#probably either think he is hot or because you ship him with that other rather flat character on st

[messrsbyler]

this is my personal opinion on eddie’s character and you have been warned… it’s not a flattering one so if you love eddie don’t keep reading bc well you are probably not gonna like what i have to say under the cut

okay then…

gotta get something out of my chest: eddie is a boring, flat, and edging on obnoxious character that mostly has the pretty privilege going on for him which is just another standard white guy. yes, i teared up when his death scene came… because how it affected dustin. otherwise, couldn’t care less about him and his on the nose “i always run away/didnt run away this time” conflict

“oh, but eddie is a freak and treated as such, even hunted down and bullied. people can resonate with that” i mean… fine if you do, really, but also what about the Party? they are considered freaks, they are bullied, will even expresses even his closed ones make him feel like a freak. why about el? she was a freak too, the weirdo, the lab experiment that was hunted down and tortured. what about jonathan? he was the freak that probably killed his little brother in season one. we have seasons of these characters, characters who actually have depth to them with interesting conflicts and dynamics. and most importantly, characters who are freaks but that see each others as equals.

eddie? sure he’s a freak. a freak who likes to bee in power, sitting on his throne during DND sessions whit his group of sheep wearing all the same tees as if it was an uniform, going out of his way to jump on tables and yell in people’s faces bc he is not like other girls he is proud to be a freak and oppose to the status quo.

i mean, give me a break.

[bumblebeehug]

Gave him her heart

Ship: Natsu Dragneel x Lucy Heartfilia Summary: Lucy worries about what to get Natsu for his birthday, not knowing how ridiculously easy it actually is. Day 5 of Nalu Week 2023 - prompt: gifts Ao3

***

Natsu was a good man. He was wild, fun, crazy, but most of all: good. Lucy was very aware of this and knew that such a good man truly deserved the best. So, naturally she felt slightly panicked when she realised his birthday was coming up.

Lucy liked to believe that she was good at giving gifts. She was observant, both on the battlefield and off, so she knew what people looked a little extra at when they browsed shops or went by markets. Wendy turned to sweets, cute dresses or jewellery, something Lucy was relieved over when she noticed it – Lucy was nothing if not good at picking clothes and accessories, and Wendy was transparent with her tastes (sweet = good, savoury = fine, if there was a good reason to why it was gifted, otherwise a little weird, and sour = danger zone. It could be risky, but citrusy tastes were appreciated in sweet desserts). Erza was also easy to please with gifts – either go the sword and armour route, or go the girly route, possibly with some suggestive books. Gray appreciated nice soaps and clean décor for his house, and if she wanted to be funny with him she could always gift him underwear, seeing as it was the only clothing that stayed on for a while (though since him and Juvia got together it wasn’t really an option – Juvia didn’t care too much about what Lucy gave him, underwear or not, but Lucy herself felt weird about it, so nowadays she kept to soaps). Carla liked tea and pretty dresses as well, but appreciated flowers and other handmade things, and Happy was never happier than on his birthday, when he practically could get buried in the number of fishes he’d be given.

Natsu, however? Lucy wasn’t too sure what she could give him. He liked loads of things – food, fights, adventures, funny hats, board games: few things were off the table with that guy. If she gave him a bouquet of flowers he’d probably smile and say thanks (and maybe he’d try to eat them once he got home), if she gave him tea, he’d probably set the leaves on fire and accidentally get high or something – she didn’t want to risk it either way. He’d be thankful for any clothes she would give him, but would most likely only wear them when he really had to, or to sleep if they were comfortable enough. He really liked his special made ones, that managed to stay intact no matter how hot his fire was. He would definitely try to eat the soaps, and that wasn’t worth it in her opinion, and if she gave him a fish he’d very likely think she was either giving Happy a gift through him, or that she was confessing her undying love for him, since that’s what it meant when Happy gave fishes as gifts to the opposite gender (of the same species, might be important to add).

Point is: giving Natsu gifts was hard when you knew him too well. She had even considered giving him jewellery that matched with the ones she had gotten from him recently, but it once again came down to him only wearing them as a chore, and her pride couldn’t really take that. She would have to put a pin in this challenge though, because she was expected at the guild to help cover a shift for Mira as she dealt with one of her requested missions.

As she entered the guild hall, she was relieved to see that it was rather empty. It had its perks, working at a bar in the middle of the day, and since she saw some of her closer mates, she knew she could take her chance to dig around and find out what others would be gifting him.

“Hi Master,” she greeted Makarov, still using the title he had tried to give over so many times already. Though technically he was still in charge, so Lucy thought it only appropriate to keep calling him master until he truly was off the position. “I’m covering for Mira this afternoon.”

“I heard,” he grumbled from his position in the wheelchair. “You’ve been behind the bar before, so you know the drill. In fact, could you bring me a plate of fried squid and a beer? Just put it on my tab.”

Lucy took his order and sent a note into the kitchen per his request. Normally Mira would help out in the kitchen as well, but since Lucy had limited experience with cooking the meals they were serving, she was excused to just manage the drinks and easier snacks, like nuts and chips. As she waited for the staff in the kitchen to finish the order, she poured a glass of beer for Makarov. Half with light alcohol, half with none. He was currently cutting down on his alcohol intake, Porlyusica’s demand, but to not make him fall back immediately from quitting cold turkey, they slowly made him drink lighter and lighter.

“So, Natsu’s birthday is coming up,” Lucy said, trying to cover it up as small talk, but realising it was obvious what she was trying to do.

“I’ve heard.” A smug grin graced Makarov’s face. The relations between the mages in his guild were always amusing, especially in the stage that Lucy’s and Natsu’s had been in the last couple of years.

“I’m a bit curious…” She gave him his order. “What do you think he wants? You’ve known him for longest.”

“Child, I’m too old to remember all my guild members’ gift preferences, and I’m definitely not rich enough to give away gifts like it’s nothing. For a long time now, I’ve allowed myself to forget who likes what.” Lucy smiled, ready to brush the topic off and take another order across the hall, but he continued. “I do, however, know that you could give him a stick or a pebble you found on the sidewalk, and that boy would treasure it like it’s his most sacred, most valuable item in his possession. Do what feels right, Lucy.”

She thanked him, but within she felt like she was back at square one. She knew he would be happy about getting any gift, but she didn’t want to give him just any gift. She wanted it to reflect how much she appreciated him and their friendship, and she wanted it to stick out. Maybe it could even suggest that she appreciated him more than a normal friend, but only if he started overthinking the gift (which she doubted he would do anyways). It was meant to be subtle, but not subtle enough for it to never be discovered by him. And if it needed to be discovered by him, whatever this little message it was she was trying to convey to him, then it would have to be flashing in neon lights above his bed when he woke up in the morning.

So, she spent a few hours continuing to ponder on what to do, as she was taking more and more orders as people kept dropping in. At around 6:30pm her true saviours arrived at the guild hall. Her team, plus a few other closer friends and minus Natsu and Happy, who were camping today and tomorrow, were back from one of their shorter missions, and they were probably starving for some dinner. Lucy was quick to come over and take their order, also grabbing her chance to question them about their thoughts on this conundrum.

“Hi guys, did the mission go well?” She greeted them, preparing her notepad.

“It went great!” Wendy beamed, and Lucy made a quick mental note to ask about the mission more in detail at a later date. She must have done a good job if she allowed herself to be this proud – Lucy always thought she was too harsh on herself when they fought on missions.

“Gray even kept his clothes on,” Erza added, praising the man on her right.

They took a quick moment to chat, and as they finally decided on what to eat, Lucy seized her moment.

“So,” she started, already knowing she would never live down asking a question like this, considering that many of the people at the table were quite transparent on their opinions on Lucy’s and Natsu’s relationship, “Natsu’s birthday, huh?”

The silence her sentence brought made her regret it immediately. She could already see how their brains were working on new ways to tease her for whatever she was going to say next, but she would have to swallow her pride once again. It’s for a good cause, she kept telling herself.

“Have you gotten your presents yet?” She chuckled awkwardly, hoping their answers would be enough to inspire her, so she could get their food and forget she ever brought it up in the first place.

“Mhm.”

“Yep.”

“I have too.”

“And I’m with Wendy on her gift,” Carla added, still making it painfully obvious that nobody was elaborating their answers. They were making Lucy work for it; she just knew it. They loved grabbing their chances to make her say embarrassing things, and today was no exception.

“Really…” She forced out a laugh. “So, what have you gotten him?” She tried again to prompt anyone at the table to speak up, but they knew she would have to continue pressing, and that it would sound more and more desperate the less information they gave her, so after they all stayed silent for another minute, Lucy gave in.

“I’ve just completely blanked out; I can’t even remember a single thing he likes! Please, help me! Give me some inspiration!”

Erza exchanged a glance with Wendy before she answered.

“Well, he likes fire.”

“And fighting.”

“And ugly tourist shirts,” Gray chimed in. Lucy groaned.

“I can’t exactly give him a clip card for sparring matches, and I’ve already considered a bonfire, but I wanted to have a get together later with all of us where we make a bonfire and drink hot chocolate and stuff.” She spared Gray a short glance as well. “And he only wears his special made clothes, so I can’t give him a shirt to frame for 200 jewel.”

“Then we can’t help you,” Erza said, flipping her bangs as she always does when she lies. Lucy pouted.

“I’ll get you your food, please help me afterwards?”

“Deal.”

After 30 minutes she finally had four hot plates balancing on her arms, ready to serve to her stubborn teammates. They were chatting along just fine now, so hopefully the would have forgotten their silent agreement to keep themselves clammed about their gifts. Lucy hurried to place out their food, hoping that they would notice her way of bribing them by giving them extra big portions.

“Now please...! What should I give him?” Lucy sat down at the table. She wasn’t going anywhere until she got an answer she was pleased with.

Wendy gave her an apologetic smile.

“Well… We can tell you what we think, but don’t you think he’d like it better if it truly came from you?” Erza nodded along.

“I’m going to give him a sword that’s enchanted with endless fire,” she revealed. “But you know, it’s not really a gift that screams ‘Lucy’.”

“Erza’s right. I’m giving him some scrap wood I found in the woods because I can’t really bother, but no gift we tell you to get will be as appreciated as the one you come up with,” Gray said, taking a sip from his beer.

“And we’re getting him a small cupon at a restaurant,” Wendy added.

Lucy sighed.

“I know it won’t be the same, but my creative well has completely dried up. Nothing I think of feels like enough. If I get him something I’d appreciate it would be like I don’t know him at all, and that doesn’t feel fair.” She started to feel hopeless. She didn’t like how drained she got from worrying about this – she loved Natsu! And she would love to properly show him how much she loved him, because he truly deserved that. Platonic or not.

“Hey, you look like you’re giving up, that’s not like you! Think of it like this, we’ve all combined our own interests with Natsu’s interest: Erza with the sword, Wendy and Carla with the food, and me with the scrap wood that shows that I have zero interest in him. Why don’t you write something to him? It may not look like it, but I think he know how to read. At least simple words.” Gray gave Lucy a half-hug from his seat in an attempt to comfort her.

“So… you think I should write him a letter? Would that be enough?” She felt sceptical, but it could work.

“You spitting on him would be enough,” Carla snorted, almost offended by her obliviousness.

“Carla!” Wendy burst out, not before Lucy raised an eyebrow in confusion. Her gut told her not to ask, and for once, she decided to actually follow that gut feeling.

“Do you really think a letter would be enough though?” She asked.

“How about you give him an experience? A friendly date of sorts,” Carla suggested.

“An experience?”

“Like going to the movies, or to a restaurant, or maybe picknick or stargazing?” It was Erza who spoke up this time, and Lucy thought she could see a sparkle in her eye. If she didn’t know better, she would almost think that Erza had been on dates like that herself.

