses me to bed, and tells me to enjoy the gifts.

[darklinaforever]

It kills me how many people think that the gender of a fictional character doesn't matter.

We are in fiction, where the characters have arcs, or they embody themes. Obviously for some characters gender matters.

Michael is literally named the new heir and freaks out about becoming a new John /basically taking everything he had.

Michaela can't really have this arc... Unless we strangely learn that the laws in Scotland are extremely different from England located in the Bridgerton universe (and I speak for the universe of the series, where we have no idea if they will stick to reality where women in Scotland could inherit), and I doubt it for the moment.

So no, Michaela couldn't necessarily have the same arc as Michael.

I'm not even sure she could be a Merry Rake. Can a woman be called Rake in show Bridgerton universe ?

The fact is that Michaela will necessarily differ at certain times from Michael.

Already there are always drastic differences between the show and the book, this time I think it will be even more emphasized. (I even doubt that we will have as many nods to the book as season 3 dedicated to Polin's story did)

In any case, the very basis of Francesca's story is that despite the loss of true love you can always have a second chance, which is a clear originality compared to the other romances in this series of books ; well, is already changed with the way the end of season 3 happened.

It seems that the marriage to John was a mistake, that the physical aspect of their relationship will not prove pleasant in view of the Fran's reaction to their kiss, and worse, that Fran doesn't feel true love for John.

True love in Bridgerton often results in great passion and similarities to the story of Edmund and Violet, and Francesca literally matches Violet's reaction when she first met Edmund, but this time when she meets Michaela.

Whereas Fran is never supposed to have this kind of reaction around Michael / Michaela as long as John is alive. Because she normaly truly loves him.

So how could the story be the same after such a change to the very heart of the story ?

It's not just the gender change from Michael to Michaela that makes the adaptation of When he was Wicked complicated and uncertain for some viewers, including me too, it is above all a whole.

But for some obscure reason people refuse to accept it.

Beyond that, I repeat, Michael Stirling is a fictional male character who has been around for years.

That people are disappointed, including me, not to see this character, as he is basically on paper, be adapted to the screen is not necessarily homophobic, assumed or internalized.

Yes, some are, but not everyone. Some of us are part of the LGBTQ+ community and no, we do not all suffer from internalized homophobia so as not to 100% validate such a change !

We're talking about an attachment to an image that we have formed in our mind about a FICTITIOUS character for fucking years !

Besides, I didn't even say that I was fundamentally against it, because I have already explained several times that a part of me was happy to see a main romance between two women on screen in the television universe for Bridgerton (and the actresses are magnificent and on top of that, I'm sure, will have very good chemistry). Once again, representation is always cool, but, is this really the right place to do it ? I'm not so sure.

And contrary to what some say, I'm not saying that LGBTQ+ relationships should systematically be secondary in fiction. No way. I'm simply saying that transforming one of the main canon ships of the books without which the Netflix adaptation would not exist is perhaps not the right thing to do, since there is already a community attached behind these characters...

And seriously, if the creators really wanted a main LGBTQ+ romance dealing with the Bridgerton universe, they could easily make a spin off dealing specifically with this part of society and how they live.

I'm sure many, including me, will watch such a spin-off ! And damn I would love for something like that to happen !

You see, the opportunity to have an LGBTQ+ romance at the forefront without changing the kind of characters mostly beloved by an audience that already exists. Not very complicated though.

Do you realize how inappropriate it is to insult someone homophobic for that things ?! I don't know what kind of fucking bubble these people live in...

And it's scary to say that you can be insulted by a community of which you are a part, simply for not conforming to everything that is judged 100% morally correct for them.

If you have the misfortune of delay, sometimes there are those who unleash themselves on you to insult you for things that you don't have, simply for a fictional character...

"You don't 100% validate that a fictional male character who has existed for years and whom you have loved for years, with a fairly precise image in mind as a result, becomes a woman in his adaptation ? Well obviously, it's is that you are, at worst, a homophobe, or at least worse an internalized homophobe, and in any case that is not tolerable and you are not a true ally and you are problematic who deserves to be hated."

