#since it's been a while... price update!

[fedoraspooky]

In case anyone's wondering, one of the things i've been doing freelance-wise is illustrating for a TTRPG book! I got to do a cameo of ST1X for an upcoming game based on ol' deviantART OC tournaments, so if you'd like a sneak peek of that and several years worth of other secret drawings (mostly Kilroy-related but there's other ocs too!), it's available in my $5 tier!

[gar-a-ash]

Thinking about working dogs and drive and how Reese was an insane high drive mess that was constantly on 24/7 and had super flashy obedience because he was that desperate for the YES and GOOD BOY that he would practically have a meltdown if he wasn't worked every waking moment vs Tassie who is probably the second chillest dog I have ever owned and only needs to be worked a couple hours a week but is otherwise content with frequent frisbee sessions and has equally flashy obedience with much less effort and is always ready to go at a word or motion but is also ready to settle down on command as well.

Just remembering that training Reese was always a battle where with Tassie it's an ebb and flow and we get the same results in such a shorter amount of time and she'd be considered a more medium drive dog. Also remembering reading a paper that linked drive to anxiety and thinking that high drive might not be in the dog's best interest if you can get the same results with lower drive.

Also thinking about all these training facilities and breeders hyping up the craziest dogs they own and constantly pushing for more and more insanity for the sake of... what?

[urdreamydoodles]

MARVEL COMICS CHARACTERS x FEM!READER

Marvel Comics Characters Receiving a Dirty Picture from You in Public

Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, Loki, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Bucky Barnes, Matthew Murdock, Frank Castle, Marc Spector, Johnny Storm, Reed Richards, Felicia Hardy, Stephen Strange, Namor, Johnny Blaze, Eddie Brock / Venom, T'Challa & Elektra Natchios

God, I love Marvel Comics...

Peter Parker aka. Spider-Man

Peter has been through a lot. He’s fought villains, lost people he’s loved, and carried the weight of responsibility since he was a kid. But nothing—not Venom, not Doctor Octopus, not the Green Goblin—has ever hit him as hard as opening his phone and seeing you.

He’s perched upside-down on a fire escape, mid-stakeout with Daredevil, when his phone buzzes. He barely glances at it at first, assuming it’s an update from MJ or the Bugle. But then—his Spidey-Sense misfires. His stomach drops. And suddenly, he’s scrambling so fast that he almost falls off the fire escape.

“...Parker?” Matt’s voice is suspicious, brow furrowing beneath the red mask. Peter clutches his phone like a lifeline, heat rushing to his face, his entire body going rigid. “Uh—nope! Nothing’s wrong! Totally fine! Just, uh—gotta—go!” Before Matt can say another word, Peter web-slings away, heart pounding.

Later, in his apartment, he stares at the image, biting his lip so hard he might draw blood. Then, fumbling with his phone, he types back: You cannot just drop this on me in the middle of a mission. I almost DIED. You’re gonna make it up to me. In person. Immediately.

Tony Stark aka. Iron Man

Tony Stark is always the one making people flustered. He’s the king of inappropriate timing, the grandmaster of chaos. So when you flip the game on him? When you send him something completely indecent while he’s in the middle of a live press conference? Oh, he is in trouble.

He’s mid-sentence, standing in front of a sea of reporters, when his phone vibrates. He glances at it without thinking, because hey, it might be about stock prices or another alien invasion. But no. No, it’s you. In the filthiest pose imaginable.

He visibly freezes. Blinks. Blanches. Then—his brain blue screens. The entire room stares as Tony suddenly cuts off mid-sentence, clears his throat, and forces a smirk that’s absolutely not covering up a crisis. “Uh—ladies and gentlemen, I think that’s enough questions for today.”

The moment he’s offstage, he stumbles into the nearest private room, yanks at his tie, and pulls out his phone like it holds the meaning of life. He types back immediately: Oh, now you’ve done it, sweetheart. I hope you’re home right now, because I’m on my way, and I’m bringing consequences.

Steve Rogers aka. Captain America

Steve is not a prude. He’s been around, he’s seen things. But there’s something about you—about the way you know exactly how to knock the breath from his lungs—that makes him feel like a kid again.

He’s in the middle of a strategy meeting with Sam and Bucky, his shield leaning against the table, when his phone vibrates. He checks it without thinking, eyes flicking down—and then every muscle in his body tenses. His grip on the phone tightens. His ears burn red.

“You good, Rogers?” Bucky gives him a knowing smirk, because he immediately recognizes that look—Steve flustered beyond belief. Steve clears his throat, hard, locking his phone like it’s offended him. “Fine,” he says, voice a little too even. “Let’s, uh—let’s keep going.”

But later, when he’s alone, he exhales deeply, pressing a hand over his face before looking at the image again. Then, with slow deliberation, he types: I hope you know what you just started. Because I don’t break my promises, sweetheart. And I promise—you’re not leaving that bed when I get there.

Thor Odinson aka. God of Thunder

Thor has seen battles, has waged wars across the cosmos, has faced monsters and gods. But when his phone pings—when he sees the absolute sin that you’ve just sent him—he forgets how to breathe.

He is in the middle of the Avengers’ common room, laughing boisterously with Bruce and Natasha, when he pulls out his phone. He expects something simple—a text from his brother, perhaps, or a message from Jane. But instead? Instead, he sees you.

The entire room feels it when Thor’s laughter stops. There is a moment—just a beat of silence—before the lights flicker. The air crackles with static electricity. His fingers twitch around the phone, and then, in a low, very serious voice, he mutters, “By the Norns…”

Natasha raises an eyebrow, but Thor abruptly stands, clearing his throat. “I must depart. Urgently.” Bruce frowns. “What? Why?” Thor barely offers an explanation before storming out of the room, typing furiously: You dare tempt the God of Thunder? Very well, little one. You shall learn what it means to summon a storm.

Loki Laufeyson aka. God of Mischief

Loki is the undisputed master of control. He is calm, composed, always one step ahead of everyone else. But when you send him something so shameless, so brazen, in the middle of an important diplomatic event in Asgard—he nearly drops his goblet of wine.

He’s reclining on his throne, listening to some dull ambassador drone on about trade negotiations, when his phone vibrates. He lifts it lazily, expecting nothing of importance—until he sees you.

His entire body goes rigid. His grip tightens around the goblet, the silver denting beneath his fingers. His green eyes darken, and for the first time in centuries, he feels his pulse stutter. The ambassador keeps talking, oblivious, but Loki? Loki is seething.

Later, in his chambers, he lounges on his bed, turning the phone over in his fingers before smirking. Then, with slow, careful precision, he types: You dare tease the God of Mischief? Oh, darling, you are in such trouble. And you know how much I enjoy trouble.

Clint Barton aka. Hawkeye

Clint Barton is used to chaos. He’s fought alien invasions, taken down crime syndicates, and, most impressively, lived in a house with three dogs and somehow survived. But nothing—not the Avengers, not S.H.I.E.L.D., not even Kate Bishop’s endless sarcasm—could have prepared him for this.

He’s in the middle of a debriefing with Captain America and Black Widow when his phone vibrates. Normally, he’d ignore it, but boredom gets the better of him. He sneaks a glance, tilting the screen just slightly—and immediately chokes on his coffee.

“Barton?” Natasha’s voice is sharp, her suspicious gaze snapping to him. Steve looks concerned. Clint, on the other hand, is malfunctioning. He quickly locks his phone, pressing it to his thigh like it’s burning him. “Yep. All good. Just… wrong text thread. You know how it is.”

The second he’s alone, he whistles, rubbing a hand down his face before sending a text: You are absolutely trying to kill me, aren’t you? I’m a trained marksman, babe. You know I always hit my target. Hope you’re ready.

Natasha Romanoff aka. Black Widow

Natasha Romanoff is a professional. She’s endured psychological conditioning, trained with the deadliest assassins in the world, and can lie so well that even she forgets what’s real. But when you send her something so utterly filthy, in the middle of a high-stakes poker game with some very dangerous people—she nearly loses her composure.

She’s holding a perfect poker face, one leg crossed over the other, a cigarette between her fingers (purely for effect). Then, her phone buzzes. She never checks her phone during missions, but for some reason, she does this time.

The second she sees the image, her fingers twitch. She almost fumbles her cigarette. Almost. A single slow breath is all that betrays her before she locks the screen and smirks, adjusting her sunglasses to hide the flicker of heat in her gaze.

Later, after she’s won the game (because of course she has), she finally responds: You must be very confident, sending me something like that. I hope you know what happens when I catch my prey, моя любовь (my love). Because I always catch them.

Bucky Barnes aka. Winter Soldier

Bucky is already always on edge. He spent decades being controlled, his mind fractured, his instincts constantly telling him that danger lurks around every corner. But when his phone vibrates in the middle of a mission briefing and he makes the mistake of checking it—he nearly self-destructs.

He’s sitting next to Sam Wilson, arms crossed, trying to focus on the tactical discussion. Then, out of habit, he glances at his phone. And suddenly? His enhanced heartbeat spikes. His grip on the phone tightens, metal fingers creaking.

Sam immediately notices. “Dude. You okay?” Bucky doesn’t answer. He just exhales deeply, jaw clenching, and locks his phone like it’s personally offended him. “Fine,” he mutters, but the way his throat bobs betrays him.

Later, in the privacy of his room, he leans against the wall, pressing his flesh hand over his face before looking at the image again. Then, he types—slow, deliberate, full of promise: You are playing with fire, doll. And you know I don’t burn alone.

Matthew Murdock aka. Daredevil

Matt has learned to control himself. He has to, considering his senses pick up everything. The heartbeat of a liar, the scent of blood, the whisper of fabric against skin. But when he puts in his earpiece during a stakeout with Elektra and hears you—sultry, teasing, wicked—his composure shatters.

Your voice is a purr, warm and full of amusement, as you describe, in explicit detail, exactly what you want to do to him. Every syllable slides into his ear like a sin, and for the first time in years, Matt Murdock forgets how to breathe.

“Murdock.” Elektra’s voice is unimpressed. “Are you even listening?” Matt clenches his jaw, forcing his expression into something neutral as he slowly removes the earpiece. “Yeah,” he lies, his voice way too tight. “Loud and clear.” But his fingers twitch, betraying him.

Later, alone in his apartment, he plays the message again. And again. Until his own heartbeat is thunderous in his ears. Then, with a slow smirk, he records his reply—his voice low, gravelly, barely more than a rasp: Angel, you have no idea what you’ve just done. And I promise—you won’t be able to walk tomorrow.

Frank Castle aka. The Punisher

Frank Castle does not fluster. He’s a man who’s seen the worst of the world, a soldier who has lost everything. He does not get distracted. But when he’s sitting in the middle of a grimy bar, brooding over a whiskey, and his phone vibrates—everything stops.

He checks it absently, expecting intel from Micro or maybe a warning from Daredevil. But instead, he gets you. And just like that, his grip on the glass tightens. His jaw locks. His entire body tenses, muscles coiled, because you have just sent him something so utterly indecent that he has to set his whiskey down before he crushes the glass.

The bartender notices. “You good, man?” Frank barely glances up, his fingers white-knuckled around his phone. “Fine,” he mutters, voice rough. He shoves his phone back in his pocket and downs the rest of his drink in one go.

Later, in the dead of night, he finally lets himself look at the picture again. He exhales, rubbing a hand over his face, before sending a single message: You think you’re real cute, huh? Yeah. Keep that same energy when I get home. See if you’re still smirking when I’ve got my hands on you.

Marc Spector aka. Moon Knight

Marc has lived multiple lives. A mercenary. A vigilante. A fist of vengeance. But the moment his phone vibrates in the middle of a stakeout, and he sees you—he nearly blows his own cover.

He’s perched on a rooftop, watching a weapons deal go down, his mind sharp and focused. Then, out of habit, he checks his phone. His breath hitches. His grip tightens around the device, and he has to physically restrain himself from groaning. Khonshu’s voice rumbles in his mind: "Your mortal desires are distracting, Spector." Marc grits his teeth. "Yeah, no shit."

“Something wrong?” Jake’s voice purrs from inside his head, amused. “She send you something nice, hermano?” Marc rolls his eyes, exhaling sharply before locking his phone. “Mind your damn business.” But his pulse is thundering.

Later, back at his apartment, he leans against the wall, staring at the image before typing: You have no idea what you’ve just done. Hope you’re home. Hope you’re ready.

Johnny Storm aka. Human Torch

Johnny Storm is used to attention. He thrives on it. He’s a celebrity, a hero, a walking flame. But when you send him something scandalous in the middle of a live television interview, even he isn’t ready for it.

He’s laughing, flashing his signature cocky grin at the camera, when his phone buzzes. He checks it without thinking—because hey, it might be Sue yelling at him again—but instead, it’s you. In the filthiest pose imaginable.

Johnny visibly chokes. His entire body tenses. For the first time ever, he forgets what he was saying. The interviewer blinks. “Uh… Johnny?” His brain short-circuits. His face heats—literally. The tips of his ears ignite before he clenches his fists and forces himself to not spontaneously combust on live television.

The second the interview is over, he’s sprinting to his dressing room, slamming the door shut and typing frantically: Ohhh, you are in trouble. You’re really trying to set me on fire, huh? Hope you’re home, babe, ‘cause I’m flying over. Right. Now.

Reed Richards aka. Mister Fantastic

Reed Richards is a genius. His mind is constantly working at speeds beyond human comprehension. But when he’s mid-lecture at a prestigious scientific conference and his phone vibrates—his brilliant mind suddenly goes blank.

He absently checks his phone, half-expecting an alert from the Baxter Building. But instead, it’s you. Wearing almost nothing.

For a solid ten seconds, he is frozen. His eyes slightly widen. His fingers twitch. And then, very slowly, he locks his phone and clears his throat. “Ah—excuse me, esteemed colleagues, but I must—um—attend to an urgent matter.”

Later, he adjusts his glasses, staring at the image with a fascinated, almost scientific appreciation. Then, with methodical precision, he types: You are a very distracting woman. I will be conducting an… in-depth study on you as soon as I return. Expect a thorough examination.

Felicia Hardy aka. Black Cat

Felicia Hardy is a master of seduction. She flusters men for fun. But when she’s in the middle of a high-stakes casino heist, and you send her something utterly indecent, even she loses her composure.

She’s leaning against the bar, sipping an expensive martini, eyes locked on her mark. Then, her phone buzzes. She lazily checks it, expecting an update from her crew. But instead? Instead, she sees you.

Her eyelashes flutter. Her lips part just slightly. And for the first time in years, her poker face cracks. The bartender—oblivious—raises an eyebrow. “Everything okay, miss?” Felicia exhales, smirking as she locks her phone. “Oh, it’s better than okay.”

Later, she lounges on silk sheets, staring at the picture before purring into her phone: You really think you can tease me, kitten? Oh, sweetheart… you just made a very expensive bet. And I never lose.

Stephen Strange aka. Doctor Strange

Stephen Strange is not easily shaken. He’s fought cosmic horrors, bent reality, and wielded power beyond mortal comprehension. But when he’s in the middle of a magical duel with Dormammu, and you send him a sinfully explicit picture—he almost loses.

He’s mid-incantation, floating above the Sanctum’s rooftop, when his phone vibrates. Normally, he’d ignore it—except something in the back of his mind tells him it’s you. He flicks his fingers, glancing at the screen—and immediately regrets it.

His spell stutters. His fingers twitch. The fabric of reality briefly warps. Wong, standing below, yells, “What the hell was that?!” Stephen clenches his jaw, locking his phone immediately before snapping his wrist and repairing the timeline. “Nothing,” he mutters. “Absolutely nothing.”

The moment the battle is over, he retreats into his study, loosening his Cloak, before typing: You dare distract the Sorcerer Supreme? You have no idea what you’ve just unleashed, darling. And I do hope you’re prepared for consequences beyond mortal comprehension.