“Hm… I guess you’re right. If he doesn’t like it, I’ll just have to ask him directly, I suppose.”

Lucy stood up from her seat at the table and bid farewell to her friends, along with her thanks. A letter would have to do, and she had a gut feeling that told her that she would figure out a good topic to write about. She hurried to end her shift so she could get to her gift-making. A good idea rarely stayed for long in one’s head.

When she finally sat at her desk, pen in her right hand and paper in front of her, she knew this was the right thing to do. What better way was there to tell Natsu how much she appreciated him, if not through words on paper? It was her speciality, after all. She had even lighted some candles to keep her company, since she knew she would sit there for a while. There was a lot of things she wanted to tell him and thank him for, and the letter would be the perfect way to convey these feelings. Right. Feelings. That could include her less platonic ones, and even if this was a great opportunity for that as well, she didn’t know if she was quite ready to go that far yet. In the meantime, she would just have to tell him she loved him in every way except the straightforward one.

Four hours and 16 pages later, she had her letter. It was ridiculously long, she knew that, and he probably wouldn’t be able to read it in one go, but her heart felt light. A letter was the perfect gift. She had even included multiple invites to ‘experiences’ she wanted to give him, and if he took as long to read it as she thought he would, then those experiences would be experienced with about one week in between them. Lucy gave the thick envelope a quick lick to seal it, and after that she couldn’t help but to give it a soft kiss. She had poured her heart out, and though it would be embarrassing for her to know that he would read such things, it also felt very right. It wasn’t a love letter, but in a way, it felt like it was. She had told him all the things she loved about him, all the moments she especially appreciated him being there, and how great her entire life was thanks to him. If read with the intent of reading a love letter, it could very well translate into one, and maybe, someday in the future, he could look back at it and see the hints she left him.

Lucy leaned back in her chair with a big yawn. It was well into midnight hours by now, and she really needed a refreshing shower. A thought went to how Natsu and Happy were having it right now, in a tent somewhere in the woods. Though she was happy to get to sleep in her soft bed, she was missing them. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. To speed time up she hurried to the bathroom so she could get into bed as soon as possible – her apartment wasn’t the same without those two.

Lucy cursed herself. Why, why, why had she written that letter? It was the most obvious love-confession anyone could ever read, how on earth had she not realised that when she read it through yesterday? She was dragging her feet behind her, because if the embarrassment wouldn’t kill her when he read it later, she would have to kill herself, and no one non-suicidal would ever look forward to something like that. So, her feet dragged. The letter felt heavy in her hands, and she knew that as soon as it would be opened, she would feel naked. Her gut was begging her to turn back, but her heart told her that celebrating Natsu today was more important than her pride. Him and Happy were coming back from their camping trip, and they promised her they would stop by the guild to say hi before heading home, and that’s when they would be surprised with a small celebration. Nothing like other events, where people went completely wild, but a celebration big enough to show him some appreciation.

Checking the clock one last time, she made sure that she was there before they arrived. They woke up pretty late generally and their favourite camping spot was about an hour into the woods. 10am. Maybe they hadn’t even woken up yet, but Lucy didn’t want to risk it. She wanted to prepare and decorate the guild, and then she would grab something to eat, considering she hadn’t eaten any breakfast yet.

As she entered the guild, she was relieved to only see her team and a handful more people. They were chatting and blowing up balloons, and they had turned one of the tables into a gift-table. Lucy hurried to put her letter amongst the others, eager to get the gift out of her hands.

“Good morning, Lucy!” Levy greeted her with a hug. “You’re pretty late, did you stay up last night?” Lucy chuckled lightly.

“Yeah, I had something important to finish.” She felt her team’s eyes in her back – they knew she had stayed up writing, and though Lucy knew she hadn’t written a love confession of any sort (other than platonic) she still managed to feel a blush creep onto her cheeks.

“So, do you need help with the balloons?” She offered, greeting the rest of the group.

“It’s fine, you go ahead and grab some breakfast instead,” Mira smiled.

“How did you know I haven’t eaten?” Lucy sat down at a table.

“You have a tendency to forget to eat when you have other things on your plate,” Mira just answered, placing down a yoghurt bowl with homemade granola and fruits. Lucy could only smile sheepishly, slightly embarrassed how obviously nervous she was about this event. She was sure Erza had told her about her moment of weakness yesterday, so she reminded herself to try to keep herself under the radar. She’d just be here, sing a happy birthday song, eat a piece of cake and watch Natsu open his presents, then the day would be over and the whole Lucy-confesses-her-feelings-though-a-letter thing would be over! No unnecessary teasing from her friends, if all went well.

“I’m back!”

The guild door shot open with a noise loud enough to give the untrained ear a heart attack. Lucy however had a trained ear, so she just turned her head and met Natsu’s happy gaze, her heart fluttering at the fact that his eyes immediately searched for her and no one else.

“Happy birthday!” The guild cheered. Lucy stood up from her place at the table, not really knowing why until Natsu stood in front of her, just an arm’s length away. If she reached, she would be able to bring him into a hug, and it truly itched in her arms to do exactly that.

“Hey,” Lucy smiled softly. “Happy birthday.” Watching Natsu’s smile go from surprised and generally happy, to soft and caring made Lucy lose what little control she had, and she caved into her needs to hug him. As soon as she felt him hug her back, she knew that whatever the others thought about the content of her letter contained, as long as Natsu read it and took it to heart, all would be fine.

“Thank you,” he whispered, tightening the hug for a second before he went ahead and thanked the rest of his friends, never straying far from Lucy.

The birthday party was overall a quite big success, everyone had a great time, and Natsu, who not so secretly had been itching to open the presents, finally gave in and announced what he was planning to do.

“Time to open the presents!” He cheered, almost jumping in place in excitement, clearly not representing the age he was turning (400-something years old) but making everyone smile regardless. Everyone except Lucy, whose heart flew up in her throat, suddenly getting the strongest urge to grab her letter before he got to it so she could throw it away or burn it. Not because she didn’t want him to read it – she would just prefer it if he read it somewhere more private, where the burning eyes of her much beloved friends could read it and jump to conclusions. So, she hurried close to whisper her plan to Natsu – despite him being the cause of these nerve-racking feelings, he was still her partner in crime, and she knew he would break his neck to achieve whatever she asked him to do. This time, what she asked him not to do.

“Psst!”

Natsu shot a glance to Lucy, who was whispering just quietly enough that no one else would notice, unless they had dragon ears and paid attention to her. Lucy, who saw that he had heard her, hurried to shoot her shot.

“My gift is the letter, I would kinda like it if you read it after the party instead? It’s just – it’s quite long and it won’t be any fun if you sat down and read it here, you know?”

The ball was in the air, and now she could at least sleep well knowing that no matter the outcome, she did try her best to steer the situation into best case scenario – all to her means of course.

Natsu, the king of pranks and someone who was surprisingly good at sneaking around, despite his usual love for the “let’s just barge in and fight anyone who tries to stop us” approach, still managed to keep up his gleeful demeanour as he had listened to Lucy’s request. He once again met her gaze and gave her a quick nod, ensuring that she had scored. The rest of the evening would manage to stay calm and uneventful. All thanks to their ways to keep down low. It was really convenient to have dragon hearing at times like these – though usually she had that thought on missions, and not happy, meant to be uneventful celebrations and parties.

The birthday boy himself didn’t mind opening Lucy’s gift later. In fact, he was just happy he was getting something at all from her, considering how stressful most birthdays could be for her. Sure, she already knew what genre people liked, but getting down to picking the actual thing and managing prices was a hard task for Lucy to tackle without stress. So instead, he went ahead and opened the elongated, wrapped gift that said “Happy birthday, from Erza” on the card. He would make sure to ease Lucy’s mind today, considering how stressed she clearly had been the last couple of weeks.

Natsu couldn’t stop grinning. He truly had the best friends ever, and despite him not being a big birthday celebrator when it came to himself, it felt good to be appreciated. There had been good songs playing, yummy food to eat, and most importantly: good company. He especially loved the presents he had gotten, since they clearly were gifts that his friends had carefully thought through and taken into consideration before giving them – yes, even Gray’s gift was appreciated, because though it seemed silly, he did sometimes need firewood after hard missions to speed up his recovery. Everything was dear to him, so when he finally got home with that thick letter in his hands, he couldn’t wait a second more to open it. This, you see, might be the dearest gift of all.

The softly written “To: Natsu Dragneel” on the front of the envelope made Natsu’s heart beat harder. He knew that the content in it probably wasn’t anything out of the ordinary stuff the two of them said to each other, but still. He liked that Lucy had put extra thought into whatever she had written. Or, at least he hoped she had, seeing as he didn’t actually know what the letter said yet.

Happy peaked over Natsu’s shoulder, closing the door behind the two.

“So, what are you waiting for? Open it!” Happy urged, eager to see what Lucy wanted to say to him, but clearly couldn’t since she had to write it down. In his opinion a speech would be quicker, knowing how slowly Natsu read.

Carefully Natsu parted the sealed wax from the paper, making sure not to tear anything. If he could make some space, he’d want to hang everything on his memory wall later, and in that case he didn’t want to ruin it.

Still standing just inside the door, Natsu began to read. The letter started out rather normal. She was writing the obligatory happy birthdays and saying hi to Happy, who she knew would read over Natsu’s shoulder despite it being a private message. That part piqued Natsu’s interest a little extra. What did she have to say to him that not only had to be written, but wasn’t meant for Happy to know? It sparked some hope in his heart that she possibly could feel something special about him – special-er than what they already had. He continued down the page. She started reminiscing about the past, and about halfway through the second page, Happy gave up on Natsu’s slow reading and told him he’d simply read it after Natsu was done with it. Natsu took a seat as he joined Lucy’s trip down memory lane, enjoying the new information on how she saw him when they first met, during their first missions and more. He especially liked learning that despite his foul mood the first days together, she still had fond memories of him, like when he included her in his list of friends when they fought Macao (before they knew it was him, since he had turned into a Vulcan) and how the reason she didn’t refuse to get along with him after he had seemingly deceived her for a mission, was because he had managed to get a few lucky words in. Something like “because we thought you seemed nice” had made her stick, and Natsu could only thank his past self for accidentally pressing the right buttons.

As he continued reading, he was struck by the wonderful realisation that he truly mattered to Lucy. It’s not like he didn’t know that she enjoyed his company, but seeing in in black and white was completely different. It wasn’t just that she had written something along the lines of “I care about you, your existence matters to me” (though that would have worked as well), but the fact that she could remember so many small details of what he had said and done, that she may as well have written a complete book with all those moments, and it would probably be at least 200 pages long. He knew she had been cutting down on what memories she brought up in the letter, because enough talks with one person made them show how much brain capacity they had, and Natsu knew that her brain capacity was way longer than a 16-page letter. This was her way of being concise. Yet she still managed to bring up moments he only vaguely remembered, sharing almost exact quotes of what was said and by who. Mostly the who was either Natsu or Lucy, but it was still impressive.

Natsu had never been interested in reading. It was a chore he had to go through to get the money he needed for food, had never been any more interesting than that. Except for two occasions: Lucy’s first published book, and this letter. Sure, he had been reading it for almost double as long as it probably took to write it, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t interested. This letter was so far the greatest thing he had ever received, which wasn’t an easy thing to manage.