I don't know if you realize how STUNNING this is ! There really are people on this app who need to get fucking treatment...

And anyway why am I racking my brains ?

There will always be stupid people to come and tell me that what I say is always homophobic because if I have a problem with the change of gender of a fictional character through an adaptation well I'm the real problem.

As they say, you can't change idiots.

So stay stupid if you want, but at least leave me alone.

[sarah-yyy]

what is war of faith about? is it worth a watch apart from just wang yibo(being gay?)? and where should i watch it?

you were all expecting me to do this so okay let's see how many others i can drag down this shenlai (i think this is the ship name we've settled on?? i have seen many 沈来之笔 tags on ao3 so i'm assuming that's what the chinese fandom has settled on) hole.

what: republican era communist spy drama (finance bros edition) // completed // 38 eps, roughly 40 mins each where: iqiyi (standard disclaimer that i don’t watch with subs so i don’t speak to the quality of eng subs) why: *chanting* yibo yibo yibo yibo yib- wang yang?? xiansheng???? i'll preface by saying i don't watch many republican era shows - it's really just not my thing, like even zhu yilong couldn't make me watch one and that's saying a lot, but i did finish and quite enjoy this one!! extremely strong cast on this show, and the story moved fast enough and had enough action in it that it kept my attention.

meet my boy wei ruolai:

ruolai is from a v humble family, worked hard to put himself through night school but is having trouble stepping foot into the finance world because he has no money, no connections, no diploma (the school is holding off on issuing him one because he's from a communist-stronghold province 😪). he's working several jobs to make ends meet in shanghai when he decides to interview for a job at the central bank.

he aces his entrance test! ofc he does! ruolai is a bit of a whiz with numbers, and is very very very determined to get the job - the place could be on goddamn fire for all he cares, he'll finish his goddamn test and get this goddamn job even if it kills him.

his performance gains him the attention of shen tunan:

xiansheng!! 😍💖💕

chief of the central bank, The Guy™ of the finance and banking industry in shanghai. extremely attractive in a suit. 100% dilf certified.

xiansheng takes a shine on ruolai, but ends up not being able to hire ruolai despite his excellence because, again, ruolai is from a communist-stronghold province, and they don't want to take any chances with him possibly having communist ties.

does that set ruolai back?? no. my boy sneaks into a party that shen tunan is holding at his mansion, and convinces shen tunan to hire him by essentially picking apart shen tunan's ~secret strategies~ that he's uncovered just by following the finance news and making smart deductions 🥺💚

shen tunan caves and personally hires ruolai as his PA, and begins mentoring him and teaching him the ways of the banking industry.

the show is mostly about ruolai's growth in the central bank and the shift of his political beliefs, centred around the kmt and communist party's conflict in that era. the premise of the show is fairly simple - most republican era dramas move in the same direction. this one was well-written, had a solid cast, and beautifully shot.

the development of stn and wrl's relationship in this show was good! it's v shippable, if that's something that is important to you. ngl, i did stay through till the end because these two were so interesting.

we have proud teacher shen tunan who is so so proud of his boy and takes ruolai suit-shopping and tells him how special he is :

starry-eyed disciple wei ruolai who would literally do anything for shen tunan:

he really does mean it when he says that. he gets tortured and thrown in goddamn jail for shen tunan, and he just bears it all and doesn't let himself react in any manner that could harm shen tunan.

i started this strictly for yibo, and had no expectations that i would enjoy it, but guys...........wang yang is 🥵🔥 in this as shen tunan, and this ship just.......sails itself. what else was i supposed to do except go three hundred different levels of ahhhhhhhhh over them.

ANYWAY. strong rec. like at least 8.5/10. even if you're just in it for yibo (who is EXCELLENT in this, the whump scenes are incredible), or if you just want to ship shenlai, the payoff is strong in this.

[modernimpressionism]

a higher power compelled me to write this

Swann Arlaud x Reader Fluff

(First meetings, art museums, slight awkwardness)

1285 Words

• ───── ୨୧ ───── •

Like the work of art she was, he first saw her at a museum.

