#source will be linked upon request

[captain-crowfish]

N e c c

[stottlemorgan]

Enjoyin' the View / Arthur Morgan x Female Reader

Summary: Arthur comes back from Valentine sporting a moustache, new shirt, and a trim. Oh, how delicious. Tags: 18+, MDNI! Mainly because it's horny, there isn't actual smut, it's all suggestive. A smidgen of dirty talk from Reader. Reader is a big flirt and she and Arthur get a little hot under the collar. Word count: 1,645. Author’s Note: This was a request from a sweet Anon! Sorry it's so late, I'm a very slow writer, I hope if you're still about that you read it and love it! <3 I'm also the worst flirt so I hope the back and forth works!! Ao3 Link. All photos above are sourced from Pinterest.

Your lashes give a gentle flutter, your body begging you to blink. You withstand one more moment of stinging eyes before the dwam which you had so smoothly sank into swirls violently with the fusillade of teasing comments from the girls perched around the table with you.

“You seein’ what I’m seein’?” Karen’s cheeky lilt sounds out and she breaks your focus with a shove of her shoulder into yours. You cast a soft glare upon her, your voice cattish and a grin tugging your lips wide,

“I was quite enjoyin’ what you were seein’ right before you interrupted me, ya dope.”

“Arthur’s been to the barber.” Mary-beth whispers with a quick glance in the man’s direction, catching a glimpse of the neatened back of his hair as he hauls his satchel from his mare. Her eyes widen slightly and she ducks her head back into the book resting in her lap.

“He’s been to more than the barber. He’s been t’the general store, too. Tha’s a new shirt.” Tilly states with a casual and unbothered once over of Arthur before going back to her turn at dominoes, “S’your turn–”

“Ain’t never seen him in checkers before,” you murmur distractedly over Tilly, watching unabashedly as Arthur stands by his horse talking to Javier, the checkered brown shirt somehow squaring out his broad shoulders further.

“Surprised you ain’t seen ‘im naked with the way y’all dote on eachother.” Karen quips before a soft whistle flows through her teeth as Arthur turns around and starts his usual lumber across camp to his tent, satchel in hand. Karen’s words flutter straight through and out of your head as your focus snags on Arthur’s face, on how you can see more of it than usual. Your eyes glide over the sharp line of his bare jaw, then the soft roundness of his chin, debossed with scars, and then the thick bristles of hazel adorning his upper lip. He gives a quiet chuckle, shaking his head at something Javier calls out as he walks and it only spurs on the warmth of attraction steadily buzzing up from your seat and through your stomach. Your voice leaves you sounding utterly abstracted, your words thoughtless and your mind brimming with the gentle purse of Arthur’s lips as he moves through camp, oblivious to the admiring gaze of you and the girls.

“Since when was Arthur Morgan a moustache type’a guy?”

“Since forever,” Karen presses a palm to your face and pushes, forcing you back out of her space which you had stupidly leaned into in an attempt to maintain your concupiscent vision, “you just ain’t seen him outside’a Colter ‘til now. The beard kept him warm.”

“Kept me mighty warm too lookin’ at ‘im,” you giggle. Karen and Mary-beth join in; a consonance of birdsong-esque tittering that draws a confused flash of Arthur’s attention as he reaches his tent.

“Can one’y’all take the damn turn? I don’t care who.” Tilly grouses, thumping her fists gently into the wood and looking between you and Karen.

“Eh, Karen can take it,” you respond idly, pushing yourself up and adjusting your skirts, “I’m gonna go see ‘im.”

“More like give ‘im a seein’ to,” Karen simpers only to be smacked on the arm by Tilly and told firmly to hurry up with your relinquished turn. With a roll of your eyes, you turn away from the group, starting to walk. As you near Arthur’s tent, you slow to a stop, feeling the familiar bubbling excitement in your stomach at the thought of seeing him, of seeing this new look up close. You take a breath and smooth down your skirts yet again, purely to quell the blaze of nerves and attraction down to something more manageable. With the pads of your fingers, you dab at your face here and there, hoping to blot some of the oiliness that had coalesced from hours of scrubbing clothes by the river in the early Spring sun.

You hear mutterings from Arthur as you near his tent, watching him unpack his satchel, placing sundries about his table and shaving station. Taking a few steps under the tent, you clasp your hands behind your back, tilting your head as you call out,

“Where’re you off to?” Arthur looks at you for a moment, his eyes narrowed though not unfriendly, before he continues putting things away. The shirt moves over his burly physique and your eyes eagerly chase the shifting fabric, dragging down his shoulders, back, and then around to his forearms where he has rolled the sleeves up. Thick, dark hair swirls over his sun-kissed skin, almost teasing your focus to follow it down to his large hands which find place on his hips. A lascivious thrum pulses through your body once you realise he has fully halted his actions. Your eyes flit upwards, finding his own as they ladder up your body and meet you.

“Wha’chu mean?” He asks, a slight befuddlement in his tone.

“You look... Handsome.” More like downright delicious. A kittenish grin pulls at your lips which Arthur’s focus snags on. He blinks, his brow raising, before a choked chuckle breaks through him,

“You sayin’ I can’t?” With a huff, you lean against the wagon, gazing up at him and that damn moustache. Seeing him up close feels worse; a wanton pull draws you toward him like a river flowing through to the sea. However, this desirous puddling only has your drawers to saturate as you take in how the thick hair covers part of Arthur’s upper lip. It nears provocative, how his lips part before his tongue languidly drags over his lower lip as he awaits your answer.

“I’m sayin’ you look more handsome’n usual.”

“And why’s’at–?” He cuts himself off, squinting as he watches you tuck your hair behind your ear, “What’chu wantin’, woman? You’re preenin’ like a damn bird.” He folds his arms and your grin melts into a smirk. A hot weight drops straight to your seat, searing your innards with arousal as it plummets. You shrug, your voice light yet your eyes heavy,

“Ain’t wantin’ nothin’,” besides you, “jus’ enjoyin’ the view. The new shirt, the trim, the moustache.”

“Uh-huh, sure, okay,” Arthur purses his lips, giving a slow nod, his tone increasingly playful, “An’ how long do ya plan on ‘enjoyin’ the view’ for?”

“As long as I please, I s’pose.” You saunter closer, your hand coming up to softly cup his elbow before trailing up his bicep, causing him to raise an eyebrow, “‘Specially if that mouser on your lip hangs around.” Arthur’s chest slowly expands and his face morphs through from pleasant surprise to addled flickers of ardour. He wets his lips, shifting a little closer, his jaw working subtly before his voice comes out, low and curious,

“My moustache’s got’chya warmin’, has it?” You hum, walking your fingers up his shoulder and giving a teasing squeeze. He brings his opposite arm up, knocking the underbrim of his hat with his knuckles, pushing it up to look at you better. The hum he can hear vibrating in your palette slips through your purring words,

“So’s the man sportin’ it.” Your free hand joins your first, touching him sweetly, wrapping half around his forearm. You feel his soft, chunky veins swell under his skin and you wonder whether his blood is engorging him elsewhere.

“Y’know, you confuse me at times, Miss.” His hand leaves his hat and twitches past your waist before dropping to his side. Watching how his eyes unfocus the tiniest bit, you briefly ponder the likelihood of his thoughts muddling with the yen to return your little touches. The soft but deep breath you take in only homes you in on the tingling of your skin.

“Well, how about I unconfuse you, tonight? Can show ya jus’ how warm you’re makin’ me.” Arthur’s fingers curl ever so slightly, and when your teeth bare in an impish grin, he huffs out a laugh as he reaches the hand to your waist, tucking his fingers under the tie of your apron.

“Christ, you ain’t one to mince–”

“Are you two about done? You–” Grimshaw’s pointed tone dissipates the tension that had been thickening the air and you feel her poke your shoulder blade, “in your ridiculous lust and stupidity, have left the wind to pull the freshly washed clothes into the damn dirt. Get back to it!”

“Yes, Ma’am,” you glare back at Grimshaw only to see her already walking off, her head shaking as she mutters to herself about you “young women” and your “lack of discipline”. Your hand slips languidly down Arthur’s chest as you meet his eyes again, “Be seein’ you later then?” You feel him stiffen a little beneath your skin, his heart seemingly trying to bounce its way into your palm as he realises that his simple touch may have just sealed his fate.

“What for?” He inquires in a quiet rasp which warbles when you lean in closer, your largening pupils having him feel like the most willing of prey.

“S’up to you,” you whisper coyly, “could be for dinner, or somethin’ after. Could last til’ morn.”

With that, you release him, and he very almost feels faint– as though his attention was so firmly on you that your withdrawal is just that, a withdrawal, leaving a gnawing craving behind. He watches you stroll away with a triumphant swish in your hips and that grin still on your face as you go. Karen gives your hip a nudge as you pass and you both giggle as she joins you to continue your chores.

Arthur takes his hat off and runs his fingers through his hair, feeling the Spring breeze cool the sweat-laden underarms of his shirt. He mutters to himself, a slight tension in his throat,

“Lust and stupidity. Sounds ‘bout right.”

Tags for my sweethearts: @thundermartini @zae-heeyyy @pinescent-and-gingerbread @frillydolle @arthurmorganist @thesweetestapplepie @thoughts-of-bear @kayyqua @thedilfdiaries - Apologies if I miss anyone, just dm me or comment below to have me tag you <3

[telamonisms]

https://www.tumblr.com/telamonisms/785594740133478400/hii-can-i-request-forsaken-x-reader-which?source=share

hii! I just got the most wonderful idea based from the link above

Can you do it but with pre-forsaken 007n7?

have a nice day/night!

��Hello dear Anon, of course I can, thank you for the well wishes and you as well have a nice day/night. Having said that, 007n7 enjoyers please calmly line up for your feeding time.

✦PRE-FORSAKEN 007N7 WITH A MISCHEVIOUS HACKER READER HEADCANONS✦

✦You two started off as somewhat enemies actually. You're more mischevious than malicious like he was, but that just meant that, in your book there was nothing more appealing than pestering 007n7 like an annoying fly revolving around his ear.

