#single cell anniversaries

[chosetoseethebestinyou]

A beautiful brand new tardis. The doctor and Donna, reunited at last, back in the tardis. Together. And look! It's even got a coffee machine. What could possibly go wrong :)

Not even two minutes later:

[homefryboy]

d e s p a i r

[frecklenog]

i want you all to understand this.

insulin pens are very often used by diabetic children (or their parents, but they were very easy to use during the short time i was prescribed them when i was a child myself). they’re less cumbersome, produce less waste, and are far easier than pulling insulin from a vial with a single use syringe, as syringes are much more susceptible to air bubbles, which result in the diabetic not getting enough medication. i’m explaining this part because i know that some diabetic adults do also use them, and i’m sure that that’s true of diabetic adults in palestine with such scarce resources. when it’s life or death, you can’t really be picky.

the israeli occupation is now banning insulin pens from entering gaza.

lack of insulin results in diabetic ketoacidosis — essentially a very, very dangerous version of the effects of the keto diet. insulin is a key for the sugar from one’s food (both slow and fast acting, since all food has some carbohydrates, from nuts to potatoes to table sugar) to get from their bloodstream into their cells. without insulin, the body resorts to eating through its own fat stores rather than the sugar it cannot access and tries to flush the excess glucose that is in the blood through the urine. this results in weight loss, headaches, nausea, dehydration, blurred vision, abdominal pain, impaired mental faculties, and, if left untreated, will result in a coma, and eventually death within a matter of weeks. not “can.” it will kill you if not treated, and was largely considered a lethal diagnosis until insulin was discovered in the early 1900s and made readily available in 1922.

i’ve been in dka. admittedly, i was very young and have blocked much of it out. but i do remember that it fucking sucked. i couldn’t focus on anything, i was ravenous no matter how much i ate, and the room spinning to the point i felt like i was going to throw up became an increasingly regular occurrence. i was seven years old and wasting away like i was starved. i was dying. a few more days, and i likely would’ve gone into a coma and might not be here now.

to inflict that, willingly and knowingly, on innocent people, is nothing short of a crime against humanity, and violates the geneva conventions (item 2.a.ii. torture or inhumane treatment, including biological experiments and item 2.a.iii. willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health). not that the israeli occupation cares, of course, as south african prosecutors have already extensively detailed their crimes in the icj, and this one in particular has already been committed near-countless times.

this entire occupation is a genocide, and this is only one more nail in that coffin. but, as a diabetic — as a human being who has been in that state and was lucky enough to have the resources to live almost another fifteen years (with the anniversary of my own diagnosis about halfway through next month), i can’t find the words to express my disgust and rage anymore. maybe it’s selfish to be so deeply impacted by this particular blow. i don’t know. but these people have done nothing wrong but be disabled in gaza, and as someone with the same disability, i know that no one deserves this, even if they have committed a crime (which, again, these civilians, largely children, have not). i will not fucking stand for it.

we need a ceasefire. we need an end to the occupation. we need a free palestine. now.

here’s a masterpost of how you can help.

EDIT: here’s a post on how to help diabetics in gaza specifically

[kairiscorner]

Heian! Muzan with a really sweet and gentle wife from an arranged marriage? He's completely in denial and becomes tsundere whenever the wife lovingly takes care of himm

hearts' day imagine 001.

muzan kibutsuji with his loving wife.

"her kindness is only an act of formality; it's not real."

muzan constantly believed that for a woman that was forced to marry him, your outward kindness was bound to run out eventually. you were a benevolent soul, extremely gentle, and softhearted. every time he came home from attending to his business, you would always greet him with a sweet smile and a hot plate of his favorite food.

you were the only woman he had ever lived with that wasn't a family member, he was never really used to a stranger cooking meals for him or asking him about his day. he refused to let his guard down with you, even if you meant the nicest intentions, he just couldn't bring himself to trust you.

he barely responded to your questions, usually making snark comments about your cooking or other things you did. they did sting, but you took every word he uttered with a kind smile. he found it somewhat unnerving, how someone who was constantly insulted by him could stand being so nice to him still.

after several weeks of this arrangement between you two, muzan toned down his snarky comments and insults, remaining silent more than cranky around you. he opted that instead of engaging in conversation with you, he opted to observe you as you tended to your garden every morning and every afternoon, the same time as always, without fail.

while he rested inside by the living room, he overheard a neighbor making conversation with you. you talked about how your wedding anniversary with him was tomorrow, and though he had never really felt compelled to get you anything, he felt as though it wouldn't hurt to get you something at least, something that would keep your pretty little self happy for even a few hours.

he went off to the florist's at dawn, and requested for a bouquet of some of your favorite flowers, the kinds you wish you had in your garden and envied other wives in the village for having, silently wishing you could have the same species of flowers as them. when muzan got home, you were about to start your day and cook breakfast for him, as usual.

though when you headed downstairs, the sweet scent of the flowers he bought for you wafted in the air. muzan barely had any time to hide them foe you to find, so seeing your husband clutching a bouquet of colorful flowers–expensive ones, mind you–on the morning of your wedding anniversary warmed your heart, and... drove you to tears.

muzan couldn't understand why you were sobbing over flowers, but instead of reaching for the bouquet, you wrapped your arms around him, hugging him gently, sobbing a little into his clothes. he usually would push you off when you got too close to him, but... not a single cell in his body compelled him to. it was as though muzan felt comfortable with you clinging onto him like this.

it was strange, it was new to him, but... he didn't hate it.

[buckysmith]

MW2 characters reacting to you being hold hostage + how it happened

Includes: Ghost, König, Soap, Price, Gaz, Alejandro, Rudy, Gromsko, Laswell, Valeria and Graves

It was kinda hard to write the exact same topic for 11 people without repeating the same story and in the end I fucked it up but I hope you guys enjoy it anyways cause I wrote that shit for 7h+

I just hope it doesn’t flop again .-.

Word count around 10000.

Warning: hostage, mentions of dead, mentions of abuse (not heavily detailed but still a trigger)

Tell me if I have to add warnings

Ghost:

- He is an extremely cautious man, making sure no one knows where he lives to protect you.

- the only living people who know where he and you live are Price and Soap, since he knows they won't say anything even if they are being tortured

- Even your family doesn't know where you live, or rather they think they do, but they don't because the address is fake.

- but a small mistake can lead to a big problem, which in your case it did.

- Simon and you were walking together in the streets of London, but he could feel that something was off

- he didn't really want to go to London, but on your anniversary he wanted to do you a favor and go on a date like any other normal couple, spoiling you with things you like

- so you were on your way back to your car and like London is, it was crowded with a lot of people

- you could feel Simon getting more and more nervous because he sensed something was going to happen and then just a few feet away from you a car exploded causing the crowd you were in to panic

- Simon instinctively grabbed you and ran with you to your car, pushing the people running towards you away to make his way through the crowd

- but just before you could reach your car, he saw what was going on, that he was the target of the attack, because you were running straight ahead in a group of masked men.

- Simon who of course didn't have many weapons on him, only a Glock and a few knives knew that it looked bad for you to fight against heavily armed men

- he knew if he fought you would both die, so he didn't hesitate long and ran back into the crowd knowing there you would be at least a bit safer

- he pulled you by your wrist through the crowd, pushing the people who got in his way away to make room for you

- but after the masked men fired shots, the crowd just panicked even more

- he held your hand as tightly as he could, trying his best not to let go as the crowd tore you further and further apart

- the last thing he could see and hear of you before you were lost in the crowd were your frightened eyes and your voice calling out to him

- not even a second passed and he alerted Price who informed the team and laswell as well as the police and special forces in the area

- he immediately started looking for you, calling out you, trying to locate your cell phone, calling you, but you didn't answer

- all while forcing his way through the crowd in the direction he had lost you

- he tracked your cell phone signal, but only found your cell phone lying on the ground, smashed but still working

- he knew he couldn't panic now, but his blood was freezing, his heart started to stop in its rhythm

- he knew he could track you in another way, he had given you a necklace with a tracking device that even you didn't know about

- he followed the signal, running like a madman through the streets of London only to end up in an empty alley.

- the moment he picked up your necklace from the ground, saw the crimson liquid on it, was the moment his heart stopped

- it was the moment he realized that the target was not him, but you

- he stared at his necklace, time seemed to stop for him before he stood up and left the alley to make a single phone call

- days passed with no sign of you, Laswell and many other agents and elite soldiers in his debt searched for you

- he did not take any solid food during that time, he refused to eat and he drank almost nothing

- but his body did not weaken, only his spirit became more dangerous

- he blamed himself for your abduction, he cursed himself so much that he went with you to London

- days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, no sign of life from you made him slowly lose his will to live, his body became weaker and he destroyed himself more and more every day

- Soap and Price watched as their friend slowly fell apart, as he slowly became truly a ghost.

- at one point he was too weak to stand on his feet, but he resisted when anyone tried to help him

- be it to feed him or to help him to walk

- the moment he got a sign of life from you, or rather from the men who kidnapped you, Simon changed again

- the man who moments before had been too weak to keep himself on his feet became a more dangerous killing machine than he had ever been before

- whoever they were, they were about to pay a price

- and he wouldn't grant them the mercy of a fast death, he knew what he would do to them, the moment you're in his arms again.

- they would live for months, not that you could call that living, but well, they were still able to breath and feel everything. That's all I'll say about it.

Soap:

- Soap came back from his service a few days earlier than planned, so now you had a problem

- you were at a friend's in London, you were supposed to come back home two days later to pick him up

- but Soap assured you that it was no problem to spend the two days with your best friend, because you both saw each other quite rarely due to the distance or rather her and your job

- on the last day you both wanted to go shopping, some nice things to wear and maybe some other things you liked

- you then called soap, actually just to ask him if you should bring him this new video game he was talking about all the time

- but your conversation was quickly interrupted by two men with bomb vests and another man with assault rifles

- so the last shopping day turned into a hostage situation and you and your best friend were sitting together with many others in the middle of the building and in the middle was one of the assassins with the bomb

- it was just too stupid for the assassins that they didn't know who was among their hostages

- It didn't take Soap long to get from your home to London, not with his contacts.

- he also contacted his friends and teammates, Ghost, Price and gaz were also quickly in London.

- He had given you another cell phone in case of emergency, one which was not flashy but in such emergencies life saving

- but he didn't expect you to call him, and you more or less didn't really call him either

- he was the only number stored, so you just had to press a button dial his number.

- Soap didn't hesitate long and took his cell phone to the lead officer, because they had a view inside through the thermal imaging cameras, but no voice transmission and now they had thanks to you

- Soap knew how risky it was that you had called, but you had now helped the forces, especially with the identification that one of the bomb carriers was among the hostages.

- Soap could hear you and your girlfriend being yelled at, because you were whispering to your girlfriend beforehand so that the he and the other who were there to rescue you all knew where the other bomber was sitting.

- So while Soap was incredibly proud of your courage on the one hand, he was equally afraid for your life on the other

- he had been on so many missions like this, so many missions where he could have died, but none of them had ever made him feel this scared.

- it was only hours that you were trapped, but with every second That passed he knew that if something went wrong, he would lose you, killed him.

- the moment they stormed the building he had only one thought, he had to find you and get you safe and sound.

- it was only seconds in which he searched for you in the crowd, but for him those seconds felt like hours.

- For him, they were moments of uncertainty, because although they were sure that they could eliminate all the assassins with little trouble, they did not know if there were still hidden assassins among the hostages.

- The storming of the building was quick and the targets were also quickly taken out, but to soap's great fear, among the hostages there was actually someone with a bomb vest who remained unidentified, who blew himself up after his comrades were killed.

- the whole building shook, glass from windows and doors shot through the air like bullets that caused him to seek shelter for a few moments, in the seconds after that he disobeyed every order, he didn't care what would happen to his reputation or his job in the moments after the detonation

- it was all about you

- he called your name in panic, ran to the people killed by the explosion, or rather what was left of them.

- he knew where you and your best friend  had been sitting

- and that's where the bomber had exploded.

- in the first few seconds there was nothing in his head, he heard nothing, he smelled nothing, he felt nothing.

- there was just nothing

- he held his breath without realizing it, fell to his knees as his body collapsed as if it had been turned off.

- the moment he heard your voice, the moment he could sense quick footsteps and a movement, he directed his gaze in that direction

- the moment you wrapped your arms around his neck, threw yourself into his arms and kissed him. It was the moment when he understood that he was not dreaming, you were alive, you were in his arms

- it was only seconds when he thought you had died, but those seconds left deep scars in his soul.

- the day you almost died left for you only a scar on your cheek, but for him it left an order, a mission which he would not stop carrying out even after his death.

- he made sure that this would never happen again, that you were safe for the rest of your life.

- that was an oath he never broke.

Alejandro

- being in a relationship with Alejandro had its pitfalls

- but most of all it had many downsides

- he was rarely home, most of the time your relationship consisted of talking to each other on the phone over secure lines

- it wasn't like it was something new, because before you had a long distance relationship, but with your move to las Almas you thought you could see him more often since you were only a few miles apart now

- but no, he was too afraid to accidentally give away your location and put you in danger.

- his enemies were the cartel, the soldiers operating outside his unit and even his own people he didn't trust

- the only ones who knew of your location were Alejandro and Rudy.

- but seeing your husband in person only a few times a month, and then only for a few hours, caused strife between the two of you.

- you were as good as isolated from the whole outside world

- you had little contact with your family/friends

- Alejandro had moved the rest of his family elsewhere, but you didn't know where they lived and they didn't know where you lived.

- everything was a security measure, but after two years of almost complete isolation in a foreign country, you and Alejandro were always having fierce arguments

- most of the time it was over FaceTime, because as I said he didn't want anyone to know where you lived

- the phone call ended with you hanging up after he told you for the millionth time that he was doing it for your safety

- you knew that, you knew he was just worried but you were alone, you needed him with you!

- he usually didn't even stay over and slowly but surely you felt more like a prisoner than in a relationship

- you were homesick, you wanted to be with your family/friends and the comfort they gave you

- the feeling of security he couldn't give you anymore for a long time

- you loved him, but you couldn't go on like this and he couldn't give up the life he was leading

- it didn't take long for you to pack a suitcase to fly home to your parents/friends, you knew you were welcome at any time

- but on the way to the airport you came into a military checkpoint

- but it was not a normal check in which the military took unnecessary money out of your pocket for any violations, no,  they were looking for you

- they had got the order from the las Almas cartel, which you did not know of course

- because your last conversation was intercepted, they were able to find out your name from your voice and therefore knew who you were and above all they knew where you were.

- Alejandro found out only a few hours later, he had called you again and again, but since you had left your cell phone at home, he had no reason to worry.

- he thought that you were just mad and that you were going to give him the silent treatment, something you had never done before, but he had been in many relationships before where his partner reacted like that after a fight.

- however he wanted to discuss the problem in person, he knew you were hurt and he wanted to make it up to you somehow

- but when he got home there was no trace of you, your cell phone was there, but your car and suitcase were missing along with about four thousand dollars you had put aside in case of emergency

- he immediately informed Rudy and gave him your license plate number so that they could trace your location

- but there weren't exactly a lot of surveillance cameras in las Almas.

