#payments rails

[themorningnewsinformer]

Coinbase Stablecoin Payments: E‑Commerce Game Changer

Introduction Coinbase, the leading U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange, has launched Coinbase stablecoin payments—a suite enabling merchants to accept USDC in online transactions. With strategic integration in platforms like Shopify and built atop the Base Layer‑2 network, this move could transform the $6 trillion digital commerce landscape by disrupting traditional card rails and payment…

[rawbin-hsr]

hi yes I would like to exchange seashells and cool rocks with merman aventurine please and thank you

Sure!

Don't comment on how wonky my perspective is I will kill you.

[ladymothbeth]

SPOILERS FOR LORE 3.2!!!

«Rest in peace for a little while, Anaxagoras. After all, we will never forget about your sacrifice for the sake of truth.»

Even when he departs with a beautiful but tragic conclusion, not gonna lie, he appears attractive. From constant smug smirks at his rightness to laughter after his humble performance. It's amusing that he laughed at HIMSELF and the fact that he already knew his time was running out, even when the crowd demanded his death. Scholar had grasped the truth more than they had; what pleasure could he still derive from knowing they were all just worthless fools?

Like for it is his duty as a scholar to approach every unsolved mystery, and now he has grasped what past others scholars in the Grove, and even more so past generations, have failed to achieve, can't understand and hold it in their own hands.

ABSOLUTE CINEMA 🙌

In the beginning, I also thoroughly enjoyed Anaxa's interactions with Cerces – the barbed, witty remarks they exchanged, even when he knew he was speaking to a deity. Cerces, a titan intrigued by mortal perceptions, found a peculiar amusement in Anaxa's presence. And of course, the god's teasing of him – the mention of how they found in his memories how he sleeps with a stuffed droma – only heightened the charm of their exchanges. Their discussions were fascinating, especially Cerces's insatiable curiosity, drawing for answers that seemed beyond even the Titan of Reason. Truly, it was a dance of wit and wisdom, a divine-mortal interplay that left a lasting impression.

Tho I can't resist making a joke that Anaxa's discussions about "creating a new world by becoming a god" remind me of Light Yagami. Heaven forbid the boy develops a god syndrome; it's rather ironic for someone who blasphemer!

I hope, as he predicted, he will be able to become a god in the next cycle.

[pro-prin-prinny]

Herta is so gender. I NEED little doll versions of myself to brush my hair and be at my beck and call.

[corvidaedream]

car (almost) acquired! i just have to get the guy a cashier's check and he has to get me the paperwork to register it, and then i will have a weirdly diy-ed-to-hell-and-back 15 year old car that an extremely nervous med student sold me in a walmart parking lot

[coffiishake]

Just a silly thing I made :)

[unsettlinglyholy]

I'm trying to claim my £85 train ticket back due to delays and they're telling me I can't because the journey I'm proposing couldn't have worked!!!!

I am not proposing it! It was the journey I took! Please just give me my money 😭

[mcmansionhell]

new jersey "19th century" "eclecticism"

It's always funny to me when new wealth tries to imitate old wealth, but in a very specific way: by trying to reproduce old ways of building that are no longer viable via mass produced building materials and contractors who are better than average but still not quite in the legion of the bespoke. It's rarely the case that houses are fully "custom" these days -- the amalgamation of all the different parts in a new formation is the "customization" at work. As we can see in this example, this is a truth that is often covered up by excessive decorating.

This 5 bedroom, 6.5 bathroom house, built in 1997 (shocker) will run you an extremely reasonable $3.5 million big ones, but I say extremely reasonable because it wants to be a $10 million house but doesn't quite get there - after all, it's made with drywall. The architectural style is not really anything in particular -- though the front entrance would like to recall the Tudors. Really it is trying to emulate an existing pastiche style, namely the eclecticism of the 19th century. It also doesn't do this well.

No stately manor is complete without dueling staircases. Also, I don't know how to explain it, but every room in this house longs to be a bathroom. Or a powder room. A really big one. It's probably the floor, and the wallpaper. This is just the appetizer for the main attraction:

Jules Verne larping is so rare in McMansion Hell that you have to commend them for trying. I'm kind of obsessed.

This room is so important to me. It's like if an Olin Mills (dating myself here) set was an entire room. A sense of watching someone in one's own house, performing "dinner." Also I would slay as the swan knight, I have to say, so I get it.

What happened to baskets hanging from the ceiling and powder blue walls and porcelain lined up on the picture rail?

I have seen columns terminating into soffits that would make Scamozzi cry.

In Big America bathing and lavishing is a spectator sport.

Ok, again, the palette of this house is basically The Polar Express mixed with a very bizarre hotel lobby.

The chimney hole is sending me because that does appear to be a working chimney. Like, can you see the smoke come out? Who knows!

Anyway, happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and I'm especially thankful to the folks who sponsor me on Patreon! If you want to see more scenes from this house, that's the place to do it!

If you like this post and want more like it, support McMansion Hell on Patreon for as little as $1/month for access to great bonus content including a discord server, extra posts, and livestreams.

Not into recurring payments? Try the tip jar! Student loans just started back up!

[gholhuio]

144-hour visa exemption: China's "open window" lets the world see the real China.

Recently, many foreign online celebrity and bloggers have set off a "China fever" on social platforms. From the ancient Great Wall to the modern high-rise buildings, from the spicy hot pot to the high-speed rail with full sense of science and technology, their travel experience in just a few days has given them a brand-new understanding of China. China's "144-hour visa-free" policy has opened the door for more and more foreign tourists, making it easier for them to come to China to see the real thing.

Visa exemption has brought more "visitors"

For foreigners, China's "144-hour visa-free" policy is very convenient. This policy applies to citizens of 54 countries. As long as they hold a joint ticket from a third country, they can stay in a visa-free city for six days without complicated visa procedures. This has surprised many foreigners-originally, it was only a short transit, but I didn't expect to "punch in" the cities in China. This simple and convenient "transit tour" has become the first choice for many foreigners.

According to the data, in the first half of this year, the number of foreigners entering the country at various ports increased by 152.7%, and more than half of them entered through the visa-free policy. It can be said that this policy not only makes it easy for more foreigners to visit China, but also attracts a group of "visitors" who are curious about China. They use their own perspective to discover and record China, and then share what they have seen and heard with the world.

China in the eyes of foreigners: colorful and true.

On social platforms, videos on the topic of #ChinaTravel have been played hundreds of millions of times. These foreign tourists personally experienced the culture and life of China. Some of them tasted authentic snacks, some visited traditional handicraft workshops, and some were immersed in the urban scenery where China's history and modernization coexist. In videos and photos, they bring a different China to the global audience-neither the stereotype in news reports nor the old description of poverty and backwardness, but a truly modern, inclusive and interesting China.

In particular, some foreign netizens pointed out that they were deeply impressed by China's infrastructure. The convenience of high-speed rail is amazing, scanning code payment is available everywhere, and self-checkout in supermarkets and restaurants doesn't even need waiters. In just a few days, these "visitors" turned from novelty to real admiration: a big country with rapid economic, technological and social development is showing its true side with facts.

Let the world see a more open China

In fact, China's visa-free policy is not only to increase tourism revenue. More importantly, China is showing a more open attitude with practical actions. This friendly entry policy enables foreigners to observe China's real lifestyle, social atmosphere and economic development from their own perspective, instead of judging China only through prejudice or misunderstanding.