✦In your quest for constantly messing with him, you may or may not have contributed to one of the worst eras of hackers in the entirety of Roblox.

✦He would set fire to a truck and you would fling it at him, only for him to get out of the way using his c00lgui and have the truck land at a gas station, causing a huge explosion. Whoops.

✦Your pestering worked though, 007n7 would complain to poor Noli for hours upon hours about you, eating his ear out with words about how much he hated you and your stupid laugh and your stupid smile and your stupid silly behavor and your stupid mischief and your stupid jumpscares of cute cat PNGs on his face and your stupid-

✦Noli cut him off with a tease about 007n7 actually having caught feelings. Noli proceeded to be thrown out the window.

✦007n7 was, from then on, unable to get Noli's teasing words out of his mind and worst of all, would feel his face heat up with a blush whenever he was out wrecking havoc and you showed up.

✦His mortifying realization that Noli was right came when he realized he was putting far more of a show while exploiting this time in hopes to impress you when you hopefully showed up.

✦He eventually built the courage to invite you over to his and Noli's place, you getting to meet the other hacker and becoming friendly with him.

✦When 007n7 saw you get along so nicely with Noli, he smiled softly, glad that it was working out so perfectly.

✦He never got to confess to you before the events of the Void Star, c00lkidd and Forsaken. But you three did become the trouble trio that gave all the Admins the worst headaches to ever exist.

✦Thank you for this request Anon, it was quite a lot of fun to work on, I do enjoy pre-Forsaken 007n7 quite a lot. If you squint you can read there being some hints of 77noli but it's up to interpretation enough that if that happens to not be your personal cup of tea, it can be easily ignored.

[vamptarotscam]

@vamptarot IS A SCAMMER.

You seriously thought you could get away with this a second time? Not a chance. SHE ALSO DELETED HER SCAMMY POST.

PART TWO: https://www.tumblr.com/vamptarotscam/782090594830991360/i-got-more-proof-that-vamptarot-is-scamming?source=share

I will provide PROOF AND SCREENSHOTS.

DO NOT DONATE TO THIS PERSON UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES.

Yes, this is the second time @vamptarot plays this game with her followers, instigating fake symptoms, lying and scamming. The first scam attempt is documented here: https://www.tumblr.com/vamptarot/771257380903288832/hello-i-am-sorry-for-the-mis-use-of-tags-i-will?source=share.

This is simply disgusting behaviour. Lying about injuries, illnesses, symptoms so that people could buy her readings or donate out of sympathy (and she KNOWS people on Tumblr are more susceptible to this, they will donate to the right cause). She always does this, she invents a fake sob story and then she says she's not asking for donations or that she's too ashamed to do so, yet asks people to help her without any proof whatsoever (because there is obviously no proof).

It’s funny how @vamptarot always claims she doesn't share links publicly because she "feels uncomfortable," yet the only thing that’s uncomfortable here is her blatant scam. If you don’t want to be caught scamming, then maybe don’t request money through DMs, where you can hide behind the anonymity of your naive followers' trust. And let’s not forget how she always magically “needs” large sums of money (1200 pounds last time) where healthcare is FREE. Especially emergency healthcare that she claims to be in need of. Do you really think people will buy the sob story about needing 1200 pounds for "treatment" that’s apparently so urgent it can’t wait for any sort of proof? If it was so dire, why are you pulling random numbers out of thin air to manipulate followers? It doesn’t add up. You know why? Because it’s all an act. You can see this from her blog's activity too, she comes back only when she needs money from her unfortunately very young and gullible followers. And she makes numbers only when she comes up with fake stories and illnesses, how interesting. Maybe it's because she's willingly manipulating young impressionable users to donate to a fake cause? Absolutely reprehensible. Proof:

These aren’t just "unfortunate circumstances", this is a pattern. It is a known scam tactic that's been around years and years before smarty pants could do it on Tumblr.

She's done this before, and she's trying to do it again. She knows that many people on Tumblr are empathetic, and she'll exploit that kindness for her own gain. Don’t fall for it. Trust your gut and stay far away from anyone who tries to manipulate you with extreme emotional circumstances like this.

ALSO, she deleted her latest scam post because she finally got exposed by my account but I will share screenshots that a very kind individual has sent me about their interaction with this disgusting scammer. The individual's name is censored as per their request. RESPECT THEIR PRIVACY.

In her latest post our beloved scammer @vamptarot tried to claim a mysterious illness with fainting symptoms that would make her "slip in and out of consciousness". Extremely vague, perfect for naive Tumblr users (who are mostly minors by the way, just mentioning that). She also claimed that she needed URGENTLY 3400 pounds in the next 10 hours (a very famous scam tactic) or that she might "die".

Then she suddenly claimed that she needed ONLY 450 pounds, 10 hours after she made that post. Interesting. I DO NOT have the original post's screenshot but we have @spiritstalking ask to rely upon:

Nice try sweetheart. Unfortunately some users fell for this. It is extremely depressing to see young kids fall for those scams, because they do not know better.

As you can see, she also claimed that she needed donations in less than ten hours or it might be "too late" for her. Poor soul. Again, emergency healthcare such as in this case (slipping in and out of consciousness🤣🤣🤣) is free. Yet another emotional manipulation tactic. As I said, it's disgusting.

Also, she claimed that she was on the verge of dying, being extremely ill but she also had time to think about PACS? AND INTERACT ON TUMBLR TOO? She tried to make it all seem so real that she even stayed online 24/7 to talk to the users she scammed.

And wow, now she’s acting all innocent, saying that people gossiping about her is "inhumane." Sweetie, we’re not gossiping, we’re exposing a scam you decided to do.

If you’re really that innocent, why do you keep changing the narrative? You’ve been caught making excuses and pulling out random sob stories for cash, guess that’s just the reality of running a fake blog.

HERE'S THE SCREENSHOTS PROOF:

It’s honestly wild how chronically online @vamptarot is while claiming to be slipping in and out of consciousness, barely able to function due to “illness.” I mean, a person who’s supposedly fighting for their life can barely send a message, let alone respond instantly on Tumblr??????? But guess what? She’s ALWAYS there to reply to her donors within minutes. truly the epitome of someone “dying” from their condition. 🧐

Oh, and then the classic scam move: telling the user to send money to her “friend’s” PayPal... except her “friend” has the exact same name as her. What a coincidence! 🥴 That’s not even a red flag, it’s a burning tower. For real, how dumb does she think people are? A friend’s PayPal? More like her PayPal, dressed up in a bad disguise.

Let’s not forget the emotional manipulation here. She messed up, said it was her PayPal, and when caught, instantly tried to backpedal with the excuse of having “brain fog” because of anxiety and pain. But apparently, that anxiety and pain don’t stop her from begging for donations? Come on. If you’re so “stricken” with these issues, how are you managing to twist your words so perfectly to squeeze money out of people? INTERESTING.

And then, to top it off, offering to give out her friends' bank details for even more donations? Classic scam. Get as many ways as possible to extract money from people’s wallets. But here's the kicker: she can’t even access the money the user sent for the next three days? THIS IS A HUGE ORGANIZED SCAM.

This whole situation is a mess, and honestly, it’s getting tiresome. Be careful who you trust, because this is as shady as it gets.

Also, @vamptarot tell everyone how you were planning to delete your disgusting scamming post from the start because you didn't want to "STAIN" your account. You knew what you were doing from the start. You knew you were scamming people and that somebody would eventually catch on.

You are a reprehensible human being and I strongly suggest you to refund the money you stole from users. Can we just talk about how conveniently her post was deleted once people started catching on? A classic move when you know you've been called out for your scam. If everything was so “legit,” why is the post suddenly gone? Again you knew what you were doing and you know you're wrong as hell for this.

PLEASE REBLOG TO SPREAD AWARENESS AND TO KEEP SCAMMERS OUT OF THE TAROT COMMUNITY. THIS IS VILE STUFF.

Once again, shame on you @vamptarot. Do better.

It's honestly disgusting to see someone manipulate and extort vulnerable users into donating for a fake illness. Preying on people’s empathy for personal gain is nothing short of reprehensible. Don’t let yourself be fooled.

PLEASE HELP US SPREAD AWARENESS. PLEASE DO NOT DONATE TO THIS USER. DO NOT GET SCAMMED.

[catboybiologist]

Oh hey since I mentioned sci hub again

I'd love to hear people's stories about small things that radicalized them in benign ways. I'll start.

I was already pretty leftist at this point, but being associated with academia so long means I've gotten free access to a variety of scientific journals, software, and more for... Basically my entire adult life. On campus, all of those systems have automatic logins. But off campus, usually there's janky, half-functional systems associated with actually inputting your credentials into these sites. Scientific journals especially are really and at tracking logins, and oftentimes have to link back to your uni's generic login page, which they're bad at pinging. Software installation usually requires

So instead of using services that the university had already paid for, for me to freely use, like adobe, journal logins, and Microsoft products, I started using free equivalents. Sci hub, gimp, libre office, Ubuntu... Not because I was invested in open source and free access mentalities at the time, but because they were literally quicker and simpler to use.

And then I started thinking about all of the little bits of tech infrastructure I was using to access my "free" stuff.

Someone coded those systems.

Some tiny portion of a server is devoted to handling those pings an login requests.

Someone spent hours upon days of work moving office 365 and adobe from actual pieces of software that fully live on your computer into stripped down versions of themselves that now have to verify

Someone made the payment system for Nature.

So. Much. Wasted. Labor. Just to block people from already existing services. That have alternatives. That are as good. For free. And they can be free largely because they don't have all of the bullshit associated with locking them down and keeping them proprietary.

Tech and science are of course what I have the most experience in, but I feel like once you start realizing that in one sector, you start seeing it everywhere.

Anyways this is a barely focused unmedicated ADHD ramble but I'd love to hear other examples

[thetelesterion]

Hiii, I'm new to helpol. What are the guidelines around prayer? I know you're supposed to wash your hands first, so I always do, but are there other things I'm supposed to do? I'm coming from a Christian upbringing where the sentiment was very "you could pray while taking a shit and God wouldn't mind it"

Hello anon!