- but your license plate was caught by one of them and you seemed to be on your way to the airport, so he went on his way as well

- but your car suddenly disappeared and didn't show up again on the next camera like it had should

- he found your car but without you

- your car was in a ditch and it looked like you were deliberately pushed off the road

- he knew the moment he saw your car that you had fallen victim to the cartel

- the first few minutes after he found your car he called Rudy who called the rest of his team

- He knew he had to find you quickly

- He tried to contain his fear, but it didn't work.

- On the way back to the base his hands were shaking so badly that he could barely control his vehicle.

- he could feel his heart beating in his chest and hear the blood rushing in his ears

- when he arrived at the base all color was gone from his face

- he was so incredibly afraid for you, so much so that he had to throw up again and again

- while his body was rebelling against him, his emotions were boiling up, he was aggressive and tearful at the same time

- he tried everything to find out where you were

- after hours of searching, your captors came forward to present their trophy, you, to him.

- They knew how to use leverage to get what they wanted.

- but Alejandro still had a favor left with Laswell, so it didn't take long to get you to safety.

- but in the hours when your fate was uncertain, in the hours when he didn't know if he would ever see you alive again, a small part of him died

- he regretted every second of arguing with you, but not visiting often enough, because in the end it had caused to happen what he had tried to protect you from

- he was the reason for your abduction, for every hair that was cut in those hours

- he and his men stormed the building where you were being held and the moment he could wrap his arms around you, smell your scent and feel the warmth of your body was the moment he realized that moving away from you to protect you was not protecting you but separating you from each other

- that he was the reason

- from that day on, there was not another day that you could not see him

- he was always with you and from that moment on you were the safest you have ever been

- as safe as you have never been before

- the kidnapping was the best thing that could have happened to you and him

Rudy:

(Short info, I know the backstory would have fit well to Alejandro, but Rudy was the one who wasn't captured by Graves and his men and so I thought this could fit well to Rudy)

- you had heard that your husband was now working with people from the U.S. and the U.K. to fight the cartel and locate some  missiles

- you knew that this information was actually top secret and you weren't supposed to know anything about it, but your husband told you everything and you preferred him to talk about it than to keep it inside and  it being a burden to him

- you knew that the boys were coming back in the evening and it was important to you that they had enough to eat, of course you couldn't cook for over a hundred men by yourself but together with the help of Alejandro's partner, Rudy's mother and some other women and men you could cook enough food to feed them all

- so after you loaded all the food into the pickup you drove to the base

- What you didn't know was that the base had been taken over by the American, who imprisoned los vaqueros and plunged Las Almas into a bloodbath.

- Rudy had called so many times but the line was dead which you didn't notice because you only used your cell phone to listen to music and this was possible without line.

- since you all came outside of las Almas, you didn't notice anything   until you were stopped with the car at the entrance of the base, while your identity was checked by an American and after that you were not nicely brought  to Graves

- Graves of course immediately recognized the value you had as a hostage, after all he had the leader of the vaqueros and the partner of the second leader.

- He knew that if the worst came to the worst, you would be his life insurance.

- Rudy, meanwhile, was getting more and more panicky by the second, and instead of going straight to the safehouse, he drove to your house.

- he knew that if you were not at home, you had probably gone to the base

- he was not panic, no you could not describe his feelings like that

- he was incredibly calm on the way to the safehouse, he didn't know if Ghost and Soap were alive, he knew you were probably in Graves' captivity and he didn't know if Alejandro was alive.

- Every person he trusted was either gone or in captivity and he had to keep a clear head right now.

- but it just didn't work, he couldn't cry and  he didn't shake either.

- he was paralyzed and his head worked like in energy saving mode

- until the moment when Alejandro was with him again.

- that was the moment when he broke down, sobbed, poured out his heart to Alejandro and let him know how unbelievably scared he was for you

- that he would never forgive himself if something happened to you, that it was all his fault, and much more.

- from that point on he couldn't stop shaking, sobbing and hyperventilating

- he knew Graves would use you as leverage if a situation arose where he was in danger of losing his life, which only worried Rudy more

- He knew he would lay down his life for you if it came to that.

- yet when Graves tried to escape with you, you managed to get away from him and escape while the Ghost Team stormed the base

- you broke your arm and sustained wounds that would later become scars

- every single scar from that day reminds Rudy that he failed as your husband

- but it was the only time in your life with him that you were in danger, because after that he made sure that it would never happen again and you were safe

- he never forgot the feelings he had while you were in danger and that's why he taught you all kinds of defenses and how to handle a gun

Price :

- in a job like your husband's, there were unplanned incidents more often than you would have liked

- sometimes he didn't come home for months, sometimes he was only home for a few days before he was needed somewhere in the world so the world wouldn't end

- it was hard for your relationship and it ruined all plans for vacations or just to be together every time again and again

- and it was one of those days again, he had just come home from a mission, hadn't even had the chance to unpack his stuff and was needed again immediately

- it was useless to ask him to stay with you, so you let him go again after you had said your goodbyes

- he had promised you to take vacation, that this time nothing would come between your trip, the trip you had planned and looked forward to for so long

- this trip was supposed to replace your honeymoon because you couldn't take it after your wedding because of his job

- but the trip was booked, all paid for and you had taken the time off

- you had done your research and could only move the trip somewhere else and not cancel it without losing all your money or reschedule the time for the trip

- you knew he would not be back in time, so you told your best friend to pack her bags so that the two of you could go on vacation instead of you and Price

- together with your best friend you decided to change your trip to another country, both of you going to Cairo Egypt

- your best friend always had something to do with pyramids and the ancient egyptians and you also found them quite interesting

- but you were more interested in today's culture

- of course you told your husband beforehand to ask him for permission

- he agreed that you should go with your girlfriend, but he was worried about the choice of country you had made

- but you told him that Egypt is a relatively safe country and nothing would happen to you

- he had a bad feeling though and asked you to move the trip somewhere else, which you refused to do

- your best friend knew the country, culture and language better than anyone, you knew you were safe with her and that he was overreacting.

- however, this led to an argument, he insisted that you move the trip elsewhere and you vehemently refused

- he wanted to continue arguing with you but your argument was interrupted by Soap who told Price there was an emergency

- you could hear him sending Soap away again and this time telling you rather rudely not to make the trip

- that was the last thing you heard before the connection was lost and you were sure he had hung up on you

- you didn't know that the connection was lost do to the emergency which was an attack

- during the argument you thought about giving in, trusting his feeling but after he yelled at you you didn't want to give in out of pure pettiness and went on the trip with your best friend

- the first days were wonderful, the hotel you lived in was fortunately well air conditioned as you could hardly stand the stinging heat, the people were nice and the food was delicious

- Price didn't contact you during the days and while part of you was worried about your husband, you knew that if you didn't hear from Laswell he was in good health and just wouldn't talk to you, and you, definitely wouldn't give in and talk first!

- he knew you were fine, at least you thought he did, since you were in constant contact with Laswell and her wife.

- they were as much a part of Price and his family as you, Soap, Ghost, gaz and his pets. It was an all or nothing deal

- with Laswell's wife you were also in contact every day, sending her pictures from your vacation, what you were doing and the great food.

- but all good things come to an end, in your case it was "wrong time, wrong place".

- your best friend and you got lost

- How did you know? There were no other tourists around, not a single one.

- you knew instinctively that you had to find a way back very quickly, but it was already too late and you ran into a group of criminals

- you recognized the mark they wore on their bodies, t your husband had told you about the group but they were supposed to be in Russia, not here!

- he had already dealt with the people several times, each time it ended in a bloodbath on both sides

- so you grabbed your best friend by the arm, dragged her through the winding streets while dialing Price's number, which only went to voicemail, you called Laswell, but she didn't answer her cell phone either, so the last thing you wanted to do was call Laswell's wife, but it was too late and you were trapped

- the last thing you felt was a strong hit on your head before everything went black

- It was Laswell's wife who noticed your absence.

- You hadn't sent her any pictures or texts for four days, which was unusual for you.

- she asked Laswell if she knew anything about you, to which she only responded that you had called her four days ago but had not contacted her again

- Laswell didn't think anything of it, she thought that you had probably called her unintentionally, but with the information that you hadn't given any sign of life for four days was something that worried her.

- even more when Price also contacted her saying that he couldn't reach you in days after you called him.

- she tried to track your cell phone, but it was either off or the battery was dead

- the last trace showed that you hadn't moved from one spot in two days before your phone died

- she knew something was wrong, so she immediately alerted Price while sending one of her men stationed in Cairo to your last location

- When Price learned that you had not ignored him but had disappeared, he panicked.

- he knew the mission he was on was important and that his presence probably made the difference between defeat and victory, yet you were gone, in a foreign country after he asked you to go there

- he let another captain replace him, he knew his boys together with him would accomplish the mission and immediately set off to Cairo

- but he knew that he was not allowed to be there officially, so he entered as a normal human being

- he looked calm to everyone else, but if you were there you would immediately see how incredibly upset he was

- you were the only person who could see behind his facade

- he was unbelievably afraid for you, he couldn't drink, nor eat, everything he tried to get into him came up again faster than he had forced it down his throat

- he couldn't even enjoy his beloved cigars anymore, just the thought of smoking one made him throw up

- days went by, days he didn't sleep, days he didn't eat, days he drank almost nothing but scotch

- deep circles had formed under his eyes and the worry about you made him very angry

- after almost a week Ghost, Gaz and Soap also came to Cairo to support their captain who was more a ghost of his former self

- it took another two days but then they found you, it had been a total of two weeks since your abduction and you were starting to give up

- they didn't do anything to you after they found out who you were

- one of the men had recognized Price's face on your background and from there on it was easy for them

- they were also recently in contact with Price, negotiating the price for you and your best friend, but you didn't know that

- threatened to do something to you that would only make Price angrier.

- but Laswell was able to use it to get a location on you.

- it was a night in fog action in which they asked Price not to participate because those 10 days of living on nothing but alcohol and pure caffeine had weakened him considerably

- but he insisted.

- he had never been so nervous on a mission as he was on this one, he could hear his heart beating in his chest while his blood was literally boiling

- he didn't know if you were still alive, he didn't know what they had done to you, he knew nothing and couldn't control the situation, he couldn't prepare himself for what he might see.

- the operation was quick, the kidnappers didn't expect to be found out.

- 141 and several other soldiers searched the house and when Price found a locked door, after having shot a man with a gun only a few feet away, he opened it and through the sparse light recognized a person lying on the floor only a few feet away from him, he could also see that there was a pool of blood around them.

- his heart stopped at that moment, he didn't want to get closer to see who this person was, he didn't want to know if it was you... it just couldn't be you!

- he stepped like in slow motion towards the person lying on the floor, his whole body was shaking and he could feel the feeling of throwing up

- at the moment when he knelt down to turn the person and to catch a look into their face, he received an extremely strong hit on the head which made him see black for a fraction of a moment

- but his body reacted out of reflex, he turned and skillfully pressed the person who had attacked him to the ground and squeezed their throat.

- when he regained his sight he realized who he was choking and also the person who had attacked him realized who he was

- his eyes filled with tears while he let go of you and kissed you

-despite the sparse light he could see that you had been beaten, that you were hurt but you were alive

- a wave of relief came over him and you as you both began to sob

- he was relieved that you were alive and you were relieved to see him, that he had come and that this hell had now ended

- you were too weak to walk on your own when the relief came over your body, two weeks without food and only little water in an extreme heat had left its mark, not to mention the psychological stress and the wound on your shoulder

- your best friend had not survived, you both had been shot at, but only she had been killed while you were only wounded

- you pretended to be dead as well, and because of the panic they had, they didn't realize that you were still alive.

- you didn't know if the men would come back, but you knew you had to escape at the next opportunity

- not a day went by from then on that you didn't listen to him and for him not a day went by that he didn't regret yelling at you

- he thought he was to blame, while you also thought you were to blame for everything

- but basically it was just "in the wrong place, at the wrong time..."

Gaz:

(Im going to take gaz first appearance in MW2019 as my "guide")

-you and your boyfriend gaz live just outside London, you had moved in with him and left your old life behind you

- you had met Gaz by chance, or rather it was an accident

- you accidentally drove into his car when you were on vacation in London, you were wearing the worst outfit you could imagine and he, well he looked great.

- you were extremely uncomfortable and to this day he made a bit of fun of it, even though he was to blame for the accident

- you two got on well from day one though and friendship turned into love and now you were here in London

- gaz had been tense for a long time, but he was not allowed to tell you what was going on

- but you could imagine what it was and of course you tried to give your boyfriend some kind of comfort

- it was your day off, which calmed gaz down because he knew you wouldn't be near where his assignment was

- he couldn't tell you about it, so he kept quiet about it.

- but shortly after he left for work you got a call from your boss, she told you that one of your colleagues had dropped out and they needed you

- since you got along very well with your boss and the store became like a second family you of course agreed and left immediately

- you knew you would be there just before the shift started and since the shift would start at six pm anyway you thought you would write to your boyfriend just before you got there

- so you texted him at 5:50 pm (1750military time) that you would be home around 10 pm because you had to work spontaneously and would bring take away from your favorite restaurant

- gaz got the message while he was sitting in the car, he knew he wasn't supposed to look but usually you only wrote when something was going on or you wanted to know something

- when he read the message that you were at work, in the area where he now had a job, he completely freaked out, called you but you had your cell phone on silent and since the store was so busy you didn't even notice he was calling

- after that everything went wrong, there was so much shooting, people blew themselves up and so many injured and dead within a few minutes

- and this bloodbath led to the very store where you work.

- the feeling of throwing up was getting stronger by every minute and he started shaking without wanting to, he didn't know how you were and if you could get out in time

- when a man named Captain Price appeared, he followed him while he tried to calm down

- there were many people tied up between a man with a bomb vest which exploded only a few seconds after he and captain price arrived

- as gaz helped Price free the people he recognized one of your colleagues, he immediately asked her where you were, if you had escaped, but she tearfully told him that they had taken you.

- That was the moment when his heart stopped.

- you had been captured...

- at the moment when price and he and the hostages left the building, a live broadcast of the assassins was shown on the big advertising boards

- with you in their midst, wearing a bomb vest, at an unknown location.

- He immediately told Price that you were his partner, that he would do anything to free you and so much more.

- he could barely think straight, his heart ached while his stomach churned and he felt dizzy.

- it took them an hour to get your location

- an hour in which he threw up countless times and still tried to be strong for you

- he stormed the building with Price and his own team, killing anyone who got in his way while calling your name before finally finding you

- but the countdown ticked on and on

- when gaz finally got to you he tried to be as strong as he could but it tore his heart out to see your eyes filled with tears

- he knew how scared you were

- There were only a few minutes left before the vest would explode and Price told him to go, the experts said there was no chance and that the vest was too complicated to disarm in time.

- Price knew from the little time he knew gaz now that he would not leave you alone, wished him good luck and they both left the area as quickly as they could while

- it was only a minute before the vest would explode.

- he cursed himself for not being there while you tried to calm him down

- A second before the vest exploded, he grabbed all the wires in sight while pressing his lips onto yours, only to rip off all the wires in one go.