More specifically, at the Musée d'Orsay. Standing in front of Olympia. He had wandered in on a walk home from a meeting with his manager, feeling a little stressed and pretty annoyed. He assumed a walk around an air-conditioned maze would calm his mind a bit, and this one was just the closest when he googled 'museum'. He recalls visiting it as a boy because being a child in Paris meant field trips to insane historical monuments and world-famous museums.

She stared at the painting as if trying to memorize every brush stroke, occasionally adjusting the tote bag on her shoulder or tucking her hair behind her ear, but not moving onto another piece. The relaxed nude figure seemed to entrance her like the woman was communicating something secret and sensual and womanly through 150 years of dried pigment.

This gave him plenty of time to memorize her as well, to notice the hair falling gently on her back. Her fingers, the nails neatly painted but the skin around them picked and chewed to bits. She wore a watch on her left wrist, a real watch that ticked silently with the seconds, he thought higher of her because of this but couldn't place why. Her clothes looked nice, but not excessive. He imagined her being picky with what she wore, and not caring about brands or fashion houses, which felt rare in Paris. The tote bag on her shoulder was obviously full, and he yearned to hold it for her, to take the weight off if only for a moment. She obviously carried it every day and thought little of the weight anymore, but he was willing to take it.

He paused his study for a moment to look around the gallery. He noticed the similarity between all of the paintings, and with how long she was staring at the one, he assumed she must be a fan.

Shit

He leaned over to check the name of the artist on a few of the paintings, Manet, Manet, Manet, ok. He pulls his phone out and quickly searches for him. If he's going to talk to this woman, he should at least pretend to have a reason to.

He was starting to regret not paying attention during those field trips.

He slipped his phone back into his back pocket and ran his fingers through his hair. It seemed like he was eternally trying to fix it, and if there was ever a time for it to behave, it was right now.

He took one confident step before she started moving and he lost all of his nerve. He snapped his head around before finding a random painting to pretend to stare at, hoping she didn't notice his extended and possibly creepy staring. He shoved his hands in his front pockets to try to look calmer than he was.

He heard the slight tap of her shoes against the stone floor but didn't dare to look where she was going. This is disastrous, he thought, deciding to leave as soon as she stopped moving. He was counting down the seconds when he felt a slight shade move on his left side and heard her movements more closely.

She stood right next to them, looking at the same painting.

His plan to abandon ship quickly dissipated, knowing this was the only opportunity he had to talk to her. If he ignored her now and followed her around the museum to talk to her later, he would look mental.

He scanned the painting in a panic, trying to understand 150 years of art history before opening his mouth. To him, it just looked like a couple of people standing on a balcony but he felt like it meant much more to her. He thought that if he waited any more, he would lose his nerve, so he opened his mouth and...

"J'aime le chien"

"Oh, I. I'm sorry but I'm still learning French, I'm not sure-"

"You're American!"

Shit!

In his anxiety-ridden brain, he forgot to shut his mouth and his words bypassed any filter he possessed. It's over, this was a total failure, he thought as he felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

But instead he heard her giggle gently, before responding,

"I am! All of my life actually"

Oh god, and she's funny...

He smiled back at her with his signature goofy lopsided smile, too engrossed by her face, her mouth, her eyes to actually respond to anything.

"I like the dog too", she replies after a few silent seconds.

They both stared at the small animal painted in the bottom left corner, tucked into the petticoat of a figure. His eyes weren't visible beneath his fur, permanently hidden from the world. Looking at the animal and hearing her approval gave him the confidence to keep their conversation going a bit longer.

"So is he your favorite?"

"He's one of my favorites, i just love the choice of subjects, how average they were."

He's entranced by her voice. By the way her lips move to make the words, by the way her eyes light up as she speaks about art. He realizes that he must look silly, staring at her speak with a dumb smile, but he can't bring himself to care.

"Have you ever seen where he painted? In Giverny?"

She tilts her head slightly at that question, slightly confused.

Shit.

"Do you mean Monet? With the lilies? He painted in Giverny. This is Manet."

SHIT!