I'm no scholar or expert on anything related to Hellenic Polytheism but I will do my best to answer this, as well as give examples from my own practices.

So, while there are no strict "guidelines" on how to pray, we have ancient sources which help us understand how the ancient Greeks would have prayed and worshipped.

Firstly, like you pointed out, washing one's hands was essential. I'm not gonna get into the whole "miasma" thing, as there are others who cover that far more gracefully and informatively than I ever could. Ordinary water is fine for this.

Secondly, there is the structure of prayer. The basic components of a prayer are:

1. Invocation (Calling upon the god/gods, usually with their epithets and titles)

2. Argument (Basically saying why the god/gods should listen to your prayer)

3. The Petition (This is where you ask the gods for any requests, favors, or anything else you're praying to them for)

"Casual" prayers are also historically attested and don't always follow this structure. Essentially, you can pray to the gods whenever you wish, but personally I like to follow a basic structure like that when I pray in front of my altar at home. But, in short, formal prayers are not the only acceptable prayers.

I will give a link to this wonderfully detailed post by @ olympianbutch that covers the structure of prayer in a lot more depth!

Finally, on the topic of gestures and postures made during prayer, there are a few that we know of historically. There is the "orans" posture involves the raising of both arms towards the heavens, and is meant for prayers and rituals involving the Ouranic, or heavenly gods. For Khthonic/Underworld deities, a worshipper would bow low to the ground or fully prostrate, and yell into the earth so the gods below would hear them.

Now... that last one obviously is tricky in most modern settings, and I usually don't do the yelling bit myself. But I do a mixture of both postures since I have several Ouranic and Khthonic deities on my altar.

When it comes to saying silent prayers or saying prayers out loud, I do a mix of both. Sometimes, I don't feel the energy to say anything out loud, and I sit in front of my altar and let the smell of my incense fill the air. It puts me in a good state of mind, and helps me focus on the gods.

Overall, if you take any of this advice and incorporate it into your own practices, always be sure to avoid pushing yourself. Do what you're able to do. The Theoi see and appreciate all the effort we give, even if we think we're not doing enough. And keep learning! Keep digging, keep reading, and keep asking. There's always something to learn.

[ghoulishhx]

Heeeyyy I'm back with more Frank Castlr requests cause I can't be normal about him! It's a hurt comfort for past self harm if your not ok writing it I totally understand.

Basically reader was recovering long before she met Frank but celebrates being clean with cake and something nice for herself. Maybe Frank learns about it from an external source or reader explains to him why she's making a cake on a random Tuesday but just all around Frank learning she went through some stuff yet is super proud of her for her progress.

the feeling is absolutely mutual, i also cannot be normal about him so any/all requests with him are wanted!! i also love this prompt, he's such a big ol' softie and i know he would be so understanding with stuff like this!! i hope you enjoy, it's a little on the shorter side so for that i do apologise

i turned 2 years sober myself literally last week, so it was really nice to write this. thank you for the request <3

also heres a lil link for my baddies in the uk who struggle with this and need help, another link for mind. obviously if you're not from the uk, help is easily found online. additionally, if you ever need someone to talk to, my dms are alwaysss open mwah.

18+ MDNI !!

My Masterlist!

──── ୨୧ ────

Pairing: Frank Castle x Fem!Reader

Content Warning: hurt/comfort, soft frank to the maxxx, fluff upon fluff, praise

TW: mentions and depictions of self harm

──── ୨୧ ────

3..2..1..

You take a deep breath, as you watch the clock down to midnight, as if it were New Years Eve. This holiday for you, however, has no fireworks or bells ringing.

It's a random day in the middle of October, a random day that marks 5 years you've been clean. 5 whole years. You wryly smile to you as you watch the clock on your phone turn to 00:00, humming softly in your boyfriend's arms.

"What ya smirkin' at, doll?" he looks down at you as you're tucked up into his side, his arm wrapped around your shoulder, absentmindedly rubbing circles with his thumb along your skin, watching you stare at the lockscreen of your phone.

"It's silly Frankie, don't worry about it." you shake your head, biting your lower lip.

You hadn't explicitly told him about what this day means to you, you had an inkling he knew, having seen every inch of your body naked he must've seen your faded scars littered across your thighs and wrists. He never bought it up however, and you're grateful for this. You've had these conversations with exes before, and it always ends with them kissing your skin and saying some dumb shit like "Please stop.. for me.." the thought of hearing Frank say these words makes your skin crawl from cringe, so you decided it best to just never bring it up.

"Nah c'mon baby, ya gotta tell me now, can't leave me in suspense." he pushes, chuckling and pulling you upwards to look at him.

"Okay, just don't be weird, promise?" you hold your pinky out to him to make him swear.

He takes your digit with his and interlocks them together.

"I promise sweetheart."

"Okay.. well.. today's kinda like an anniversary, for me.." you utter, taking a deep breath. Here it goes, "Before we met I used to uhm, self harm. A-and today it's been 5 years since I did it last." you duck your head, embarrassed to be talking about something like this with him, you kept this secret close to your chest, wanting to avoid him finding out about your dark past as much as you could control.

"Well I'll be, good fuckin' job babydoll. 'M prouda ya." he pulls you into tight embrace, kissing the top of your head, squeezing the life out of you. You deeply exhale into his chest, so grateful he wasn't put off or weirded out by you. You should've known he would be supportive, knowing he's been through shit in his life too, arguably worse than yours but this isn't the oppression Olympics. "So proud of ya sweetheart, do ya usually celebrate this typa thing?"

"It's stupid Frank, but I'll bake a cake for myself or something when I come home from work, maybe get take-out." you laugh into his chest. shaking your head in disbelief at your admission.

"'s not stupid baby, it's adorable. Now c'mon, lets get ya to bed." you yelp has he lifts and throws you over his shoulder, giggling all the way to your shared bedroom. Your heart can't help but beat out of your chest, grateful for him and his acceptance.

────────────────────────────────────────────

You sigh as you come home from work, placing your fingers to your temples and trying your best to rub away the stress and tension of the day, closing your eyes trying to stabilize your breathing. You take a deep breath, and when you inhale through your nose you can't help but get your senses invaded by a smell.

Chocolate cake? Who the fuck is baking chocolate cake in my house?

You turn the corner, eyebrows raises and your heart swells in your chest at the sight before you

Frank fucking Castle in your apron, wooden spoon in hand, whipping up frosting.

"Hey pretty girl." he softly speaks, you feel you may be hallucinating, not once in the years you have been together have you seen him bake.

"Frankie.. What's going on?" you smile, placing your bag and coat down on your dining table.

"Well when ya told me last night about you bakin' a cake for your anniversary, I thought ya should have a year off. Pizza's on the way, and desserts almost ready. Go get comfy, 'm almost done." he winks, patting your ass as you walk up to him and wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him into a bruising kiss.

Your eyes fill with tears at the sentiment, not once did you think you would find anyone like Frank. Someone who understood, was willing to do anything to put a smile on your face, someone who didn't judge you for anything in the past.

"I love you Frankie.. I dunno what to say.. Just thank you.. Thank you so fucking much." you can't help the tears from streaming now, happy tears. He takes his flour covered thumbs and wipes them away, kissing your cheeks where the tears poured.

"I love ya more doll, 'm so proud of ya. I know this shit ain't easy to kick, but you did. My strong fuckin' girl." he kisses your lips, thumbs still on your cheeks. You hum into the kiss, feeling completely at ease, grateful to share this milestone with him.

It all got better in the end.

──── ୨୧ ────

my inbox is open!

[orfeoarte]

Hi! I'm a latino battling my country's 250% inflation rate. I'm opening this month's batch of commissions (my main source of income). I work fast and in close communication with my clients!

If you can't buy a commission, please consider reblogging, it helps me reach me clients. Thank you!!

TOS under cut 💛

•I will send updates as I have them. For more complex pieces, expect turnout times to be around a month.

•Payment is done 50% upfront and 50% after the sketch is approved.

•The piece, as purchased, is owned by you, but the licensing is mine. This means I do not allow commercial uses unless previously agreed upon, and I do not allow editing of my work to be posted unless previously agreed upon. You may post my work with proper credit after discussing it with me.

->Credit: linking to my social media and/or portfolio. You may never claim authory over my work.

•I reserve the right to reject a commission.

•Refunds: only 75% after the first sketch is done. I will retain 25% for the work put into the sketch. Is not refundable after the piece is at later stages (lines, colors, shading, scene).

•If the subject(s) of the commissions are found to be illegal or I find it to be morally reprehensible (directed hatred, bestiality, minor/adult, abuse, violence, etc), I will request payment in full and discontinue the work. For this to not happen, be honest and communicate about what you're looking for. I do not condone art with those themes and will reject the commission before even taking it up.

[naileadevoras]

+𝟏 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 . hi pookies ! today i'm releasing a medium sized gif pack of my canadian + chinese angel , amberly yang aka bbyambi ♡

all of these gifs were made from scratch by me ! pretty please don't steal or redistribute my work . i'll be adding to the page upon request so let me know if you'd like me to continue updating them . also , please do not use my gifs for anything inappropriate or problematic [ e.g smut rps , celeb rps , krps , etc . ] as always , a like & reblog would be greatly appreciated !

click the source link to view the gif pack .

[avoicebehindthestars]

DFAFM - It Ends As It Began (a colouring page)

You guys thought I was done manifesting my undying love for @phoen1xr0se's glorious Don't Fall Away From Me? :> I know I took my sweet time, but here's a fanart to celebrate the completion of this insanely fabulous post-s2! While this particular scene didn't happen in the fic, there are certain elements that make this fanart unequivocally DFAFM-coded :> If you've read it, I'm sure you can recognise them straight away ;)

I think that since Aziraphale came up with the name of the cottage, Crowley took it upon himself to hang the plaque. And sure, he could've just miracled it into place, but why would he do that when he could use the excuse to have his strong angel lift him in his arms while he nailed the plaque above the door? Task complete, hammer tossed safely on the ground, it's time to express some tender affection to his precious darling <3

And now listen up! This is a colouring page! I'm serious, if you feel like colouring it in (and can put up with the utter mess I've made of the plants xD), grab at will. I want you to! :D Click on it to enlarge (depending on your screen size and resolution it might appear smaller) and then right-click to download a bigger resolution.

