#this came about because of a ship but is not actually a ship

[tobiascaraway]

I am going to talk about my favourite things from chaos theory and of course, the downsides, and my personal opinions!! (Opinions based around the benrius/yasammy topic) So major spoilers ahead under the cut!

Goodsides :D

While chaos theory is a kids show, it definitely displays more mature content, something camp cretaceous did not show! This includes blood, and visual character death (Daniel Kons was specifically gruesome), and description of mental issues, this is specifically PTSD, implied depressive states and breakdowns, the show dives deep into the world of surprise, watching it i was shocked in a good way when a scene came up. Kenji's breakdown was perfectly animated and portrayed.

Each character never faded into the background and they were all equally focused on throughout the season. The show also focused on relationships between the campers, and their families. Specifically Sammy's. Each character has their own comical relief line even when in a dangerous situation. The campers never matured, only grew, they stayed themselves and still act as a group! Same way they did on Nublar.

The plot twists are bonkers, I was not expecting the DPW to be up to sketchy business, nor did I expect suddenly blossoming romance between characters. The budget is definitely higher than it was with camp cretaceous, I couldn't tell if some scenes were animated or real. Beautifully portrayed landscapes.

Overall, the show deserved every amazing rating and my personal rating is an 11/10.

Downsides D:

My first itch was the one-sided romance with Darius and Brooklynn. It certainly was a plot twist but I feel that it was absolutely unnecessary and could've been kept platonic. I feel it would be more heartbreaking and deep if Darius sent her voice messages as a friend, telling her that he's sorry and telling her things about his day. That one scene threw me off on the episode, not because I'm an angry benrius shipper but because it very much could've been kept platonic and felt unnecessary, but was written and played into perfectly. I have absolutely no criticism of the actual writing.

(this was talked about on the discord) - It feels like Brooklynn used to be independent and a baddie in camp cretaceous until she started becoming the love interest, and then it felt like she just became dependent on Kenji and unable to do things herself, so I am hoping that if we get a season 2, that we really get to see Brooklynn not be the love interest and work independently. And I genuinely hope that it won't turn out into another klance situation with Brooklynn, because she was super overhated before, and some angry benrius/benji shippers WILL hate her for "getting in the way of a mlm ship", which is not the case.

My last point was with Darius' health. Darius never got that shine through and we really never got to see how he coped with Brooklynn's death or after the island. They show little cracks but never unpack his full health, which I do hope we get to see in future seasons.

Other than those three points, I really do have nothing to criticise because it was perfect.

Personal opinions/hopes on ships :3

I really do hope we get to see more yasammy content specifically how they build up their relationship more, especially comforting scenes like we got in Ben's soggy van. And Sammy telling Yaz about her family not being in contact, and I would really love to see their relationship play out further and elaborate on the family situation!! :)

-

As I autismed a little too hard and have had a hyperfixation on Benrius since 2021(?), it's not to say I didn't have my hopes up for their relationship in chaos theory, but I also can't say that I expected them to be canon. What maybe the directors could've done is provide that teeny bit of fan-headcanons, because from what I've seen, alot of people from the fandom headcanoned Ben as a gay man, so instead of a girlfriend he would've had a boyfriend. Or they could have Ben lie about the girlfriend because he may have worked out he likes boys, and has internalised homophobia. But back to benrius, they had ALOT of chemistry in camp cretaceous, and for me it was a little disappointing that their relationship dwindled down a little. What I am hoping (manifesting) is that Ben realises his feelings for Darius, and has issues coming out to him and confessing.

Despite my opinions and criticism, the show is definitely worth the watch and deserves every thumbs up from the viewers. I thank everyone who worked on chaos theory and put their best effort into it. 11/10 show. Thank you.

[jouhyprfix]

Be for real, the reason there's this so called "Tommy erasure" in journalists content is simply because there's a lack of Tommy content in the actual show. Journalists write about the show, not about fanfics/headcanons. Just face the reality...

Hi Anon,

You mentioned facing reality, so let’s talk about that. B*ddie canon is not reality. It’s not something happening in the present day. You mentioned that journalists talk about the show and not about fanfics, well last time I checked, Buck and Eddie as romantic partners exist only in fanfics and not in the show.

Even though Tommy as a side character might not have as much screen time or development, he still plays an integral role in Buck’s storyline, it's still important to acknowledge his significance in shaping Buck’s bisexuality journey and recognizing his impact on the overall narrative. As much as you want to deny it, Eddie doesn’t serve that role in Buck’s journey and that’s real.

As I mentioned in my post, journalists shouldn’t pander to fans or let the demands and speculations of the fandom influence their questions, about two characters with no indication from the show that they will become a couple.

I think that Tim, the producers, and ABC have seen this pattern in media coverage of the show and so by having Lou and Oliver interview together, they want to make it clear that this is the story they are telling, and these are the two people they are telling it with. So, enough with the B*ddie questions.

Buck and Eddie are portrayed as best friends who love and care for each other. This has been confirmed by Ryan and Oliver in many interviews, and that’s real.

So, next time you decide to reply to my posts, please come up with valid points that are rooted in REALITY.

In the meantime, I suggest you read this article instead of daydreaming on AO3.

[deluweil]

Thanks for your response to that other anon about Tommy; you’re totally right. I also was intrigued, even liked him and Buck after their first kiss. But his closet comment and behavior on their first date, like he didn’t care that Buck has LITERALLY just figured out his bisexuality and that’s A LOT to process, his dismissive attitude towards Buck’s ideas and feelings (the bachelor party henley, the “enjoy it while it lasts” at the medal ceremony)….and then add in the way some fans have gone 0 to 100 on them so quickly, even calling them endgame, and likely at least in part JUST because it’s two men…it’s become such a turn off. I was neutral, even wanted to like them at first, but now am counting the days until it ends. And it’s not because I’m a BoB or would dislike any Buck LI that isn’t Eddie. And I don’t agree with anyone getting HATE (we can sideeye and judge people’s actions ($cameos$) But I think seeing Buck in a canon male/male relationship has caused some people to lose their damn minds. Ship and let ship! Stay in your sandbox, we’ll stay in ours!

LOL I am so removed from all the crowing bummies that I have to ask wth is BoB?

I actually went to look it up and found some interesting options, I am going with this one:

"Bob" is a generic and common name, and using it can be a way of avoiding formalities or creating a relaxed and approachable atmosphere

If you have the other meaning go ahead and tell me, like bummies I understand what benefits me in the moment😂

I kinda wish ppl will look up the meaning of "comphet" (I actually looked it up) that Ryan keeps bringing up in his interviews - that way ppl can stop saying crap things about him being the one to derail Eddie-T because he was supposedly against it. - Which is bullshit, Tim repeatedly said it was because the Natalia actress couldn't come back and M actress could. - Also, Originally T was supposed to be Lucy, she just couldn't come back so they took Lou in a pinch, so Obviously the endgame sure as shit wasn't the pilot.

And you're right, T's attitude was condescending at best, I was talking about it with a mutual the other day, and said that if they really had an interest to build BT properly, also by the time they came up with BT they knew they were being renewed for S8, they could have slowed into this. Actually make Buck's coming out story, a coming out story, not "So first date was a bust, how bout you come to my sister's wedding?" like who does that?

They could have started as friends with Lou being a gay guru, they could have had private dates until Buck was actually out to everyone and ready to be seen in public.

There could have been feelings involved that developed over time.

I gave the example of Tim-Ashley vs Nolan-Bailey from The Rookie, while Ashley was fairly kept to the background (btw she got more screen time than T, just saying) while Bailey was constantly and still being weaved into the story, intricated into Nolan's life, because he was meant to end up with her.

