#sail training international

[woso-dreamzzz]

World Cup V

Hardersson x Daughter!Reader

Part of The Big Adventures Universe

Summary: Your first World Cup

Everyone dreams of scoring a goal in the World Cup final. Hell, everyone dreams of scoring in even the qualifying rounds for the World Cup.

But, to you, it was almost certainly going to be a dream.

You were goalkeeper. You didn't score goals. You stopped them.

It was your whole job.

Your first World Cup was an honour. You were still young but it had been timed perfectly. When you were first called up to join Sweden's team, it was as the third keeper.

The two keepers before you had retired just before the selection for the World Cup squad. Two new keepers for the squad (both older than you) had been selected but you were the number one - a combination of your talent, training and just how many more international caps you had over your counterparts.

Coach Emma had been wary about putting you as the first choice but your performances at Arsenal spoke for themselves. There wasn't much she could do. No one else seemed to quite fit the bill like you did.

It had been a hard won road with two rounds of penalties in the knockout stage that you refused to be cowed by.

It all came down to this.

Sweden vs England.

You recognised a few of the girls from playing in the WSL and you gave them each a tense smile as you run through warmups. You sit in your cubby during the last team talk where Emma speaks about the game plan and how much work this will be and how much everyone needs to give it their all. You put on Zećira's old World Cup gloves. You flex your hands before clenching.

You replace her's with your own and roll your shoulders.

You walk out to the cheers of the crowd and take your position.

England are out with a vengeance and you make a few daring saves in the first half but it's mainly Sweden who dominate possession.

You're deadlocked in nil-nil throughout the first half and then the second half.

You leak into nine minutes of injury when one of your midfielders is dispossessed. You can hear Coach Emma yelling something at your defenders but you don't look to see the disarray of your backline. An England kit comes streaking up your left wing. She shoots but you're not worried because you already know that she has a tendency to shoot wide.

You collect the ball for a goal kick and one of England's finest starts a run towards you, to put on the pressure.

You could think of nothing but making sure this forward didn't get anywhere near your box or your ball.

You booted it up the pitch.

To be honest, it was an accident.

It hadn't been you trying anything. All you could think about was making sure England didn't even have a chance to score a goal.

You assumed one of your forwards would pick it up - some of them had this uncanny ability to know what you would do before you did.

Either way, you watched the ball sail over everyone's head...

The keeper was about as far off her line as she could be.

It sailed over her head, bounced and rolled into the bottom right corner.

You freeze in shock.

You hadn't meant to do that.

The crowd behind you screamed and you didn't have time to think before you were completely dogpiled by your teammates.

"Get off!" You laugh, trying to shake them off.

"There's no chance now!" Someone says.

"Keep them away from my goal and then there will be no chance," You reply, still completely trapped.

"Which goals is yours again?" Someone else teases," Because I think you've staked a thorough claim on England's too."

Your cheeks flush red and you bat her away. "Shut up."

"Never!" Someone declares," I'm pretty sure our goalkeeper just won us the game! You're never hearing the end of this!"

"Go away," You laugh," Go on. We've still got a few more minutes to play. Keep them off my goal and I'll let you talk about it all you want."

And they do keep England off your goal.

You sink to your knees in shock as you're dogpiled again. Swedish is flowing easily into your ears but you can't understand any of it. You slowly get to your feet and walk strangely calmly over to the stands.

You pass Coach Emma on the way. She's smiling, clapping you on the back. You think she says something too but you're too busy listening to the roaring of blood in your ears.

You hop the barrier and move into Momma's arms.

She holds you nice and tight as you still stare in shock. You think you're crying but you're numb to most things.

Momma's talking but her words are just static in your ears as you're moved from her to Morsa to moster Frido and then finally to Zećira.

You come back into the present when you see her. Shakily, you remove your gloves and hold them out to her.

She smiles and takes them. "I'm so proud of you. Best keeper in the world."

More tears slip down your cheeks. Your voice breaks. "Thank you."

"So proud of you," Morsa says as she and Momma appear over your shoulders," Clearly you're just like your Momma. Scoring goals."

"Is was an accident," You say softly.

"And it was a perfect accident," Momma says," I couldn't have done it better myself."

You laugh a little wetly. "Well," You say," I must have picked it up from all those times you kicked at me in the garden."

"Champion of the world!" Moster Frido declares, clapping you on the back and planting a kiss on your head," World Champion! Best keeper in the world!"

"Well," Momma says," This keeper needs to head back down to receive her medal. Go on, off you go." She pushes you away lightly.

You hop the barrier again and line up with the others.

There's a sense of pride as you walk across the stage, receive your medal and kiss the trophy.

You feel a little shaky as the trophy is lifted and you celebrate, screaming out your victory for the whole world to see.

You jump around with your teammates, each of them strongarming you into taking a picture with you and the trophy.

By the time you manage to get away, you're jogging over to the England side. You strip your shirt and hold it up into the crowd.

A hand reaches down to take it.

You look up.

Leah stares down at you. She leans over the railing.

"I should be mad at you," She says," But that was the best goal I've seen in a while. I'm very proud of you. Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?"

You look down bashfully and confess," I think Arsenal's getting a bit too small for me."

Leah laughs. "Yeah, I reckon that too." She pulls your shirt over her head. "You'll come back and visit?"

You bump your fist against hers. "Well, North London is red."

She grins at you. "Go on, World Cup winner. Off you go. I'll see you around."

"Bye, Leah."

You jog towards the Sweden side of the crowd again, pumping up your fist as people scream your name.

You skid to a stop in front of Morsa. You drop your medal over her neck.

"For you," You say," For all the World Cup medals you gave me."

[ltwilliammowett]

Well, it's bare, cold and a bit bleak outside, so we're bringing a bit of colour into play in today's 17 door, and it's green - even if the lady in question is still very young, she's still an eye-catcher. The Alexander von Humboldt II

Alexander von Humboldt II

A bit more about her and her predecessor:

The Alexander von Humboldt II is a german steel barque that was only built in Bremerhaven in 2011. Like her predecessor, she is clad in green and now serves as a youth and training ship.

Her predecessor, the Alexander von Humboldt, also known as "Alex" for short, is a steel German barque that was built in 1906 as a lightship under the name Reserve Sonderburg (she is of the same type as the Europa). She was decommissioned as a lightship in 1986, converted into a sailing ship and was used as a youth and training ship from 1988 until October 2011.

She attracted international attention as an advertising ship for "Beck's Bier". Today, the Alexander von Humboldt is used as a hotel and catering ship in Bremen.

[incognita-soul]

hey, i saw in your bio that you work on tall ships and i was wondering if u had any advice.

i’ve been on 2 tall ship sailing trips before (+some dinghy sailing) and got my competent crew recently so i’m pretty inexperienced. on those sailing trips i’ve met young adults who were working on the boats as volunteers. i’d like to be able to volunteer on tall ships one day.

do you have any advice for the best way to gain experience and learn stuff? (if possible on a budget). i’m taking a gap year next year and i’d really like to take the chance to go sailing and get better at it. (i’m in the uk if that’s relevant.)

absolutely no pressure to answer and i’m sorry this is so vague and clueless! anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this. your blog is cool :))

Heya! Thank you, and I'd be happy to give you my two cents! All of my boat experience has been in the US so take my advice with a transatlantic grain of salt, but here goes!

Firstly, two trips and some dinghy sailing and a competent crew cert is actually quite a bit in comparison to your average person starting out in the world of boats, so don't worry about feeling too inexperienced! You're already on a good track. I've been working on tall ships in some capacity for over 10 years and I still don't have any specific certifications (I've got a lot of experience and sea time, I just haven't had time to take any of my courses and exams for actual licensing).

Facebook is (unfortunately) still the best place to network, especially for international opportunities. There are a variety of groups that you can join. I'm personally in Schooner Bums, Tall Ship Opportunities, Women Who Sail, Crew Finder, and a few other private groups specific to the organizations I've worked for. A lot of organizations will post to these groups with job opportunities with specific requirements, so it's fairly easy to get the info you need. I'm sure there are a few groups specific to sailing in the UK. In the US, we have Tall Ships America, which is an organization that provides networking, training, and job opportunities for mostly US based sailors and boats. I'm not sure if the UK has an equivalent organization, but I do recommend even though you are UK based you should peruse their website, especially the Billet Bank, which is where job links are posted:

You're in the UK, so there are a shit ton of boats there but as far as I know most of them are museum boats that don't do a lot of sailing. I will say from personal experience that museum boats with a good volunteer maintenance program are great places to start for establishing a strong set of foundational skills (knots, understanding and maintenance of the rig, carpentry, etc.). You might not get much actual sea time with a museum boat, but you will learn the things that will make you a better sailor. I got into tall ships by working as a historical interpreter and then as part of the sailing/maintenance crew here:

https://www.jyfmuseums.org/visit/jamestown-settlement/living-history/ships#ad-image-0

Most tall ship organizations are based around education, both for the public and for the crew, so it's easy to find a boat with some sort of introductory training program relatively near wherever you live. These range from expensive pay-to-play working vacation type experiences, to paying a fee to participate in a structured comprehensive training curriculum after which you can become long-term crew, to volunteering weekends sanding and oiling blocks in exchange for the opportunity to sail.

Since you said you are taking a gap year, my advice is look for a short-term comprehensive live-aboard program that gets your foot in the door for staying on as regular crew, potentially even paid crew. Idk any specific ones in the UK, but here's the one that the last boat I worked on offers as an example of what i mean:

If you've got time before your gap year starts, try to find something local, like volunteering for a mueseum like I mentioned earlier, so that you get used to the vocabulary and foundational knowledge of boats. That way you can really get the most out of a more immersive program later on and you won't feel too much like an oversaturated sponge trying desperately to sop up more information even though your brain is leaking out of your ears.

I'm not sure if you're wanting to do tall ships longer term or just something one-off for the gap year, but if you're in it for the long haul just be prepared that it's a lot of hard work for not much financial return. I don't mean to discourage you, it's just good to know that upfront. On Lady Washington we have a saying that "we work on an 18th century boat for 18th century wages."

Unfortunately the tall ship industry is kind of hard budget wise. Most training programs cost quite a bit of money, most jobs are either volunteer or don't pay very well (industry standard deckhand pay in the US is about $1000/month), and most higher level positions require various levels of certifications (for which course and exam fees can run pretty high). You can do it on a budget, especially since most long term positions are live aboard so you don't have to pay for rent or groceries, but if you want to make a career out or it, it takes a lot of years of working for less money than you're worth before you start earning real money back.

Despite all that, working on tall ships is still an incredible and fulfilling experience that I recommend to anyone with a love of the sea and learning practical skills!

Sorry I couldn't give you more specific information, as I have yet to work on any UK boats. Good luck, and please tell me when you find a program that works for you!

[chosetherose]

*WSJ Link*

There Are Plenty of Power Publicists. But Only One Works for Taylor Swift.

By Allie Jones

April 18, 2024 at 8:00 am ET

Taylor Swift was celebrating the end of the Australian leg of her Eras Tour in late February when a bit of unpleasantness sailed out from Down Under and landed on the home page of TMZ. The New South Wales Police Force was investigating a 71-year-old man for allegedly assaulting a 51-year-old man at a wharf north of the city, according to their media unit. Per TMZ, the septuagenarian was Scott Swift, Taylor’s father and a key member of her management team, and the younger man was a photographer. 

The story had all the makings of a public relations nightmare: (1) Celebrity family member allegedly behaves badly while (2) disembarking from a luxury yacht, resulting in (3) a police investigation. To make matters more complicated, Taylor was reportedly present for the alleged altercation—hiding under an umbrella, TMZ said. Though the man didn’t require medical treatment, the police said, there was video footage. Would this be the end of the pop star’s marathon run of fawning press? 

Not if Tree Paine could help it. 

Swift’s longtime publicist first released a statement that did not refute TMZ’s story, exactly, but offered some exculpatory evidence: “Two individuals were aggressively pushing their way towards Taylor, grabbing at her security personnel, and threatening to throw a female staff member into the water.” Subtext: Scott Swift was simply protecting his daughter and another defenseless woman from a couple of rogue aggressors. He was not charged. 

Around the same time, as if by magic, People found a video of Scott passing out sandwiches to young female fans at one of the Sydney shows and published it along with fan commentary. “Isn’t he the sweetest and cutest,” one cooed.

Online, Swifties clocked the People story as good old-fashioned damage control. As a chorus of fan posts put it: “The devil works hard, but Tree Paine works harder.” (In late March, the New South Wales Police Force media unit said that the North Shore Police Area Command finished its investigation and that it is taking no further action.)

The public often sees Paine expertly attending to Swift’s needs, from smoothing out Swift’s red carpet dresses to leading her past scrums of paparazzi.

The average celebrity publicist does not have fans. But Paine, the 52-year-old redhead seen trailing Swift at awards shows and rubbing shoulders with Gayle King in the Eras Tour VIP area, has become a Swiftverse cult figure in her own right. Fans post reverently about her PR machinations and share videos of her expertly attending to Swift’s needs: smoothing out Swift’s dress on the red carpet, leading Swift right past a scrum of reporters whose questions have not been approved, subtly offering Swift what appeared to be water at the Video Music Awards—a night when the star was filmed dancing in a manner that suggested inebriation.

Swift has trained her followers to look for meaning in her every gesture, outfit and Instagram caption. Paine’s own work—the stories she chooses to respond to, the narrative she puts forward in the media—has become part of that lore. 

And Swift and Paine are creating a lot of lore lately. Swift spent the fall cheering on her new boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, as he sailed to Super Bowl victory, and dropped by the Grammys to pick up album of the year for Midnights and announce her new album in an acceptance speech for yet another award. The Tortured Poets Department, which fans speculate is at least partly inspired by her breakup with the British actor Joe Alwyn, drops this month, and Swift will promote it while balancing her public relationship, continuing her sold-out international Eras Tour amid growing criticism of her private jet usage and brushing off baseless conspiracy theories that she is secretly working as a Democratic operative to swing the 2024 election for President Joe Biden. 

In a long career of riding high, Swift has hit the stratosphere. It’s Paine’s job to keep her there. 

Back in 2014, Swift’s world domination was not yet assured. That March, trade publications reported that the pop star’s publicist of seven years, Paula Erickson, had submitted her resignation. Fairly or not, during Erickson’s tenure, Swift developed a reputation for being both boy-crazy and unwilling to joke about it. See: Swift’s string of high-profile relationships with Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner, Jake Gyllenhaal and Harry Styles; her alleged wedding-crashing with Conor Kennedy; her humorless response to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s joke at the 2013 Golden Globes about her dating life. (“There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women,” she told Vanity Fair when asked about the incident.) Erickson declined to comment for this story.

Paine, who had been working as the senior vice president of publicity in the Christian and Country divisions of Warner Music Nashville, came on board and quickly flipped the script. She launched her own firm, Premium PR, and signed Swift as her first and only client. “There isn’t a publicist in NY, LA or Nashville that wouldn’t jump at an opportunity to work with someone as talented as Taylor Swift and her management team,” Paine told Page Six at the time. 

That year, Swift moved from Nashville to New York, went full pop with the release of 1989 and began flaunting her friendships with a gaggle of famous women, known colloquially as The Squad. The public started to forget about the time Swift, age 22, allegedly bought a house across the street from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. 

Now that Swift has hit the stratosphere, it’s Paine’s job to keep her there. 

Throughout this transformation, Paine refused to let rumors about her client fester. The very week her hiring was announced, she began issuing public rebuttals to the tabloids. “Never believe the National Enquirer,” she tweeted about an apparently false story that Swift declined to record a duet with Randy Travis. Ten years later, the gossip about Swift has changed, but Paine’s approach has not: She recently called out the anonymous gossip account Deuxmoi for causing “pain and trauma” by posting false rumors about Swift secretly marrying Alwyn before the two broke up. 

Paine became even more visible to fans in 2020, when she appeared in Swift’s Netflix documentary Miss Americana. Wearing white shorts and blue nail polish, she clinked white-wine glasses with Swift as the singer-songwriter anxiously prepared to post her first political statement on Instagram. Swifties have since turned Paine into something of a meme: Online, they joke that Swift’s “Out of the Woods” lyric “the monsters turned out to be just trees” is a reference to the publicist and that a redheaded Eras Tour backup dancer is Tree-coded. They have decided that in the inevitable Paine biopic, the publicist will be played by Amy Adams, and that she will win her first Oscar for it. 

The fan obsession has been fueled, in part, by how little Paine has shared publicly about herself. Her Instagram is private. The last time she sat for an interview was 2012, when she was a VP at Warner and appeared in Nashville Lifestyles’ “Most Beautiful People” issue; she posed for a photo in front of a shiplap-covered wall wearing a peasant blouse and made the astonishing revelation that she was “trying to enjoy life.” I cannot report whether that is still true; Paine declined to be interviewed for this story. 

Born Trina Snyder, Paine grew up in Costa Mesa, California. She was still going by Trina when she was initiated into Pi Beta Phi at the University of Southern California in 1990, according to the women’s fraternity’s official publication, The Arrow. 

Like her client, Paine is a Nashville transplant. In her early career, she worked her way up at a variety of L.A. record labels—World Domination, Maverick and Interscope, whose roster included Snoop Dogg, No Doubt, Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. She launched her own guerrilla-marketing company, worked for the Academy of Country Music and eventually joined Warner Music in Tennessee. 

In 1998, she married Lance Paine, a businessman and onetime president of the Nashville candy brand Goo Goo Cluster, in Las Vegas, according to public records. (Lance also served as president of the company owned by HGTV’s Property Brothers.) The Paines have one teenage daughter, and according to the society pages, they have spent some nights mixing with locals at Nashville charity galas. 

Paine has built a fearsome reputation in media circles, closely guarding access to Swift.

But mostly, Paine works. She has built a fearsome reputation in media circles, closely guarding access to Swift and sending emails to journalists with surprising velocity whenever she disagrees with a story. “Once I started working in media, I would always hear about people getting emails from Tree Paine, or maybe, people being afraid of getting emails from Tree Paine,” says Hunter Harris, a self-described “Painiac” and the writer of the entertainment newsletter Hung Up, which regularly chronicles Paine’s engagement with the press. (Harris has also contributed to WSJ. Magazine.)

In the past 10 years, Paine has guided Swift through some of the more tumultuous moments of her career: her feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West; her trial accusing a former DJ of sexual assault; her battle against her former label, Scooter Braun and private-equity giants for the control of her master recordings. At almost every turn, Paine presents Swift—arguably the most famous woman on the planet, a billionaire with a private jet—as a relatable underdog fighting for her voice to be heard. 

It has, for the most part, worked. In the process, Paine has become one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry. 

Getting any kind of journalistic access to Swift has become a fool’s errand. The star sits for few magazine interviews, and in between, Paine does her best to ensure that no information about Swift that Swift has not expressly chosen to share with the public becomes available. One magazine writer recalls the slightly fraught process of interviewing another artist on one of Swift’s stadium tours a few years ago. As a condition of the interview, the writer had to agree that anything they witnessed or discovered about Swift while spending time with the other artist before a show would be off the record. Paine was clear: No journalist is going to catch Swift in her sweatpants backstage and write about it. 

When writer Emily Kirkpatrick reached out last year to seek Swift’s comment for a profile of the actress and musician Suki Waterhouse for the fashion website Ssense, Paine surprisingly acquiesced, with the caveat that Swift’s quote be printed in full—no edits, no line breaks. (Kirkpatrick, annoyed, accepted the terms.)