At 4am had he gotten to the last line of the letter. His eyes were trying to force him to rest, but his mind fought it like never before. He had skipped dinner for this, and he was not planning to give up last minute, just to succumb to something so superficial, boring and unnecessary as sleep. No, he gathered up some extra will power and pulled though. “Though you probably understand this after reading this letter, I am simply eternally grateful for everything you are, and what you’ve just read is the best I could do at describing my gratefulness in words. Thank you for all you’ve done, and for being unapologetically you. No one else could make me as happy as you have, so once again: Happy birthday, Natsu Dragneel.” She had signed it with her signature at the very bottom, ensuring that all he had just read was completely and wholly from Lucy. After reading the whole thing, he felt his legs itch. No, maybe it was his arms. Feet, hands? No, it was most definitely his soul that had started to climb inside his body. He wanted to go to her, and he wanted to see her. Preferably five minutes ago. He threw another glance at the clock. 4:50am. He had been tossing around, unable to even do as much as close his eyes, for the last 40 minutes, and he knew he wouldn’t feel better until he was within a 20-meter radius of Lucy. Or rather, 2-meter radius.

Not bothering to sneak around the heavy sleeper that the exceed was, Natsu jumped out of the bed and pulled on his slippers. In less than 3 seconds he was out the door, and in another 3 he noticed that he was running. He wasn’t quite sure what he would do when he saw her, especially considering that she most likely was asleep in this hour, but he simply had to get to her, quickly. The time was ticking, like he was a bomb soon to explode, like he was going to run out of time if he didn’t arrive soon. Wind blowing in his ears, he could barely make out the sound of his heavy breathing. He hadn’t run this fast in Mavis knows how long, and he might actually had made it outside her apartment in record time. His chest rising and lowering in big breaths, he managed to make something of a sigh in relief to see her window slightly opened. Climbing the wall quietly was no challenge with Natsu’s experience, so he swiftly pulled himself up, making sure to fully open and enter the window as quickly as possible – though this time with less success since he didn’t have as much experience with that part. Usually he just barged in after scaling the wall, seeing as the time he did it at was most often a time where Lucy either was away or awake.

Either way, he didn’t manage to sneak in as stealthily as he’d like. The window creaked and his body almost fell limp after getting a whiff of Lucy’s calming scent – that he had been running like a maniac to get there didn’t help either, and after a loud, nongraceful landing, Lucy was already awake.

“Natsu? ‘s that you?” She mumbled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“Yeah, sorry for waking you,” he whispered, finding his balance on his legs again as he stood up.

“No worries.” Lucy had now swung her legs over the edge of her bed and sat in a more upright position. “Did you need anything? Is Happy alright?”

“Yeah, he’s at home sleeping. I just felt like coming here,” Natsu said, full transparency.

“Alright,” Lucy said, now taking a better look at his face. He looked red and flustered, but with his heavy breathing it might just be the fact that he ran to her place.

“I read it.”

Lucy’s face started getting hot as well.

“The letter?”

“The entire thing.”

“Wow. Uh, so what do you think of it?” Had the hour been normal she might not have asked him such a bold question, but something about the way the streetlights and moon illuminating the room made her feel brave. Perhaps she still thought she was dreaming, but this felt much too real to be just a dream.

“It’s perfect.” Natsu took a few steps closer. He could now make out most of her facial features, sleepy yet alert of his presence.

“I’m glad.”

A few more seconds went by, though it felt like minutes.

“Is it true?”

“Is what true?”

“All of it. All the things you wrote?”

A soft smile graced Lucy’s lips.

“Of course. I would never lie about those things.”

Natsu knew he could be dense in most situations. He couldn’t always read the room, and he wasn’t good at subtext. This time however, he had felt something the whole time as he read that letter. Maybe it was what other would call “reading between the lines” but he suddenly had great confidence in something that could change their relationship forever. Of course, it was a very long shot, but perhaps the adrenaline from all that running was just what he needed to gather the courage to take it. He did, however, decide to test out the water first. Running headfirst was usually his go-to method if he could choose, but he wasn’t blind to the delicacy of the situation he was putting himself in.

“Can I assume things?” He tried.

“Assume things? From what I wrote?” Lucy asked, curious where he was leading this conversation. She was very aware of her heartbeat, but she didn’t know that she didn’t have to be this time, considering that all that Natsu was hearing was his own.

“Yeah.”

“It depends. What do you want to assume?”

Natsu swallowed. Did he always have this much saliva? If so, maybe something was wrong with him. He swallowed again, clenching and unclenching his fists. Had he ever been this nervous in a situation as calm as this? No bandits, no monsters, no big wild animals – not even an annoyed Erza was around.

“That…” he started, his tongue thickening as he spoke. Not literally, but it sure felt like it. He could barely concentrate on what he wanted to say, gazing into those doe eyes. She was so, ridiculously pretty. He knew that before, of course, but he almost found it unfair. How could he think of any words when she sat there, looking all nice and pretty. “That you like me?”

He had said it as a question, though it sounded more like a statement right now. Lucy’s heart must have skipped a beat or two. She was still sleepy, but the tiny possibility that this wasn’t just a perfect dream made her stop herself from straight up answering yes.

“Well… I hoped my letter was clear on that. You’re my best friend in the whole world, how could I not like you?” She let out a small chuckle at the very idea of disliking a friend. She didn’t, however, predict what he would say next.

Natsu reached out his left hand, touching a piece of her hair that had fallen out from behind her ears.

“But can I assume…” He put it behind her ear, “that you like me more than a friend?”

Natsu’s eyes were darker than usual in the dimmed light, but Lucy saw clearly that he was being serious. Though, this exact facial expression was one she had never seen before. She had seen his tender look, his soft look, his happy look, his loving look, but she had never seen this combination of all. And it was her he was showing it to. In fact, maybe it was exactly this expression that made her admit the truth for once. For so long she had been scared that he would feel bothered or surprised by the very idea of “liking beyond friendship”, or love, as she would prefer to call it. She had been afraid that he would find her fantasies of the two of them living their life together as a couple weird, or even mildly repulsive. That her confession would lead to their friendship breaking apart forever. That, however, could no longer be the case. Lucy wasn’t blind, and she certainly wasn’t dumb. If Natsu looked this… happy? To even assume that she likes him beyond friendship, then the outcome from telling him the truth couldn’t possibly be bad. She tilted her head lightly towards his hand, sharing another smile.

“Yeah. I do like you more than a friend, or a best friend.” Natsu took another step closer, now close enough to make her feel his hot breath on her face that he had tilted upwards, towards him.

“Then…” He bended down slowly to come closer to her sitting position. “Can I kiss you?” His words didn’t come out louder than a breath, but Lucy knew what she heard. Her heart had never danced as wildly as it did when she nodded and closed her eyes as Natsu closed the space between them.

The kiss itself was probably nothing special to someone watching. It was plain and soft, just two mouths pressing against each other. For them, however, it was nothing short of magical fireworks. Lucy’s cool, soft lips against Natsu’s hot, slightly rougher ones sent shivers throughout both of them, as if the small touch had opened a completely new door, a way for them to connect and become closer than ever.

Inexperienced as they both were though, they soon had to break it off to breathe. After less than 20 seconds, Lucy pulled their faces together again. How could they have been missing out on this awesome experience for all the years they had known each other? Natsu knew that this already had topped the list of his favourite activities – even placing higher than eating and fighting. The next time they went up for air, they couldn’t stop themselves from giggling.

“Can this count as a birthday gift if I haven’t slept since yesterday?” Natsu asked, more energetic than reasonable after his long day.

“If that makes you happy,” Lucy smiled, giving him another peck on his lips. Whatever they decided to do from this point on, Lucy knew they would figure it out. After all, if they had managed to overcome the obstacle of going from friends to whatever this was, then they could definitely manage anything and everything else thrown at them. What’s important was that they from this point out, took on every challenge together.

[writing-funsies]

OP characters with a soft s/o P.5

p.1 | p.2 | p.3 | p.4 | p.5 | p.6

pairings: Kid x reader, Killer x reader, Law x reader

warnings: cursing

Kid

Captain Eustass Kid

this man would not know subtlety if it slapped him in the face

(he'd probably start a fight with it tbh)

he's the type of man to start a fight with anything that he thinks is offensive

which is everything

then there's you

when you're around, he doesn't waste any of his time arguing with others

he would rather keep his attention on you 100%

but if anyone dares to disrupt your couple time 

(he refuses to call it a date b/c he doesn't do all that mushy shit)

they're gonna have hell to pay

usually, you can calm him down enough to just lightly rough up whatever dickhead got on his nerves

but sometimes, you egg him on

you want people to know that just because Kid has you, doesn't mean he's gonna go easy on anyone

if anything, he's actually worse than before

when the two of you get back to the Victoria Punk

Kid disappears into his workshop

you let him be for a while

after all, everyone needs some space every once in a while

but then a few hours have gone by

and you miss your lipstick-wearing brute

so you prepare a small snack and grab some ale

you find him deep in concentration as he finishes screwing together his latest masterpiece

once he realizes you're standing at the door

that signature smirk makes an appearance

he excitedly starts explaining what his little device was for

to no one's surprise, it was a weapon

you listen and watch as he demonstrates how it works

but it backfires

so now he's mad

before he can destroy it or anything else in the room

you lay a hand on his arm

smile that smile of yours that always makes him blush

and offer him the snacks you had made

he's quick to down the pint and food

though, he left you a couple of bites

but he's not going to offer them to you

he's not loud about his love

not in the ways a stranger would notice

he'll throw an arm around your shoulder in public

and call you nicknames (usually hot, sexy, or babe)

but all of those things would be just harmless flirting to anyone who didn't know either of you

when it's just the two of you, he likes to stay close

he'll never admit it out loud

but he loves when you lean on him

or hug him

or kiss his cheek

don't be fooled by his over-dramatic yelling or him hiding his face

he could never get enough of you

Killer

he spends most of his time with the captain

he has to otherwise Kid would kill every single person he saw

which means at the end of the day

this man is tired

he loves his friend

no doubt about that

but sometimes

he just needs a nice long nap

or a solid hour of Kid not destroying anything

he also cooks dinner most of the time

which means he really doesn't catch a break 

so whenever you're able to

you sneak back to the ship before everyone else (if you guys are docked in a town)

or you lock yourself in the kitchen a few hours before dinner time (if you're busy sailing the seas)

and you make dinner for everyone

you also make a special treat just for Killer

his favorite dessert

and you give it to him in your shared room so that way he can enjoy it without prying eyes

he's still pretty insecure about his face

so you work on cleaning up the kitchen or doing your nightly duties while he enjoys some downtime

if Kid needs anything from him

you step in instead

which mostly ends in a bigger headache for your boyfriend

but, hey, it's the thought that counts

when it's getting closer to bedtime

you insist on doing Killer's haircare routine for him

you love the feeling of his long golden locks in your hands

and he loves the way you gently brush through his hair and massage his scalp

he lives for the small moments with you

when you two are snuggled close

enjoying each other's warmth

you can't help but admire him

you love his face

you love his eyes

his smile

his laugh

everything about him

when he's with you, he doesn't feel like he has to hide 

he feels free

Law

another man who is tired™

he adores his crew

loves every single one of them

they make him so happy

but sometimes he just wants some peace and quiet

on days when it's very obvious that he's at the end of his rope

you'll make him some hot tea

and pull him into his room

and make him take a break

you won't let him so much as glance at his medical journals

or deal with any kind of work

you also won't let anyone bother him until he's had enough time to recharge

he likes to argue that he doesn't have time to waste

but one look from you and he's done

he's not the type of man to easily admit defeat

or back down from a fight

or take orders

but he knows that you wouldn't be doing this if you didn't think it was necessary

plus he thinks it's cute when you make a serious face

it's like a puppy trying to intimidate a lion

though, you are scary in your own right

(he's seen what you do to people who get on your bad side)

if it's time for the crew to restock their supplies, you go ahead and give the orders for them to surface

when you've arrived at an island

you make Law get out of the submarine

and go explore 

it's a date that's not a date because he didn't plan it

but you bring some spontaneity to his life in ways that he'd never imagined

you drag him through the forest into a large field

then you plop down right on the ground

laying back to look at the sky

he hesitates before laying beside you

fresh air goes a long way to healing exhaustion

or so you said when Bepo was always freaking out about being underwater for too long

even if science didn't support your stance

he would agree with you anyway

the two of you stared at the clouds floating by

you would point out any that looked interesting

and while he couldn't quite believe that he was spending his afternoon cloud watching

Law would never complain about it

it was times like these

when you looked so happy just to be around him

that he felt at peace

he could smile and relax

and seeing him slowly falling asleep was enough for you to know that all he needed was a little field trip

he may act all tough and cold and like a machine

but he was a human

just like you

and he needed some sunlight and fresh air to finally kick back and stop worrying 

even if it was for just a moment

you brushed his hair out of his face

taking in the peaceful look he was wearing

it was rare for him to not look so serious

but with you, he learned to let go a bit

[meili-sheep]

So this is from our good friend 🐱 anon! And while this isn't like specifically harem, I'll probably cover the Harem and extras. And we'll start with Nation so

Mondstadt!