Namor aka. The Sub-Mariner

Namor is a king. He does not answer to anyone. He has waged war against the surface world, stood against the mightiest heroes, and commands the loyalty of an entire empire. But when he is seated on his throne, discussing politics with his council, and his communicator vibrates—everything else becomes irrelevant.

He glances down, expecting a diplomatic missive. Instead, he is greeted by you—a vision of temptation, captured in a way that only he has the privilege to see. His grip on the communicator tightens, his lips parting slightly. The light of the display reflects in his dark, narrowed eyes.

The council drones on, but Namor hears nothing. His golden gauntlets flex, his knuckles tightening as his jaw sets. A slow, deliberate exhale is all that betrays his reaction. But those closest to him—his most trusted generals—see the flicker of something dangerous in his expression. A storm, barely contained.

Later, as he stands upon his balcony, overlooking the endless ocean, he types a single response: You seek to tempt a king, my love? Then be prepared for the wrath of a god. When next we meet, you will drown in my devotion.

Johnny Blaze aka. Ghost Rider

Johnny Blaze has seen Hell—literally. He has ridden across the desolate highways of damnation, stared into the abyss, and laughed. But when he’s sitting in a biker bar, nursing a whiskey and half-listening to some guy ramble about the Devil, his phone vibrates. And when he checks it—he nearly sets the whole place on fire.

The image of you is burned into his mind, seared into his soul. He sucks in a slow breath through his teeth, his fingers tightening around the glass. His knuckles go white. Somewhere deep inside, the Spirit of Vengeance chuckles.

“Something wrong, Blaze?” One of the other bikers eyes him warily. Johnny forces a smirk, setting his whiskey down before he crushes the glass in his grip. “Nah,” he rasps, his voice a little too rough. “Just realized I got… unfinished business to take care of.”

Later, on his Hellfire-coated bike, he sends a text: You got a real bad habit of making me wanna sin, sweetheart. And I promise—I’ll make sure you repent. Over. And over.

Eddie Brock & Venom aka. Venom

Eddie Brock has been through hell. He’s fought monsters, been one himself, lost everything, and still kept going. But nothing—not a damn thing—could prepare him for the absolute carnage of getting that picture from you in the middle of a crowded subway.

He’s scrolling through his phone absentmindedly, Venom muttering in his head about wanting tater tots, when the image loads. For a solid five seconds, he is completely still. Then—

“Eddie.” Venom’s voice rumbles, amused. “Your mate is very… bold. We approve.” Eddie, red-faced, slams his phone against his chest like that’ll somehow erase what just happened. “Jesus Christ,” he mutters, eyes darting around to make sure no one saw. A teenager across from him raises an eyebrow.

Later, when he’s alone, he finally lets himself look at the picture again. A slow, predatory grin spreads across his face as he types back: Oh, you think you’re being cute, huh? Yeah. Just wait till I get my hands on you. Hell, maybe we’ll even let Venom have a little fun, too.

T’Challa aka. Black Panther

T’Challa is a king, a warrior, a legend. His mind is a fortress, his will unshakable. But when he is seated in the royal palace of Wakanda, surrounded by dignitaries, and his Kimoyo Beads alert him to a personal message—his focus wavers.

He allows himself a discreet glance. And in that moment? His heart skips a single beat. His fingers—steady even in the heat of battle—tighten just slightly around his beads. His expression does not change. But to those who know him well—Okoye, Shuri—they notice the subtlest flicker of something dangerous in his eyes.

Shuri smirks. “Brother,” she murmurs, leaning in. “You look… distracted.” T’Challa exhales deeply, locking the message with a casual flick of his fingers. “I am merely… anticipating a conversation.”

Later, when he is alone, he reviews the picture once more, fingers grazing his jaw before he types: You are testing my patience, beloved. And you know I am a man of great discipline. But for you? I am willing to break my own rules. Expect me soon.

Elektra Natchios aka. Elektra

Elektra Natchios does not fluster. She has slit the throats of kings, danced on the edge of oblivion, and played cat-and-mouse with death itself. But when she is sharpening her sai on the rooftop of a New York high-rise and her phone buzzes—her grip falters.

The blade nicks her glove. Barely. But it happens. Her lips part in a slow, dangerous smirk as she tilts the phone toward the moonlight, drinking in the absolute audacity of your message.

“Something amusing?” A voice—a rival assassin, lurking in the shadows. Elektra does not answer. She merely tucks her phone away, standing smoothly, her stance lethal. “Yes,” she purrs. “Something… very amusing.”

Later, as she leans against the window of her penthouse, she finally sends a reply: You are so very reckless, my love. And I do enjoy breaking reckless little things.

[cardentist]

hey, so people need to be aware that youtube is now (randomly) holding basic features for ransom (such as being able to pin comments under your own videos) in exchange for Your State ID/Drivers License, or a 30 Second Video Of Your Face.

not to pull a "think of the children," but No Actually. I've been making videos as a hobby since 2015 (and I've had my channel since middle school), I was a minor when I started and I'm not sure I would have understood the kind of damage something a seemingly simple as a video of your face can do.

this is a Massive breach of privacy and over-reach on google's part No Matter What, but if they're going to randomly demand a state ID or license then they absolutely should not allow minors to be creators.

google having a stockpile of identifying information on teenagers is bad enough, but the Alternative of recording your face and handing it over to be filed away is Alarming considering it opens the gates for minors who Aren't old enough to have a license.

and yes, there is a third option, but it's intentionally obtuse. a long wait period (2 months), with no guarantee of access (unlike, say, the convenience of using your phone's cameras for either of the other two), with absolutely No elaboration on what the criteria is or how it's being measured.

it's the same psychological effect that mobile games rely on. offer a slow, unreliable solution with no payment to make the Paid instant gratification look more appealing (the "payment" in this case being You. you are the product being offered).

and it's Particularly a system that (I think intentionally) disadvantages people who don't treat their channels like a job. hobbyists or niche creators who don't create regularly enough or aren't popular enough to meet whatever Vague criteria needs to be met to pass.

markiplier would have no problem passing, your little brother might not be able to. and while Mark's name is already out there there's no reason why your little brother's should be too.

something like pinned comments may seem simple, you don't technically Need it. but it's a feature that's been available for years. most people don't look at descriptions anymore. so when there's relevant information that needs to be delivered then the pinned comment is usually the go to.

for my little channel that information is about the niche series I create for. guides on how to get into the series, sources on where to find the content At All (and reliably so). for other creators it can be used for things Much More Important.

Moreover, if we let them get away with cutting away "small" features and selling it back to you for the price of your privacy, then they Will creep further. they Will take more.

Note: I have an update to this post here: [Link]

[franticmelody]

I've been seeing a lot of misinformation about the Switch 2 on my dash today and I'm not going to comment about prices or my opinion or anything but I just feel like clarifying a few things so that people have all the CORRECT info to judge whether the console and games are worth buying to them.

1. Game Key Cards- Physical Games are Just Downloads Now!

Yes, Nintendo has announced Game Key Cards, functioning how all PS5 discs do- as a key to unlock a digital download. However I have seen many people claiming all physical games are like this- this is not the case. Only 2 games confirmed for Switch 2 are Key Cards so far: Street Fighter 6 and Bravely Default. So only select games will use this. Not only that, but this also appeared in some form on Switch 1 already- you could buy physical games that contained... Nothing. You'd open your case and find a digital code to download the game. This was most commonly used on large 3rd party games with huge download sizes, or free games with large paid DLC such as Fortnite. So, all in all, this is another form for a rarely used already existing precedent, currently only on 2 3rd party games.

2. You have to pay to use your Nintendo Switch Games on Switch 2

I can see where this has come from as the talk of backwards compatibility and Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games used a lot of terms about a lot of different things. But all in all, you can put any* switch 1 game in your switch 2 and just play it. For free. The paid content is for specific games that feature additional upgrades- whether it be BotW and TotK with making the game run much smoother with its frame rate, or games such as Kirby and the Forgotten Land adding completely new additional content. While every backwards compatible game will take advantage of the Switch 2's higher power, the paid Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games go back in and update the games to natively perform better, which just running a game on a system with higher resolution without changing the code wouldn't do. Also, you don't need to pay to play BotW on Switch 2 without the Switch 2 Edition upgrade, you can play it on Switch 2 without the added frame rate boost.

*Not every game will run on Switch 2, this is true! But they have released the list of what isn't compatible, and the only games fully incompatible are games like Labo, which rely on features of the switch 1 that are not present in Switch 2. And since you can still use the original joycons with switch 2, you can still play most of them! The literally only game you can't play is Labo Vr Kit, because the system itself is a different size and will not fit into the toycon kit.

Again, not saying my opinions about prices or these features or what they're charging for what- this isn't an opinion post!!!! Just clearing up some stuff I've seen on my dash.

[pythonmoth]

cw: post-traumatic stress disorder. paranoia. anxiety. panic. overthinking. reader is traumatized and unreliable. explicit suicidal thoughts. mentioned depersonalization. the voices. jealous simon. kissing the homies pt2. author was angry while writing.

× framed traitor f!reader x lt ghost. poly tf141.

text is heavily styled to show reader's panic. if it's difficult to read, I can share the normal version tomorrow. ♡

Part 8

Slow.

That's the only way you can describe how the progress has been for you.

Ever since you fell asleep with Simon on a call, you've been feeling so calm. It's like all the problems disappeared. Your therapist is confused, but glad to see you all happy and content, like never before. Your appetite has come back, your nails have been growing nicely. You give yourself a chance to try on comfortable shoes, a little hesitant to make your toenails hurt, but you can actually walk with them now. They're still a little sensitive, but you're running your errands on your own now. No need to be dependant anymore.

To feel like yourself again has given you so much comfort that you find yourself texting the team properly. Even Gaz has been taking your calls when he's available, which has been great for your mental health, and your heart. Price has been mostly quiet, but you're not surprised, as he's always busy; he mostly just shares updates on missions, like Simon. Johnny has been incredibly funny on the phone, sharing silly things and your mutual hatred towards a new movie has been helping you bond again.

Simon, however...

"Hey, I'm serious! Don't you dare using that fucking tea bag!" Simon grunts from the phone.

You turn to him, laughing as you see him frowning. Simon's unmasked face covers your phone screen, his distaste for the cheap tea bags completely clear. His eyebrows are furrowed together, his mouth curled in a little disgusted snarl. You can only grin, mocking him, lazily patting your hands dry on your pants.

"I've no energy to prepare anything else!" you sigh, dropping the tea bag on the mug, getting closer to the phone to turn the volume up.

Your phone is fighting for it's life resting against a little cookie jar on the isle, your hands still a little damp from doing the dishes.

"Well, if you didn't try to do everything at once, you would" Simon voice retorts. His forehead is covering nearly half of your screen, making it hard to take him seriously.

"I can perfectly do multiple things at the same time".

"The stove".

You turn around to see the stove still on. With a grimace, you turn it off, ignoring his little chuckle as you reach out for your tea and your phone, walking over to the living room. The couch is cozy and fluffy, making you sink into it as if it were a cloud. You drag a blanket over your legs as you smile at the screen, staring at Simon.

"Whatever. Now, what did you have for dinner?"

Ever since that night, this has been your new normal. He has time off, you have a videocall. Really, it's a win-win situation, and it makes you happy, so that's fine. He tells you all about everyone, he tells you about how much he misses you and how much he wants to see you. It makes you smile, genuinely so.

The therapist isn't convinced you're okay yet. She says you're still jumpy, still flinch around people, and she even said you're hyper vigilant. But there's nothing wrong with being precautious, so you don't understand how that's a bad thing. However, you can admit it's a little hard to do things with your hands. It's not that you can't use your hands, because you can, but it makes you feel as if you were in a simulation, as if you were part of a game and you're the point of view for someone else.

Perhaps you should've kept that to yourself.

That's probably why the therapist refuses to allow you to go back. She probably thinks you're crazy, when it happens to everyone. She just doesn't understand.

It's no matter, because they're coming.

Price told you a few days ago that they're finally free, and will be having a few months off unless they're strictly needed. It's been nine months since you last saw them in person, so it makes you feel excited, content!

Tomorrow. They're coming tomorrow.

The best part is that you don't even need to ask what they feel like eating. You know them well enough to know just how much they love meat, so you just have to go out and buy everything.

The air is a more than chilly now, your birthday month coming right up, so you decide to put on your favorite jacket and take your car keys. The drive to the store is calm, the music absolutely blasting your ears, though, your enthusiasm sky high with how much you've missed them these past few months. It makes you giddy, to welcome them, to see them again.

Your therapist has been helping you to identify your emotions, helping you to understand how you are genuinely feeling. And having them over... it makes you a little anxious. Only because you haven't gotten any visitors outside your family and friends, really. Of course you want them there, it's just gonna be new.

In just a few minutes, your car if parked and locked at least five times just to make sure, canva tote bags in hand and then you're walking in the store. You're always making sure to come at a time when there's less people, and you're glad it's keeping up the same. Headphones over your ears, music gently playing on then, you move with practiced ease.

Meat. Vegetables. Pasta.

Meat. Fruit. Meat.

And meat.

They would die if you gave them anything but meat, truly.

You smile to yourself as you carry your things back to your car, your headphones now curled around your neck so you can pay attention to your surroundings, your eyes slyly looking around, turning smoothly whenever you feel someone is looking at you from your back. Your eyes wide open, you fill your car with the groceries, quickly closing it once you're done.

Just for precaution, you look around again before looking inside your car, and as soon as you open the door, you're inside and lo ck in g the car.

Just precaution.

It's dangerous out the re.

You're home the rest of the day, preparing the meals you'll be giving them tomorrow morning. Price did say they'll be arriving at 2pm, so you make sure everything is perfect before going to bed.

That night, you sleep with Simon's breathing next to your ear again, your heart pounding in your chest. The an xie ty keeps on growing, but you're sure it's just giddiness. Really, you're just too excited you can't wait.

The next morning, you almost don't want to get up. The woodpeckers are going crazy with the tree just outside your window, the sunlight hitting your face perfectly from between the curtains and it feels peaceful. Your bed is empty, except for your pillows —and a big plushie of a dragon Johnny got for you a few years ago—, and it's so, so warm you just don't want to get up.

With a sigh, you stand up and quickly get ready to welcome the day, and your friends. You're thankful you made sure everything was ready the day before, because just as you're done blow drying your hair, there's a firm knock on your door.

Surprised, you turn to look at the clock. You didn't even realize you spent so long just staring at yourself in silence. You lost so many hours, when you could've been doing something else!

"Coming!" you yell from your room, jumping down the stairs to the kitchen and turning the stove on.

When everything is already getting heated up, you stand in front of the door, your body suddenly frozen. You're sweating, your heart slowing and then racing in your chest as if it couldn't choose what to do. Your throat is closing up.

You can't move.

Don't open the door.

Run.

Why?

What is happening?

Run.

Another knock makes you snap out of it, but your hands are still shaky as you finally open the door. Your shoulders relax as your eyes fall on Gaz, strong arms instantly wrapping around your middle as Price, right behind him, presses the door against the wall so they can all get in.

Gaz lifts you just enough to make room for the rest.

"Hey, sweetheart. Looking good" Gaz says, beaming, pressing a soft kiss to your cheekbones before letting go of you.

However, you're instantly shutting off again. You don't understand why your legs feel like jelly, why your healed fingernails are throbbing. You don't understand at all why the sudden urge to run, far, far away.

Leave.

Price grins down at you, patting your head and gently gripping your shoulder before side stepping you. "Thank you for having us, kid".

When you look up at Johnny, he's grinning down at you, but you can see the way he quickly catches on your reaction, the way your forehead is covered in sweat, and the way your lips are pursed.

Danger.

"It's good to see you" Johnny says gently, nodding down at you and moving past you very carefully, trying not to touch you.

It feels odd. It feels incredibly off. And there's something weird in the air.

Your stomach is twisting and churning. It's confusing. It's weird. Sulfur? Acid?

Fully focused on trying to understand what happening to you, you're suddenly aware that the burning smell you can perceive is coming from your deep in your stomach.

Fear? Pain? Panic?