This is an understandable sticking point for Paine. The Kardashian-West debacle revolved, in large part, around a truncated recording of Swift. Before the rapper released the single “Famous,” which contained lewd lyrics about Swift, they spoke by phone, where he asked her to promote the track on Twitter. For years, a snippet of the call released by Kardashian painted Swift as a liar who publicly rejected the lyrics but privately approved them. When someone released the full call online—a friendly heads-up but one in which West never shares the final lyric (“I made that bitch famous”)—Kardashian tried to save face. “To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that ‘Kanye never called to ask for permission…,’ ” she tweeted. But Paine never said that exactly. She tweeted a rejoinder: “I’m Taylor’s publicist and this is my UNEDITED original statement. Btw, when you take parts out, that’s editing. P.S. who did you guys piss off to leak that video?”

The biggest year of Swift’s career has also been her most public yet. There’s the tour, the new album, the NFL boyfriend, the constant tabloid coverage of her relationship with the NFL boyfriend, the never-ending paparazzi strolls with her famous friends at sceney New York City restaurants. There have been stumbles: Swift forgot to thank Celine Dion, who presented the album of the year award, when accepting her Grammy. (A photo of the two singers hugging circulated online later.) She’s still taking heat for her private jet. She dated Matty Healy. 

But the sheer volume of information about Swift that pours, ceaselessly, out of every tabloid and news outlet from the Daily Mail to the New York Times typically washes away negative stories as soon as they are published. There are fans who speculate that Paine sent Swift to Kelce’s regular-season game against the New York Jets in October so that internet searches for “Taylor Swift jets” would return cheery images of Swift dancing in a VIP suite with Blake Lively instead of stats about CO2 emissions. 

Swift is at a point in her career, however, where she could completely disappear from view and still generate more headlines than just about any other person on earth. Scientists at Caltech and UCLA recently published research proving the existence of “Swift quakes” (seismic activity caused by fans dancing and jumping at concerts). Ancestry.com shared on social media that Swift is a sixth cousin, three times removed, of poet Emily Dickinson. The New York Post talked to experts to guesstimate how much Kelce has spent wooing Swift so far (more than $8 million, allegedly). 

If Swift released The Tortured Poets Department with zero fanfare, it would probably still hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts. But she chooses to feed the beast—with black-and-white Instagram posts, snippets of possible lyrics, a pop-up poetry library, so many vinyl editions—and, with Paine’s help, make her own news.

[birboon]

CIRCUS BOY

ACT 1 - Chapter 4

PAIRING: Peter Parker x Dick Grayson

WORD COUNT: ~5k

PREVIOUS CHAPTER: chapter 3

ㅤ"WHEN WERE YOU going to tell me?" Bruce called out from across the gym, voice echoing like rolling thunder past the empty apparatus. Dick grimaced uneasily from the treadmill, pace not faltering as he urged his legs to continue. The fact that he could hear the man even through his headphones was scary - anything that managed to somehow be louder than a Jimmy Page guitar solo was. He didn't even want to look over towards his guardian for fear of what his face might show - he didn't have to. Dick could hear the billionaire's stormy footsteps from a mile away.

Like Dick, Bruce was dressed in his conditioning gear, ready to put both himself and his ward through the workout of their life (as he did every day). But Bruce managed to appear a much more formidable figure than the teen, clean cut muscles rippling with every angry stride. 

Dick tried not to let it show on his face that he had heard the man call out to him: A dangerous game. Ignoring the Bat was almost as bad as... well. Dick refused to acknowledge his mistake - he'd go down with whatever boat he managed to get out of the port... If he ever managed to set sail at all.

"Don't think I can't tell when you're ignoring me, Richard," Bruce hissed, and oh boy. He brought out first names. That hurt. The last time Bruce had called him Richard, Dick had been thirteen and so desperate to one up the newcomer that he'd deliberately sabotaged Batgirl's coms. Not a great first impression (apparently he was slacking in that area). And now, three years later, he was facing down the beast once again - only this time Barbara wasn't there with her heart of understanding-gold to save him. "I know you can hear me."

Dick couldn't tell if the thud thud thud filling his ears was the sound of him running, the drums in his ears or if it was his heart hammering in his chest. Bruce Wayne loomed over him now, a scowl on his face that he usually saved for the more villainous types. With one swift movement, a strong hand came up to rip the Bluetooth device from Dick's head; gone were the sound of sweet, sweet guitars trying to drown Bruce's words, replaced instead by the sound of his feet slamming into the treadmill and the Batman's somehow louder-than-life silence.

Dick blinked, plastering on an innocent, wary smile as he inched his face towards the man. The Wayne held the running machine's cord in hand, disconnected from the mains.

"Bru- er, Bruce," Dick croaked out, voice cracking. When had he gotten so thirsty? "Hi. Is it time for training already? I haven't finished my... warm up... yet..."

Bruce narrowed his eyes and Dick was forced to slow as the machine gradually powered down, excuses tumbling around his mind even as his words tapered off:

"I got a call from Alfred this morning."

"Oh really? That's nice of him," Dick played coy. Bruce wasn't impressed, folding his arms across his chest as he watched the boy awkwardly come to a stand still.

"He said the device I planted on the Midtown Tech student has been deactivated."

"I mean it's impressive that he found it, really. You were super thorough, putting it on a shoe-"

"Instinct tells me you had something to do with it," Bruce finished, ignoring his ward's jibes.

"You always think I have something to do with everything," Dick scoffed, reaching for his water bottle. He felt every inch of Bruce's piercing blue eyes on him as he swallowed his first sip. "Frankly, it's unfair."

"What's unfair is me being right about it all the time. When were you going to tell me, Dick?" Bruce retorted, repeating his previous statement. "Challenging my authority is one thing, but sabotaging a surveillance mission is-"

Dick almost choked on water, coughing irritably. His grip on the bottle was tight, denting the plastic as he levelled Bruce with a stare: "Sabotaging surveillance mission? Try stopping some poor intern from being stalked by America's number-one paranoid!"

Bruce huffed, watching him calculatedly. Everything the man did was calculated... it was disconcerting. He snatched the bottle from Dick's hand, shoving it forcefully back into the placeholder.

"That 'poor intern' is one of Stark's drafted metahumans!" Bruce roared. "Do you know how close of an eye the League has to keep on the Avengers now? After the mess in Sokovia they're not heroes anymore, Dick! They're a liability - no one knows what to do with the ones we can find, let alone the ones we can't."

"You can't call the Avengers a liability, they've saved the world -"

"And what if the world needs to be saved from them?" Bruce asked, voice low and stressed. Lines of worry distorted his brow and Dick felt his stomach churn. "The Justice League is the Earth's last line of defense: The Four are gone; Doom Patrol are M.I.A; Xavier has folded to the government. Now, so have the Avengers."

Dick swallowed thickly, fingers clamping around his sweat-soaked vest to avoid reaching for his drink once more. "And you need to keep an eye on them?"

"Two eyes, Dick. At all times."

Dick bit at his lower head, shaking his head slightly: "But Peter... he's just a normal kid, Bruce. Awkward, sorta rude... he doesn't even have good shoes, how can he be one of Stark's?"

"You know more than anyone that a kid can do as much damage as a grown man," came the reply. "Peter - since you seem to be on a first name basis with him - is about as normal as you are."

Bruce raised his wrist, tapping at the smartwatch tied there - some newfangled WayneTech prototype no doubt - and a rectangle of light was projected into the empty air. Bruce's eyes were searching as he dragged two fingers across the hologram, swiping to find an asset. Dick averted his eyes when the man pointedly enlarged the screen to highlight a singular profile.

"Peter Benjamin Parker," Bruce began, voice steady. His ward wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor, blood rushing to his face. Parker. Peter Parker. "Fifteen years old. Attends Midtown School of Science and Technology. Certified boy genius. Bitten by a radioactive arachnid which gave rise to enhanced strength, speed and perception."

Dick's lips parted slightly as he double, then triple, scanned over the short paragraphs of text. Bruce had really paraphrased it... what the hell were Oscorp doing, genetically engineering spiders? 

He ran a hand through his slicked hair, pulling gently at his scalp. The teen pulled up one of the found-footage reels playing at the bottom of the screen in a loop; someone dressed in pajamas flinging themselves through the streets with a web. "Peter's the spiderboy? Wally's obsessed with trying to recruit them for the team. "

"He calls himself Spiderman," Bruce corrected gruffly. Dick hummed, reaching to full-screen a high-resolution CCTV tape of the media-dubbed 'Civil War' fight at Leipzig Airport. He watched, fascinated, as Spiderman stole Captain America's shield straight from his hands. Dick opened his mouth to comment, but his mentor beat him to it: "As far as we're aware, the web is a synthetic polymer. Not organic."

"Boy genius," Dick murmured, tearing his eyes from the looping footage to look at Bruce. "Does he make it himself?"

"Presumably."

"Neat trick," Dick whispered, clearing his throat. Bruce eyed him as he gave in and reached for the water bottle again. "Spiderman, huh? Who would've thought."

"Evidently, not you," Bruce said complicitly. With a small movement of his hand the hologram retreated back into the glowing digital screen. The man's face still held it's stern façade, though his voice held none of the depravity it had beforehand - Dick could tell he was still angry. Which was... okay, it was understandable.

"I'm sorry, B. I really didn't think..." the boy trailed off, looking to the side as his guardian's disappointed gaze crept over him. 

Man, he'd messed up this time. Batman already had too much on his shoulders; he didn't need to worry about the loss of a possible League informative. Bruce needed to know the workings of the Avengers - of a failed team - so he could protect his own. Maybe Dick shouldn't have been so quick to steal Peter Parker's shoes.

"No. You didn't. That much is clear," Bruce snapped. Dick swung back on his heels, staring down at his feet, and the man sighed heavily. "You've set me back days, Dick. Days I don't have."

Dick's eyes widened: "What do you mean? You're not dying right?"

Bruce huffed out  a laugh, dropping the treadmill's plug to the ground, and stepped forward to lean against the machine. "No, I'm not dying just yet. But I am worried... Something Clark mentioned yesterday."

Dick followed Bruce's line of sight, offering out the blue plastic bottle like some sort of peace treaty. The billionaire accepted it silently, turning it in his hands. Though his eyes weren't trained on him, Dick could still feel the weight of Bruce's gaze. "So it was Clark that pulled you away yesterday? What did he say? Did he call a meeting?"

"No. He was on the roof... said he didn't have the time to gather everyone," Wayne recited, tone confused as though reminiscing on some odd detail he'd chosen to leave out. "He's receiving troubling signals at the Fortress."

"Troubling?" What could he troubling enough for the Fortress of Solitude to find it note worthy?

"It's not something I'm at liberty to discuss until the League has been told," Bruce finished. He took a swig from Dick's bottle thoughtfully before handing it back. The man had a familiar look in his eyes - one Dick knew all too well. The Batman was debating an idea, running through a list of all the pro's and con's in his mind. He watched Dick sightlessly for a moment, lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but he quickly retracted whatever he was about to say: "I- I think we'll postpone training today, Dick. I need to talk to Superman."

"What?" Dick issued in confusion. He stepped off the stationary track, placing a hand on Bruce's bicep. "Is something going on? Do you need my help?"

"No this is... This doesn't concern Robin." The yet went unsaid, though both of them heard it. 

Dick couldn't shake the feeling that Bruce wasn't trusting him out of spite - because the boy had gone against his plans, ruined them - but a familiar warmth spread through him when the man rested a hand on his shoulder paternally and squeezed gently: "You know I'm not mad at you, Dick."

"I know," the teen chirped almost instantly, a force of habit. Bruce frowned, eyes soft and searching as he studied his young ward. 

"You're sixteen. You're allowed to make your own decisions - just try to make sure they're the right ones."

"How will I know if it's right?" Dick muttered, a weight settling on his shoulders.

"When the choice has to be made, you'll know," Bruce said, and it didn't bring him any comfort whatsoever. Stupid Bruce and his ominous, scattered meanings. What was it supposed to mean?

Whatever the cryptic words meant, Dick was left feeling stuck. Not for the first time he felt like just another burden for the man to carry. A foolish kid he'd taken pity on all those years ago and been stuck with ever since. For years Bruce had tried to teach Dick to act with his mind but still he let emotions cloud his judgement.

"I really am sorry, Bruce. I shouldn't have -"

"I know, Dick. You should ask Alfred about my rebellious phase," Bruce laughed good-naturedly, all tension drained from his face. As if he could read Dick's mind, as if he understood the turmoil that his own distress caused the boy. He slung an arm around Dick's shoulders. 

"He'd say you've still not grown out of it," Dick teased.

"Mm, well. Maybe you should ask Barry, then. I'm sure he has some great stories to tell."

"And how am I supposed to ask The Flash about his teenage years?" Dick responded in kind, allowing Bruce to steer him towards the gymnasium's entrance. "You want me to catch him?"

"I figured you could ask your workout partner a thing or two," Bruce said genially. He opened to the door to see himself out, pausing to watch his ward. Dick's face narrowed in confusion.

"Where are you going, then? Are you not training with me today?"

"He means me, boywonder," came a snickering laugh, and Dick couldn't help but grin broadly. A breeze swept into the gym, ruffling Bruce's hair and chilling Dick's skin. The door rattled slightly on it's hinges as the owner of the voice came to a grinding halt in the doorway, hands on his hips in stereotypical superhero fashion. "You forgot our playdate? I'm hurt!"

"I was trying to forget your existence altogether," Dick replied easily, grinning widely towards Bruce as the figure flickered and suddenly appeared at his side. The man winked back at him as Dick turned to face the energetic red-head; "You've gotten faster."

Wally West's eyes lit up: "Any You've gotten shorter, pipsqueak. I didn't think it was possible!"

He rested an elbow atop Dick's head, bouncing on the balls of his feet and cheeks beaming. Bruce rolled his eyes, not bothering to interrupt the childish greetings as he made his escape with a brisk wave of goodbye. The door slid shut behind him and Wally sighed exaggeratedly, sliding down Dick's body with inflated relief. 

"Thank Superman's balls, he's gone. What did you do to get us out of a torture session? I thought I was down to die, dude - not that I'm complaining, because I have this twinge in my hip and -"

"At least you heal quickly. I got slammed into a wall two weeks ago and I can still feel it in my back," Dick complained, falling dramatically onto one of the many gymnastics mats lining the room. He lifted the hem of his shirt, twisting so his friend could see the blue-tinged blemishes.

Wally poked the oddly coloured skin and Dick reached out to slap his hand away, rolling his eyes as the ginger's form zipped out of view. "Maybe if you didn't get hit so much..." his voice echoed from across the room.

"Easy for you to say KF," Dick groaned, climbing to his feet. He watched as his friend dipped his hand into a bucket full of chalk. coating his skin in the white powder. "What are you doing?"

Before he could so much as blink, Wally was examining every corner of the bespoke gym Bruce had fitted in the basement level of the new Washington office. He batted at the rings hanging from the ceiling like a cat, watching them jostle back and forth with wide eyes: "What are these even for?"

"Talented people," Dick answered, steadying the swinging objects with a grimace. "So you aren't allowed to touch them."

"You wound me, dude," Wally sniffed, pulling himself onto the pommel horse. He let his legs dangle, kicking them aimlessly as he stared at Dick's warm-up exercises dubiously. "And you're going to wound yourself if you keep doing that."

Dick's limber floor routine was ruined by the bout of laughter that escaped his lips, core loosening. He lost his balance, flopping to the floor with a huff.

"This is my thing, speedster. The only one I'm going to be hurting is you! You're ruining my concentration."

"We're not actually going to do exercise, right?" Wally said uncertainly, pulling his knees to his chest as Dick threw himself onto the beam with a graceful tumble. The Wayne heir eyed him through his peripherals, gauging the boy.

"Why not? It's important to-"

"Don't go all Batman on me, Dick - I ran here from Central City, I want to do something."

Dick sighed, letting his handstand fall effortlessly into a delicate cartwheel. His chalk-dusted hands clapped as they came into contact with the soft faux-suede of the apparatus, sending a small cloud of white into the air: "What did you have in mind?"

Wally attempted to stand upright on the horse, knees shaking as he clung to the handles for dear life. He toppled backwards, arms wheeling frantically faster than the human eye could comprehend as he attempted to retain his balance.

"Think about it! We're in Washington, Dick!" The speedster cried frantically, mid-fall as he collided with the crash mat beneath him. "The nation's capital. And none of your babysitters are around!"

"They're not my babysitters," Dick complained, unwilling to help Wally back to his feet. It was true, neither Bruce nor Alfred nor (god forbid) any of the League were around to supervise the two young superheroes as they normally were. Even Barbara would chastise the two of them whenever she got the chance. "And what has Washington got to do with it anyway? We've been here before."

"For a mission. There's more to life than the cave under your manor, Birdbrain," Wally insisted, slinging an arm across Dick's shoulders - little more than a blur as he crossed the room to reach him. He shook the other boy lightly, eyes shining. "How about we sign onto one of those tours? See the sights without alien guts splattered all over them."

Dick brushed him off, smearing chalk over Wally's navy adidas shirt; "You want me to skip practice so you can play tourist?" 

"Absolutely," the red-head replied, long arms managing to wind around the smaller boy a second time. He raised an eyebrow at the grin spreading across Dick's face. 

"I'm totally with you dude. Where to?"

◦

HE SHOUDL'VE STAYED and trained, pushed himself to his limits with the same ambitions he always had. It would've been a way to make it up to Bruce and prove to the man that he wasn't the plan-wrecking sidekick he thought he was. But, really, the billionaire had set Dick up for failure! Inviting Wally West to join him for a training session? The two of them got on like a house on fire - they'd done so ever sine the Flash had first brought his nephew onto the hero scene. So what could Bruce really expect from them? Training? 

The only one to blame for Dick falling prey to the young speedster's wiles was Bruce himself.

And Dick.

And Wally. 

But, mostly, it was Bruce for leaving the two of them alone together. 

And now they were walking aimlessly through the bustling streets of Washington D.C, the Wayne Enterprises building far, far behind. Wally had at one point mentioned the Metrorail but Dick had quickly refused. His insistence on travelling by foot wasn't for nothing though - it was 93 degrees out. He wasn't planning on melting today.

Neither of the boys had thought to change out of their workout clothes (unused though they were) and, frankly, Dick was thankful. He was sure that if he'd gone for something more casually appropriate in this blistering heat he'd become a puddle of Grayson goo on the sidewalk. Bruce would have to scratch him off the concrete like he was Plastic Man - or he'd make Wally do it and have a field day shouting at him. 

Dick had opted to wear sunglasses though: A staple for public appearances of the Wayne ward. In retaliation Wally had raided a street vendor on the way past, buying a pair of cheap American-flag knock-off ray-bans and donning them stupidly on the crest of his nose. The red-head's pale skin was turning pink in the sun. He should've worn sunscreen, but Dick wasn't going to warn him away from his own mistakes. The next time Kid Flash was out and about, he'd be even harder to miss with his sunburnt features.

"We should totally visit the big guns," Wally decided as they passed the American History Museum. A gaggle of tourists were gathered outside, cameras poised and ready. "Where's the Whitehouse?"

"Somewhere over there," Dick swung his arm randomly, brushing through Wally's hair in the process and messing up his red locks. He snorted at the irritation that dawned on the other boy's face, shoving his hands into his shorts. "Have you ever met the President?"

"Oh hell yeah, man! Remember when me n' Barry put away Savitar?"

"Which time?"

"The second. The Pres wanted to thank us first hand," Wally announced proudly. He glanced towards a hot dog stand, brows furrowing thoughtfully. "He really just wanted to see The Flash but I got to tag along too. Hey, you hungry?"