So Albedo. Would instantly start asking diluc questions and start performing tests. For Hexenzirkel Mom Diluc, Albedo probably tries to see if there is something from Diluc's mother at play. Probably test Klee's strength as well, just to be safe. He probably starts looking for a connection between pyro energy and physical prowess as well. So he would have a rather mundane reaction and just go into him being well Albedo.

Now for Eula. She's probably heard about former Captain crazy strength but most likely dismissed it, thinking it was just an exaggeration. Then he flips a fucking Ruin Grader. She probably has just a moment. I mean, I can't blame her, though. I'd need one too. Specially because right after, he'd go into sweetheart mode and start asking if she's ok. And generally acting very sweet and kind despite the fact HE JUST FLIPPED A FUCKING RUIN GRADER. Of course, after such an embarrassment like this, she will need a little revenge and make sure Diluc knows who's top dog.

Now main ships outta the way, let's talk about Venti. Because you can't tell me that either Ragnvindr or the Red-Haired warrior could do the same thing. And it's something Venti rather casually forgot. In general, he forgets that Diluc is his equivalent to Zhongli's General Alatus, like if Xiao was more chaotic and had an issue with authority. And Flipping a Ruin Grader would be a very good reminder for Venti.

Moving on, I also want to briefly mention Rosaria and Kaeya. Mostly because Rosaria knows Diluc has a lot of surprises, but she was not expecting that. And Kaeya. He's been dealing with this bull since they were kids, so just them at the bar, and Rosaria is just still stunned.

"He flipped. A whole. Ruin Grader..."

"Really? Glad he's still in condition then."

"Huh? What do you."

"I once saw him hug a boar when we were kids... He hugged it so hard he broke the poor thing's ribs. And would not stop crying about it."

Liyue

Starting with Zhongli. He'd probably have the most normal reaction out of everyone, and that's probably because. Zhongli sees himself as a normal human, or he wants to. So weird like that he is very used to playing it off as normal human things. He really does applaud Diluc's form, though. Probably makes some suggestions.

Now to Xiao. This would really be a heartthrob moment for Xiao, tbh. And he's gonna deny it like his life depends on it. Like NO It definitely wasn't hot that his human boyfriend flipped a whole ruin grader over his shoulder! Definitely not! And he still probably frets over Diluc after words and makes sure he didn't get injured.

So Yelan is getting put here because I see her and Ningguang and friends of Diluc. I particularly see them as members of the underground network. And Diluc doesn't report to either. He respects them a lot. They both would be incredibly impressed, but here is the thing with these two. They see Diluc as their "cute" junior. So despite having taken down a Ruin grader with his bare hands, he now gets cooed at by these two women telling him how proud they are. It's embarrassing but he can't do anything but take it.

Now on to the others. And here is my favorite underrated dynamic, Diluc and Yanfei. She is his lawyer, and no one can tell me otherwise. They are both the more serious of the Pyros and the only ones who can control the chaos. But ummm. Yanfei forgets Diluc is also chaotic. And after seeing him flip a Ruin Grader, She probably starts working on a damage claim argument centering around Diluc being unable to control his ridiculous strength. She did end up using it. and it did keep Diluc out of jail.

Inazuma

Thoma, much like Kaeya, grew up with Diluc's bull. So he isn't really surprised when he sees Diluc flips a ruin grader but probably offers him a snack or something afterward, making sure he's ok and didn't strain himself or anything.

Now I'm putting Ayato and Ayaka together. Because, well, I imagine that Ayaka is constantly dealing with a love-struck brother. And this would be another case. And this would be a case where Ayato would start in on how of course, Diluc is the strongest because Ayato only like the best of the best and has the most incredible tastes, and Diluc is simply the greatest. And Ayaka is in shock that a human can even do that, and everything her brother is saying is just going in one here and out the other. As she just sits there stunned and makes a mental note to make sure no one upsets Master Diluc.

So Itto is a hype man. And this would send him into overdrive. While his whole gang is just stunned, they just have to go along with what Itto it telling them because, well. That guy just took down a ruin grader barehanded. Like yeah, Itto can do that. But he's an oni... but Diluc... Diluc's just supposed to be a regular guy.

But after the shock wears off. They totally join Itto in the hype team and praise Diluc to the sun and back. He is very embarrassed about it all and well.

Sumeru

Al Haitham. You can't tell me it doesn't work out like he does it mostly to stay healthy. But he's probably stronger than people give him credit for. But seeing Diluc do that...

That's a whole different level. He probably pulls a little bit of an Albedo and goes into investigative mode. But, um, a little more creepy and just watches Diluc in his daily routine. Probably ends up coming to the conclusion that Diluc... mostly likely has some supernatural ancestry that he's managed to inherit and levels it there.

Kaveh. He'd nearly have a heart attack. Like he would deal with it in phases.

Stunned silence.

horny

realization of horny

a bit of shame about the horny a bit of embarrassment about the horny

acceptance of the horny

simp

So as the newest Bully Memeber, I gotta put Tighnari here. And let me say he would go mildly Albedo but then start probably going feeding Diluc weird plants and testing them with Diluc's strength. And they would become a chaotic NIGHTMARE.

Now Dehya is another Big Sis I give to Diluc. And I can not tell you how proud she would be. I mean, she would instantly suplex him to assert dominance, but that's ok She's still proud.

[mnoxsk]

When you wear a dress (Demon Slayer x Male!Reader)

Characters: Giyuu, Platonic!Misturi, Tengen

Genre: Fluff/Scenario/Headcannons

Summary: During your break from demon slaying you decide to wear a dress in your mansion and Giyuu/Platonic!Mitsuri/Tengen sees.

●I wanted to make the male reader’s relationship with Mitsuri Platonic since I ship her with Obanai and rather prefer her to be an absolute self confidence cheerleader for the male reader :) (also Obanai will be mentioned in Mitsuri’s part) As for Tengen’s part I REALLY BADLY wanted to make it slightly suggestive however I’m a minor so obviously that’s outside my will to :’)

- Tengen was visiting your mansion to try to court you again (after many attempts yet you had declined). He already had the permission from his wives that he could make you his husband so for you to walk out to greet him in a dress mentally has him on his knees. 

-He would compliment you for how handsome you look wearing a dress, giving you gifts (either bought, made by him, or his wives), and carrying a conversation about how you should consider to let him court you yet his mind says he badly wants make out with you (with consent of course) but doesn’t want to scare you.

-If you once again decline his offer expect him to still come back to your mansion with the same offer and more gifts (with flashy dresses this time too)! He’s a very persistent and patient man when it matters most! 

-However if you actually choose to let him court you expect him to be caught off guard because he thought you would decline his offer again! He would laugh like the menacing man he is before carrying you either bridal style or over the shoulder to immediately court you at his mansion where you’ll be staying for a while!

-If he decides to do over the shoulder your ass would most definitely be facing him and not because he wants to slap it but so he can cover it! Your pink peach is only for him to see (and his wives too)!

- ABSOLUTELY LOVES YOU WEARING A DRESS! She’s your No.1 cheerleader to making you feel good about yourself! Both you and Mitsuri were childhood friends and after she decided to become a demon slayer to find a husband you wanted to help and support her and she does the same with supporting your mental health!

-She would braid your hair, do your nails and makeup, just dressing you to look amazing if you want! If you don’t or rather don’t want to go that far than she’ll rather just do self care with you instead.

-Obanai may seem sour with you being with Mitsuri but she reassures you that it’s his way to look out for her. Mitsuri can easily read this man like a book and can tell that Obanai actually enjoys you being friends with Mitsuri since she considers you more normal and nicer with her but just puts a wall with you so he won’t consider being friends with you too.

-If you ever want to try on more dresses Mitsuri is your go to girl (other than Tengen’s wives)! She will help you look for dresses of every type! Cute dresses! Hot dresses! ANY DRESS THAT JUST MAY LOOK GOOD ON YOU! In the end you might either only be buying a few dresses or only a hundred. You’d probably have to claw her out of any store after at least a couple minutes due to her just making you try EVERY dress they have!

-He is a man of few words, honestly. Yet even if he doesn’t say a word you always seem to know what he’s thinking and he finds it pleasing that you can understand him and carry a conversation without needing for him to say a single word! Today he decided to go to your mansion to rant to you what Shinobu had said to him (During Ep21 where she said he had no friends when he considers you one)!

-As he waits patiently for you and sees you in a dress he can’t seem to peel his eyes off it and you wearing it! His mind rather is flooded with questions as of why you’re wearing a dress but is snapped back to reality by you asking why he came to your mansion.

“So that’s why you came here? That wasn’t very nice of her!” You frown before putting his head to your chest, caressing his head with your hand. “I just want you to know that I’m here for you, Giyuu-dear. If you want I can talk with her so she wont do it again!” Were you always this kind and nurturing to him? He also wonders why his feels so hot all of a sudden. Did he get a cold from travelling too much in cold weather? It’s not possible though for him. How peculiar...

-After that Giyuu takes a deep note of that he should avoid any physical contact of you and if you ever question he will just say that he’s dirty or hasn’t washed but after using the same excuse a couple times you started to encourage him to let you wash him. (He really needs to get more creative lmao)

-Giyuu will be able to still have conversations with you however finds it hard to hide his feelings seeing you smile in front of him. He thinks that it’s just like the sun. Burns away any darkness, warm, and comforting to him. <3 This man also definitely enjoyed you wearing a dress more than he thought and will actually try to persuade you to wear it during your breaks because “it helps relieving stress and encourages you to relax” when he damn well knows it’s probably a lie.

[fairytail-whathesays]

Loke/Laxus has me intrigued actually, any headcanons for that?

As with all things, I can give it my best shot!

Loke was furious with Laxus, to a degree above the rest of the guild, when he had the nerve to show his face after leaving the guild to fight Phantom Lord on their own. He attempted to fight Laxus 1v1 for it, but rather than get his ass summarily whooped as anyone else would have, Laxus just let Loke wear himself out trying to hurt him. It wounded Loke's already low self-esteem much more than punching him outright would have.

Any grudge over that disappeared after Tenrou Island, because Laxus was there when everyone needed help and Loke wasn't.

Loke was the one who referred Laxus to Master Bob, having previously been contracted to a Blue Pegasus wizard, thus facilitating Laxus and the Thunder Legion's stay there during Fairy Tail's year of disbandment.