Your throat is so closed up you can barely breathe. The fear is making your sight turn a little blurry, your breathing shaky.

Bile. You want to throw up.

When you look up at Simon, your hands clench on your sides, swallowing thickly. It feels so, so wrong to look at him like this, especially when you two are supposed to be okay again, but for some reason, you can't handle looking at him. It's making you feel... off. Odd.

You give him a tight smile and a nod, the giddiness turning ice cold in your stomach.

You bring your hand to your mouth, nibbling on your fingernails.

As soon as they're all inside, door closed behind them, Simon takes his mask off, his eyes fixed on you, frowning.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm okay. Yeah, come on" you reply, maybe a little too quickly, but you don't give him, or any of them, a moment to think about it as you move to the kitchen.

You check on everything by the stove as Johnny fills glasses with wine. It's too early for wine, but with your teeth destroying the growing fingernail on your thumb... you don't really care right now.

"It smells amazing" Price comments, inhaling deeply. He's sitting at the head of the table, looking ready to sink his teeth in anything. If he's oblivious to the tension in your shoulders, or if he's choosing to ignore it, you can't tell. "This is what having a wife at home feels like. All we're missing is a little one".

That manages to make you smile slightly, your shaky hands relaxing at the friendly tone. You reach out to mix the pots, turning to look at him.

"The only little one any of you will be seeing from me is my knee on your balls. Now, be useful and set the table" you grunt. Price raises his hands in surrender and pats Simon's shoulder so they can do as you asked.

It's not the first time they've come, anyway, so they don't have to ask you where you keep things. Johnny stays by the table, claiming he already poured the wine, but he ends up helping Simon and Price with the plates anyway.

Gaz leaves the table to stand right next to you, suddenly smacking the hand on your mouth firmly.

"Stop that shit" he whispers angrily. He's quiet, even gentle with it, so rest don't hear.

"Sorry. I'm... feeling weird" you mumble, forcing yourself to stop.

"Go sit. I've got this" he hums, nudging you with his shoulder until you let go.

You make sure to sit by the isle, just because that ridiculous anxious feeling isn't getting any smaller. If anything, you can jump and cover yourself with the isle, so this place is fine.

As Gaz serves for everyone and they start sitting down again, you nearly jump off the chair when you realize Simon's sitting next to you, instead of where he was sitting on the opposite side of the table.

"Hey, that's my chair. Go sit over there".

You look up to see Simon glare at Gaz, the two of them staring each other down, a silent conversation between the two of them. In the end, Simon simply let's go of the chair and sits away from you again. It helps you relax, but you keep quiet, reaching out to grab your glass of wine.

"Really, though. If you had a kid running around..." Price starts again, his mouth filled with food.

"Back off" Johnny complains, nudging Price still. Price rolls his eyes, waving a dismissive hand. "What a prick".

Simon, however, can't look away from you, paying attention to all of your movements, the way you lean on Gaz, the way you barely seem to be listening.

"If she's marrying anyone here, that's me" Gaz says, suddenly wrapping an arm around your shoulders. "Y'all stand no chance".

It makes you relax, but only a moment, feeling suffocated by their eyes on you, especially with the way Simon's gripping his fork. You hit Gaz on the ribs with your elbow, only to make him let go. He grins, his eyes gentle. You know he doesn't mean it like that, but it's making you uncomfortable again.

"Oi, watch your—" Simon starts, his eye twitching.

"Not playing house by choice, I've been forced to. I'm pretty sure we don't wanna talk about it, so eat up and shut the fuck up" you snap, your tone just shy from screaming at them.

That makes Price's teasing smile die, nodding solemnly, and finally shutting up. You refuse to look at the way Simon and Johnny's faces drop, both of them staring at their plates, suddenly feeling no appetite.

It's an awkward meal, everybody afraid to make a single noise. You can hear the way Simon's munching on the vegetables, you can hear Price's breathing slowing down just the way he does when he's on a mission, and Johnny... he's only mixing his food together, stabbing an innocent carrot.

After a while, when nobody's chewing and nobody even dares breathing, Gaz breaks the silence.

"So..."

The rest turn to him.

Gaz grins.

A movie.

The sun is still high up, but Garrick suggested to watch a movie, and you said yes. In a heartbeat. Really, Simon shouldn't complain if he gets to see you for a little longer. Whatever that means, anyway, because you don't want him near you at all. Fuck, you didn't even let him sit next to you.

All these months, he thought he'd been helping you, he thought therapy was going well, because during the constant videocalls you've been cheerful, your old self. You smiled at him, you laughed. He had made you laugh at his fucked up jokes again.

But this?

Johnny went with Price to buy crisps, soda, more drinks, and sour candies for you. Those two bastards really couldn't handle a single comment and bolted immediately. Pair of cowards. Simon wasn't stupid, he had seen the way Johnny nearly burst into tears, the way Price's jaw clenched, felt his own heart break inside his chest, but he has to sit here and take it. Because he wasn't a coward.

And this?

You're leaning on Garrick. Heavily.

Simon eyes the way Garrick interlocks your hands together, checking on your fingernails. His eye twitches as he hears you talk, both of you fully focused on each other, as if he wasn't there. It's not that that's a new concept for him, he often only talked so much.

But this?

His heart pounds in his chest when Garrick grips your jaw with a hand, kissing your cheek loudly after you pout at him.

It makes you smile.

That's it, he thinks. I'm getting up and I'm beating him up. Who the fuck does he think he is? Stealing my girlfriend right in front of me.

In the end, he only shifts, his face betraying nothing, looking down at his beer, hoping the other cowards arrive soon so he doesn't have to see the way he keeps losing you.

Losing you, all over again. Over a fucked up mistake, for following an order. And the worst part is that he genuinely gets it. Garrick is the only one who didn't hurt you, of course you're okay with his touch and not the rest.

Fucking hell. He wants to stab himself in the gut to end his misery.

But no.

He did that.

There's no changing it.

Simon looks up at the two of you.

His anger dissipates when he hears your soft laugh, Garrick's hand on the back of your neck, keeping you steady as he pokes your side, clearly sharing a silly moment. Simon grimaces and turns away again, sipping his beer.

It takes Price and Johnny half an hour to come back, and Simon couldn't be happier to see them.

With the snacks covering the coffee table and their laps, Simon genuinely tries to ignore the fact that you're still pressed against Garrick's side, happily munching on your sour candy. Johnny's sitting on the floor right between his legs, occasionally feeding him orange gummy bears or crisps. Price, between Garrick and himself, is staring at the movie, seemingly content with sipping on his beer, and stealing some of Simon's gummy bears.

Every time he hears your low laugh, Garrick's hands on you, Simon wants to die. He grips Johnny's shoulder, his nails digging slightly into his skin, trying his best to pay attention to the movie, but he isn't able to understand what it is about. He doesn't know what's happened in front of him for the past hour. He knows how many times Garrick's lips were pressed to your cheek. He knows how many times you laughed with Garrick. He knows how many times you've shifted, closer and closer to Garrick.

He can't do anything but dwell on his own regret, on his anger. His pain.

He doesn't blame you, he doesn't blame Garrick. Hell, he doesn't even blame Price, or Johnny, or anybody else. Just himself.

He could've done this so much better, but there's not much he can do. He needs to be alone with you so he can talk properly, apologize again, but every time he looks at you, even without the mask, you flinch. It doesn't matter how hard you try to hide it, he can see it.

Johnny gets up, snapping him out of his thoughts. He sees him take the empty plate, walking towards the kitchen.

Not even a minute later, Johnny's cursing and there's a shattering sound echoing on the house. Simon stands up, moving to go check on Johnny, but he freezes when you stand up abruptly, your face in complete shock as you walk away, your arm bumping onto the walls as you rush away.

He's torn for a whole second too long, thinking if he should follow you or check on Johnny first, and that's enough for Garrick to beat him to it. Simon can only stare at Garrick follows after you, sprinting.

After a moment of hesitation, he walks over to Johnny. Simon finds him picking up the shattered plate, grimacing when he sees someone walking in.

"Ah, it's you. I tripped" Johnny grumbles, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You hurt yourself".

"Just a tiny cut, 's nothing. Where did she go?" Johnny questions, bringing his thumb to his mouth, sucking a little on the blood.

"I don't know. Practically bolted when you dropped the plate".

Johnny stares at him, blinking. "And what are you doing here? I must've scared her" he sighs, standing up. "Where to?"

"Garrick already went after her".

"So?"

"They're getting along. A lot".

Johnny blinks again.

Smack.

"What the fuck? What was that for now?" Simon growls out, rubbing his head. Johnny shakes his head, still expecting an answer. Simon sighs. "Over there. Come on".

Simon guides Johnny, their feet barely making any noise, used to being quiet and, also, because they don't want to spook you any longer. He finally spots you, the door of the guest bedroom ajar.

He freezes.

Johnny's hand grips his arm, his whispered curse falling on deaf ears.

Simon stands there in complete silence, his blood, and stomach, and his heart and his brain falling to his feet as he can only stare.

Your cheeks are wet with tears but it's barely visible because Garrick's hands are covering them, his lips on yours.

It looks peaceful.

And Simon wants to die all over again.

Johnny quietly shuffles away, but Simon can't look away. Not now.

Garrick pulls away and kisses your cheek, then your forehead, then grips your nose, making you huff, a small smile on your lips. He's grinning, rolling his eyes, as if that kiss didn't just happen.

Simon isn't breathing. He's not even sure he's here anymore. Perhaps he did die, and this is his personal hell.

Must be.

chingue a su madre emilia pérez y todos los involucrados. I was pissed writing this and I wanted chaos.

-ˋˏ✄——————————————————

Masterlist | Part 9

Buy me a coffee

anyway, so there's that ♡ thank you so much for reading!!!

taglist: @euphoricn @lilg101010 @enfppuff @carolchaotic @silas-fanfic-favs @nina-from-317 @an-ever-angry-bi @kittygonap @dorothy-rainbird-deactivated202 @adventurerabby @defronix @sheepispink @iambuttwodaysold @blackhawkfanatic @malevolentghoul @thriving-n-jiving @literallegendicon @echo9821 @angel-bugz @ssc7514 @clickbait-official @hades--baby @blackhawkfanatic @sirbonesly @saki---chan @skeletonsucker @nnsissys @kukavittu @tessakate @honestlymassivetrash @s-a-v-a-n-a-34 @rayrayyio @diseasedclitoris @alex1011sdzfgh @thebumbqueen

[colombogramme]

This is the 4th time the US has stopped a permanent ceasefire. It is the ONLY country to be against it while 14 nations are in favour. Read the sentence again. Take it in. The most powerful country in the world wanted a settler colony to continue their genocidal agenda. Continue the blockade and let the manufactured famine persists. Diseases will spread, prices will increase, and more lives will be lost.

How can they enjoy a full-on meal while many families are digging through expired food to eat? Don't they deserve a proper meal? Don't they deserve to taste the flavour and have their stomachs full?

At the same time, there are many institutions complicit and they make sure Palestinians don't have access to the financial resources to sustain themselves. PayPal is one of them. On October 7th, the crowdfunding platform has announced that they have shut down fundraising services. Those with an existing one will need to complete their goals by January 12th, 2025.

Iyad Sobhe (@iyadsgaza) and Ruba Abushahan (@rubashsblog) are raising funds with PayPal ever since GFM has either terminated their fundraiser or made them lose access. Iyad has lost 11K while Ruba can no longer withdraw the 27K They cannot afford to start all over when PayPal is their last resort. So we have less than 2 MONTHS to raise the entire amount of 60K. Please donate and share! Donations have slowed down significantly, resulting in 1 or 2 donations per day, when we should be raising $600!

You can match my friend! She has given $10 USD, but you're more than welcome to give any amount. Even $1 USD! You can also participate in an art raffle hosted by @/transformers4palestine . The 3rd round of winners will be declared on November 27th, so check it out, join in, and be part of the fun!

Verification: #90 for Ruba and #173 for Iyad in the Spreadsheet. (Keep in mind that the document has not been updated and does not reflect the current fundraiser. You can learn about it here)

[fading-event-608]

Let's talk.

I update Falastin's campaign daily and there's an alarming trend. I collect data each day because I'm that kind of guy, and what I've noticed is that while we get more daily interactions (notes) on my and Falastin's posts here on tumblr, the daily donations have dropped significantly even with me and other people updating it every 4 hours.

You can clearly see it on this chart from the past two weeks. AND in the last week Falastin got some donations from Instagram so it's even worse look for you guys. AND I know it's not just this campaign, it's been an awful month for basically all fundraisers so you can't say that it's all my fault or Falastin's.

I don't do updates to receive notes, I do them to keep you updated on the state of fundraiser and to encourage donations. In fact, I would be happy to go back to not posting anything like I did before.

This campaign provides for 24 people and received only 86 dollars since my last post [here]. At this point you all should know that 86 dollars per day is not enough for people in Gaza because of how high prices are for everything, including food and water. They also need medicine for her 73 y.o. mother and waterproof materials for their tent (see rain damage [here]).

No one will donate in your stead. No one will boost in your stead. Please do your part.

Keep in mind CONVERSION RATES:

10$ = 101 SEK

25$ = 253 SEK

50$ = 506 SEK

100$ = 1,012 SEK

Vetting info: #282 in El-Shab-Hussein and Nabulsi's spreadsheet [here], #957 in the Butterfly Project spreadsheet [here]

I do regular art updates (last one [here]) and accept commissions for donations, info [here].

[majinbangus]

Unknowingly activating guard dog!Ghost's prey drive while greeting Soap at the airport. -> more here

You're just too excited. It's been forever since Soap's been home and you know that Ghost has been getting antsy about it too after getting an update call from Price. He can't really blame you for taking off the second you see Soap coming down from one of the escalators, running to jump in his arms. Regardless of your reasons, it's still a mistake on your part.

The instant you dart away from him, Ghost is laser-focused on you and giving chase. But you're oblivious. Your attention is on reaching Soap, forgetting the rules of keeping your guard dog nearby. You'll pay for that from the both of them later.

Soap is watching with amusement, seeing you scurry towards him, somehow dodging Ghost's attempts at grabbing you. It's only when you're about to jump in his arms does Ghost catch up, grabbing you by the scruff of your neck and jerking you back into his chest.

Your arms are outreached towards Soap, making grabby hands with a cute, disoriented look as you look back at what plucked you up like some unruly, untrained pup. "What the hell, Ghost? Bad dog!"

He's glaring and his chest is heaving, but something tells you it's not because he's out of breath from chasing after you. He leans in, growling, "Naughty move. You ran away."

"I was just greeting Johnny, I don't see what the big deal is?" You glare back, but then another hand grabs your chin and turns your face forward again. You gulp when you see Soap's mean smirk, starting to realize the trouble you're in.

He tuts disapprovingly at you. "Ah, ah, bonnie. Ghost is a good boy. He was only doing his job. I think he's right in being upset with you, and deserves to play with what he caught. Don't you agree?"

You don't try to answer. You already know your fate is sealed and set. There's a foreboding squeeze on your nape, and a shiver runs through you at the rumble in your ear. "Can't wait to have fun with you, pet."

You don't have to ask what kind of fun he has in mind. You know that dogs eat their prey.