- and instead of you exploding nothing happened

- gaz had somehow managed to disarm the vest

- it was the moment when he started crying with relief, just like you did

- from that day on he made sure nothing like that would ever happen to you again

- he made enough after he joined 141 for you to stay home.

- but he supported you when you started an online business so he didn't have to be the bread winner

- but now you were safe, safe from all evil, safe from enemies, safe from anything that would harm you

Graves

- being in a relationship with graves was not always easy

- you two could not see each other often and for a long time, something that was difficult for both of you

- phillip, who was so much more gentle and loving in private than he was on the job, was incredibly homesick and lovesick for you

- it was just hard for him to be away from you for a long time, so he tried his best to somehow bridge the distances between you without putting you in danger

- he talked to you on the phone as often as he could, always had a picture of you with him in which your face was hidden but which he would often look at when he missed you too much

- it was a picture of the two of you lying in a hospital bed, your face buried against his neck while he had an arm around your torso

- his mother had taken the picture when she visited her son in the hospital after he was badly injured in battle

- during the weeks he was in the hospital you lived there as well and when he was finally able to go home you took care of him even though he assured you he was fine

- the picture showed him so much, it showed him that he had someone worth fighting for, worth coming home for, worth living for.

- he knew that with you he had found the partner for life and you both would go through thick and thin until the end

- the two of you were enjoying a bath together when the call from Shepard came forcing him to leave immediately

- your heart ached as your husband had just come home and already he had to leave again

- he didn't want to go either, but he knew he couldn't refuse an assignment and left after you said your goodbyes

- only a few days after your husband left you got a call from your best friend who lived in las Almas and was very pregnant

- since you had promised to be with her when she had her baby, you quickly packed the things that seemed important to you, the copy of the picture that Phillip was carrying with him

- las Almas was only a few hours away from the farm where you lived with Graves and more or less his family

- since your in-laws lived only three minutes away by car and it was on your way anyway, you personally told them that you were going to las Almas to assist your best friend in the birth of her first child

- on the way you wanted to tell phillip, but from then on something kept coming up and before you knew it you were already in las Almas

- your best friend her parents were actually from las Almas but moved to the USA before your best friend was born to give their daughter a better life there

- but apart from her parents all her relatives were in las Almas so after she met her boyfriend who was a policeman in las Almas she went back home without her parents

- her parents begged her not to go, but your best friend was much too stubborn to listen to them

- you were warmly welcomed by her new family and the birth went quite easily, both of you joking around while she almost broke your and her boyfriend's hand

- but the birth of the child went quite well and fast and you were able to go back to her house around late noon

- you helped your best friend with her baby while the others celebrated the birth of the child

- but in the evening the mood changed, it started storming

- the city became louder, at the beginning your friend joked that many babies must have been born today, but the sounds that had sounded positive before became screams and the sound of gunshots echoed from the houses

- not even half an hour passed, when armed and masked soldiers stormed the building in which you were located

- you reacted instinctively, grabbed the hand of your friend who had her baby in her arms and pulled her down from the sofa and towards the second exit

- you could hear screams behind you, then gunshots which silenced the screams

- but your friend collapsed after only a few houses, she was too weak to run as she got shot leaving the house

- she gave you her baby, told you to get her baby to safety before she sent you away

- the last thing you could hear was a gunshot and a dull sound, the sound of her body hitting the ground

- While you were on the run, Graves wondered why you didn't answer him.

- he called you several times, because normally you had texted him at least five times by now, but you didn't answer the phone

- you tried your best to get through the streets unnoticed, but the baby woke up after a shot was fired at close range

- you tried everything to silence the baby in your arms, but it was already too late and the masked men pulled you out of your hiding place, almost threw you to the ground and you barely managed to support the baby and yourself

- but you recognized the uniform of the men when you were forced next to the Mexican policemen

- they were your husband's men!

- you tried to explain to them who you were, that you wanted to talk to Phillip but one of the men just kicked you in the face

- everything went black and you lost consciousness for a few seconds

- when you woke up they had already killed the men next to you and you were also holding the gun to your head while you begged them to inform Phillip Graves, your husband

- you heard a gunshot, then another and a third and the sound of three bodies falling to the floor

- Your vision was blurry, but you recognized the man in front of you, it was Ghost. You had seen him before, years ago, when Graves talked to you on video.

- a few minutes later Graves was standing in front of his killed men, but something next to the killed policemen caught his eye

- he grabbed the something that was already full of blood and looked with pure panic at what he had just picked up

- it was the picture of him and you, but it couldn't be! The picture was still in his pocket so how...?

- pure panic flowed through his body as he reached for his phone and called you again, praying to God that you would answer the phone and he would hear your voice

- but you did not answer

- his heart stopped for a moment when he called his parents and they told him you were in las Almas, the town where he had made a bloodbath on Shephard's orders

- where his men killed everyone who got in their way.

- he then disobeyed the general's order, told his shadows not to kill anyone and to look for you before giving them a description of you

- but he didn't calm down, even though the danger of you being killed by a shadow was now zero, Ghost who knew what you looked like was running around, not to mention the men and women of the Cartel

- while they were looking everywhere for you, you went with the injured Soap, Ghost and the baby to the safehouse of a guy named Alejandro.

- Ghost and Soap told you that you were now a prisoner of theirs, since Graves had betrayed them, but you didn't care.

- You had barely survived and probably would have died without Ghost's help.

- but you also didn't want to accept what your husband had done, but you had seen it with your own eyes and couldn't deny it.

- The men who held you captive were nice considering who you were or rather who your husband was

- You begged the man named Captain Price not to kill your husband, that there had to be another way and you would do anything to keep them from harming him.

- Graves found out they had you just minutes after Price called Shepherd.

- that was the moment Graves broke completely, on the one hand he couldn't and shouldn't refuse the orders, on the other hand they had you in their grasp

- It killed him, drove him crazy knowing you were in danger.

- Price brought you into the field and Graves could see you through his scope, Price gave him an ultimatum, Graves would surrender voluntarily with his shadows and you would live if not, you would die.

- but when you collapsed next to Price after a bullet pierced you, Price fled and Graves reloaded.

- he knew there was no turning back as he looked at your body lying virtually lifeless on the sandy ground with blood pouring out of it

- you woke up later in a hospital, the bullet had hit you but not killed you, just knocked you out.

- you later learned that Graves had not surrendered, died in an explosion, and within twenty-four hours you had lost your husband and best friend

- the baby your friend had entrusted to you was taken to her still living grandparents and Phillip's parents visited you every day in the hospital

- you felt alone nonetheless, you had put your wedding ring on the side table and most of the time you were just lying around

- after one week in the hospital you discharged against the advice of your doctors

- the first night back in your home two arms wrapped around your body and the familiar smell of a certain person rose in your nose while you tried to enjoy your hot shower

- it was his raspy voice that sent a shiver down your spine

- he would make sure that no one would ever lay a hand on you again and he would stand up for his mistakes, at least to you.

- it was on you to choose between stay or go

Valeria

- being in a relationship with Valeria was everything but easy

- she gave you everything you wanted, but there was one thing she couldn't give you and that was your freedom

- she kept you behind closed bars and you lived in a golden cage, but living isolated and not being able to leave the house gnawed at your mental health

- the fact that sometimes she would just disappear for weeks and then reappear didn't make the situation any better

- you could see Almas from the villa you were living in and despite begging her to go with you to the village  over and over again she never allowed it

- but you had enough of it, she always left you behind and after years of isolation you couldn't take it anymore, you finally wanted to see something different!

- there was a "party", most of the people were wearing masks and after you grabbed a mask as well as some clothes of the servants you left the building together with some servants who had a shift change

- you didn't want to leave her, you just wanted to see something different for once

- but Valeria was on Alejandro's radar since she was captured years ago and they found out that you were her partner.

- you walked happily through the streets, oblivious to the men and women following you.

- however, it wasn't long before you reached a corner where they chloroformed you and took you to a van

- Valeria, meanwhile, did not notice that you had disappeared until after her  conversation with some other evil men, because you were neither at the pool, nor in your room, nor anywhere else in the villa.

- Panic coursed through every vein of her body as she yelled at her men to find out where you were.

- when she checked the security cameras and saw you undressing and throwing yourself into the servants' clothes to leave the mansion unseen, the panic was joined by pure rage

- she immediately unleashed her men to search for you while she thought of how she would punish you for what you had done

- she was informed about an hour after she realized you had disappeared that the dogs had lost track of you and that you had probably been abducted

- she knew instantly who you had been kidnapped by

- the anger she felt towards you turned into pure fear, she knew what Alejandro and Rudy were capable of

- but she was from the cartel that ruled the city and she also had her contacts in Alejandro's elite squad.

- she knew a direct attack would end in a bloodbath, but she knew if she waited too long and Alejandro tried to get information out of you, she could never forgive herself for that

- she knew what a monster Alejandro was, she knew what he would do to get information that you didn't have, but she also knew that he wouldn't believe you.

- At the end of the day, he was as brutal  as she was.

- the longer you were under Alejandro's control, the stronger her hatred, her rage, and the more dangerous she became.

- she was there in person when she tried to save you, it was her job as your partner to save you.

- the way in was easier than expected, although it ended in a bloodbath on both sides

- but the moment she saw you again, the moment she knew you were now as good as safe, her feelings cooled down

- she had learned from her mistake to lock you up and keep taking you to new places, outside of Mexico, so at least you could see the world and she could make sure you would never be kidnapped again and that you were happy

- but also you had learned never to run away again, her punishment was anything but funny and yet so much more gentle than like all the others. Thankfully

König

- you were visiting a friend while your husband was away somewhere in the world doing his mission

- you hadn't heard from him for days, which was usual but you were worried, but you knew if you didn't hear from him it meant he was alive and well

- it was the idea of one of your friends you were visiting to go to a party of someone she knew

- you texted your husband of course, informing him that you were going to a party and write him as soon as you were on your way back.

- it was a really great party, the music was great, the appetizers which were offered were delicious and all in all it was a great night

- but only until you saw a familiar face, it was one of the guys your husband had been chasing and this one was supposed to be dead

- you knew it was a dangerous mafia boss from the documents of which you were not allowed to know anything

- but you knew you couldn't let your panic show

- you went to your friends, told them you were not feeling well and you would like to leave

- but they insisted that you stay and just rest, since after all their friend was throwing the party

- a bitter taste spreads in your mouth when said host came to you, asked if everything was fine and your friends said that you were not fine

- without you wanting it the host and mafia boss then took you to a quieter room where he tried to make a pass at you

- but before it could come to more he was interrupted by a smoke gas

- everything went fast, you got something taped to your mouth before a bag was pulled over your head and you were tied up

- you didn't know how much time had passed, you didn't know where you were what would happen to you now, the only thing you knew was that you were in danger

- König meanwhile waited for your message while he drove with his colleagues and the prisoners to a safe house

- but your message didn't come, you didn't answer his calls either and your cell phone was off

- he knew you wouldn't cheat on him, he also knew you always kept your promises and yet you were gone

- he could clearly feel the coming panic attack, whereupon he started to take his weapons apart and put it together again to distract himself somehow

- in his head all the scenarios were playing out, from you being bottled up, lying unconscious somewhere, being kidnapped, every scenario you could think of was playing out in his head

- hours went by, he didn't have the numbers of your friends and he had no other way to contact you

- the car you were in stopped at some point and you could feel someone grab you roughly, pull you to your feet and take you somewhere.

- you could only hear what was happening around you, fear flowed through you and you prayed that your husband had already found out that you had been kidnapped

- you were forced to the cold floor, sitting on your knees while you listened to the mafia guy being asked the same questions over and over again, you could hear blows and groans of pain from him.

- you could hear them breaking his bones, knocking out his teeth and smelling burned skin

- after a while one of the men seemed to have had enough and you could feel the barrel of a gun against your head

- it was the moment he raised his voice and threatened the mafia guy to kill you if he didn't finally speak up that you started to fight back

- it wasn't the threat to kill you, no, it was the voice you recognized

- only a few seconds after you tried to stand up your husband kicked you in the ribs

- but it also loosened the tape on your mouth, so you immediately called out his name

- the look on your face when the sack was pulled off your head and you looked into your husband's masked face, you couldn't help but weep

- you were almost abused, then kidnapped and your husband broke your ribs without knowing it

- you knew after that day you had many friends less and enough partying for the rest of your life

- and he, he felt guilty for that day for the rest of his life. Great success

Gromsko:

- it had its advantages to live somewhere in the countryside in Poland

- there were not many neighbors, those who did lived quite a distance away and otherwise it was quiet and of course safe

- your husband had many enemies, many very powerful enemies, which is why he hid you somewhere in the countryside

- you both had daily contact, be it only a sms but he wanted to make sure you were ok

- but everything peaceful had an end

- They had found out where Gromsko lived, but they did not know that he was married.

- so it was a surprise for the assassins who were after Gromsko to find you instead of him

- they knew that they could use you as a bait to get to Gromsko and he quickly realized that something was wrong, precisely because you did not answer him anymore

- he sent a friend to you, who informed him that you had probably been kidnapped

- the kidnappers were not the smartest, you quickly realized

- while Gromsko together with some old friends tracked you down, you made life difficult for your kidnappers and annoyed the hell out of em to get a waterbottle

- Gromsko, who was usually calm in person, was agitated and everyone could feel how dangerous he was becoming with each passing minute.

- he was worried about you, panic was an understatement and the hatred he felt for your kidnappers was boundless

- but also self-hatred, after all you had come into this situation because of him

- when he found out where you were being held he set out with some of his old colleagues to rescue you

- everything happened quite fast, the kidnappers did not expect that they would be found

- Gromsko was looking for you when he entered a room which looked like a cell

- you were already waiting for someone to come into your cell, and you hit the person on the head with the glass bottle you had been given

- the person you headbutted, however, grabbed you and pushed you against the nearest wall, while squeezing your throat

- you noticed who it was at the same time and he did, and he immediately let go of you, apologized for hurting you and teased you for hitting him with a bottle

- you moved to the city and got a dog to defend you when he was at work

- he never let you out of sight again, not that you knew, everyone had it’s little secrets after all

Laswell

- your wife was not always easy, especially her paranoia was not and it was a reason for many fights between you

- you knew the USA was not the safest country in the world, but you lived in a good area, hardly any crime and a nice neighborhood

- but for her no place was safe enough and she insisted that you carry a small device that would notify her if you were in big trouble

- you thought it was over the top but what wouldn't you do to make your wife happy

- and besides, she was really scary when she was angry.

- you had something to do at the bank and Kate asked you if she should come with you on her day off but you refused, after all you wanted to go shopping and get something special for her afterwards

- you were at the counter of the bank when armed men stormed the bank and you instinctively reached for the small device and pressed it

- when Kate was informed by phone that you had pressed the panic button, she didn't hesitate for a second to see where you were.