Laxus and Freed (and Evergreen) were all immensely popular among the women there and hoo boy, did that rile up Loke something fierce. Loke was immediately on 100% power, and did everything in his power to try and make his 'turf' his again.

It didn't work.

Because some of these headcanons have to be funny and unserious or I'll eventually run out of steam, this made Loke so pissed the he decided he'd just date Laxus himself so as to keep all the ladies from migrating into his pocket.

Laxus literally agrees for shits and giggles.

Loke is in a pickle because none of his usual so-cheesy-it-actually-works flirting strategies work on Laxus. For that matter, Loke can't fulfill the role he usually prefers to take in relationships, which is the knight in shining armor and the guy who keeps the other party swooning and blushing at all times.

Loke: I'm unseduce-able. You could never meet my high standards. Laxus: puts on an RnB song Loke:

Because I admittedly had trouble concept-ing this ship as Fairy Tail characters, I'm gonna replace the usual NS/FW section with an AU section:

Loke is the real name of a veteran competitive gamer who goes by the online handle Leo (and yes, he can be a furry if you're the type to stan SonicFox or whatever).

He's serious stuff--your friendly neighborhood gamerbro jocks who think they're hot shit at video games would find their asses virtually nuked if they tried to 1v1 him. Games are his life.

He has just started to really build his empire online and translate the world of success in video gaming into something resembling a celebrity-style dating life, when he's challenged by a newcomer only known by the handle "Thunder God". No pfp, no information known, never speaks over voice chat or types messages. He thinks he'll whoop him like all the rest.

You already know what happens--the shocking upset, and legendary gamer Loke is summarily beaten (probably while streaming in front of like 3,000 people) by this mysterious no-face.

This starts up a very public debate wherein Loke is at risk of losing his title and status if he loses again, should Thunder God show his face--because Thunder God is now out there, casually destroying other gaming legends like some silent, deadly assassin. Loke does some investigating all the way down to hiring white-hat hacker Lucy Heartfilia, and decides to find out who this guy is.

When he finally meets up with the guy, he naturally thinks the guy who answers the door is Thunder God's older brother--actually, what he asks is "are you Laxus' dad?" and the death glare he receives induces f e a r.

For reference, Laxus is a 6'3" masc4masc built like a power lifter. His jawline has probably killed people before and his broody vaguely unhappy stare is more suited to indebted college students than pro gamers. Loke flat-out does not believe him when he says he's the Thunder God.

Admittedly, Loke doesn't look much like the picture of 'pro gamer' either--he's handsome and popular and those stylish blue glasses are now an official part of his merch line.

It doesn't take much convincing, though--one round at Super Smash Bros with the most embarrassing joke of a character Laxus can find, and the proof is right there. From there on out, a rivalry is cemented, with Loke swearing to beat Laxus in an upcoming tournament and Laxus basically going "yeah, whatever".

Said rivalry starts to turn to affection when Laxus actually...asks Loke to hang out some time. It turns out Laxus is kind of lonely, and Loke basically won't deny him attention if it comes with an attempt to finally beat him at their preferred game. Loke takes it as an opportunity to try and figure out Laxus' tricks, while Laxus uses it to get a cute guy to talk to him.

When Loke actually starts to see Laxus in a different light--as opposed to some upstart asshole threatening his throne--is when Laxus shows him his garage. It's basically a merch display except instead of merch it's priceless gaming arcade memorabilia, all working. You turn off the lights, and the whole place lights up in flourescent and neon lightning like some arcade-hopping teen's fantasy in the 90s. Laxus' dad (Ivan) was a deadbeat who gamed all day instead of finding a job, which is why Laxus is a missed bill away from being destitute...but he left Laxus some killer gaming instincts.

It turns out Laxus is kind of an 'ex-con' of the gaming world--information Lucy and her hacker friend Levy manage to dig up. He was banned from several gaming tournaments because of violent behavior and threats, rendering all his skill at gaming virtually irrelevant. Lucy and Levy recommend using this for blackmail's sake--either Laxus throws the tournament so Loke can keep his title, or Loke can expose his identity if he wins, thus rendering the victory null.

Loke can't go through with it, obviously. It turns out all that time spent with Laxus resulted in *choking noise* actually liking him.

The tournament happens, and predictably, the last two to make it past all the brackets are Loke and Laxus. The two major differences between this match and all the others is that a) Loke actually sort of holds his own, having practiced against Laxus so many times and b) Laxus actually makes use of text chat. They send messages back and forth throughout their fight.

It's long-winded, but Laxus wins, effectively becoming the Rey Mysterio of the gaming world. Loke, however, gets to keep his reputation intact by taking his career off in a new direction. After the courtesy 'good game man' messages left in chat, Loke types out 'wanna go out to dinner sometime'.

Laxus accepts in front of like a million viewers and boom, they're a power couple now.

[king-and-his-consorts]

Sleep Meme

type of bed: Honestly, Luffy likes big beds. Not only because he likes to stretch and shift so he's laying diagonal across the bed, but also because he doesn't like sleeping alone. A great deal of Luffy's life was spent sleeping beside others. Sharing a sleeping area with Ace and Sabo when he was little crafted a blueprint for how he sleeps best. So, Luffy wants a bed where he can (and will) drag one or multiple crewmatess into bed with him. The actual softness level of the best doesn't matter to him. He can sleep on hard or soft. But he does like beds that have some bounce to them. .

number of blankets: 1. Because of Luffy's abilities, he tends to run a little hot. He gets fussy when he's too warm at night. So, he'll usually choose a thin blanket. If he gets cold, he'll just crawl into Zoro's bunk. .

number of pillows: 1. Too many pillows take up too much sprawling space. Luffy's never had need for more than one pillow. .

type of clothing: Honestly, ideally, probably nothing. If his crew would allow it, Luffy would sleep naked because it's just so much less constricting! Secondary would be just his boxers. But, since he's forced to wear clothes, Luffy will just sleep in whatever the hell he wore that day. He's not picky. .

does it matter where they sleep?: Absolutely not. Luffy has zero fucks to give about where he sleeps. You could tie him in a knot around the mast and he'd still sleep peacefully. Still, Luffy is actually less likely to have bad dreams when sleeping on his special seat or near wherever Zoro is training. .

what do they do if they cannot fall asleep?: Insomnia scares Luffy. Most of the time, thoughts don't really dwell long in Luffy's brain. That is except at night when it's so late that it's actually early. It's at these times when he's trapped in his own thoughts without his crew to distract him. If he can't sleep, he has two ways of dealing with it. If it's late at night, he'll creep out onto the deck and sit on his special seat. He'll just sit there and think while watching the ocean. If it's early in the morning, he'll slink into the kitchen to watch Sanji. He won't say a single word, won't even grab for food. He'll just sit and watch his cook. After WCI, Luffy's routine has shifted to checking his cook over for non-existent injuries before going to sit at the counter to watch. .

frequent dreams, nightmares: A lot of times, Luffy has dreams about his crew and the parties they've had. He dreams of friends he misses deeply. People such as Vivi or Sabo. A lot of times he'll just have dreams of eating extremely delicious things! These are the nice dreams that allow him to sleep comfortably. While these are nice, they're actually not the norm. A great deal of Luffy's sleep is plagued by nightmares and bad memories. He still has frequent nightmares about Ace's death. These are the worst because when he's in them, it's like he's paralyzed all over again. No matter how much he screams or cries, he can't wake himself up from them. He either has to wait it out or be woken up. The second worst dreams he has is when memories of losing his team on Sabaody start to mesh with memories of Ace's death. Where it's a crewmate lying in his arms rather than Ace. But, at least the unreality of these dreams make it so he can wake himself up. .

deep slumber or naps: It's all the same. Luffy is not a light sleeper. He sleeps like the dead. If he naps, he's in it for the long haul. Despite this, it doesn't mean that Luffy isn't "watching". He observes what is happening on his ship. .

when do they sleep: Whenever the hell he wants. There is no rhyme or reason to it. Though, he will usually try to go to sleep around the time as the others because he doesn't want to be up without them. .

what could wake them up:  There are few things in this world that can wake him. If you have a good 30 minutes, screaming and shaking him will eventually work. But if you want fast results... A kick from Sanji or a gentle nudge from Zoro can rouse him.

tagged by: @climatact (thanks for tagging! ^^ )

Tagging: @whiskeysmulti (any muse), @ikkaku-of-heart, @suckxrpunched

[cannibalgh0st]

Hang on. That fan comic you posted a minute ago raises so many questions for me. Was there an instance somewhere in which Bruce Wayne got Carrie'd? Because I have pictured that before and would like to know if it canonically happened somewhere. Although in my head, I thought he'd probably continue on with little more than an irritated grumble at worst, and at best he'd baffle whoever is trying to upset him by just thinking to himself, "This looks cooler anyways," (since we all know Batman, the guy who dresses as a scary bat and throws bat shaped weapons and takes his leave in the shadows and wind before conversations are over and is 100% not being ironic about any of it, Values Aesthetic) and finishing whatever he's saying with even more confidence.

Second and far more important: you have opinions about scarebat? It is rare* to hear anyone have thoughts about scarebat. Please share any of them. Personally, I don't think they'd ever be into each other even from a one-sided thing, even in the canonless space of my own headcanons I can't buy it, but I find the story potential compelling. Their similarities wouldn't be the reason they could bond but rather the things that keep them in an unending power struggle. It'd be so engaging/nervewracking to see play out. (Or maybe I'm just a bat kinnie and I think intravenous fear toxin is lowkey hot and everything else I said is me making justifications so I don't have to admit either of those embarrassing things to myself.)

*in my experience. It's entirely possible I'm just not running in any of the circles that discuss

@emma-d-klutz

Hello! My comic was very fanon! I just thought it would be very poetic for Bruce to get "carrie'd" as you would put it! Also I thought it would be a very Jerome thing to do to poor Bruce😬 I said it was paint but yeah basically fake/pig blood will suffice.

Now I do wonder is there's any media with Bruce Wayne getting blood thrown at him???

Honestly I love scarebats/scarybat ever since Batman Begins! I didn't even know their ship name until recent years LOL! I do love the ship especially because Batman and Scarecrow have a lot of interactions in many comics with insane fights! Also there's a lot of plots of Scarcrow controlling Batman with fear toxin- and usually Batman breaks away from that... I love their dynamic as enemies and as a ship! It actually amazes me it's kinda a rare ship!

I also love the concept of Scarecrow being extremely afraid/fascinated of bats because of Batman...the scene of Batman Begins when he hallucinates Batman as a Bat demon things stuck with me...

[airasora]

Plot Twist: Do a power move and ship Miguel with Chel to really stick it to Tulio! (Obviously this isn't a serious suggestion xD)

As for serious suggestions, I will admit, my brain isn't that creative for such stuff as well as being unsure what exactly you're looking for, I can't even explain any of my choices/suggestions lol.

For Girls I thought Lottie or Tiana from Princess and the Frog, Marina from Sinbad, Kida from Atlantis or Pcoahontas maybe?

As for guys I could only think of Milo from Atlantis or the Beast/Adam (After Quasi stole his girl)

For some strange reason I thought of either Nani or David from Lilo and the Stitch.

Now if you want smth more angsty or "toxic" for interesting dynamics, maybe Gaston or Eris from Sinbad...?

I also thought maybe Thomas from Pocahontas, but then remembered you made him Lina's brother in your Hollina AUs, but at the same time it'd be kinda funny for both Lina and Thomas falling for the fun-loving outgoing blondes.

And last one I kept thinking of Eric but we already had Sinric, but then again... they all got two hands so who knows.

Again idk enough movies or series probably to fit for Non Disney stuff and especially in the guys department I seem to be lacking ideas for, but I just pondered as a fellow Miguel fan. I always felt like an outlier.