What ppl, who seem to have never watched good tv in their lives, don't seem to understand is that there is a way to write a story, and 911 not only screwed up spectacularly with Buck and Eddie's storylines, but they managed to make it clear from the get go that any LI to come along would be written just bad enough for it to be clear that they are not lasting.

Even furious, Eddie never walked away from Buck. Even when Buck was an asshole in 2x01, Eddie stood his ground and insisted they sort it through making it clear that they are on the same side, that he cares about him and wanting to be his friend. - His partner, a team.

Tommy, like all his predecessors, walked away as soon as something didn't fit his little comfort zone. Tommy walked away on that first date, he didn't contact Buck after that, Buck had to make contact and apologize for not being comfortable on his first date with a guy, like how messed up is that?

And Tommy's little acid retort in front of Eddie in the restaurant before that? From the side it's hilarious for someone who was never in that position. It was mean and uncalled for, but not exactly a surprise because T was never much of am understanding person, he was pretty much an ass from the get go in S2, only difference now is that he is out of the closet.

How did Athena put it when Michael first brought his new bf home after they got divorced? "If Michael had cheated on me with a woman, no one would have expected me to slap on a fake smile and welcome her into my home."

And that is exactly what the GA expects us to do, so what if Buck injured Eddie for attention? He's bi now.

So what if T was an ass and pretty much dismissive towards Buck and talks to him often in a bored way like one talks to a child? He's gay now.

A certain sexual preference does not excuse bad behavior. A person's behavior is supposed to be taken at face value, and not excused just because that person is now seeing someone who happens to be of the same gender.

Crappy behavior is just that - crappy behavior - equal accountability and all that.

I actually liked Taylor for Buck in S2, I think Lucy could have been perfect for him in S5, but the writers made sure to smear their characters in the eyes of the GA from the beginning, thus ending up with another failed relationship, while Buck's relationship with Eddie thrives from one episode to another for the last 7 seasons. One has to wonder about that even if they don't ship buddie.

Same pattern here with T. I was prepared to like him with Buck, I was prepared to see Buck making his way out of the closet with someone who would make him feel safe to do it, not kiss him unprepared under the pretense of coming originally on Eddie's behalf. Not that crap show that was that restaurant date. Not Buck apologizing after feeling insecure and exposed in public for the first time out of the closet and so many other things. - I'm getting the same vibes as Taylor looking through her phone in disinterest in 4x11 as Buck recites some google fact.

And you're right, the fans going from 0-200 after one kiss was just ridiculous, like chill people have you never seen two men kiss before?

I have, on screen and in RL, I grew up with lovely lgbtq+ friends from childhood, it's not all that. When my gay best friend dated someone who didn't treat him right, I told him to get rid of him. When my cousin's gf treated her like property and like she owes her something I urged her to find a better more nurturing person to be happy with.

Two men kissing is not endgame making, hell, from experience two men having sex (hot as it is) is not endgame making.

Love, passion, trust, security, fun, friends gatherings where they're cute and gross, can be made into a healthy endgame making relationship.

Buck and Tommy have physical attraction, they make for a steamy picture but nothing else.

And Lou, I am just... I don't know, I would have preferred not to find out the things he's done as cast of 911, I am just so disappointed.

I loved Lou, now it's just meh. Like he's trying to make as much money as he can before he finishes his way in the show is all kinds of wrong. Also very misleading to the ppl who are hanging on his every word. (And I don't think Oliver likes it either, he is pointedly ignoring any scene with T, not promoting anything that doesn't involve Eddie and Christopher or Buck's own development).

Even Ryan didn't know he was going to get shot until he got the 4x13 script, he was sure he was being killed off until he talked to whoever was showrunner at the time lol.

So Lou can't know he just talks out of his ass and make himself look bad in the process.

And I agree, ppl should be free to ship whoever they desire, but they are not entitled to force their desires upon others, I'm talking about both sides of the ships not just one. (Although I gotta say I've never got hate asks until a certain ship popped up this season. A lot of hateful - now blocked anons - that I refused to give stage to.)

These toxic battles are useless and made this season worse than it's writing.

All that's left is kick back and hope this season's last episode can salvage the poor and repetitive storylines we got this season, - I mean even Henren and Bathena got a replay of S4.

And don't even get me started of the fart shaped storyline Eddie got after switching last minute.

I'm tired lol

didn't mean for this to become this long monster, If you made it this far thank you, sending LOTS of love. ❤️

[olderthannetfic]

i'm kind of getting really tired of people acting like they're so ambivalent to who tops or bottoms in a ship. like at a certain point it just comes off as arrogant and sounds like "i'm so much better than you because i don't have a preference for top/bottom and i think it's badwrong to treat fictional characters like this because top/bottom is just a position and not personality trait and blahblahblah" and like. sigh. what are fictional characters if not our play things to do with as we please? having a preference for who tops/bottoms is normal, there's nothing wrong with liking whatever you like. shaming people for having a preference is actually crazy and it feels a little purity culture adjacent? it's also very annoying that people like this refuse to tag their fics with who tops or bottoms, like out of spite of hating people who have a preference. like i've literally seen in the notes of a fic "if you care who tops or bottoms this fic isn't for you. i'm not tagging it." and fine, that's fair, i won't read it... but why not just tag for the people who have a preference? what's the big deal? and just as a side note, i have noticed that in certain fandoms the people who behave like this are the ones who tend to characterize their bottoms a certain way. they will parrot "top/bottom isn't a personality trait" but then they are incapable of writing a bottom who isn't characterized *like that*. iykyk. (referring to mostly over-feminization of a very masculine character in canon, or automatically making the smaller/shorter/younger the bottom). if that's what you like, fine! great! but (for example) if you make bucky barnes the bottom of your stucky fic, and you've turned him into this frail waif, or made him completely interchangeable with a woman, i would appreciate a tag so i can avoiding reading it, because in opening a stucky fic, i came here to read about two big beefy masculine men (unless tags stated otherwise), you know? 😂😭 and i don't think there should be anything wrong with wanting that! i don't think there should be anything wrong with wanting to read whatever characterization you want! i just wish people would stop judging or shaming people for having a preference, and would tag their shit accordingly. sorry for the rant!

--

Not judging and knowing what to tag are very different things.

[krizariel]

Stripper jason dating CEO Timmy :X

Big thank you to @galkyrie for indulging my midnight jaytim brainworms, helping me make sense of them and adding more to it. This is basically me putting together our convo, so not much of a fic.

FYI, for those who care about this: This AU ended up being switch because we can't help ourselves hence why I tagged both jaytim and timjay. Generally my AUs are more vague on that regard but on this one there's mention of both dynamics so figured, fair warning on this one.

They met at a small party thrown by Dickie and Kory (dating or married idk, whatever fits your fancy) for Dickie’s birthday. Tim is like a little brother to Dick and by extension, to Kory. Jay is close friends with Roy and Kory.

Somehow Tim and Jay had never crossed paths before; with Tim taking over higher responsibilities at the company because his father is ready to retire and leave it all up to him - he is proud of his son and despite whatever Tim says, Jack knows his son is more than ready - Tim has been busy and barely had time to socialize and well, have a life out of work.

They start talking, they hit it off pretty well. Somehow what they do for a living didn’t come up in their conversation because they were too busy talking about their hobbies, Star Trek, AngBang (Sauron has a ship and Jason couldn’t stop talking about it) and  whether or not smore’s count as dinner.

They exchanged numbers but Tim never got to call him again until one night he saw him performing at the club. It was Tim’s birthday and as a surprise, his friend dragged him to a popular stripclub. Roy worked as a bartender there so he’d slip them free drinks every now and then.