Just a few requests:

don't erase my signature,

reblog this post if you share your coloured version (or link to the source if you share outside tumblr),

leave me kudos (…and comments? ^^) on AO3.

And now I'm going to try and tag everyone who's interracted with my previous post, because I'm assuming those people are interested in the actual page :)

@the-stars-are-ineffable @knifeforkspooncup @techiekittie @akaylawithalotofideas @lucianofranstric-blog @thestarsaresapphic @rori-98 @prinxlegolass @dastardly-ethereal-love @embrembracing-the-ineffable @gallup24 @parker-quil-1969 @hysterical-mess @aroaceling @mimi-and-the-next-20th-century @echeveriaaa @nadiapb @echosilverwolf @bowtiepastabitch @bagelofchaos @dragonwars2601 @newtness532 @velvetvulgarities @belladonna413 @pragmatamis @tragic-cosmic-magic @lickthecowhappy @crowleys-curl @teslagirl6 @akaylawithalotofideas

And of course @goodomensafterdark do your thing! :D

[hallorangifs]

GIF PACK : MEGAN SURI IN POKER FACE 1x01 (2023)

click the source link to be redirected to #56 gifs of MEGAN SURI in POKER FACE, EPISODE 1x02. this pack is available for purchase at a 'pay what you want' rate starting at a minimum of 3.00 CAD. these gifs were made from scratch by me, with minor edits made for colour correction, but may be edited to your liking. feel free to utilize for roleplaying purposes or personal use, but please do not repost, redistribute, or claim ownership. please be sure to like or reblog this post and credit if using.

please do not use for the purpose of roleplaying k*nk/smut threads or celeb rps.

update (05/28/2025): this gif pack was previously listed as free, but due to a few instances of misuse/ignoring the terms and conditions, i've changed the listing to 3.00. this pack will still be free upon request, just send me a private message.

[myulmang]

    𝒆𝒎𝒎𝒂 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒃𝒚 gif pack !

COMMISSIONED PACK. in the source link you will be redirected to #726 268px gifs of EMMA RIGBY (1989) in the show once upon a time in wonderland. these gifs were all cropped, colored and created from scratch by me for commission. do not edit, repost, redistribute, or claim as your own. by request of the lovely commissioner, this pack has been made PUBLIC. spread the love by liking or reblogging this post.

interested in commissioning me? click here for more info.

[clairefey]

RFQ (Request for Quote) for Fanfic Illustration Project

Update: I have found an artist! Thanks to all who applied.

Hello! I am a fanfic author looking to commission 6 illustrations to appear in an upcoming fanfiction. My tentative/negotiable budget for this is $1650 USD or $275/illustration. I wish them to be done by 24th September. I am looking for illustrations that are fully shaded, and in color, suitable for appearing inline both online (via AO3) and in print in B&W. I am an amateur fannish creator, and this is the first time I've ever done something like this, and have no contacts to which to rely upon. As a result, I'm also offering a $50 finders fee for any good-faith tip, recommendation, or referral that ultimately leads to a successful agreement.

About the project:

Nature of Work/Quality Requested: Each illustration will involve two canon Stargate SG-1 characters that require, shading, detailing, and coloring. Each illustration also requires a background that effectively communicates the scene geography (ie, where the characters are in relation to eachother and their immediate surroundings). However, generally, the backgrounds do not require complicated shading and detailing as long as they get across the general idea - with the exception of a landscape background for one of the six illustrations. The backgrounds are: medical lab, briefing room, daylight forest, hillside overlooking river, underground cave.

Fandom: This project deals with the Stargate SG-1 fandom, and the characters of Janet Fraiser, Jonas Quinn, Samantha Carter, and the Goa'uld Nirrti. Someone familiar with this fandom would be preferred, but if you are not, substantial high quality references will be provided.

Controversial/Squicky Elements: These requested illustrations do not involve any kind of erotica or ongoing/imminent violence/gore and are SFW. However, of note, a few of the desired illustrations require an accurate reproduction of automatic firearms typical of Stargate SG-1 (specifically, the M16A2 and the MP5, references will be provided), and one of the desired illustrations involves an injured and bloodied person.

Revisions/Alterations requested? Due to the expedited nature of the project (just under two months to finish), I don't expect there to be time for any significant alterations. All I would request is a sketch copy of each illustration before major detail/shading/color work is undertaken, so I can verify the scene geography and major components are correct. If there is time, I may pay extra for alterations should I want them.

How you will be credited:

In-story, online: Your name and a hyperlink to your website/social/portfolio (as desired) will be attributed in the author's notes of the chapters in which your illustrations appear. Your name will also appear at at beginning/foreward, credited as "Illustrator"

In-story, in print: Your name and printed URLs/@s will appear in the beginning or the end of the story, at your choice, credited as "Illustrator"

In other situations, online, e.g. social media posts: A named link to your webside/social/portfoilio (As desired)

Nature of product+license I am intending to purchase:

In general, high quality sources I can freely distribute, and which other can freely redistribute (so long as you remain attributed, and the following terms are attached). Specifically, I am looking for:

Source quality without visible watermark

Time-limited right of first publish: You will withhold publishing copies of the commissioned works on your own socials/website until the final fanfic is posted, or the date February 1st, 2025, whichever is earlier.

A non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual and irrevocable license with the following terms:

In general, unlimited noncommercial reproduction with attribution.

Limited derivative works, including, color re-grading, cropping, addition of titles or text bubbles, extraction of individual elements without modification (e.g. characters), for the purposes of creating covers, memes, compositions, promotional material, and general shitposting.

Sublicensible without penalty under identical terms, for the purposes of allowing others to distribute the story with the illustrations intact, so long as attribution is preserved, a copy of these terms provided, and no cash or other cash-equivalents exchanged.

How you will be paid:

I am willing to pay via Pay Pal (G&S), Bank wire, CC payment to online shop, Bitcoin/Monero or any crypto listed on Bitstamp supported by Ledger. I am willing to sign up for any online service that does not have onerous verification requirements, as long as such service does not require the use of a proprietary app that can only be installed on a smartphone.

Payments will be in installments as progress is made, or via escrow at the artist's request.

Price negotiable?

Yes. The listed budget is what I believe this project is worth based upon my very limited knowledge and experience, and the money I have available to pay. As the title suggests, please send in your own quote as you feel is fair compensation for your labor. However, cards on the table, price will be a significant factor when discriminating between bids and I may reduce the scope of the project rather than incurring cost overruns.

Is the deadline soft or hard?

Hard. I need the illustrations by the given date for printing in order to give a copy to someone I know (it's a surprise).

How can I contact you?

Please direct all inquiries to bythemorningstar@protonmail.com. If you wish to make a bid, please include the following information.

Your tentative bid, in converted from your currency to United States Dollars

Your estimated lead time

A portfolio of recent work, with at least a few examples of the quality you are willing to work at for the given price.

Any additional stipulations or limitations the listed terms that you wish to request

Whether or not you are familiar with Stargate SG-1

Who you were referred by, if anyone

Your timezone

Whether you would prefer discord or signal for real-time communication

[soelstress]

Far Away

Pairing: Tony Stark x female!reader

Summary: When Tony asks for a divorce, your request has him baffled.

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI , MAJOR angst , MAJOR character death , cheating (not the reader) , some arguing

Word count: 4.9k

A/N - Hello Lovelies! I came across this story when I was in college. It stuck with me and I revisit on average once a year. Last year I was rereading it when Nickelback’s Far Away started playing. I bawled my eyes out. Don’t hate me… ��

A/N 2 - big big thank you to @sunday-bug for beta reading… and again I’m sorry!

I’m not sure if the story link is the original but it’s not my story.

The banner is mine made on Canva with pics sourced from Pinterest and the ring design was from Shane Co.

Dividers by the amazing @firefly-graphics

Do not Steal, Copy or Plagiarize any part of my work

Air lodged in your throat and you couldn’t seem to breathe. Despite the rapid tattoo of heartbeats all you heard was silence. Nothing made sense. Everything you knew had now irrevocably changed because of four words.

“I want a divorce.”

How could such life changing news be delivered so calmly? You stared blankly at your partner of fifteen years and husband for the last decade who seemed unaware or possibly uncaring of your internal distress. Up until his announcement it had been like any other day. Tony spent the day at the Tower and you ran some errands before preparing dinner for his return. Upon arrival, he had ignored your usual greeting and instead delivered his news.

“Why?”

Confusion and devastation laced the whispered question. Tony shifted uncomfortably and refused to look at you. Instead of answering he sat at the table and began to mindlessly push the food around his plate. The way he was already trying to normalise the situation had you finally taking a deep breath. And another. Slowly the panic subsided until annoyance took over.

“Why?”

Tony still refused to acknowledge the question. Instead he tried to divert the conversation by asking about your son. The immature ignoring antics were something you would have expected from him over fifteen years ago when you first met. Anger consumed you like a wildfire. He had come home with devastating news without even attempting to provide a reason then tried to avoid the topic altogether. Now he had the nerve to ask about your son after just dropping a nuclear bomb that would impact all three of your lives?

“The great Tony Stark can’t answer a simple question? You’re not a man, you coward” you shouted before pushing your plate off the table where it fell to the ground with a crash.

Tony’s eyes widened. You had never shown any signs of violence in all the years he’d known you. You were the calm to his chaos, always soothing him and softening his previously wild behaviours. Turning you gripped the back of a kitchen chair in an attempt to reign in your anger. Tony quietly cleared the mess of plate shards and food to ensure you wouldn’t injure yourself before leaving the room. Your quiet cries tugged at his heart but only pity filled him. What good would it be to tell you that he did not love you anymore? That his heart now belonged to someone else?

Wracked with guilt Tony stepped into his office and began to draft a divorce agreement. You’d receive child support, the car, the house and a 30% share of Stark Industries. Returning to the kitchen after completing the paperwork and no longer hearing you cry he saw that you’d cleared away his plate and were mindlessly wiping down the counter. He silently handed over the proposal. You took one glance at it and tore it to shreds. As you watched the white pieces littering your clean countertop Tony took a moment to look at you.