Chel

I know you're joking, but honestly, I agree with the energy lolol xD

I know I'm gonna break some hearts here, but I REALLY don't like Lottie... x'D I get what they were going for, and I do think they accomplished that so I appreciate her in an objective fashion... but me personally? She just annoys me so much xD

Tiana and Naveen make me so sad cause their human designs were SO GOOD and then they're frogs most of the time - I almost wish their human designs had sucked so them being frogs wouldn't have felt like such a slap in the face Dx

I like that you said Chel wasn't a serious suggestion, but then suggest the other "native babes" like Kida and Pocahontas and I am ALL for Miguel getting the hot princess. If anyone deserves it, he does!

I like the idea of Pocahontas because with Miguel, rather than John Smith's initial dismissive and racist attitude, Miguel would (like we see in El Dorado) just run around and want to genuinely learn about her culture. He'd be so excited about literally everything and I could see Pocahontas falling head over heels with that. I think Pocahontas might be my favorite option so far!

My issue with Kida and Milo is the same I have for Hercules and Megara: their animation styles are a little bit too unique.

What I mean by this is that Atlantis' animation is very "sharp." The edges are SO square on, for example, their hands and I don't like when animation is too sharp or too soft - it gotta be just right!

Hercules has a similar, but ALSO opposite problem. If you take a look at Megara's hand here, it legit looks like the back of her hand is swollen, as if she got stung by a bee and that entire area swelled up like this. But no, this is just the animation style. And it freaks me out xD I dislike the sharp edges in movies like Atlantis, but the opposite extreme isn't good either.

These animation styles aren't so different from other (non)Disney styles that it takes me out of crossovers (like The Last Unicorn does, I will die on this hill, I hate that it's considered (non)Disney by majority of the crossover community xD) so I can definitely still ship characters from these movies. It's not that they are hard to work with, but that I'm just not a big fan off overly sharp or round character designs.

I've seen a few Miguel and Nani videos actually, and what is interesting is that in quite a few of them... Nani is toxic as hell xD Something you may have noticed about crossovers (and by you I mean anyone reading this) is that some characters are more often portrayed as the abuser in comparison to other characters, and what they all have in common is that they have a lot of scenes where they're angry - cause that can be used to represent abuse, toxicity or just being mean. Odette is also often used as the "abusive" character because she has so many scenes where she's angry - I think that's why Nani is used to portray that sort of character often in crossovers x'D

I can definitely see her fall for Miguel cause he and David are kinda similar? Good guys with good hearts, absolute himbos and loyal as hell. Which is kinda why I don't personally ship Miguel and David, there isn't quite enough contrast between them for me personally.

GASTON DESERVES NOTHING XD

Eris is a character I would edit with ALL THE TIME if it wasn't for her amazing, but pain in the ass hair xD

Thank you for all the suggestions! It gave a lot of food for thought, and it was fun to think about Miguel this much :D

[bookofmirth]

I recently read a comment where an El/riel said that Az could never end up with Gwyn just because she is an “irrelevant nobody”, while he in one of “the main and most important characters”. And they go on saying things like “she is unworthy of him”, “he deserves someone insanely great” and bla bla bla…

Beside the fact that the whole post sounded pretty, uhm… aggressive and anti-feminist I guess? It made me realise that maybe some people ship Elucien or El/riel because being Elain’s partner means… more “screen time”?

We know that the ACOTAR series follows the journey of the Archeron sisters, and the only one left is Elain, whose journey basically still have to begin and find a properly conclusion. So, it’s logically implied that, as Nesta’s book became a Nessian book, Elain’s one will also become her LI’s ones (but SJM looooves feminism, at least as Rhysand does ;) ).

Sincerely, I’m pretty sure that, deep down in our unconscious, this is the reason why we all stan a ship or another, and I know it’s kinda a cynical though and not so feminist, since it implies Elain being a sort of “prize” for more screen time and more fangirl internal screams (yeah, because we all are fangirl who just want more hot-fae material at the end ahahah).

The point is, if only we were a little more conscious of it, we could understand each other better and, in an idillic word, maybe stop writing insults each other for supporting a ship we don’t like. We are all on the same boat, thirsty for our best men in fictional books, so there’s no point on being mean or writing a poem about how a character sucks for this or that reason, especially if it could only hurt someone else who feels a strong connection with that character…

Sorry for this looong rant ahaha, but I really like your blog. In your post you’re always polite so I though you where the right one to share my cynical vision of the ship war with. 😊

Hello! Just to be clear, the main reason I am posting this is because you were talking about the fandom in general, rather than being a butt about anyone in particular (other than whoever posted about Gwyn being a nobody, RIP because sjm is going to do what she wants with whatever character she wants. Chaol was just an annoying ass royal guard at first, too.)

I do agree with you about screen time. And that yeah, when we get Elain's book, it will not just be hers but also her love interest's book. I kept insisting on calling acosf the Nesta book before it came out, but... idk, I could go either way. We definitely didn't learn as much about Cassian as I think people had hoped to, but Nesta's issues were at the forefront and more pressing, anyway. The narration did follow Cassian at times, and we got to know some of his inner thoughts. So yeah, I assume that whenever we get Elain's book (and whoever else's we are going to get) then the narration will likely follow her love interest and we will get his (let's be real, it won't be a her) inner thoughts, and probably learn a bit more about him.

(This has made me start thinking about perspective and how people are struggling to understand the difference between first and third person and being unreliable, hang on let me grab a drink 😭)

And I definitely agree that if we could just accept that we are generally here for the same reason - obsessed over acotar - then maybe we might possibly, potentially, not be at each other's throats all the time? People just gotta make this their whole personality though, like if someone on the internet, who they will never meet irl and who otherwise has absolutely no bearing on their lives, disagrees with them, then *pearl clutch* omfg call the police their whole identity has now been put into question.

Calm. Down.

The most annoying thing about all of it to me is that it's all over MEN. People shit on Elain and Gwyn for a DUDE. And maybe it's not because of the ship war but people also shit on Mor for a DUDE. How about we just don't?

I'll be out here, doing my level best to tip the scales all by my lonesome by shitting on the dudes for the sake of Elain, and Gwyn, and Mor :)

Okay but back to your point, that people are actually invested in whoever the secondary character is going to be, I can see that. I've seen plenty of people say they don't like Elain, but will read elucien/elriel. It makes me sad tbh. I always see one of sjm's strengths - or at least one of the things I enjoy the most - being that she centers women in her stories. I used to assume that that's something that other readers enjoyed as well, but I guess not. People can like what they want for whatever reasons they want, but some of these discussions make it very, very clear how they feel about women, queer people, and people of color! Even if they won't say it out loud.

[yamiyamiart]

You make me loving that ship just more and more honestly.

They are just such a perfect fit honestly.

Since Sanji is rather flirty and over the top canon. He's also rather protect of women, especially the closer they are to him the more protective he gets.

So would you say he can be like that also towards his husband?

Maybe Crocodile even notice it during one occurrence that Sanji suddenly had become possessive of him and even defence. Probably because Sanji thought he or probably someone else was flirting with him. Do you think Crocodile would like seeing his princess like that or do you think he would think that it's rather foolish of him to behave like that since he doesn't care about anyone else than him anyway?

OH YEAH 😎 once you fancy this ship there's no going back!

And there you touch a subject that I've been wanting to explore for so long but haven't had the time to create something with it ... (The only thing I've done with possessive Sanji so far is short comics where he fights with Croco's pug over his full love and attention :^) )

But him reacting like that against other people is something so interesting and hot actually! Specially bc Crocodile is a very interesting subject for single people bc he's 1- rich & 2- handsome as hell so Sanji would always end up confronting people for getting too close to his man, for daring to touch his arm or hold eye contact for way too long ! (( Just the same way he gets in canon when he protects Nami and Robin from weirdos ))

He would either get closer to Crocodile so the person gets the idea of what's actually happening or would fake needing something so he can get his man's full attention and take him away ☝️

Croco on the other side would find it always amusing bc there's not a single person on this earth that he would change for his cute malewife >:3c and Sanji somehow thinking that he's gonna get his 2'53m tall , scary and menacing husband stolen it's just ridiculous ... Although... When he is in a very bastard mood he would tease the blond with this... Talking with someone else in front of him and pretending he's attracted to said person just to get Sanji almost on the verge of tears... Just to later take his time showing him all night that there's really no one else for his eyes

We gotta remember this man is very cruel after all, and he would be good at playing the perfect lovey dovey husband but sometimes spicing things up can be fun and also lead to the best passionate sex as a bonus 😏

So would he think it's foolish? Absolutely.

Simply bc the idea of him having to be protected from preying eyes it's just amusing.

[mokkamicci]

Kataang vs Zutara: a small chat

So most of you who follow my blog on here will know that much of the content that I reblog and post are Miraculous-related. But I also post ATLA and Zutara content occasionally. I am a massive Zutara fan and I’m here to talk about something that I’ve noticed within the ship wars between Zutara and Kataang.

So starting off, while Zutara fans criticise the Kataang ship wiith facts and logic, sometimes I feel like some of these people go a little too far with their criticism, claiming that Kataang is misogynistc, makes Katara out to be some kind of trophy for Aang and is just all around nothing more than an unbalanced relationship. Obviously they’re not wrong, but sometimes they forget that Aang is just a kid, just like Katara is. Relationships at that age aren’t gonna be the healthiest because they’re going through a developmental phase at that time (aka puberty). You could argue the same thing could happen if Zutara became canon instead, because they’re both teenagers. Not to mention Zuko and Katara can both be hot headed at times. Combine that with hormones and growing into young adulthood... yeah it’s not exactly a fun time.

I also think that Zutarans often end up mischaracterising Aang completely in order to justify their arguments to the point where it’s barely recognisable from the canon Aang. Like the way some people talk about him, it’s almost as if they make him out to be like some kind of incel. Y’all are really jumping through a lot of hoops to make that kind of conclusion. This is almost like the time Adrien/Chat Noir salters in the Miraculous fandom called Chat Noir a sexual harasser. It’s really funny the way they think.

Another toxic trait they apply to Aang is him being an evil abuser who stifles Katara’s freedom and who also has his feelings coddled by her. The fact that he is selfish and puts his own comfort and feelings over her own has somehow become fuel to harshly criticise Aang. Like he is 12! Of course he’s gonna be a little selfish and immature! I don’t think his not-so-likable character traits justify belittling his relationship with Katara.

I don’t think it necessarily helps when Zutara fans stoop to the level of Kataang fans. I understand Zutara fans’ frustrations, because many Zutara blogs have expressed that they’ve been mocked and belittled the most, by both Kataang fans and even the show’s creators themselves. It only seems fair that Zutara fans get a little payback to treat Kataang fans the way the former have been treated. But I also think by doing this, it’s created an even bigger divide between the two. What happened to “ship and let ship”?

DISCLAIMER: I’m not trying to discredit Zutara, I LOVE Zutara with my whole being. I just think that when it comes to ship wars, people should be a bit nicer to each other rather than making them feel bad about the couple they choose to ship in the show. I’m also not very fond of Kataang either, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to absolutely crucify someone just because they happen to prefer that ship over Zutara. I honestly don’t think Kataang deserves the amount of hate it’s gotten recently. In fact, before I fully got into the ATLA fandom, I used to prefer Kataang over Zutara myself. I thought it was a nice wholesome ship. While my opinion on this ship has changed, I still think there are some parts of it that are cute based on canon moments in the show.

I’m probably gonna get some hate for this, and you know what, I’ll accept it. I’ll listen to what everyone has to say.