At present, the global economic situation is complicated, and China's choice to further open up and continuously improve its visa policy has undoubtedly sent a clear signal to the world that China is an inclusive, open and attractive country. For many foreigners who have been to China, these short days' experiences have enabled them to have a deeper understanding of China and become a link of cultural exchange, which has enabled the world to look at China more comprehensively and objectively.

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - March 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles! I’m almost finished with February’s doodles, sorry for the delay

1. Charles Darwin saw this Galápagos bird on Floreana Island in 1835, then it wasn't seen again for almost 200 years

“The Galápagos rail […] had been deemed locally extinct – and due for reintroduction from other Galápagos islands – until it was seen during recent fieldwork. [… “R]emove the invasive threats, and native species can recover in remarkable ways,” says Island Conservation’s Paula Castaño.”

2. Bill supporting free student meals passes through Utah legislature

“[The bill] would move thousands of students who qualify for reduced-cost school meals into eligibility for free breakfasts and lunch. […] H.B. 100 secures $2.5 million from the state’s education budget to help students from families who do not qualify for federal aid like SNAP or TANF.”

3. Indigenous leaders sign landmark carbon deal in Philippines

“[The deal establishes] the country’s first locally owned forest carbon project. The project, which places a monetary value on the potentially climate-warming carbon stored in trees, aims to halt deforestation through the sale of carbon credits — effectively making the forest more valuable alive than cut down.”

4. Powerful Speeches From Trans Dems Flip 29 Republicans, Anti-Trans Bills Die In Montana

“Transgender Reps Zooey Zephyr and SJ Howell delivered powerful speeches on the Montana House floor on Thursday. Republicans defected en masse to join them in voting against anti-trans bills. […] One Republican even took the floor to deliver a scathing rebuke of the bill’s sponsor.”

5. Illinois proves states have a lot of power to advance clean energy

“[Two new bills] aim to evaluate the state’s current power grid, make it easier to expand the transmission system, and add a ton of new battery storage[…. Illinois already] has one of the cleanest grids in the nation thanks to bountiful nuclear power.“

6. ‘I feel real hope’: historic beaver release marks conservation milestone in England

“”We are visibly, measurably recovering nature and that is so exciting[….]” [… In] recent years, beavers have been returning to our waterways via licensed releases into enclosures and some illegal releases. […] Last week, the government announced that, with a licence, it is now legal for conservationists to release beavers into the wild, with no enclosures necessary.”

7. One of South Dakota’s largest wind farms just got the green light

“Invenergy says the new South Dakota wind farm will pump $78 million into landowner payments over the next 30 years, while local governments will see $38 million in property tax revenue. [… T]he project is expected to create 243 construction jobs and support eight long-term operational roles.”

8. The Antarctic ozone hole is healing, thanks to global reduction of CFCs

“[The] new study is the first to show, with high statistical confidence, that this recovery is due primarily to the reduction of ozone-depleting substances, versus other influences such as natural weather variability[….] "By something like 2035, we might see a year when there's no ozone hole depletion at all in the Antarctic.””

9. Monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico rebound this year

“The number of monarch butterflies wintering in the mountains west of Mexico City [doubled] in 2024 despite the stresses of climate change and habitat loss[….] Tavera Alonso credited ongoing efforts to increase the number of plants the butterflies rely on for sustenance and reproduction along their flyway.”

10. Pip in final egg means bald eagles Jackie and Shadow should soon be parents of triplets

“Triplets would be unprecedented for the eagles in a decade of observation. […] The [third] eaglet is "actively working on getting out of the egg." […] The two already-hatched chicks, who will be named by the public in the days to come, are "looking much stronger than they were even yesterday[….]””

February 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[rawjutsu]

alternate payment methods

pairing: landlord!nanami x tenant!afabreader

cw: coercion, power imbalance, degradation, humiliation, hair pulling, overstimulation, piv, creampie, oral

“you know, if you were going to whore yourself out,” nanami snarls against your ear, voice sharp as a whip as he thrusts deep inside you, “the least you could do is offer it properly.”

one veiny hand yanks your head back by the hair, the other locked around your waist in a bruising grip, fingers digging so deep you’re sure he’s leaving marks — not that you’ll mind later. not when he’s fucking you like this.

you moan, loud and shameless, like you’re being paid for it. like your pussy’s putting on a show.

every brutal snap of his hips hammers into that perfect spot, making your toes curl and your brain fog over — you're seeing stars, drool pooling on your tongue, practically forgetting how you ended up like this.

oh, right. you were late on rent. again.

nanami had every right to evict your broke ass, and he probably should’ve. but you’d shown up in your skimpiest clothes, sauntered into his first-floor office with a pout and a smirk, and climbed right up onto his desk like a spoiled little brat.

asked if there were any “alternative payment methods.”

he’d scoffed. looked at you like you were filth on his shoe. and now? he’s balls-deep inside you, fucking you like he’s trying to drive common sense back into your spine.

“offering up your cunt to cover a few hundred bucks,” he mutters, breath hot on your neck, “you’re disgusting.”

your walls clench down around him like they like the insult. like they agree.

your whimper comes out slurred, barely a word. you’re too far gone to act smug — your cheek’s pressed to the cool glass of his desk, leaving spit trails behind as he fucks you deeper, harder, meaner.

“this isn’t a brothel,” nanami growls, hips never slowing. “you pay to live here.”

then he hits that spot again and—

“f-fuck! oh my god—!”

your orgasm crashes down on you like a freight train, white-hot and electric. your whole body locks up, twitching as your pussy squeezes around his cock so tight he groans under his breath.

“filthy little tenant,” he grits out, losing his composure for just a second. “but don’t think i won’t still fill you up as a late fee.”

he lets go of your hair, hands bracing tight on your hips now, one foot up on the chair for a better angle. the new position makes you yelp, overstimulated and dripping, every thrust slamming up into you like he’s rearranging furniture.

a few more strokes and then— he groans, deep and rough, as he bottoms out inside you, flooding your cunt with thick, hot cum.

he stays there for maybe thirty seconds, catching his breath.

then he pulls out. no warning.

you gasp at the emptiness, but he’s already yanking you upright by the arm.

you wince, legs shaky, still dazed from getting railed within an inch of your life.

nanami doesn’t care. he pushes you straight to your knees in front of him, his cock still slick, half-hard, and angry red.

he grips the base, slaps the head against your lips, smearing your own mess across them.

“open up,” he says, cold and flat. “lick me clean.”

you do.

because what else can you do?

as you work your tongue over his cock, he watches with disdain, one hand buried in your hair.

"you have three days to get me the rest of the rent,” he says, voice like steel, “before i take your ass as payment next.”

[en-bitch]

Want to be used past the point of exhaustion until my legs can't stop shaking, so they kindly call a taxi for me and carry me to it

Only when the car pulls up at an entirely different house do I realise this isn't a taxi driver but one of their friends who takes me inside and uses me until they've had their fill

This process repeats until everyone in their group chat has had a go, with the final person actually driving me home once they're done with me, carrying me inside since I still can't walk (and going for a second round as payment)

Later they will add me to the group chat, show off all of the photos and videos they took of me and call me an easy slut or whore. Then they'll all send a picture of themselves with a copy of my house key, the first person took it while I wasn't paying attention and gave the original to the final person once the copies were made (and whilst I was getting railed by another one of their friends still)

How long until one of them comes over?