The person he once loved was a stranger. He watched as your chest heaved breaths turning into choked sobs. Tears streamed from your eyes and you sank to the floor curling into a ball against a cabinet. Your sobs became louder, the sounds of pain oddly soothing him. He had expected you to react badly. The fact you were crying meant you seemed to accept the situation which suddenly felt all the more real. In that moment, he sympathised for the time, energy and emotion that could now be considered a waste. But he had no desire to change his mind.

This time, this place

Misused, mistakes

The next day you sat on the sofa. Your son was due to arrive any moment. Your mind raced with nerves while considering the next steps to take. Tony was stubborn. Once he made a decision he rarely changed his mind. But your main priority was your son and protecting him as much as possible. The sound of the front door opening was followed by thundering footsteps.

“Mommy!”

Your son Ted raced into the room with a wide smile on his face. Embracing him tightly you looked into his eyes. They were one of the few features he had inherited from you. Tussling his chocolate locks you mumbled for him to go wash up for dinner.

“Ok! Thanks Uncle Clint!”

Turning you saw Clint lounging in the doorway wearing a flannel shirt and jeans. You took a moment to observe one of your oldest friends, dwelling on the memories you’d shared over the years. Right now his usually solemn face was lit up with a smile.

“God does that kid ever run out of energy? He was runnin’ circles around Cooper and Lila earlier.” As he shook his head with a bemused chuckle his smile faltered when he saw your face. “You ok sweet?”

Tears begin to spill at his kindness. No matter his own circumstances he was always willing to help those he loved.

“Clint, I need your help.”

Tony returned home from the Tower late that night. He found you scribbling something at the kitchen table. Deciding not to bother you he headed upstairs and checked on his sleeping son before going to the spare bedroom. The next morning after Ted had gone to school, you walked into Tony’s office as he prepared to leave for the Tower.

“Something I can do for you?” The tone was polite but brief as he grabbed his sunglasses.

“Our divorce terms.” Standing opposite him, you folded your arms. “I don’t want anything from you. The house, the car… you can keep all of it. But I have four conditions.”

When Tony mirrored your pose you took a steadying breath. “First, we will live together as normal for the next 30 days.” Tony frowned at the specified number and glanced at his phone. His eyes widened. “In 29 days our son turns 7. I do not want him worrying about this or for this to overshadow his birthday. We can go our separate ways afterwards.” Tony accepted without hesitating and gestured for you to continue.

“Second, discretion. I’m hoping the two of you can continue to keep this under wraps for a while longer.” Some of the colour drained from Tony’s face at your words. You suspected that the reason for his unexpected announcement would be due to another woman but it still hurt to see confirmation nonetheless. “You make headlines by waving, Tony. I don’t want our son to find out from anyone but us.” Shifting uncomfortably, he nodded.

“Third, I want your word that our son will always be your priority. Before both the Avengers and your personal life.”

“That goes without saying.” Tony scoffed while rolling his eyes. “I’m not my father. Of course Ted is my priority.” His tone became curt from the sting of your implication that Ted was not a priority. Guilt and irritation mixed into a cocktail that had him spoiling for a fight. “But momma bear is gonna protect her cub right? She always has- ”

“I mean it Tony.” Something in your tone made him straighten up and really listen to you. “Yes, Ted is my priority. He always has been and always will be.”

As you stared down the father of your child and the love of your life your hands clenched into fists. This had been a topic of discussion before you married and again before trying for a family. “You’re Iron Man. You know not everyone can be saved. That some people never make it home. Even with all your technology and heroes you never know what might happen. Unfortunately that’s life.”

“But you also know that not every kid is lucky enough to feel loved and wanted. Some feel undeserving of love because they were seen as nothing more than burdens.” Tony’s gaze dropped to the floor at the mention of both your childhoods and the feelings you both worked past.

“As Ted’s guardian I want Clint to raise him-“

You jumped as Tony’s hand slammed down on the desk. “You’re not taking my son away from me.” Tony’s warning growl along with his dark eyes burning caused a flash of hurt that Tony could think so low of you after all those years together.

Shaking your head, you faced his fury. “I have no intention of keeping OUR son away from you. I only want to give him the stability he deserves. Is that really too much to ask for?” Civility was the last thing on your mind, sick of Tony just causing more pain. You were being perfectly reasonable. “Clint can give him stability. He knows when to leave the fight. You might have stepped away when Ted was born but you’re still in the thick of it. You can’t leave the fight Tony and I need to know our son will be looked after. It’s why I never wanted Rhodey to be guardian because he won’t walk away either.”

You closed your eyes as the argument over Ted’s guardianship came to mind. It was the first thing you two had ever seriously argued over and it had taken a few days to reach an agreement. Finally Clint had been named guardian and you conceded to your son being named after Rhodey.

“If he ever feels that our son is coming in second to the Avengers or your personal life, Clint is to raise him with his own kids. Your personal life is your business but NOT when it affects our son’s safety and wellbeing.”

Tony took a few moments and a few breaths to calm himself. You would never keep Ted from his father and certainly did not deserve threats or sarcasm where your child was concerned. Tony felt heartily ashamed as he opened his mouth to apologise. Seeing his sheepish expression you pressed on. At this point apologies were worthless to you.

“Finally…do you remember when we moved in here after getting married? You carried me from the front door to our bedroom?” Tony nodded. “For the next 30 days starting tomorrow when you leave for the Tower I’d like for you to carry me from our bedroom to the front door.”

Tony cocked his head in bafflement as to why you would want him to do such a thing. Part of him wondered if the shock of divorce was having more of an impact than it seemed. But since the rest of your conditions made sense and he did not want to make the final month difficult he accepted before slipping on his sunglasses and leaving the room.

On the first day you and Tony prepared for him to carry you. Both of you felt oddly apprehensive in being so close to the other. Once there had been a time when being so close was natural when you knew each other inside out. Tony’s arms had you in a bridal hold though he hesitated where to place his hands. Ted met you in the hallway.

“Daddy, you’re carrying Mommy! Like a hero!!” He beamed with happiness.

Seeing his son’s face light up Tony felt his heart clench. Unable to offer a genuine smile he carefully carried you from the bedroom to the front door. As you passed by the living room your eyes closed as Ted followed behind you.

“Please… protect him for now” you murmured. Tony nodded slightly before clumsily setting you down. After you wished him a good day like normal he left quickly as he had not felt comfortable with the awkwardness between you.

Over the next few days the awkwardness started to disappear. You leaned into Tony and felt his heartbeat. He could smell the detergent from your blouse, the one that you bought because it smelled like home to him. As he passed a window your features were illuminated and Tony took a moment to study you.

“What did I do to her?”

Gone was the fresh faced woman he had exchanged vows with. Wrinkles lined your face and silvery threads were woven through your hair. Marriage had taken its toll on you. More than Tony had realised as a stab of guilt pierced his heart.

Too long, too late

Who was I to make you wait?

On the tenth day Tony scooped you into his arms. Though it never occurred to him that it was getting easier with each passing day he surprised himself with how familiar and intimate this felt. He adjusted his hold when he realised that you felt lighter. He held you securely, the woman who had given fifteen years of her life and love to him.

Two weeks had passed. You and Tony made every effort to keep things as normal as possible. Once Ted was asleep for the night both of you tended to keep to yourselves. Apart from the change to your morning routine he had seemed not to notice anything amiss which was a relief. He never questioned Tony sleeping in the guest room since it had frequently been used before if Tony came home late from the Tower or in the early hours from a mission.

But as time ticked by Tony began to notice how much pain and suffering you were suppressing. One morning he noticed you looking at a ring he had made for you after Ted was born. Tony’s green emerald birthstone and your birthstone entwined within an infinity sign with Ted’s diamond birthstone set in the middle. He saw pain in your eyes but you were fighting to hide it. Without thinking he reached out and stroked the back of his hand along your cheek.

“C’mon Daddy! You and Mommy gotta go!”

Ted rushed in as Tony’s hand made contact. All traces of your internal battle vanished as you smiled at your son and stood with open arms. Ted rushed over and nuzzled into you as you held him tightly and murmured words of love into his fluffy brown hair. Tony gulped at the scene before him.

The affectionate embraces with Ted were not unusual. Quite the opposite. You took every opportunity to demonstrate how much he was loved. But Ted now saw his father carrying his mother as an essential part of his routine. He now ran in your bedroom instead of waiting in the hall as an eager reminder. Tony averted his gaze from the loving embrace, fearful for the first time that he would start to change his mind. But as he carried you, your hand slipped around his neck and he held you close to him. Just like your wedding day.

A week before your son’s birthday your patience was being tested. Not by Tony who was holding up his end of the deal. But by your darling son who was trying to figure out what presents he would be receiving and where they were being stashed. Definitely his fathers son.

“Edward James Stark, you won’t find your presents here. I’ve already hidden them and your Dad doesn’t know where so it’s no use asking him or FRIDAY.”

He ducked his head as a smirk teased his lips. You rolled your eyes with exasperated amusement. ‘Damn Stark genes.’

“Mommy?”

You hummed in acknowledgment.

“What’s the best gift you ever got?”

He asked so innocently. No doubt as a way for him to try and worm a hint out of you. But the words stuck in your throat and tears rushed to your eyes.

“Mommy?”

The smirk dropped and his eyes widened. Ted never liked to see you cry. He rushed over and held you tightly while apologising. Sitting on the couch you gently pulled him to sit next to you.

“You.”

Ted frowned in confusion and you gave a watery smile. He may look like Tony and have some of his characteristics, like that smirk that you secretly love or the adorable head tilt when he’s confused but his expressions and eyes were all yours. You kissed his little nose scrunch.

“You are the greatest gift I’ve ever received. I didn’t think I could love anybody as much as I love you, baby boy. And I’m so lucky to have this amazing, adorable, mischievous intelligent son who amazes me every day with his big heart.”

A few tears escaped and Ted wiped them away before cuddling into you. You held him tightly while inhaling his warm comforting smell.