[vampyre-lesbian]

turned myself to face me (part 1/2)

In which Ferris and Sloane want to date Cameron, and they figure the best way to break the news is by tricking him into going on dates with them. The only problem is, poor, sweet, oblivious Cameron wouldn't recognize an invitation to a throuple if it walked up and slapped him in the face.

(1.6k ☆ also on AO3)

It starts out as a fairly typical Monday. Cameron is at his locker, switching out his Earth Science textbook for his French one, already mentally planning out all the homework he’s going to have to do when he gets home. When he goes to swing his locker door shut, he finds Ferris standing on the other side.

Cameron has become pretty good at ignoring the warmth in his chest whenever he sees Ferris and the little part of him that thrills at the idea that the prettiest, most popular boy in school actually wants to spend time with him. The feeling is still there, but he likes to think he’s gotten better at handling it.

"Hey, Cameron!" Ferris greets, beaming at him. "Do you have dinner plans tonight?"

"The only plans I have tonight are with the massive pile of homework Mr. Walsh just assigned," Cameron grumbles, turning to head towards his French classroom. Ferris, predictably, follows, even though Cameron is pretty sure he has Geology next period, and that classroom is on the other side of the school.

"Wow, sounds like a pretty hot date," Ferris teases, jostling Cameron's shoulder companionably. Where their bodies touch, Cameron feels electricity spark across his skin. He’s gotten pretty good at ignoring that, too. "But wouldn't you rather we go out tonight? I know you've been dying to try out that new burger place up the street."

"Ferris, I can't," Cameron says, though really, he already knows it’s a moot point. There is simply no winning in an argument against Ferris. His resistance is futile, and at this point, mostly just for show. “My dad keeps talking about shipping me off to military school, and I think he’s actually serious this time. I have to keep my grades up or I'm screwed.”

"One night out wouldn’t be the end of the world, Cameron. Come on! What would you rather do tonight, Mr. Walsh’s homework, or hang out with me?”

The answer, of course, is that Cameron would always rather hang out with Ferris. The trick is not letting Ferris know that.

“Homework.”

Ferris gasps dramatically. “You bite your tongue, sir!”

“Ferris, I’m not kidding, I really have a lot of homework.”

“I promise it won’t take that long. Half an hour, an hour, tops. Please ?” Ferris begs. Cameron can tell from his tone that Ferris is giving his famous “puppy eyes”, but Cameron pointedly avoids eye contact, because that way lies insanity.

“Fine,” Cameron growls. “Only because it means you’ll leave me alone.”

“Great! I’ll tell Sloane.”

"Okay," says Cameron. Then, "Wait, what?"

Cameron has nothing against Sloane. He likes Sloane, a lot. Probably a little too much. (Kind of like how he likes his best friend probably a little too much. But again, he’s Not Thinking About That.)

It’s just that the three of them don’t really hang out, at least not outside of school. When Ferris and Sloane first started dating a few months ago, Cameron had figured Ferris would start hanging out with him less, because that’s what guys who have girlfriends do, or so Cameron’s heard. But Ferris, being Ferris, had done the exact opposite of what Cameron had expected. Not only did Ferris and Cameron continue to hang out regularly, but Ferris insisted on the three of them eating lunch together every day.

The first time they all sat together, Cameron had stuttered and blushed and choked on his own saliva throughout the entire lunch period. Because he was eating lunch with Sloane, the hottest girl in school, and Ferris, the hottest boy in school, and it’s ridiculous for him to feel so disappointed, it’s not like he ever had a chance with either of them, anyway.

And Ferris and Sloane are completely perfect for each other. Cameron would have to be some kind of monster to try and get between them.

Which is why he generally keeps quiet at lunch every day (or at least as quiet as Ferris will allow him to be), and does his best to avoid hanging out with the two of them outside school.

Up until this point, Cameron likes to think he’s been pretty successful in avoiding them. But of course, Ferris has destroyed all his hard work in one blow.

Ferris, who is acting like none of this is unusual. “Meet me outside the school after sixth period, we can walk over together. Sloane will just meet us there since her dad’s giving her a ride.”

“Wait, Ferris—”

“OkI’llseeyouthenbye!”

And before Cameron can protest any further, Ferris has disappeared down the hallway, probably anticipating more complaints.

Damn him. He knows Cameron too well.

—

If Ferris were only the most popular boy in the school, then Cameron would have gotten over this whole thing for him a long time ago. But Ferris is so much more than that, he’s intelligent and funny and a constant surprise, and every time Cameron thinks, That’s it, I’m done, he sees Ferris laugh, or smile, or sees his eyes light up when he hatches a crazy new idea, and all of Cameron’s resistance just melts away.

And if Sloane were only intoxicatingly beautiful, then maybe Cameron wouldn’t be so head-over-heels in love with her. But she’s more, too; Sloane is compassionate and gentle and whip-smart, and the only person Cameron knows who can actually keep up with Ferris. Cameron shouldn’t be surprised, really—after so many years of loving Ferris, how could he not love the one person who was so perfect for him?

God, Cameron is so fucked.

—

When Cameron and Ferris arrive at the restaurant, Sloane is already there waiting for them, sitting at a booth and calmly perusing a menu. Cameron braces himself; logically, he knows that Ferris told Sloane he would be coming, but surely she wouldn’t be happy about Cameron crashing what was very obviously supposed to be a date—

But then Sloane spots them, and her face lights up as she waves them over. Cameron’s heart skips a beat, and he scolds himself because the smile on her face is obviously for Ferris, not him, why is he so stupid.

“Hey, babe,” Ferris greets her before sliding into the booth. The other side of the booth, across from Sloane. Leaving Cameron with no choice but to ask Ferris to scoot down (awkward) or sit next to Sloane (awkward for a whole different reason). The universe definitely hates him.

Either that or Ferris is just fucking with him because he is definitely watching as Cameron carefully slides into the seat next to Sloane, taking care not to bump into her which would be so much easier if she would just move over a little. But Sloane seems perfectly happy to remain where she is, which leaves just a scant few inches between their legs. Cameron can feel the distance between their skin like a physical touch.

“Hi, Ferris,” Sloane says warmly, and then she turns to him, and in the same tone, she says, “Hi, Cameron.”

Her face is so close that Cameron could probably count all of her eyelashes if he wanted to (but even he’s not that much of a creep). The smell of her perfume is so strong that he almost feels dizzy with it. Cameron can barely breathe.

“Hey,” he croaks, and she beams at him like he’s a dog who just performed a trick and not, you know, an awkward teenager barely managing the basics of human interaction.

Something is definitely up. They’re both looking at him, and Cameron has a sudden moment of panic. What if Ferris and Sloane noticed his massive crush on one (or, oh God, both) of them, and this is just some elaborate setup for them to kindly (but firmly) let him down? Cameron would probably never leave his house again if that happened.

But it doesn’t happen.

The waiter comes and takes their order—a bacon cheeseburger for Ferris, a chicken sandwich for Sloane, and the first thing he saw on the menu for Cameron because he was too distracted to actually pick anything. He’s pretty sure he ordered a salad.

While they wait for their food to arrive, they talk about school, about the History presentation coming up next week, about the insane amounts of homework Mr. Walsh always assigns. (“He knows we have other classes, right? Surely someone has told him.”)  It’s not so different from when they eat lunch together at the school, though Cameron still can’t shake the feeling that he’s crashing a date.

He’s more than happy to try and fade into the background, but Ferris and Sloane both seem determined to pull him into the conversation as much as possible. They discuss whether Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is better than Beneath the Planet of the Apes (it's not). Their food arrives while Ferris is vehemently insisting that J. Lee Thompson was the best director of the series.

Neither of them mentions Cameron’s inappropriate fixation, or even hints at it, and about halfway through the meal, he finally starts to relax.  By the time the check comes, Cameron has decided that he is simply not going to question his good fortune. After all, when the Virgin Mary appears on your toast, you don’t take it to the toaster repair shop, you build yourself a toast shrine and enjoy it. Sure, Cameron is Jewish, but the point still stands.

Sloane’s dad drives them all home after dinner, and luckily Cameron’s dad isn’t home yet so he doesn’t have to answer any questions about where he’s been and why he hasn’t been doing his homework. Even though he has to stay up to nearly midnight finishing Mr. Walsh’s assignments, the warm feeling in his chest never fades, and Cameron can’t bring himself to regret going out. If this is how things are going to be— Ferris and Sloane dating, with Cameron playing the awkward but happy-to-be-there third wheel— then maybe it won’t be so bad after all.

[hugintheraven]

What is a real person?

Because I think that's an underrated aspect of the discussion of RPF. Note that I'm not talking about the morality of shipping or anything, just what qualifies something for the #RPF tag in your opinion.

What makes a fictional character? Is it a distinct personal history, a unique name, adopted personality traits not shared by the person performing those traits? Some examples:

Tim Allen, the comedian, is presumably a real person. As is Jerry Seinfeld, the comedian. Tim Taylor and Jerry Seinfeld the TV characters are not real. Dan Rather, the newscaster, he's real. Stephen Colbert the right-wing parody from the Colbert Report? Stephen Colbert from the Late Show? Elvira? Those are debatable, and may not break the same way.

Tom Brady is a real person, and Yuri Katsuki is a fictional character. The Undertaker? Wrestling has writers and storylines and people playing a character, seems fictional to me. Does "John Cena/Dwayne The Rock Johnson" vary in reality with whether you tag it with #FastandFuriousActors vs #WWE? Yes, you can argue about basing it on real vs fictional personalities, but I doubt anyone knows what either of those guys acts like when the cameras are off.

Some Minecraft Youtubers will do 2-year storylines about feuds between friends, complete with secret betrayals, planned events, and scripted cutscenes made by outside animators. Does that make those streamers' in-game personas fictional? What if they're on a server with someone else who literally just builds and chats, no preplanning or persona at all? Is one of them real and the other fictional? Because that gets weird if they interact.

Historical RPF may be even worse. Robin Hood, for example, is fictional. There was a real Robin, but the current understanding is based off an amalgamation of folk tales, themselves based off a mix of real and fictional people and situations. I'm not going to call that real. Abraham Lincoln, clearly real. We've altered our perception of him over the years, but there's a real person there. Thomas Jefferson, black rapper played by Daveed Diggs? Is that legally distinct enough to not qualify as a real person, because Slave Rapist Jefferson would probably object to saying they're the same dude. Cleopatra was by all reports a middlingly attractive woman and a vicious political strategist. If you base her off of a movie where she's a hot sex-fiend with 2 brain cells who slept her way to the top, is that changing her enough to not be RPF? Because I don't want that to be the solution.

And that's before we get into bands like TaTu who are playing roles, reality show stars who clearly are faking everything for the cameras, real people cameoing in scripted media(Bruce Willis in Ocean's 12)...there's an infinite number of edge cases.

I don't know the answer to this. There is a line between real and fictional, there has to be, but every time I look closely at it, it gets blurrier. Anyone else have thoughts?

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

straddling your partner's thighs, peter/lucian

I am loving that you guys are giving me prompts and ships that are pushing tumblr's limits.

Gives me a challenge of what I can make of these things. >:3

On with the fic!

--

Peter entered the penthouse, tossing aside pieces of his costume this way and that as he went, not caring where things were thrown about as long as other things didn't get knocked over.

He was tired and achy, he just wanted to curl up with a handsome monster man and forget that he had a job and people to please and kiss the asses of so he could continue to have his job.

He was at the entrance to his home when he finally kicked off his stupidly hot, stupidly tight leather pants, now down to just his underwear and jewelry. He looked up to see Lucian at the fire pit, seeming to be lost in whatever it was he was reading, and Peter didn't want that, he wanted attention.

Even if the sight of his boyfriend looked rather nice, the fire illuminating his pretty face, the night sky behind him through the large windows.