[blackpearlblast]

a rundown on the listed e-sim platforms from this tweet from mirna el helbawi. visit esimsforgaza to learn about this effort. (they also have a tutorial on how to purchase an esim and send it to them)

update v12 (5/21/24) holafly (israel and egypt), nomad (regional middle east), simly (palestine and middle east), mogo (israel), and airalo (discover) are currently in the highest in demand. if it has been more than 3 weeks since you initially sent your esim and your esim has not been activated, you can reforward your original email with the expiration date in the subject line. you can see gothhabiba’s guide for how to tell if your esims have been activated. if your esim has expired without use, you can contact customer service to renew or replace it.

troubleshooting hint 1: if you are trying to pay through paypal, make sure you have pop-ups enabled! otherwise the payment window won't be able to appear. (this issue most frequently seems to occur with nomad)

troubleshooting hint 2: if you are trying to purchase an esim using the provider's app, it may block you from purchasing if your phone does not fit the requirements to install and use their esims. use their website in your browser instead and this problem should go away.

nomad

for the month of may, first time referrals give 25% off for a person's first purchase and 25% off the referrer's next purchase! it's a great time to use someone's referral code from the notes if you are a first time buyer.

you can use a referral code to get $3 off your first purchase and also make it so the person whose code you used can buy more esims for gaza. many people have been leaving their referral codes in the replies of this post and supposedly a referral code may eventually reach capacity so just keep trying until you find one that works! BACKPACKNOMAD is another code to get $3 off your first purchase, it's been working for some people but not others so try out a referral code instead if you can't get it to work. NOMADCNG is a code for 5% off any middle east region nomad esims posted by connecting gaza. it can be used on any purchase, not just your first but is generally going to give less off than the first-purchase only codes, so use those first. it can be used in combination with nomad points. AWESOME NEW CODE: nomad esim discount code for 75% off any plan, NOMADCS25 do not know how long it lasts but this is an amazing deal esp. since they are really low on esims right now! (nomad promo codes do not work on plans that are already on sale, unlimited plans, and plans under $5)

weekly tuesdays only code on nomad web, PST timezone! it gives 10% off plans 10gb and above. NOMADTUE

nomad also seems to be kind of sluggish sometimes when it comes to sending out emails with the codes. you can look for them manually by going to manage -> manage plans -> the plan you purchased -> installation instruction and scroll down to install esim via QR code or manual input then select QR code to find the QR code which you can screenshot and email to them. often just the act of logging back into your nomad account after purchase seems to cause the email with the code to come through though.

mogo

mogo's website is fucking annoying to navigate and i couldn't find any promo codes, but their prices are massively on sale anyway. you have to pick if you want your esim to be for iphone, ipad, or android for some reason. according to statcounter, android makes up approx. 75% of mobile markets in palestine while iphone represents approx. 25%. so i would probably recommend prioritizing donations of android esims but if you can afford multiple, try buying an iphone one too? if i can find any official direction from the connecting gaza crew on this i will update with it.

a good referral code to use for mogo is 8R29F9. the way things are worded are confusing but as far as i can tell, if you use it we both get a 10% discount on your first purchase. (the referrer gets a 10% voucher that allows them to top up in use esims, they are someone who i know has bought a lot of esims and will be able to make good use of the top-up discount vouchers!) also upon signing up it automatically generates a password for you which you can change by downloading the app. (check your email to find your account's current password)

holafly (also looking for holafly esims for egypt now)

holafly is pricier than the others and the only promo code i could find was ESIMNOW for 7% off. someone in the tags mentioned GETESIM7 as another 7% off code they had received, so if you have already used ESIMNOW or can't seem to get it to work, try GETESIM7. another 7% off code is HOLAXSUMMER7 which is valid until june 2nd. referral codes only seem to give 5% off and they don't stack. (i don't remember the source, it was on some sketchy coupon site i don't want to link to and only can recommend because i tried it myself) you can also use my referral link for 5% off if you can afford the 2% worse deal on your end, it will give me $5 credit which i can put towards buying more esims. connecting gaza has also posted the promo code HOLACNG for 5% off but since it is less than the 7% off codes and as far as i can tell does not give credit towards others to buy esims like the referral links, i would consider it lower priority for use.

simly (note: simly must be downloaded as an app to be used, the website link is to help people confirm they are downloading the right app)

i have not personally used simly so i am going to be going off of the sixth slide of mirna el helbawi's instagram guide, with some corrections from someone who has successfully purchased an esim from simly. after downloading the app and making an account, search for palestine or middle east and purchase your preferred package. the page the app takes you to after your purchase should have the QR code to send to the esimsforgaza email, it won't show up in your email receipt. someone kindly left her referral code in the tags of this post, it gives $3 off your first purchase and will give her $3 credit to put towards purchasing more esims for gaza. the code is CIWA2. (if this referral code doesn't work, try one from the notes of this post!) according to someone in the notes, ARB is a simly promo code for 25% off esims that is still working as of march 3rd.

airalo

some people have noted issues trying to sign up for airalo using the browser version of the website, it worked for me but if you are struggling you can give the mobile app a try and that should work. you can use a referral code to get $3 off your first purchase and give the code suppler a $3 credit for buying more esims. KARINA9661 is a code sourced from this post which is also a wonderful example of how using people's referral codes can really make a difference. if for some reason that referral code isn't working, you can find more in the notes of the original esim post i made here.

@/fairuzfan also has a tag of esim referral codes for various platforms!

(note: mogo and holafly both link to israel esims as there are no general regional packages for the middle east like on nomad and the esims for gaza website specifically linked to the israel package on mogo, so i linked to the equivalent on holafly.)

[writersdrug]

I need, need need neeeeed to know who you would picture bar owner price with 😩 picturing bar owner price has me week in the knees. I need more, how would he be around the bar when he was there? Supporting, bossy,silly? The possibilities are endless. 🥰

I'm loving how people are requesting things for the rest of the 141!!

Bar Owner!Price isn't there every day, and most often not during the actual shift. He's there some mornings, already at his desk on the floor above the pub, setting up the next inventory order and dealing out everyone's tips before Simon climbs down from his flat on the third floor. They both grunt at each other, tired and in need of a hot breakfast and some tea.

He helps set up for the shift - he likes being in the kitchen with Soap. He feels bad the man is back there all by himself, even though he says he doesn't mind it. "I get to cuss 'n bitch all I want back 'ere, sir." Still, Price spends a majority of his time back there with him, prepping burger patties and making sure everything is stocked and ready. Gets on his case about updating the menu, but Soap insists the customers like it the way it is.

Price makes an appearance on the floor every now and then, opting to help run food or bartend on the busier nights. He checks in with the regulars, leaning his forearms on the bar with his sleeves rolled to his elbows, laughing and chatting with them and occasionally offering to refill their drinks. Simon grumbles quietly about him being in the way, but Price doesn't take it to heart.

He doesn't stay late. John isn't that old, but he likes to be back at home by a decent hour. One ruined sleep schedule and he's a shot for the rest of the week. He likes to get back to his flat, make himself a sandwich and pour himself some whiskey, and be on on his sofa and reading his book no later than ten in the evening. Routines have always been a part of his military career, and what can he say? Old habits really fo die hard.

Then you came along.

You didn't just rock Simon's world - you'd gotten Price, too. Though introductions could have been smoother (you nearly beat him with a keg when he came in through the back door and scared you), he's grown fond of you. First, as a hard worker and go-getter; then, as a pretty little waitress with a dazzling smile that likes to keep him on his toes. You love poking fun at him, calling him "bossman" or "barmaster" (doesn't make sense to him, since he's hardly behind the bar - but he finds it cute). You tease him for the way he runs your food, then gets stuck at the table for five minutes just chatting up the customers. You ask him things like, "Who do you prefer, Cardi B or Nicki Minaj?" And laugh when he just stares at you with a furrowed brow. He'll happily let you tease him for being an "old" man just to hear your laughter.

Then Simon sent that photo in the group chat, and Price felt something stir in his chest: looking at you, posing all prettily for your picture, working to push your little idea out there and bring in a crowd. He's impressed, but he's also intrigued. He's got his sights on you, and he's dying to figure out more about his waitress.

"'S the post making any headway?" He asks one night, leaning on the bar next to where you sit. Your tips are finished, money waded into the pocket of your apron as you scroll on your phone, sipping on a screwdriver.

"Kinda..." You mumble, a pout on your face, creasing the skin between your eyebrows. "People are seeing it, and there are a few likes, but no one's really engaging. Not sure if this will do well."

Price hums thoughtfully, looking at your lips while you stare at your screen. He's holding back the urge to lean in and take a whiff of your perfume, afraid it might seem just a bit too strange. "Have you tried promoting it?"

You look at him, laying your phone on the bar top. "Well... I could, but..." You wanted to finish with 'it would cost money'. But then, you'd be insinuating that you expected him to pay you. You could boost the post yourself, but you'd rather not spend money on something that might flop.

"'S there a problem?" Price asked, leaning in closer to you.

"I mean... promoting a post costs some money. Like, for it to be advertised to five hundred people, you'd pay around one fifty. And I think, depending on how far you wanted the post to reach - like, literally, how big of a geographic area - that would cost even more."

Price chuckles. "You do realize how much business you've brought in since you've joined the team, hmm?"

That makes your cheeks warm, pressing your lips into a line to avoid grinning like an idiot at the compliment. "I mean... sure..."

"Go upstairs to the office and get my wallet." he says, standing up from his seat at the bar.

You watch with a stupefied expression as he walks to the POS and prints some blank receipt paper. "You- you mean it? Are you sure?"

He sits on a barstool near the kitchen door. "Wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. Hurry up- before I change my mind."

You don't need to be told twice. You drop your phone onto the bar and bolt towards the stairs - you stop yourself, running back to where Price sits and hugging him from behind. He lets out a surprise grunt as you do your best to smother him.

"You're the best boss ever!" you squeal. Then, just like that - you're off to the office upstairs. He preens over the compliment as he hears you leaping two steps at a time.

"Be careful." he calls over his shoulder. He sits there a moment, staring at the paper in front of him. He's surprised he hadn't accidentally thrown you off of him purely out of instinct, but he can't say he isn't absolutely delighted by the hug. It lingers in his mind, his chest still remembering your arms around him. He shakes his head, reaching forward to grab a pen from behind the bar.

His eyes meet Simon's - the man is glaring daggers, his head framed by the window in the kitchen door, mask hanging from his ear. His lips are pulled down into quite possibly the angriest frown Price has ever seen. His nostrils flare as he exhales - Price wonders what sort of insults are flying through the bartender's head right now.

He glares right back. If Simon wants something, he'll give it to him. But he'll make him ask for it, like any normal human being. John isn't going to surrender just because Ghost is huffing and puffing, expecting his boss to back away from you just because he's stomping his foot and looking menacing. But how can he be sure that Simon really wants you, more than he thinks Price deserves you, if the lad won't say anything? It's only reasonable, right?

"If you want something, Simon, say something." Price calls out, never backing down from Simon's jealous gaze.

He huffs again and disappears from the kitchen window. Price can hear shuffling and banging, followed by Soap's irritated voice: "Oi, I got it! Get yourself outta my kitchen n' go your own shite, 'fore you break my stuff."

Price sighs, scribbling down some numbers on the paper in front of him. He'll cave, eventually.

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #30

August 2-9 2024

The Department of Interior announced the largest investment since 1979 in outdoor recreation and conservation projects. The $325 million will go to support State, territorial, DC, and tribal governments in buying new land for parks and outdoor recreation sites. It also supports expansion and refurbishment of existing sites.

The EPA announced that Birmingham Alabama will get $171 million to update and replace its water system. The city of Birmingham is 70% black and like many black majority cities as struggled with aging water systems and lead pipes causing dangerous drinking water conditions. This investment is part of the Biden-Harris administrations plan to replace all of the nation's lead pipes.

The Department of Energy announced $2.2 billion in investments in the national power grid to help boost resiliency in the face of extreme weather. The projects will add 13 gigawatts of capacity, support 5,000 new jobs and upgrade 1,000 miles of transmission. Major projects will cut power outages in the west, drive down energy prices in New England, add off shore wind, and enable the development of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s wind resources.

The Justice Department won its massive anti-trust case against Google. A federal judge ruled that Google was an illegal monopoly. The DOJ has an ongoing antitrust suit against Apple, while the Federal Trade Commission is suing Facebook and Amazon for their monopolist practices

The US Government announced $3.9 billion in direct aid to Ukraine. The money will help the Government of Ukraine make up for massive budget short falls caused by the war with Russia. It'll help pay the salaries of teachers, emergency workers, and other public employees, as well helping displaced persons, low-income families and people with disabilities.

The Department of Energy announced $190 million to improve air quality and energy upgrades in K-12 schools. The grants to 320 schools across 25 states will impact 123,000 students, 94% of these schools service student bodies where over half the students qualify for free and reduced lunch. In the face of climate change more schools have been forced to close for extreme heat. These grants will help schools with everything from air filtration, to AC, to more robust energy systems, to replacing lighting.

USAID announced $424 million in additional humanitarian aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Due to ongoing conflict and food insecurity, 25 million Congolese are in need of humanitarian aid. This year alone the US has sent close to a billion dollars in aid to the DRC, making it the single largest donor to the crisis.

The Senate approved President Biden's appointment of Stacey Neumann of Maine, Meredith Vacca of New York, and Joseph Saporito Jr. of Pennsylvania to life time federal Judgeships. This brings the total of judges appointed by President Biden to 205. President Biden is the first President who's judicial nominations have not been majority white men, Judge Vacca is the first Asian American to serve in her district court. President Biden has also focused on former public defenders, like Judge Saporito, and former labor lawyers like Judge Neumann, as well as civil rights lawyers.

[hs-is-loml]

Secret Never Meant To Be Told. (s.w)

Pairing: Sensei Wolf/Feng Xiao x Fem!Reader

Summary: A former Cobra Kai/Miyagi-Do student joins the Iron Dragons, intent on uncovering more about Terry Silver. But along the way, she finds herself drawn to someone she never expected. Her new sensei. Fast forward to the Sekai Taikai, and her carefully balanced double life begins to crack. When Wolf catches her speaking to someone she shouldn’t, suspicion flares, forcing a confrontation she isn’t ready for.

Type: one-shot

Warnings: READER IS LEGAL AGE, age-gap, minor slow burn for a one-shot, everyone knows except for them, forbidden kiss, friendship with Axel because he needs a friend, UNEDITED.

a/n: i'm back with my latest hyper-fixation. i also didn’t expect this to be this long, but i hope you all enjoy! 

Word Count: 5.4k

masterlist

Your phone buzzes in your hand while you’re waiting to board the plane to Barcelona, and you notice Robby’s contact pop up on the screen. You hesitantly look around to see if anyone who would get you in trouble is around but find no one aside from Axel near, you decide to answer the call. “Cover for me for a few?” you whisper to Axel while standing up from your seat.

“Yeah, be quick.” Axel nods reassuringly to you.

“Y/n? You there?” Robby’s concerned voice comes through the phone. You hear in the background, “Dude, I told you it wouldn’t be a good time to call!” sounding like Miguel.

“Yes. Sorry, just making sure I won’t get caught,” you mutter in a low voice, finding an empty spot near the gate. “I can’t talk for long. I board in 15 mins.”

“I’m with Miguel right now, and we just wanted to check in on you. How are you holding up?” 

You let out a sigh before a small smile settles on your lips, “As good as I can be. Sore as hell, though Wolf’s no joke with training. He has Axel and me up by 5 a.m. every day to train for the past two week since he’s named us captains.” You look over your shoulder to see Axel signaling to you to hurry up. “Silver hasn’t shown up in the dojo lately, but he keeps in contact with me for updates on the tournament. He’s meeting us in Barcelona on the first day of full events.”

“I wish we could do something to help you, Y/n. They’ve been keeping you on this too long,” Robby says, frustrated with his dad and Mr. LaRusso. “Be safe, okay? We’ll see you soon,” and the line goes dead.  

When you turn around to start heading back, you’re met with Wolf’s hard stare piercing into you as he approaches Axel and your seats. You see him say something to Axel but can’t make out the words.  

“Personal call?” Wolf questioned you in a dry, unimpressed voice as you sat back down. “I thought I said no distractions,” he leaned down to coldly mutter close to your ear while placing a firm grip on your shoulder, causing you to lean back and meet his eyes again.

“It wasn’t one, Sensei,” you answered through the loud announcements to tell passengers that boarding would start soon, causing him to release his tight grip and sneer while walking away from you.

Axel let out a breath of relief next to you, “Always lucky. If that were me, I would’ve paid the price by now.”

“Axel-” You warn.

“I am just saying no one could get away with the things you do,” he remarked while grabbing both your bags and leading the way to the plane entrance. “I mean, come on. He let it go, just like that? No way. Not to mention he doesn’t even like it when we’re too close together.”