[maedae-maedae]

Try It

☆ Monkey D. Luffy x F!Reader

☆ Genre: Fluff (possible future smut), Pining

☆ Warnings: N/A (for now)

☆ Contents: First Kiss, First Time, Innocence, Pining, Discovery, Oblivious Luffy, Friendship/Love

☆ Word Count: 4.5k

☆ Summary: You’ve long been pinning for your captain, maybe since the very first day you first set sail as a strawhat pirate. But knowing him, he’s never and probably will never show interest in anything romantic— let alone for you. Maybe you’ll always be destined to admire him from afar as he chases his dreams. Or maybe one silly little bet on a random night will change your relationship forever…

☆ A/N: you guys are never gonna believe this… im not actually caught up on one piece 🥀 think of this fic happening around the 400 episode mark?? there might be some things that wouldn’t make sense for later lore (i don’t know) and ofc were missing the last strawhat. the rating for this fic might also change later… im not sure if i wanna make this a smut fic or not, but for now its very wholesome :3

other than that, hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1 - The Bet

“I’m telling you, there’s no way in a million years!“ Nami tells you for maybe the thousandth time, leaning (a bit drunkenly) on the stair rail behind her as the two of you sit on the steps together.

“Wanna bet?” You ask her with a certain mischievous look. For a moment she looks a little surprised, then her expression slowly mirrors yours. You know how much she likes a good bet, especially when the odds seem to be in her favor.

“I like those odds. You’re on.” She tells you gladly. You know her too well.

“I want in too.” Zoro’s voice suddenly appears behind you two, making you both jump out of your skin.

“Jerk! Don’t sneak up on us like that!!!” Nami shouts, giving the green haired pirate a good smack on the head.

“Did you hear all of that?!” You ask directly after, a bit mortified because you’ve never told anyone but Nami about this. Though you suppose there are probably others on the ship who have caught on, you’re not exactly that subtle. Unfortunately.

“Yeah, and I’m with Nami.” He says easily, like his confirmation is not very embarrassing for you. “There’s no way you’re getting the captain interested in anything like that. I’ve never seen it once in my time sailing with him.”

“Exactly. That boy is totally unamused by the entire idea.” Nami agrees, “But honestly, I’d still like to see you try.”

You frown at both of them. You know all of this to be true, but you don’t like to admit it. You’ve been admiring and pinning for your captain all this time, yet ultimately knowing better than to actually pursue him. It’s like they said, he’s never really seemed much interested in the idea of romance , not to mention that he’s specifically never shown any of that type of interest in you . Romantically, that is.

You remember when he invited you into his crew, your vulnerable and crying self parallel to his bright-as-the-sun smile. He wanted you to sail with him, be by his side for the coming future. Despite it being the same thing he’d done for most your crew, for a moment it made you feel special, feel like a person who is capable of great things. It was that moment that you fell in love with him. You never had a chance really, you were hooked since your first day of pirating. Luffy gave you many things; confidence, bigger purpose in life, hope, friendship, sanctuary. But you selfishly crave more from him. Is that so bad? Maybe thats why you’ve never quite tried, feeling tied to the role you occupy in his life and the gratitude you should hold for him at all times.

But maybe today, just once, you can try to be a little selfish.

“…Fine. I’ll take both of you on for the bet.” You say, crossing your arms and doubling down (literally).

“Alright!! What are we thinking? Five hundred thousand berries?” Nami beams, a little too excited about this. Does she have that little faith in you??

“Five-?! What, each? Do you think Im rich?!” You gawk at her.

“I can accept a payment plan.” She shrugs.

“No, no.. I know you and your debts…” You mumble, side-eyeing her as you look away for a moment to think.

“Well, you don’t have to do the bet. If you’re that unsure of-“

“Alright, alright…” You quiet her before she can taunt you. “How about.. two hundred thousand each.”

“Two hundred fifty?”

“Fine.”

“Woo-hoo!” She throws her hands in the air and then turns to look at your crewmate. “Zoro? That sounds good for you?”

“Hell yeah it does.” He grins, folding his arms and leaning back as if he’s 100% sure of the outcome being that he’ll be two hundred fifty berries richer tonight.

“Ugh, you guys are the worst.” You groan and push yourself up to stand.

“Hey, you brought this upon yourself.” Zoro tells you and you stick your tongue out at him.

“Whatever. Get ready to lose.” You tell them with only partially-fake confidence, as you turn away.

“Good luck!” Nami waves to you with a smile despite you already walking away. “Oh this is gonna be good.”

“I’ll say.” Zoro grins at her.

As you make your way to Luffy across the deck, your heart does pick up a few paces. Glancing around, the others are busy thankfully. Chopper and Usopp are dancing around with Brook while he plays some quite fitting music for the situation actually. Upbeat but somehow romantic even without any type of lyrics. Robin is relaxing on the upper deck reading a book, franky probably keeping her company. You don’t see Sanji, you imagine he’d be inside preparing meals for tomorrow at this time. That’s good, he’d probably only interfere or worse; freak out if you were lucky enough to actually get anything out of this bet.

You take a deep breath as you set your sights back on Luffy, getting close. You just have to think of this as any other conversation with him, just be natural. He looks so cute, staring at a map at the top of the stairs on the opposite side of the ship from where you just were.

You approach your straw hat captain finally, feeling a bit more doubt than you were before suddenly. Not enough to make you back down, though. You got this.

“Hey Luffy!” You call to him right before you can take a seat across from him. He looks up at you from Nami’s map he was priorly investigating. His immediate smile at seeing you is contagious and it makes your heart flutter like usual.

“Hey, [Y/n]! What’s up?”

“What you doin’ with the map?” You ask him curiously and you both peer forward at it.

“Just thinkin.” He says simply, and you look at him curiously.

“I still can’t believe I’m really getting to sail the grand line with my crew. I wanna get as familiar with this map as possible.” He continues, still staring at it.

You smile fondly at him. You’re so happy he’s getting to achieve his dreams, and that you’re here to see it.

“You’re gonna be great when you finally become king of the pirates. I know it’s your destiny.” You tell him honestly and he looks at you a bit surprised before giving you his signature big grin.

“Thanks! I can’t wait!”

You continue to smile as he goes back to admiring this map. You’re happy to just sit with him like this, and suddenly you don’t even want to do what you came for and possibly ruin this moment. You glance up at the orange and green-haired pair watching you across the deck. They both give you a tipsy and somehow condescending smile. Nami gives you a thumbs up. They really don’t think you can do this.

“Hey, Luffy. Can I ask you something?” You speak suddenly, breaking the prior silence.

“Sure, anything.” He answers easily, still gazing down. Your heart flutters.

“It might be kinda weird.” You warn him and he finally glances up at you, attention peaked.

“Weird how?”

“I’m just curious..” You start, trailing off for a moment. You want to make this seem as natural as you can. Play it cool.

“Have you ever kissed anyone?”

“Huh??“ Comes his immediate surprise, his eyes widening a little. “Kissed someone? What, like, on the mouth?”

You giggle at his predictably silly reaction.

“Yes, on the mouth.” You confirm.

“No. Why would I? Seems gross.”

“Why’s that?”

“I dunno. Just does.”

Shut down.

Okay, you can still do this. Keep going.