Dick raised an eyebrow: "Not really."

"I could eat," Wally said, already cutting a line through the slew of people to head for the amenity. Dick rolled his eyes, following him and apologizing to those Wally had rudely pushed past.

"You never stop eating," Dick said, grimacing as his friend balanced three hotdogs in a single hand. Wally fished for change in his pockets, grinning up sheepishly as Dick tossed a twenty to the vendor. The raven-haired teen grabbed him by the scruff of his tee, pulling him away even as Wally chewed.

"'s my metabolism," Wally replied nonchalantly, taking another bite. He was down to the second hotdog already. "Once, when I was out with Barry, we went to an all-you-can-eat place and we got kicked out because we ate everyth-"

"Dude. Don't talk with your mouthful."

Wally grumbled amenably, crumbling a napkin and shoving it into one of Dick's pockets. "Sorry rich-boy. Since when did you learn manners?"

"Have you met Alfred?" Dick shot back, snatching Wally's litter and dropping it into a trashcan as they walked past. "Totally English."

"Yeah but, like, have you met Constantine? Also totally English."

"John's not so bad," Dick smiled as he recalled his last meeting with the man. He and the big-man had gone to visit Zatanna for intel and the unruly antihero had been there - probably to make some new deal with the devil or whatever the self-proclaimed 'supernatural advisor' did. Constantine had ruffled his hair, uncaring, as he spoke to Bruce. "He's actually pretty cool."

Wally wrinkled his nose: "You're only saying that because you think he's cute and we both know it."

"He's charming!" Dick shrugged, grinning. 

"If you think that man is charming, Dick, you have problems." The red-head rolled his eyes, weaving to the side as a group of despondent-looking kids marched miserably past. He eyed them cautiously. "Apparently so do they. What's up with them?"

Dick craned his neck to watch them pass, vision dark and shaded through his sunglasses. All seemed to be students, judging by age and the more-than-obvious sigil emblazoned on their matching blazers. He hummed slightly. "They must have lost."

"What?"

"The academic decathlon." Dick reiterated. He cocked a brow towards the red-head. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be in that? I thought you were on the team for Keystone."

"Uh, I was in it... for a time," came the quick reply. "Then Uncle Barry said it was unfair because, y'know, so I quit."

"Mm. Bruce won't let me join either. But you're super fast. And pretty dumb. I don't see the issue."

Wally shrugged, smiling brilliantly: "Try telling that to him, he think's I'm a genius tha - woah. Dick, let's go see the Washington Monument!"

Just ahead of them the towering buildings cut off, sky-scrapers replaced by the clear blue sky. Dick could already see the monument, its spire slicing through the barren emptiness. An expanse of green surrounded the landmark on either side of the road. 

Wally flickered beside Dick and the Wayne heir blinked in confusion before he reached out to pinch the other teen on the arm. The speedster reeled backwards, mouth falling open as he rubbed viciously at the point of contact: "Dude! What was that for, birdbrain?"

"No powers in public, idiot. Rule number one!" Dick hissed, throwing an arm around Wally's shoulders to keep him grounded. The red-head pushed his USA-themed sunglasses to the top of his head, scowling. "Don't look at me like that. I know you ran off."

"You have no proof," Wally insisted, tilting his chin slightly in indignation. His lips curled slightly as he tried to hold back a sly smile. Dick narrowed his eyes:

"You just visited the monument without me!" the dark-haired teen snapped, pulling Wally closer. "I thought we were doing this together!"

"You thought wrong. It's everyman for himself, you aren't the leader of this team-"

Dick pressed his thumb into a nerve in Wally's shoulder and the boy squirmed, huffing in good-natured frustration as he watched a smirk make its way onto the short boy's face. "This isn't a team! There's literally two of us! It's not my fault I have to chaperon you everywhere, you behave like a four-year-old."

"Tyrant."

"Child."

"Dick-tator."

The two boys stared at each other, eyes heated, mouths twitching with effort as they struggled to maintain their composure. They were stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, a blockade in the steady rhythm of city-life. Dick ignored the curious looks cast their way as they burst into laughter, scaring a few of the passers-by into an awkward jog.

He'd missed this. It felt like years since he'd spent time with Wally out of costume. The estimate wasn't far off. 

"Do you even want to go to the monument now?" Dick asked as Wally's trite laughter faded into poorly-contained snickering. "I mean, you've already seen it."

"I did a lap around the thing, I hardly saw it!" Wally whined, pouting like a hurt puppy. Dick watched as his sunglasses slowly slid down his forehead. "I didn't even get to go in."

Dick rolled his eyes and smiled. Kid Flash, emphasis on the 'Kid'. Wally's carping managed to soften Dick's demeanor - he really took after Bruce, without even meaning to - and he gave in. He wanted to see the monument too, after all; why should he deny himself the chance? 

"Fine. But if you so much as blink faster than any person should, I'm dumping you back with B," Dick threatened, starting towards the closest road crossing. Wally grinned, bouncing after him on the balls of his feet. 

"Aye-aye, cap'n!"

[to be continued...]

[lavieverdezoro]

" let us give you the support you deserve."

Zoro xTransmasc!Reader × Sanji, fluff to smut : threesome, degrading (Zoro), praising (Sanji), fighting over reader

Sailing through the seas on a small boat was lonesome. It had been a few days and you're hoping to get back to your crew again.

It had been a month and a half after you left the crew for a mission. Of course, they all begged you to stay and even offered you to come with because nakama stays together and fights through everything as a family.

They were stubborn yet supportive-especially your two close friends, Roronoa Zoro and Sanji. You missed them alot and you're hoping to see them again later today.

Some may be wondering where you were on your mission. It wasn't anything dangerous like fighting the marines or whatnot, no, it was something personal about you that changed your identity to one were you're most comfortable with.

You went to Trafalgar Law for your top surgery, it was a success. Although, you had to stay with the doctor and his crew for a whole month and a half to help you with your identity. You voice was a bit different and your breasts were removed in a top surgery-you felt happy and content with yourself ever since then.

You were so glad Law helped you and his crew.

However, doubts and thoughts still swirl around your mind like a whirlpool. Your crew didn't know and you're coming back as yourself now. With a shaky sigh, you try to replace your thoughts with postive scenarios

You know Luffy and the crew well enough to know that they won't judge you, that's the last thing they'd do. They'll welcome you with open arms. You're their nakama. They'll always be there for you and protect you.

You were still a bit skeptical, thinking that Zoro and Sanji will react differently to your new appearance.

You've been inseparable ever since you all got together as a crew two years ago. That and even after that on the present as we speak.

Another sigh left your lips. You hope for the best outcome. The sound of the waves took your attention, you look over as your eyes softened.

You thought about the times Sanji would comfort you by pampering you with his undivided attention and cooking you your favorite dishes. He knew what you like, what you dislike and all of that down to your usual cravings. It was as if he had listed down your food pattern and cravings. It was cute and thoughtful of him.

Your train of thoughts soon skimmed over to memories of the swordsman who you hold dear. Zoro was always the one to tease you whenever you two were together without Sanji around. Although he loves to do it with the curlybrow present just to make him jealous. It was a bit funny. Zoro was the one who would keep a close eye on you even during battles. Even with the scar over his eye which permanently closed his left eye, you'd feel both set of his eyes on you. Perhaps it was just a feeling but it was thoughtful of the swordsman to always be at your aid. He'd protect you from any kind of danger, both major to minor and simple situations such as stumbling and tripping over something.

You loved those moments from the cook and swordsman who would always bicker and banter towards eachother whenever they were in eachother's presence.

You're just scared to think of the possibility of losing them and your friendship with the two.

The fear and anxiety still lingers in your heart, however, you began to think of the torture you had dealt with being in a body you weren't comfortable with. It was exhausting but alas, you made it. You're in a body that you're starting to feel comfortable in being your true self.

All those internal battles with your mind was all worth it, you won over them and now you're a version of yourself that you're truly proud and comfortable of. You were happy.

You're free.

Pride and happiness took over in your emotions, it distracted you from your thoughts and insecurities.

Although you couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt and slight regret in you.

Were you too selfish? You hid your true self from everyone ever since.

Stuck in a slight trance of doubts and thoughts, you haven't realized that the Thousand Sunny Go was in the distance.

It was until when the waved gently rocked your boat which brought you back to reality. It was successful to stop another battle with your mind considering that your emotions were tangled at the moment. You cranked your head up in the distance, eyes widening.

You didn't know how to feel-you were happy yet so nervous.

The time was near.

Sooner or later, you'll be face to face with your crew.

With the limited time you have left to yourself, you try to mentally prepare yourself. You're gonna show you to the people who you deeply trust and love.

The boat sailed closer and closer, you were now in a decent distance. You decided to try and sneak up to the ship to perhaps surprise them, however-

"Y/N's here!!" Your captain's voice exclaims ever so loudly. Your eyes widen as you didn't have time to react with Luffy's rubbery arms stretching over the sea and towards your direction. You heard loud voices of surprise and protest as Luffy's arms wrap around your figure and pulling you back to him.

A yelp left your throat as you were roughly pulled against Luffy's chest, the impact successfully causing the both of you to fall back with you ontop of him. A hearty laugh was heard from Luffy as he clinged to you tightly, all while cheering for you return to the crew. The Strawhats all gather around with expressions of excitement, shock, surprise. But they were all cheerful at your return.

Especially Zoro and Sanji. Zoro held a loop-sided grin, crossing his arms over his chest as Sanji happily swooned at your presence. "Y/n-swan! My love!"

Spoke Sanji, eyes turning to hearts.

At their voices and reactions, a smile formed on your face. You were so happy to see them again. You missed them so, so much.

"Eh? Y/n? Is it just me or you look different?" Usopp's question nearly broke your cheery mood. Anxiety took over, you began to sweat a little.

Your palms felt a bit sweaty, your throat dried up as everyone's eyes were on you. They were waiting for your response.

It took you a few minutes but you finally mustered up some words to respond. A shaky smile went up to your lips. You were feeling uncomfortable and overwhelmed.

Zoro and Sanji noticed that. They simultaneously gazed at eachother, nodding. It was a silent message.

''m... I am a bit different from before." You spoke in a small voice. Despite that anxiety and fear filled your heart, you had to tell them. Even if your mind was choking you with the possibilities of the crew abandoning you. Your lips felt like it was sealed shut but it was now or never.

"Everyone," You began, swallowing down all your fears. You felt their gaze on you, patiently waiting for your next words. You shifted away from Luffy's grasp and stood to your full height, facing the Strawhats.

'I'm not the same person you know before... I may have a different body but i'm a man at heart-i was never a woman." You finally revealed the truth. A few pairs of eyes widened at that (mainly Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper).

"My name is Y/N, i'm a man who has a dream and i will do everything in my will power to achieve that dream!" You exclaimed, heart thumping loudly in your body, making your chest hurt. Some tears swelled up your eyes as you continued.

" understand that if vou don't accept me or think that i'm a freak. I'll leave the crew if you all want me to, i'm finally myself a-and i'm happy!" You bit your lower lip, seeing that you stunned the Strawhats. You turned your head away from their gaze, a tear escaping.

Parting your lips, you were about to speak once more but that was until Luffy's stern voice cut you off.

"You're not leaving!" Your captain stated, crossing his arms firmly against his chest. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at you, his lower lips poking out in a small pout.

Your eyes widened, you snapped your head towards Luffy. "B-But-" You stammered.

You were shocked, stunned and slightly in denial upon hearing Luffy's stern words. He continued to speak in the same tone, some of the Strawhats snickering and chuckling to themselves.

"You're my nakama! No one leaves eachother, we'll stay together until i become the King of the Pirates!" Luffy declared proudly yet sternly, stunning you more. Zoro chuckled and snickered, sending you a smirk.

"Once you're in, you never get out, Y/n." He spoke, a slight tinge of teasing in his tone. Sanji only ever sighed, chuckling softly as he lit up another stick of cigarette, putting it in between his lips before shoving his hands back to his pockets.

"Some of us learned it in the hard way, Y/n-swan." Sanji added to Zoro's words, making Zoro snicker more and elbow Sani in the stomach which he earned a slight playful glare from the cook.

You were still stunned, your mind barely processing this after all the negativity you've thought. Luffy then placed his Strawhat ontop your head, keeping it there firmly.

"You're staying with us, Y/n! I can't become the pirate king without you!"

You felt a pang in your heart. Your heart swells up with so many emotions, tears now streaming down your cheeks as you gawked at them while they only laughed, some Strawhats cheering at Luffy's words.

"Whoever or whatever you are, you're my nakama and you'll always be!"

Jinbei soon laughed cheerfully at the scene, it warmed his heart dearly. "We're happy for you, y/n!"

"AOOWWW, This is such a SUUUUPPEERRR heartwarming moment!" Franky exclaimed, laughing along joyfully as Brook nodded along.

"Brings tears to my eyes! Even if i don't have any eyes, Yohohoho!" He cracked up one of his skull jokes. The ship was filled with laughter and happiness.

They accepted you, they love you.

This caused you to finally break down, you sniffled as tears stream down your eyes. You bit your lip harshly, drawing blood as Luffy declared a feast and a celebration for you.

"Let's have a feast for Y/n!"

"Already on it, captain! Anything for my special y/n-swan's celebration!" Sanji grins cheekily, already rushing off to the kitchen.

You choked out another small sob, still not believing this. Your fears weren't true- it was all lies. A large grin soon reached up to your features, seeing the support from everyone you're receiving. Luffy's strawhat was still placed on your head as the rest of the Strawhats cheered.

They were so happy, They were proud of you.

As everyone talked about the feast after congratulating you, they slowly gathered up in the kitchen. Leaving you with the swordsman. He stayed behind with you for a reason.

Zoro's rough and calloused hand placed itself on your shoulder, giving you a grin. "Y/n.. I missed you, y'know? I could never say this shit with anyone else around." He chuckled, his eye softening as he gave your tearstained cheek a soft caress. It was a simple act but it was intimate.

'I'm proud of you, i'm happy you're comfortable in your own skin." He added, retracting his hand away from you even if he secretly didn't want to.

You smiled a heartfelt smile, looking at Zoro with a soft gaze. "Thank you, Zoro. I'm so glad i didn't lose you." Your words hit Zoro's heart, it gave him a slight flashback of his past of Kuina.

He was silent for a few seconds. Slowly, he pull in his strong hold, his arms wrapping around you tightly yet gently in a way of not hurt you "I'm so glad i didn't lose you." You'd hear him whisper.

You gladly return his hug. Zoro smelled like steel and booze but oddly enough, his scent comforted you, knowing that he's there and he always will be. After a few minutes, Zoro pulls away with a small chuckle.

"Enough with the sappy shit, wanna get booze with me?" He offered, hoping to see the words he wanted to hear from you. You laughed softly and nodded at his request. You're used to Zoro and his antics.

"Of course," You agreed which made Zoro's smile widen.

Zoro pulled you to the kitchen of the ship where the other Strawhats were. They were all celebrating and cheering happily.

The day was filled with happiness and laughter. It was your day. This will be a memory you certainly won't forget. You love the crew, and they love you as much as you love them.

But it was a different case for Zoro and Sanji.

As the eventful day continued, the dawn of night was soon born. Everything was calm on the ship, it now currently night and the Strawhats grew tired from such an eventful day. You were happy, you were in content.

Some of the Strawhats already went to sleep as you prepare for your own. The boys already moved in your stuff in the Boys' cabin which made you feel more accepted by their thoughtful gesture. You stepped in the cabin, seeing the rest already asleep.

A small smile crept your lips as you snuggled yourself in your own bunk bed.

Even if it was night, you couldn't sleep. Perhaps it was because of Luffy's loud snoring filling the room but it was different. You slowly let go, letting some thoughts flood your mind which drowned out the sound of Luffy's snores.

There it was again, the feeling of slight guilt and regret filling your heart. You're accepted by the crew and you genuinely feel happy, so why were these thoughts coming back?

You blanklv stared un at the ceiling a small frown dawning your lips as you took in the negativity once more. You shook your head, cussing at yourself under your breath for ruining your own mood with your carelessness. It wasn't long until you shifted up, hopping off your bed and exiting the room.

Your exit didn't go unnoticed, however.

Zoro woke up before and was resting in his bed before you came in earlier on. He stayed silent when you entered the room and exited a few minutes later.

He felt your mood sour and so, he sat up and planned on following you.

"Fuck-" Zoro suddenly cussed, accidentally bumping his head on the bottom of the wooden bunk bed that he was under.

"What the hell..?' Sanji was on the bed bunk ontop of Zoro, the small bump successfully waking up the cook. Sanji looked down on Zoro, scowling. "Marimo, let me get some damn rest, will ya?"

At that, Zoro scoffed and rolled his eye. He didn't care for Sanji, however, his main priority is you. "Yea yea, quit nagging like a old hag, curly." Zoro spat back, hopping off his own bed as Sanji irked an eyebrow at the swordsman.

"where are you going?"

Zoro only then glared at Sanji.

"None your damn business."

"Oi... If you two are gonna fight, do it outside. Some ot us are trying to sleep.

. Usopp groggily complained

which shut Zoro and Sanji up. They glared at eachother momentarily before scurrying off and exciting the cabin.

While this was happening, You were currently in the kitchen to get yourself a glass of water with those thoughts in your head.

It was haunting you, the thoughts and the feeling of regret and guilt still linger. You unconsciously gulped down on the water, even after that your throat still felt dry. You couldn't help but feel like something was missing in your life. With the thoughts still overwhelming you, it made you curl up in a ball on the kitchen floor.

You tucked your legs to yourself, heart feeling hot as your mind suffocated you with more thoughts.

The feeling of selfishness and guilt still taking a hold of you. It was all so overwhelming that it was making you hard to breath in and out. Your mind began to spin, your eyes slowly went wide.

You were about to have a panic attack.

A whine left your throat, your vision getting blurry.

You wanted to call for help but you couldn't move or say anything-you were stuck. It felt like you were gonna pass out. Your head ached, it hurts.

Closing your eyes tightly, you were just about to pass out until you heard two voice call out in surprise and slight panic.

"Y/n!" Zoro and Sanji calls out as they walk in on you in the midst of your breakdown.

Snapping your eyes open, you look at the two with slight dread and desperation. You couldn't speak, it was getting too hard to breath and think of anything

else.

Sanji furrowed his eyebrows worriedly, pulling you in a hug. His touch was gentle and soft, it was comforting-it was just what you needed. He leaned down and began to whisper sweet nothings near your ear, his hand caressing your back in a loving and comforting manner to show that they were there for you, always. They won't leave, they'll stay.

"Y/n, listen to me. Focus on what i say, okay?' Sanji spoke, still holding you. It took all of you to listen to his words carefully, nodding. Your attention was now fixated on him. "It's gonna be okay, i'm- we are here for you. Don't focus on anything else but me for now, okay?" He cooed softly, still holding you as Zoro watched the scene with a worried yet concerned expression.

Seeing that you were trying your best and that you had your attention on every word he had to say, he held you tighter. "Good, good boy." Sanji mutters softly, smiling slightly as your breathing slowly steadied its pace with the help of his words.

"S-Sanji-" You finally found your voice. You looked up at Sanji, clinging onto him as if he'll disappear. "Take it easy, my love. Find your pace." Sanji reassures softly, still holding you in a comforting embrace.