When the show started, the room went crazy. Apparently, Jason was very popular and indeed, he was amazing. At some point Jason actually noticed him and even waved at him while he was spinning on the pole.

Steph: I’m sorry… did Mr. Beefcake actually waved at you!? 

Tim: Looks like it

Steph: YOU KNOW HIM?

Tim: Well, remember that guy I told you about that I kinda liked, mayyyybe had a little crush on?...

Steph: YOUR CRUSH IS A STRIPPER?

Tim: I DIDN’T KNOW THAT PART!

Tim was a bit embarrassed and figured it was probably for the best that he never called him to ask him out, as he saw Jay work and all his audience ogling over him… he didn't know how he felt about dating a stripper. Plus, who knows if he’d even be interested… he must have many people behind him and flirting and looking like a sin incarnate is part of his job.

They met again out of work but Jay didn't even want to talk to him again because he figured Tim was just another uptight asshole who just judged Jay for his job so he didn't call him again and avoided him. Tim felt like a real asshole and figured it didn't harm to be friends... Jay was really cool and Tim enjoyed his time with him. Tim apologized for how he came through at the beginning.

Since then, they became friends, sometimes they would text or meet for coffee. It’s not dating - he tells himself-  and every time he’d make a stop by the stripclub to grab a drink, hang out with Roy and Kory at the bar, ~~maybe catch a glimpse of Jay as he danced, flirted and got flirted back~~ he was always reminded of it.

Sometimes he’d get a lapdance himself. What’s the harm…nothing is gonna happen anyway. But oddly enough they’d mostly talk about their day. Tim would be the kind of guy that would sit on his hands to not touch and Jason found it really cute. He enjoyed teasing the little guy.

Other times, Tim pays for a private room/dance to give Jay an hour break from being on the floor, because he notices he is tired. Jason was surprised at first because he thought Tim was finally pulling moves on him but nope, instead he wants nothing but to give him a break and spend time with him, pulling his laptop to watch Star Trek since Jason hadn’t watched it and was interested. Jason just kept falling and falling for Tim’s little gestures. He knew Tim found him attractive, it was obvious, but he was always the proper guy, never making any advances, just making Jason feel cared… which WAS WORSE! because he was starting to imagine it was Tim instead of those men or women who’d he’d dance for. Jay just wanted Tim to fucking snap and fuck him senseless in that stupid couch from the private room. Meanwhile, Tim was starting to finally stop being in denial and was working out the courage to ask Jay on a date because he knows he caught feelings hard.

The next time Tim paid for a private dance, Jay was having none of it. He was going to put on a show and was determined to make Tim snap. 

Jason, rolling his hips so his abs are almost brushing Tim's face: who'd think a CEO would be so timid … (Art here )

All the while Tim’s hands are hovering over his skin and not yet touching. Jason's kind of expecting him to get aggressive, or super eager, once he does touch him, but Tim's almost reverent when his fingertips brush along his outer thighs. Tim really -really- wanted to ask Jason out first but he is just about to lose it. And he does, eventually, snap and fuck Jason senseless on the couch. While they are cuddling Tim finally tells him he has been meaning to work up the courage to ask him out... Tim just tells him he wants to date him for real, he deserves to be dined and wined and maybe they are doing all this out of order… and Jason doesn't know how to respond because how is this man so damn cute and yet so savage. Jason asks him if he is sure… he doesn’t want this to be a on-time thing but he’d understand. Most of his previous lovers have ended quickly because they tried to pull the “savior” card, couldn’t get past what he does for a living and he doesn’t have plans to change this for anyone. But Tim is sure, he thought about what this means and he really wants to try if Jay will have him. Tim brings Jason flowers when he picks him up for the date and opens his car door for him. Just total romantic shit that Jason should be too jaded to fall for, but...it's Tim.

So it works on him, because he's already gone on Tim.

By the fourth course Jason's already daydreaming about peeling Tim out of his fancy suit and having his way with him on whatever stupid fancy couch he has at his penthouse. When they get back to Tim's place and Jason eases himself onto the couch and pats his lap like: I think it's your turn to be the one in my lap Tim: hope I don't need to dance because let me tell you already, I suck. But Jay walks him through it, gives him directions and suddenly Tim is taking orders. He finds he likes giving away control if its Jay.

For a while they were dating secretly but it was just because Tim didn't want the inevitable attention on their relationship and wanted to have privacy for them to develop their relationship first. He respected Jay’s job, he did it because he liked it and he was certainly amazing at it - but then Tim realized Jay might not be ok with Tim always introducing him as a friend even among their close friends because he thinks Tim is ashamed so he took Jay as his date to a Wayne gala. And of course people around Tim take it as a license to badmouth Jay and mock Tim by insinuating they had seen all there is to Jay (since some of them apparently went to the strip club Jay worked at). Jay was actually very charmed with Tim because unlike other boyfriends he’s had, Tim didn’t try to make him quit his job. Truly it took a lot from Tim at the beginning to get used to Jay dancing and everyone ogling over him… sometimes some men or women would recognize him while they were on a date and talk so amicably with him essentially ignoring Tim’s presence…but Tim focused on the fact that only Tim got to see how Jay sang while he cooked; how he genuinely laughed like a dork; how he screamed Tim’s name when he reached climax, how he slept like a starfish, etc, and slowly found he loved that more than any jealousy or insecurity he could feel.

and if you missed it, timjay art here

[buddiebeginz]

If they are keeping Lou around for any part of season 8 the show has to put an end to the cameo nonsense. Some of the Buck/Oliver takes that are starting to make the rounds are next level insane. I saw one scolding Oliver for making Lou do all the promoting of the ship. Another post said the writers needed to up Buck's game because he's not at the level of commitment yet that Tommy is being written (wtf when were these episodes). And yet another post scolding Oliver for promoting Buddie and Buck for continuing to spend time with Eddie.

They are taking these PAID (you paid him to say this shit) videos and making them canon. No part of anything he's saying is canon. Firstly, he wouldn't be allowed to tell them any actual canon facts and secondly Oliver/Buck is the character/actor the show gives a shit about. He's encouraging this nonsense and it's gross. Him promoting himself is fine, it's low-key cringe given the fact the other half of the ship is silent but you do you, babe. Oliver's silence is what's pissing his fans off. Seriously tell me you're new to Captain Starks ways without telling me you're new. He promotes no ship but the Buddie ship, canon or not. These people are here for Lou. When he goes, happy for him to take them with him.

I'm not sure why they keep letting him do those cameos especially after he pissed people off when he said T*mmy being homophobic and racist to Hen and Chim was just teasing. He also talked about people recognizing him in Thailand in the AH interview and did this fake stereotypical asian accent. 🤦‍♀️He really needs a better agent and some media training because they'd for sure tell him to knock that shit off.

I could see the cameos being fun to do a few times when he first came back to the show even to garner excitement about B/T and T*mmy but the fact that he's done so many now and has even raised the price just makes him look desperate for attention. And like you said he gives all these headcanons about T*mmy in his videos that his obsessive fans have taken for absolute fact. We would never hear the end of it if Buddie fandom was paying Ryan for videos like that.

I agree with you that a majority of B/T stans are here first and foremost for T*mmy and Lou not Buck and Oliver. I still can't believe that a lot of them used to be Buddie shippers. I think everyone should be able to ship what they want including multishipping but I don't get how some of them dropped a ship they were seemingly invested in for years for the nothing that is B/T.