While we were waiting for the people in front of us to find their seats, my neck snapped to turn to him taken aback by what he just said, “Now, you’re going too far-” I scoffed.

“Am I?” Axel breathed down by your ear pressing closer to your back with his front. “Look up.”

Sparked by curiosity, you tilt your chin up and look around the plane and find Wolf’s icy glare already on you and Axel. You look long enough to see him clench his jaw. “I’m still not getting your point...”

“You will soon enough. He’ll snap sooner rather than later,” he let out a deep chuckle. 

You stand next to Axel and Zara, waiting for your bags to come out. Zara points out her luggage to Axel, asking if he can help her get it, leaving you alone waiting for your suitcase. You see it finally drop down to the conveyor belt and you wait for it to come around to your side. You lean down to reach for the handle, but you see a tattooed hand grab it for you. “I could’ve taken it.”

“I’m sure you could,” Wolf smirked, setting your bag down beside you before walking off.

Before you can think too much about what just happened, your phone screen lights up with a new message from Miguel saying landing in 3 hours! sensei larusso said that he’ll text you our room numbers later if you find a moment to get away from the team

You hear your name being called, so you begin walking over to the team and like Miguel’s message before putting your phone away. “Texting a boyfriend?” Zara teased, raising her eyebrow to you in curiosity. 

You turn to glare at her before replying, “Wouldn’t you love to know.”

“Can’t have our captain distracted with a long-distance boyfriend, now can we?” she questioned back as the team started to make their way to the bus that was taking everyone to the hotel.

“Enough, Zara, keep your voice down,” you warned, giving her a pointed look.

“I don’t know how you got the captain’s spot after suddenly showing up a few months ago, but I won’t have you embarrassing us during the tournament.”

“If I remember it correctly, I beat you for this spot,” you reminded her before making your way to sit next to Axel, who saved you a spot near the front of the bus.

“Do you always have to argue? Is it an American thing?” Axel shook his head at you in amusement as you settled in your seat. “You know I think you would be happier if you just ignored her.”

You scoffed lightly. “I need some type of entertainment, and it just so happens that arguing is the most interesting thing that happens around here.” 

The speakers boom as Gunther begins his introduction for the Sekai Taikai, “Welcome, competitors, senseis, sponsors, and esteemed guests to Barcelona, this year's home of the world's greatest karate tournament, the Sekai Taikai.” He pauses as loud cheering erupts in the arena room. “The Sekai Taikai boasts a rich and proud history. And if you are here, it's because you embody all that the Sekai Taikai stands for. Leadership, respect, sportsmanship. Captains, step forward and tie on your headbands.”

The room tensed the moment the captains stepped forward onto the mat. Conversations stuttered, eyes narrowing as teammates straightened their shoulders. You glanced at Axel before he gave you a nod of reassurance. You center the headband in your hands then raising to your forehead to tie it back. 

“Captains, you will have the honor and privilege to compete in our televised tournament of champions. But that is only if your dojo does well enough in our team competitions to make it to the final four. Once the tournament is over, we will then tally all the points your dojos have earned. The dojo with the most points wins the Sekai Taikai. Team events begin tomorrow,” Gunther adds to his speech. “Each event counts. They will all be a surprise. But today, it's about enjoying our host city and making new friends.”

You break your focus away from Gunther speaking and catch Tory’s stare. You felt your pulse jump. It takes you aback for a moment, realizing what gi she has on. Even more so when you look behind her to see John Kreese smirking back at you. 

“We have a field trip arranged for our competitors. And for our senseis, a cocktail mixer with our distinguished sponsors, some of the world's finest martial arts brands. It's a beautiful day to make a first impression. And I suggest you enjoy it, because tomorrow, your lives will change forever. Good luck, and welcome to the Sekai Taikai!” Gunther finished sending everyone off to figure out where to go next. 

You planned not to go on the stupid field trip and instead find some solace in your hotel room, but by the looks of it, Wolf knew what you were thinking to do. “I’m not going.”

“You will go,” you could tell in his voice that there wasn’t any room for you to argue. “You will represent the team and show you are better than every single one of them. I saw that girl who surprised you from the Cobra Kai dojo. I will not have you show any weaknesses. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Sensei,” you hissed out in reply. 

“Good girl. Now go make sure the team comes back in time for last-minute training after dinner tonight,” he murmured, his voice dipping slightly. 

“Y/n!” you glance behind you to see who called your name, to find Tory alone in by the aquarium with you. 

“Tory-” you breathed out in ease. You quickly approach the girl and pull her into a quick embrace. “I heard what happened. I’m so sorry about your mom.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, Tory. Don’t do that to yourself. It’s okay to not be okay,” you leaned back to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you.”

“You couldn’t have known,” she shook her head and looked down before telling you, “I think I made a mistake coming here. I’ve ruined every relationship I have by coming here with Cobra Kai.”

“I understand why you did it, and I don’t blame you for it. You deserve the spot of being captain. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.”

“They hate me-”

“No. They just need to get over themselves and realize this isn’t about them.”

“I’ve missed you.”

“Me too, Tory. It’s been hell being in Hong Kong these past few months, but I don’t regret it,” you admitted to her. “The training they have us do is on another level. Not to mention, Silver trusts me more now, away from everyone.”

“I’m sure it helps that your other sensei likes you,” she told you jokingly.

You let out a small snort, “No.”

“Oh, I saw the way he pulled you to the side earlier after we were dismissed from the introduction ceremony…” she revealed, but before she could continue, you heard a loud commotion, causing you to dart away from Tory to see what was going on.

You come to find people crowded together and see Robby talking to a guy from Cobra Kai, “What, I gotta kick above that line?” you heard Robby ask.

“Oh, what have you gotten yourself into,” you muttered under your breath. “Robby,” you called out in warning, catching people's attention in the room. 

You felt a nudge at your side, “You know him?” Zara points to Robby with a smirk, “Wanna introduce me?” Axel stood next to her and gave you a look of disapproval. You ignored 

At first, Robby didn’t really notice her. But then, his eyes flicked back. For a second, it was enough to make him forget what he was about to say. The others behind him let their gaze flicker over their old teammate with careful neutrality, lingering just long enough for a silent exchange. Miguel looked over like he wanted to say something but knew it wasn’t the right time. “Y/n,” Robby muttered lowly, but the silence in the room allowed for many to hear, confirming any suspicions of us knowing each other. “I got this,” he said before taking a step back to focus on his kick. He landed higher than the rest, but as you side-glanced to the Cobra Kai guys, you could tell they weren’t worried. 

Before Kwon goes up to make his kick, you blurt out, “Care to make things interesting and let me go after you? I get the rooms if you lose, and you get two if I do.”

“For you, princess, sure,” he smirked at you doubting your abilities. He chalked his shoe and kicked, which landed higher than Robby’s. You knew this was a risky call, given the circumstances. “All you, now.”

Axel exhaled sharply, shaking his head just enough to make a point. Next to him, Zara had muscle twitched in her jaw with her expression screaming, ‘Are you serious?’ You just hoped deep down no one would tell Wolf about this once you guys got back, but you knew better than to hope for such things. You took a running start and grunted, “Ais!” as you kicked the board. You let out a heavy breath as you land back on your feet. 

“No way…” you heard someone say.

“Unbelievable,” Zara let out in disbelief. 

“Who is she?” “Did you see that??” “I didn’t know someone could kick that high.” “What dojo is she from?” murmurs filled the room, causing you to look at your mark that was just above Kwon’s kick. You let out a laugh and smirked at the Cobra Kai guys while holding out your hand for their cards. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll leave your bags in the hallway,” you grinned, taking the hotel cards. 

People started to flow out of the space, and you let out a yelp of surprise as Miguel and Hawk took you in their arms in cheers. “Oh, thank god you were here.”

“Had to make sure you idiots didn’t get yourselves in trouble,” you laughed. “It seems I was cutting it a bit close on timing. Anyway, here are their hotel cards. I don’t need it.”

“You don’t want your own room?” Demetri questioned while Robby took the cards from your hand.

“No. I have my own room already,” you told them.

They raise their eyebrows at you skeptically, and Miguel asks you, “How’d you manage that?”

“Silver is to thank for my room,” you revealed. “He wanted to make sure I had no distractions while I’m here.”

“Of course, he did,” Robby scoffed at the mention of Silver. “What else does that maniac have you do lately?”

“Train until I feel like my legs are going to fall off,” you joked, trying to lighten up the tension. “I know he has people watching me to make sure I’m 'on track' with progress. He reminds me every time that if I lose here, that won’t be the worst thing I experience-”

“You’ve got to tell Sensei LaRusso and Lawerence about this,” Miguel butts in concern.

“I can handle this, Miguel. I’m already too far in. Anyway, I got to go and make sure my team is back in time for training. I’ll see you guys out on the mat, okay?” I turn walking away from them.

It was late. Too late for training, but no one dared to complain. Tomorrow was the first of team events, and every second counted. “Just wait until Sensei Wolf hears about what you pulled earlier,” Zara sneered at you loudly as the team filled the space.

Wolf entered the room looking directly at you, “Hear about what?”

“Nothing. I did what you said to do earlier. I showed them I’m better,” you said, voice firm and unwavering while crossing your arms in front of you. 

“And how did you do that?” he walked up until he was close enough to stare down at you.

“I won. Doesn’t matter how.”

“Fine,” he backed off before turning back to face everyone in the room. “Tomorrow will be the first day of team events. You will all show them we do not lose. That we are invincible.”

“Yes, Sensei,” people responded around the room. The team dropped into fighting stances, getting ready as they launched into synchronized movements, their punches and kicks slicing through the air. You’re faced against Zara, who lunges at you. Managing to block her attempt, you, in a blur of motion, struck back with a controlled sweep to her legs. Zara barely had time to react before she hit the mat, hard.

Sensei Wolf circled them like a predator, his sharp eyes scanning for weakness. When someone faltered, he noticed. He always noticed. He tsked in disappointment as Zara pushed herself off the mat. 

“You’re going to pay for that one, bitch,” she spat out at you.

“I don’t think I will.” your eyes met Sensei’s, and he gave a sharp nod. 

Wolf studied you for a long moment before speaking. “Again. All of you. Faster. No hesitation.”

We stood stone-faced as Gunther introduced the round of events. “Welcome to our first event. I hope you’re all well-rested and ready for a new and unique competition. We call it the “Captain’s War.” We told you how important your captains will be, So let’s see how well you protect them.” From the corner of your eye, you see Miyagi-Do look at each other nervously. “Four dojos will take the mat. Only one will be left standing. If you hit the mat, you’re out. If one of your captains hits the mat, your entire team is out for this round. Check the boards to see your group, decided by random draw. Group A, you’re up.”

“You know what to do,” Wolf growled as he gripped onto mine and Axel’s arms. He let go of Axel, pulled me back for a moment, and leaned down to my ear, “Let them come to you. Then, take them out. Don’t let them get back up.”

You listen for the other dojos' plans for attack and take note of Kwon’s as he tells his team, “We take Miyagi-Do first. They're weakest. Let them come to us. Then we fight the other dojos.” You already know that won’t work, and Tory knows it too.

You switched your attention to Miyagi-Do and saw the words “Protect the egg” fall from Miguel’s mouth. “Ready? Begin!” Gunther booms from the speakers.

You stay back with your team as you watch the others take each other out one by one. You can tell that Miyagi-Do won’t last long when Tory breaks straight through their front line. Everyone can see the team arguing with each other, unable to agree on their next move. The other Cobra Kai members went after another opposing team. None of them seemed to notice us as we stood tall, waiting for our moment.

“Falchi Della Notte captain down. They are out. Only Cobra Kai and the Iron Dragons remain alive,” came through the announcers.

“All six are still standing,” Tory mumbled in disbelief. 

“What is your strategy now?”

“Same as before. We’re outnumbered two to one. Pierce the front line, go straight for the captain,” you hear her say to the two guys while she looks directly at you. 

“Okay.”

No words were needed between you and Tory but the tight line of your mouth said enough. Your teammates break their form as Tory, Kwon, and Yoon begin to charge, halting them mid-in their tracks. “What are they doing?” Sensei Kim questions from the side. You keep eye contact with Tory as your teammates begin to walk around you and Axel. 

“I’ll take the girl. You two get the big guy.”

The fight erupted between the guys. Cobra Kai spread out trying to divide and conquer, but they realized it didn’t matter that they outnumbered us. Axel sidestepped Kwon’s punch with ease, his counterstrike landing hard against the guy’s ribs. A sharp exhale of pain followed, but Axel didn’t give him a second to recover. Then, he switched with a quick sweep to Yoon, and he hit the mat with a solid thud. Tory looked away from you to notice her teammate down. You take a moment to glance at Axel but don’t dare to spare another second looking.

Axel’s expression was calm but calculating. He shot forward like lightning, closing the gap before Kwon could reset. A quick one-two punch to Kwon’s stomach doubled him over, allowing Axel to make the quick grab to push him, and Kwon’s back crashed down, hitting the mat. 

Tory knew she had to play this smart. You were faster, sharper, and you had the skill of waiting for the right moment before attacking. Tory tested the waters first. She sent a quick jab, a feint, then a real strike.

You didn’t even flinch. You weaved between the attacks, your footwork crisp, light as air. Then, you struck. A snap kick that Tory barely blocked in time, stumbling back from the impact. Tory grunted, adjusting her stance. She needed a better approach. She stepped in again, faster, aiming for your ribs, then your head.

Blocked. Blocked.

Tory’s stomach twisted, she could tell you were reading her like a book. Before she could rethink her approach, you made your move. A fake low kick then a switch-up. Tory reacted to the low feint, but you were already airborne. A spinning roundhouse.

The heel of your foot crashed against Tory’s temple. Tory’s vision blurred and her balance wavered. She barely had time to react before you swept her feet out from under her. Tory landed on the mat hard. Hitting it in frustration. 

The crowd’s cheers were distant, muffled beneath the pounding in your ears. The referee’s hand rose to signal the victory, but none of that mattered. Not yet. “Both Cobra Kai captains go down. The Iron Dragons win.”

You turn to look for Wolf and realize he’s already watching you. He smirks at you, giving you a nod of approval. Your stomach flipped, and your breath hitched, your heart slamming against your ribs. The weight of his gaze pinned you in place, more intense than the fight itself.

You make your way to the elevators to head back to your hotel room for a quick shower before the next event. When you were close to reaching the doors, a hand grabbed you from behind you, causing you to yelp before you could realize that it was Miguel pulling you to a private room. 

“Miguel! You can’t do that here!” you screeched, hitting his arms. “I was this close to punching you,” you huffed out while pinching your fingers close together as an example.

Miguel let out a laugh, watching you get worked up. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry! I just didn’t know when I would get another chance to see you alone. You are either always with the giant brute or your killer sensei. Who, by the way, I think is completely into you.”

“Who? Axel? He’s like the big friendly giant.”

“No, pendeja!” he flicked you on the forehead. “Your sensei! That man never takes his eyes off you. Like, ever.”

“Wolf? No, he’s just like that,” you played off. 

“So he looks at everyone like he wants to devour them?”

“Miguel!”

“What? I’m just stating the obvious here. Which you want to pretend isn’t true.” Your cheeks flush with heat as you think about Wolf. “See, you’re blushing!”

“No, I’m not,” your hand flew to cover your cheeks.

“Whatever. Enough about them. I want to talk about the captain’s war from earlier. I need advice.”

“Like the fact you should’ve been captain and it’s super obvious that Robby isn’t focused because of Tory being Cobra Kai?”

Miguel shook his head in amusement, “Yes, exactly that.”

“I think you guys need to all sort your shit out before you come back onto the mat because it’s ruining you guys from actually having a chance here. Everyone can tell that you’re not together as a team, and they will use that to their advantage every single time.”

“What, like how the Iron Dragons are a team?” he scoffed, remembering how you and Axel took the fight. 