Zoro spoke up, scooting closer to your curled up form in Sanji's arms. "Calm down, y/n. It's gonn okay, we're still here. We ain't leaving no matter okay?" He whisnered audible enough for you and Zoro spoke up, scooting closer to your curled up form in Sanji's arms. "Calm down, y/n. It's gonna be okay, we're still here. We ain't leaving no matter what, okay?" He whispered, audible enough for you and Sanji to hear as your gasps filled the kitchen, echoing slightly as it bounced off the walls.

Zoro and Sanji listened to you, words of reassurance and comfort putting you to ease.

"I-I'm sorry, i was being too selfish- I've hid myself from you guys for so long, i didn't tell you- I'm so, so sorry." You confess, afraid that they hate you for not telling them something so important. You felt like you betrayed them.

"You're not selfish, y/n." Sanji stated, him and the swordsman sharing a knowing look as he did so.

"The cook's right. You aren't selfish for finding out who you are and taking your time on coming out with it." Zoro nodded as he voiced out the truth. "If anything, you should be damn proud of it. You're never too selfish, y/n. You're a strong man and i'm glad that you're still here."

Sanji soon smiled, still holding you lovingly as he caressed your hair. "we're proud of you for who you are.

You let out a choked gasp. "B-But i'm not a woman.

Don't you think that i'm a freak?" Desperation filled your voice, looking up at the men with tears in your eyes.

"Man or woman, we don't care. We still love you because you're y/n. You're yourself and we're so happy to have you." Sanii smiled. We appreciate you, darling. I... I still love you.

"Took the words out of my mouth, shit cook." Zoro chuckled a bit with a slight smirk. He then turned to you, taking his turn. "Y/n, you could be anyone and anything you want and we'd still love you. Why? we don't know ourselves but we still want to keep you around, that's for sure." At his choice of words, Sanji kicked him a bit with a scoff.

"What the damn mosshead is trying to say is... No matter what or who you are, we'd still love you no matter what the cost is. Because we love you, We fell for you."

You slowly took in their words little by little, processing them. After you took your time, you sniffled softly, your breathing now steady and calm but you were still a bit shaken up. "You... You guys really mean it? You love me?"

"My love, we mean it. Every single word of it."

"We love you, y/n. We're always here for you."

Their words brought tears to your eyes, you let a smile break out and display on your features. Sanji then cupped your cheek with his hand, his touch warm and comforting. You unconsciously leaned towards his touch as he caressed your cheek.

It was a subtle action but it showed his undying love and affection for you. You'd hear him whisper, slowly leaning towards you.

"Sweetheart, let us give the support you deserve." He then paused, his hand moving to cup your chin.

"May i..?"

It took you a moment to process his words. Without much word, you nodded as Sanji didn't waste his time to press his lips against yours. His kiss was soft and gentle, it was loving. It was a small action that showed his love to you. He held you firmly, his eye slowly fluttering shut as he continued to kiss you.

He had been dreaming about this for so, so long. He still longed more of your touch and attention ever since you came from earkier today after for a whole month and a half. Sanji didn't put up with it well ever since your absence of the crew, he kept getting into banters with Zoro more often ever since. Between him and Zoro, it was always a competition for your love and affection and he was so glad he's taking the first step with you.

Oh, But he was aware that Zoro will follow up. He's making it last while he can.

Sanji gently squeezed your hip, causing you to gasp and part your lips, giving him an advantage and he took it. He slipped his tounge and began to explore the spots his tounge could reach and caress. It wasn't long until his tounge danced with yours, his breath getting shaky and hot as it fans over your face softly as the kiss intensifies.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, cook." A deep voice in a slight growl called out. The swordsman glared at the cook before tugging you to his hard chest and away from Sanji's grasp. "You're not the only one who misses him." Zoro stated before pressing his own lips on yours, his tounge darting in and taking what he could. Sanji was annoyed, he frowned and furrowed his eyebrow.

"Don't be too greedy, shit marimo." He huffed as Zoro only ever continued to make out with you infront of Sanji just like he just did seconds ago.

Your lips quivered as both of the men practically fought over you. You didn't things to turn out in this way but you weren't complaining.

You'd had to admit, you feel a bit flattered being fought over. You were lost in a small trance as Zoro began to slip off the top of his robe, exposing his hard body which is eye candy to you. Zoro soon pulls away with a small string of saliva connecting your lips to his. He licked his lips as he smirked cheekily, having caught of your gaze on his body.

"Looks like i got the pretty boy's eye." His words of tease sent shivers down your spine. His rough hands sliding down to your sides in a up and down motion.

It was sensual and it made a few shaky breaths leave your lips.

As you faced Zoro, you were unaware as Sanji leaned over and began to prep kisses on your neck, enlighting a moan from you which made him smirk against your skin.

Blood rushed to your face as you shivered and trembled. Sanji pressed his body against yours from behind, his hips grinding into you with the feeling of his growing erection obvious against your skin. A low moan left Sanji's lips as he continued this action.

"Oh, Y/n... you're so tempting like this." He'd whisper with another low moan as the cook grinded against you in a desperate mannerism.

"curlybrow is that desperate?" Zoro teased, grinning mischievously as his hands moved under your shirt.

You were turning like putty in their hands. Sanj scoffed softly, nibbling on the skin of your neck before licking the bruise that formed on the spot.

"Heh, you're not wrong. Who wouldn't get desperate to see a pretty boy be so shy? Bet he's ready to take both of us." Zoro licked his lips, leaning down to nibble on your ear.

You were now squished in between both men, helpless and now under their mercy. You were slowly turning into a mess and they haven't gotten that far yet.

You were just too irresistible to them.

"Say, curly." Zoro calls out, eyeing Sanji with both of them hands still on you. The cook irked an eyebrow as looked at the swordsman with a slight look of annoyance. "What?"

"What if we call it a truce...? Just this once, for him." Zoro offered, making Sanji think in thought. A sigh left Sanji as he nodded reluctantly. "Mh.. Only for my love. I'd do anything and everything to see him in such ecstasy and pleasure, even if it meant having you around." Sanji spoke, lips latching back to the neck of your skin which made you whimper. You're getting sensitive just from their actions.

"Enough with the competing... for now. Let's make him feel so fucking good." Zoro smirked and chuckled, stripping you out of your shirt which showed your transition scars. He admired them, his hands slowly reaching to trace your scars before teasing your nipples as they harden at his touch.

"You're so damn hot." The swordsman would mutter, claiming your lips once more. Without hesitation, you kissed back with small moans and whimpers leaving your lips and into the kiss, making Zoro growl slightly at the pleasurable vibration.

As the two of you made out, Sanji took the advantage to strip the remaining of your clothes, your pants soon pooling down around your feet on the kitchen floor as he undid them.

You felt his breath hitch at the sight of your nude body. It was so tempting, so hot. Sanji soon began to unbutton his dress shirt, and his belt after he did so. "Oh, my darling y/n." He began, nibbling on your neck more as you made out with the swordsman. You telt a surge ot desperation and desire to be in such a situation, being all nude and needy for both men.

"I can't wait to feel you..." Sanji's words made you tremble. Your kind felt dizzy and light headed. You cut the kiss short, panting heavily as Zoro drank in the sight of you in such a state.

"Look at you," Zoro groaned. "You want us both, don't you? Such a manwhore." Those words made you weak to the knees.

'-I need it... Please." You pleaded lightly, whimpering softly. This reaction gave Zoro a surge of arousal and desire, he smirked as he took in your desperate, pleading words.

"Need what?" Zoro teased.

"You need to speak up for us, mon amour. What do you need? Use that attractive voice of yours.." Sanji's tone was teasing aswell but his was more softer, more tender and sensual.

'-Inside... I need you t-to fuck me, please." You pleaded once more, using your voice as asked.

"Now that's a good boy." Zoro hummed in satisfaction, dropping down his robe and his pants.

He gave you a knowing wink, smirking lightly. You were now in between two nearly naked men, their erections hard and pulsing. You gulped a bit, preparing to what was about to come.

"On all fours, now." Zoro commanded. With a submissive nod along with a shiver of pleasure ran down your spine, you went on your hands and knees.

Sanji licked his lips, moving to get on his knees infront of you. His hand reached down to part your lips open with his thumb. He let out a soft groan at he saw the way you look up at him.

"Y/n. " He muttered softly, letting his pulsing cock free from his boxers. It throbbed with need for attention as the tip gently poked your lips. Without much word, your tounge slip out, running up to Sanji's length to the very tip. His breath hitches as you licked the slit with some pre-cum already leaking.

"Yes, yes, my love.. Just like that." Sanji moaned softly, praising and encouraging you as you took your time before you took him in your mouth. He threw his head back, his lips parting ever so slightly. His hand went to place itself on your head, gently caressing your hair.

"So warm.." Sanji moaned out as you slowly bobbed your head on his hardened cock, it throbbing inside your mouth. He covered his mouth, looking back down at you with some blood dripping down his chin from his nose. "You're doing so good, y/n-swan..- " He praised softly in a small moan, moving his hips slightly.

"Dartbrow is already having his fun, don't mind if i do." Zoro muses, grinning as he took the position from your behind. He got to his knees, freeing his throbbing length from his boxers.

His hands went to your ass, spreading them to take a better look at your tempting and needy entrance. He grinned, teasing you by rubbing his hard tip to your hole, making you flinch slightly and trembled as you move your hips in an attempt to pull him in.

You couldn't move you head to look at the swordsman, you were busy with Sanji using your mouth. You couldn't see as Zoro spat on your entrance. He teasingly rubbed his length on you, groaning lowly as he watched your ass engulfed his thick length. With his saliva acting as a poor excuse of lube, he pushed in, slowly but surely.

"Fuck, now this is the good stuff." He groaned out, moving his grip to your hips to keep you steady as he sheathes himself inside you. Moans left your throat and onto Sanji's dick, the vibrations sent addictive sensations to Sanji as he moaned and gripped on your hair, tugging on it gently.

Both of the men were now inside you. Sanji thrusted his hips lightly, his breathing shaky and hot. He looked down at you with flushed cheeks, nose still dripping with blood as he engraved the view of you taking in his needy cock into your warm, heavenly mouth. He bit his lips, loving the feeling of your lips wrapped around him as you suck him off, your moans giving him pleasurable vibrations.

Zoro took his sweet time with you, he was mesmerized at the sight of you taking in his cock. he felt your tightness around him stretch to his size.

Another groan leaft his throat as he slowly thrusted in and out, finding his slow but rough pace.'

"Such a good whore for taking me all in." Zoro grinned, giving your ass a squeeze.

Doesn't it feel good to be in between two men who want you? It's even more flattering to now realize that they're fighting over you. You were loved by the cook and the swordsman and it showed.

Tears of pleasure gathered in your eyes as Sanji pushed himself deeper, his tip slowly reaching down to your throat. That and Zoro's rough pace was all too much to bear. Your body couldn't take it well but oh it did.

"Fuck, y/n... you're so good, my love." Sanji praised, a string of praises mixed with moans leaving his lips as he guided your head to his cock, successfully deep throating him. "You're so attractive, keep looking at me like that, please." He choked out, his breath going faster as he took in every single if your sweet expressions as you took him in your mouth all while sending pleasurable vibrations to his pulsing cock.

Zoro growled as his thrusts picked up the speed, his tip hitting your g-spot each time to which made you arch your back. Fuck, it was all too good.

The sounds of skin slapping, grunts and moans bounced off the kitchen's walls. Both Zoro and Sanji's thrusts getting sloppy and desperate.

"You're mine, y/n." Zoro groaned out possesively, his grip on your hips tightening as he gave your ass a smack, his eye watching intently as your skin rippled against each impact he did on you. Sanji couldn't even glare at the swordsman properly, his hips still thrusting into your warm mouth.

"He's ours." Sanji corrected with a shaky huff, his eye focusing on you and only you. Zoro couldn't even care less at Sanji's words, he was too focused on his pace.

It wasn't long until the both of them were reaching their peak, seeing how their thrusts were getting so sloppy and desperate. You even felt them twitch inside you.

With Sanji's cock stuffed inside your mouth along with Zoro fucking the hell out of you from behind, it was clear that you were theirs.

"Shit, it's too good." Zoro cussed out, groaning as he threw his head back, his thrusts still steady and rough as it penetrated you.

You were too busy taking all the pleasure in. Saliva slowly leaked out from your lips and it dribbled down yo your chin, adding more arousal for Sanji.

"Y/n! I-I'm-!" Sanji couldn't even finish his words, he gave in a few last, sloppy thrusts as he stuffed your mouth with his warm semen. The liquid forced itself down into your throat as you took it all in.

The swordsman himself wasn't far behind, he gave one last powerful thrust before filling you up to the brim with his seed. A loud groan echoed though the kitchen as it came from the cook and the swordsman's throats. Zoro panted heavily, his voice raspy as he rode out his high.

You yourself didn't even realize that you already reached your peak multiple times, the pleasure was all too much for you but fuck it felt so, so good. Both Zoro and Sanji pulled out of you, causing your body to collapse on the kitchen floor tiles, the cold tiles caressing your skin. You coughed a bit, panting heavily as the both of then admired their work on you.

You were stuffed, filled to the brim with their cum.

Some already leaking from your asshole and your lips. Zoro chuckled slightly, his cock still throbbing.

"What a sight." The swordsman muses lightly. "So... Y/n, will you let us have our way with you again? There's more to come." Zoro added with a mischievous smirk. Sanji groaned softly and quietly, wanting more.

"Let us take care of you."

[alwayshappyhoursomewhere]

[Translation] SPUR September 2023

Exclusive Interview with Stéphane Lambiel "About Love"

Stéphane Lambiel invites us into his beautiful musical world with his smooth skating and graceful ballet-like movements on the ice. He talks about his love and passion for skating, and everything in his life.

Looking back on his remarkable season as a coach.

Stéphane Lambiel came to Japan to perform in "Fantasy on Ice," the most prominent ice show in Japan. In the 2022-23 figure skating season, Japan's Shoma Uno, whom he coaches, won his second consecutive World Championships, and Koshiro Shimada won a silver medal at the All-Japan Championships. Latvia's Deniss Vasiljevs has also distinguished himself in the Grand Prix Series, so it has been smooth sailing for the coach.

"Shoma, Koshiro, and Deniss are not the only young talents sprouting up one after another. I want all the students at Champery (Switzerland) to grow. I hope my teaching will have a positive impact on their careers and lives. That's my number one goal right now."

After the Corona disaster, the international sports scene is slowly returning to its original state. This year, Stéphane organized a joint training camp in Kyoto with students from the Kinoshita Academy in Japan and Champéry.

"This is a good opportunity for the students to experience a different method from the one they are used to," said Stéphane. This time, we also made time for them to learn physical performance that is different from skating, such as yoga and dance lessons, not only on the ice. By learning new ways to use their bodies, they can feed back to their skating and improve their artistry. They were able to motivate each other, so I felt it was beneficial to share practice.

Today, Kinoshita is home to an elite group of figure skaters who are the future of figure skating.

"I was amazed by all the students. They are able to practice very meticulously while also maintaining their focus. If I had to name a few players that I personally pay attention to, I would say junior players Mao Shimada and Shunsuke Nakamura. I feel something special about them. Hana Yoshida knows her body well and has the ability to use it well."

About the challenges to tackle for the new season

During the training camp, Stéphane also choreographed new programs. He also said it was an opportunity to see the response from Uno, Shimada, and Vasilijevs.

"As for Koshiro, he will continue with his SP "Sing Sing Sing". For FS, he will perform a piano version of "Danse Macabre," choreographed by me. Denis performed his new SP "Hallelujah" for "Fantasy on Ice". This was his first time working with choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne. It was a very innovative piece, and it took him some time to understand what she was trying to achieve. Then he practiced a lot, and made it his own. I will be choreographing the FS, which will be different from the atmosphere of the past. Please look forward to it.

Shoma has two programs for SP, and I think he is considering which one to use for the competition.One is by Shae-Lynn, and the other one is my creation. I think he will decide after skating both of them at the summer ice show. The SP I made will have a pretty challenging content. It will be divided into several parts, with a short intro to present the outline of the story, followed by a romantic and lyrical part, and then a dynamic change at the end. The unfolding is quite extreme, and I think it will be a very intense performance. I'm looking forward to seeing it at the show, too. For FS, I have proposed some songs, and the choreography will be done by Kenji Miyamoto."

This will be his third (sic) season as Uno's coach. Stéphane says he will do his best to support Uno, who has expressed his desire to improve his expressive side.

There are two wonderful things about Shoma," said Stéphane. One is the rich expressive power of his eyes and of his body movements as a whole. The other is his passion to control everything by himself. When he learns something new, his willingness to practice and make it absolutely his own is second to none. These two virtues have already made him a unique, one-of-a-kind skater. If he is looking for something more on top of that... from me, I think I can help him in terms of musicality. Of course he has musical sense, but I think he can deepen it even more. by refining his sensibility, he will be able to add more "umami", as they say in Japanese, to his performance, a taste that only he can bring out. I believe that the audience too will be able to sense something special from his performance.

Putting his love for his soulmate into his dance on the ice

Thirteen years after retiring from professional skating, Stéphane is now in his mature stage as a professional figure skater. The two performances at this year's Ice Show were truly musical works that moved the audience emotionally.

The first piece performed at Fantasy on Ice was the fourth movement of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5, Adagietto. My friend Beatrice Belieu(?), a musician, played the piano and made the arrangement. The second is "Simple song" from the soundtrack of the movie "Grand Finale" (2015). Adagietto was choreographed by Salome Brunner. In fact, the performance presented here is only a part of the whole. Champéry has a festival called "Rencontres Musicales de Champéry" (Encounters with Music), and next year I will be skating Adagietto with Beatrice, who will play live.

The adagietto by Maher, known in the 70's for the film "Death in Venice" and more recently as the key piece in the film "TAR" (2022), is a classic. The sweet and dramatic tune is linked with a personal story.

Mahler's Adagietto was written with love as its theme. Through this song, I wanted to express the various stages of love that I have experienced. It begins with the meeting of two people, the period of burning love that brings them together as one, and then the period when there are discrepancies in the relationship. After overcoming these difficulties, they feel comfortable with each other, and then they rediscover each other as if they had met anew, even though they are the same person. The first meeting and the last meeting have different meanings, and their love evolves. When I skate to this song, I envision in my mind's eye a very rich relationship with the person I am now living with, my soulmate. There is actually a subtle twist to this performance. I thought of it with Salome, it has the same movement at the beginning and the end, but in reverse. With that movement, I expressed the evolution of the relationship and the sense of distance that is created.

He devised the choreography for 'Simple song' with his colleagues at Champéry. It is an insert song for the movie, sung wistfully by Korean opera singer Sumi Jo.

I had heard this song by chance before I saw the movie, and I thought it was a great song. I rediscovered it after watching the film, and then chose it. The personal theme of this film is growing older. Considering my own career, I am slowly approaching the limits of my physical capabilities, and I don't think I will be able to skate for much longer in the future. Still, there is a part of me that wants to skate forever. So when I am skating to this song, I express myself to the fullest as my performance, and I hope that it will be forever. *Adagietto and Simple Song both incorporate movements that require quite a bit of physical endurance, since I have to stand on one point of the edge of my skates and hold it for a long time. The goal is to achieve a noble movement despite being forced to exert that kind of control. Although I feel pleasure in being able to be in control, there are also times when I feel fragility and danger in front of the audience. It's a very lovely moment."

At this year's Fantasy on Ice, fellow skater Johnny Weir retired.