That part of fandom also loves to call us delusional and say we're seeing only what we want to see but a lot of times we're just pointing out what's actually happening. Like in the recent episode T*mmy was being a downer to Buck's enthusiasm (which has basically become the norm for them). The camera also paned to Eddie after Buck got his award not T*mmy. Buck chose to run off to Eddie's after work not to T*mmy's. These are things the show is literally showing us not just stuff we're imagining.

It's similar with Oliver. They can come up with all the reasons in the world why he's never promoted B/T through this entire season but it doesn't matter because he still hasn't and likely won't. I've seen them say Oliver doesn't post anything about B/T or Lou to avoid dealing with the hate or to not upset Buddie fans or to protect Lou. The thing is though Oliver has left social media before when he's had issues and could again if he wanted to. He's also been dealing with homophobic comments since Buck came out but he's never shied away from talking about Buck coming out and has even addressed the hate on his insta.

Oliver liked a couple of B/T pieces of art when the story first happened but I think that was more to support the bi Buck storyline and the artists than anything else. Multiple times during this season he's liked Buddie art (including a tattoo which he commented on three times) he's also posted Buddie related and Ryan stuff on his stories. If he wanted to show support to Lou or B/T he could easily post on his stories where people can't comment. B/T stans can think what they want but it's clear Oliver doesn't promote any of that because he's rooting for Buddie harder than anyone. I think he knows B/T isn't going to be around forever and he's trying not to lead people on about it as he's said in the past he hates to do that.

I really hope we can get rid of T*mmy at the end of s7 although knowing Tim he'll probably keep him for added drama until s8. Unfortunately even when B/T ends I expect those fans to do a lot of complaining because they've concocted this whole idea in their head that T*mmy is Buck's endgame soulmate. They even want T*mmy to be added on as main character and get a begins episode. So I fully expect some of them to riot when he inevitably gets the ax. The rest will probably run back to Buddie the minute it becomes canon and try to pretend they never left. Jokes on them though because a lot of Buddie shippers have blocked them for how awful they've been this season especially towards Eddie.

[moonbaby26]

Title: The Crane

(Chapter 11 of Doflamingo’s Marine Series)

*Crossposted to AO3 Here*

Chapter Pairings: Doflamingo x Reader, Doflamingo x Tsuru (platonic, mostly)

Chapter Warnings: language, heavy petting, emotional manipulation, mommy issues, implied praise kink, trauma response, blood, violence (flashback)

Chapter Synopsis: Still on Doflamingo’s ship as it nears Dressrosa, you and the Donquixote captain remain holed up in his cabin together. But after a much anticipated phone call, you finally learn a bit more about his and Vice Admiral Tsuru’s shared past.

Chapters: 1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  11

——————————

—————————— 

You didn’t speak. His wet fingers were moving through your hair, massaging into your scalp as you watched the soap further clouding the water around you both.

You knew Doflamingo’s purposeful movements weren’t those of contrition, nor were they mercy. 

These lingering touches that now crept across your body were more like the tendrils of indoctrination. 

Trust me. His hands said.

Need me. Exuded from that warmth of his hard abdomen now pressed against your back, and his bent legs still spread around you, walling you in on either side within the large tub.

You closed your eyes, the bathwater running over your face while he poured it from a metal pitcher, down above your head to rinse it. 

Even if the warlord’s current actions should have felt pleasurable and excessively intimate, you were entirely somewhere else within your own mind then. Still replaying that prior violence you couldn’t reason with or accept.

To you, there’d been no honor on either side of that brief fight. But as skewed as things had already become between the two of you, you’d somehow felt as guilty over your own actions as you had been threatened by his.

Because you couldn’t forget that moment of his helplessness, the brief fear in his body after you had attacked him without warning.

Nor could you forget the bewildered rage in his mismatched eyes immediately after when he’d struck you back twice as hard. Not an ounce of regret or hesitation in his fist for you then.

“You’re shaking again…” Doflamingo’s low voice came as you felt those large hands move back to your shoulders once he had set the pitcher back in the bathwater.

You watched that vessel as it floated briefly empty, before it tilted enough to take on water and sink. The metal grazing your ankle under the water as the pitcher found the tub bottom.

“I’m just in pain.” You somewhat lied. The trembling was more an outlet of severe emotions. Stress leaving the body when you wouldn’t let yourself cry again in front of him.

And at that, those same long fingers massaged across your collar bone before sliding up and around your throat.

You waited for his hand to close there too as it normally would. But he only chuckled, actually caressing your jaw instead as he stretched his legs out further.

Those lean calves with the fine blond hairs running down them came out of the water then as Doflamingo lifted both of his ankles to rest them on the far edge of the tub.

He was all too comfortable. A continued insult really, when even now he must not see you as truly dangerous to him. He couldn’t, to be so content with his wet legs spread on either side of you. A devil fruit user willingly lounging in water to be made more vulnerable.

“And you’re just as pretty with all these bruises you know.” He spoke that twisted compliment abruptly rather than any apology of contributing to them.

You felt him toying with your hair again next, just before his hand slid down your front, gently cupping the breast he’d bitten so harshly earlier.

He couldn’t keep his hands off of you. Not now or then. And you breathed out, with just the sheer audacity of him. 

“I don’t see how they’ll ever heal either. You don’t give me a break.” You responded, albeit with the back of your head leaned into him all the more as his fingers started lightly massaging your exposed chest.

“Mmm?” He made that noise and you could hear the bit of a grin forming again in his next words. “But you liked how I handled you in Scylla well enough. Don’t forget all that just because you thought you’d already be running back to Momonga by now. You were going to use me and run again…”

Of course he’d thrown focus right back on you with that. As if he was never responsible for anything with his extreme reactions and manipulations. 

“I didn’t use you.” You managed. But you knew he’d never take real blame regardless. “And yes, I did like it there. I liked when you were in a good mood. So are you just going to sell that villa now?” You still tried to divert into something less important yourself as you weren’t in the mood for another argument.

“Should I?” He answered so immediately though, surprising you a little when he accepted that shift in topic that easily. His hand was still roaming between your breasts before he closed his legs enough for his thighs to hug either side of you again beneath the water. “I was thinking you may like it as a wedding gift actually. You barely got to see the island after all…I’m sure you’ll want me to take you there again won’t you?”

And at that you did twist, enough to try to look up at him. You knew this was bait. Of course you knew this, but how could you not react?

He was really smiling too. It actually carrying up into his uncovered eyes as well. The right eye at least looking mischievous in the way it narrowed. The left clouded as always as he loosened the grip of his legs around you. He let you shift so that you could face one another again in the bathtub.

“Well?” He still goaded a little more in response to your stare. “Would that be acceptable to your tastes, woman? A private vacation home for Dressrosa’s soon to be queen? After all, why would we want anyone else living in and sullying our very first nest?”

And you wanted to just blurt out that he was full of shit, especially then. Or to at least say that you couldn’t be bribed half this easily. Which was true. Real money and all the extravagance that came with it did little for you in the end.

But the way he’d said the last part specifically. It did bring back those mental images of being twisted up with him in that bedroom in Scylla. Day and night as he’d mounted you like a beast in heat and kissed you up and down over and over again before falling asleep in each other’s grip for the very first time. 

The city where you’d played pretend with him as well. Holding hands and eating and dancing. Watching fireworks light up the dark, side by side like you’d never truly hurt each other again.

“Then when can we go back?” You finally replied. Maybe daring to think for even a moment that your boldness would call his bluff.

Because of course you rather be in Scylla if there was a choice. Even after all that had happened now, it was still the island from your childhood dreams. And more of a neutral ground for you both to be sure.

Yet Doflamingo didn’t falter, that wicked grin only growing as his right eye locked onto yours.  