“No, that’s different. Axel and I are enough as captains alone. But you guys have Robby whose head is so far away from the tournament and Sam barely even looks like she wants to be here,” you tried to explain to him. “The rest of you need to work together to make sure they don’t bring you down, unlike how the captain’s war went for you guys today.”

“Bring us down?”

“Miguel, I saw what happened earlier. Everyone did. You took two guys from Cobra Kai at once today, but Robby couldn’t even get past Kwon. I just don’t want to see you fail. I know how much this tournament means to you,” your voice came out sharp, exasperated like you’ve been holding it in for too long. “Forget about Stanford. Forget about the team issues. Forget about everything. Just fight and do it for yourself. Prove to them the leader you are.”

“Okay,” his voice was hesitant, as if unsure of the words. You took it as a sign to pull him back in for another hug, leaning your head on his shoulder, “You should take some of your own advice and do something for yourself,” you heard him murmur into your hair.

“If only it were that easy,” you sighed while pulling away.

“It could be.”

“Not with him. Not with Silver whispering into his ear,” you scoffed at the thought.

“Maybe after all of this then?”

“Maybe,” you said wistfully.

Miguel walked out of the room, leaving you alone with your thoughts. You let them linger in your mind, thinking about the what you were risking by starting something with Wolf. You had a mission while being here. To prove you have what it takes to be a champion, and you weren’t going to let anyone take that away from you. This could risk you everything you worked for these past few months and ruin your cover to learn more about Silver. If Wolf found out, you wouldn’t just be losing your spot in the tournament. You’d lose him before you even had a chance to have him.

But maybe he was worth the risk.

You stepped out of the room and looked around carefully to see if anyone you knew was around. Just your luck, you saw Sensei Wolf talking to a group of what looked like other senseis in the lobby. His eyes flickered to the side, catching you. His head tilted like he was confused or more like processing something. 

You beelined for the elevator in hopes of avoiding him. You were close to making it alone in the elevator, but a foot stopped the doors from closing. To only reveal Wolf with a sinister look written across his face. He stepped in, and the doors closed behind him. He continued to close the gap between you until you were trapped leaning against the wall with your face turned away from him.

His hand flew to your neck, applying a firm but gentle pressure, guiding your gaze back onto him. “What were you doing in that room?” Wolf hummed, eyes scanning your face.

“Needed a moment alone,” you let out quietly.

“Alone?” he drawled. His grip on your throat tightened for a second, and you noticed his jaw clenched with tension.

“Yes.”

“Do you think I am a fool?” he jeered, making no effort to hide his disdain.

“No, sensei,” you replied in a breathy tone as you tried to push yourself more into the wall to gain some distance between you two.

The elevator rang and opened its doors to your floor, and Wolf dragged you into the hallway. His grip now fell onto your wrist, leading you to your hotel room. “Open the door.”

You fumbled around your bag for your keycard. You quickly unlock the door and walk in, setting your bag on the bed. He comes in, slamming the door behind him shut. You stay silent, not knowing what to say that won’t anger him more. You already knew you got caught, but you didn’t know how much he knew.

“I am going to give you one more chance. What were you doing in that room?” his voice ringed with steel behind each word. “Do not lie to me again.” he sounded low but forceful, voice tight with suppressed anger.

You let out a breathe you were holding, rubbing your temples when you answered him with, “Why does it matter? I give you the results you want. So why does it matter what I do?” You were pushing your luck, but you didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of giving in. 

Wolf let out a single, humorless chuckle, “It matters when I think you’re not here to win.”

“This tournament is everything. I will not fail.”

He closed the distance in two sharp steps, stopping just short of colliding. His breath was warm against your face as he growled, “Then tell me what were you doing in that room.” 

“I was talking to a friend-” your voice failing you at the end as your breath hitched at the close proximity between you two. 

“Friend. Is that why you looked so guilty walking out?” he spat out.

You broke your gaze from him and turned your face away, “Nothing happened.”

“Say that again,” Wolf used his finger to redirect your face to meet his eyes.

“We only talked. Nothing happened.” you were hesitant, paused between words, voice softer than usual.

“Then what are you hiding.”

“Nothing.”

“I SAID DO NOT LIE TO ME AGAIN,” he yelled into your face, making you take a step back until your legs hit against the end of the bed. 

“You don’t get to talk to me like that,” you tensed.

“And you don’t get to lie to me. So tell me what you were doing with that boy from the pathetic Miyagi-Do,” he sneered. “Wouldn’t want him to get hurt now?”

“He’s nothing, Wolf. He’s just a means to an end,” you explained cautiously, lying through your teeth.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed all the secret looks and phone calls and the constant hiding of your phone from anyone who could see,” Wolf pointed out. “I know you’re hiding something.”

“If you knew then, why do you care now?” your voice was tight, wondering if you really want to the answer to this or not.

“You’re my champion,” he stated slow and deliberately. 

“Yet, I don’t know what you want from me anymore,” you sighed.

“Everything.” Wolf pulled you to him by your hips, making you gulp at the action. You’re holding on by a thread to your self-restraint. His lips broke out in a small smirk that was close enough to brush against your lips, mumbling, “Give in.” 

Your breath was uneven, hot against his skin as you whispered, “I shouldn’t.”

“But you can.” and neither of you moved away.

Instead, he raised one hand to brush his fingers against your jaw, featherlight, as if memorizing the shape of you, as if giving you one last chance to walk away. Your lips parted slightly, a breath caught between want and restraint.

Then it snapped. 

He crashed into you, his lips searing against yours. You gasped into the kiss, hands fisting in his shirt, pulling him closer, needing more. His grip tightened at your hip, anchoring you to him.

You knew you were being reckless, but at the moment you couldn’t care anymore. You were doing this for yourself. You move your hands to go around his neck to try and pull yourself up to him. The kiss was fast and feverish, making you gasp slightly and allowing him to slip his tongue into your mouth. You kissed until all the breath left your lungs and even then you never wanted him to stop.

His teeth grazed your lower lip, sending a shiver down your spine. Your hands found his hair, pulling it with need. The world blurred around you. The way you fit together like a secret never meant to be told.

Then a noise. A knock against your hotel door.

A reminder of reality.

You tore apart, chests heaving, eyes wild. His lips were red, swollen, his pupils blown wide as he stared at you, something raw and untamed in his gaze.

Heavy silence stretched between you.

“We shouldn’t have-” you started, voice barely a whisper.

His thumb brushed your lip, tracing where his kiss had just been. Claiming.

“I know.” His voice was low, rough. And yet, neither of you held any regret. 

[malcriada]

Help Shahed and her family!

i want to create a post about @shahednhall whose fundraiser has not been getting the attention it deserves. Shahed's campaign has been verified by @/nabulsi here so please don't hesitate to share this and give to her campaign generously. the associated account here was her old one before it got terminated. if your eyes are currently glazing over because this is yet another fundraising post, STOP AND DON'T SCROLL! PLEASE GIVE ME A MINUTE OF YOUR TIME!

Shahed is a 20-year old accounting student who has been through unimaginable horrors, along with her family of 15. her father suffers from a heart condition and two of her younger sisters have contracted hepatitis from the polluted water in Gaza.

not only is there no medical treatment available for any of them, with the prices of food skyrocketing, there is also no way for them to buy enough food for everyone, leaving them starving and malnourished. at 20 years old, Shahed is the oldest in her family. with her parents both battling illnesses and being too sick to take care of their children, she is solely responsible for her family at the moment. she has 5 younger siblings to look after, the youngest one Bilal being just a baby.

their home was completely destroyed and they were displaced multiple times. please imagine having to flee so many times, while packing up your few belongings as fast as you can and not having had enough food to eat.

i want to emphasize that her campaign has been running since February of this year and her fundraiser is still only at 22%

$11,019 USD / $50,000 USD raised so far. follow @shahednhall for updates on her situation, share her posts and leave her nice words of encouragement. please be there for her, as she needs our support urgently. we cannot let her down.

tagging for visibility under the cut

@brutaliakhoa @appsa @buttercuparry @three-croissants @aces-and-angels

@turian @communistchilchuck @northgazaupdates @northgazaupdates2 @commissions4aid-international

@dykesbat @feluka @terroristiraqi @transmutationisms @sawasawako

@neechees @mangocheesecakes @stuckinapril @socalgal @sayruq

@irhabiya @meaganfoster @timetravellingkitty @briarhips @rhubarbspring

[mushr90]

mush's ultimate fic rec guide!

𓍊𓋼 a masterlist of all my favourite works made by various creators here on tumblr. most of these are series', but i've categorised them by 'series' and 'oneshots' just incase. i've made sure to tag them, link the posts, and add a brief summary for each, so y'all can digest and enjoy too! i'll also be updating this regularly (*ᵕᴗᵕ)⁾⁾

𓍊𓋼 please read through all of the tags listed for each fic carefully as i am not going to be listing them here! you control the media you consume.

𓍊𓋼 updated: 25/05/25 🔔

𓍊𓋼 key: ✩ = ongoing / ✮ = completed

Red Dead Redemption II

⟢ coming soon!!

⟢

Baldur's Gate 3

⟢ coming soon!!

⟢

The Last of Us

series

⟢ 'daddy next door' by @cavillscurls (dom! joel miller x sub! fem! reader) ✩

summary: "its summer in texas, and when the dashing joel miller moves in next door, your less than favorable life gets completely turned around."

⟢ 'of rage and ruin' by @corazondebeskar-reads (werewolf! joel miller x omega! fem! reader) ✩

summary: "joel miller made it twelve years into the apocalypse without getting bit. he turns into a much different kind of monster than he expected, though."

⟢ 'Waiting Game' by @gutsby (dbf! joel miller x fem! reader) ✩

summary: "joel miller has mastered the art of self-control in all areas except one: not fucking his friend’s daughter. a cross-country road trip home from college takes a hard turn when he’s forced to share a motel room with you."

Resident Evil

⟢ coming soon!!

⟢

Call of Duty

series

⟢ 'Cherry Red, Crimson Blood' by @soaps-mohawk (tf141 x omega! fem! reader) ✩

summary: "task force 141 operates successfully without an omega, at least that’s what price has been saying since its formation. two alphas and two betas balance the pack just fine, and they have the numbers to prove it. it works for a while, until the omega initiative is born and the 141 find themselves having to adjust to the sudden addition of an omega to their pack. fresh out of an institute, you’re hardly fit for their secretive, dangerous world, or so price thinks."

⟢ '𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝙳𝚘𝚐 𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗𝚗𝚢' by @void-my-warranty (simon riley x fem! reader x johnny mactavish) ✩

summary: you and simon have been together for years, but, unable to give you what you truly want in the bedroom, what you need, he decides to bring in the only other man he trusts to do the job -- johhny. as feelings grow and troubles arise, will this arrangement come to a crumbling head, or will there be an alternative solution?

⟢ 'AS NEEDED' by @novemberheart (tf141 x omega! fem! reader) ✩

summary: after having previously been rejected by task force 141, their decision to finally accept an omega into their pack comes with many troubles and uncertainty, and your new place here might not be as permanent as you think.

⟢ 'Jaws' by @alkalineapparition (simon riley x hybrid! fem! reader) (this one is on ao3) ✩

summary: "alone and half feral in a dirty cell, ghost finds you during a raid beneath a military research lab. it quickly becomes clear that something isn't right with you, your behaviour more beast than human. a result of horrific human experiments, you're a failed attempt at making genetically modified soldiers with killer instincts and keen senses. instead they produced you - a mutt. ghost is assigned to be your handler, to help you heal and shape you in to the 141's very own attack dog. but the bond between a handler and their beast eventually turns into something more..."

⟢ 'In Limbo' by @ilium-ilia (mafia! simon riley x fem! reader) ✩

summary: "joining the mafia is no different than selling a soul to the devil, and it's something simon riley is all too willing to do if it means keeping his family safe. it isn't until he meets you–the girl who runs from everything–that he realises there are much worse things to be caught up in."

⟢ 'Daughters with Soft Underbellies' by @ilium-ilia (outlaw! john price x fem! reader) ✩

summary: "all your life you have known nothing but the word of god and your father's short temper. every day, you are forced to turn the other cheek for minor mistakes you make within your father's gaze. yet, as a devout follower to god and your father, you have no one else to turn to. when the owner of the saloon tells you about some strangers lurking around town, you decide to take your chances with these wayward men in the hopes that they'll save you. but they are dangerous, conniving bandits; a fact you learn a little too late. you should have known that sheep who stray too far from the flock are at the mercy of the wolves. better sharpen those teeth of yours, little lamb."

⟢ 'anatomy of us' by @bi-writes (alpha! simon riley x omega! fem! reader) ✩

summary: "in an attempt to tame an unruly alpha, you are given. he did not come with warning labels. but neither did you."

⟢ 'Breaking Bread' by @softaestluv (simon riley x fem! reader) ✮

summary: "simon riley who is quite the anomaly of a man, or human, rather. your lieutenant who has only spoken a handful of words to you. simon riley who happens to be sat at the only open table in the mess hall."

⟢ 'Grease & Grime Won’t Break Your Bones' by @softaestluv (mechanic! simon riley x fem! reader) ✮

summary: "you never thought you were attracted to grease and grime, sweat and exhaustion, definitely needed a shower and scrub, but no one has worn it like he is."

⟢ (1) 'RETURN TO SENDER' (original) / (2) 'IN CONTEMPT' (sequel) by @sai-int (criminal! simon riley x fem! reader) ✮

summary: (1) "it was a joke. A letter to a criminal—uk's most wanted. you told him he was hot. told him you were a virgin. left your address, because it’s not like he’d ever get out, right?" | (2) "you tried to move on, but no one quite measures up; not to the way he touched you, not to the way he ruined you. but when he reappears, you can feel him even before you see him. the past has a way of punishing disobedience, and now, it’s here to settle the score."

⟢ 'RASPBERRY GIRL' by @peachesofteal (dom! simon riley x sub! fem! reader) ✩

summary: captain! simon riley takes an interest in the sweet and docile little bakery-worker and vows to make her wholly his.

⟢ '𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤' by @cinnamonghostcrunch (simon riley x fem! reader) ✩

summary: "where in you move to manchester to start fresh, only to cross paths with a mysterious local who changes everything. what started as an unexpected encounter soon evolves into something much more, growing increasingly complicated as his secrets and your doubts cast shadows over everything."

⟢ 'INK & NEEDLE' by @gloomwitchwrites (tattoo artist! simon riley x fem! reader) ✮

summary: "a night out in london to celebrate your friend’s upcoming marriage ends with a quick hook-up in a club’s green room. you don’t expect to see your masked man ever again, and you leave it as a one-time thing. three years later, you’re back in england, and find yourself facing the man you walked away from at that club. he's running a tattoo parlor just down the street from where you’re staying. over time, your paths cross and cross again until the two of you are tangled up in a messy web. will it last? or will one of you walk away?"

⟢ 'Martyr in the Making' by @eilidh-eternal (tattoo artist! simon riley x fem! reader) ✩

summary: he's an observer. notices the way you use getting tattoos as a thinly-veiled coping mechanism. he has a better way for you to cope though, things he can teach you that don’t involve needles, but would still leave his mark on your skin.

⟢ 'houndtooth' by @bitterrfruit (simon riley x fem! reader) ✩

summary: "you're the pampered wife of a russian warlord. ghost hunts you down and finds a use for you."

*major credit to all the creators mentioned, and to the ones i'm yet to discover! you guys are so talented and i love you ( ๑ ˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و♡

[hannahbarberra162]

Uncomfortably Numb (Yan! Law x Reader) Two shot (1/3)

18+ MDNI | on Ao3

The other parts

This was supposed to be a drabble. A DRABBLE! I got a lot of Yan Law asks, so I hope this feeds you Law girlies. I'm planning on finishing this week, not going to be a long time in between updates.

TW: teeth and dentistry but no procedures described in detail.