Unknown to either of you Tony stood in the hallway. He had walked in to hear you scolding Ted and couldn’t help grinning. Of course his boy would look for presents. He was a Stark after all. But when he heard Ted ask why you were crying, he panicked and found himself rushing to the entrance of the living room and stopped at your answer. His heart clenched when he heard you say that you never thought you could love someone as much as you loved your son. Tony knew that you never allowed a shred of doubt of your feelings and loved with every fibre of your body.

As your sniffles slowly stopped Tony fought the urge to comfort and reassure you by gripping the doorframe. After a few minutes he peeked in to find you laying on the couch with Ted snuggled into your side. Not wanting to interrupt your cuddles he walked over and covered you both with a blanket that was draped along the back of the couch. Tony’s figures gently stroked through Ted’s hair and hesitated before doing the same to you then leaving the room.

On my knees, I’ll ask

Last chance for one last dance

On day 29 the Avengers assembled for a birthday barbecue. Ted had celebrated with his friends the day prior and now he was running around with Cooper, Lila and Nathaniel Barton before Tommy and Billy Maximoff joined in. Tony stood with Rhodey and Steve while watching with a proud smile as young shrieks of excitement and laughter filled the garden.

“Where is Lady Stark?” boomed Thor. “I was promised some of her glorious baking in exchange for my attendance.” Of course he would have come anyway but he did love your baking.

Tony couldn’t spot you when he glanced around. “She must be inside. I’ll be back.”

He stepped into the house to look for you when he heard whispers and sniffles. Suddenly on edge he tiptoed forward into the kitchen. He found Clint hugging you tightly while whispering reassurances as sobs shook your body. Uncertainty and something he didn’t want to name coursed through his veins.

“What’s going on?”

Tony was surprised to see Clint’s eyes glistening when he looked up. Clint opened his mouth but you whispered something and squeezed his hand. He planted a soft kiss on your forehead before striding past Tony who stepped closer as you wiped your tears.

“Sorry. I just needed a moment” you murmured before turning to the cake which Tony could see you had started to add candles to. “Feels like yesterday we brought him home. Where has the time gone?”

Something felt wrong. Like you were deflecting. Still on edge Tony spoke without thinking. “Oh god, are we gonna do this every year?”

The look you gave him splintered his heart. Your eyes sparkled with pain and sadness. It hit him. This was the last birthday you’re going to spend together as a family. You had not yet discussed arrangements for the future. Would you take turns on hosting birthdays or would you celebrate separately? What about Christmases and school holidays? Everything was going to change after tomorrow. It wasn’t fair to question how you were feeling especially as he seemed to be the one walking away with the least inconvenience.

“I’m sorry. That was out of line.” It was the first time he’d apologised since all of this started.

You turned back to the cake. “Please Tony. I don’t want to fight. Not today.”

Tony felt awful when he heard your voice break on the last word. But what nearly sent him to his knees was the pleading tone. He had caused you enough pain and he didn’t want you to waste another tear on him.

“I don’t want to fight you. Ever.”

Thinking back on your time together he remembered that you had never seriously argued apart from the guardian issue. He’d pissed you off to no end but always managed to apologise with a sweet but over the top gesture. Almost instinctively his hand found yours and offered a gentle squeeze. Your teary gaze lifted from the floor to your hands to his face and back.

“Can I help you with that?” He nodded toward the cake.

Surprised you blinked at him before clearing your throat. “Could you please hold the door for me?”

For the first time in a long time he gave you a genuine smile and moved to prop the door open. Mumbling your thanks you carried the cake to the table where Tony proceeded to light the candles. As the group sang “Happy Birthday’ Tony noticed Steve preparing to take a picture. Without hesitating he put one hand on Ted’s shoulder and entwined his free hand with yours. When you smiled softly he wished for this moment to last forever.

Cause with you, I’d withstand

All of Hell to hold your hand

On the last day Tony felt like his feet were frozen in place as he watched you approach. In the hall he could hear Ted rushing to meet you. It was all happening too fast. This would be the last time he carried you in this house as your husband. When you looked at him expectantly Tony swallowed the lump in his throat and cradled you against his chest as he carried you to the front door. As he watched you kiss Ted goodbye before Happy took him to school his heart swelled. When you smiled softly at him and wished him a good day as you had every day since being together he gulped. Tony knew what he had to do.

“I’m sorry, I cannot do this. I don’t want to divorce my wife. I love her.”

The words echoed in his mind. Relief and joy flowed through his body as he thought about returning home to you. He asked FRIDAY to notify the team he would not be in today. There was so much time to make up for and he wanted every moment with you.

Spotting a florist he quickly pulled his car into the lot and went inside. The florist recognised him immediately and was pleased to help him select a bouquet. When asked what he wanted to write on the card Tony beamed and said “I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us part.”

So far away (so far away)

Been far away for far too long

Bounding into the house Tony took in the clean surfaces and comfy homey feeling that you had created. He called out for you but heard no response. After checking the living room he walked into the bedroom to find you curled up on the bed. He knelt on his side of the bed, too eager to wait for you to say something.

“Sweetheart, I’ve been an idiot. Actually I’ve been the world’s biggest idiot.” He groaned at his impromptu rambling and thought about what he really needed to say. “All this time I thought I wanted something else. But I was wrong. I just want you and Ted. And I swear I’ll-”

When you hadn’t responded or moved Tony reached out to take your hand, and frowning when he felt your fingers were chilled.

“Sweetheart, are you ok?”

His hands brushed your forehead which felt normal. Tony desperately pleaded for you to look at him as his hands cradled your face. Your eyes were open but they did not see him. A small smile was frozen on your face. Fear gripped him. Why weren’t you moving? So lost in his panic, Tony didn’t notice when FRIDAY announced she had requested assistance from the Tower.

“Look at me. Sweetie, I need to talk to you. I need you to look at me please.”

“It was cancer, Tony.” Clint sat at the edge of the bed. Tears streamed down his cheeks. His hand held one of yours, reflexively squeezing for an answering grip that would never come. “She told me about it a month ago when I brought Ted home. Dr Cho confirmed the diagnosis and said it was too advanced to treat. Shuri also said that their technology couldn’t help.” Clint gulped, knowing how much the Wakandan Princess had hated conceding defeat. ”All three of us were sworn to secrecy. She didn’t want anyone to know. All she wanted was to have everyone treat her normally and not as a sick person.”

Tony’s gaze locked with your still open eyes, tears pouring from his as he stroked your hair. He wanted to ask why you never told him but Clint didn't seem to be aware of what happened in your marriage over the last month. Reflecting on the moments where pain and grief had tainted your usually loving happy gaze he realised you must have been terrified. Shame and guilt consumed him. He should have done better and supported you.

“She asked me to give you this.” From within his jacket Clint took out a small envelope. Placing a small kiss to your forehead he exhaled shakily and stepped out of the room.

Tony opened the envelope and two pictures fell out. One was a picture of you and Tony holding Ted the day he was born. Both of you beamed down at your son who was asleep on your chest. The other was a picture of Tony holding Ted on the same day, a look of awe on his face. Looking down, Tony saw a small note on the ground with your handwriting.

Tony, if you’re reading this then Clint has told you about my cancer. I’m sorry to tell you like this but I didn’t want to burden or guilt you into changing your mind. All I wanted was for my last days with you and Ted to be as normal as possible. Not just for me but for him too.

We both grew up feeling unloved. You always said that your father was cold and calculating, that he never once told you he loved you. And I spent my childhood moving from one foster home to another until I was old enough to legally make my own decisions. It was cold, miserable and lonely.

Since the day we met you’ve shown me that you are not your father and that you have a big heart with so much love to give. I remember the day we found out I was pregnant. We swore that our child would never feel unloved as we did.

Whatever happens between us, don't let our pasts happen to Ted. Please Tony, let him know how loved and treasured he is.

Please tell Ted how much I love him.

Take care of yourself Tony. I only wish you happiness.

Thank you for the best years of my life. For the love I never thought I’d have. For being my husband and giving me our son.

I love you both

The note and pictures fluttered onto bed. Understanding hit him immediately. No one would ever know how he treated you in the last month. Especially Ted who would only see him as a loving devoted father.

The dam broke as Tony delicately pulled you into his arms. Heart wrenching sounds echoed in the room and wracked his body. He cried so loudly that he didn't hear Clint returning to the doorway until he walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Tony, we need to take her to the Tower” Clint murmured, trying to hold together for his friend and teammate. Breathing heavily, Tony nodded after a second. “Do you want me to- “

“No.” Tony gently closed your eyes and pressed a soft kiss to both your hands and your forehead. “I’ll do it. I promised her” he choked out.

Clint watched as Tony lifted you effortlessly, unaware how this was how Tony had been starting his day for the last month. Tony lovingly tucked your head under his chin so you were supported. His tears fell thick and fast, the weight of emotions crushing him but his grip on you was sure and steady. Clint walked to the front door and opened it so Tony could carry you out. Tony hesitated, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. The smell of your shampoo, the weight of you in his arms, the feel of your hair tickling his nose, his soft promise to love and protect your son. The last time you’ll leave this house together.

Keep breathing

Cause I’m not leaving you anymore

Believe it

Hold on to me, never let me go

[systemuserboxes]

This account is ran by a C-DID system of an unknown amount of alters / fragments, we prefer to stay anonymous and ask you refer to us by Starry or Spacey, we may occasionally sign off based upon roles but generally will not have sign offs on our posts.

We are often inactive as we have our own things to deal with, however we will at some point before working upon a schedule of when we will post.

List of all anon sign offs claimed so far here

There are a few rules for this blog when requesting, they will be listed below :

1. Follow our DNI (listed just below this)

2. Do not request things that are blatantly bigoted in any way (homophobic, transphobic, ableist, racist, ect)

3. Understand we will do things in our own time and that we are allowed to deny any request that we want

4. If you wish to request a specific image to be a part of your userbox provide the image itself or a link to it in the request (this includes specific flags, if there are multiple versions of a flag and you don't specify which one you want we will just pick the most popular)

5. If requesting specific characters, series, ect please provide the full name and source (e.g; Astro from Dandy's world, or Gus from Sweet tooth)

6. We don't have a blacklist persay, but we won't accept requests related to shipcourse because of personal reasons. We also won't accept any requests about "doubles" or telling people of specific sources not to interact. No matter the reason.