We get together every year in early summer for the show, and the performers are like family. I've talked about that with Johnny, too. It's sad to retire from the ice show, but I think it's also a positive thing. I can't speak for him, but I think he would like to do another project in his life. We have promised that we will spend time together again somewhere. Maybe a private vacation! Sometimes I think about my last show myself. I haven't made up my mind yet.

Despite being involved in a variety of activities, you are still passionate about skating. What is the source of your motivation?

I think it has something to do with the fact that I have matured, and when I aim for my best performance, I want to express myself in the most natural way. My personality is lyrical and romantic, so I often get inspiration from watching that kind of movies or from stage music. Music shakes up emotions from a deep place inside of me, and pushes to the surface the life force within. I can skate by borrowing the energy of the song. As I feel that, I guess that maybe I can perform better, with a sense of unity."

[diminshee]

" Let us give you the support you deserve. " : Zoro x Transmasc!Reader x Sanji, fluff to smut : threesome, degrading (Zoro), praising (Sanji), fighting over reader

Note — this is my longest one as it counted up to 6,013 words... I hope you lovelies enjoy this one, it's my first time to write a Trans!Reader and please know that i'm not trans so i have tried to put myself in a different POV than mine... i hope it's alright. <3

Sailing through the seas on a small boat was lonesome. It had been a few days and you're hoping to get back to your crew again.

It had been a month and a half after you left the crew for a mission. Of course, they all begged you to stay and even offered you to come with because nakama stays together and fights through everything as a family.

They were stubborn yet supportive—especially your two close friends, Roronoa Zoro and Sanji. You missed them alot and you're hoping to see them again later today.

Some may be wondering where you were on your mission. It wasn't anything dangerous like fighting the marines or whatnot, no, it was something personal about you that changed your identity to one were you're most comfortable with.

You went to Trafalgar Law for your top surgery, it was a success. Although, you had to stay with the doctor and his crew for a whole month and a half to help you with your identity. You voice was a bit different and your breasts were removed in a top surgery—you felt happy and content with yourself ever since then. You were so glad Law helped you and his crew.

However, doubts and thoughts still swirl around your mind like a whirlpool. Your crew didn't know and you're coming back as yourself now. With a shaky sigh, you try to replace your thoughts with postive scenarios.

You know Luffy and the crew well enough to know that they won't judge you, that's the last thing they'd do. They'll welcome you with open arms. You're their nakama. They'll always be there for you and protect you.

You were still a bit skeptical, thinking that Zoro and Sanji will react differently to your new appearance. You've been inseparable ever since you all got together as a crew two years ago. That and even after that on the present as we speak.

Another sigh left your lips. You hope for the best outcome. The sound of the waves took your attention, you look over as your eyes softened.

You thought about the times Sanji would comfort you by pampering you with his undivided attention and cooking you your favorite dishes. He knew what you like, what you dislike and all of that down to your usual cravings. It was as if he had listed down your food pattern and cravings. It was cute and thoughtful of him.

Your train of thoughts soon skimmed over to memories of the swordsman who you hold dear. Zoro was always the one to tease you whenever you two were together without Sanji around. Although he loves to do it with the curlybrow present just to make him jealous. It was a bit funny. Zoro was the one who would keep a close eye on you even during battles. Even with the scar over his eye which permanently closed his left eye, you'd feel both set of his eyes on you. Perhaps it was just a feeling but it was thoughtful of the swordsman to always be at your aid. He'd protect you from any kind of danger, both major to minor and simple situations such as stumbling and tripping over something.

You loved those moments from the cook and swordsman who would always bicker and banter towards eachother whenever they were in eachother's presence.

You're just scared to think of the possibility of losing them and your friendship with the two.

The fear and anxiety still lingers in your heart, however, you began to think of the torture you had dealt with being in a body you weren't comfortable with. It was exhausting but alas, you made it. You're in a body that you're starting to feel comfortable in being your true self.

All those internal battles with your mind was all worth it, you won over them and now you're a version of yourself that you're truly proud and comfortable of. You were happy.

You're free.

Pride and happiness took over in your emotions, it distracted you from your thoughts and insecurities. Although you couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt and slight regret in you.

Were you too selfish? You hid your true self from everyone ever since.

Stuck in a slight trance of doubts and thoughts, you haven't realized that the Thousand Sunny Go was in the distance.

It was until when the waved gently rocked your boat which brought you back to reality. It was successful to stop another battle with your mind considering that your emotions were tangled at the moment. You cranked your head up in the distance, eyes widening. You didn't know how to feel—you were happy yet so nervous.

The time was near.

Sooner or later, you'll be face to face with your crew. With the limited time you have left to yourself, you try to mentally prepare yourself. You're gonna show you to the people who you deeply trust and love.

The boat sailed closer and closer, you were now in a decent distance. You decided to try and sneak up to the ship to perhaps surprise them, however—

"Y/N's here!!" Your captain's voice exclaims ever so loudly. Your eyes widen as you didn't have time to react with Luffy's rubbery arms stretching over the sea and towards your direction. You heard loud voices of surprise and protest as Luffy's arms wrap around your figure and pulling you back to him.

A yelp left your throat as you were roughly pulled against Luffy's chest, the impact successfully causing the both of you to fall back with you ontop of him. A hearty laugh was heard from Luffy as he clinged to you tightly, all while cheering for your return to the crew. The Strawhats all gather around with expressions of excitement, shock, surprise. But they were all cheerful at your return.

Especially Zoro and Sanji. Zoro held a loop-sided grin, crossing his arms over his chest as Sanji happily swooned at your presence. "Y/n-swan! My love!" Spoke Sanji, eyes turning to hearts.

At their voices and reactions, a smile formed on your face. You were so happy to see them again. You missed them so, so much.

"Eh? Y/n? Is it just me or you look different?" Usopp's question nearly broke your cheery mood. Anxiety took over, you began to sweat a little.

Your palms felt a bit sweaty, your throat dried up as everyone's eyes were on you. They were waiting for your response.

It took you a few minutes but you finally mustered up some words to respond. A shaky smile went up to your lips. You were feeling uncomfortable and overwhelmed.

Zoro and Sanji noticed that. They simultaneously gazed at eachother, nodding. It was a silent message.

"I'm... I am a bit different from before." You spoke in a small voice. Despite that anxiety and fear filled your heart, you had to tell them. Even if your mind was choking you with the possibilities of the crew abandoning you. Your lips felt like it was sealed shut but it was now or never.

"Everyone," You began, swallowing down all your fears. You felt their gaze on you, patiently waiting for your next words. You shifted away from Luffy's grasp and stood to your full height, facing the Strawhats.

"I'm not the same person you know before... I may have a different body but i'm a man at heart—i was never a woman." You finally revealed the truth. A few pairs of eyes widened at that (mainly Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper).

"My name is Y/N, i'm a man who has a dream and i will do everything in my will power to achieve that dream!" You exclaimed, heart thumping loudly in your body, making your chest hurt. Some tears swelled up your eyes as you continued.

"I understand that if you don't accept me or think that i'm a freak. I'll leave the crew if you all want me to, i'm finally myself a-and i'm happy!" You bit your lower lip, seeing that you stunned the Strawhats. You turned your head away from their gaze, a tear escaping.

Parting your lips, you were about to speak once more but that was until Luffy's stern voice cut you off. "You're not leaving!" Your captain stated, crossing his arms firmly against his chest. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at you, his lower lips poking out in a small pout.

Your eyes widened, you snapped your head towards Luffy. "B-But-" You stammered.

You were shocked, stunned and slightly in denial upon hearing Luffy's stern words. He continued to speak in the same tone, some of the Strawhats snickering and chuckling to themselves.

"You're my nakama! No one leaves eachother, we'll stay together until i become the King of the Pirates!" Luffy declared proudly yet sternly, stunning you more. Zoro chuckled and snickered, sending you a smirk.

"Once you're in, you never get out, Y/n." He spoke, a slight tinge of teasing in his tone. Sanji only ever sighed, chuckling softly as he lit up another stick of cigarette, putting it in between his lips before shoving his hands back to his pockets.

"Some of us learned it in the hard way, Y/n-swan." Sanji added to Zoro's words, making Zoro snicker more and elbow Sanji in the stomach which he earned a slight playful glare from the cook.

You were still stunned, your mind barely processing this after all the negativity you've thought. Luffy then placed his Strawhat ontop your head, keeping it there firmly.

"You're staying with us, Y/n! I can't become the pirate king without you!"

You felt a pang in your heart. Your heart swells up with so many emotions, tears now streaming down your cheeks as you gawked at them while they only laughed, some Strawhats cheering at Luffy's words. "Whoever or whatever you are, you're my nakama and you'll always be!"

Jinbei soon laughed cheerfully at the scene, it warmed his heart dearly. "We're happy for you, y/n!"

"AOOWWW, This is such a SUUUUPPEERRR heartwarming moment!" Franky exclaimed, laughing along joyfully as Brook nodded along.

"Brings tears to my eyes! Even if i don't have any eyes, Yohohoho!" He cracked up one of his skull jokes. The ship was filled with laughter and happiness.

They accepted you, they love you.

This caused you to finally break down, you sniffled as tears stream down your eyes. You bit your lip harshly, drawing blood as Luffy declared a feast and a celebration for you.

"Let's have a feast for Y/n!"

"Already on it, captain! Anything for my special y/n-swan's celebration!" Sanji grins cheekily, already rushing off to the kitchen.

You choked out another small sob, still not believing this. Your fears weren't true—it was all lies. A large grin soon reached up to your features, seeing the support from everyone you're receiving. Luffy's strawhat was still placed on your head as the rest of the Strawhats cheered.

They were so happy, They were proud of you.

As everyone talked about the feast after congratulating you, they slowly gathered up in the kitchen. Leaving you with the swordsman. He stayed behind with you for a reason.

Zoro's rough and calloused hand placed itself on your shoulder, giving you a grin. "Y/n.. I missed you, y'know? I could never say this shit with anyone else around." He chuckled, his eye softening as he gave your tearstained cheek a soft caress. It was a simple act but it was intimate.

"I'm proud of you, i'm happy you're comfortable in your own skin." He added, retracting his hand away from you even if he secretly didn't want to.

You smiled a heartfelt smile, looking at Zoro with a soft gaze. "Thank you, Zoro. I'm so glad i didn't lose you." Your words hit Zoro's heart, it gave him a slight flashback of his past. Of Kuina.

He was silent for a few seconds. Slowly, he pulled you in his strong hold, his arms wrapping around you tightly yet gently in a way of not hurting you. "I'm so glad i didn't lose you." You'd hear him whisper.

You gladly return his hug. Zoro smelled like steel and booze but oddly enough, his scent comforted you, knowing that he's there and he always will be. After a few minutes, Zoro pulls away with a small chuckle.

"Enough with the sappy shit, wanna get booze with me?" He offered, hoping to see the words he wanted to hear from you. You laughed softly and nodded at his request. You're used to Zoro and his antics.

"Of course," You agreed which made Zoro's smile widen.

Zoro pulled you to the kitchen of the ship where the other Strawhats were. They were all celebrating and cheering happily.

The day was filled with happiness and laughter. It was your day. This will be a memory you certainly won't forget. You love the crew, and they love you as much as you love them.

But it was a different case for Zoro and Sanji.

As the eventful day continued, the dawn of night was soon born. Everything was calm on the ship, it now currently night and the Strawhats grew tired from such an eventful day. You were happy, you were in content.

Some of the Strawhats already went to sleep as you prepare for your own. The boys already moved in your stuff in the Boys' cabin which made you feel more accepted by their thoughtful gesture. You stepped in the cabin, seeing the rest already asleep. A small smile crept your lips as you snuggled yourself in your own bunk bed.

Even if it was night, you couldn't sleep. Perhaps it was because of Luffy's loud snoring filling the room but it was different. You slowly let go, letting some thoughts flood your mind which drowned out the sound of Luffy's snores.

There it was again, the feeling of slight guilt and regret filling your heart. You're accepted by the crew and you genuinely feel happy, so why were these thoughts coming back?

You blankly stared up at the ceiling, a small frown dawning your lips as you took in the negativity once more. You shook your head, cussing at yourself under your breath for ruining your own mood with your carelessness. It wasn't long until you shifted up, hopping off your bed and exiting the room.

Your exit didn't go unnoticed, however.

Zoro woke up before and was resting in his bed before you came in earlier on. He stayed silent when you entered the room and exited a few minutes later. He felt your mood sour and so, he sat up and planned on following you.

"Fuck-" Zoro suddenly cussed, accidentally bumping his head on the bottom of the wooden bunk bed that he was under.

"What the hell...?" Sanji was on the bed bunk ontop of Zoro, the small bump successfully waking up the cook. Sanji looked down on Zoro, scowling. "Marimo, let me get some damn rest, will ya?"

At that, Zoro scoffed and rolled his eye. He didn't care for Sanji, however, his main priority is you. "Yea yea, quit nagging like a old hag, curly." Zoro spat back, hopping off his own bed as Sanji irked an eyebrow at the swordsman.

"where are you going?"

Zoro only then glared at Sanji.

"None your damn business."

"Oi... If you two are gonna fight, do it outside. Some of us are trying to sleep." Usopp groggily complained which shut Zoro and Sanji up. They glared at eachother momentarily before scurrying off and exciting the cabin.

While this was happening, You were currently in the kitchen to get yourself a glass of water with those thoughts in your head.

It was haunting you, the thoughts and the feeling of regret and guilt still linger. You unconsciously gulped down on the water, even after that your throat still felt dry. You couldn't help but feel like something was missing in your life. With the thoughts still overwhelming you, it made you curl up in a ball on the kitchen floor.

You tucked your legs to yourself, heart feeling heavy as your mind suffocated you with more thoughts. The feeling of selfishness and guilt still taking a hold of you. It was all so overwhelming that it was making you hard to breath in and out. Your mind began to spin, your eyes slowly went wide.

You were about to have a panic attack.

A whine left your throat, your vision getting blurry. You wanted to call for help but you couldn't move or say anything—you were stuck. It felt like you were gonna pass out. Your head ached, it hurts.

Closing your eyes tightly, you were just about to pass out until you heard two voice call out in surprise and slight panic.

"Y/n!" Zoro and Sanji calls out as they walk in on you in the midst of your breakdown.

Snapping your eyes open, you look at the two with slight dread and desperation. You couldn't speak, it was getting too hard to breath and think of anything else.

Sanji furrowed his eyebrows worriedly, pulling you in a hug. His touch was gentle and soft, it was comforting—it was just what you needed. He leaned down and began to whisper sweet nothings near your ear, his hand caressing your back in a loving and comforting manner to show that they were there for you, always. They won't leave, they'll stay.

"Y/n, listen to me. Focus on what i say, okay?" Sanji spoke, still holding you. It took all of you to listen to his words carefully, nodding. Your attention was now fixated on him. "It's gonna be okay, i'm- we are here for you. Don't focus on anything else but me for now, okay?" He cooed softly, still holding you as Zoro watched the scene with a worried yet concerned expression.

Seeing that you were trying your best and that you had your attention on every word he had to say, he held you tighter. "Good, good boy." Sanji mutters softly, smiling slightly as your breathing slowly steadied its pace with the help of his words.

"S-Sanji-" You finally found your voice. You looked up at Sanji, clinging onto him as if he'll disappear. "Take it easy, my love. Find your pace." Sanji reassures softly, still holding you in a comforting embrace.

Zoro spoke up, scooting closer to your curled up form in Sanji's arms. "Calm down, y/n. It's gonna be okay, we're still here. We ain't leaving no matter what, okay?" He whispered, audible enough for you and Sanji to hear as your gasps filled the kitchen, echoing slightly as it bounced off the walls.

Zoro and Sanji listened to you, words of reassurance and comfort putting you to ease.

"I-I'm sorry, i was being too selfish- I've hid myself from you guys for so long, i didn't tell you- I'm so, so sorry." You confess, afraid that they hate you for not telling them something so important. You felt like you betrayed them.

"You're not selfish, y/n." Sanji stated, him and the swordsman sharing a knowing look as he did so.

"The cook's right. You aren't selfish for finding out who you are and taking your time on coming out with it." Zoro nodded as he voiced out the truth. "If anything, you should be damn proud of it. You're never too selfish, y/n. You're a strong man and i'm glad that you're still here."

Sanji soon smiled, still holding you lovingly as he caressed your hair. "we're proud of you for who you are."

You let out a choked gasp. "B-But i'm not a woman. Don't you think that i'm a freak?" Desperation filled your voice, looking up at the men with tears in your eyes.

"Man or woman, we don't care. We still love you because you're y/n. You're yourself and we're so happy to have you." Sanji smiled. "We appreciate you, darling. I... I still love you."

"Took the words out of my mouth, shit cook." Zoro chuckled a bit with a slight smirk. He then turned to you, taking his turn. "Y/n, you could be anyone and anything you want and we'd still love you. Why? we don't know ourselves but we still want to keep you around, that's for sure." At his choice of words, Sanji kicked him a bit with a scoff.

"What the damn mosshead is trying to say is... No matter what or who you are, we'd still love you no matter what the cost is. Because we love you, y/n. We fell for you."

You slowly took in their words little by little, processing them. After you took your time, you sniffled softly, your breathing now steady and calm but you were still a bit shaken up. "You... You guys really mean it? You love me?"

"My love, we mean it. Every single word of it."

"We love you, y/n. We're always here for you."

Their words brought tears to your eyes, you let a smile break out and display on your features. Sanji then cupped your cheek with his hand, his touch warm and comforting. You unconsciously leaned towards his touch as he caressed your cheek.

It was a subtle action but it showed his undying love and affection for you. You'd hear him whisper, slowly leaning towards you.

"Sweetheart, let us give the support you deserve." He then paused, his hand moving to cup your chin. "May i...?"

It took you a moment to process his words. Without much word, you nodded as Sanji didn't waste his time to press his lips against yours. His kiss was soft and gentle, it was loving. It was a small action that showed his love to you. He held you firmly, his eye slowly fluttering shut as he continued to kiss you.

He had been dreaming about this for so, so long. He still longed more of your touch and attention ever since you came from earkier today after for a whole month and a half. Sanji didn't put up with it well ever since your absence of the crew, he kept getting into banters with Zoro more often ever since. Between him and Zoro, it was always a competition for your love and affection and he was so glad he's taking the first step with you.

Oh, But he was aware that Zoro will follow up. He's making it last while he can.

Sanji gently squeezed your hip, causing you to gasp and part your lips, giving him an advantage and he took it. He slipped his tounge and began to explore the spots his tounge could reach and caress. It wasn't long until his tounge danced with yours, his breath getting shaky and hot as it fans over your face softly as the kiss intensifies.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, cook." A deep voice in a slight growl called out. The swordsman glared at the cook before tugging you to his hard chest and away from Sanji's grasp. "You're not the only one who misses him." Zoro stated before pressing his own lips on yours, his tounge darting in and taking what he could. Sanji was annoyed, he frowned and furrowed his eyebrow.

"Don't be too greedy, shit marimo." He huffed as Zoro only ever continued to make out with you infront of Sanji just like he just did seconds ago.

Your lips quivered as both of the men practically fought over you. You didn't things to turn out in this way but you weren't complaining.

You'd had to admit, you feel a bit flattered being fought over. You were lost in a small trance as Zoro began to slip off the top of his robe, exposing his hard body which is eye candy to you. Zoro soon pulls away with a small string of saliva connecting your lips to his. He licked his lips as he smirked cheekily, having caught of your gaze on his body.

"Looks like i got the pretty boy's eye." His words of tease sent shivers down your spine. His rough hands sliding down to your sides in a up and down motion. It was sensual and it made a few shaky breaths leave your lips.