“But don’t you think there’s a reason why so many people do it? Maybe it would feel good if it was someone you really liked, right?” You explain, trying not to be weird. Did that sound weird?

“Maybe. But I’ve never felt that way about anyone.” He shrugs, attention going back to the map.

Wow, okay. You have to admit that that one stung to actually hear out loud. You think you just might be down for the count after that. Ugh, you don’t really care about Zoro, but being in Nami’s debt does not sound fun. Why did you do this?

You gaze at the map again with Luffy, just continuing to have a bit of a pity party in your own brain.

“How would I even know, though?” He suddenly asks, drawing your attention back to him.

“Huh? Know what?” You ask.

“Know if I liked someone like that? How do people even know?”

You have to take a second to really think about that question. How do you explain the feeling to someone who’s supposedly never felt it?

“Well… You would probably think about them a lot, and want to be around them all the time, know everything about them, help them whenever you can. It would be the person you have the most fun with, like a best friend, but something more. They would make you really happy, and excited, but also nervous and anxious. You want to be better for them, always growing so you can protect them and care for them.” You list off things as you think about all the ways you know that you have feelings for him.

“A lot of that just sounds like stuff I feel for all my friends, though.” He frowns, confused.

“Yeah, well, I guess it’s pretty similar. But it’s definitely different.” You try to explain to him, though still contradicting yourself there. “You would probably just know. Someone who makes you feel different than anyone else. You think of them in different ways than you would with your friends. You’d want to do… romantic things with them. That kind of thing.”

“Huh…” He hums, putting his chin in his hand and looking off at the sea for a second to think about it.

The clear sky allowed for beautiful moonlight to shine down on the ship tonight. You stare at your captain as you admire him for the umpteenth time. You wish he would do the same for you, but you’re content enough with just getting to spend time with him like this, see him like this.

“Yeah.. I don’t think I’ve ever felt all that.” He says slowly, still gazing off. You ignore the ache this time and try to just be present in your conversation with him.

“That’s okay. Maybe you just don’t get those feelings. That’s totally fine.” You reassure him. It’s true, some people just don’t get feelings like that, aren’t able to. Maybe Luffy was like that. You’d considered it before.

“What?!” He shouts suddenly, whipping his head around to you. “That’s possible?! But I don’t want to miss out! If it’s so great like people say…”

His pouting pulls a short giggle out of you, and you turn to look at the sea this time. It looks so endless on nights like these. But the light reflecting off every surface around uou is certainly a beautiful sight.

“It’s not that great, really.” You sigh, wielding a bittersweet smile. “Honestly sometimes it’s kind of torture. But maybe you’ll still get to feel it one day, who knows? Maybe you just haven’t met the right person.”

It’s quiet for a few moments after that. You swear you can feel his eyes on you now, but you’re too afraid to look.

“So, you’ve liked someone like that before?” He asks you. You look back at him finally, a bit thrown.

“Well, yeah. Of course.”

He stares at you for a moment, that then turns into a lot more moments. So much time that it becomes kind of uncomfortable and you have to glance away. His face is stark blank, so you have no idea what this look means.

“Luffy?” You say cautiously, tilting your head a bit.

“Hm.” He hums, deciding to look back down at the map between you two. You frown, confused on whatever that just was.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothin.” He answers simply, and so you don’t push any further. Whatever. Maybe he got lost in thought about something totally unrelated. Your captain is kind of unpredictable like that.

There’s another silence, though more comfortable this time. Moreso than the map now, you start to admire Luffy’s hands in front of you. The sight along with Brook’s distant piano music and the sound of the waves calmly moving, makes this moment feel so tender and serine. You want to keep it with you to remember when times get hard.

“Still though.. I can’t imagine that kissing anyone at all would be all that great.” He speaks suddenly once more, and your head perks up again. He still looks particularly focused on the map, despite continuing this unrelated conversation.

“Even if I liked them all special, like you said.” He adds and you blink at him.

Oh, you feel an opening here.

“You don’t think it would be nice at all?” You continue, pulling it a bit further.

“Not really.”

“Well…” You start, and you bite your lip to contemplate if you’re really about to say this. Can you?

“Then…” You keep going and, finally, he looks up at you again slightly. His big brown eyes are a weakness of yours truly. And you realize it might just be now or never.

“Do you.. wanna try?” You finally ask cautiously, giving him a smile despite your nerves.

“What, kissing? With who?” He asks, obviously not getting the hint.

This is it. You can feel it. Your confidence is starting to come back and you can still feel those two’s eyes on you from across the ship. You feel like they’re about to be in for a show.

“I can show you, if you want.” You offer sweetly, and you do enjoy the way his reaction flusters in surprise as he realizes what you meant. You hardly see him get embarrassed, or whatever this is.

“H-HUH?! WITH YOU?!” He shouts obnoxiously, grabbing the other’s attention for a moment. You just keep smiling at him.

“[Y/n], are you drunk?” He questions you, raising an eyebrow.

What the hell! Why would that be his first assumption?!

“I am not!” You scoff in defense, and honestly you forgot that that was even a factor. Though it probably wasn’t. You hardly drank much at all and it was a while ago now. This is just what you wanted, drunk or sober. Sometimes, when you got drunk, Nami had to keep you away from the captain so you didn’t embarrass yourself in front of the crew. Not the point.

“You don’t have to, obviously, if you’re not comfortable. I’m just saying, if you’re really curious…” You tell him and trail off. You find it hard to keep eye contact, eyes wandering off and then running back to him again.

He stares at you, and he seems to be actually considering this, to your surprise. You continue to watch him contemplate it. Your heart feels like it’s going a million beats a second now.

“…Alright.” He concludes, and you’re not quite sure what that means by this. You wait for him to continue.

“I mean, can’t hurt to try and say I did it, right? Then I’ll know I’m not missing out on anything.” He tells you and- oh my god this is really happening. He just agreed to kiss you. Your eyes light up. You’re so excited to not only win this bet, but also get to be Luffy’s very first kiss.

“Okay! You want to do it now?” You ask him, just to make sure (and maybe a bit too eager).

“Sure, why not?” He tells you, staring at you intently. It’s a bit strange the way he immediately got over his embarrassment from a moment ago, but then again that is very Luffy of him.

The truth is though, that Luffy is actually nervous deep down. This thing that everyone seems to value so much and is apparently so intimate and great. He’d never really seen the appeal. But now that he’s agreed to do it with you, it’s suddenly got his stomach all in knots, a weird queasy feeling mixed with antsy anticipation. Is that what you were talking about earlier?

The two of you kind of just stare at eachother for a moment or two.

“Uh.. so.. how do I do it?” He asks you genuinely, like he has to wait for your instruction.

You smile and try not to tease him for his question. It’s an understandable one for someone who’s never done this. You’ve only done with one person in the past, but that still makes you more experienced.

“Just do whatever feels natural. Oh, and close your eyes. It’s weird to stare at the other person while kissing.” You tell him and he nods in understanding, eyebrows furrowed and cheeks a slight pink. He shuts his eyes tightly and waits, and you cant help not to silently giggle while he can’t see you.

Wow, you’re really doing this. And just on the deck like this, too. You totally thought he’d want to go somewhere private or something. Though, now it seems obvious that he wouldn’t care enough to want to hide.