Do not interact :

- endos / pro endos (or "non-traumagenics")

- endo neutrals or "anti syscourse" people

- pro contact paraphiles (specifically harmful ones)

- people who use TME/TMA language or don't believe in transandrophobia

- radfems, terfs, trifs, ect

- basic DNI

[fanaticsnail]

Something Like That

Masterlist here, Request link and mood board here.

Word Count: 4,048

Hi everyone! This is the last x-mas fic I can push out before my time away over the holiday period interstate. I hope you enjoy reading for our boy Zoro. Thank you @sordidmusings for keeping me motivated! Merry Christmas, Anon! Just in case it peaks your interest @gingernut1314

Warnings: Fluff, Christmas, talks of battle scars, kissing, dancing

Just like all of the times you had ventured to Baratie, this time had every intention of being no more than passing time with delicious food. The floating restaurant atop a mighty ship was your favorite stop-off on your way home to Lougetown to visit with your extended family; the food’s glowing reputation almost did justice to the divine quality and the accompanying drinks were what dreams were made of. The fact that the staff was comprised of reformed pirates also held an appeal, considering your ties to that lifestyle as a skilled archer.

Bidding farewell to the vessel you had bartered onto for voyage, you heard a strange amount of merriment floating melodically from the wide fish-mouth at the bar lounge of the grand restaurant. You furrowed your brows, arching one up as curiosity held you captivated by the songs seeping to the surface with a wide array of demonstrated skill. Some vocals were sung blissfully, others shouted with no skill depicted within their throats. 

Taking deliberate steps with your bow in hand, quiver strapped firmly against your waistbelt and traveling satchel thrown over your shoulder, you sauntered to the grand doors and lobby of the restaurant to meet the matradee. He welcomed you with a broad smile, which rose to sit comfortably and warmly, peaking at the apples of his cheeks. His regular white formal garb was replaced with a deep emerald green dinner jacket, a small bushel of pointed leaves with red shimmery berries strung together by twine.

“Welcome back to Baratie!” He exclaimed with glee, “I have your usual table awaiting you.” He gestured a guiding hand to the right and indicated for you to follow his direction to the bottom of the twirled staircase.

Your confusion seemed to set in further as you took in your surroundings. The usual bare bars of the railing were ornately decorated with vines of sharpened, needle-like sprigs and small warm lights shining amongst the shrubbery akin to starlight. Your gaze was drawn upwards, noticing a small and sporadic assortment of floral clusters clinging to the roof and down the pillars of the supporting canopy. The bunches were of pale sage green, floating romantically down and arching their spindles out to grasp the pearled white flowers amongst the greenery.

As your gaze fell to rest upon the circular room, you noticed individuals joining against each other in embraces of romantic twirling and swaying. Their voices would raise to join with the tune regardless of how skilled they were to carry the tune, prompting you to raise an apprehensive smile to your lips.

“What is going on, sir?” you asked the fishman matradee as he chaperoned you to your regular table, “this all seems rather strange and unusual for a Monday afternoon, don’t you think?” Your tone of playful jest prompted him to chuckle in response, pulling out your chair for you to sit within your corner booth. Wordlessly, he took your bow and satchel while you unstrapped your quiver to disarm yourself to place your valuable items to be placed in the cloakroom.

“One of our kitchen-hands has returned to us, settling his dining debt from his time with us,” the matradee informed you, a playful twinkle drawn up to his eye, “and in celebration, we’re attempting to showcase a custom he had picked up on his travels.”

You hummed in response with a polite nod, brows raising with interest as you pulled your gaze over to view the diners amongst the crowd. Noticing jovial laughter and an uproar of cheers, you pulled your gaze to seek out its source. A young man with a straw hat atop dark loose curls immediately captured your attention, his eyes upturned and jaw hanging wide as he allowed another heartily laugh escape from his chest. His arms were hooked around the necks of two of his companions, drawing them in closer to his chest; a woman with short orange hair clutched within his right arm, while a bandana-clad man with a similar cheery expression lay gathered within his left.

Scanning over the remainder of the party members surrounding him, your eyes first drew to examine the tall, blonde companion. His hair skewed the view of his left eye, but what you could make of his right; he was a delight to look at. After holding your eyes against the blonde for longer than you truly thought appropriate, your eyes met with the final stranger of the party. His dark hazelnut orbs immediately locked on your probing gaze, bearing a protective intensity, his moss-coloured locks raised without much care as to which direction the strands fell.

As his eyes continued to hold your attention, you stared him down to reciprocate his wordless challenge. His brows furrowed briefly before a wolf-like grin rose to his lips, smirking up to the right-hand side of his face with an air of arrogance. Training as a skilled archer had drilled the practice of continual focus on a multitude of targets. This small challenge set your heart alight with a similar thrill to hunting a foe, the green-haired man not shying away from your attention and focus.

He was captivating. His air of protection and loyalty to his companions transferred without question of translation. You watched as he drew his dominant hand to fall to rest against a white blade hilt at his side, his wrist hanging limply against the handle atop the scabbard. He arched his left brow up at you and gestured with his chin, indicating to you that he would not shy away from a fight if one was to be offered to him. You arched up your brow with your own smirk, gesturing lightly with your hands over your torso and falling down to your waist; indicating you were currently unarmed.

Without breaking your gaze from his challenge, you reached your hand below the white tablecloth, shielding your hand from retrieving an item from your handbag beside you. You let out an audible laugh as you watched him fix his posture more upright, his smirk falling from his lips as his frown deepened in partial alarm. After feeling the hard object you were searching for, you raised it to no longer be obscured from view and rotated it within your hands to demonstrate how non-threatening the item was.

His face immediately dropped at his idiocy as his eyes took in the novel you were holding within your hands, closing his eyes and having a small smile rise to his lips. As soon as his eyes closed and soft chuckle fell from his lips, you relished in the knowledge that he was the first to back away from the intense wordless challenge he initiated with his eyes, indicating that you had won the small victory. 

While his eyes were closed, you fully examined his face. Eyes first shamelessly raking over his hair, trailing down and over his closed eyes and settling on his parted lips. His coy smile now completely risen against his lips held a foreign beauty, the creases of his cheeks indicating such softness was not a common occurrence. He was intriguing, someone you would have considered pursuing should you have had more time between your usual meal at Baratie and the upcoming ferry you had booked to shepherd the remainder of your journey. 

You shook your head, uncaring whether he would meet his intense gaze against yours again as you opened the pages of the novel you had begun reading on your journey out to sea, picking up where you last left off. The words whittled within the pages were of a variety of archery techniques and forms, a gift bestowed upon you by your favorite uncle - the one you held the most joy in rejoining with in Lougetown. 

A gentle cough interrupts the passage you were skimming, drawing your attention up to the waiter beside you. He placed down in front of you a seasonal beverage, the steam rising from the rim wafting towards your nose to envelop your senses with its rich, velvety and creamy scent. You thanked the waiter as he placed an accompanying biscotti beside the treat, the crumbled texture littering the small side dish with pebbles of its buttery substance. 

Reaching towards the handle, you raised the drink to your face, gently parting your lips and circling them to blow on the scorching liquid. After relinquishing your gentle blows to your particular satisfaction, you drew up the mug and took a quick sip of the contents. Immediately flooded by the indulgent flavor of the caramelized chocolate mixing with the creamy and decadent texture of the frothed milk. You sighed, breathing out your pleasure at being once again welcomed by the perfect combination of flavors offered to you at Baratie. Placing down again onto the circular, ceramic dish, you lifted your novel to continue reading from the last page you left of; blissfully ignorant or willfully ignoring the intense pair of eyes continuing to hold firm their locked gaze upon you.

“Something the matter, Zoro?” the Straw-Hat captain asked from beside the swordsman, clutching the bone of a perfectly prepared tomahawk steak within his right hand while chewing on the sinew, “you’ve been staring at that table for a long time now.” The swordsman remained quiet, not truly hearing the words spoken to him.

“”M’fine, Captain,” He mumbled. It was true, he had become entranced by the person he was currently inspecting. His bewitchment had only intensified as he witnessed your knowing and examining gaze falling to seek out the loud and joyous laughter falling in the air of the surroundings. You had to be a hunter, by the looks of you: whether it be seeking bounties, hunting animals or contesting mark-matching with the bow you allowed the fishman to leave with. 

“You sure there, Moss-Head?” Sanji taunted him, his signature smirk ruffling the temperament of the swordsman further, “you seem awfully focussed on the-... -Oh. Oh, they’re quite pretty, aren’t they?” Zoro snapped his gaze up to focus on the chef whose head was now shamelessly pointed directly at you, eyes searching your body and examining him the way Zoro was trying hard not to. 

“What of it, waiter?” he growled in a disinterested snarl. Sanji slowly dragged his gaze from your body over to face the swordsman once more, eyes darkening with a challenging intensity. 

“I think they’re very pretty, indeed,” Sanji’s exposed brow twitched in an upturned flirtatious suggestion. Usopp smirked, leaning in on his elbows to get a better view of the show Sanji was absolutely going to engage against the swordsman while Nami shook her head. Rolling her eyes, she sat back to rest her shoulders against the plush booth, tilting her head down to shield her smirk to remain hidden in her expression of amusement at their rivalry. 

“I think they’re so pretty, in fact,” Sanji snuck another glance at you, watching as you pursed your lips while turning another page of your novel, “I think I’m going to ask them to dance the next round.”

“What’d you say, waiter?” Zoro tilted his head, attempting to hold his composure and feign disinterest at the challenge. The subtle gruff anchor of his voice gave him away, Zoro winced at his own vocal tone. Sanji chuckled at the failed attempt, choosing to draw his elbows against the table and cradle his chin to rest atop his laced fingertips. 