Thank you to @gouraminnow, @tryingandfailingtowrite, and @sordidmusings for all your help and ideas <3

~

You're the Grand Line's best dentist with a specialty in humans with fishman genetics. You work with the use of your Numb Numb fruit, which makes it easy for you to anesthetize patients and help them feel less pain. Dr. Trafalgar seeks you out to help with one of his crew mates but might want to keep you for himself...

~

Getting on the Polar Tang had been easy - but getting off was proving to be impossible. After listening at the door for a few minutes to make sure the entire crew had disembarked, you used your right hand to twist the handle to Law’s cabin while using your chin to push in the mechanism that unlocked the door. Once it had been easy to open the door and exit the room but since Law had taken your left hand you hadn’t been able to come and go since his door handle required two hands to operate. You'd been practicing for weeks to open it with your teeth and chin and your persistence finally paid off with the soft click of the lock opening. The metal doorknob now bore your tooth marks in it but dulling your teeth was a price you were willing to pay for freedom.

You felt like your heart was beating in your throat - but that wasn’t possible since it was kept in Law’s office, along with your left hand. Regardless, you peered out the door as quietly as you could, looking down the long hallway towards the main hub of the Polar Tang. You'd been planning your escape for weeks and had everything timed down to the second - you had approximately 3 minutes and 14 seconds to get off the Tang before Law noticed your absence and room’d you back into his chambers. You didn't have time for meandering thoughts as you crept down the hallway towards your freedom.

It wasn’t always like this with Law. When you first met him, he was reserved, calm and charming in his own introverted manner. He’d actually sought you out, coming to the island you’d been working at for a few months. You were a dentist by trade and you specialized in treating fishmen and humans with fishman lineage. Law had come to your makeshift dentistry office with his crew mate Shachi, who was having significant dental issues. Shachi was nearly doubled over in pain when Law and Penguin had brought him to your clinic. 

“Do you have space in your schedule for another patient, Dentist-ya?” Law intoned in his deep voice. You knew who Law was, of course, he was one of the most famous pirates on the seas. You'd also heard about his excellence in his medical endeavors and were curious about his knowledge coupled with the use of his abilities. “My brother Shachi is experiencing immense tooth pain and I am seeking your expertise,” Law continued, flicking his eyes around the rented room.

“Yes, I happen to have time right now,” you said, looking over the poor man as he cradled his jaw. You’d just finished a three year old’s first dental visit and were looking over the chart you’d made. Setting down the papers on a desk, you beckoned to the men.  “Come along to the back, Mr. Shachi, let’s take a look at cha,” you said with practiced nonchalance. Inside you were already mentally preparing for a lot of work - based on looks, Shachi was an apex predator fishman / human and that always made for trouble tooth-wise.

Fishmen had standard enough dental needs for cleanings and the like. Sometimes you had to pry out teeth that wouldn’t fall out, or help with general hygiene but overall it was fairly simple. On the other hand, humans with fishman lineage often ran into dental troubles as the genetics weren’t always stable. Sometimes they’d have teeth that were too crowded for a human jaw, or teeth that were so sharp they hurt the owner, or never developed certain teeth at all. It was a real grab bag of genetic material and you were sympathetic to those who drew the short end of the proverbial straw. You led the three men to the back room with the dentist chair as the one with a penguin on his hat helped Shachi recline. You’d rented the office for a few months in exchange for numbing the owner’s bad knees at night, a pretty good deal for you. You rolled towards the patient on a small stool, holding a pair of rubber gloves in your hands but not putting them on.

“I’m guessing you’re in a lot of pain, then?” you asked sympathetically. The red haired man nodded, his hand still cradling his face. 

“Let’s get you numb first then I can take a look. How does that sound?” you asked, reaching for his face.

“You’re not going to anesthetize him without gloves, I presume. And you have no syringe,” an unamused Law stated from where he was leaning against a window. You smiled easily, Law wasn’t the first doctor to question your methods.

“Yes, actually I am going to use my hands. I ate the numb numb fruit so if I touch his face I’ll be able to numb the pain,” you explained. “It won’t work if I put on the gloves but I assure you I adhere to the highest standards of medical sterility.” Law looked you over curiously before stalking over to you.

“Numb my wrist first,” he ordered, sticking out his hand towards your surprised face. You raised an eyebrow but didn’t make any other movements.

“Why? Does it hurt?” you asked, looking over the tattooed hand before your eyes. 

“No. I want to ensure that this works before any of my crew are subjected to treatment,” he said. It wasn’t the most unreasonable request you’d ever gotten, and it was nice to see a Captain who was protective over his crew. The word DEATH was spelled out before your eyes but it was at odds with the care he was showing for his crew mate.

“Sure. Come here,” you requested. Law moved to stand over you, his golden eyes hawk-like as you gripped his wrist loosely in your right hand and used the fingers of your left hand to make a movement like you were injecting a syringe into his wrist. After using your fruit, you held his wrist in your hand as you waited for his reaction. Law poked and prodded at himself, even bashing it against the wall, which made you jump.

“Completely numb. How many layers into the fascia does the anesthesia go? And how long will it remain this way?” he asked as he picked up his arm from your hold and rolled his hand, poking along his skin.

“It’s local, but I could slice your hand off and you wouldn’t feel a thing. It will stay that way until I reverse it. If you’re satisfied, I’d really like to help your brother,” you said, holding out your right hand. Law hummed and put his hand in your own as you repeated the same injection movement with your right hand to reverse the sensation. 

“Very useful. Are you able to produce regional and general as well?” he asked, touching his tattooed skin once more. 

“I am, but I’d really like to focus on your brother right now,” you replied, turning your stool to begin working on the redhead in front of you. “I’m going to numb your mouth now. It will feel strange but the pain should be gone immediately. Are you ready?” you asked, bringing your left hand close to Shachi’s face. He nodded, his eyebrows knotted in pain as he kept himself still. You cradled his jaw in your left hand and used the power of your fruit on him, his jaw and mouth relaxing as you alleviated his pain. You let you and he let out a great sigh of relief, his head rolling back on his shoulders.

“Aahs gheat,” he said, finally relaxed in the chair. You gave him a bright smile and snapped on your rubber gloves. Grabbing a few tools, you had him open his mouth and began to examine the pirate using your mirror and explorer to poke around the patient’s mouth.

“Hm, what percent Orca fishman are you roughly?” you asked, lowering your mask from over your face. The orange haired man was wearing reflective sunglasses but his head moved to look at Law before he answered. 

“Ah naht -” Shachi started to protest. You put your hand on top of his own.

“It’s ok, I’m part fishman too. You can’t really tell by looking at me, but I had significant dental issues from my fishman teeth and webbed feet to boot. I’m going to treat you, humans with fishman heritage are my specialty. The more information I have, the better I can assess your needs. Orcas have unique dental features that aren’t like other apex fishman species,” you explained, keeping your hand on his. His head turned back towards you before his body sagged.

“Aah dun kno,” he replied, something sad in his tone. It wasn’t uncommon for humans with fishman blood to be unsure of their heritage since human/ fishman relationships were so taboo in society. You sympathized with him, since you were raised by your now deceased father and alone in the world. You were perhaps the sole fishman who chose to eat a devil fruit but the benefits outweighed the cons, since you didn’t have gills or anything to show for your fishman side besides a messed up mouth that you’d already fixed and feet that didn't help you swim.

In addition to your knowledge of fishman anatomy, you had eaten the numb-numb fruit which made you able to anesthetize any part of someone’s body at any intensity for any duration. It was a highly convenient fruit for a dentist and it ensured your patients never felt anything during your work. If you were touching the patient, you could put them completely under sedation, which was useful for small children or nervous patients. You had a great reputation as the Grand Line’s top dentist and you were proud of the life you’d made for yourself.

“Don’t worry. I’ll figure things out and get you sorted,” you replied lightly, patting his hand. You raised your mask over your face again and began working poking around in his open mouth. Orcas weren’t like sharks or other fish that lost their teeth frequently - they had one set of adult teeth, similar to humans. Their conical teeth were made for grabbing and holding slippery prey and tear apart flesh - not chew like humans did. Inspecting Shachi’s mouth showed overcrowding common to humans with fishman genes, worn down teeth, and a cracked tooth. Setting down your tools, you pulled down your mask.

“You don’t have to take off your mask to speak, Dentist-ya,” Law said, still in the room.

“I don’t have to, but I like to,” you replied primly, your mask around your chin. “I like seeing people’s full faces when I speak with them, so I assume the same is true in reverse. It’s good bedside manner.” Giving him a curt nod, you turned to address Shachi. “You have a cracked tooth which is likely why you’re in so much pain. I could extract it but given your orca background I’d rather repair it. Were you chewing on metal?” you asked, trying to be as non judgemental as possible. Shachi flushed, confirming your suspicions.

“It’s not great for anyone to chew on metal, but especially for you with your teeth. You do it when you’re stressed, right?” you asked lightly with a tilt of your head. Shachi gave a guilty nod, looking away from both you and his captain. Shachi wasn’t your first orca fishman, chewing on hard materials was a common stress relief amongst the patients you’d seen. 

“It’s alright, you’re not the first and you won’t be the last. I’ve seen it a lot in orca fishmen. Are you in a small space for an extended period of time? Maybe like an office or below deck or something?” you asked.

“Haa Pohaa Ta -” Shachi tried to speak but was cut off by his Captain, whose mouth was not incapacitated.

“The Polar Tang is a submersible vessel, we are under water for extended periods of time,” Law explained. 

“That would do it. You feel the intense urge for freedom, right? To have an expanse available to you for swimming? Tooth grinding and chewing on metal or concrete is seen in orca fishmen and generally in fishmen in captivity. To fix your current issue, you’ll need a root canal, which takes at least an hour. I do happen to have some time available today if you’d like,” you explained. You were about done with your work on the island, all the villagers had gotten their teeth worked on already so your schedule had cleared up. In a few days you’d pack up and set sail for another island, generally steering closer to Fishman Island to compile more data for your research. 

“He’ll take the appointment as soon as possible, Dentist-ya,” Law said with finality. “It’s been bothering him for months, it needs to be fixed.” You nodded and stood up from the little stool. 

“That’s rough, sorry to hear that Shachi. Give me a few moments to get everything set up and we’ll get started,” you said, patting him on the shoulder. Law followed you as you went to an adjoining room where the autoclave was to get your tools. A shiver went down your spine as you realized you were effectively alone with one of the most dangerous men on the Grand Lane. He hadn’t done anything remotely unprofessional but he didn’t carry his giant sword for fun, either. Your hands shook slightly as you gathered everything you’d need for the surgery, including the tools you’d made yourself for fishman dentistry.

“Is everything alright, Dr. Trafalgar?” you asked, using his name for the first time.

“Quite. You’re proficient, Dentist-ya. Are you truly part fishman?” he asked, still watching you. You swallowed thickly, disliking that he was watching you prepare.

“I am. Not much, maybe a grandparent was a partial fishman. But that’s why I became a dentist - I had dental issues from my fishman teeth and no one would help me. I had to do my own dental surgery to fix my mouth,” you replied with a shrug. Law didn’t reply.

“I’ll assist on Shachi’s surgery if you’d like,” Law informed you as you placed everything on a tray.

“That’s not necessary, Dr. Trafalgar. I’ve done this procedure many times -” you huffed, annoyed he thought you weren’t able to perform the procedure on your own.

“I’m not doubting your expertise, I am offering my help because it is easier with two people. I seldom operate without Bepo, it makes operations smoother and more efficient,” Law explained calmly. Your eyes went wide when you thought about Bepo, the cutest pirate on the Grand Line, who you daydreamed about hugging.

“Does that mean Bepo is here?” you tried to ask casually, lifting your shoulder like you didn’t care either way. Law gave a light laugh, the first time he’d broken from his serious attitude.

“Bepo is on the island, yes,” Law said with a small smile raising the corners of his mouth. “I’m the Captain yet he’s the one everyone always wants to meet,” Law continued, taking the tray from your hands. “I’m familiar with most of these tools, but not all.”

“I invented some of them for fishman specific dental needs,” you explained, picking up a special kind of forceps you’d created for conical teeth like Shachi’s. “If you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you perform the surgery? Based on your reputation you’re the most knowledgeable surgeon alive,” you asked, genuinely curious. 

“I suppose I could have but I don’t feel as confident in oral surgery, especially in someone with fishman genetics. Also, frankly, mouths are gross,” Law said, making you laugh.

“Aren’t you the pirate who keeps hearts in cubes or something like that? And mouths are gross?” you asked, laughing again. Law smiled as the two of you returned to the room where Shachi was watching the interaction with interest. “That’s alright, I’m not offended. If you’d really like to assist, I won’t stop you. Gloves and masks are over there, we’re going to get started as soon as possible,” you said, adjusting the dental light over Shachi. 

About an hour later the surgery was completed and Shachi was now the proud owner of a fixed orca tooth. Law had been an excellent assistant, anticipating your needs and preparing tools before you asked for them. Unlike other physicians you’d met, he wasn’t cocky or condescending, he treated you like a medical professional in your own right. You’d talked through what you were doing, both for Shachi’s edification as well as Law’s own. He seemed to enjoy when you spoke about the process, or the specific difficulties related to fishman human genetic combinations. He told you a little bit about the crew and the ship, though not much related to him personally. 

Law was surprisingly pleasant company and the two of you engaged in light banter throughout the procedure, mostly about the pirates and their travels. You had always wanted to go in a submarine and see the deep underwater world. You weren’t fishman enough to have gills or to webbed hands, but there was something in you that pulled you to the water and made you want to spend your time in it. You supposed that was why you became a wandering dentist, so you could spend some time on the sea while also fulfilling your passion even if you could never swim again.

“That’s it, Shachi! You’re all set,” you said, unclipping the paper towel from in front of his boiler suit. “You might be a little sensitive to cold or hot for a few weeks but I’ll give you a light numbing that should last a day or two so you’re not in pain. Don’t eat hard food and don’t chew on metal ,” you said, looking him in the eye. You used your right hand to remove most of the anesthesia, leaving a lingering local anesthetic that would help him avoid the pain of the dental surgery.

“Thank you, Dentist-ya,” Law said, helping his brother off the dental chair.

“Yeah, really. Thank you so much, I haven’t felt this good in months,” Shachi said with a short bow. “Captain will pay,” he said after looking at Law with a wide, sharp grin. He quickly left while whistling a tune and poking at his teeth with his fingers. Law huffed and rolled his eyes but reached for a wallet in his pocket. You felt a little awkward cleaning up after the surgery with Law present but it had been a rather fun time, for a dental surgery. 

“I’d like to offer you something else in addition to the money,” Law said, handing you a small stack of beri. 

“Oh? Maybe a trip on the Polar Tang?” you joked, putting the bills into your pocket.

“That you can have at your leisure. No, I was wondering if you’d go out to dinner with me,” Law asked, adjusting the brim of his white hat. You were a little surprised but frankly flattered. It was no secret that Law was one of the most dangerous men on the seas - as well as one of the most handsome. You’d slept with a few pirates in your time on the seas and didn’t see the harm in adding another notch to your bedpost.

“Sure, but can I get changed out of my scrubs?” you asked with a laugh, throwing away the paper towels and your gloves as well.

~

A few hours later and you were sitting opposite Law in a nice restaurant, sipping on a glass of wine. Law was surprisingly good conversation, even if he still wasn’t sharing many personal details about himself. It didn’t offend you, you weren’t pouring your life story out to him either. This was going to be a date (and maybe more) before you parted ways, maybe to never see each other again. You took another sip as you listened to his stories about the Heart Pirates and their adventures on the seas, laughing as he told you about Shachi and Penguin tricking him into rooming himself into the women’s quarters. You’d told him about your research and your devil fruit ability and enjoyed a pleasant back and forth about your various medical interests. 

“Your crew sounds lovely. It really is quite an interesting idea to have a submarine instead of a regular ship. I’ve always wanted to go on one but the rates are so high,” you said with a wistful sigh. 

“My offer earlier wasn’t facetious, you’re welcome aboard the Tang,” Law offered with a cocky smile. He was heart stopping even when he scowled, all tattoos, brooding mystery and golden jewelry. But when he smiled? You were cooked, you wanted to lean over the small table and kiss him right there.