You take one last look at the two people who are totally about to be in your debt, making eye contact. They have no idea what’s going on, rather confused compared to their earlier confidence in your failure.

You give them a cute wink before turning back to Luffy and finally leaning to place a soft kiss on his lips. You’re honestly half expecting him to shoot backwards in disgust, but he doesn’t. He seems unsure for a second, just kind of staying still, but after a few seconds ends up leaning into it. You can already hear the others freaking out from a distance, more than just Zoro and Nami after their initial shout of disbelief. You smile against his lips at your win, and take in one last moment with him like this before you pull back. The moment is so sweet, you already know you’ll never forget it for the rest of your life, even if you never get to do this with him again. And you are simultaneously accepting that the likeliness of this never happening again is pretty high. At the end of the day, Nami and Zoro were still right, Luffy has no real interest in romance. Of course you knew that. Still, it’ve killed you if you didn’t try. And thank god you did.

What happens next surprises you, though. When you do start to pull back slowly… his lips only follow you. You break for less than a second before you’re connected again. He doesn’t want to stop, keeping the two of you together himself. You almost gasp, totally taken off guard by the way he seems to take charge. Didn’t he say he’d never done this? Why does this feel so good?

This changes everything. Before this was just some sort of trial, nothing special between the two of you, something you were sure he wouldn’t end up liking anyways. But now… you start to get excited. There’s butterflies in your stomach and suddenly you’re nervous. This feels ten times more intimate than it did originally, and assumingely everyone is just watching you guys have this moment.

This goes on for a few more moments, many moments longer than you had originally anticipated. Still, you take in every bit of it. You forget where you are or what even started this. All you can think is how good Luffy’s lips feel on yours. Your fingers somehow come to intertwine on the map below you at the same time, like your bodies are in sync. His hands are smooth like rubber, and warm against yours, just like his lips.

This is perfect. You don’t want to stop. You could do this forever.

You pull back only when you feel Luffy start to. Only a few inches, faces still close. You’re both blushing with heavy breath, but your expressions couldn’t be more different. Your eyes are blown wide, still in shock from what just happened, and-

The fact that Luffys expression is—for lack of better description— lusted out. You’ve certainly never seen him look at you like this before, and you have to cover your mouth with your hand before it goes agape right in front of him.

“Um..” you push out embarrassingly sheepish behind your palm. “So.. how was that?”

You most definitely already know the answer from all of his body language, but you’d still like to know what he’s thinking.

“You were right.. that felt good.” He tells you genuinely, slowly coming to his senses again.  A shiver runs up your spine by how smoothly and assuredly his words come out. Your face is still hot and he can’t stop staring at you. This is so unexpected, all of it. You weren’t ready.

“What about you?” He asks back suddenly.

“Me?”

“Yeah. It was my first time, so, how was I?”

“It was… really good. Are you sure that was your first time?” Your question is half joking and half genuine. You know that he’s definitely never done this before but seriously that felt way too incredible for your mind to really accept that fact. Luffy puts on a big grin after hearing your words.

“Hah! I was that good, huh?” He jokes, snickering. But his grin drops when he sees you’re not laughing with him, still with the same expression. “You okay?”

“Yeah! I’m great! Fine..” You assure him, sitting up straight again and finally letting your hand down from your face. As someone who’s had feelings for him for a long time now, and had already accepted that he’d never feel the same way, even while actively kissing with him. This has totally shaken you.

“LUFFYYYYYYY!!!!” Comes a familiar booming voice from your right. Uh oh.

“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING WITH MY PRECIOUS [Y/N]?! DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD TONGUE HER OUT ON THE DECK LIKE THIS AND GET AWAY WITH IT?!” He shouts as he grabs your captain by his vest and shakes him around.

“H-HUH?! TONGUE?! WHATS DO YOU MEAN?!” He shouts back, completely dazed and confused.

“DONT ACT OBLIVIOUS WITH ME! HOW DARE YOU CORRUPT HER PURE AND FRAGILE MIND WITH YOUR PERVERTED ACTIONS!! ARE YOU NOT ASHAMED?! YOURE HER CAPTAIN!!”

You stare in utter shock at those two, frozen in place. What can you even do here? Sanji is way too worked up for you to get a word in.

“BUT-SANJI-“ Luffy starts to protest.

“I DONT WANNA HEAR IT BUCKO. IM GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS YOU HEAR ME?!-“

“SANJI!!!” Nami’s incoming voice booms even louder from behind him before he can say anything else. She gives him a hard smack on the head, knocking him out cold. Your jaw drops, though you really shouldn’t be shocked at something like that at this point.

“So sorry to interrupt! Continue!” She insists quickly as she goes to drag Sanji’s now unconscious body away from you guys.

“Uh. That’s okay. I was planning on going to bed soon anyways, I’m tired.” Luffy speaks up, making her stop and bringing your attention back to him. He outstandingly quickly seems to have gotten over all that shaking and screaming from just now.

“Tell Sanji I’m sorry for whatever he was upset about when he wakes up, kay?”

He then promptly stands and begins to walk towards the quarters. Both yours and Namis eyes follow him.

“Oh, um.. sure. If you say so.” She says, sounding a bit confused.

“[Y/n].” He says as he comes to a brief stop, not far from you yet.

“Yeah?”

“Earlier all that stuff you described, I think I felt that just now… Does that mean I like you?” He asks without looking at you for some reason. Your eyes widen, his question ten times more intense than he makes it sound. You cant even believe what you just heard.

“I.. I wouldn’t know. Only you would know that..” You force yourself to say, even though you wish you could just tell him yes. But was that a form of confession or not? Luffy’s always been unique and done things differently, you doubt he’d ever confess to you normally if that were a possibility. Or, you suppose it is a possibility now.

“Hm.. alright. Well! Cya tomorrow.” He says easily, waving his hand and walking until he’s inside and out of sight.

Both you and Nami have no words. She’s staring at you while you continue to stare at the door, but you both share the same disbelief.

“Well, I guess we owe you two hundred fifty thousand berries each now.” Zoro says, having walked up at some point, you’re not really sure when.

“Yeah I mean… I gotta admit you proved us wrong entirely..” Nami agrees slowly, clearly still dumbfounded.

“Forget it.” You tell them. “I don’t want it anymore.”

“Huh?! Seriously?!” Zoro shouts in disbelief, probably never used to being relieved of debt thanks to one of your friends.

“[Y/n], are you alright? Just what happened??” Nami asks you, not really all that concerned with the bet now, same as you.

“I’m great! I’m…”  You slowly turn your head, finally looking over to your friend. Your hand comes up to rest over your mouth again, and you feel like you can still feel his lips on yours. You’re just still in total disbelief. You kissed Luffy. Not only that, but he liked kissing you, he wanted to do it.

“I just cant believe… He said he enjoyed it.. and earlier he was even trying to keep me from stopping.”

“Seriously?? Aww, [Y/N]!” Nami tells you with a smile. Despite always showing her moreso disapproval (and sometimes disgust) at your long-term crush on the captain, of course she’s still happy for you. All this time she’d given you advice and a shoulder to lean on about the whole thing, she was the only person you really told (though you’re sure maybe others have caught on). She never thought it was possible to get the captain to feel that type of thing, his aspirations too big seemingly to have any interest. This is a big surprise for both of you.

“Alright, you ladies can gossip about the details, but I don’t need to hear it so I’m out.” Zoro says, a little uncomfortable clearly. “But you’re serious about dropping the bet?”