His mouth opens and closes like a fish, feeling like a deer in headlights, he can't possibly save this now.

So he just starts laughing. A genuine belly laugh, full of joy at his own stupidity. And then she starts laughing just as hard.

"Did you just google him a minute ago?", she asks, in between giggles.

"I did, it must have been uh... vérification orthographique.. spellcheck"

They look at each other earnestly, both admiring the other.

"I'm Y/N", she says, reaching out her hand.

He grabs it and is astounded by how comfortable he feels in hers

"Swann"

*One Year Later*

"Love I told you, I didn't want anything for our anniversary, just to do things together"

"Well this is a together present, sort of, it's for uh.. l'appartement"

He pulls a large, flat, wrapped present from the back of his closet, lifting it and placing it in front of Y/N, who's sat on their bed. He sits down next to her, leaning one hand on the bed behind her, subconsciously wanting to be close to her.

Her hands reach for the paper and start tearing, she makes a mental note of his gift-wrapping skills, assigning him that job in the future. Her were always horribly crumpled, but he was neat and untarnished, and she almost felt bad destroying it.

She quickly uncovered a gold frame with a glass pane, something familiar peeking out from inside.

"It's the Manet painting, The Balcony. A print of it, I mean. I thought it would be nice to hang out here since it's ours." he says, almost shyly... No matter how confident he was, he always felt the risk of gift-giving.

"Swann, I love it, It's perfect"

She places the framed print on the bed behind her, safely, before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him with as much love as she could muster. It was such a quick transition that he was almost surprised, but he soon caught up and reached his arm around her and grabbed her waist, pulling her tighter. After a while, he placed a hand on her cheek to pull her away and leaned in to kiss her lips gently and with love.

"Joyeux anniversaire chérie, I would get you the real painting if I could.

[trashland-llamas]

He Loves Me. He Loves Me Not

x trans male reader

Sanji who doesn’t realize that y/n is a man. Despite how much y/n tries to act like it doesn’t bother him, he can't help asking himself 'is he really that shit at passing?' Like, okay, sure, it had only been a few years and he was still in the midst of it all but it was nonetheless infuriating. How Sanji would bat those pretty eyelashes of his with hearts in his eyes and call him sugary sweet pet names. Longing to have the rivalry that he did with Zoro. Just anything different than how he treated other women.

Speaking of Zoro, the swordsman had noticed the forlorn attitude that clung to his gym buddy. ‘Alright, what’s the problem? Cause I’m not dealing with an unfocused spotter,’ his tone stern. Zoro couldn’t help but feel protective. Despite how much people thought of him a himbo, he had picked up on y/n’s affections towards the cook. ‘He treats me how he treats Nami and Robin.’ Putting down his weights, he ruffles y/n’s hair. ‘The whole mon cheri bullshit where he dotes on you hand and foot?’

‘Exactly! Which is great and all but he doesn’t behave like that with you or Usopp or Luffy. So what gives?’

‘Either he’s stupid or he might like you back. Never know, could just be he’s never been smitten with a man before.’ Zoro avoided saying aloud what y/n had assumed. Not wanting to give him any sort of confirmation to his catastrophizing thoughts. ‘You should confront him.’

‘I’m not gonna do that!’

‘Would you rather walk around on eggshells?’

Thinking back to his conversation with Zoro, y/n paces before the kitchen door, hyping himself up. 'Y'know, you can come in any time you like, hun. I don't bite.' y/n freezes when he hears Sanji's voice. The cook not bothering to look towards the entrance while he chops up some fruit. A snack for the crew. 'I know,' y/n refutes, unable to hide the tremor in his voice. 'Is something troubling you?' Sanji asked, aware of how antsy he was acting. 'Uh, actually that's what I came to talk to you about.'

'Well then, have a seat.' Sanji skipped over the theatrics, passing them a glass of water. 'Usually helps to have a drink, calms the nerves.' Nodding, y/n took a few seconds to figure out how he wanted to say it. 'It's you.' Cringing at Sanji's shocked expression, bowing his head as he gripped the counter top with his sleeves rolled up. 'Me?'