As you faced Zoro, you were unaware as Sanji leaned over and began to prep kisses on your neck, enlighting a moan from you which made him smirk against your skin.

Blood rushed to your face as you shivered and trembled. Sanji pressed his body against yours from behind, his hips grinding into you with the feeling of his growing erection obvious against your skin. A low moan left Sanji's lips as he continued this action. "Oh, Y/n... you're so tempting like this." He'd whisper with another low moan as the cook grinded against you in a desperate mannerism.

"curlybrow is that desperate?" Zoro teased, grinning mischievously as his hands moved under your shirt. You were turning like putty in their hands. Sanji scoffed softly, nibbling on the skin of your neck before licking the bruise that formed on the spot. "You're just as desperate as i am, shitty swordsman."

"Heh, you're not wrong. Who wouldn't get desperate to see a pretty boy be so shy? Bet he's ready to take both of us." Zoro licked his lips, leaning down to nibble on your ear.

You were now squished in between both men, helpless and now under their mercy. You were slowly turning into a mess and they haven't gotten that far yet.

You were just too irresistible to them.

"Say, curly." Zoro calls out, eyeing Sanji with both of them hands still on you. The cook irked an eyebrow as looked at the swordsman with a slight look of annoyance. "What?"

"What if we call it a truce...? Just this once, for him." Zoro offered, making Sanji think in thought. A sigh left Sanji as he nodded reluctantly. "Mh.. Only for my love. I'd do anything and everything to see him in such ecstasy and pleasure, even if it meant having you around." Sanji spoke, lips latching back to the neck of your skin which made you whimper. You're getting sensitive just from their actions.

"Enough with the competing... *for now*. Let's make him feel so fucking good." Zoro smirked and chuckled, stripping you out of your shirt which showed your transition scars. He admired them, his hands slowly reaching to trace your scars before teasing your nipples as they harden at his touch.

"You're so damn hot." The swordsman would mutter, claiming your lips once more. Without hesitation, you kissed back with small moans and whimpers leaving your lips and into the kiss, making Zoro growl slightly at the pleasurable vibration.

As the two of you made out, Sanji took the advantage to strip the remaining of your clothes, your pants soon pooling down around your feet on the kitchen floor as he undid them.

You felt his breath hitch at the sight of your nude body. It was so tempting, so hot. Sanji soon began to unbutton his dress shirt, his belt unbuckling next after he did so. "Oh, my darling y/n." He began, nibbling on your neck more as you made out with the swordsman. You felt a surge of desperation and desire to be in such a situation, being all nude and needy for both men.

"I can't wait to feel you..." Sanji's words made you tremble. Your kind felt dizzy and light headed. You cut the kiss short, panting heavily as Zoro drank in the sight of you in such a state.

"Look at you," Zoro groaned. "You want us both, don't you? Such a manwhore." Those words made you weak to the knees.

"I-I need it... Please." You pleaded lightly, whimpering softly. This reaction gave Zoro a surge of arousal and desire, he smirked as he took in your desperate, pleading words.

"Need what?" Zoro teased.

"You need to speak up for us, mon amour. What do you need? Use that attractive voice of yours.." Sanji's tone was teasing aswell but his was more softer, more tender and sensual.

"I-Inside.. I need you t-to fuck me, please." You pleaded once more, using your voice as asked.

"Now that's a good boy." Zoro hummed in satisfaction, dropping down his robe and his pants. He gave you a knowing wink, smirking lightly. You were now in between two nearly naked men, their erections hard and pulsing. You gulped a bit, preparing to what was about to come.

"On all fours, now." Zoro commanded. With a submissive nod along with a shiver of pleasure ran down your spine, you went on your hands and knees. Sanji licked his lips, moving to get on his knees infront of you. His hand reached down to part your lips open with his thumb. He let out a soft groan at he saw the way you look up at him.

"Y/n..." He muttered softly, letting his pulsing cock free from his boxers. It throbbed with need for attention as the tip gently poked your lips. Without much word, your tounge slip out, running up to Sanji's length to the very tip. His breath hitches as you licked the slit with some pre-cum already leaking.

"Yes, yes, my love.. Just like that." Sanji moaned softly, praising and encouraging you as you took your time before you took him in your mouth. He threw his head back, his lips parting ever so slightly. His hand went to place itself on your head, gently caressing your hair.

"So warm..." Sanji moaned out as you slowly bobbed your head on his hardened cock, it throbbing inside your mouth. He covered his mouth, looking back down at you with some blood dripping down his chin from his nose. "You're doing so good, y/n-swan..~" He praised softly in a small moan, moving his hips slightly.

"Dartbrow is already having his fun, don't mind if i do." Zoro muses, grinning as he took the position from your behind. He got to his knees, freeing his throbbing length from his boxers.

His hands went to your ass, spreading them to take a better look at your tempting and needy entrance. He grinned, teasing you by rubbing his hard tip to your hole, making you flinch slightly and trembled as you move your hips in an attempt to pull him in.

You couldn't move you head to look at the swordsman, you were busy with Sanji using your mouth. You couldn't see as Zoro spat on your entrance. He teasingly rubbed his length on you, groaning lowly as he watched your ass engulfed his thick length. With his saliva acting as a poor excuse of lube, he pushed in, slowly but surely.

"Fuck, now this is the good stuff." He groaned out, moving his grip to your hips to keep you steady as he sheathes himself inside you. Moans left your throat and onto Sanji's dick, the vibrations sent addictive sensations to Sanji as he moaned and gripped on your hair, tugging on it gently.

Both of the men were now inside you. Sanji thrusted his hips lightly, his breathing shaky and hot. He looked down at you with flushed cheeks, nose still dripping with blood as he engraved the view of you taking in his needy cock into your warm, heavenly mouth. He bit his lips, loving the feeling of your lips wrapped around him as you suck him off, your moans giving him pleasureable vibrations.

Zoro took his sweet time with you, he was mesmerized at the sight of you taking in his cock, he felt your tightness around him stretch to his size. Another groan leaft his throat as he slowly thrusted in and out, finding his slow but rough pace. "Such a good whore for taking me all in." Zoro grinned, giving your ass a squeeze.

Doesn't it feel good to be in between two men who want you? It's even more flattering to now realize that they're fighting over you. You were loved by the cook and the swordsman and it showed.

Tears of pleasure gathered in your eyes as Sanji pushed himself deeper, his tip slowly reaching down to your throat. That and Zoro's rough pace was all too much to bear. Your body couldn't take it well but oh it did.

"Fuck, y/n... you're so good, my love." Sanji praised, a string of praises mixed with moans leaving his lips as he guided your head to his cock, successfully deep throating him. "You're so attractive, keep looking at me like that, please." He choked out, his breath going faster as he took in every single if your sweet expressions as you took him in your mouth all while sending pleasureable vibrations to his pulsing cock.

Zoro growled as his thrusts picked up the speed, his tip hitting your g-spot each time to which made you arch your back.

Fuck, it was all too good.

The sounds of skin slapping, grunts and moans bounced off the kitchen's walls. Both Zoro and Sanji's thrusts getting sloppy and desperate.

"You're mine, y/n." Zoro groaned out possesively, his grip on your hips tightening as he gave your ass a smack, his eye watching intently as your skin rippled against each impact he did on you. Sanji couldn't even glare at the swordsman properly, his hips still thrusting into your warm mouth.

"He's ours." Sanji corrected with a shaky huff, his eye focusing on you and only you. Zoro couldn't even care less at Sanji's words, he was too focused on his own pace.

It wasn't long until the both of them were reaching their peak, seeing how their thrusts were getting so sloppy and desperate. You even felt them twitch inside you.

With Sanji's cock stuffed inside your mouth along with Zoro fucking the hell out of you from behind, it was clear that you were theirs.

"Shit, it's too good." Zoro cussed out, groaning as he threw his head back, his thrusts still steady and rough as it penetrated you.

You were too busy taking all the pleasure in. Saliva slowly leaked out from your lips and it dribbled down yo your chin, adding more arousal for Sanji.

"Y/n! I-I'm-!" Sanji couldn't even finish his words, he gave in a few last, sloppy thrusts as he stuffed your mouth with his warm semen. The liquid forced itself down into your throat as you took it all in.

The swordsman himself wasn't far behind, he gave one last powerful thrust before filling you up to the brim with his seed. A loud groan echoed though the kitchen as it came from the cook and the swordsman's throats. Zoro panted heavily, his voice raspy as he rode out his high.

You yourself didn't even realize that you already reached your peak multiple times, the pleasure was all too much for you but fuck it felt so, so good. Both Zoro and Sanji pulled out of you, causing your body to collapse on the kitchen floor tiles, the cold tiles caressing your skin. You coughed a bit, panting heavily as the both of then admired their work on you.

You were stuffed, filled to the brim with their cum. Some already leaking from your asshole and your lips. Zoro chuckled slightly, his cock still throbbing.

"What a sight." The swordsman muses lightly. "So... Y/n, will you let us have our way with you again? There's more to come." Zoro added with a mischievous smirk. Sanji groaned softly and quietly, wanting more.

"Let us take care of you."

[continuations]

I Miss Writing Here

It's been a long time since I have written here. And I miss it. There has been a confluence of factors that have made it difficult.

First, there has been simply finding the time. I have been crazy busy at work with many portfolio companies going through some kind of crisis as part of the adjustments in the financing environment over the last couple of years. I have also been working through some personal issues that have provided an opportunity for growth but have been time intensive (more on that some day, maybe). I have also been investing in staying fit by working out consistently, with strength training on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and cardio on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. And finally I have been preparing for a transatlantic sail (more on that shortly).

Second, the world is continuing to descend back into tribalism. And it has been exhausting trying to maintain a high rung approach to topics amid an onslaught of low rung bullshit. Whether it is Israel-Gaza, the Climate Crisis or Artificial Intelligence, the online dialog is dominated by the loudest voices. Words have been rendered devoid of meaning and reduced to pledges of allegiance to a tribe. I start reading what people are saying and often wind up feeling isolated and exhausted. I don't belong to any of the tribes nor would I want to. But the effort required to maintain internally consistent and intellectually honest positions in such an environment is daunting. And it often seems futile.

But I don't give up easily. And I have started to miss writing here so much that I will figure out how to resume it. I am writing as much for myself as for anyone who may feel similarly distraught at the state of discourse.

[taz-ma-raz-skylar]

Taz Skylar on training his body and cooking skills ahead of One Piece Season 2!

Taz Skylar was met with an overwhelmingly warm welcome from One Piece fans at the 2024 MEFCC

By Sarah Kuleib ( February 15, 2024 )

Every pirate crew needs a cook. With a captain like Monkey D Luffy, whose ship seems to sail to the sounds of his stomach, finding a cook who could whip up the most delicious bowl of fried rice to join the Straw Hat Pirates was pretty high on his priority list. Luffy finds his cook in Sanji, and Netflix’s smash hit One Piece finds their Sanji in Taz Skylar.

When the Spanish-British-Lebanese Olivier Award-nominated actor was announced to be playing the romantic chef, Sanji, in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece, Skylar was catapulted to international stardom.

Skylar and his co-star Iñaki Godoy (Luffy), were recently in Abu Dhabi for the 12th edition of the Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC), where they were met by thousands of passionate fans in straw hats queuing up for hours to take photographs, get autographs, and witness the pair’s charming interactions at panel discussions.

Esquire Middle East sat down with Taz Skylar at the MEFCC to discuss his intense stunt training, Season 2 of One Piece, and what’s in store for the rest of 2024.

–

ESQ: You’re a man of many titles: actor, screenwriter, thrill-seeker, professional surfboard creator. What drew you to each of those things and how do they come together to inform one another in your career and life?

TAZ: I was a really shy kid and I never used to leave home much. Thrill-seeking, I used to see it in movies and I thought “Oh that would be cool!” Surfing was the first thing that I did. I remember the first time I got in the water with a surfboard and a wave hit me – it wasn’t even very big but I was little, and I was like “Ahhh!”, and I got out [of the water]. The guy who was teaching me – he was called Juanito, and he’s still my friend today, 15 years later – was like “What are you doing man? Get in!” He grabbed me, put me back on the board, and pushed me out and that changed my life that day. That was the gateway. I got into other scary stuff and I would get angry at being scared. So if I was scared I would be like, “Cool, now there’s no choice, now you gotta do it.” That kind of spiraled and now it’s just a thing that I do.

Writing and acting… well, acting was an accident.

ESQ: A happy one?

TAZ: It was a happy accident! I’m very happy about it! I only like acting when I like the thing I’m acting in; nobody likes acting when they don’t like the thing they’re acting in! So, I only act in things that I like – at least now, I’ve definitely made that choice – and I always like what I’m writing. I want to make films, I want to make shows. Being in them is a cool part of it, but I want to make stuff. In a world where financial security is there, I don’t find much point to life other than leaving a legacy I can be proud of, and I think that can achieved by making stuff.

ESQ: There’s a different joy in filmmaking and writing.

TAZ: Yeah, yeah! You feel resolved in what you’re doing and connected. You have some sort of choice over what it can say or what the outcome can be. One Piece in particular was really cool because Matt and the whole team were really good to us in terms of saying “What do you want to do with it? What do you want to bring to it?” and that’s not always the case. When I do a writer’s room with other writers, my thinking is like: What do you like? Do you want to sit on a chair? A yoga mat? Do you want to bob around on a skateboard? What makes you most creative? Because whatever it is, do that thing. That’s the kind of environment I want to create and be a part of. When a film or show or play has been made in that way, you can feel it, you can feel that it’s been made very rag-tag.

ESQ: On the topic of One Piece, how did you prepare for the role of Sanji – mentally and physically, I know you did all of your own stunts – and with season 2 confirmed, is there anything you learned that will inform or change how you prepare for season 2?

TAZ: Ooh… yeah I did all my own stunts! Part of how I prepared for it… I really went psychopathic on it. Like, let’s throw absolutely everything we possibly can at the wall because we don’t have much to stick right now, we’re starting from zero.

It was 4 hours of training in the morning, then I’d cook a dish we needed to do for the show, repeat that dish over and over again, another 4 hours, then we’d go to the sauna and stretch, they’d pull on my legs and push on my back. That made me improve really quick but what it also did was decimate my legs. I have scar tissue on the inside of my ligaments and it took me about a year to feel like I could land on my legs without pain – I used to duct-tape my legs! I had to be quiet about it so they’d let me do my own stunts.

There was no real way of improving whilst not hurting myself because of how far we needed to go. Whereas for the second season, because I’ve maintained my level and haven’t stopped training ever since– I trained this morning with Iñaki at the UFC gym [in Abu Dhabi]! Iñaki came with me to a kickboxing session and he’s gotten so good at tricking in between the seasons too! So, because we’re kind of at a level that we’ve maintained, the second season for me is about how much quicker I can be. There are not many new kicks or moves to learn, so it’s more about how great we can make those moves. Part of it is going: instead of training 8 hours today, I’m going to train 4 and focus on choreography. Or maybe today I’m just going to do 2 and then stretch, because the less injured everything is, the quicker everything moves.

So for season 2, I want to enjoy it more, and I want to make what we had a lot better… and I want [to do] the party table kick.

ESQ: Was there a specific stunt that was the most difficult to do?

TAZ: Yeah! So there was this one where we jump over a pool, kick the Fishman mid-air, and land on a little rock. And that was all practicals! It was so difficult to do because he was underwater and they had to time pulling him out of the water at the exact same time that I jumped, and landing at the same place so that I could kick, and then there was another wire pull that took him to the other side of the pool. That must’ve taken an hour and a half which doesn’t sound like that much, but we were up against time. I remember thinking: “If we don’t get this, they’re going to cut it. They’re going to cut the stunt and this stunt will never exist.” It was the last take where we just managed it and they all looked at it and went “Cool, we got it! We can keep it!”, and we just started cheering. Isn’t it mad to think that there’s a world in which half an hour would’ve made the difference between it existing and not existing?

ESQ: Now, I must ask… how do you really feel about Oregano?

TAZ: [Laughs] Ha! I love it! I put it on salads! It’s not for savages! It’s nice – have oregano it’s good for you!

ESQ: Who and what are some of your personal influences as an artist?

TAZ: Florian Zeller is my favorite writer. Rappers are my favorite poets. I like old films. Keanu Reeves in Point Break made me want to skydive and surf and jump out of planes. I love Bond. My dad loves Bond, we used to have a box set. I love the way those films are made. I just worked with Martin Campbell who made two of my favorite Bond films.

ESQ: What’s in store for Taz Skylar this year?

TAZ: I’ve got four TV shows in development, with different production companies. One of which is called Seesaw which made a lot of Florian Zeller’s films that I’m really excited about! I don’t have that much time until we go shoot [One Piece] again. There’s a book I’m trying really hard to get the rights to and adapt, so I’m chasing the author about that. I’m going to try and see if I can get all of those things done before I go shoot again.

https://www.esquireme.com/culture/interviews/taz-skylar-on-training-his-body-and-cooking-skills-ahead-of-one-piece-season-2

[agentmarymargaretskitz]

@wwheeljack asked: A cuddle pile/some comfort for the original four after a mission during the TCW era, perhaps? Maybe Cross was injured and Tech supports him? Need some gen with the original four badly.

(CW for injuries. Also I’m writing this on my tablet as I am in the middle of moving. Yay. However, this was a lot of fun to write on a break)

“Crosshair, get to the ship!” Hunter ordered over the comm channel.

Τhe sniper ignored his older brother’s command and realigned his next shot up in he tree. Another droid’s head sailed off while the body hit the dirt. B1s were almost too easy at this point for him to pick off, even though Clone Force 99 had received combat clearance five months ago. It had hit the point where he and Wrecker created a competition to see who could take out the most in a standard week. Loser scrubbed down the can.

Crosshair had no intention of losing this week.

Two more shots. Two more heads.

“Get down now, Crosshair!”

“You’re not clear yet,” he argued back, peering up from the scope to see them running for him. “Hold on.”

Tech’s voice now came onto the channel. “You have done sufficient damage. Now please get down from there.”

“Ugh, you-“

Shots came firing at him now. Crosshair pulled his scope back up to see a wave of B2s flanking a tank. He positioned the barrel to get a shot right through the barrel of the tank. One shot, and then-

The tank fired first and splinters erupted below him. Crosshair tore his helmet away as the branch he was seated on suddenly gave way.

“Crosshair!” Wrecker screeched.

He must have been twenty five feet high above the fast-approaching ground. Someone was screaming. Instinctively, Crosshair closed before he hit the ground. His whole body jolted by the impact when something harder than dirt struck his side. For a moment, breathing was a forgotten bodily function.

“Crosshair!”

His mouth opened to suck in a deep breath. Instantly, pain crackled around his rib cage. Crosshair blinked his eyes open to see Hunter sprinting towards him, yelling something he didn’t comprehend.

He closed his eyes again.

~!~

“Crosshair.”

He didn’t remember falling asleep.

“Crosshair, you must respond.”

“Go,” he whined, but his chest ached when he inhaled and opened his eyes.

The first thing that struck the sniper was the interior of the Marauder, followed by the realization of laying flat upon his bunk. Hanging off the edge of the rack was his twin brother, typing rapid fire onto his datapad. Tech paused for a moment and looked back at him before reaching into one of his multiple pouches.

“There’s not rocks in there again, are there?” Crosshair attempted to joke until he saw a tube of bacta come out of the pouch.

Tech fixed him with an unimpressed expression. “Had I known those sedimentary deposits I collected for geological examination would take up so much space, I would have left most of the samples behind. That incident also occurred four months ago. Now, how are you feeling?”