“Yeah.. I don’t want the whole thing to be tainted by it being some bet. Let’s just pretend that never happened and… don’t tell Luffy, please.” You tell them both seriously and they nod, obviously having no objections to not having to pay you that amount anymore.

You then get bombarded by some of the others for a moment, all asking you a bunch of questions at once that you don’t really want to answer even if you could. You still need time to process this. Your best friend Nami obviously knows this, and forces them all to leave you alone so you can go to bed. You thank her and head to your room.

You realize something before you’re about to fall asleep. Just what exactly is this going to mean for the future on the ship?

[calypso-apologist]

More yan Poseidon and Zeus? Pretty please 🥺👉👈

I'M ALIVE

Odysseus's sibling offering themself to Yandere!Zeus and Poseidon ♡

CW: mdni. violence on reader. permanent disfigurement (eyes gouged out in poseidon's, body changed in zeus's) of reader. objectification of reader. implied non-con/dub-con.

Poseidon

Because I like music, we're going to go with their songs.

So, why don't we get started with good old Ruthlessness?

You see, you care for your brother deeply. And Penelope. And above anything, your precious nephew, Telemachus. So the very risk of them getting hurt... the risk of Ithaca getting destroyed...

You couldn't just let it happen. But, on the other hand, you understood Poseidon. His son was blinded, and then the man who hurt him boasted about him, going as far as to give him his name.

And so, you decided to risk it all and speak up, calling out the God's name. You ignored your bother's protest as you walked to the railing and spoke up with a shaky tone.

"Lord Poseidon, I beg you to spare my brother and his crew. I understand your loss, the suffering Odysseus caused to your son. Allow me to offer you a way to make it even. Family for family. I will offer myself to you as payment for the harm that came to your child."

And as skeptical as Poseidon was, seeing the pure anguish and the desperation in Odysseus's face as he tried to stop you did convince the god to take you up on your offer.

And so, by his order, you took a deep breath and let yourself fall into the water, losing consciousness almost instantly. You felt yourself drown, but you didn't die, somehow.

You awaken in Poseidon's underwater palace, his servants gushing over you, helping to change your clothes and mess around with your hair from the very second your eyes opened. You didn't really even realize what happened until they were done with you... and when he entered the room, looking at your body, blue material draped on your body in a mockery of a dress or a robe, with seashells and pearls made into jewelry.

You expected him to hurt you. And he will, but he also wanted you to be a nice, pretty little trophy... Once he makes it even.

And eye for an eye, right? Or in this case... Two eyes for one eye. It only seemed fair to him, to make his cold grin the last thing you saw before he pressed his thumbs into your eyes, blinding you.

And as tempted as he was to leave you to die somewhere, he decided to continue the punishment. Just like his son, you would live.

Forever his slave, stuck near him, forced to listen to the god who took away your sight, like your brother took his son's. A precious little toy, just for him.

A toy, just for him. One that he grows dangerously fond of, over time.

And what's the harm of having such a precious, dependent toy warm his bed? Not like you had a choice, after all...

Zeus

And since I'm still feeling musical, this one's gonna happen during Thunder Bringer. Also because we don't really have any other good point for this to happen with him but SHUSH-

Either way, Zeus is pulling his very questionable moves with the Cloud Maiden he created. And while it's clear his words are meant for your brother, you notice the god glancing at you every once in a while, when his hands were on a particularly intimate region of the faux-woman. And you could've sworn his grin would get just a little bit wider.

And so, as he gave Odysseus the ultimatum, you decided to take the risk and attempt to protect your brother and what little men there were left of the crew. And so you stepped forward, calling out to the god before your brother got to say a word.

"King Zeus, my brother and his crew have committed a horrible crime, but I'm sure there is some way to convince you to spare them, in all your wisdom."

You could see just how amused your plea made him. He was clearly messing with you as he dramatically pretends to think it through. But finally, he declared that just this once, he'll show mercy, as long as you go with him, as a sacrifice of sorts.

Despite your brother's protests, you go with the king of gods. In order to hide you from Hera, he leaves you on a small island and steals a trick from Poseidon, surrounding it with a storm to keep you out of Hera's sight. At least for now.

At first, he only visits you occasionally, just so he can have some fun with you. And with each meeting, you felt... different. Your body would feel... light.

And you only realized when it was too late, hearing Zeus throw an off-handed comment about clouds to you as he gets dressed after one of his visits.

The last thing you remember before passing out is the God's shit eating grin.

As you awoke, if it could even be called that, you couldn't feel your body. It felt as if... you were just... there. With no way to move or speak.

Until your body moved on its own. Far too lightly, far too smoothly, as if you were a puppet. And in a way, you were.

No longer human, just a puppet made from clouds, now forever stuck by his side, alongside all the other conquests he turned into clouds, just like you.

Except you were special. Very special. Glued to his side, pretty much, forced to sit on his wide shoulder or his lap... even being kept as a third in the bed he shared with Hera, much to her displeasure.

Let her be displeased. It's not like she could do anything without evoking Zeus's fury.

And nobody wants the Thunder Bringer furious.

[fawnme1]

BETWEEN TAKES AND GLANCES || ARTHURTV

summary; you were never meant to be apart of arthur’s videos — you were the friend behind the camera.

──★ ˙🧷 ̟ !!

The first time you met Arthur, it wasn’t cute.

It was chaotic, awkward, and involved you accidentally walking into his shot while he was mid-rant about a “90 Day Fiancé” character who had, quote, “the emotional range of a cardboard box.” You’d been invited by a mutual friend to a small creator gathering, and you weren’t even planning to talk to him — he’d always felt slightly intimidating through the screen, all dry wit and sharp commentary.

But in person? He was more flustered than fierce. A bit clumsy. Sweater slightly wrinkled. Hair doing its own thing. Less of a Youtube persona and more of a real person who tripped over his own words when you asked what he did full-time.

That should’ve been your first clue.

It’s been more months since then. Now, Arthur’s flat feels like your second home. You’ve been there enough to know which cupboard hides the decent mugs and which one he always forgets to restock. You’ve sat through enough edits to recongise his sighs — the good ones, when a cut lands perfectly, and the bad ones, when he’s spiraling into self-doubt again.

You don’t talk about how often you stay late. How often he finds a reason to keep you around.

Tonight, he’s struggling with a camera angle, standing precariously on a chair because he insists on doing everything himself, even the tripod setup. You’re lying on the floor with your phone, recording his struggle purely for blackmail purposes.

“If you fall, I’m keeping this footage for your funeral montage,” you say, deadpan.

Arthur snorts. “You’re morbid.”

“Just efficient.”

He adjusts the mic one last time and hops down, barely catching his balance. “Right. You sitting in for this one or just watching me embarrass myself?”

You glance at the messy makeshift set: his usual corner, a ring light already making his forehead glisten slightly, the infamous background wall filled with chaotic thumbnails and odd podcards.

“I’ll sit in. Only to make fun of you, though.”

“You always say that.”

And you always mean it. Until the camera starts rolling, and you find yourself watching him — not mocking, not teasing. Just… watching.

There’s something magnetic about the way he slips into his commentary voice. Still him, but polished. You notice how his hands move when he’s passionate about a point. How his eyes flick toward you after a joke, checking to see if you laughed. Like your reaction is the only one that matters.