'It's that I happen to be into you and...the way you treat me, it's like I'm just another girl.' The word run together quicker than a oil spill. But it's towards the end when Sanji raises his head to look y/n in the eye. 'I must apologize, because you're not another girl to me. It seems I've caused a pure soul like you a lot of pain...I'm not used to liking the same gender as my own.'

'Then I have a few requests. Please swap out the nicknames to some that are a little more masculine. And treat me like you do the other guys on the ship. None of that waiting hand and foot, okay?' Y/n starts with an uncertain air, slowly gaining confidence as he went along.

'Okay. I won't lie, I might make a few more blunders here and there while figuring it out but I can abide by those requests.' Sanji softly spoke, reaching out to grab y/n's hand. 'There's only one thing I want to ask of you, if I may. Can I take you out on a date?' Smiling at how flustered that small question made him. 'Would love to.'

[mazuriri]

4.6 update

I'm continuing my thread on Lyney x traveller since Lyney can’t stop showing his ‘feelings’ 👏 (and I write here because I've run out of space to put photos in the other thread).

＊ Arlecchino’s story quest :

During Arlecchino’s quest, it was predictable to come across Lyney and his siblings, along with the inevitable moments shared between the magician and the traveler. Their paths crossed right at the start of the quest in Poisson, with Lyney who calls them from a distance.

The introduction of Lyney x Traveler right from the beginning of the quest is just heartwarming. It's truly delightful to witness their joyous reunion after being apart for such a long time. One cannot help but notice Lyney's excitement as he spots the Traveler from a distance and eagerly call out to them, and the Traveler reciprocating the same gesture is simply heart-melting.

As a fan of this ship, these small actions hold great significance for me. The previous interactions between them have paved the way for a newfound sense of friendliness, which is beautifully exemplified by the Traveler's warm greeting "It's been too long." This reunion with Lyney marks a significant milestone in their relationship, showcasing the evolution of their bond.

The traveler's arrival never fails to ignite a spark of joy in Lyney. This has been demonstrated multiple times and it is remarkable how this simple encounter can instantly brighten his entire day. What is truly comforting is that Lyney doesn’t hide his enthusiasm, openly expressing his delight at their reunion in Poisson.

According to him, this encounter seem destined, as if fate itself has orchestrated them.

After Arlecchino proposed that the traveler should stay in Poisson for a while, she then requested Lyney to entertain the guests, to which Lyney willingly agreed, expressing that it had always been his dream to welcome the traveler into his home and introduce them to his siblings. While others may have different dreams, Lyney's dream was centered around introducing his family to the traveler, as family holds immense importance to him. He had previously expressed his desire to invite the traveler to his home, considering them as a part of his own family. Now, in this quest, his long-awaited dream has finally come true.

(Now his dream has come true, will he have a dream to ask the traveler in marriage lol?)

This guy meticulously explained his process in Poisson, only to discover that it presented an ideal opportunity to exhibit his culinary skills to the traveler. Of course, Lyney... Go above and beyond to leave an even greater impression, as if your magic tricks weren't already enough.

Also dear magician… Other people have something else to do than show their talent in cooking 🤨 (Maybe he wants to be a skilled husband who can cook for his beloved in the future LOL)

As Lyney prepared to hand over the supplies, Chapleau was rendered speechless and filled with astonishment upon coming face to face with the famous traveler and Paimon, whose names had been circulating extensively in discussions among everyone.

Throughout the encounter, Lyney appeared either irritated or nonchalant, emitting an aura of "Dude... there's no need to be so shocked" or "Hey, don't stare at my crush like that" (Could it be that he was feeling jealous? 🤨 There are various interpretations of his expression in that moment, but let's assume it's jealousy lol). He even cautioned him and the other children to refrain from potentially annoying or frightening the traveler and Paimon.

(Let’s not forget that he was the one who was excited to introduce his siblings to the traveler and look what face he makes lmao, he can’t be more obvious.)