“Fuck, woman. We could turn this boat back around right now and elope if you’d like. But…I know you are a little worse for wear right now. I want to get you protected back in Dressrosa first. Now that I’ve put your name out there, you may have more new ill wishers than you realize.”

And that was something you hadn’t even considered yet at all. Pirates always had enemies. And the bigger the pirate, the worse they would be. But they couldn’t know whether you were something Doflamingo would negotiate for either. Actually, you didn’t even know the answer to that yourself. 

But he was still talking as your attention went back to him.

“We can plan something more public while you recover. I’m not against that church in Scylla as our venue in the end though. Because can you imagine our guest list? Every pirate and marine that’s even worth a damn? And then shove them all together? Not sure even I want that kind of mess on my doorstep in Dressrosa. If we take the party to another island though, the cleanup becomes someone else’s problem.” 

“You’ve…actually thought about this already.” And as guarded as you still should have been, some tiny part of you did feel thoroughly floored at the idea of returning to that famous church in such a context. 

A beaten down brat, just a daughter of a literal whore out of a starving town in the North Blue could never have even fantasized to that level. Just seeing that church in person had seemed impossible to you for the longest time.

But to be married there?

Even if fake and loveless, even with chains and caveats stretching to infinity, there was something both awful and amazing in that concept.

“I think you’ve thought of it too.” He taunted, surely noticing that conflicted expression on your face. His white teeth practically beaming down at you with the wideness of his smile. “Though I do need to still get you a ring. Big News Morgans is trying to hurry us along, hinting it as a secret engagement already. But the very moment I do call you my fiancee publicly, I’m going to make sure that everyone knows it.”

And he’d bent his back and neck forward enough to lean into you again. This time face to face as you allowed it, even welcomed him as you sensed that sudden softness.

It was another deep kiss as he parted his lips to let you in. Your eyes were still slightly open, enough to watch his close as he made a pleasured sound.

It was back to affection now. These mind games he played that you just couldn’t overcome.

His hands were on your arms, helping to hold you up as you moved more onto your knees. One kiss transitioning into another and another. Your sore face was still aching all the while as his tongue gently swept across your mouth.

“It’s going to be fine…” Doflamingo breathed abruptly between that exchange. “…because you’ll endure anything I throw your way…won’t you, darling?”

And there seemed to finally be the summary of his approach with you right now. Instead of working on his own self control to not repeat this kind of damage again, he was going to simply trust you to survive it.

He was making this your current responsibility…not his. 

———————————

You didn’t bother to put any clothes back on. You only had so many clean uniforms in your luggage. And you feared Doflamingo just ruining more of them as your still damp body now lay on his mattress.

Like magic, all the blood stained sheets and bedding had been changed by his servants while the two of you had been in the bath with the door closed. And there was then a tray of hot food and another couple bottles of wine with clean glasses waiting.

The food was some rice dish with poultry and lots of peppers that you now declined, stretched out and resting again instead while Doflamingo ate.

He remained nude as well, sitting cross legged on the bed beside you with paperwork in one hand that he was reading. A spoon in his other as he ate from a bowl that was hanging seemingly precariously in mid air.

More strings were supporting the bowl of course, a unique substitute for a table as you’d actually started to fall back asleep.

You’d been through so much in just the last twenty four hours. And the quiet was mostly all you wanted before a transponder snail had started ringing abruptly.

As your eyes opened again to that noise, you saw Doflamingo looking around. There were multiple snails on shelves throughout his large captain’s quarters.

But this ring did sound more muffled as he emptied his hands, then sliding off the bed, and walking to try and track it. 

You didn’t care at all though. At least not until you saw him crouch near your bags.

You’d spent nearly the entire day on this pirate ship by now. The sun had set again and this was the first time your snail had ever rang.

He cast you an annoyed look back over his shoulder. “Well…which of your boyfriends do you think this is?”

And you tried not to show any emotion in response as Doflamingo unzipped the bag roughly. The silence from your fellow marines to this point had been more proof to you that you were truly on your own now.

Just as Sengoku had made Momonga stand down, that directive must have gone out to everyone. Even when you still couldn’t fully understand why.

But you said nothing to the pirate. He was going to do what he wanted. You just watched as he pulled that snail up and out, bringing the receiver to his ear with a scowl.

“You’ve reached the Donquixote pirates. We’re a bit busy right now.” He mocked, already turning to walk back towards the bed with your phone still in hand.

Yet then his eyes widened and you saw him stop immediately. 

He took a breath and the corners of his mouth shifted back up in what seemed like an almost nervous smile. He looked down to the ground, listening. For several seconds even to whatever the unknown party was saying to him before he made eye contact with you again.

And his tone had completely changed then. Smooth, but cautious. Careful as he started to walk to you again. “How harsh…really. She’s fine, Tsuru-san. She’s right here.”

Your heart had absolutely jumped into your throat at that name of course. You were then sitting up instantly as Doflamingo slid himself back onto the bed beside you. The snail now between the two of you as he clicked it onto speaker without you even having to fight him for it.

“Vice Admiral!?” You blurted, just relief and hope and so much dread mixing all at once as some last remaining wall within you started to further crack. 

And she too made a sound of audible relief even within her clear anger. “Thank heaven. How badly are you hurt?”

You did see Doflamingo’s body bristle slightly at the question, but he was fully disregarded by you both in this moment. 

Your voice remained rapid, but stressed. You had waited so long to hear her again. Even now in your utter shame for everything she must already know.

But work always came first. And it was so much easier to debrief on the initial cause of your injuries rather than what had worsened them today.

“I’m so sorry, Tsuru-san!” You were trembling again. You felt that wetness in your eyes beginning already. “I screwed up. I got pinned down protecting that girl. I didn’t ration my armament well enough. And-”

Tsuru said your name fully then. Kind, but so effective in silencing you in that heavy tone you’d so rarely heard from her. “No. You did exactly as you had to do. You saved that girl’s life. But that’s not what I’m asking you about. Has he hurt you?”

And this time Doflamingo refused to be ignored, leaning in to loom over that snail as his voice rose to snap back. “If anything, she would have bled out without me! Throwing her life away for that Nefertari brat! Would you have rather had that happen, Tsuru!? Should I have just left her for whoever really did it to take revenge at their leisure later!?”

The room was quiet after, his emerging petulance so evident. But you were right here in front of him. You saw his chest muscles tighten, and his hand clench into the bedsheet as well.

This was more than anger. The look in his good eye was actually becoming something closer to desperation then. But Tsuru read that tone in his words even better than you. She’d known him far longer.

“It really scared you that badly then…did it, boy? You thought someone was going to take something from you?” Tsuru questioned flatly.

And Doflamingo’s tense mouth hesitated, surprise edging into his eyes next. 

“You possessive, childish, selfish little brat.” She continued, bitterly even before he could retort. Not letting up in her accusations. “You panicked. You made a drastic move, and now you think you’ve won? But you have no idea how to care for another person! You’re only plunging head first into another disaster.”

His teeth grit and his hand moved from the bedsheet to hold to you instead at that. His arm actually went around your waist as he drug you back into his lap all in one strong movement.

You tried not to make a sound that she would have heard with the pain that caused. But he spoke right over you anyway.

“It won’t end that way! Because she’s not weak! She’ll heal, and then I can teach her to be even stronger. She’s already learned all she can from you. And I told you this was what I was going to do! I told you goddamn years ago!”

So rarely had you gotten to hear both sides of their arguments. But this was not the confident and antagonistic Doflamingo you would have expected. Even as combative as his words sounded, his body language still didn’t match it.