- almost at the same time the sports show she was watching changed to a news bulletin that the bank you were in was being robbed and was now being held hostage

- she didn't want to let it show as she called her friends at the CIA, but no one had ever seen her like this before

- 141 who were also nearby due to a mission, were also informed by her

- while she seemed to everyone to be in a bad mood and aggressive, Price could see the incredible amount of fear in her eyes

- he knew she would not admit it, but as it took longer and longer to get an overview of the situation she began to tremble more and more

- this only stopped when Price along with his team and a few others killed the men and got you safe and sound to your wife

- I guess it wasn't such a bad thing to have a paranoid wife after all.

[general-cyno]

apparently it's the 15th anniversary of zoro's sacrifice in thriller bark (not sure if manga or anime though) so yknow. time for more zolu of course

one of the many things about zoro and luffy is that despite how their approach to certain situations might differ at times, they're still pretty similar at their core, sometimes to a comical degree (see: their definition of what a hero is back in fish man island arc). and this understanding of how the other works is what leads to moments like jaya,

this little one in water 7/enies lobby,

and follows consistently all the way to wano arc.

and I was thinking the other day about how their childhoods too kinda mirror or parallel each other's in a way that emphasizes (to me, at least) how special zoro's particular protectiveness toward luffy is, and why luffy relying on zoro that way is just as special.

the specifics of their childhood stories are different but both luffy and zoro have a turning point of sorts that's marked with the grief and loss of sabo and kuina, respectively, which leads them to say these:

(I cropped the panels, but luffy's also crying here)

it's important to note zoro and luffy had dreams/aspirations before this, to become the greatest swordsman and luffy's secret thing that we've yet to learn about (that ace, sabo and the crew now know). however, losing kuina and sabo is what prompts them to, on top of that, strive to become stronger for other people's sake. for zoro, it's his way to honor his friend and fulfill their shared dream. for luffy, it's to avoid losing the people he loves.

throughout the story, zoro and luffy end up expressing similar frustration and sentiments due to this. there's zoro innerly chiding himself for being too weak as he trains in the aftermath of arcs like little garden, alabasta and thriller bark, where the crew get stuck in situations in which zoro isn't able to help as he wishes he could (the wax cake, the sea prism stone cell, kuma). there's luffy swearing he won't lose a single member of his crew even if it kills him (the davy back fight) and reproaching himself for not being able to save any of the straw hats in sabaody, with the worst of it right after losing ace in marineford.

(and man do I have thoughts about bon turning into zoro, out of all the straw hats, back in impel down.)

anyway. as to why all of this is meaningful - when zoro agrees to join luffy, he mentions that his goal to become the greatest swordsman is all he has. yet as the straw hats go from journey to journey, and with a certain emphasis in luffy, you can see how zoro's view slowly shifts. he's now driving himself to become strong to protect them as well, to the point he's willing to set aside his ambition and offer his own head in exchange for luffy's, if it means he can ensure luffy's life and safety. that's huge. as mihawk inwardly points out, zoro has something, someone he values even more than his ambitions and pride. and it's through his adventures with luffy and the crew that he becomes closer to achieving that initial dream of his.

whenever people wonder why zoro's as loyal as he is to luffy, aside from all the reasons why luffy as a character has earned that loyalty through his actions, I also remember that one line koushiro said to zoro in a flashback: "the pinnacle of swordsmanship is the power to protect what one wishes to protect and cut what one wishes to cut. a blade that injures all that it touches isn't really a sword." while sure, it works in the context of later power ups like haki, imo it perfectly captures zoro's character growth too and what luffy's given him. the current zoro isn't lost or directionless with only one purpose in mind or to live for, bounty hunting as a means to survive. he has a home to return to, people to cherish, to protect and keep getting stronger for, people who nurture him in turn. kuina's death is something zoro couldn't have prevented, and losing people in accidents like those is something that could happen again, but still within the limits of what's preventable - zoro can protect his friends now.

as for luffy... zoro kinda steals the spotlight when it comes to grand gestures of loyalty/devotion and being the MC of the story means luffy fights for different people (both crew and non crew), carrying their wishes and hopes as if they were his own. he gets help and learns from others as well and all members of the crew are important for luffy to achieve his dream one way or the other, but the way he relies on zoro specifically is so subtly meaningful to me. we don't get as much insight on luffy's inner thoughts, still, we do have context.

for someone like luffy, who is at his innermost genuinely terrified of being alone and losing the people he loves, the fact that he trusts zoro to protect and keep everyone safe (even luffy himself) is so good. as shown above, luffy vowed to become strong in the first place to ensure he'd never go through loss like sabo's again and this vow is all the more renewed after ace's death. luffy has to be strong for everyone but... the fact that he can trust zoro to follow his lead even when others might not understand his reasons to do x or y, that he's so unwavering in his faith that zoro will protect the others when luffy can't, entrusting the people he cares about to zoro, whom luffy also cherishes - it's all pretty special. everyone in the crew has their strengths and zoro may not be the only fighter, but all of them, including sanji, fall under his protection whenever it's needed.

it's not only about raw strength though. zoro's also there to set luffy straight and remind him of what's important when the circumstances arise, like in water 7 or punk hazard. and even when they don't necessarily agree, like wrt vivi's situation after the reverie in marijoa, luffy knows when zoro's right and acquiesces (albeit grumbling a little) because, once again, he's also aware that zoro wouldn't just risk everyone's safety. luffy listens to him. and their reunion in wano too, luffy's sheer happiness at the sight of him again, is a very clear example of how much luffy adores zoro even beyond all that.

although luffy isn't aware of what happened in thriller bark (that we know of), zoro's actions are proof of why luffy trusts, has faith in, and relies on zoro as much as he does and why it's so important for luffy to have him by his side, considering how afraid he is of being unable to keep his loved ones safe. this is more on a speculative note, but I can imagine how comforting that must be for luffy - to not shoulder that on his own.

happy anniversary!

[thestralluvr]

Lars Pinfield x reader headcanons part 1

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

- he’d have the usual socials like tiktok, insta and all that but his only post is a picture of you that you absolutely hate and his following is just his friends, family and famous cats.

- he probably has another instagram account for his cat basil, a chunky tabby who he adores with his whole heart.

- taps on the possessors enclosure (the possessor taps back it’s like a weird little high five) before he leaves and at this point it’s become an instinct.

- his work space is definitely an organised mess, you’ve got no clue how his system works but he surely has one.

- you guys definitely get takeaway at LEAST once a week (especially on a friday).

- claims he doesn’t know how to flirt yet every single word that comes from his mouth leaves you BLUSHING.

- he’d never admit it to anyone but he secretly loves reality tv 😭 it has him hooked and it’s one of his favourite parts of the day when he can just unwind with you and watch shitty television.

- this man just adores you, you’ll catch him just admiring your features like you’d hung the moon and stars.

- i feel like he’s a decent cook but a terrible baker, he never fails to set off the fire alarms.

- one morning he’d tried to surprise you for your anniversary by baking you a lovely breakfast.

- it ended with the pair of you standing on the front lawn in your pyjamas waiting for the fire brigade.

- baking is now left for you and uber eats.

- this man had a hipster tumblr phase i just know it and you take every opportunity you can get to tease him on it 😭.

- i’d imagine his favourite bands would be stuff like the kinks, tears for fears, the smiths, talking heads, soft cell etc. (he’s a music nerd).

- he loves gloomy rainy days, 1 because it reminds him of his home town, 2 because it’s the PERFECTTTTT weather to snuggle under blankets with you (his favourite activity).

- maybe has a few tiny tattoos that only you’ve seen besides one.

- one night the two of you went out with a few coworkers (much to lars’ annoyance) so what better to do than take the opportunity to get pissed? makes the boring conversations less boring right?

- anyway let’s just say it was an eventful night as you’d both woken up with the wonkiest matching ghost tattoos on your wrists.

- the pair of you weren’t exactly ecstatic to find your drunken decision but hey, they didn’t get covered up. besides, it makes you think of him whenever you see it so it can’t be that bad.

- he has a tendency to run his thumb over your little ghost whenever you’re holding hands or cuddling, it’s very sweet.

- you take turns being the big and little spoon every night but basil is always the tiny spoon.

- he’s a little touch starved so he never ever takes any little touch, kiss, and caress for granted.

- speaking of kisses, ALLLLL THE KISSES!!! forehead! head! hand! eskimo! cheek! neck! this man is just so lucky to be able to kiss you he never wants to stop oml i could cry he’s just the sweetest.

- basil definitely gets many kisses too she’s very spoilt.

i hope this was decent, my first time writing for this lovely man so i hope i did okay!! lmk if you want anything in particular for the following parts through my asks or comments!! <3

[sleepysnk]

a/n: i really wanted to write something for hanma because i missed him a lot </3 so i hope you guys enjoy this!! i felt like something fluffy would work with him this time, so <3.

pairings: hanma shuji x fem!reader

warnings: some brief angst, fluff leading to smut, mentions of violence (not towards reader), established relationship, mentions of food, brief jealousy mentions, nsfw, vanilla sex, use of pet names (baby, babydoll, doll), light choking if you squint, breeding kink, creampie, after care, fluffy hanma.

synopsis: you and hanma had been together for two years. he never thought in a million years that you would both last this long, so he wanted to do something special for you on your special day. you deserved the world, and he was going to be the one to give you it. he had many ideas in mind, but the main one was showing you how much he loved you.

his always and forever ft. hanma shuji

Hanma Shuji was truly blessed to have someone like you in his life. Let alone having you as his girlfriend.

Today was your two year anniversary. It was a date that was imprinted on his brain from the moment you said yes to being his. He was so thrilled to have such a great woman in his life. You were like an angel sent from heaven itself to bless him with your love. You made him such a happier man, and your presence as a whole came at such a difficult moment in his life. In a way, he could say that you saved him from doing the worst to himself or even others.

Hanma had done plenty of bad things in his life. He had fought men who had a debt to the gang he was in, he often drank until his vision was completely blurred, and he even severed ties with family that tried their best to do good for him. He was truly lost before you came. He spent his days wandering his large apartment without a single person to occupy it with him. It was lonely and he despised that feeling more than he would like to admit. He desired someone to share his place with and have someone to come home to every night. Sure, he had hooked up with plenty of women beforehand. Some of them were great and even potential candidates for that lifestyle, but the others were only into him for a cash grab and that was it. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want to be with a woman who only saw him as a piggy bank for whatever shopping spree they wanted to go on. Hanma wanted peace and one person he could rely on, but at the time, he knew that wouldn’t happen. He was a thug, a criminal, no one would want a man like him.

But then, everything changed the day he came across you.

Hanma had a very long day. He was exhausted with all he had to do, so he decided to make a stop at a cafe he had visited many times before. It was sort of busy for a late afternoon day, but that never really provoked the man that much. He paid for his coffee and waited patiently behind a few people. He became distracted by his cell phone because Kisaki had been in his messages for some reason asking about a recent incident that took place. Hanma was about to respond, but when piping hot coffee began to scald his chest that message was discarded.

He looked up, feeling furious about what had just gone down. However, those feelings had disappeared when he made eye contact with you. You were standing there with a very apologetic facial expression. The coffee you once held in your right hand was now splattered onto the floor, and some of it had gotten into Hanma’s plain white shirt. Your cheeks were burning with embarrassment and you wanted to melt into the floor with how shitty you felt. He was a complete stranger, an intimidating one at that. He was taller than you by a few inches, and he honestly had a scary look in his eye that would send any man or woman running for their lives.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there! Oh, god.. let me help clean you up..”

Hanma was stunned at your beauty. He wasn’t even angry about his suit anymore. All his brain was fixated on was you and how your fingertips felt rubbing the thin napkins against his chest and his abdomen. You looked like you were about to burst into tears from how afraid you looked. He began to feel guilty for shooting you such a glare, because you genuinely seemed very sorry for such actions. 

“No worries.. thank you for your help, doll.”

When the pet name slipped from his lips you froze on the spot. Someone as attractive as him was calling you that? It felt almost hard to believe at the time, but you were instantly relieved to hear that he wasn’t angry with you over the accident you created. Hanma honestly began to feel bad for you, though. Your coffee was spilled all over the tiled floor, and many people were still staring at the two of you with these wide eyes that bored into both of your heads. He often hated attention like that. Some people just didn’t know how to mind their own business nowadays. It was a small mistake. It wasn’t like you had a breakdown in the middle of the cafe and threw your coffee at him.

“Let me buy you a new coffee..”

“What? N-No! That was my fault-“

“Doll, it’s fine. I have nowhere else to be and all I need is your order.”

To be honest, you hesitated at such a gesture from the mysterious man. Neither of you knew each other, but he was being so kind to you yet you almost burned his skin with the beverage you swore you were holding onto with all your strength. However, you agreed and gave him your coffee order. He simply went to the barista and paid for it, but you were a bit confused why he was taking so long to come back. You wondered about his motives, but when he grabbed his own coffee and waved as he passed you, you felt disappointed. You thought that maybe you would spark a conversation with him, but alas, that didn’t seem very likely.

Once your coffee was done, you walked past several customers and grabbed it off of the counter. Though, the cup wasn’t blank, and there was something written on the side of it.

“Call me sometime <3 let me buy you an actual drink- Hanma Shuji.”

That’s how your romance had blossomed to what it was today. Hanma wasn’t expecting you to call him that night after the whole incident at the cafe, but he was relieved to hear your voice. The two of you chatted all night about anything that came about in the conversation. Although you didn’t reach very personal levels, Hanma was very interested in knowing things about you. He asked about what you did for a living, if you had any siblings, what kind of food you liked, etc. Talking to you made him so happy and he was so excited to hear that you wanted to go on a date with him at some point. Hearing those words made sunlight shine into his heart, clearing the storm clouds that had surrounded it for such a long time. He knew moving at such a pace could result in some negative reactions, but you seemed different. He was well aware that it sounded cliché of him to say such a thing, but it was how he felt about you. He couldn’t deny that one bit.

Weeks turned to months and eventually two years later you were both still together.

You had zero regrets about saying yes to Hanma all those years ago. He treated you like a princess and spoiled you rotten with whatever you wanted. He was a bit reluctant to let you in at first, considering he had been abandoned many times before by different women, but you assured him that you were sticking around for the long run no matter what. You got to see the real Hanma Shuji, and it was honestly beautiful. He may have had some flaws, but you did too. You were both able to work through those things and be patient with one another. There may have been a few rough days and some fights, but even through that you both fell in love with each other. 

You were able to change Hanma for the better. He was so happy to have found you, and being by your side benefited him in so many ways. He couldn’t ever imagine himself being with another woman besides you. He was fully convinced that he had found his soulmate.

He couldn’t believe that two years had passed. He had so many things planned for the two of you that day, and he couldn’t wait to get started with you by his side. 

The morning began with Hanma making you some delicious breakfast in bed. He was not the greatest cook, but living on his own for almost ten years taught him a lot about cooking and having to rely on home meals rather than ordering take out from the nearest restaurant. He made you some eggs and some really fluffy pancakes with your favorite fruit on top. It was adorable and waking up to the aroma of food made you so happy. The breakfast was delicious and Hanma’s heart warmed when he saw your pretty smile flash when you began to eat your pancakes. He knew they were a favorite of yours. Sometimes you’d only eat his, nobody else’s. It made him feel proud as your boyfriend that he was able to make you happy with his food. 