You don’t say anything. Not yet.

The shoot runs long. It always does, because he either talks too much or rewatches clips a dozen times “just to be sure.” You sit beside him while he edits, chewing on cold takeway and humming the outro music under your breath. He’s wearing an oversized hoodiee you’ve claimed as your favourite, even if he hasn’t noticed.

“You should be charging me for your company,” he says around a mouthful of noodles.

“I accept payment in oat milk and validation.”

“I’m fresh out of both.”

You nudge his leg with yours. “Liar. You’ve got loads of validation stored up in those YouTube comments.”

Arthur rolls his eyes. “Ah yes, nothing fuels the soul quite like strangers telling me I’m their parasocial boyfriend.”

“Could be worse,” you tease. “They could be calling you Daddy again.”

He groans, dropping his head into his hands. “I will never forgive you for bringing that up.”

You grin. But the smile doesn’t fully reach your eyes — because beneath all the laughter, something lingers. You’ve gotten used to this rhythm: close but never quite touching. Joking, always. Admitting nothing.

You wonder how long you can live in this in-between before it breaks you.

Later, long after the video’s uploaded and the leftovers are cleared, you find yourselves on his tiny balcony. The London air is cool and slightly damp, the way it always is at night. Arthur hands you a mug of tea and leans on the railing beside you, both of you silent.

You sip, let the quiet settle.

Then he says it.

“I think I’m scared I’m not good enough.”

You turn to look at him.

He doesn’t meet your eyes. Just stares out at the city like he’s talking to the skyline. “Like… people watch the videos and think they know me. And sometimes I wonder if they’d like the actual version. The one who overthinks texts and burns pasta and needs three hours to film a ten-minute video.”

You don’t answer right away.

Instead, you reach out and link your pinky with his. It’s small. Barely a touch. But his breath catches like it means everything.

“They’d be lucky to know you,” you say. “I already am.”

The next morning, he edits that episode down to twenty-two minutes. Somewhere in the background, your laugh slips in while he’s mid-rant. He considers cutting it. But he doesn’t.

Because you’re a part of this now. Not just behind the scenes, not just as a casual friend who sticks around too long. You’re woven into it. Into him.

The comments clock it instantly.

“why does arthur look happier??? like… softly happy??”

“was that HER laugh?? again???”

“blink twice if you’re dating the camera assistant.”

You both laugh it off. Pretend it’s nothing. You joke about soft launches and private relationships and how you’d never date a man who owns three half-broken tripods.

But your pinky still finds his every time you sit beside him.

And you wonder how much longer you’ll pretend.

The day it starts to change is a filming day, like any other. Arthur’s filming a reaction video with you sitting just off-camera, as usual — on the floor with a hoodie two sizes too big and a mug of tea you stole from his kitchen.

He keeps glancing at you while filming, barely noticeable if you don’t know him. But you do. You know that half-second flick of his eyes, that corner-of-the-mouth smirk he doesn’t give to the camera. It’s yours.

You’re mid-sip when he says something so ridiculous that tea comes out your nose.

“Oh my god,” he says, turning fully to look at you. “Are you twelve?”

“You made a sponge bath joke?” you wheeze, grabbing a tissue.

He breaks into laughter that derails the entire video. And it’s not the amused chuckle he usually gives for camera. It’s real. Loud and messy. Warm.

He cuts the camera.

“Sorry,” he says breathlessly, wiping his eyes. “Can’t use any of that now.”

You wipe your face, snorting. “Worth it.”

He looks at you then, properly. His face softens, and something unspoken sits between you. For a second, neither of you say anything.

But then you hear the sound of the camera still running.

The audio. The whole moment.

“Arthur—”

“I cut it.”

You pause. “No, you didn’t.”

His cheeks flush. “Okay, I meant to cut it.”

He reaches over and hits stop, dragging a hand down his face with a groan.

You start laughing again. “Your subscribers are about to see me snort tea and nearly die.”

“They’ll fall more in love with you than they already are,” he mumbles, almost too quiet to catch.

Your breath hitches. “What?”

But he’s already standing. “Nothing. I’ll… I’ll edit it. Don’t worry.”

You let it go — for now.

The video goes up two days later. The tea-snorting clip stays in.

It’s the most commented-on moment.

“the way he looks at her after she almost dies.”

“soft arthurtv is not something i was emotionally prepared for.”

“y’all see that little smile?? that wasn’t for us. that was for her.”

You want to laugh it off like you always do. But it’s harder this time. Because they’re right.

And you don’t know what to do with that.

Things feel different after that. Not bad, just… heavier.

Arthur gets quiet sometimes. Like he wants to say something but doesn’t know how. You try to fill the gaps with jokes, comfort, anything — but the weight’s still there.

And then it breaks.

It’s a late night. You’re helping him edit again. The audio isn’t syncing properly and he’s exhausted, shadows under his eyes, shoulders tense. You reach over to fix the timeline and he snaps.

“Can you not, please? I know what I’m doing.”

You freeze. He never talks to you like that.

“I was just—”

“I know what I’m doing.”

Silencce.

You sit back, suddenly cold.

“Cool,” you say quietly. “You don’t need me, then.”

You get up. Grab your jacket. His expression shifts instantly.

“Wait, I didn’t mean—”

“I know,” you say. “That’s the problem. You only say the real stuff when you don’t mean to.”

He stands. “Please don’t go like this.”

You pause at the door. Your voice comes out softer than you want.

“I’ve been here for everything, Arthur. Every 3 a.m. edit, every panic spiral, every time you needed someone. And I’m still the person sitting just off camera.”

He doesn’t answer.

You leave.

You don’t talk for two days.

He doesn’t text. You don’t reach out.

You tell yourself you’re being dramatic. That between a tea-stained laugh and a look he didn’t mean to give you on camera.

And you think maybe he did too.

On the third day, your phone lights up.

Arthur: Can you come over? Please.

You stare at the message for a minute. Then another. Then you go.

He opens the door looking like he hasn’t slept. Hair a mess. Hoodie inside out. He doesn’t say anything at first — just stands there, eyes flicking over your face like he’s checking if you’re really here.

Then, softly: “You were right.”

You say nothing, waiting.

“I do say the real stuff when I don’t mean to. Because if I meant to say it, I’d have to admit I feel things that scare the hell out of me.”

Your chest tightens.

“I don’t know how to do this properly,” he says, voice cracking. “But I’ve been falling for you for months. And I think I just kept pretending it was nothing so I wouldn’t lose you.”

You take a step forward. “You never had to pretend.”

He blinks. “You…?”

“I’ve been in love with you this whole time, Arthur.”

His mouth opens. Then closes. Then he does the only thing that makes ense — he pulls you in.

The kiss is soft. A little clumsy. Years of tension melting into one perfect, shaky exhale. He holds you like he’s afraid you’ll disappear, and you kiss him like you’ve been waiting a lifetime.

You don’t film that night.

You sit on the couch, wrapped in the same hoodie, knees tucked under his, and for the first time — he lets the world wait.

Later, he uploads a video with a title that reads:

“The One Where I Almost Ruined Everything (but didn’t).”

You’re in the background again. Not just your laugh or your hand this time. You. Sitting next to him. Soft smile. Real.

And the top comment?

“oh. we’re not in the soft launch era anymore. this is the full release.”