“Like I went a couple rounds with that trainer who had the lip ring,” he sighed.

Tech leaned down and pulled up their well-used medical kit to take out a gauze package. “I suppose falling from such a height could be compared to combat training against Lees Bardeux. Fortunately, you only broke two ribs, cracked three others, and suffered a moderate abrasion to your temple.”

“Which you’re lucky for.”

Crosshair now realized Hunter stood right behind him, arms crossed. His face seemed to be trying to scowl, except his eyes were somewhat shiny. Seeing that was enough to make the sniper feel crappier while Tech applied the bacta and gauze to his head wound. Hunter always internalized every failure like Crosshair did, although Hunter did it with things that weren’t even his fault.

“I’m alive,” Crosshair quipped, hoping to squash Hunter’s guilt with ill humor.

Unfortunately, the scowl dropped and Hunter looked frustrated instead. “For once, can you just listen to orders?”

A reply of how that went against what their squad did was on the tip of Crosshair’s tongue. However, he found the words difficult to say out loud. Sure, he was a cold-hearted piece of shit. Hurting his brother drowning in guilt though…that would be taking it too far.

“Next time, I’ll listen the first time,” Crosshair promised, hoping it would appease his brother.

The sergeant seemed satisfied with that. Tech gave Hunter a somewhat smug look before Wrecker appeared around the corner. “You didn’t tell me he was awake!”

“Good news, Crosshair is awake,” Tech said bluntly.

Crosshair chuckled before his ribs protested again. “Kriff.”

“You should be feeling better in a few days,” his twin explained, returning his gaze to the datapad. “Unfortunately, you will need to rest and use cold packs, as well as sleep upright and perform a few breathing exercises. Fortunately, none of your vital organs have been perforated.”

“Goodie.”

“We flew outta no man’s land into that Republic-occupied area while you were out,” Wrecker explained as he started pulling the blankets from the other bunks. “Also, we ‘lost’ the comm signal after General Windu kept asking Hunter what happened.”

“Droids get it?” Crosshair asked.

“Chewed wires,” Tech corrected, a gleam in his eye. “Such a surprise for a vessel such as ours, but these things happen.”

Hunter nodded. “They scraped away enough coating before cutting them that even I can’t tell the difference.”

The sniper laughed again before remembering it hurt. “Ow.”

Hunter dropped down and brought their heads together, ruffling Crosshair’s hair. “Still, thanks for covering our asses.”

“Who else are you going to get to do the job?” Crosshair quipped back

[quaithe-seastar]

The Dragon's Gold

Chapter Six

Pairing: Aegon II Targaryen x Aerys Reyne (male oc)

Summary: Aerys Reyne, son of Naerys Targaryen, the second-born daughter of King Viserys and Queen Aemma, has been best friends with Aegon since childhood. As boys, they had been inseparable. Many said that it reminded them of the early days of King Jaehaerys reign. When the princes Aemon and Baelon were still children. Wherever one boy was, it wasn't long before the other came running behind him. That was until forbidden desires of the heart forced a wedge between them. After the death of his grandsire, King Viserys, Aerys finds himself torn between two sides: stand by his oldest friend or stand by the only mother he has ever known.

WARNING: 18+ NSFW, masturbation, use of the word cock, internalized homophobia. There is a flashback in this chapter that takes place a bit before Chapter 1 and Episode 6 of the show. Aerys is horrendously down bad for his uncle (like aunt like nephew, I guess).

a/n: I will be referring to Aegon III as Egg because there are too many damn Aegons in this family circle. Dialogue in italics means that the characters are speaking in high valyrian. I was just too lazy to attempt to translate it. Though, there may be some high valyrian thrown in here and there. No beta, so I apologize for any or all grammar and spelling mistakes. Also, if anyone wishes to be tagged in future updates, just let me know!

Aerys

“You’re dead,” Aerys quipped, standing brazenly over the brown-haired boy.

The tip of his wooden sword sat under the boy’s chin. Lucerys winced, his body laid out on the ground. The fall had knocked the wind out of him. Aerys took a few steps back, giving the poor boy some space. Lucerys stood to his feet, dusting himself off.

“I thought you said-”

“Valyrian,” Aerys warned.

Lucerys sighed, pondering his thoughts for a moment. 

“I thought you said you would go easy?”

“I did,” Aerys smirked.

Lucerys huffed, using his sword to trace small circles into the dirt. Aerys stepped closer, placing a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“You’re still young. I don’t believe anyone expects you to be a master swordsman quite yet.” Aerys smiled.

“I’m no warrior...”

“Perhaps not,” Aerys sighed. “But there are more important things than knowing how to wave a sword. Any fool could swing one, but a true warrior must understand that not every conflict can be solved with bloodshed.”

Luke peeked his head up, his face still looking discouraged. Aerys squeezed the boy’s shoulder. It disheartened the man to watch Luke be so hard on himself. Especially since Luke seemed to be doing it a lot more recently. The sound of clinking armor caught their attention. They both raised their heads to watch Rhaenyra descend the stairs to the training yard. Ser Lorent held out his hand, offering it for her to hold onto as she reached the last few steps.

“Mother!” Luke greeted warmly, moving to her side.

Rhaenyra smiled widely, her hand cupping the young boy’s face. Aerys picked Luke’s sword off the ground. He handed them off to the retainer, who ran to assist him. Aerys dusted off his hands before joining his aunt and cousin. Luke had gone pale. Aerys could see his hands begin to tremble.

“You should clean yourself up before we leave,” Rhaenyra smiled, kissing the boy’s hair.

Luke swallowed and nodded. The two waited until he reached the top of the stairs before speaking.

“Has something happened?” Aerys asked.

“Vaemond Velaryon is sailing for King’s Landing. He intends to petition to be named Lord Corlys’ successor.”

“And, in turn, question Luke’s legitimacy. I had hoped we were past all of this by now.” Aerys sighed, shaking his head.

“As did I,” Nyra replied. “We will be sailing to King’s Landing as well.”

The woman paused, taking Aerys’ hands in hers.

“You are not required to join us. No doubt you're still exhausted from your trip to Castamere.”

Aerys dropped his eyes down to their joined hands. Kings Landing, he had yet to return to the city after he left it behind five years ago. The young man never found the strength to go back. His life on Dragonstone was considerably less complicated. The thought of returning now, after all this time, was quite... daunting.

“No, I should join you. To show my support for Luke.”

“Aerys,” the woman sighed. “I don’t want you to put yourself in an uncomfortable position. I know you left for a reason-”

“Nyra, nothing happened.”

“You showed up to Dragonstone in tears. I had to hold you until you fell asleep. I’ve never forced you to tell me what happened, but I think you and I know it wasn’t nothing.”

Aerys bit his lip, the memory replaying itself in his head of him landing on the shoreline of Dragonstone, sobbing like a small child. Nyra rushed to his side, fearing that he was hurt. No words needed to be spoken between the two. It was like she knew instantly, just from looking into his eyes. She understood the pain in his heart. It was not his proudest moment. The two hadn’t even spoken of it since.

“I will be fine, Nyra.” Aerys smiled, gently squeezing her hands. “I want to join you.”

Her eyes shifted between his, searching for any sign of insincerity.

“As you wish. Am I to presume that Agana will be joining us as well?” She raised a brow.

“I believe she’d follow me even if I told her not to.” Aerys snickered.

His eyes moved towards the giant smoking mountain behind the Valyrian Freehold. 

—

“Hello, Lord Aerys!” The dragon keepers greeted him warmly.

“Hello,” Aerys nodded with a polite smile.

A large winged shadow passed overhead. The men raised their heads, attempting to locate the silver dragon. The sky was gray and cloudy. As it usually was on Dragonstone. It made it a bit challenging to spot Agana in the sky. The sound of flapping wings filled the air as she descended towards the ground. She landed on the shore with a loud thud. Her claws sank into the sand as she steadied herself.

It was hard to believe how much she had grown over the last five years. She seemed to grow much faster on the island than she did in the dragon pit. The dragon was even bigger than Syrax now. Her body was long and slender, almost snakelike, similar to Caraxes, though she was still smaller than the bloodwyrm. Aerys ran his hand over her snout, careful not to put too much pressure on the scar tissue. Three jagged claw marks now scarred her silver-scaled snout. The dragon keepers believed she had gotten into a scuffle with the beast they called the cannibal. Though they were not sure. There were a few unclaimed dragons that made their lairs within the dragonmont. It could have been any one of them.

The pearlescent white horns that sprouted from the top of her head were much more prominent now. They curved slightly backward like ram horns. Aerys himself had grown as well. Now standing six feet tall, his body was well toned from years of training with a sword and climbing upon Agana’s back. The features of his face were much sharper, and he had grown his hair out a little past his shoulders. It had lightened as well. His hair was now more on the golden side, with just a hint of copper. Aerys smiled as Agana nudged her face against his chest.

“We must be going now,” he informed her.

Agana pulled her head back before lowering her body to the ground. Aerys pulled on his riding gloves as he walked around to her side. His fingers curled around the ropes tightly as he climbed to his saddle. The saddle was similar to an ordinary horse saddle, albeit much larger. It was made of black leather, with two black handlebars and red and silver plating in the front, displaying the sigil of his father’s house—a red lion with a forked tail on a silver field. His brother Robb commissioned the saddle as a gift for his twenty-first name day. 

Aerys strapped himself in the saddle, his hands gripped to handlebars as he gave the command. Agana ran forward, fanning out her wings before leaping into the air. The salty sea breeze of the Blackwater Bay filled his lungs. He enjoyed the smell of the sea. The stench of King's Landing was something he had quickly learned to live without. His heart raced with excitement. Aerys must have ridden Agana thousands of times by now, yet the thrill never stopped. They had quickly caught up with the Princess’s ship. Agana slowed down a bit, staying close to the vessel. They would reach the capital soon.

—

The two circled above the dragonpit. Agana huffed defiantly as she lowered herself down to the ground. Aerys felt his body roughly jerk side to side. He glared at the she-dragon, knowing that she was capable of landing much more gracefully than she did. The young lord quickly dismounted, pulling off his riding gloves to shove them in his pocket.

“That was childish,” he scorned his winged companion.

Agana let out a loud snort and turned her head away.

“We won’t be here long,” he reassured, patting the scales of her neck.

“It’s been a long time, Lord Aerys,” one of the older dragon keepers, Vargo, called as he approached the two. Aerys recognized him immediately. He had been caring for the dragons since Aerys was a boy. “She has grown.”

“Indeed she has,” Aerys agreed. “Though I fear she remains as short-tempered as ever.”

The two shared a laugh as the man led Aerys away. The man led him out of the dragonpit, where the princess's carriage awaited him. He exchanged goodbyes before climbing into the carriage and sitting beside Jace and Rhaena. The carriage bounced as it made its way through the city. Something in the city had changed; Aerys could feel it. Though he couldn’t yet put his finger on what it was. Perhaps it was all in his head.

He could hear the gates groan loudly as they were pried apart. His stomach clenched like a balled fist as the carriage came to a halt. Nyra was the first to exit as Ser Darklyn announced her arrival. Aerys waited until everyone was out before he made his exit. The evening was approaching quickly. The sky grew darker as more clouds rolled in, attempting to shield the sun. The outer yard was nearly deserted, minus the few maids and retainers. Aerys felt his anger beginning to rise. This was not a welcome befitted of the princess and heir to the iron throne.

Viserys had begun to fuss in the wet nurse's arms. The woman was growing slightly flustered as she tried to calm him. Aerys held his hands out, offering to take the boy. The young woman nodded gratefully as she handed him over. Aerys bounced the little boy in his arms.

“What is this?!” He asked, pulling a little wooden dragon out of his pocket.

The little boy quieted down as his eyes landed on the dragon. His chubby little fingers reached for the toy. Aerys chuckled as he allowed him to take it. The castle doors opened, and a familiar face revealed itself.

“Welcome back, Princess.” The head of House Caswell said as he gently held Nyra’s hands.

“Lord Caswell,” she greeted him courteously.

The castle was quiet, too quiet. The giant seven-pointed star was the first thing that caught Aerys’ attention. As he looked around the halls, more statues of the seven popped up more frequently. If he did know any better, he would find it hard to believe this was the seat of House Targaryen. Aerys handed the now calm Viserys back off to the wetnurse before deciding to explore on his own. The sound of his boots clacking echoed off the cold stone floor. It seemed like much had changed since he left for Dragonstone. 

This place seemed almost unrecognizable to him. None of it matched up with the memories in his mind. The memories of rushing up and down the halls, trying to keep Jace and Luke out of trouble. The memories of the many nights he had indulged in too much wine and stumbled down dark corridors with... him . Aerys found his mind beginning to drift back to one particular night in this very corridor. 

-

“She kicked and wailed, the maid so fair,

But he licked the honey from her hair,

Her hair! Her hair!

He licked the honey from her hair!”

The two boys sang loudly as they stumbled down the empty corridor. Their arms wrapped around the other's shoulders as they struggled to stay on their feet. Aegon raised his free hand into the air, waving it around. Aerys let out a short yelp as they nearly fell backward. Fortunately, he was able to regain his balance in time. However, some of the wine in the flagon he was holding had spilled. That seemed to snap Aegon out of his drunken haze for a moment.

“You’re wasting it!” He cried out.

“Well, if you would stop flailing about like a dying fish, I wouldn’t have spilled it!” Aerys retorted.

The two stopped in their tracks, glaring at each other. The glaring silence didn’t last long before Aegon laughed, tiny beads of spit landing on Aerys’ face. Aerys groaned, using his sleeve to wipe his face. Before he could say anything, Aegon began to sing. Aerys shook his head, joining in.

“Then she sighed and squealed and kicked the air!

My bear! She sang. My bear so fair!

And off they went, from here to there,

The bear, the bear, and the maiden fair!”

The pair ended the song with a loud cheer. They had finally run out of words to sing. Aerys began humming a tune. He didn’t know if it was from an actual song or something his mind created. The boy let out a short gasp as he felt himself being pulled back by the back of his shirt. He had failed to notice that Aegon had stopped walking. Aerys turned his head to watch as Aegon looked around.

“Where are we?” Aegon asked, puzzled.

Aerys hummed, turning his head both ways.

“A dark corridor,” he answered.

Aegon tilted his head to the side, shooting Aerys an annoyed glare.

“Well, obviously, you twat, but which one?”

Aerys shrugged, moving to lean against the stone wall on the left. He must have lost his footing as he found himself sliding down the wall. Aerys let out a groan as his butt hit the hard stone floor. Aegon laughed, slowly lowering himself to the ground and sitting beside Aerys. Aerys raised the flagon to his lips, letting the red wine slide down his throat. When he had his fill, he handed it to Aegon, who eagerly accepted it. 

Aerys looked around the dark corridor. The candles hanging on the walls were burned low. He considered returning to his grandsire's name day celebration in the great hall, but ultimately decided against it. The two boys had snuck away hours ago to escape the pestering lords and their daughters. Aerys must have been introduced to nearly a hundred different eligible bachelorettes. However, he couldn’t remember a single one’s name at the moment. He was growing tired of attending these celebrations. Though the boy had never been fond of them, to begin with. His grandsire had thrown one to celebrate Luke’s eighth name day not long ago. 

During celebrations like this, Aerys couldn’t help but feel... lonely. Watching as Rhaenyra doted on her children all night had left a sour taste in his mouth. However, Aerys was quick to chastise himself for feeling this way. Neither Rhaenyra nor her sons were to blame for his childish jealousy. They had been kind enough to welcome him into their little family. Rhaenyra herself has done more than enough for him. It was selfish for him to want more. He is selfish.

“Stop thinking so much. It’s making my head hurt!” Aegon groaned.

“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Aerys smiled.

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. Here, have some more,” Aegon said, lifting the flagon to Aerys’ lips.

Aerys parted his lips, taking a few deep gulps before pulling back. He turned his head to the prince sitting by his side. Aegon’s white hair was messy and wavy, as it usually was. Under the candlelight, Aerys could make out his flushed face and half-lidded eyes. He takes a deep breath, allowing the prince’s scent to envelop his senses- the smell of strong wine, pine, and a thin veil of sweat. It may not have been what many would describe as a pleasant scent, but it brought Aerys a great sense of comfort. It was familiar. It made him feel warm.

“Aerys...” There’s a playfulness to his voice, but in a whisper, making his breath brush against Aerys’ face.

“Yes...?” Aerys whispers back.

“I think I’m drunk...”

“Aegon...”

“Yeah...?”

“I think I’m drunk too.”

The two giggle to themselves, amused by their drunkenness. Once the laughter subsided, the two were left in a comfortable silence. It’s only then that Aerys realizes how close they are. Their faces are only inches apart. He can feel Aegon's breath on his face. His eyes trail over every inch of the prince's face. It was a handsome one. Anyone who said otherwise was a liar and a fool. 

Aerys reaches his hand over, lacing their fingers together. He leans his head forward so that their noses are now touching. 

“What are you doing?” Aegon whispers with a wide grin on his face.

“I don’t know,” Aerys answers.

Aegon's grip on his hand is tight, but Aerys’ is even tighter. The thought of ever having to let go pained him. Iris eyes meet violet, and Aerys can see his emotions and desires reflected in those lovely violet eyes. The veil that has been placed between them, preventing the two from ever acting on this unspoken tension that has been simmering just below the surface, has dwindled into near nothingness. The unasked question, that neither has dared to speak aloud, hangs heavy in the air.

Do you feel this, too?

They maintain eye contact, and Aerys sees a flash in Aegon’s eyes. He does.

Aerys shuts his eyes and finally closes the rest of the short gap between them. The kiss is chaste and a bit awkward. Aerys blames it on the wine and the fact that it was his first real kiss. As he tried apologizing, Aegon grabbed him by the back of his head, pulling him in for another kiss. Aerys has never known another touch like this. His face feels hot, and a surge of warmth enters his veins. Aerys thinks he could keep doing this forever. He wants to do this forever, or at least all night. But his body had an unfortunate need for air. Aerys pulled back with a gasp, struggling to catch his breath. Aegon let out a breathy laugh before laying his head on Aerys’ shoulder. 

-

The young lord swallowed, blinking away the memory. That was all in the past now. The man continued his journey through the castle. The garden was empty, much like the rest of the castle. He walked down the stone path, stopping before the ancient weirwood tree. Once again, tears of red sap fell. It seemed smaller than he remembered. He leaned down, picking up a red leaf that had fallen. Aerys held it in his hands. He watched tiny droplets of water collecting on the leaf fall to the dirt. Aerys closed his eyes, leaning his head back. He took a deep breath, feeling the cold breeze kiss his face. Perhaps it was a mistake to come back here. 

Dark gray clouds filled the sky, forcing out the little sunlight that remained. The old gods seemed to be pitying the sight that stood before them. The weight of guilt and shame sits heavy on his shoulders. The burden of regret digs into his skin like talons. Surprisingly, he found his throat yearning for the taste of wine. Aerys had quit drinking soon after he left the capital after coming to the realization that he was quite the depressing drunk.

He let the leaf slip through his fingers. Aerys fiddled with the ring around his little finger. Fortunately, it still fits comfortably. He wondered how many times his mother stood in this very spot. Nyra told him that his mother was fascinated by the old gods. She didn’t worship them, but she did enjoy studying them. The man opened his eyes to study the ancient tree. He was told the red sap meant something terrible was coming. Aerys couldn’t help but think there was some truth to the old wives' tale. Or perhaps the ancient tree was in pain. Being trapped inside these castle walls closed off from the world around it. It was said that all the weirwood trees were connected. But gods are only as strong as those who have faith in them. The old gods were not worshiped much outside of the north and some parts of the river lands. Perhaps the connection was lost.