“Happy Anniversary, babydoll. I love you..”

In the afternoon, he took you out for lunch. He even took you out shopping afterwards to splurge on whatever you wanted. It was adorable to see you walking around the many stores with different items in your hands. You often told Hanma that you didn’t need his money to make you happy, but he insisted that you use it. He made more than enough for all the bills to be paid, so it was no problem at all if he wanted to spoil you for a bit. Despite that, you rarely ever spent more than you needed. You did live a rather comfortable lifestyle, but there was that side of you that wanted to consider Hanma’s feelings as well. 

Once you both arrived home, Hanma was excited to make dinner for you both. There was a toss up between going out and eating at another restaurant somewhere downtown, but you told him you were fine with whatever he wanted to do. He took it upon himself to learn a new recipe for you. He worried he would totally light the kitchen on fire if he wasn’t careful with what he was doing, but it had all gone completely smoothly and he was proud of himself. You were also quite surprised to see that he had been successful in making your supper. Hanma hadn’t always been a fan of working in the kitchen, so seeing him do such a great job made you so happy. The food also smelled divine. Your mouth was watering the second you sat down at the table to eat it. Hanma was a bit worried that you may not like it or you would have a negative reaction to his cooking, but much to his surprise, your face lit up with happiness when the flavors reached your tongue. It was so great. Pride swelled inside his chest when you started smiling at him and looking at him with love in your eyes.

“This is so good, baby! You really outdid yourself with this!”

God, it was like he was falling in love with you all over again.

The feelings Hanma had for you were so overwhelming he could almost break down and cry from how intense it was. He never imagined he would be cooking a meal for a woman he had been dating for two years. He didn’t think the day would ever come that you would move in with him and sleep beside him in the same bed every single night. He felt so lucky to have found someone as great as you even though he had been surrounded with darkness for so long. You helped him escape and surrounded him with such light that the abyss he was once in seemed to be a forgotten memory. 

After dinner was finished, you both retired to your bedroom where Hanma found himself wanting to give you one more anniversary present. 

Himself.

Hanma was hovering above your naked body. His cock was splitting your cunt apart with every rut of his hips. You two had been at it for quite a bit. He had kept up with quite a slow and tender pace. Hanma told himself he wasn’t going to rush such an intimate moment with you on a day like that. He had plenty of time with you to make it nasty and rough, but right now, all he was focusing on was you. Your pretty voice called for him and made his cock twitch. He had sex with you many times prior to this moment, but you never failed to amaze him with your angelic beauty. Your delicate skin, gorgeous face, there was so much to love about you. He just couldn’t keep his eyes off of your form that was taking him so well. He could make love to you like that all day if he really wanted to. There was nothing to get bored of.

Your nails clawed into the skin of his shoulders. Marks covered his flesh, but he didn’t bat a single eye at that. You were in utter bliss underneath your boyfriend. He never failed to make you feel good. Hanma knew your body better than anybody else and he made you feel so much ecstasy. “Ah..! Hanma! So good..” you made eye contact with the man above you. Your eyes were somewhat blurry from the pleasure that he allowed to ripple through your body.

Hanma was sweating. A few strands of his dual colored hair clung to his forehead from the moisture that had collected itself on his skin. He loved whenever his name slipped off your tongue like he was a prayer. Hanma couldn’t hide the smirk that appeared on his features when he heard your whines for him. You were so beautiful and good for him. You deserved all the pleasure that was coming to you tonight. “Yeah, keep sayin’ my name, baby. Fuck.. I love you so much..” he placed his hand around the base of your throat, holding you in place so he could stare at your pretty face while he thrusted up into you. 

You let your jaw fall slack as the euphoria you felt increased with every movement. He reached spots inside of your pussy that made you see stars within your vision. Hanma couldn’t believe that a whole stupid coffee incident allowed him to meet someone like you. He always imagined that he would reach the end of his life alone without a single person to share himself with, but having you completely changed that outlook for him. Your presence alone lit up his life and allowed him to see things through a different perspective. You truly blessed him more than you realized, and he couldn’t believe that you didn’t leave him in those two years you’ve been together. Hanma sometimes thought he didn’t deserve you. He imagined at some point you would find someone better than him and you’d leave him, but you didn’t and he was so happy that you gave him a chance.

Sure, you had your ugly days, but even through that you both worked on those issues and continued loving one another without having a second thought about it.

Hanma’s free hand went to intertwine with your own. He leaned down to press his forehead against you and allowed eye contact to be connected between you both. His honey eyes were blown with lust and staring at you with such admiration you could melt from just one glance from him. You smiled when your eyes flickered around his handsome face. There was no one cuter than Hanma Shuji. He was perfect in every little aspect. 

He then kissed you, which took you by surprise. It was soft and gentle. His lips felt like you were kissing two soft pillows that you couldn’t pull away from. He was such a good kisser. It was one of the many things you loved about Hanma. His kisses could sweep you right off of your feet and you would grow weak in the knees whenever his lips brushed against yours. It was slow, but his tongue would occasionally brush against your bottom lip to try and gain access to your mouth. You obliged and allowed him in, deepening the kiss between you both. The pleasure was just too good. 

You gasped when he finally reached your g-spot, sending bolts of electricity along your belly. Hanma smirked in the kiss when that pretty noise escaped your lips. He had no problem discovering that delicious spot inside of you. He squeezed your throat slightly, but not hard enough to restrict your breathing. “Heh.. look at you, babydoll. You’re takin’ my cock so well..” he whispered, sending shivers down your spine from how hot his voice sounded in your ears. “Wanna cum, baby? You’re really fucking tight right now..”

Your orgasm was creeping upon you faster than you had expected, but nonetheless you craved it more than anything else. Your hands gripped Hanma’s shoulders tightly, fearing he might disappear from his spot between your legs. With every thrust, the pit in your belly grew larger and you became even more needy than before. “Y-Yes! Hanma, please..! ‘Need you!” you whined, sharply. 

Hanma fucking loved hearing how desperate you were for that release inside your gut. He then began to fuck you just a bit faster this time. It was nothing too aggressive or quick for your liking, but it was just enough to really wind you up. The noises slipping from your throat made him smirk and watch you with seduction. He loved you so much when you were like this. He realized that you were a goddess and nobody else would ever compare to you in any department. It didn’t matter if you left him at some point. Hanma Shuji would always be devoted to you at the end of the day. He was so deeply in love with you that it almost hurt him to not be by your side. 

You’d be the one he would come home to, always and forever.

Your eyes rolled behind your skull as your orgasm grew closer. You couldn’t help but arch upwards whenever he kissed at your g-spot with the tip of his cock. The moans that came from your mouth were neverendless and Hanma was living for how pretty you sounded under him. He grunted when he felt your walls tightening around him. He was close himself, but all he desired was seeing you reach your high. After several thrusts, your cunt clamped around his cock. Hanma couldn’t help but hiss at the sensation of your pussy squeezing the life out of his cock. Your moans were much higher as he fucked you through your orgasm. He loved hearing your voice like that. He could play it like his favorite song and never get tired of you. “Fuckkk, yeah.. where do you want my – shit! – my cum, babydoll? Talk to me.. fuck..” he nodded his head, gritting his teeth as the last curse slipped through his mouth. 

“I-Inside! Hanma, inside!” you then locked your ankles around his waist, keeping him nice and snug inside of your dripping cunt.

He couldn’t help but grin at that statement. He wasn’t against it whatsoever, but he was very excited to hear that. He then looked down at you and began to pick up his pace a little. His high was so fucking close he could practically taste the sensation. “Shit.. ‘gonna fill you good, baby. Give you a baby, yeah..? Pregnant with my baby..” he let his head fall backwards as the euphoria took over him.

Within seconds, Hanma reached his climax. Thick white ropes of his cum filled your pussy and reached your womb. Goosebumps littered your skin from the feeling of his cum filling you to the brim. He let out a groan at the affects of his high. It hit him pretty hard, which caused him to tremble a bit. 

After a few minutes, Hanma lied down beside you and pulled you towards him. Both of you were sweating and panting fairly heavily, but that soon calmed when the activities between you two had come to an end. Your ear pressed against his chest to hear his heart beating. It was quite rapid, but once he had you within his arms his beats began to slow down and calm themselves. There was nothing better than holding you after having sex with you. Your skin was so warm underneath his fingertips that you could melt. He didn’t care if you were both dripping with sweat and the smell of sex was lingering around the room. All that mattered was that you were here with him and you were safe in his arms.

He planted a kiss on the top of your head and rested his chin atop it. He couldn’t help but smile at the results of today. It was quite successful and you two had an amazing anniversary with one another. “I love you, doll..” he whispered, squeezing the flesh of your hips softly. “I love you so much.. don’t forget that.”

You grinned, letting your eyes fall shut. “I love you more, Hanma.”

[vuelode-irbis]

Little thing I made for the anniversary of my cat's death. Every year I wanted to make something for her, but I could never think of anything, I had this dream some days ago and I decided that was it. I learned the lesson long ago, and I'm glad I could combine it in a comic.

I drew many cats, hehe, drawing them my whole life with her being my favorite model has brought me to this moment and I think that's great.

The ID is in ALT but I'll put it below a cut here + a bonus image of the last page in which my cat is not transparent, since I remembered how much I liked her pelt while painting it.

[ID:

Two drawings made with watercolor texture. The first one shows a white cat nursing five kittens that were just born, they're all close to her belly: two white ones, a black and white one, a completely black one and a tortoiseshell with white paws and nose. Text above reads: "I dreamt that you were born again. You and your whole litter". The second drawing shows two hands holding the tortoiseshell kitten, which is asleep. Text above says "I was very happy because I'd be able to look out for you like I couldn't when I was six years old".

Two drawings with a harsher texture. First one shows the palm of a hand, empty, with a grey cloud as background. The text above this reads: "I realized when I woke up". The drawing below shows a person sitting down in their bed, their hair messy, looking down at the plushes in the bed: a white cat holding a red heart, a black-footed ferret, a plant cell and a tortoiseshell cat with white nose and paws. The text says: "That kitten wasn't you".

The first drawings casts a plush cat, tortoiseshell with white paws, belly and nose, she has green eyes and a name plate with the shape of a heart that reads "Manchitas", she also has her toy tag behind her hind leg. The text reads: In esence, it was you, Nepabla, but that was not your pelt, but Manchitas'". The drawing below is a table with some keys, headphones and the photo of a cat lying down in the grass, her pelt is black, grey and brown and she has white legs and muzzle. Text above this says: "That was dissapointing, it's been a while since I last dreamt of you, even though I remember you everyday".

The drawing above shows two cats, one black with green eyes, looking up at the viewer, and a slender, tortoiseshell-and-white one also with green eyes, this one is looking at something in front of her. The text says "I don't believe dreams have a meaning, but if I had to interpret this one,"

The drawing below shows the same person from before, walking in the street and running into a white cat with long fur, which looks a little dirty and is rising their tail. The person stops to pet them, smiling. Text above continues "I'd say I do have the opprtunity to take better care of all the cats I haven't owned yet, although they're not you".

A single drawing that shows the legs of the person, in which a ghostly cat is rubbing herself against. This cat, Nepabla, is the one from the photo: a black, grey and brownish one with white legs, belly and muzzle. She lifts her front legs as she rubs herself in my legs and her tail is up. There's text above and below that reads "And you will be with me even though I can't pet you anymore. I miss you".

End ID.]

I really liked her pelt, her name is an acronym for Black with White Paws in Spanish because that's what my father said she looked like when she was born, but as she grew her pelt showed itself and we relized whe was not entirely black lol. I also really loved how not all of her legs were equally white, me and my brother would say she had a shoe, a long sock and two boots.

[ID: the same drawing from the last panel, except the cat is not transparent. End ID]

[jellys-compendium]

A Night to Remember

A Trigun Stampede One Year Anniversary Celebration Drabble

Rating: M

Summary: You, Vash and the gang go out to celebrate your one year anniversary. Unfortunately for you and Vash, the night ends at an unexpected lodging. The jailhouse. Pairing: Vash x gn!Reader Cw: fluff, drinking, tipsy Vash & reader, mentions of violence, some suggestive themes Word Count: ~940 A/n: I know I am taking a break from writing Trigun, but it didn't seem right to not post a little something to honor the one year anniversary for Trigun Stampede. Thank you Studio Orange for reviving this series. Trigun (and Vash) will always hold a special place in my heart. 💖

The closing click of the fortified restraints that are wrapped around your lover’s wrists rings through the jail with finality. Your heart sinks into your stomach as you watch—completely powerless— from the adjacent jail cell. 

“Do you really have to do that Sheriff?” You whine, face pressing against the bars separating you from your lover. 

“Vash didn’t start that fight. He stopped people from getting hurt, you know!”

A drunken little hiccup escapes the sheriff as he wavers on his feet, trying his best to get his key into the lock dangling around Vash’s wrists. A charming drunken smile spreads across Vash’s handsome face as he brings his hands closer to the Sheriff, and helps steady the drunken man.

“Th-hic-there you go pal.”

“Thanks, Vash.” Comes the Sheriff's sloppy and slurred response.

You roll your eyes, heaving a heavy sign through the cold iron bars. 

Unbelievable.

The night had started out so well. You, Vash, Meryl, Roberto, and Wolfwood had all been celebrating the one year anniversary of your meeting at the local saloon of the town. Your group basked in some well deserved merriment, indulging in food, drink, and the warm company of one another.

The original plan had been to drink with the gang, fill your bellies with food and laughter, and then take Vash back to your room for a little private celebration.

What happened instead was sadly not that.

Vash had unfortunately been recognized by a band of bounty hunters who incidentally also had light pockets. Your tipsy lover had done his best to deny who he was and calm and redirect the men, but they were having none of it.

What started as night of laughter and friendly company turned into a drunken brawl. Fists flying, bottles shattering, turned over tables and chairs. And within two minutes flat, the entire bar had burst into an eyesore of unrestrained, buzzed testosterone.

Roberto and Meryl had held their own perfectly, keeping the drunken and grubby hands of the locals off of them. Wolfwood had groaned, rolling his eyes as he had planned to just sit this one out. Unfortunately for the preacher, one enormous, inebriated man came at him with his fists flying and gave the grouchy undertaker little choice.

Vash on the other hand, worked on simultaneously disarming every single person packing in the place, all the while playing keep away with you. You remember him moving you this way and that, dancing around swinging fists and deflecting thrown bottles as he kept your tipsy self out of harm's way.

“It wouldn’t be our one year anniversary without a drunken brawl, right mayfly?”

Geez, wasn’t that the truth?

A soft smile spreads across your lips. Life has never been the same since you met Vash the Stampede. He truly is the humanoid typhoon—a sandsteamer’s load of trouble—and you wouldn’t change him for the world. 

“There ya go buddy.” The sheriff hiccups as he secures the chains around Vash’s wrists and then claps him affectionately on the back.

“I’ll let you and your bug friend go in the morning, alright? Goodnight you two. Sleep tight!”

Vash gives the man a huge drunken grin, and you silently watch as the Sheriff stumbles out of the jail cell, nearly falling flat on his face before he makes it to the door. 