Still, Peter was going to ruin the image by approaching him once he grabbed his robe from where he had thrown it earlier.

He slipped it on, leaving his rings and necklaces in place because he was too lazy to bring them to his dresser, and stood in front of Lucian. The lycan seemed too occupied with the book in his hands, not noticing anyone or anything around him.

Peter pouted and reached down, removing the book from Lucian's hand, confusing him for a second before he looked up at his boyfriend. "Oh, welcome home, my love." He greeted.

Setting the book on one of the free chairs, Peter sat himself down on Lucian's lap, straddling the man's thighs, his hands on Lucian's shoulders. "Missed you." He said before kissing him on the lips.

He felt warm hands on his hips as they kissed, one of them slipping up under the silken robe to cup an asscheek. "I missed you as well, you were gone all day."

"Had a lot of stupid meetings and then a rehearsal to do before the show." Peter said, then kissed Lucian again, pressing his hips forward and earned himself a little moan from his favorite wolfman. "Was thinkin' about you the whole time, about how I left you up here all alone, with nothin' to do, no one to spend time with..."

"I found myself occupied in your absence." Lucian replied.

"Oh yeah? With Ms. Shelley it seems." Peter glanced at the cover of the book, knowing it was his first edition copy of Frankenstein. "Was she more entertaining than thinking about me today?"

Lucian chuckled deeply, Peter felt it when he pressed his chest to Lucian's own. Warm, wet lips were against his throat. "Oh no, as much as I enjoy her complex story, I prefer the thought of my complex lover instead."

"Yeah? What were you thinkin' about, babe?"

"About this. About you on my lap, on this chair of yours, and how I knew you'd get yourself into this silly, thin robe of yours, you tease. I thought about how much you were probably missing me, you always do, you just want to be close to me all the time, don't you?"

"You know me too well." Peter smirked, kissing Lucian's forehead. "Good boy, best wolf."

There was a huff from the man under him, before Peter squeaked, suddenly lifted up, wrapping his legs around Lucian's waist as the man got to his feet. "Now, let's not tease, dear one. Lest you be denied what you've craved all day."

"I'll be good!" Peter gasped. "No more dog jokes tonight, promise!"

Lucian gave him a teasing smirk. "Promise?"

"Yes!"

"Good." He kissed Peter's cheek. "I wouldn't want to deny myself either because of your ridiculous sense of humor, my love."

Peter pouted just a little. "No, don't want that either."

"Good, then let us continue in the bedroom, much more enjoyable than your chairs."

[scarletinkthelibrarian]

I love mutual pining.

I know it can get frustrating when dragged along for far longer than it should be - and with ridiculous reasons for WHY these two or more idiots still haven't kissed (wow, it's a miracle that Miraculous Ladybug didn't destroy this trope for me) - but my point is that I like that kind of hopeful, tentative waiting: the stolen glances, the "I want to tell them but what if...?", the hugs that last a bit longer than they should, maybe the surrounding friends and family that are secretly shipping and hoping these two idiots will finally cut the chase...

No wonder then than my own favorite Canon x OC ship ended up going in that direction.

(Yes, this is going to be just me babbling about my own OC, Ginny Truscott, that I ship with my favorite ninja turtle, Leonardo.)

((Yes, I still used the same Picrew image I did for the first post ever where I talked about her, I'm still not an artist and this one is pretty close to how I actually imagine her to look like.))

To start off, I think Leo is particularly well-suited for the pining trope, at least in most incarnations of his character (Rise!Leo, sternly and quietly hiding away his affection, can anyone imagine that? And let's not talk about 2012!Leo, please): he's duty-oriented, the leader of his team - pretty sure future head of the family - and also a mutant turtle that will probably never be able to live like a normal person.

Throw in the possibility for a romantic relationship and the boy would surely go all "I love you but there's too much I can't give you so I will keep it to myself and be your friend and also your guardian angel should you need me". At least if, like me, you pair him up with a regular human person who isn't part of a ninja clan or secretly superpowered or an alien/other mutant.

(There's also the issue of the love interest being possibly put in danger due to their relationship, but that could very well happen also to April or Casey or any other person not just Leo but any of his brothers could bond with even just platonically instead of romantically, so that particular point won't be discussed here.)

Point is, Leonardo is primed for falling in love with someone and deciding to hide his feelings if that someone is just a normal person.

Which is EXACTLY what Ginny is when they first meet.

Phase 1: "We definitely have feelings for each other, but we're stuck in limbo because of very serious reasons"

I never really wrote down the story of these characters, it has always been just in my head with some little ideas written down here and there, but it starts with this: Leonardo saves Ginny from some thugs, accidentally revealing himself to her, and Ginny is starstruck rather than horrified by her savior, which elicits his interest (and also boosts his ego a bit, considering the admiration comes from a pretty girl close to his age).

From here on, everything goes on pretty much like usual for this kind of stories: they become friends, Ginny (and Harper, her cousin, as well) joins the turtles' friend group and there's obviously something going on between her and Leo.

They utterly enjoy each other's presence: Leo loves Coconut - Ginny's dog -, Ginny likes to watch him spare and talks with him about ethics and philosophy, Leo as much as he can likes to meditate while Ginny plays the piano, they have a charged-up basketball match from time to time (which Leo may have tried to subtly lose on purpose). Lots of things pile up and pretty much everyone is aware that these two have the hots for each other, but nothing concrete ever happens, because Leonardo won't make a move (for the reasons above) and Ginny won't either (because she still naively thinks it's up to the guy to make the first move).

((Something she will kick herself for in the future.))

So they're stuck in a limbo and think they have all the time in the world to either get over or work on this blooming thing between them. Point is...

Phase 2: "This is the 2007's movieverse"

Leo has to leave on a pilgrimage, the Five-Fold Path. He has every intention of using this journey to focus solely on becoming a better leader for his brothers.

Knowing she won't get to see him for a very long time, Ginny confesses her feelings to him the night before he leaves and kisses him.

And Leonardo proceeds to pretending all of that never happened: he has to travel, he has to train, he has to get his head in the game... He has to let her go, because he will still be a mutant turtle when he'll get back to New York and she deserves someone who will have a normal life with her. So he writes back, but refuses to acknowledge Ginny's confession, hoping that she will move on.

Ginny, on her side, seeing how Leonardo seems to avoid replying or even just talking about that night, starts having doubts: maybe indeed it wasn't the right time to tell him how she feels, probably she just added another weight to his mind during this journey, she should have thought better, she'll apologize when he gets back.

Except the day when he should have come back arrives and he doesn't. Okay, maybe he couldn't manage. But days pass and he keeps not coming back.

And his letters are filled with apologies, saying that he still isn't ready and his training not finished, and those letters become fewer and fewer...

And Ginny finds herself pissed.

He never replied to her. He isn't coming back.

She's also scared to almost the point of tears at times because what if he's in trouble or what if one day the letters completely stop coming because he's dead?

And then she gets pissed again because Leonardo is making them worry that he may be dead and still this isn't enough for him to come back.

During this time, she surprisingly - maybe not that much - bonds with Raphael as a fellow member of the "we miss that idiot and are dealing with the feeling of abandonment by getting angry" club.

She decides to move on.

Phase 3: "Mamma mia, here I go again!"

Leonardo comes back.

(Pointing it out, both Ginny and Harper are absent during the events of the movie: the first one is away on spring break, the second is in Australia giving the definitive middle finger to her father.)

Ginny gives him the cold shoulder - but due to Raphael (who still feels guilty for the furious fight that caused his older brother to get caught by Winters' stone generals) intervening, she will take time before actually airing all her grievances to Leo.

The rose-tinted glasses they had of each other got shattered: Leonardo stopped being Ginny's perfect knight in a half-shell and suddenly Leo finds that Ginny outgrew the demure and shy angel image in his head.

It takes time for them to recover their bond (as realistically it will take for also everyone else, I really don't think defeating stone immortals was all it took to work on two years of distance) but as they do the find out...

That these changes are not unwelcome at all: Ginny can now see the struggles Leo has to go through and appreciates him all the more for it because she fully realizes how much effort he actually puts in everything; and Ginny has now fully grown in a confident, outspoken and fiercely protective young woman that Leo feels proud of.

Point is: now that they don't idealize each other anymore, they're even more attracted to each other than ever before.

And the idea of possibly starting a romantic relationship pops out again, also because...

Intermission: "While you two were busy being idiots, we were cuddling"

At this point, Donatello and Harper have been a couple for some months already, even prior to Leo coming back from Central America.

Everyone knows these two are together and they're an overtly affectionate couple of brilliant mind who like to work together and are incredibly supportive of each other (in my head I often jokingly call Harper "Donnie's cheerleader", but she actually gets the same level of encouragement back from him, just more quietly). And most of all, they found ways to work around their specie and lifestyle's differences and are happy with each other.

So, if they could do it, why can't Leo and Ginny do the same?

Phase 4: "If we tell anyone, it becomes real"

So, at some point, they slip up.

Meaning, they kiss again and this time the one who doesn't want to acknowledge it is Ginny: last time it happened, Leo left and broke her heart. What if it happens again? Not in the same way, obviously Leo isn't going anywhere anymore for a very long time, but what if one day he just decides again that she's better without him and just leaves her? He may do it with good intentions (as he already did) but that doesn't erase the fact that he would again be choosing for her instead of respecting her decision. And she doesn't know if she trusts him on that regard.

So, the kiss goes unspoken about for a while, because our blue turtle boy actually decides to respect her wishes (also thinking that maybe it was just a fluke, that it happened just because of some leftover tension between them)... But it keeps happening.

The relationship starts up as a secret: Ginny has her trust issues and Leo is still bothered by the same thoughts that stopped him from pursuing her before, but they still start seeing each other behind everyone's backs (and shells).

Point is, they're both "family-oriented" in this: if they reveal whatever they have going on to their families and friends, then it becomes a real relationship and they're still too weighed by doubts and insecurities to take that step. They're basically like Barney and Robin from "How I Met Your Mother" (minus the sex because to know how to make it work properly between them they should ask Donnie and Harper and that would mean basically spilling the beans and end up in a very embarassing conversation).

((They're actually not that good at hiding anything, since pretty much everyone actually has some suspicions.))

(((Raph does confront Leo about it, having grown to love Ginny like a sister, but aside from warning his older brother against breaking her heart again he still decides to let them handle this between themselves.)))

Phase 5: "Finally they get together FOR REAL!"

With the Foot Clan active in New York again and shady activities going on in the city (following events loosely based on the cancelled sequels to the 2007 movie), one night the turtles find themselves facing against their old enemy again and Leo does as all Leo do and ends up seriously injuried.

(Little note here: Rosalyn, Harper's mother and Ginny's aunt and legal guardian, knows about the turtles and, being a surgeon, helps them whenever she can, like in this case.)

Cue in Ginny basically deciding to glue herself to his side until he wakes up (I know, cliché, but hey, I'm a sucker for this scenario), coming to realize, in the days that Leonardo takes to recover, that she almost lost him and that she doesn't want to keep being stuck in a limbo where this could happen again and they never gave their relationship a proper chance.

Leonardo has a similar moment of realization after waking up, especially due to Donatello saying to him (while Ginny finally takes a break) that "no one regrets anything that made them really happy".

(Same words Rosalyn told him when he and Harper first got together to give them her blessing.)

So, once Leo fully recovers, he and Ginny get officially together, with everyone else giving out a collective "FINALLY!".

Wheeeeew, I'm done!!!

I admit it, I wrote this down while having a surge of "I absolutely want to speak about this oc x canon ship of mine", all in one go, and I'm posting immediately before losing nerve, GO!!!