“I don’t know, I’m leaving in a few days anyway. I have to start packing and securing a charter to another island,” you said, rubbing your forehead. Moving islands was annoying and expensive but it was time to move along the Grand Line.

“We’re leaving after we restock. Why don’t you come aboard with us, just until the next island? I’d love to pick your brain further about anesthesia and dentistry, and we do happen to have other hybrid fishmen on the ship. I can promise you safe voyage,” Law said, sipping his own whiskey. You were considering the offer but something in your gut wasn't quite settled. Still, you would at least be safe on the seas from other pirates given the strength of Law and his crew. 

“I’m not sure, I’ve never sailed with pirates before,” you said, turning your wine glass by the stem. Sailing anywhere was a gamble but when you sailed with merchants you had reason to think they’d want you to get to your destination in one piece since you paid when you arrived at your location.

“Bepo is the first mate and navigator,” Law specified with a grin. “His ears are even fluffier than they look in pictures,” he continued with a nonchalant shrug.

“It’s not fair to use Bepo as a bargaining chip!” you whined with a smile on your face.

“Pirates don’t play fair,” Law rebutted, taking another sip and giving you a smirk. 

“I’ll think about it,” you said, finishing your glass of wine while thinking about Bepo’s ears. 

~

You had a pleasant date with Law that ended with a small kiss at the end of the night. You wanted more but weren’t going to pursue someone who wasn’t that into you. Law seemed to enjoy your conversation and company but wasn’t physically affectionate. You weren’t going to beg for physical affection and it might be better besides since you were thinking of going with them. After a day or so of back and forth conversation with Law, you decided to travel with the Heart Pirates on the Polar Tang.  Law had introduced you to the rest of the crew and you were pleased to see a few more human / fishman hybrids alongside Shachi. On the morning of departure, Jean-Barte was bringing your belongings onto the ship while Law gave you a tour of the facilities. You could see why he made a good captain and why his crew was so loyal - he was steadfast, smart, clever, and had a natural penchant for leadership. 

“Here is the operating theater, you can keep your medical supplies here as well if you wish,” Law said, pointing out a medically equipped room. “We didn’t have to buy as many anesthetics as we usually do now that you’re on board, it’s quite convenient,” Law said with a hum.

“Well, I’m only on the Tang for a short time so you’ll eventually need them again, but I’m happy to provide that service for now,” you hedged. Law smiled at you despite the intense stare he was giving you. 

“Of course, Dentist-ya. Come along, I’ll show you the rest of the Tang,” he said easily. 

A few hours later and you were glued to the sub’s windows as it descended deeper and deeper into the ocean. You’d never seen aquatic life so up close and you were practically vibrating with excitement as you watched fish swim past the windows. You jumped as a hand came to rest on your shoulder.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Law said, standing behind you, his hand still on your shoulder. His body was right behind yours, you could feel his body heat radiating from his bare chest. Law had a faint scent of lavender and mint that was tantalizing your nose as he stood behind you. There was no doubt that Law was a handsome man and your body wanted his desperately. Still, you had pride and you weren’t going to be the one to make the first move. If Law wanted you, he was going to have to work for it.

“It really is. Thank you for allowing me on your ship, Dr. Trafalgar. Or, should I call you Captain now?” you teased, turning around to face him. You were so near that either one of you could close the distance and kiss the other but you made no such movements. 

“Law is fine,” he replied, raising his arm to rest on the window over your head, leaning down over you. 

“Law it is, then,” you said, raising an eyebrow as if to dare him to make the first move. You should have known that someone with enough mettle to become a Warlord of the Sea would take what he wanted, you thought as Law’s lips captured your own. His muscled arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you towards his bare chest as he pressed kiss after fevered kiss into your lips. Your hand came up to rest on his pec while the other grabbed at his bicep as he deepened the kiss, his hand wrapping itself in your hair to angle your head to his desire. Law’s tongue brushed against your own as you moaned, reaching a hand into his wavy black hair to pull him closer. You hadn’t been with anyone in a while, maybe since three or four islands back, so even Law’s slightest touch had you excited.

Law pressed you further against the window of the submarine as the light of the sun dimmed while the ship submerged lower into the ocean but you didn’t notice in the slightest. When Law gave you his attention, it was all consuming, you could think of nothing but him. All too soon for your liking, he broke apart from you and rubbed the pad of his thumb against your lower lip. 

“Welcome aboard, Dentist-ya,” he said with a smirk, walking away from you. What the hell was that?

~

Your first trip aboard the Polar Tang was filled with merrymaking, work, and adventure. You were put with Ikakku and Clione in the women’s quarters, the other two pirates pleasant company to chat with before you fell asleep at night. The sub continued to sail underwater and you spent the time you weren’t working watching the sea in front of you. Something intangible within you made you want to reach out and swim in the deep, even if your devil fruit made that not possible.

At dinner on the first night you quickly introduced yourself to Bepo, who wrapped you in a large hug as you mentally ticked a box off your bucket list. He was softer and fluffier than you could have imagined as you rubbed your face into his exposed chest. You would have been embarrassed but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

“I’m so happy to meet you, Bepo! I always see your posters and - well, you’re my favorite pirate!” you said, smiling brightly up at him. The rest of the crew picked up their heads and grumbled, but no one seemed surprised. Bepo returned your smile with a toothy one of his own, his gleaming white teeth making your fingers itch with the desire to check them out. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you too! Captain has been searching for you for years -”

“Bepo,” Law said with a small warning in his tone as he sipped a cup of black coffee and read a newspaper. Bepo was undeterred and continued to babble at you.

“Because he says you’re the best and he only wants his crew to work with the best. It’s a relief to finally have you on board so we can stop collecting intel on you -”

“Bepo,” Law called out again.

“Now that you’ve joined -”

“Bepo.” Law’s voice had lost the chiding tone it had before and was now a Captain’s order. Bepo pouted, his eyes going wide.

“Sorry, Captain. I was just gonna say that she joined us for this trip,” Bepo said with a frown, his lower lip wobbling. Law sighed but returned to reading the newspaper and drinking his coffee. Bepo gave you another small smile as an apology.

“Bepo, if you’d ever like me to look at your teeth, I’d be happy to. I’d have to do some research on polar bear mink teeth but it would be a privilege to work on you. I’ve never had the opportunity to work on a mink before,” you said, putting your hand in his to try and sneakily feel his paw pads. 

“I’d love that! I don’t think I’ve ever been to a real dentist before, Captain has looked every so often but he thinks -”

“Mouths are gross,” you finished with a small laugh. One by one the rest of the crew introduced themselves and you saw the deep, loving dynamic between them. Shachi introduced you to his brother, Penguin, who was clearly also part fishman. You met Hakugan and Ikkaku, the other two women on board, as well as Jean Barte, Uni and Clione. Everyone was friendly and asked you question after question about your life and your work until the meal concluded.

“Penguin, thank you for dinner, I can’t eat another bite,” you said, pushing back the now empty bowl of stew. He smiled with a closed mouth, his eyes obscured by the cap with a penguin on top. Penguin was one of the quieter of the bunch, not getting as rowdy as Shachi or as up in arms as Ikkaku when they were playfully arguing.

“I was hoping that you’d take a look at my teeth in exchange for my North Blue stew. Or pay you with beri, I’ve saved a lot,” he asked in a quiet voice. “Not right now of course, when you’re rested and have time,” he hedged. You noticed he had a practiced way of keeping his teeth obscured when he spoke, nothing you hadn’t seen before in people with fishman genes.

“I’m not all that tired, being underwater is kind of messing with my internal clock anyway. And your Captain isn’t charging me fare to the next island so I won’t charge for dental services,” you said easily, standing with your plate in your hand to take it back to the kitchens. Law really was saving you a ton of money, checking out the teeth of the crew was easy for you to do in exchange.

“Oh, leave that here. Captain will shambles everything when we’re all done,” Penguin said, rising up himself. Intrigued, you put the bowl back down and looked around the room for Law. You’d seen Law use his medical knowledge but hadn’t seen him using his devil fruit power at all yet. You were curious about how it worked and wanted to see it first hand but didn’t feel comfortable walking up and asking him to use it. You didn’t mind when people did the same to you but yours wasn’t as dramatic and interesting as Law’s was. 

You followed Penguin to the operating theater, noting how the chef was adjusting his hat over and over and biting his lips. There wasn’t a dental specific chair in the theater but there was a patient table that could be brought to an upright position. The theater wasn’t anything unique - it had racks of supplies for procedures, reference books, shelves of medications, and other supplies for the minor bumps and aches of the day. Penguin perched on the edge of the chair, adjusting his hat yet again. You saw a box of latex gloves on the table and slipped a pair on. Law’s hands were larger than your own - the gloves were a little saggy on your hands but nothing you couldn’t work with. Making a mental note to ask Law for some gloves in your size, you sat on the stool and scooted closer to Penguin. 

“Would you mind closing the door?” Penguin asked, stiff as he sat back against the chair. You walked to close the door before returning to your patient. He opened his mouth only an inch but you saw enough to know what you were dealing with. Penguin was gripping the handrails tightly with his fingernails ripping into the cushioned pads.

“You don’t need to be nervous, I’ve treated sheepshead fishmen before,” you said with ease, reaching for your explorer. Penguin sagged in the chair like a deflated balloon.

“How’d you know?” he asked, opening his mouth for you just a little further.

“The evenly spaced rows of human like teeth. They’re great for fishmen but there’s not enough room in a human mouth for all of them. I can remove the second row and you should be set but as a warning, some of them may grow back in a few months. They can continually be removed and it should allow you to have more room in your mouth,” you explained while poking and prodding at his teeth. Penguin had rows of human teeth like a normal mouth but  behind it there was another full row of teeth going all the way back towards his molars. It would be like having two sets of teeth in the same mouth set side by side. You didn’t know how he’d dealt with the immense overcrowding for so long.

“You’ve done a fantastic job maintaining your teeth, by the way. Excellent flossing, I can tell,” you said, maintaining a one sided conversation. Penguin couldn’t answer but you didn’t think he would anyway, he probably had a lifetime of shyness to overcome. “You have a lot of scarring, did you already have dental surgery? I’m not sure it was effective, but it looks like it was extensive and painful. By the way, it was a good call to choose Penguin as a nickname over sheepshead. Sheepsheads can be black and white too, right?” you said, poking around the man’s mouth. He grunted to show his agreement.

“Okay, we have a game plan. The procedure will take several hours worth of time, just so you’re aware. I think we should do it tomorrow, that way I’m fresh and so are you. Does that work?” you asked, taking off your gloves. You’d need several hours to take out all of Penguin’s extra teeth and ensure the open sockets didn’t get infected. It was more work than you anticipated, but you didn’t mind helping out a fellow fishman. Penguin nodded his agreement.

“I’ll have time after breakfast and I can ask Jean-Barte to make lunch. Will that be enough -” Penguin didn’t get to finish his sentence before Law appeared in the room, stalking towards you with a scowl.  You took a step back, your legs hitting the stool behind you as Penguin sat upright in the seat. The stool spun and hit the clinic chair as you inhaled sharply.

“What do you think you’re doing to my brother, Dentist-ya?” Law hissed, his palm already raised with fingers lifted. You wanted to see his power but not in a way that had you taking a one way dip into the ocean. Law’s stare didn’t leave your face as your mouth gaped open, unsure what to do or say.

“I’m fine, she’s gonna fix my mouth,” Penguin said softly, putting his hand on your forearm. “She knew what was going on, she’s seen these kinda teeth before,” Penguin explained while getting off the chair. Law huffed but didn’t put his hand down.

“Room. Shambles,” Law said, creating a small blue sphere in his hand as he adjusted the white cap on his head to cover his eyes, much like Penguin. Moments later a paper towel was wafting to the floor where Law had been standing.

“He’s overprotective of the crew, always has been. I had some bad dentists in the past, did some fucked off shit and hurt me bad. Law also doesn’t like when the crew has any kind of medical test of procedure without his knowledge so now he’s embarrassed that he overreacted and room’d himself away back to his quarters. That’s just how he is,” Penguin explained with a small smile. You gave him a watery smile in return, scared by a fraction of the intensity Law would wield in battle. If that was Law’s bad side, you didn’t want to be anywhere near it.

You were a little shaken from Law suddenly disappearing from the operating theater but decided to talk it out with him right away. You didn’t like to let bad feelings fester underneath the surface and had always found airing things out made life better for everyone. Bepo led you to the Captain’s quarters at your insistence.

“I’m sorry, Captain’s not in a good mood right now -” Bepo said, raising his palms in a placating gesture.

“If he says he doesn’t want to see me, I’ll leave,” you said calmly, stopping in front of Law’s closed door. Bepo made a whine but left, allowing you to take your chances with the Captain. Taking a deep breath, you knocked twice on the metal. It was night time and the only illumination in the Tang were small lights placed near the floor to help the crew get around at night.

“Bepo, I already told you-”

“It’s not Bepo,” you called out. “It’s me, I want to talk about what happened and apologize,” you said, leaning close to the door. There was no reply as you lingered awkwardly in the cold dark hallway, your ear hovering near the door so you could hear Law.

“Room. Shambles,” was all you heard before you were caught in two strong arms. Law using his fruit powers on your was disorienting and you had a vague headache from the sudden movement and brightness from inside the cabin. You pressed on your temples as Law righted you to standing.

“The headache should go away momentarily, it happens to some people when I shambles them,” Law explained clinically. You grunted but gave yourself a small numbing effect using your left hand to speed up the process.

“That’s better,” you stated, now sitting yourself on the edge of Law’s desk as he sat down in his office chair.

“I didn’t know you could numb yourself,” Law said with mild interest as he steepled his fingers.

“Mmh, handy for when someone shambles me without warning,” you replied. “I’m sorry to bother you, Captain -”

“Law,” he said without taking his eyes off his reading.

“Er, right. I’m sorry to bother you, Law. I wanted to apologize for examining Penguin without your permission. I shouldn’t have acted on my own like that - he’s your crewmate and you’re responsible for his well being, I understand that now. I apologize and I won’t see any of your crew without asking permission first,” you stated, putting your hand over your heart. 

“Hm. I accept your apology,” Law intoned, looking back down at the article on his desk. “You didn’t do anything wrong, I…overreacted,” Law said, the last word so quiet you almost thought you misheard him. “I have a complicated past. I worry a lot about the people I love, that something bad will happen to them if I’m not watching over them all the time,” he said, now flipping a page in the journal he was reading. 

“That must be difficult to feel all the time,” you said, sympathetic to his plight.

“Shachi and Penguin are idiots too, which makes it worse. Last week they tried making a fire -” 

“That’s not so bad -”

“While we were submerged,” Law said, looking you in the eye. You couldn’t help but laugh hearing about the foolishness of the pirates. Law massaged his temples as he continued to read in the low light of the ship. It was quiet for a few moments between you as neither of you rushed to say anything, Law massaging his forehead the whole time.

“Tension headache?” you asked quietly.

“Always.”

You raised your left hand slowly towards his head and gave him a small amount of numbing, equal to a strong round of ibuprofen but that would last longer and act instantly. Law watched you warily the entire time but didn’t stop your motion either.

“There. Feels better already, no?” you asked with a smile. Law blinked a few times and looked around his cabin.

“That is…incredible. I haven’t felt - I always have a permanent headache,” Law lapsed into silence as he took a few breaths and stretched his neck. “Thank you. That was an act of kindness I didn’t deserve,” Law said, looking you in the eyes. You looked back for a few moments but flicked your eyes down to his desk, unable to maintain the intensity of Law’s stare.

“Is that- is that my article from New World Journal of Modern Dentistry ?” you asked, incredulous. Law’s expression didn’t change but you thought you saw a hint of color rising in his cheeks.

“Good night, Dentist-ya” he grunted, still not looking at you. You were shambles to the women’s quarters seconds later, leaving you confused about your interim Captain. 

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