The moment the door clicks shut, Vash exhales a drunken little chuckle and then his blue eyes fall on you—all sweetness and cherry pie.

“He’s grown up to be such a nice man. I met him when he was only up to my knees, ya know.”

You smile, shaking your head at your boyfriend. Vash is such an affectionate and sentimental drunk—wearing his heart on his sleeve even more so when he’s in this state. He’s so friggin’ adorable, you want nothing more than to slip through the bars and head on over and shower him in kisses and cuddles.

Sadly, it looks like you’re going to have to wait until morning to do that.

Unless…

“Vash,” You sweetly call, extending your arms through the bars and coaxing him to you with a wiggle of your fingers.

“Come ‘ere, angel.”

Vash’s smile spreads from ear to ear as he slowly makes his way towards you. You giggle as he stumbles a bit before reaching your warm embrace. You do the best you can to pull him close and hug him through the iron bars of both of your cells.

“M’sorry.” Vash sighs, fingers reaching out to gently brush against your warm cheek. “I know this isn’t the most romantic spot to spend our one year anniversary.” 

Your hands soothingly caress his arms with what little mobility they have, and as you look up and meet Vash’s tender gaze, the love that swells in your heart makes you feel fuller and happier than you’ve ever felt in your life.

“That doesn’t matter, Vash. As long as we’re together—as long as I’m by your side— I’ll be the happiest little bug on this desert planet.”

The humanoid typhoon smiles so brightly, and the rarest, most genuine little laugh falls from his lips.

“Then let’s treasure every last second we have.”

Leaning forward, the two of you try to kiss through the bars. Unfortunately however, those dreaded obstacles separate your bodies too far apart, leaving you and Vash looking utterly ridiculous as you both strain towards one another in vain—all extended puckered lips. 

Eventually, the both of you give up, electing to press kisses to your fingertips and brush them across each other’s lips instead.

And as your shared laughter echoes through the empty jailhouse, you realize that despite your plans going south, this will be a night that you’ll always remember fondly.

divider source

[negrowhat]

15 Day BL Challenge 2K24

FULL CHALLENGE HERE!

Day 14: Top 5 Sad Boys

Tae Myungha from Love for Love's Sake. Literally the most sad boy. So sad that he was sent to a videogame realm to try life again. So sad that it became an actual mission to make him happy. Myungha took care of everyone but wouldn't allow anyone to take care of him because he didn't feel like he was worth it. It took him almost literally being RIPPED from his new world to realize he wanted to be loved and saved and happy. He goes straight to the front of the "You Need a Hug" line.

Jung Woo from Choco Milk Shake. The most miserable boy. He was so sad and lonely that some unknown pet god decided to send him back his dead pets as humans because they were around when he was at his peak happiness. There was literally no one else around to make him happy, his young uncle was trying though. But to have some higher power send you back your pets must mean that you are the saddest of sad because no one loves a person quite like a pet does.

Uea from Bed Friend. Isolated sad boy, done dirty by damn near every single person in his entire life. He had every right to be as defensive and standoffish as he was, no one was protecting Uea so he had to protect himself. That poor man had trauma on top of trauma and IDK how he was functioning at such a high rate. He didn't deserve any of the turmoil he had been put through literally since childhood. I hope his birthgiver, her husband, his ex, and his boss are all rotting in jail cells with pretty matching ankle shackles and chains. Chain gang bitches.

Seo Jaewon from The Eighth Sense. A sad boy with the same type of sad I am. I know the pain and trauma of losing a brother. Especially one you felt responsible for. He had basically turned off his own feelings and allowed the people around him to mistreat him because he didn't even feel like it was worth fighting or dismissing. I don't know if he just didn't care or if he felt like he deserved all the bad people in his life for not protecting his brother. Happy One Year Anniversary to this series btw.

Yang Yan Feng from Love in Translation. A sad boy just out there looking for love and to have a successful business. Carrying the weight of a debt inherited by his parents while they hid out in China somewhere. He even pushed his crush off on another woman because he didn't want to get him involved. He yelled in that poor sunshine boy's face and lied because he didn't want him to get hurt. The boy just needed a hug and a helping hand.

Honorable mentions to Sky from Love in the Air, Choi Yeonwoo from Color Rush, and Sailom from Wedding Plan.

[respectthepetty]

Get To Know Me Tag

thanks for tagging me @telomeke and @dylogpenchester

Do you make your bed?

Yes, so my ass doesn't hop back into it!

What’s your favorite number?

3-6-9, and I blame Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz for that. "TO THE WINDOWS, TO THE WALLS!"

What is your job?

English teacher/instructor/professor, so I beat my ancestors' oppressors at their own game!

If you could go back to school, would you?

Lifelong learner, so I've never left school. Collecting these diplomas like Mariah Carey collects number one singles (with ease and unbothered).

Can you parallel park?

Yes. One-handed. While the other hand holds my cell phone, my tea, and the snack I'm munching on.

A job you had that would surprise people?

As a long-time vegetarian, it would surprise people that my first job was selling meat. Had no idea what any of it tasted like, but I could sell it and make gross men feel uncomfortable while doing it.

Do you think aliens are real?

I went to the UFO Festival during the 75th anniversary of the Roswell incident. What do you think?

Can you drive a manual car?

Do I know how to operate a stick? Only because I like saying it that way.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I do not feel guilty about my pleasure.

Tattoos?

Heavens no! I'm afraid of needles. My ears aren't even pierced. But I love to admire them.

Favorite color?

YELLOW!

Favorite type of music?

I love all types of music (pop, country, electronic, rap, reggaeton, norteño, y todo), but I'm hella mad at how brief songs are today because I need four more minutes of GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion saying "I don't wanna be saved, don't save me [. . .] You ain't my daddy. I'm not your baby"

Do you like puzzles?

Like trying to figure out where some people get the fucking audacity? Or who the fuck they think they're talking to? Yes. My favorite kinds of puzzles.

Any phobias?

It used to be the dark, but I embraced the darkness (aka I went to therapy)

Favorite childhood sport?

Playing? Softball (fast-pitched, not so much). Watching? Soccer.

Do you talk to yourself?

Who else would I talk to? God? Los santos? My ancestors? They don't need this smoke.

What movies do you adore?

Clueless, Pan's Labyrinth, Stardust, Esteros, A Walk in the Clouds, Wildhood, Another Gay Movie, The Best Man for this scene alone

Coffee or tea?

Tea. Coffee is burnt beans and taste like the ashes of Mother Nature. I wrote what I wrote.

First thing you wanted to be growing up?

Ms. Frizzle because her outfits were on theme, she understood the assignment, and she was never caught slacking. She is unmarried, has a Ph.D, an Ed.D, works in education teaching S.T.E.M., and has a pet lizard. I don't just want to be her; I want to be with her.

[francesminos-tt]

i don't know if you've done anything like this but older joffron finally getting closer as a real couple? i mean i imagine they've been married for years and their kids are 10-5 but their relationship has always been more about duty than love 💕😘

This thing is going way too long than I expected.

Daeron came home later than usual that day. As the Financial Director in Hightower Corp, it was normal for him to work late from time to time, especially in tax season. It was already midnight when Daeron entered his family house. The house was dark, indicating that his husband and daughter were already sleeping.

Daeron went quietly towards the kitchen. He only had an energy bar for dinner, which meant he was starving now. Daeron would die for a hot meal right now.

The blonde rubbed his temples as he entered the kitchen. He had expected to see a dark and empty room like the rest of the house, but to Daeron’s surprise, there was someone there.

“Hey.” Joffrey lifted his eyes from the cell phone screen to Daeron, “You are late today.”

“Tax season.” Daeron shrugged, trying to hide his surprise, “Why aren’t you sleep?”

“Rhae and I had pizza for dinner today.” Joffrey said, yawning as he took a plate out of the oven, “You daughter saved you a piece. She made me swear that I would deliver the piece to you safely.”

Joffrey put the pizza plate down on the kitchen table. It was a simple pepperoni pizza with overflowing cheese. Daeron knew immediately that the pizza was not a takeout. It was too poorly made to be store-bought.

“Is it…?” Daeron didn’t have to finish his sentence, because Joffrey began nodding as soon as he opened his mouth, as if the brunette knew what Daeron was about to ask.

“Rhae made it.” Joffrey smiled, “I kept it in the oven, so it should still be warm. You probably didn’t eat much for dinner. Come, sit down. Do you want soda or tea?”

“Diet coke.” Daeron said, throwing him into the kitchen chair, “God, I am starving.”

“I am not surprised.” Joffrey took out a cherry diet coke from the top of the fridge and handed it to his husband, “You are always like that. Never remember to eat whenever work overflows.”

Daeron opened the can and took a huge gulp, the cool liquid like a balm to his burning throat. They didn’t keep many sodas in the house, trying to limit sugar intake of their 10-year-old daughter, but Joffrey always hid a couple of canned coke on the higher compartment of the fridge, for Daeron’s late night sugar cravings. They knew each other’s habits and preferences so well that sometimes they didn't even need to speak. A single nod, a raise of the eyebrow, or even a side-eye was enough for them to communicate.

“Do you need anything to go with your pizza? I think I have some leftover vegetable stir-fry.”

“No, I am good. Thanks.” Daeron said while chewing his pizza. Normally, Daeron had perfect table manners, growing up under his mother’s influence and all, but he had long gotten used to letting his guard down around Joffrey. It was impossible to keep up the appearance for 15 years, after all.

Daeron and Joffrey had been married for 15 years. Well, 14 years and 8 months to be precise. Daeron couldn't really count the days. He only knew that their anniversary was in June, and it was approaching February now. June wedding sounded romantic, but unfortunately, the reality was quite the opposite. Their marriage was one of duty and necessity. They married each other in order to preserve the family heritage. They didn't hate each other, per se, but they weren’t in love either. Neither of them were in a serious relationship when the marriage proposal was brought up, so there was no reason for them to fight back. Daeron remembered that he went through the whole wedding on autopilot. His mind was completely blank; he slipped into a fancy suit, let the stylist do his hair, got the ring, and walked down the aisle. Joffrey was standing at the end of the aisle, right in front of the altar, with a blank expression mirroring Daeron’s own. They exchanged the vows and kissed each other on the lips, and then it was done. They were married.

Joffrey leaned against the kitchen counter and watched Daeron eat his late dinner. If they were a normal couple, they probably would have kissed already. Yet all Joffrey did was watching Daeron eat, while sipping on his own nighttime tea.

“Can you make time this Friday? Rhae’s team is playing in little league. She’s making her debut.” Joffrey asked after Daeron had finished the pizza, “She will be happy if you can be there.”

“When is the kick off?”

“3PM. You don’t have to watch the whole match, but-”

“I’ll be there.” Daeron said before Joffrey could finish his sentence, “I won't miss our daughter’s first football match.”

Joffrey seemed a little taken aback by Daeron’s words. Don’t get him wrong. He knew Daeron was a good dad, highly devoted to their daughter and trying to make time for Rhaenys as much as possible, but Joffrey also knew how hectic the tax season could be. Joffrey wouldn't really blame Daeron for not showing up, but it surprised him how quickly the blonde made his decision.

“That…will be great.” Joffrey managed to find the right words, “Thank you. Rhae will be exhilarated.”

“You don't have to thank me.” Daeron shrugged as he put the plate in the dish washer, “Rhae is my daughter, too. It’s my responsibility to be part of her life.”

Daeron pressed the button on the dish washer before turning to face Joffrey. The brunette was still standing next to the counter, in a faded graphic T-shirt and baggy sweatpants, curls greasy and skin pale from staying up so late. It was not the most attractive picture Daeron had seen, to be honest, but somehow, the scene screamed home.

Joffrey had become the equivalent of home to Daeron at some point. When Daeron thought of home, Joffrey was the first thing that appeared in his mind. Though they hadn't shared a bed since their daughter’s birth 10 years ago, they functioned more like a family than Daeron could have ever imagined. They split house chores, took care of their daughter, showed up family gatherings together, even went on family trips twice a year. They were like a real couple, except for the sex part.

“Well, it’s remarkable of you to make the effort nonetheless.” Joffrey yawned before continuing, “I know how crazy the tax season can be.”

“Go to sleep, Joffrey.” Daeron said, “I am capable of keeping the kitchen clean, you know.”

“Right.” Joffrey chuckled, “Sorry. I must have spent too much time with Rhae. I am used to seeing everyone as a child, I guess.”

“I am not a 10-year-old.” Daeron said in feigned annoyance, “I can take care of myself, mommy.”

Joffrey laughed and bumped his shoulder against Daeron playfully.

“You look no better than me, Joff,” Daeron observed, noticing the dark circles under Joffrey’s eyes, “and I just come back from 12-hour work day. You should get some rest.”

“I will.” Joffrey’s laugh turned into a tender smile, “Good night then. I will see you tomorrow at the field, yeah?”

“Okay.” Daeron nodded, “Good night, Joffrey.”

If Daeron had known what fate awaited them then, he would have never let Joffrey take Rhaenys to the field alone.

The next day, when Daeron showed up at the football field, both Joffrey and Rhaenys were nowhere to be found. It was already 3:30, and the game had already begun. Daeron looked in the crowd, but still no trace of his husband and daughter. Daeron tried calling Joffrey, but the phone went straight into voice mail.

Daeron’s heart sunk into his stomach after he learned that no one on the team had heard anything from Joffrey either. It was unlike Joffrey to just disappear without warning, especially not in a big day like today. Something must have happened.

And then, Daeron got the call.

“Hello?” Daeron tried to keep his voice flat, but failed miserably.

“Do you know a Joffrey Velaryon Targaryen, sir?” A man’s voice came from the phone, but the background noises were so loud that Daeron had trouble hearing him clearly. Was that siren?

“What?” Daeron raised his voice as he ran to the parking lot to get his car. His instinct told him that the call didn't bear good news.

“Joffrey Velaryon Targaryen!” The man repeated, “He’s in a car accident. I am the paramedic, and we are on our way to King’s Landing Clinic. I found your number on Mr. Targaryen’s phone as speed dial.”

Daeron’s heart skipped a beat. He had trouble breathing, as if all the air had been punched out of his lungs. It took all his self-control not to have a panic attack now. No. Put yourself together. Panic would not help Joffrey.

“Yes, I am his husband.” Daeron finally managed as he practically fell into his car, “How… How is he?”

“He’s in a coma. A truck lost control and hit his car from the driver’s side. He probably has a concussion and some broken ribs, but I can’t say for sure without further inspection. Oh, and there’s a girl in the car with him as well.”

“My daughter,” Daeron murmured, “the girl is my daughter. Please tell me she’s okay.”

“She is. She only has some scratches on the face and legs-”

“PAPA!” A girl voice came from the phone. Rhaenys’s voice.

“Hey, Rhae, it’s me. Papa’s here.” Daeron tried to keep the tremble out of his voice, “Are you hurt, my girl?”

“No, I am fine.” Rhaenys answered, her voice muffled, as if she had been crying, “But mama is hurt really bad. He won’t wake up no matter how hard I called him.”