The nervous rate of his breathing, the way he was holding you so tightly now. As if you might slip away somehow. Away from him and back to her all over again.

“Even you can’t be this deluded.” Tsuru spoke. Calm by comparison, but her own anger sounding so much deeper. “You can’t lock her away. She’ll never thrive. She’s not meant for a cage. No matter how pretty you might pretend it can be. Dressrosa would be a prison. And a marriage to you nothing more than an additional tightening of the noose.”

You felt a twitch in his hands. And you heard the growl before he spat back. His words addressed to her, but his cheek almost against yours as he’d draped himself around you fully then, still seated together with your back against him. “I fell for a marine, Tsuru…so she can stay one if that’s what she really wants. She can sail again. As long as she still comes home to me!” 

And you heard her scoff instantly. A woman who had no time at all for his nonsense. A woman who had heard it all before in a hundred ways. “I do wish we could believe you. I wish you were anyone else but what you really are. What you choose to be, boy.”

But Doflamingo did quiet suddenly then. As if she may as well have reached out and slapped him through the glaring eyes of that transponder snail.

“Tsuru-san…” He breathed. His fingers had slid to interlock with yours against the bedsheet. Hands now together without your consent as he squeezed. You could feel sweat forming on his palm. “I’m exactly what you all made me to be. I didn’t choose a fucking thing of this misery.”

And then they were both quiet. All you knew then was that you didn’t want to be between them in this moment as you waited for something violent to happen next.

You waited for him to explode, and Tsuru so many seas away, to only be able to hear it when he would. You could feel the tension still rising in his body.

But that all ended the very moment a new tone emerged from her. One you did know as Doflamingo raised his own head from your shoulder at the sound of it.

A mother’s exasperation.

“Doflamingo…you did choose. You chose your path and Rosinante chose his. You both had the same starting point.”

He actually chuckled at that after another moment, but it was still a different kind of laugh. Weak and only reflexive now. She had done something just that easily with her voice alone as you felt him subtly relaxing. Like water cast over that fire. “And you never told her did you? About me? About him? You white coats and all your goddamn secrets…”

“No.” She affirmed. “All that is a conversation whose weight deserved to happen in person. Yet you couldn’t bloody wait until I could get home!”

And he was smiling, no longer angry then as she snapped at him instead. Like they were trading that energy back and forth. But his voice was thick, taunting again now. “I’ll tell her later then. How you used to hold me, and wash the blood from my hair. Those long nights in that medical tent. Back when you used to actually love me.”

“He was ten and in triage at our field hospital.” Tsuru corrected immediately, surely anticipating your absolute brain break from his words. And she scolded him just as fast too, her own built up anger going nowhere soon. “Quit making everything sound disgusting!”

But he just doubled down, speaking to you instead. “We used to sleep together too. She wasn’t entirely such a mean old woman then.”

“Literal sleep. Gods, if you were in my reach, boy!”

“Her devil fruit washes do start to feel good after a while you know.” Doflamingo sounded so much more like himself now.

“Joke all you want to try and divert from what’s coming for you. She’ll get wise to every trick of yours soon enough, just as I have.” She told him. 

And she called your name again then, seemingly refusing to waste any further energy on him.

“I’m still here, ma’am. And I’m alright.” You assured as you did answer her. But trying to convince yourself of that as much as anyone. “I’ll keep my head up.” Of course you wanted to spill your guts to her. You wanted to confess it all. But not like this. Not in front of him.

“We’re still in Lyra. But it’s finally winding down. And you shouldn’t have to be dealing with any of this alone. The absolute first moment we can sail for Dressrosa, we will.” She promised you.

And Doflamingo huffed, his large hand squeezing yours again where your fingers were still interlocked. “You’re welcome on my island, Vice Admiral. Because you have tact of course. Your crew as well. I’m sure the captain here will want to see all her ‘sisters’ before the wedding anyway.” But his teeth bared a little again as he warned regardless. “Yet if any of your lessers…her little boyfriends for instance, try to make a move, you know I won’t be near as accommodating.”

“You’re not stronger than the current admirals, just so we’re clear. More malicious and cunning than them certainly. But not in brute strength.” She answered with no hesitation, throwing that warning right back to him.

“Strength is knowing their weaknesses, dear Tsuru.” He purred in that way of his, lips still pulled back cruelly as he nuzzled you none the less. 

And at last you felt like you were really dreaming. As if you had fallen asleep before this transponder snail ever rang.

You must be in some psychotic break of a dream. Because you couldn’t actually be sitting here, nude with a warlord’s soft cock against your ass as he held your hand and nuzzled your neck. All while he also threatened your colleagues, almost flirting with your commanding officer, and referencing what he really thought would be your soon to be wedding with him in the same breath.

“She wants to get married in Scylla. You might as well go ahead and tell Sengoku to start preparing. That island’s going to need a hell of a lot of security then.” He also bragged, grinning all the while. “I’ll let you know as soon as we set a date.”

“You’re such a prideful fool.” Tsuru sighed at him and you could fully picture the way she’d pinch the bridge of her nose and hang her head in stress. Like when arguing futilely with Garp. She knew when she was absolutely wasting her words.

“Terms of endearment only you could get away with.” He retorted. “Well…and maybe your disciple here. You’d be proud of her. She hasn’t lost that fire yet.”

“I’m always proud of her.” Tsuru said, completely sincere.

Quick enough too in her praise to make you bite your bottom lip slightly as there could be no way you still deserved such a compliment from her level. Not after all this that you’d drug the marines into now.

“And me?” Doflamingo asked though, and that need in him was evident just as instantly.

You supposed some semblance of a rapport could form even between enemies when the chase went on long enough. But this exceeded even that.

He wanted validation, he wanted her focus. It reminded you so much of a child who would act out purposefully. Because even a return of negative attention was better than receiving none at all.

And she knew the game. You could hear it so plainly in her dry response. “I’d be impressed if you did let her come and go freely. And if you postponed this marriage nonsense all together.”

“Feh.” He grinned again. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

“I will be on my way to Dressrosa soon.” She reiterated in further warning.

“And we’ll be looking forward to it. It’s been too long.” He just teased right back, but it almost sounded warm from him then.

She sighed once more. “I have to hang up now, (Y/N). I have no choice as we have enemies nearby. This area is still a hot zone and we need to keep moving. If I can’t call you tomorrow, then call Sengoku at least. I want daily checkins. You understand?”

To make sure you weren’t dead? To make sure you weren’t being tortured? What could they really do for you right now anyway? But you answered dutifully regardless. “Yes, ma’am.”

Doflamingo made another disapproving sound, yet butting in before the line could disconnect.

“Well, take care then, Vice Admiral.” And he snickered, mouth curving so mockingly. “Love you as always.” 

And you absolutely froze, briefly stunned before you turned your face to look back up at him.

He had his left eye closed, like it was bothering him again. But it made him look more like he was actually winking, his smile then falling on you instead.

“He doesn’t know the meaning of the word. Remember that. He’ll use it against you like any other tool.” Tsuru retorted, as if she really had battled this so many times already. “Be strong. We’ll talk soon.”

And then came the click. The snail closing its eyes once more as you returned to this imprisonment on your own.

Doflamingo purred again though once certain the call was done, that odd mix of a growl and a hum in his still tight chest as his hands moved back over your breasts from behind.

“You’re lucky to have had so many years with her.” He said then, the quiet of his voice actually matching the almost tender way he was now massaging your chest.

You did feel the bit of sweat still on his palms though as he cupped you and his fingers dimpled into that soft flesh.

He really had been nervous. But he was using your body to come back down from that anxiety now.