The traveler has gained immense popularity, and it is all thanks to Arlecchino and Lyney. Both of them constantly talk about the traveler, and Lyney never misses a chance to mention them. Arlecchino, on the other hand, not only talks about the traveler but also brings up Lyney in her conversations. It is amusing to see how Arlecchino knows about the bond between her son and the traveler share. (I will come back later about Arlecchino's perspective on their relationship)

This has led to children being well-informed about the traveler, with Arlecchino and Lyney playing a significant role in spreading awareness about the traveler's presence.

You know what’s the funny part? The irony lies in the fact that Lyney previously mentioned the traveler's fame within the organization, which raises the question of who is truly responsible for their popularity. It is evident that the traveler's popularity is attributed to the detailed accounts provided by Lyney and Arlecchino, as confirmed by the children during their conversation (because they told so much about the traveler according to Foltz and Chapleau.)

Lyney my boy… there is no way to avoid the children because it is evident that you have been discussing the traveler's actions quite often. This is why they are so well-informed about the situation. Alrecchino also contributes to this knowledge by frequently mentioning Lyney and how the traveler has been of great assistance to them.

Following Freminet's disclosure regarding Clervie, Lyney opts to engage in a private discussion with him in a secluded corner to address familial matters. The traveler and Paimon detect the escalating tension between the two and grow apprehensive. Consequently, they make the decision to intervene in order to avert any potential conflict that may arise between Lyney and Freminet during their conversation.

Paimon emphasizes the bond of friendship among the group, highlighting the shared experiences they have already gone through. What made me smile throughout was that the Traveler immediately agreed with Paimon and didn't hesitate to help Lyney and Freminet. Unlike in the past, there is no trace of doubt or suspicion, they were ready to offer their assistance. As they say, sometimes guests can be useful and Lyney immediately understood what they meant.

The Traveler's bond with Lyney and their siblings has been solidified as one of friendship and care, leading them to offer their help despite the dangerous circumstances. Lyney, aware of the risks involved, attempted to dissuade the Traveler from getting involved, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as the Traveler remained steadfast in their decision to stand by their friends. They just couldn't abondon the siblings, and that's the traveler we all know.

Lyney finds himself at a loss for words, but he expresses his sincere gratitude to the traveler for their assistance once again. The traveler's willingness to help in such a situation deeply touches Lyney, and he is truly moved by their continuous support. The numerous times the traveler has come to Lyney's aid have left an indelible mark on his memory, and he feels an immense sense of gratitude towards them. Each action taken by the traveler holds a special place in Lyney's heart, as he genuinely cares about their well-being. Despite his initial concern for the traveler's safety and his desire to shield them from harm, Lyney understands that they are not easily swayed by his protective gestures. As I mentioned before, he really wanted to keep them out of it, but knowing them for a while now, Lyney already knows they wouldn't easily accept what he would propose.

It is in this moment that he utters the heartfelt words, "I'll protect you like my life depends on it." This statement reflects Lyney's unwavering commitment to safeguarding the traveler, even if it means putting his own life at risk. He is truly willing to protect them at all costs, even if it means putting his own life in danger. He only cares about his family, including the traveler since Lyney considers them family too. It may seem very sweet at first but if we delve deeper, Lyney's words reveals a profound level of care.

• Do you remember when Wriothesley 'kidnapped' Lynette, causing Lyney to panic as he was ready to give himself to Wriothesley in exchange for Lynette’s release. In Arlecchino’s quest, he became upset with Freminet for putting his own life in 'danger' with Clervie's situation. Although Lyney said that the others will be punished by Arlecchino, he was especially really worried about Freminet, showing genuine concern for him. Lyney's deep-rooted fear of losing his siblings is palpable, as he cherishes them dearly and is willing to go to great lengths to protect them, showcasing a touching and sad aspect of his character. We already know that this is not the first time that Lyney has acted in this way, we have already been aware for a long time that Lyney will not hesitate to put his life at risk for his siblings.

However, it remains unclear whether Lyney values his own life or not, but what is certain is that he is ready to sacrifice his life for his loved ones.

(Here for example, Lyney immediately threw himself to protect Lynette before Freminet blocked Arlecchino's attack.)