Daeron bit the inside of his cheeks to prevent his thoughts from going to the darkest place. The paramedic said Joffrey was in a coma, right? Probably just a mild concussion. Nothing too serious. So stop worrying and put yourself together, god damn it.

“I am sure the doctors will make him better once they get to the hospital.” Daeron said in the softest voice he could manage, “Can you put the phone on speaker, please, dear?”

“Can you go to KL clinic now, sir?” The paramedic asked, “We are about 10 minutes away.”

“I will meet you there.” Daeron said before stomping on the accelerator, “Rhae, be a good girl and wait for papa, okay?”

“Okay.” Rhaenys sniffed, “Hurry, please, papa. I am scared.”

Daeron’s heart shattered at his daughter’s shaking voice. He probably shouldn’t drive in this state, but Daeron couldn’t afford waiting for an Uber. He needed to get to his family, as fast as possible.

Daeron arrived at the ER 20 minutes later. It took him no time to reunite with his little girl because Rhaenys stubbornly kept her eyes on the entrance, and ran to him as soon as Daeron walked past the door.

“Papa!”

Daeron swept his daughter into a tight hug. Rhaenys looked a little worse for wear; her pink jacket was dusty, her little face too, and there were several scratches on her left cheek and one on her left brow. She was wearing a pair of football shorts, exposing her shin that was covered in bruises and bloody scratches as well. Daeron observed her closely for a long while. Fortunately, apart from the scratches, Rhaenys looked okay. All her limbs were intact and she had enough energy to cry. It was supposed to be good thing, right?

“Thank god you are okay.” Daeron let out a long sigh of relief as he kissed the girl’s forehead, “Sorry for coming so late, but you are safe now, Rhae. Everything will be okay.”

“They rushed mama to the operation room.” Rhaenys said against Daeron’s shoulder, unwilling to let go of her papa, “Will mama be okay, papa? He hurt his head pretty bad when the truck crushed on us. They are not opening his brain, are they?”

Daeron had no answer to that. He hoped with all his heart that Joffrey would be okay. He might not love Joffrey in a romantic way, but he definitely loved Joffrey as family.

A nurse found them and saved Daeron from the awkward silence.

“Mr. Targaryen, right? Follow me, please.”

Daeron carried Rhaenys in his arms as he followed the nurse to the operation room. There was already a resident doctor waiting to brief them.

“Your husband suffers from two broken ribs, a broken knee, and a strained wrist.” The doctor said, “We are able to deal with those wounds, but the concussion is a little bit tricky. He seems to be blooding into his brain, so we have to perform an emergency procedure to remove the blood clot. He’s stable now, but we can’t know how much damage the bleeding did to his brain function until he wakes up.”

Daeron covered Rhaenys’s ears for the later part. She didn’t need to know her mama was bleeding into his brain.

“He will recover, right?” Daeron asked, desperately in need of some good news.

“Most likely. We have seen situations like this before, and normally the patient will make a full recovery.” The young doctor smiled reassuringly, “Right now, all we can do is wait.”

The doctor had a point. Daeron needed to pull himself together, at least for Rhaenys’s sake. He should probably call his sister Helaena and ask her to look after Rhaenys while Daeron dealt with this mess.

“Papa…” Rhaenys whispered quietly in Daeron’s ear, as if she could read his mind, “I don't want to leave mama alone.”

“We are not leaving him alone, okay?” Daeron brushed some soft blonde strands from her face, “But you are injured, too. You need to rest. I promise I will let you know as soon as Joff is out of surgery.”

“No,” Rhaenys shook her head stubbornly, “I need to make sure mama is okay. You don't understand! The truck was heading my way and mama steered the car at the last minute so it crushed on him!”

Rhaenys’s cheeks were stained with tears again by the time she finished talking. She seemed out of breath from speaking too much, so Daeron had to pat her back so that she wouldn't suffer from hyperpnoea. Daeron didn't have time to process what the little girl had just said, or rather, he was reluctant to. He didn't want to dwell too much on Joffrey’s self-sacrificing act. He couldn't, or he would collapse with guilt.

“Your daughter needs to stay in the hospital for the night.” The doctor spoke up, “The surgery will finish soon. You can wait here if you want. Is there anyone you need to call?”

Daeron had a long list of people that he needed to call. Joffrey’s mother, his brothers, Daeron’s own mother and sister, Rhaenys’s school, the football team, etc. However, Daeron couldn't bring himself to do the job now. He might appear calm, but he was just as worried as Rhaenys, maybe more. He had never felt so scared that he might lose Joffrey. The mere thought was enough to make his blood freeze.

“I will just wait here for my husband.” Daeron said eventually, “I will make the calls after.”

Joffrey’s surgery was a success. The doctors were able to stop the bleeding and remove all the blood clots from his brain. According to the doctors, there was no permanent damage.

Daeron had been staring at Joffrey while sitting beside the brunette’s hospital bed for the last five hours. He hadn't even moved, and barely blinked, for fear that Joffrey might disappear if he looked away. Joffrey had half of his head shaved for the surgery, his skin ashen from the loss of blood, and his body was hooked into more monitors that Daeron had ever seen.

Daeron had never observed Joffrey’s face so closely, despite them being married for over a decade. He hadn't really paid attention to Joffrey as they grew up either. Daeron cared more about beating Jacaerys in both academics and sports. Joffrey was just a stranger to him, until his mother announced their marriage. Daeron fought against his mother at first, but his struggle proved pointless, as the duty to his family prevailed in the end. Daeron married Joffrey reluctantly, and their relationship remained cold in the first few years of their marriage.

Daeron remembered their fifth anniversary. They never celebrated it, since the day brought no joy to either of them, but that night, Joffrey came to him with a bottle of whiskey and a bag of homemade popcorn. They ended up finishing the whole bottle before they could eat half of the snack. The alcohol made Daeron’s head spin. He didn't know who initiated it, but somehow, they started kissing on the couch. Joffrey’s body was scorching hot, his breath stinking of alcohol, and his kiss was so sloppy that he missed Daeron’s lips multiple times. Daeron had to grab his face to kiss him properly. The alcohol must have corrupted their brain, making him more passionate than their wedding night. Before long, both of them were naked on the couch, Daeron on top of Joffrey, their groin pressed tightly together.

It was the night that Rhaenys was conceived. It was also the first and last time they had had sex. Rhaenys was an accidental child, though that did not make Daeron love her any less. Daeron and Joffrey warmed up to each other during the brunette’s pregnancy, and continued after the girl was born. Now, no one would have guessed that their marriage was a loveless one. Not even their daughter.

Daeron hadn’t realized how important Joffrey had become until today. The brunette had become a staple, a necessity in Daeron’s life. Like oxygen. Impossible to see, but could not live without.

“Rhae is worried about you so much that she ended up crying herself to sleep.” Daeron whispered, placing the back of his hand against Joffrey’s cheek, “And I am too. Wake up, please.”

Joffrey’s anesthetics should have worn off by now. He could wake up at any moment, and that was why Daeron hadn’t gone to sleep yet. He couldn’t let Joffrey wake up now.

Daeron squeezed Joffrey’s hand gently. To his surprise and relief, the brunette squeezed back.

“Joff! Are you awake? How do you feel?”

Joffrey let out some muffled moan before slowly opening his eyes. He seemed confused, as if he had no idea where he was. Daeron wouldn’t blame him. It was not hard to imagine how much Joffrey had gone through.

“My head hurts.” Joffrey murmured, frowning deeply and squinting his eyes, “The light. It hurts my eyes.”

Daeron rushed to dim the light. Thank God he insisted on taking a private room.

“Does it feel better now?” Daeron asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and using his own torso to block the light.

Joffrey tried to nod, but hissed in pain as soon as he tried to move his head.

“Hey, careful, don’t move just now. You just had a surgery.”

“Surgery?” Joffrey sounded even more confused than before, “Why do I need a surgery? Where am I anyway? Why are you here?”

“You were in a car accident.” Daeron replied gently, “You had a concussion and brain bleeding, but the doctors managed to repair the damage. You are in a hospital right now.”

“Oh.” Joffrey said, “No wonder my head feels like someone has drilled into it.”

Daeron actually chuckled, for the first time since he had learned the news. Joffrey always had the ability to make him laugh, even in situations like this.

“Stop joking. I almost had a heart attack when I got the call.” Daeron wiped some cold sweat from Joffrey’s forehead, “You also have several broken bones, so stay still, okay?”

“Why are you here, Uncle Daeron?”

Daeron’s heart skipped a beat. Why was Joffrey calling him uncle? Joffrey hadn’t called him uncle for 15 years now.

“Of course I will be here.” Daeron replied, trying to keep calm despite the bad feeling rising from his stomach, “I am your husband and Rhae’s father. I am your family.”

“Husband?” Joffrey’s eyes widened I surprise, “Since when? Have we hooked up or something?”

Now, Daeron was sure something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

“Your husband’s cognitive function is intact.” The doctor said after examining Joffrey, “The loss of memory is most likely psychological, not physical.”

“Is it permanent?” Daeron asked, “Will he remember? When?”

“I can’t say for sure. Perhaps tomorrow, perhaps a couple of weeks, or…” The doctor trailed off, but Daeron didn’t need him to say the words anyway. It was clear that Joffrey might never remember their marriage.

“What should we do? Surely there is some meds that can help, right?” Daeron tried to cling to the last hope, like a drowning man holding onto a driftwood.

“I think it is best we hold back on the meds right now. I suggest taking him back to familiar places and try to stimulate his memory.”

Daeron knew it was the best solution, but the problem was, he couldn’t do it. Joffrey had lost the memory about their marriage and the fact that they had a daughter, which meant he also forgot about the truth of their marriage. Though he was surprised to be married to his uncle Daeron, Joffrey didn’t question the nature of their marriage. To him, the marriage was made of love, not duty.

How could Daeron tell him the truth? How could Daeron tell him that they had never loved each other in that way and they slept in separate rooms? How could Daeron tell him that their daughter was a drunken accident? How could Daeron be so cruel to Joffrey?

“I am sorry, Uncle Daeron.” Joffrey said after the doctor had left, “Or should I just call you Daeron? Do we have some specific nicknames? You called me Joff before.”

“Daeron is fine.” The blonde replied with a strained smile, “I normally call you Joff, or just Joffrey.”

“Sounds boring.” Joffrey scrunched his nose, “Are we a boring couple?”

We were not a couple at all, Daeron wanted to say, but he found himself unable to reveal the truth to Joffrey, not so soon, at least.

“I guess it’s just time.” Daeron mindlessly made an excuse, “We have been married for more than a decade. You know how people say. Time is the killer of passion.”

In hindsight, Daeron probably should not have blurted out the last part, because Joffrey’s face visibly dropped at his words.

“Is that why you haven’t kissed me since I woke up?” Joffrey asked in a low voice, “We don't get along so well, do we?”

“No!” Daeron denied instinctively, “Of course not! We have a daughter together, all right? If we don't get along, how could we manage to produce a kid?”

Joffrey chuckled, but this time, his smile didn't reach his eyes.

“You know better than me that having a kid together does not require any deeper feelings.” Joffrey murmured, more like a reminder to himself than Daeron, “Anyway, I will be glad if we do get along. I don't want my daughter to live a strained family, but I totally understand if we don't. From what I remember, we are practically strangers. When you told me about our marriage, I was half expecting the whole thing to be a bad prank.”

Daeron was genuinely surprised how sharp Joffrey could be. The brunette had already grasped the nature of their duty bounded marriage, even though he had just woken up from a coma and lost part of his memory. It would be a perfect opportunity for Daeron to reveal the truth to Joffrey, so that they could find a way to function until Joffrey got his memory back, but the blonde found himself reluctant to confirm Joffrey’s guess.

Why? Their marriage was more about duty than love, wasn’t it? They might lead a relatively comfortable life now, but that did not involve love. They didn't hug or kiss, let alone having sex. They were more like roommates who decided to raise a child together. Nothing more.

But why was Daeron hesitating?

“We…” Daeron spoke, his heart pounding, not caused by worry, but by the lie he was about to make, “we do love each other, Joffrey. The reason why I didn't kiss you is because I don't want to shock you with more information. Ask our daughter, or anyone else. They can prove what I just told you is true.”

Daeron was confident that no one would have noticed their loveless relationship. In fact, most of his colleagues would agree that Daeron was family man. He seldom went for drinks after work, always opting to spend time with his family. One of the office administrators even joked about how deeply in love Daeron was with his husband. Daeron had laughed it off then, but come to think of it now, that old lady might have a point. Daeron slowly began to value his time with Joffrey more and more as time passed, and by now, he could confidently say that Joffrey meant a lot to him.

“Okay.” Joffrey said, still a little skeptical, “You can kiss me now.”

“What?” Daeron expected a lot of things from Joffrey, but asking for a kiss was definitely not one of them.

“I say you can kiss me now. I won't be shocked.” Joffrey repeated, lifting his big doe eyes to look at Daeron, “Maybe I will heal a little faster with your kiss. Mental support and all that.”

Daeron had dug his own grave, and now he was about jump into it.

The blonde moved closer to Joffrey, gently cupping the brunette’s cheek and kissed him tenderly on the lips. It had been years since their last kiss. They would exchange kisses on the cheeks as a social etiquette, but never on the lips. Daeron inhaled sharply; He could smell Joffrey’s distinctive scent, and tasted the brunette on his tongue, despite the pungent smell of antiseptics. The kiss was tender and soft, with no intertwining of tongues or whatever, but Daeron was hit by a strong sense of nostalgia. He had forgotten how soft Joffrey’s lips were until now. He had forgotten how good it felt to kiss his husband, to press their body together, and to feel Joffrey’s heartbeat. How did he live without all this before?

“Never scare me like this again.” Daeron murmured against Joffrey’s lips.

Joffrey let out a heartfelt chuckle and sealed their lips together again. Daeron didn’t oppose the idea of continuing the kiss, at all.

“See? I told you. We are a happily married couple.” Daeron said as he let Joffrey in their house.

“Mama!” Rhaenys rushed to Joffrey and gave the brunette a huge bear hug, “Welcome home! I’ve missed you!”

Rhaenys had been released from the hospital a week ago. Daeron tried to keep the distance from Joffrey and the girl, to give Joffrey enough time to process, so it was the first time Rhaenys properly hugged her mother in over a week. Daeron decided not to tell Rhaenys about Joffrey’s memory loss, for it might make the girl even guiltier, since she already blamed herself for Joffrey’s injury. Instead, Daeron told his daughter that Joffrey needed time to heal, so it was better not to bother him too much.

“Hi, little girl.” Joffrey wrapped his arms around the girl instinctively, “I’ve missed you too.”

Daeron couldn't tell if Joffrey was lying or not, for the brunette sounded so genuine and sincere.

“Papa says you need to rest.” Rhaenys said, untangling herself from Joffrey after planting a small kiss on the man’s cheek, “I shouldn’t been bothering you too much.”

“Rhae.” Daeron sighed, sending an apologetic look to Joffrey. He had clearly underestimated Rhaenys’s clinginess to Joffrey.