And the calm silence that followed only reinforced that. You leaned the back of your head against him again, resting as he began stroking up and down your torso idly. 

For so long in fact, that you’d started to close your eyes once more. Being petted soothingly really while your breathing grew deeper and more rhythmic.

“You never ate anything.” His deep voice dispersed that brief haze of sleep suddenly though as you felt him nip the top of your ear. “I don’t want my woman wasting away.”

Admitting a pirate could ever be right was still extremely difficult for you. But you only wanted rest, even as he finally let go of you and you were forced to sit up on your own again on the bed.

“It’s paella. A recipe straight from Dressrosa.” He told you, while a bowl of that chicken and rice dish from earlier came floating over with the movement of his fingers. He suspended it over the bed for you just as he’d done for himself earlier. “The peppers are normally only a garnish. But I like it hot, so my cooks always put more. Pick them out if it burns too much.”

And he’d given you a spoon after. Followed by a glass of wine he himself poured. 

He hadn’t finished his own serving before Tsuru’s call though. Going back to his bowl too now as the two of you shared dinner in bed together just like this.

And he wasn’t kidding about the peppers. You had to pause and down some of the wine more than once when that heat had built up too much on your tongue. But it’d definitely woke you back up then, letting your mind go to thinking about that surreal phone call before you were the one to finally speak again.

“You said you’d tell me the story. How you and Tsuru really met.” The vice admiral had insisted he’d been only a child then. And you couldn’t shake that image now either. Doflamingo actually being small or weak at any point in his life. 

And both of those warlord’s eyes were open again. He was watching you. “How she and I met? That’s quite a tale to start right now. Are you certain?” But the dark smirk as he asked this in return said more than enough as well. He clearly wanted you to know.

He’d just finished his own food as he dropped his spoon into the bowl and moved it away. Whatever contracts he’d been reading earlier also fluttered from the bed as he put your transponder snail on the nightstand. He grabbed one of the wine bottles before returning to the mattress with it as he propped his back into the pillows.

Of course you were both still fully nude. And Doflamingo kept his legs open enough to purposefully show you everything. Soft cock hanging, impressive even at rest as he took a large swig straight from that bottle.

“Fine, love. I’ll tell you. But I want you back over here as soon as you’ve emptied that bowl. We’ll change your bandage again, and then I’ve got something else you can fill your stomach with.” He gave his cock one lazy stroke, letting it flop back down over his sack as he spread his knees even more with a lewd smile.

You must not have looked too thrilled in this moment as he laughed after, another guzzle taken from his wine bottle before he went on. “So…let’s see. The night I met Tsuru. That would have been…goddamn. Twenty three years ago. How time flies.” He closed his left eye again. His smile tightening, closer to a sneer so quickly as he tapped one long finger against that heavily scarred eyelid. “The very same night they took this away from me.”

——————————— 

It was back in the North Blue. The most pain Doflamingo had ever known to that point in his life. So much so that he must have kept blacking out while Homing had carried him on. But he remembered Rosinante’s crying from below all the same.

“Papa there’s so much blood, please Papa…is Doffy still breathing?” The other boy would absolutely not stop whining.

But neither would Doflamingo. Incomprehensible words escaping him even through sobs as his father had held him against his chest while they hurried through those woods in the night. 

He couldn’t open his left eye at all any longer. The pain coming from that side of his face had made him feel as if those villagers had ripped the flesh to the bone. He knew he must be disfigured. He may even be dying. But he absolutely refused to do that yet even as his blood thoroughly soaked through Homing’s shirt while he’d cried against it.

“They said there was a field hospital,” The man was panting, carrying his badly wounded oldest son while the youngest still held his pants leg desperately, almost being drug along from below. “Only a bit farther, boys. Please, it’s all we can do.”

——————————

And when they had finally gotten there, it’d been a blur of uniforms and rifles. Doflamingo remembered the guns slung over so many shoulders. It was not a hospital at all as he had known the meaning of the word. 

It was a slum. A muddy city of tents and angry faces. But Homing was begging, not an ounce of godly pride left in that worm as he’d tried to hand over his already brutalized child to these filthy strangers.

For the last time in his life Doflamingo had actually clung to his father regardless though. Not trusting anything or anyone in this new nightmare as he’d started to screech again. It was just too much. These were just more humans. Ones with guns. The others had only had sticks and pitchforks and arrows, and look at what they had already done to him.

These soldiers would learn what he was and shoot him dead here in the mud. Just as he would have done to them if they’d crossed his path when he’d still had any power.

The power he’d lost when Homing had stolen it from him and sentenced them all to death in this surface world. 

So Doflamingo was screaming and of course Rosinante was still crying in response. And soldiers were just yelling at them all to leave. Saying that this was a war zone and a restricted space.

It was hell, in every meaning of the word in that chaos.

But from nowhere, a voice had suddenly been louder than even all the others. And there had been that intangible force behind it.

“ENOUGH!” 

The voice of a leader. Doflamingo knew that, even instinctively as he’d felt hands pulling him from Homing and all the others fell silent.

He was then against a new chest, still trembling as he felt an arm go around his back.

“We’ll treat the boy.” The female leader now continued as she held Doflamingo against her. “But civilians cannot stay here. This is an active military zone. Captains, escort this man and his other son back out of here.”

“Yes, Vice Admiral!” They agreed so immediately. 

“Wait at the next town to the south. It may be several weeks before we can move our encampment. We will deliver your son back to you there when we move again.” She said with such practicality to Homing. As if this was just what she was made for, calm and infallible.

“Captains, get his name and all his information while you escort him.” She added as Doflamingo felt her also cradling his head. The blood didn’t even faze her.

“Yes, ma’am!” They even saluted her before she’d turned to walk away as she carried him.

Vaguely he could still hear Homing and Rosinante’s blubbering. Saying thank you, goodbye, or both.

But Doflamingo didn’t care. He could feel his rescuer’s warmth, her strength in that moment. And when she spoke to him, he finally gave in. He was practically limp against her, no longer fighting.

“We’ll get you a numbing medicine and clean that out before it gets infected. Obviously you’re going to need stitches.” She was telling him as she carried him to the nearest medical tent. No false platitudes or comforts offered. These were the concrete things that they were going to do next to fix this.

———————————

Of course he’d learned her name soon enough. Vice Admiral Tsuru from marine HQ. The marines were the humans that served the world government as a military power. He knew their top ranks answered direct to the Five Elders themselves.

So in these seas of vermin, that meant she had been rewarded to still be placed on a higher pedestal than the rest. And he could easily see why. Every time she was in the medical tents, the others were subservient to her. She completely commanded the space.

Sometimes she’d have a rifle slung over her own shoulder when she did arrive. But hers was more intricate than the others. Somehow he knew that too. They got standard supplies, she had her own.

But there was still much more to her than that. In time, it was obvious that she was also a mother. The other staff knew what to do, but not always how to do it with him.

“You haven’t even gotten the blood out of his hair?” She’d noticed at one point.

“No ma’am, he wouldn’t let us-“ the male nurse had tried to explain as she easily interrupted.

“He’s a child. You don’t let him decide.” Tsuru had said, but her expression not actually stern in those moments.

Doflamingo had still protested of course. Likely more from fear than anything then. Human hands had only beaten him, skewered him, and burned him before he had known Tsuru.

But that is when that mothering side most came out of her. Something he’d thought he’d forever lost before then as she stood behind him and washed his hair for him one night. Just some soap, a bucket of water, and a cup as she gently had worked out the dried blood from his scalp with her bare fingers.

“How is your eye gauze today? Do you want me to change that dressing while I’m here?” She asked calmly too as she helped him clean up. 