“It’s not like you’re man enough to ask her to dance, anyway,” Sanji’s smirk rose into a broader grin, relishing in Zoro’s physical reaction of sharpening his posture to rise against the jab. The blonde chef chuckled darkly, drawing his lips to press against his fingertips before suggesting with another jab: “Someone like that looks like they’d prefer to be held in the arms of a real man, not something like you, Demon.”

“I’ll let the two of you know when I see one,” the orange-haired navigator murmured in a low tone, her voice immediately capturing the attention of the two bickering crewmates. Usopp feigned pain, clutching at his heart briefly before nodding in confirmation of her comments: both flinging their heads back in unbridled laughter at the motion. Luffy continued to remain blissfully ignorant, finally sucking at the large bone to rid the object from all edible elements of the dish while offering a small laugh of his own. Although he truly had no idea why they were laughing at that moment, he was happy his crew was getting along - to the best of his knowledge, anyway.

That was the occasion after all: merriment and joyfulness being the central point of the entire reason for this celebration. Sanji and Zoro turned back to face each other again, eyes bearing an electric intensity as they met their rival’s challenge. 

“No,” Zoro gruffly growled, his lips curling in a small snarl. Sanji arched his head to stretch out his neck, eyes closing as he felt a gentle ‘pop’ and sighing in reaction. 

“You gonna actually approach them and ask them to dance?” Sanji lazily taunted him, his smirk returning, “or am I going to get there first?”

At that final nudge, Zoro was away from the table and almost stomping his heavy boots against the polished floorboards like a chastised toddler. Sanji chuckled at the response, reaching forward to claim a portion of the confit potatoes to place on his plate. 

“I gotta know, man,” Usopp leant in towards Sanji, his broad smile rising to his cheeks, “were you that interested in them, or just wanted to get a rise from Zoro? I can never tell with you.”

“That’s my secret, Great Captain Usopp,” Sanji’s left corner of his lip curled up in a smirk with a playful glimmer in his eye returning, “I’m always interested in getting a rise out of him. Beautiful strangers are always a bonus. My favorite is when those two things are not mutually exclusive,” he chuckled, collecting an assortment of ingredients on his fork and raising the utensil up to his lips, “two birds with one stone, and all that.”

The thud of heavy boots alerted you to a figure closing the distance between themselves and your body. The thumps of the hard boots against the polished floor reverberated with a sense of danger. Patiently, with a sigh exiting your parted lips, you placed a small piece of parchment back into your novel to tab the chapter and slowly turned to look at the approaching figure. 

“Can I help you?” you asked, a bored tone with a subtle air of cautious warning befalling your cadence. As you drew your eyes up, you noticed the same intense gaze from earlier falling to meet your sat position on the table. His eyebrow seemed to twitch, indicating slight agitation as his jaw was clenched tightly shut. Cocking your head to the side, you allowed a partial softness to grace your features as you danced your eyes between focussing on each of his hazelnut orbs.

“I-, uh-,” the man was stumbling over his words, unable to string a sentence of cohesion together. He raised his hand to the scruff of his neck, pinching the flesh with his calloused hands and grimacing at his expression. 

“You?” you cooed up at him, a smirk rising once more to your lips. You shook your head, hair dancing at the small sway of movement. Your attention was once again captivated by him; the arrogant energy you had initially met your gaze with was dismantled under his apprehensive aura. 

Zoro had every intention of proving how much of a ‘real man’ he was to his crew, although not so much of a display in masculinity; but more of a need to not allow Sanji the pleasure or satisfaction of flirting with someone so enchanting as you. He was going to simply offer his hand to you, smirk in a gesture to ask you to join him on the dance floor and parade you in front of his crew. But alas, as soon as his eyes met with yours once again; he felt helpless and small under your huntress eyes.

“Well, are you going to stand there all rigid, swordsman?” you taunted, reclining in your seat and resting your elbow atop the backrest, “Or are you going to take a seat?”

Again, Zoro found himself taken aback by your direct approach. He followed your index and middle finger as you gestured to the empty seat in front of you. He shook his head a little to rid him of his prior bewilderment and then apprehensively moved to withdraw the chair to take a seat. You took him in, watching his deliberate movements in the way he sat atop the chair: every action intentional. As he sat, he offered no conversation other than broody silence. His eyes would flitter over to check-in on his prior dining companions and grimacing as his gaze was met with taunting gestures from his crew.

“Friends of yours?” you asked him, brow arched and reaching for the handle of your mug. 

“Something like that,” he uttered in a gruff tone, arms folding abrasively over his chest. You chuckled at his tone, taking a small sip from your mug and eyeing him deliberately. 

“Care to share further, or would you prefer having another wordless exchange?” you placed the empty cup back down on the dish and offered another challenging smile. He snapped his eyes back to yours and his smirk rose again to his lips. 

“They’re my crew,” his rumbly chuckle was withheld in his chest beneath his smirk, “I like half of them, but respect the lot of them.”

You hummed in response, index finger dancing atop the rim of your relinquished mug of hot chocolate. “Would you like to tell me more? I’m all ears about the ones you like and the ones you’re less fond of.”

Over the course of the next few hours, the swordsman and you would swap tales of travels throughout the East Blue and the Grand Line. Foes bested, beasts conquered and sorrows overcome: the tales of injuries you had both granted to opponents and received at the hands of them. He leant back against the back of his chair and slowly unbuttoned his shirt and hooked his fingers within the collar and hemline of his shirt to draw it back to showcase proudly to you. You felt your breath hitching in your throat at not only the physique of the swordsman, but in awe at the large healed mark slashed across his torso. You felt utterly ill-seasoned with your smaller indents of arrows and thrown dagger marks littering your shoulders. As you hooked your middle finger in your left shoulder strap and coyly revealed the small silver, healed markings, Zoro was held captivated by the marks to showcase your tales of battle. 

Enamored, awestruck and enchanted; you both held a small lilt of encaptured silence, leaning in on your forearms against the white tablecloth and gazing into the eyes of one another. Respecting your mutual combatant skill, both you and Zoro’s eyes fell half-lidded in adoration as you held each other’s undivided attention. 

The music and merriment fell into a slow tune, reflective of the seasonal tradition Baratie was attempting to celebrate with succession. Zoro was the first to break the silence between you, placing his left hand on the table with his palm up.

“Would you wanna dance?” he asked, his drawl gruff but attempting to remain polite in his request. You smiled, reaching your right hand to fall within his own, his hand immediately circling around your fingers firmly. His thumb circled over your four fingers, caressing his calloused and experienced hands over your skin.

“You don’t seem like much of a dancer, Zoro,” you commented, both rising to your feet. He drew you in close. Keeping his left hand extended upwards, and raking his right over the mid of your back to draw your torso flush with his, he uttered: “I’m not, but it seemed appropriate. Considering the holiday, and all.”

“Ah, yes. We never did quite get to discussing what all this,” you gestured with your chin, smiling at the decorations surrounding the room, “was all about.”

“I’m not really sure on the minor details,” he shrugged, awkwardly swaying you to the music, “Cap’n just said something about different traditions needing to be incorporated. Something about food, music, dancing, and decoration-...-oh. Oh, no-.”

You furrowed your brows, looking up at the roof to follow after his risen gaze. A small sprig of white, pearled flowers hung over your heads, accompanied by sage-coloured oblong leaves wrapped in ribbons of satin and twine. You cocked your head, left brow raising in curiosity at the flowers and their significance. Drawing your gaze back to the swordsman in front of you, you noticed he was stooping himself all the more closer to you.

“What are you doing, swordsman?” you questioned, halting him in his descention towards you. 

“This is one of those traditions,” he said, unlacing your right hand from his left and wordlessly asking with his eyes for permission to cradle your cheek within his palm. You looked at the hand first, then drew your eyes back up to meet his intense gaze. Smiling, you placed your cheek into his awaiting palm while holding his gaze firmly against your own. 

“Touching a stranger’s face beneath strange flowers is a strange tradition,” you furrowed your brows at him once more in curiosity.

“Kissing them beneath strange flowers,” he corrected you, leaning to join his lips immediately against your own. A small squeak fled from your lips, eyes widening as you felt the intensity falling from his chapped lips onto your own.

This was not how you pictured your return to Baratie to go at all. Sure, you had dreamed of meeting a handsome stranger and sharing an embrace with them. The stars just never aligned for you in any way that drew you close enough to share a kiss with them, only ever moments of story swapping or sharing a meal or two with many travelers accompanying you. 

You allowed yourself to become relaxed into the embrace, reaching your hands up to circle his neck below the assortment of flowers. His brows furrowed in concentration as he inhaled sharply through his nose in reaction to your reciprocation. You smiled, closing your eyes and tickling the scruff of his neck beneath your fingertips; lacing his untamed sea-sprayed locks within them. He expertly opened your mouth to taste more of your lips by angling his chin upwards against your own. A small groan rumbled within his chest, passing from his mouth to fall against your own as he continued to cradle you against himself.

Reluctantly, you pulled away from his embrace with your eyes remaining closed. You felt a small pause falling with his next actions, before you felt a warm forehead press against your own. You reopened your eyes, your half-lidded and lazy smile mirrored against the face of the swordsman you just shared a kiss with. 

Interrupting your embrace, an announcement was called over the speakers. The crackle of cables and wires sprung to life within the metal relay, alerting you with a vocal command: “The next vessel to Lougetown has arrived. All those traveling to Lougetown, report to the peer with your documents. Next vessel to Lougetown will depart in twenty minutes.”

“That’s me, unfortunately,” you sighed, eyes remaining closed but lips drawn up in a wide smile. 

“Business in Lougetown?” Zoro’s whisper rumbled within his chest. 

“Something like that,” you withdrew your forehead from its place resting against his own, “much akin to your crew, although I’m held attached by biological relation.”

“Anyone I’d know?” Zoro smirked, eyes remaining partly glazed over enamored by your small daliance. 

“I never ‘name drop’, swordsman,” you cooed up at him while unlacing your arms from his embrace, “but if you’re in the general area,” you retrieved your belongings from your table and laced your handbag and novel over your shoulder, “I’ll be at the G-5 Marine Base with my uncle for the next month for training.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” he smirked, eyes upturning to indicate his joy at the thought of meeting with you once again.