“You are not a bother.” Joffrey assured her as he returned her kiss tentatively. Daeron was relieved that he had decided to brief Joffrey about how to deal with their daughter, and by the look of it, Joffrey clearly did a good job at pretending to remember.

“I made you a strawberry sandwich! It’s your favorite!” Rhaenys’s face lit up, “Let me fetch it for you!”

“Strawberry sandwich? Really?” Joffrey whispered to Daeron as the girl ran to the kitchen in her full footballer speed.

Daeron dared not to speak. Honestly, he had no idea what Joffrey’s favorite food was. He never paid any attention. He just vaguely remembered that Joffrey might have a sweet tooth, but that was all he knew.

Rhaenys came back with a plate of sandwiches. The strawberry sandwich was made from plain white bread, with strawberry puree mixed with fluffy cream as filling. The sandwich had a nice color combination, but the overflowing cream didn't make it too appetizing.

“Look! I did just as you taught me! I even cut off the edges of the bread!”

Joffrey laughed whole-heartedly. He picked up one piece and took a huge bite. Daeron wasn’t sure if he himself could do that. He was never one for sweets.

“It tastes amazing, Rhae.” Joffrey brushed some blonde curls from his daughter’s face. Though he couldn’t remember having a child, Joffrey still felt drawn to the girl. His heart warmed whenever Rhaenys smiled to him.

“Okay, you guys enjoy your strawberry sandwich.” Daeron couldn’t help but smile at his husband and daughter, “I’ll carry your things to your, uh, I mean, our room, Joff.”

The blonde picked up the duffle bag and practically escaped to the master bedroom. In order to keep his lie, Daeron had to pretend that he and Joffrey shared the same room (and bed), instead of sleeping in separate rooms. Daeron had already carried his own things from the guestroom to the master bedroom, trying his best to make the space look like it had been shared by two people instead of one. Fortunately, Joffrey kept the king-sized bed that Daeron’s mother had bought them as a wedding gift, or else Daeron would have to order a new bed.

By the time Daeron went back to the living room, Joffrey was sitting on the couch with Rhaenys pressed tightly against him, the plate of sandwiches on the coffee table, browsing through Joffrey’s phone.

“Let your mama rest, Rhae.” Daeron spoke, “He just had a brain surgery. He isn’t supposed to watch the screen for too long.”

Rhaenys pouted and made a face at her papa, but she obeyed Daeron’s words nonetheless.

Joffrey pouted when Daeron snatched the phone from him. His pout mirrored Rhaenys’s.

“I am fine.” The brunette complained, but Daeron wasn’t going to back down.

“No, staring at screens will put too much pressure on your brain.” Daeron put the phone in his own pocket, “Go back to your room, Rhaenys. Let your mama rest.”

“Okay.” Rhaenys jumped off the couch before giving Joffrey another hug, “I will see you at dinner, mama!”

“I can’t believe I gave birth to such a lovely girl.” Joffrey said after Rhaenys’s blonde ponytail had disappeared in her room.

“Come, let’s go to the room. You need to lie down.” Daeron wrapped his arm around Joffrey’s shoulder and gently led the brunette down the hall. He had gotten used to their intimacy in the past week. Now he would not blush whenever he felt Joffrey’s breath on his skin.

“I am not made of glass, Daeron.” Joffrey chuckled, but didn’t struggle. He seemed to enjoy Daeron’s overprotectiveness.

“I am your husband. It’s my duty to worry about you.” Daeron replied.

“Only duty?” Joffrey asked in a mocking tone when Daeron helped him lie down on the king-sized bed.

“And love.” Daeron bent down to kiss Joffrey’s strawberry and cream flavored lips, “Satisfied now?”

Joffrey laughed, tilting his head forward to deepen the kiss, and Daeron gladly let him. It was incredible how easy it was to play the loving husband. He learned to kiss Joffrey regularly so fast that as if he had been waiting for the opportunity for a long time. Daeron welcomed the intimacy, the tenderness, and the love, however fake it was, between them. He even anticipated more, such as sex and cuddle.

This thing of pretending to be in love with Joffrey had become too real at this point, but Daeron couldn’t stop now. Perhaps, just perhaps, he wasn’t pretending at all.

[spookyscarydemonbabe]

Safe

A/N- I just want to let everyone know before they read this that it can be very triggering for some people. This is a personal experience of mine that i wanted to share just in case others that have similar experiences can feel safer with how they deal with their own trauma. As an assault survivor, this is something very personal to me, not everyone’s responses are the same so all i ask is that you remain respectful after reading this 🖤 i got the idea for writing this after the ‘anniversary’ of my experience came up, and i want everyone to know that if you ever need someone to reach out to or talk to in always here to talk or listen if you need it 🖤 i’ve only got three more years until all the cells from that time are replaced :)

Summary- Eddie accidentally triggers you and helps to calm you down as best as he can.

Genre- Hurt/Comfort, Fluff

Warnings- ⚠️Major TW⚠️ Mentions of sexual assault (not directly describing anything) descriptions of a panic attack, crying, hyperventilating, use of the 54321 method

Tag List- @imagine-all-the-imagines @ladyapplejackdnd @tayhar811 @wistfulwisteriawitch @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @zoeyquinn94 @eddiethesexy (crossed out names wouldn’t let me tag)

Words- 1.9k

“Alright, we’re done, it’s ok.”

Eddie quickly got off of you the moment he heard you say ‘Stop’ with no hesitation.

You didn’t know what it was, you didn’t know what set it off or if Eddie had accidentally touched you a certain way, but in the middle of sex the memory came flooding back into your brain and you needed it to stop.

It was just a sudden reaction, the tears, the shaking, the hyperventilating, and Eddie immediately went to comfort you and cover you up to help in any way that he could.

You were laid on his bed in the fetal position, still naked, cold, your hands balled up into fists over your head as the tears flowed down from your cheeks into the pillow.

Eddie already knew of what had happened to you in the past, and he never held it against you. He knew it wasn’t your fault, and god help him if he ever ran into the person to give you this kind of trauma. He loved you, he cared for you, and he always made sure that whenever the two of you were intimate he looked for every possible sign of your consent just to make sure that you were ok with every single thing he was doing. But he knew there were some times when your body would react like it did in that moment and he would stop and care for you with no hesitation.

He quickly covered you up with his comforter, searching around the floor of his room for your clothes to get ready for you to put them back on as soon as you were able to. He slid his legs back into a pair of dirty sweatpants to cover himself up before kneeling onto the floor next to the bed, gently placing his hand over your wrist, making sure not to grab too hard and make your reaction any worse than it already was,

“Sweetheart, it’s alright, we’re done.” He whispered to you, his fingers slowly tracing over your arm as your hyperventilating started to slow down, “You’re ok, it’s just us here, i promise. Do you remember what to do when this happens? It’s alright if you don’t.”

Your eyes were still shut tightly as your body started to relax itself upon hearing Eddie’s voice. You shook your head, the only thoughts clouding your mind were bits and pieces of those few moments that were drilled into your brain, but you tried your best to put any other thoughts in to get rid of the awful feeling of having to remember.

“That’s ok, i remember, do you want talk right now sweetheart?”

You shook your head once more and Eddie moved his hand off of your arm, hovering it just over your head,

“It’s alright if i pet you? Do you want to be touched?” You slowly nodded and carefully unclenched your eyes, still sore and bloodshot from the tears, but your vision was clear enough to see Eddie’s big brown eyes so full of worry for you. He gently placed his hand on top of your head and slowly started to pet you.

“You don’t have to talk, i’ll do all the talking ok? I want you to open your eyes a little more for me sweetheart, can you do that?”

Your breathing started to slow, Eddie’s voice soothing you back into your relaxed state, but your body was still tense under the blanket. You moved your hands up to your eyes and cleared away the last few tears that slipped out before looking back into Eddie’s eyes, seeing the sweet smile he had on his face,

“Good! You’re doing good. Can you see me ok?”

You slowly nodded once again and his hand carefully moved down to your forehead, brushing a few stray hairs away from your field of vision,

“Good. Can you see my hair ok? Is it all messy like it normally is?”

The corners of your lips turned into a gentle smile as you nodded, the trembling in your arms and legs slowly starting to cease.

“What about my nightstand?” He reached a hand over and placed it on top of the nightstand, turning his head to point at the wall behind him, “And the Metallica poster? You can see those?”

Your vision came back to normal, the blurring from the tears fading away as you tried to focus your eyes onto the poster behind Eddie, nodding again as soon your eyes were able to focus onto it,

“Good! Good, what about my tattoos,” he turned himself back to you and leaned himself back, giving you a bit of space to look at the tattoos on his chest, “you see them? These two right here?” He moved his hand up and motioned to them for you and you nodded once more, “Good! Can you show me that you can see them, can you show me where they are on me?”

Your breathing was back to normal and one hand reached out, the tips of your fingers moving gently over the ink over his heart, slowly tracing over the lines.

“Perfect! What about that blanket, how does it feel?”

Your hand retracted from his chest and you moved it under the comforter, covering yourself up just a bit more as you brought the edge of the blanket up to your cheek and felt the fabric move against it.

“Soft? How about the sheets and the pillowcase?”

You focused your attention onto the loose sheets under your body, moving your legs and head against the fabric to feel how they moved against your skin. Eddie smiled bigger as he saw the outline of your legs start to relax and move under the blanket,

“Good! You hear how they sound against you? All those little sounds they make when your legs move?”

You nodded as you listened to the way the fabric shifted under the movement of your legs.

“And my voice,” Eddie leaned in a little closer to whisper to you, “You can still hear it if i whisper right?”

Eddie saw the smile at the corners of your lips getting just a bit bigger and he knew that you were starting to focus more on your surroundings rather than your thoughts.

“Good. How about this sweetheart,” he moved his hand back up to the nightstand and started to tap his nails onto it, the slow taps soothing you even further and your body was completely relaxed into the bed, “you can hear those little taps on the nightstand?”

Your hand reached up to rub your eyes once more, taking a deep breath as you nodded. You knew you were almost finished doing your routine for when you had gotten into a bad state and you were so grateful that Eddie was doing all he could to help you feel better.

“Perfect!” He was still whispering to you and moved himself a bit closer to you, his face a few inches away from yours, “You know i made sure to wash all my blankets and sheets this morning sweetheart, can you still smell the fabric softener on them?”

You slowly closed your eyes and gently pressed your face into the soft pillow against your head, taking a deep breath. You could smell the fresh fabric softener Eddie had used on his sheets, the sweet floral scent mixed in with his natural pheromones were soothing and calming you fully back to normal.

Eddie slowly stood up as you settled back into bed and kept his eyes on you as he wandered around his room. He folded your clothes up and set them at the end of the bed for you, flipping his light switch on and pressing play on the stereo, making sure to keep the volume low as the Def Leppard cassette inside the tape deck started.

He made his way back over to you and kneeled back into his place before,

“Sweetheart, i’m going to go get you a glass of water ok? I want you to change back into your clothes while i’m gone, and i won’t come back in until you open the door again, ok?”

Your eyes opened up once more and you smiled as you looked into Eddies sweet gaze, nodding again to show him that you understood.

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss onto your head before exiting his room and shutting the door behind him.

You took one last deep breath before sitting up in Eddie’s bed, slowly lifting the comforter off of you and placing your feet onto the hardwood floor. You reached your arms over your head and stretched before leaning over and grabbing the pile of your clothes that Eddie had left folded up for you. You slipped your underwear back on and stepped into your pajama pants before lastly putting one of Eddie’s shirts to cover yourself once more. With one last deep breath, you stood up and walked over to Eddie’s bedroom door, reaching your hand out to the handle and turning the knob to open it so Eddie knew it was alright to come back in.

He was already waiting outside the door with a smile, a glass of water and a little plate with some cut up strawberries and a few small orange slices on it for you.

“Hey angel, why don’t you go back and sit on the bed ok?”

You nodded and walked back over to the bed, sitting on the edge and watching as Eddie shut his door once again to give you two complete privacy. Though the trailer had already been empty beforehand, he knew you wanted complete isolation just in case. He knew you wanted to keep these things private no matter what.

He set the plate onto the nightstand and handed you the glass of water as he sat next to you,

“Drink sweetheart, you need to rehydrate.”

You lifted the glass to your lips and took a few slow gulps before setting it onto the nightstand.

“Good! And you’re gonna finish that before we go to bed right?”

You smiled and nodded to him, making him smile back and press another kiss to your forehead,

“Perfect. I grabbed you a little snack too sweetheart, why don’t you eat a little bit?”

He reached over and grabbed a strawberry, popping it into his mouth before reaching over and handing one to you. You bit into it and the sweet taste of the fruit was the final step in making sure that you were back to normal.

“Sweet?” Eddie said as he reached over to grab another.

You smiled and grabbed one of the orange slices, popping it into your mouth and swallowing the sweet juice that was squeezed from it as you bit into it,

“Sweet.”

Eddie slowly moved his arm around your waist and brought you into him for a hug, your body relaxing into him as your head hit his shoulder.

He knew that there would come a time where things like this would end. He wouldn’t have to constantly worry about wether or not he was doing a good job comforting and consoling you, calming you down from your panic attacks and making sure you knew that you were safe. That everything was alright.

But all he knew for now was that you were ok. You were safe in his arms where you belonged.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

🎉 Anniversary Week🎉

This anniversary week, let's delve a little deeper into the lifespan of a Gallifreyan.

How do Gallifreyans age?

Gallifreyans are known for their impressively long lives. A Gallifreyan leading a peaceful life free from the dangers of the Universe can enjoy on average around 4,000 to 7,000 years. However, they can potentially live up to 10,000 years in a single incarnation, so across thirteen incarnations, they could theoretically reach a staggering 130,000 years.

⏲️ Appearance Over Time

From spending half a century as teenagers to most of their lives appearing as mature adults, Gallifreyans age incredibly gracefully, thanks to their cellular regeneration. Their appearance at different stages of life varies, but they maintain an adult face for much of their lives. Post-regeneration, they can appear any age, with this appearance holding steady until around 800 years, when signs of ageing begin to show.

🧓 The Ageing Process

As Gallifreyans age, they experience a process akin to human ageing, but at a reduced rate:

cellular senescence (cells losing their ability to divide and function)

a decrease in hormone levels (impacting metabolism and immune functions)

telomere shortening (caps on the end of chromosomes that wear down over time with cell division)

However, these factors reset with each regeneration, though their effectiveness wanes with each new life. The result? Earlier incarnations tend to outlast the later ones, making the first few lives a bit like an extended youth.

So, as we celebrate this anniversary week, let's spare a thought for Gallifreyans trying to find enough space for all those birthday candles.

Gallifreyan Biology for Tuesday by GIL

More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[nanomooselet]

The first anniversary of Trigun Stampede feel like a good moment to post on tumblr for the first time, because I only really got a tumblr after watching it. Just lurked around, absorbing, like a single-celled organism.

It's lonely, though. So, in the interests of not monopolising every single real life conversation I have from here on I'm participating in the Tristamp Party stuff. There may be meta. I'll certainly be reblogging posts and being unhinged in the tags. I don't think I've ever been less hinged by anything in my life than by Stampede (and Maximum).

Nice to meet you.