Aerys shook his head to clear his mind. Here he was, raving like a madman. The hour was growing late; he decided to check on the boys. Aerys turned, walking back to the castle. As he went to open the door, it pushed open. Aerys quickly moved out of the way to avoid being hit. 

“Oh, Lord Reyne, my apologies.”

“It’s alright, Princess Rhaenys. I should have paid more attention,” he smiled politely before adding, “If you’ll excuse me.”

The older woman nodded, moving out of the way so he could pass. “Of course.”

Aerys was not unfamiliar with the queen who never was, but they were by no means close friends. He made his way into the castle, walking down another empty corridor. As he turned the corner, he spotted Nyra and Rhaena walking together. Rhaena spotted him first.

“Aerys!” She called with a smile, waving a hand.

Aerys sped up his pace to meet them.

“Have you seen my grandmother?” She asked.

“Yes, she just entered the garden.” He answered, pointing behind him.

“Rhaena, will you give us a minute?”

The two turned to look at Nyra, who held her stomach gently. Rhaena nodded quickly before walking a little ahead to provide them space to talk.

“Isn’t the castle as warm as it was six years ago?” Aerys jests.

Nyra rolled her eyes. “It certainly has changed. Have you seen the king yet?”

Aerys shook his head. “Not yet, how is he?”

“Worse than the last time I saw him,” the woman sighed heavily. 

Her hands subconsciously ran over her stomach. She did it a lot, especially when she was worried about something.

“Did you speak with Rhaenys?” She asked next.

“Briefly,” he shrugged.

“How did she seem?”

“About as warm and loving as this dear castle.”

Nyra scoffed, her lips widening into a grin. “Check on the boys for me, will you?”

“That’s where I’m headed,” Aerys affirmed.

“We shall meet for supper later.”

“Of course, Princess,” he bowed.

Nyra lightly pushed him back as she passed. He laughed as he carried on down the hall. Aerys began lightly humming to himself. Desperate to get rid of the cold silence. As he neared the end of the hallway, something moving caught his eye. He stopped, his eyes falling on a rather large gray cat. The cat was sitting, just watching him. It did not move as he approached it slowly. He kneeled to the ground. The first thing he thinks to do is scratch under its chin. The cat seemed to glare at him before giving in, releasing a loud purr as it relaxed under his touch. He was suddenly reminded of Agana.

Aerys pulled his hand back, pushing himself up to his feet. The cat moved closer, brushing against his legs.

“I apologize, friend, but I must go.” He explained.

Now, he was talking to a cat; perhaps he was going mad.

“Aerys...?”

He froze.

No. No, no, no.

Not now. 

Not yet.

It was too soon. Aerys wasn’t ready to face him. He clenched his fist to try and stop his fingers from trembling. His hair had begun to stick to the sweat on the back of his neck. He could feel his stomach tighten up, bile rising in his throat. His heart thudded in his chest, blood pounded in his ears, and his vision seemed to be distorted. Everything around him appeared blurred. Fingernails dug into the palms of his hands as he struggled to breathe. Aerys clenched his jaw. He breathed deeply through this nose, in , out, in, out, in, out.

“Aerys.” The voice called out, more assuredly this time.

Would it be too late to run? Aerys summoned all the courage he had. Just a few steps, and he could round the corner and run.

One step.

That was how far he made it before he felt himself coming to a halt—a strong hand wrapped around his wrist. Aerys swallowed hard, and his iris-colored eyes followed the hand to its owner.

It was like looking at a stranger, though Aerys supposed that’s what they were now. Strangers. The prince was taller now, just a couple of inches shorter than Aerys. His pale white hair was shorter but still looked messy and in need of a wash. Aerys believed the prince took after his mother in terms of facial features. If he had darker hair, he could probably pass as her twin. There was a darkness under his eyes that made it look like he hadn’t slept in days.

The prince lowered his hand to grab Aerys’ hand. The prince seemed to ignore the way Aerys flinched, itching to get away. It was so strange. Even the touch of his skin felt so foreign. The prince offers a little smile, moving to pull Aerys into an embrace. But he freezes when the young lord steps back, putting some distance between them. The prince’s smile fell, his lips slightly trembling. Aerys cleared his throat, pushing his shoulders back to stand up straight.

“It’s nice to see you again, Prince Aegon.”

It was a lie. But what else could he say?

“Yes,” The prince nodded. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I’m merely here to show my support for Luke, nothing more,” Aerys replied. 

The reply sounded harsher out loud, but it was the truth. Hurt flashes in the prince’s violet eyes, and Aerys feels his heartache. Was he being too cruel?

“Of course,” the prince replied sullenly.

“I should be going. The princess requested I check on the children.”

“Are you one of her handmaids now?” The prince quipped.

Aerys felt the warmth spreading across his face. Had it been anyone else, he would have been offended. But the slight smirk on the prince’s face let him know it was a simple jest.

“Not officially,” Aerys countered with a smile.

The prince let out an amused scoff.

“Perhaps you would like to join me in my chambers for supper? To catch up on lost time?” The prince shrugged.

Panic coursed through Aerys’ veins. The thought of being alone with the prince in his chambers was too much.

“I would,” Aerys cleared his throat. “But I’ve already agreed to have supper with Rhaenyra.”

Aegon frowned. “You’ve had supper with her every night for five years. Surely, she can let you go for one night.”

“As I said, I’ve already agreed. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Aerys excused himself, quickly brushing past the Prince before the man could utter another word.

The hours passed quickly, and nightfall had arrived. The thunder had grown louder, and bolts of lightning began to flash now and again. Aerys had remained with Nyra and her children until he was about to drop from exhaustion. The little ones were restless, particularly little Egg, who insisted on challenging Aerys to duel after duel. But the man didn’t mind. It kept him distracted. Unlike now, as he lay wide awake in bed, glaring daggers into the white canopy above him. It seemed all that exhaustion had miraculously disappeared. He dreaded the morning to come. Aerys knew he would eventually be forced to face the prince once again. He just hadn’t expected it to be so soon. His mind drifted back to their interaction in the hall. To the moment, they shared that quick jest. At that moment, it was almost like they were their old selves again—just two young boys without a care.

The man sighed and turned onto his side. He stared at the wooden window shutters through the sheer white canopy, hoping it would lull him to sleep. The room seemed too big, too empty. It was not his own. Perhaps that was the reason sleep continued to evade him. Aerys longed for the warmth and familiarity of his room back on Dragonstone. He missed the mess and disorder. His room was cluttered with his artwork and books on various subjects. Everything in this room was clean and pristine, like no one had ever lived here. He didn’t like it. 

His hopes of sleep went unanswered. He angrily rolled onto his back and huffed. His iris-colored eyes returned to the canopy above. As Aerys stared at the creases in the white fabric, he imagined the prince’s pale-white hair. Aerys thought back to when the prince had grabbed his hand in the hall. Despite the prince’s slightly haggard appearance, he was still rather good-looking. The prince’s hands were much larger now, yet the skin was surprisingly soft. He kept his nails short. His fingers were slender and pale, and his knuckles had a slight flush to them. The veins that popped out when he gripped Aerys’ wrist sent a chill down his spine. Aerys shamefully found himself wanting them on his skin again.

He closed his eyes and imagined the prince’s eyes—the same color as violet flowers, his favorite. He breathed deeply as he thought of his scent—strong wine, leather, a hint of pine, and a thin veil of sweat. Something about that scent set him ablaze.

Aerys slapped his hands over his face and groaned. He needed to stop. He couldn’t think of him that way. The man rolled over onto his side. He shut his eyes as tightly as he could. Sleep, he needed to sleep. Aerys tried to think of anything he could to try and distract himself from the stirring in his loins. The man took a deep breath, shaking his head to rid his mind of the sinful thoughts creeping in. Yet every thought in his mind turned to the prince. It seemed the five years apart had done little to smother the fire in his heart. He missed him. Aerys had tried not to. He had tried so hard to forget him. He tried so desperately to ignore that obscene hunger that wanted nothing more than to devour him.

The feeling of his bare cock straining against the blanket made his stomach flinch- like someone had punched him in the gut. Once again, the prince appears in his mind. His eyes, his lips, his hands. The more he thinks, the harder it gets-his cock. Aerys threw his arms over his head, burying his face into the curve of his elbow. His eyes were closed as he focused on the clear image of the prince in his mind.

His hands balled into fists above his head. Aerys shook his head again, attempting to rid himself of these thoughts. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder how the prince’s cold hands would feel running down his chest. A shuddering sigh escaped his lips as his hips bucked. His cock rubbed against the soft wool blanket, desperate for some relief. Aerys couldn’t touch it. He wouldn’t touch it. His mind and body had betrayed him, but he still held on to what little willpower remained to him.

A low moan fills the air as he imagines it isn’t a blanket but the prince’s hand. How his strong hands would look wrapped around his cock. How it would feel dragging up and down slowly, pumping his swollen tip. He imagined how the veins in his hand would pop out as he tightened his grip around his throbbing shaft. Pathetic whimpers slipped through Aerys’ lips as his hips rolled up against the warm fabric.

Pale pink, soft, glistening lips; how would they feel wrapped around him? Would he be able to take him all the way? Aerys imagined he could.

His breath hitched in his chest as he imagined the prince’s hot breath against him, taking him into his mouth. His warm tongue swirling around the tip as drool coated his aching cock. Aerys felt his hips rolling faster. It was hot, too hot. His skin felt on fire, but he didn’t want it to stop. Those beautiful violet eyes stare up at him, and he’s gone. Aerys slaps a hand over his mouth to stifle the staggering groans as he reaches his peak. His toes curled, and he arched his back slightly. His brows scrunched together as the tidal waves of pleasure swept across his body. Whimpers slip past his lips as his hips jut against the blanket, releasing the last of his seed. The waves turned to ripples that slowly ebbed out, finally freeing him from the shackles of his salacious thoughts.

Aerys winced as he shifted his legs, feeling the blanket stick to his skin. He sat up, bunching the blanket together before throwing it to the ground. The man allowed his body to fall back onto the bed, his hair fanning around his head. For a few moments, the room was silent, save for the occasional short gasp as his body recovered. A sense of guilt washed over him. His heart ached so much that his chest hurt. 

The cold night air almost stings against his skin. Aerys rolls onto his side, bringing his knees up to his stomach. He crossed his arms over his chest, his nails digging into the skin of his palms. He felt so vulnerable- so humiliated. The sharp glint of his ring on the nightstand was enough to get the tears flowing. Sobs weigh heavily on his shoulders. His breath quickened, his eyes stung, and his nose burned. The man’s tears ran freely, but he pressed a hand against his mouth to quiet the sobs. His throat had begun to ache from trying to remain silent. 

How pathetic he must look, curled up and weeping like a child. Aerys had tried so hard to stop these feelings. He spent the past five years trying to repress them, sleeping with some of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Yet this thing refused to go away. It itched in the back of his mind like a fresh scab. Nyra knew- not of his feelings for the prince, but his interest in men in general. She had tried to explain to him that what he felt was not evil or perverse. Aerys wanted to believe her; he did—anything to take this overpowering weight off his chest. Yet somehow, he always ended up here. Curled up in tears while his guilt and shame ate away at him. I must be damned, he thought. He was doomed to spend his life in agony as a deviant, a freak.

A bright bolt of lightning caused him to flinch. He wrapped his arms around himself in an effort to find warmth. The soft sound of his sniffling filled the darkness of the room. His mind and body were both utterly exhausted. Aerys felt his body slump down as the darkness took over.

Tags: @teamavatar13

[badpanduhmemes]

I had too much fun writing this...

Quick context. Shen and Wolf Boss (Zhong) are teens here. How old exactly, I have no idea, but old enough that what follows may very well be the dumbest things anyone could say to Shen. It's a good thing they're such great friends or this scene could have ended really badly. (It probably should...anyways.)

“I still might try to see the pictures…. I’d like to see who’s likely to sail here.”

 The wolf grinned mischievously, willing to help.

“Even if they were ugly, none of them are going to be as ugly as you.”

For a moment Shen went rigid. The narrowing of his eyes was the only warning the wolf had, before the young lord launched himself from his seat with an indignant cry.

They crashed together onto the ground, kicking and punching and gauging, Shen cursing and spitting foul names at him, demanding to know where the canine got the gall to say something like that, but the bird’s offended rage made the wolf laugh, as he roughly shoved the irate peacock off.

Shen bodily rolled to his feet dropping into a defensive crouch, train spread wide behind him, ready to make full use of what the wolf joking referred to as twirly-whirly kung fu.

He got to his feet wary of the onslaught about to come at any second.

“How could you say something like that?!”

Zhong smirked toothily. “You looked like you were waiting for an excuse to hit something. Thought I’d help you out.”

“Oh, well how very considerate of you,” Shen sneered. He hated how casually the wolf was standing there, while he frantically tried to draw on every lesson he'd learned about dealing with heavier stronger opponents.

 “It’s what friends are for,” the wolf shrugged, still quietly laughing. Shen’s eye twitched, and his beak quirked.

“I’m sorry, what are friends good for?” He asked way too demurely. “Being considerate, or getting new ones ripped into them?”

He internally winced at how corny he sounded, as the wolf’s smirk widened and his eyes hardened.

“Bring it on birdie.”

[fatehbaz]

Guided by international authorities, the Turkish state [...] set sails to a path of massive creative destruction in 1980. Social forces that could negotiate or resist this route were crushed. They have been trying to reorganize ever since [...]. The roots of Turkey’s financial and ecological destruction were in the policy packages of two World Bank figures: Turgut Özal and Kemal Derviş. [...] 1980 was a crucial turning point. World Bank-imposed economic decisions [...] lowered wages [...] while opening the gates to more systematic – and now commercialized – urban plunder. [...] Turgut Özal, the engineer-turned-economist who brought the World Bank’s neoliberal turn to Turkey, served as prime minister and then president between 1983 and 1993. Even though he sparred with Kenan Evren (the NATO-trained counter-guerilla officer who led the junta of 1980-1983) over the issue of military-civilian balances, the two had a unified agenda: commodification of everything including housing, the abolition of social rights, and the crushing of unions. [...]

[T]he model they implemented shaped Turkey from head to toe. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, [...] [s]mall to medium sized housing acted as a replacement for secure jobs. This amounted to a Ponzi scheme [...]. [I]nstead of creating one to two story buildings as happened up until the 1970s, both construction workers and contractors built 4-story squatter units, with the intention of collecting rent from the units not inhabited by the original occupier. In other words, the newcomers to the cities now shifted part of the cost of the neoliberal package to the newer-comers from the countryside. [...] [T]he consequences of quick and cheap housing (not just for neighborhoods but for the entire society) were not yet well-understood [...]. We still don’t know what ratio of the buildings that were destroyed during the 2023 earthquake were built in the 1980s and 1990s, but they (and therefore, the social-political actors behind them) certainly share a huge part of the blame. [...]

---

The 1999 earthquake changed this.

The direct links between the quality of buildings and the unusually high number of deaths during the Gölcük earthquake opened everybody’s eyes – or so it seemed, back then. [...] The AKP of 2002, voted in partially as a reaction to the poor governmental response to the 1999 earthquake, had a vast popular mandate to enforce the new regulations. [...] But they weren’t enforced. [...] The increasing central regulation under the AKP was not for safety, as promised by the party. The AKP rather streamlined the wealth creation through cheap buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. In other words, urban rents and profits were centralized and concentrated at the top [...].

After this point, the shoddy construction was not a side effect, but a central choice.

The top-down reason for this [...] was a conscious strategy of wealth concentration. [...] [C]heap housing continued to substitute for high wages and secure jobs, as it did throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In other words, shoddy buildings were what an impoverished people could afford. And in the meantime, they were employed in passing jobs in construction and related sectors, further embedding their lives in the systematic creation of cheap housing, as part of a much more massive, and state organized, production of profit-oriented construction spree when compared to 1980-1999. [...]

[T]his path was devised by the World Bank, but the AKP rendered it much more rapacious. [...] Millions still couldn’t afford any decent housing, and now (further de-unionized in the 2000s) they couldn’t even afford units in these poorly constructed (but now giant, instead of 4-story) buildings. The new World Bank policy package (the Derviş rather than the Özal version) had a solution to this too: Household debt. Ordinary people started to live an apparently more comfortable life, thanks to mortgages and credit card debt.

But, as now they say in Turkey, they were buying not chic lives but tombstones. [...]

---

The links between Gezi [2013] and the Maraş earthquake [2023; over 59,000 deaths] are both structural and intimately personal. [...] The same individuals and associations that were active in the Gezi Uprising were and are involved in earthquake preparation and post-earthquake relief. [...] Urban rights, anti-extraction, and environmental movements flourished in Turkey after the 1980s. [...] The devastation caused by February 6 [2023] is yet another wakeup call. Ecologists, feminists, socialists, labor unions [...] [have] been organizing mutual aid once again. Self-organization has become a constant topic of discussion [...].[C]olonialism, racism, capitalism, and ecology are not separate issues. They are all intertwined. [...] Kurds and Alevis undertook impressive aid efforts in the earthquake-affected regions, despite explicit attempts by the government to thwart their relief campaigns. [...] Several associations and movements which we saw on Gezi’s stage – from the Chamber of Architects to the ever-growing multiplicity of feminist and LGBTQ organizations – have been providing the most basic necessities, whereas the neoliberal state has sunk so deep [...] that it has started to sell basic necessities in the earthquake region.

---

All text above by: Cihan Tugal. "From the Gezi Uprising to the 2023 Earthquake: Charting Turkey's Ecological Destruction and Reconstruction". Jadaliyya. 7 April 2023. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

[lunarubra]

OC Interview

Thank you for the tags, @justrainandcoffee, @cillmequick and @emotionalcadaver! <3

Are you named after anyone?

Yes and no. Jiyan is an important name in Kurdish culture, it means life, so I think I am named in honour of this centuries-old culture and all the resistance to keep it alive.

When was the last time you cried?

The other day, I got emotional while reading a book and cuddling up with Cillian.

Do you have any kids?

Nope, not for now. Children are a complicated subject for me. I will explain the reason better soon :)

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Noooooope. (That was sarcasm.)

What is the first thing you notice about people?

I try to read their faces. Even with strangers, one of my favorite games is to check their facial expressions while I am on the train or bus and imagine their life stories.

What is your eye color?

Light green. It changes when I am at the sea and reflects the light, becoming a deeper color.

Any special talents?

Apart from being a nerd about how language works and learning the weirdest vocabulary possible, nothing special. Maybe sailing, but that's kind of a necessity if you spend half your life on a boat and in Venice.

Scary movies or happy endings?

It depends on how I feel. Sometimes I can't stand anything scary and need a comfort movie with a happy ending; other times I crave the adrenaline rush of a good scary movie.

Where were you born?

Well, legally in Venice. In reality, on a boat in international waters just outside the Venice bay.

Do you have any pets?

No, but I would love to have a black cat. I've always wanted to be a witch.

How tall are you?

Okay, I have no idea in the imperial system, just above 160 cm.

What was your favorite subject in school?

Philosophy. I loved the debates, and even if the majority of philosophers were rich white men, it was so interesting trying to look at the world through their eyes.

What is your dream job?

Being able to translate the oldest languages in the world. I love my research and the university, so I am quite happy with it for now :)

Everyone who wants to participate is welcome! I'm late to the party, and I think everyone I know with an OC has already been tagged :)