Personally, I have the urge to give him a wake-up call and remind him that his life holds just as much value, urging him to be cautious. This is the reason why Lynette became angry with him during this quest, and I can empathize with her. Let's be honest, Lyney's actions come off as self-centered : he chooses to deal with the situation 'alone' and doesn't want Lynette to know (same situation in Lynette hangout), but unfortunately, she was there the whole time and got angry at everyone, especially Freminet and Lyney. (I swear their siblings relationship makes me emotional)

———————————

Upon knowing the secret activities that had been occurring behind her back, Arlecchino resolved to take matters into her own hands. However, just as she was on the verge of initiating her plan, Lyney stepped in to intervene and prevent the situation from escalating further (with Freminet, Lynette and Chapleau). Regrettably, their efforts proved to be in vain. Nevertheless, Arlecchino decided to change tactics : they have to fight her.

Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet all agree to this, prompting the traveler to recall the consideration given to them by Arlecchino. Before the punishment, she had asked for a consideration from the traveler and had clearly stated that when the time comes, they must make the appropriate choice when the time comes. Now, that moment came at the time of the punishment of the members of the house.

The traveler carefully considers Arlecchino’s words and because they had made a promise to do so, they ultimately make the choice to support Lyney and the siblings by joining them in battle. It brought a smile to my face to see that the traveler had decided to fight alongside Lyney and the others, as they too didn’t want to witness the 'traitors' get killed, which is understandable. However, their motivation was also to assist Lyney and show respect for his decision. Lyney is also taken aback by the traveler's decision to join them, and I am confident that he will appreciate and acknowledge their actions.

✨ Extra :

I hadn’t mentioned it in my previous thread but I have now made the decision to address this topic and delve into Arlecchino's perspective on the traveler.

Lyney's trust in the traveler is a significant revelation, especially considering his usual guarded nature towards others. This newfound openness towards the traveler showcases a level of comfort and confidence that Lyney rarely displays with anyone else, making it a noteworthy point in their relationship.

The significance of Lyney's statement to Arlecchino, where he identifies the traveler as the person he trusts the most, cannot be understated. Arlecchino, being well-acquainted with her children, understands the weight of these words and the depth of trust that Lyney has placed in the traveler. This revelation sheds light on the unique bond between Lyney and the traveler, highlighting the exceptional level of trust that exists between them, a bond that transcends Lyney's usual reservations towards others.

In the house, each individual see themselves as “family”, prioritizing their connections over engaging with the outside world. Arlecchino emphasizes the significance of regarding a stranger as a family, highlighting the gravity of this notion. Moreover, it is important to acknowledge that they are fatui and opening up to other people outside the house is crucial. Arlecchino understands that the children, particularly Lyney, hold an affection for the traveler. Therefore, when she emphasizes the importance of the traveler valuing this friendship, she warns the traveler to take this friendship seriously, that they should not break this relationship or it could lead to unfavorable consequences.

Arlecchino, after careful consideration, decided to place her ‘trust’ in Lyney and the other siblings. She effectively conveys to the traveler the depth of friendship that exists between Lyney and his siblings, emphasizing its significance. The traveler, having witnessed this bond, is not only accepting of it but also respects and admires Lyney's relationship with his siblings.

They literally have the blessing from Arlecchino since she supports and respect them. With the 'Father' now endorsing the friendship her son shares with the traveler, and Lynette supports what her brother feels (she told the traveler to take care of him many times), Lyney is indeed fortunate to have the blessings and support of both his ‘Father’ and sister. So….

When is the marriage lol?

———————

That's all for this analysis, it was to be expected to have moments between Lyney and the traveler in Arlecchino's quest, I mean... it was OBLIGED. It is now evident that the Traveler considers Lyney and his siblings as genuine friends and is willing to assist them in any situation, despite their affiliation with the Fatui.