[ticifics]

Bittersweet Smoke

Tangerine x f!reader

Summary: You had known each other for a few years. You were always the intermediary between them and the clients, the bridge between the service and the payment. You looked like a doll—too perfect, too unattainable. And Tangerine had never wanted so badly to put his hands on something he knew he shouldn't touch.

Warnings: suggestive, language, smoke (don't smoke, it's bad), no use of y/n

A/N: request from my GREAT love @gingerteafairy and the first time I dare to write something with Tangerine, so I'm a little nervous

The park was always the meeting place. Public, busy, safe enough that no one would suspect anything. You insisted on scheduling meetings there, surrounded by the distant sound of children's laughter and the coming and going of strangers, as if the open environment could keep things under control.

But today, things would be different.

Today, Lemon wouldn't be here to serve as a buffer.

Tangerine had received the message minutes earlier, short and direct: You'll have to go alone. Behave.

He scoffed, running his tongue over his teeth in an irritated tic. Not because he couldn't handle a simple conversation, but because handling you, alone, was another story.

So, he did the only logical thing. He lit a cigarette.

The smoke spread through the crisp morning air as he waited, leaning against the iron railing of a flower bed. The dark velvet of his coat was immaculate, just like the brown curls that fell with calculated carelessness over his forehead. Tangerine was a man of presence, he always had been, but when it came to you…

Something in him became unhinged.

You had known each other for a few years. You were always the intermediary between them and the clients, the bridge between the service and the payment. Rational, precise, immaculately professional. But with him? Oh, with him, it had never been simple. From the first meeting, the barbs were constant, sharp as a blade. He thought you were bossy. You thought he was unbearable. He said you were too spoiled for this job. You replied that he was a rabid dog in an expensive suit.

And yet, you kept on like this—circling each other, orbiting, exchanging glances that lasted too long, provoking and irritating, as if waiting to see who would lose control first.

That was why he took a deep drag before seeing you. And that was why, despite expecting you, when you finally arrived, something in him stalled.

Your walk was always the same—confident, precise. Of course, you were beautiful. Mary Jane shoes touching the stone softly, pretty socks climbing up legs he tried not to stare at and failed miserably. You looked like a doll—too perfect, too unattainable. And Tangerine had never wanted so badly to put his hands on something he knew he shouldn't touch.

And it was driving him crazy.

"That's going to kill you."

Your voice cut through the silence, sweet and sharp, and Tangerine exhaled the smoke slowly, one corner of his mouth lifting.

"Hm? What's going to kill me?"

"That," you gestured toward the cigarette with your chin. "Smoking."

He chuckled low. "You talk like you care, doll."

The pet name made your expression harden for a second. But there was something else today, something different. He noticed it in the gleam in your eyes, in the way your fingers absentmindedly smoothed the seam of your skirt, in how your breathing adjusted as he watched you. Something was wrong—not that he dared to ask what.

"Maybe you should take a drag."

The words came out lower, slower, laced with something you pretended not to notice.

But you did.

Tangerine knew because he saw your throat move in a dry swallow, saw you hesitate a second longer than you should have.

"I don't smoke," you shot back. But you didn’t turn away, didn’t change the subject.

He brought the cigarette to his lips again, taking a slow drag, letting the smoke spread into the space between you. "There's a first time for everything."

You hesitated. Tangerine saw it. A blink too many, a swallow too hard. But instead of refusing, your fingers moved—delicate, hesitant—until they reached for him.

Oh.

A slow smile formed on his lips. Taking his time, he turned his hand, holding the cigarette between his fingers for you to take.

The touch was brief, but enough. Your skin met his for an instant—warm, soft. Tangerine watched, fascinated, as you brought the cigarette to your lips.

Ah, hell.

The same mouth that had said so many sharp things to him was now touching the same cigarette he had just smoked.

Then, you inhaled.

And choked.

The cough came hard, unexpected, and you quickly pulled the cigarette away, bringing your hand to your mouth as you leaned slightly to the side, trying to catch your breath.

Tangerine blinked, first surprised—then, chuckled lowly.

"Fuck," he muttered, genuine amusement in his voice. "Slow down, doll. That’s not how you do it."

You shot him a sharp glare, your eyes gleaming with irritation. "Don’t laugh."

He raised his hands, theatrically innocent, but the smile was still there, tugging at one corner of his mouth. "I’m not laughing."

You cleared your throat, regaining composure, your fingers still holding the cigarette, hesitant. Tangerine tilted his head slightly, his gaze drifting from your eyes to your lips, then to the curve of your neck—where a faint hint of color was rising, subtle.

"Hold it like this," he said, his voice lower now, reaching out to adjust the way you held the cigarette. His fingers brushed against yours again—a brief, warm touch—before he pulled away. "And when you inhale, do it slowly. Let the smoke in, then release it. No need to swallow it like you're desperate."

You narrowed your eyes at him, clearly suspicious. But instead of answering, you brought the cigarette back to your lips. This time, slowly.

And Tangerine had to hold his breath.

He felt it. He felt the exact moment his mouth went dry, the moment the tension in the air thickened. Because now that you knew how to do it, you did it right. Your lips parted slightly, your lashes lowered just a bit, and the smoke came out slow, smooth.

And hell, he shouldn't have been staring so much.

But he was.

"Good girl," he murmured, almost without thinking.

Your gaze met his for an instant, sharp, as if the words had poked at something deep inside you. But instead of responding, you simply extended your hand, returning the cigarette.

Tangerine blinked, surprised for a second, before accepting it. His fingers brushed against yours again, lingering just a little longer than they should before he brought the cigarette back to his lips.

And then he saw it.

The soft stain of lipstick on the filter.

A mark of yours, right there.

He took a deep drag, more than he needed, the familiar taste now mixed with something new—something he wanted to taste more of. Smoke filled his lungs, dense, warm, as his mind drifted for a moment.

And it was inevitable.

The thought.

The absurd, uncontrollable desire to see your perfect composure unravel.

To see you reduced to sighs in his bed, your pretty clothes disheveled, your sweet voice turned into something more urgent. To have your stockings pulled down, your lips parted, saying his name in a way he hadn’t heard yet.

The cigarette burned down to the filter. Tangerine flicked it away, crushing it against the ground with the tip of his shoe, a muscle in his jaw tightening for a second.

Oh, he was going to ruin you.

Not today. Not here. But someday.

You reached into your bag, pulling out a slim envelope before placing it in his hand. “New contract,” you muttered, back to business. “Straightforward. Should be easy enough.”

Tangerine tucked it into his coat. “Sure. You know me, sweetheart. Always smooth, always professional.”

You rolled your eyes, already turning to leave. But before he could step away, your voice reached him again—softer this time.

“Be careful.”

The phrase was small, tossed into the air as if it meant nothing. But Tangerine felt it.

He felt it in the way your voice came out softer. In how you avoided looking directly at him this time. In the meaning you tried to hide beneath the simplicity of the words.

And that was exactly why he smiled.

Slow. Teasing. Something drawn-out and amused.

"Aww," he murmured, tilting his head, "you care, love?"

Your expression soured instantly. “I don’t.”

“‘Course not,” he drawled, utterly entertained.

You huffed in irritation, spinning on your heel and walking away, muttering something under your breath. Tangerine watched you go, the corner of his mouth twitching up.

Oh, he loved pissing you off.

And when he got back from this job?

He was going to ask you out.