Speaking of which, Arlecchino expressed her intention to make Lyney the next 'King' of the house if he stays, to which Lyney reluctantly agrees. Throughout the conversation, the Traveler remained silent, not objecting at all, simply listening throughout the conversation. Despite the fact that the house is part of the Fatui, the Traveler respects Lyney's decision. The development between them is remarkable, and I am pleased to see the Traveler finally opening up to Lyney despite their past, always being there for him and his siblings. Their friendship is truly endearing, and that's why I love them. Everything they have overcome in the past is now ‘resolved’, and they are always happy to reunite.

Despite the focus being primarily on Arlecchino in her quest, Lyney and the others played a significant role, and their contributions were exceptional.

[pinkyjulien]

I did not expect hostility over my Flat Chest mod, so I'll half acknowledge it and kill some of the assumption before they take roots in other people's minds

No, I did not make this mod *because* I refuse to support Na's flat chest mod

Initial Mod idea was a working "binder" for Fem, something you'd equip to flatten the chest- like a real life binder, basically. It's part of my To-Do list of June, for Pride

The mod evolved as I got more ideas, I also started working on a body replacer, it's basically ready to ship as well, but I decided against it; not to step on toes and causing confusion with two "flat chest" body mods, knowing there is also another one in the work from a fellow modder

(the binders themselves will come much later, and will be available for both fem and masc body frames!)

Again, the mod started as a "binder"- I mentioned it multiple times, either in servers where I started sharing the idea, and in the tags of my mod post

"Binders" are not costumes. They are gender affirming aid, something a lot of person use; I've made a couple of "wearable" / "switchable" body parts mods in the past already, including a trans masc vagina, I really hope you don't see this as a costume as well?

In the universe of Cyberpunks, implants and synth skin are used by everyone, for all kind of purpose; GNC people, trans people and gender-fluid people would probably use implants and cyberware to sculpt themselves, feel comfortable in their body

Who's to say some rich citizen wouldn't have some fancy switchable body pieces- hell it's even canon in game, Mr.Stud and Mrs.Midnight? Switchable boobs are already a thing, I don't see what's wrong with switching up for a flatter chest

The survey's results aren't out yet, so I couldn't know. But that's beside the point, as my mod isn't a "bandaid" for any issue this fandom may have

If the name is causing trouble, I'm open to changing it; but the main goal, again, was to flatten the vanilla fem V chest, and I think "flat chest" is pretty straight forward for nexus users

Mmmh. Sorry but, no

Everyone is different and handle their own space differently, and I do not want to support people who did me, or my friends, any serious mental health damage. Be it from harassement, witch hunt and whatnot

I won't be dragging in there old drama from 2 years ago, but I simply won't support someone who tried to get a friend of mine fired from their work place, threatening to send a 30+ pages google doc to their leads and boss, and dragging all of their personal beefs to the public on multiple social medias. They ruined my friend's mental health, and I simply won't forgive nor forget.

That is my right. And I wish people would accept and respect that.

I won't tell anyone who to support or what mod to use/not use, NOBODY should tell you what to do, what to support, who to like or dislike; and nobody can control who I must support and what I must do. Simple as that

And I'm glad the flat chest body mod exist for people who wish to use it! I'm offering another option that I'm sure some people will find useful

Thank you :)

People already gave me trouble in the past for "doing work that already exist"

Those past few weeks has been eventful when it comes to "drama" especially involving Zwei, who's notorious for having a modding monopol and gatekeeping ideas in general

Let's not bring that same mindset here, yeah?

Everyone is free to mod what they want, whatever body they want, to refit what they want!

Again, just to point it out, mod isn't there to fix a problem, that's just a mod I wanted to make

It's a brand new mod, meaning it needs refiting; I did not test the flat chest bodymod, nor tried the already existing vanilla refit. And I won't, for the reasons I cited aboved a few lines before.

I'm glad you agree! Nobody has to do things they don't want to

You call it disingenuous, and I call it having principles/self respect; again, crazy how different people are from one another, and how we just can't assume everyone work and react the same as we do

I see, I see, the name is a big issue; I'm open to suggestion, feel free to leave a reply and I'll see what catches my eyes

Cause It's still my mod, so I get to decide

Anyway, hope this cleared up a few things, and sorry this made people upset!

For everyone else, thank you for the support 🧡