“It hurts. But yes. You can change it.” He found himself answering her more and more easily too as the days had passed, even as he still refused to speak to any of the others. 

It got to the point that not only did he tolerate her, but he actually waited for her. He was beginning to understand her schedule. There was a battlefront nearby and this encampment was protecting the rear. She was in charge here, but for hours at a time she’d disappear. She was out there fighting he knew, and when she’d come back, more wounded would sometimes come with her. 

She personally checked on all of them. And when that was done, she would come check on him as well. On the days she looked more tired, he knew perhaps there had been a setback. She took it personally whenever any of her underlings were harmed.

“But wouldn’t that be their own fault? Why help them when they fail you?” He’d asked her one day as she rested in the chair by his cot. 

And she’d actually looked a little amused. Maybe because he was finally being inquisitive and interested in anything at all again as a boy should be.

“That’s not how leadership works.” She’d told him so easily too, never knowing how very much every word back then would influence him for years to come. “It’s my job to know the strengths and weaknesses of everyone in my command. If they have failed, then I let them get into something that was over their head. You don’t punish them for that. In my crew, they’re my family. We live and die together. So I’ll have their back and they’ll have mine.”

Their little chats would sometimes go on well into the nights too. She rarely seemed to sleep. She was protecting him, protecting the whole encampment. 

And there were cold nights in those tents where he’d even allowed himself to be picked up again because he couldn’t stop shivering. 

She hadn’t said a word, not humiliating him as she’d pick him up from his cot, wrap him in an extra couple of blankets and hold him in her lap. Letting him bury his face against her as she sat in one of those chairs again.

And he’d never say thank you or admit it was the deepest sleep he’d ever had since descending to this world. But he had felt a true sense of safety then, cocooned against her on those nights.

Of course time had still passed far too quickly. His eye was healing, even if he’d never have full sight in it again. And they were starting to pack up supplies, revealing that they would soon be moving again as battle lines shifted.

Tsuru had come to bring him extra rations again that night. He was sure she went without food herself at times just to give him double, her seeing how malnourished he’d been at first arrival here.

So it was like that again, only him eating while she rested in the chair when he finally proposed what had been weighing on him for days.

“When you move again, I want to go with you.” He said it as forcefully as he could in the near empty tent. 

And her eyes had reopened, looking at him seriously. “You’re too young.” She responded somewhat simply at first. But she was not discounting his potential. It was not an insult. “And you still have a family waiting for you. That’s a rare thing in this part of the world.”

“That man is not my family!” He’d erupted immediately too. Even as a child, that venom could come out in his voice rather quickly. “My life is like this now only because of him. I would have died already if it wasn’t because I just refused to! I want to be strong again!”

And her eyes had narrowed a little as his voice rose at her. “There’s more to strength than just wearing a navy uniform. You’re only ten years old, Doflamingo. Go home and be strong for your family. When this war is over, this area will stabilize again. There will be more food and opportunities. If you’re really so strong willed, you’ll prosper despite the poverty you’ve known to this point. I know that you will.”

But his immaturity had still gotten the best of him. Because he became even more emotional despite her calm rebuttal, the tears finally starting before he could hope to stop it. “I don’t want to go back! I don’t want to live like that anymore!”

And he could see he’d likely ruined any hope he’d had of actually swaying her too. Just being that sobbing, angry little boy in front of her once more.

“You are a survivor, boy. Being here still talking now is proof of that. But I’m not looking for child soldiers. Not to mention it being illegal. Fourteen or fifteen maybe as a chore boy…but at ten? You only get once chance at a childhood. Allow yourself that.”

And as if to reiterate all this, she had stood and picked him up all over again so easily. She’d held him as he cried against her shoulder. Even the eye gauze getting so wet then in his frustration.

He couldn’t hate Tsuru though. Somehow he couldn’t as she’d held him like his mother used to. The last safety he’d ever known, until Homing’s ignorance to the real ways of the world had taken that weak woman from him too.

“I want…to go with you.” He’d still whimpered as she’d rubbed his back and his arms stayed wrapped around her neck.

And Tsuru had sighed. “Everything has a cost, boy. We all have our chains. Mine are that I have to follow orders. I have to lose friends, and sometimes even family though I don’t want to. I have to watch people suffer when I’m not given the tools to fully help them. Being a marine can still be a choice when you’re old enough to make it. But it’s not the only path.”

That was the very last night he’d fallen asleep with her in that chair too. Him crying off and on as she’d stroked his hair and given him those lasts embers of unconditional affection that’d be all he’d have to hold onto for literal decades to come.

The next day she had gotten orders from HQ to move the encampment. And she’d had to stay there, seeing to all of that as she’d assigned other marines to escort him back to the town to the south.

Back straight to Homing and Rosinante and their damned suffocating world of weakness. The one that only Trebol had finally broken him away from in Tsuru’s absence.

But Doflamingo had still wanted to see her again. He’d wanted to show her his new strength and to have her be proud of him in his own way. As different as things could have been, he still so desperately wanted that woman’s attention and her approval in the end.

Yet if he couldn’t have that, he’d settle for being her enemy and imagining the regret in her eyes every time she’d seen his bounty posters and their ever increasing values through the years. Every time she’d wished he’d be the good son instead of the monster the world had made of him.

But even after everything, after years of blood and death and sacrifices. Somehow she had never stopped caring, and neither had he. 

That was why she lived even when all his other rivals had fallen. That was why he still felt like that nervous little boy whenever she raised her voice to him. And why his heart beat so fiercely even at the smallest hint of her praise.

That was why he loved her.

The proof that he still could, in his own way at least. And he could say it as many times as he wanted because neither of you would ever believe him. He was free.

Free to feel whatever he wanted. For both the crane that had mothered him. And her daughter, the swan he had now trapped to become his own queen.

———————————

    T⨂  BE 

CONTINUED

———————————

Thanks for reading!

[nethhiri]

Marooned: Chapter 42

Kid x FemReader x Killer

Warnings: Sex (feat. Wire), mentions of murder

Open Doors

The next few days were... easy. That was the only way to describe them. After Kid had helped you remove the bullets, which took all of 10 minutes, you went about your daily chores, getting a lot of compliments on your new accessory, Killer especially seemed invested in it. You spent time with the girls, performing the sacred rituals: painting nails, face masks, gossiping, giving each other hair trims, even waxing each other. Heat joined in for everything but the last bit, even though it was mostly eyebrows and armpits. You sat in silence with Wire, mending nets. It was nice. There was no need to talk. You gave Mini a bath, having to borrow a swimsuit from someone which was a hair too small for you. She was too big for the bathroom so you were forced to do it on the deck. It was about halfway through when you noticed Kid had pulled up a chair, feet kicked up, with a beer in his hand, to enjoy the show. Others did the same, though they were far more discreet about it. Heat had been inspecting the same knot in the rigging for 20 minutes. In the mornings, you and Killer would have coffee together on the bow and watch the sunrise before making breakfast. Some days breakfast was late, much to Kid's chagrin, because Killer ate first. Telling Kid that "pussy was the most important meal of the day" was definitely what some would call a mistake. You had to flee several times to a more private place, because Kid had no qualms about laying you flat on the dining table. 

Lately, Kid had been coming to the infirmary a lot. A smashed finger here, a stubbed toe there, and he had an awful lot of inexplicable aches and pains. Then afterwards, he would linger and ask what you had done with your day or some other dumb shit like what your favorite things were. You hated the way you looked forward to his stupid smirk showing up on your doorstep. Every time he showed up, he would make the tag on your collar jingle to announce his presence instead of knocking. Sometimes you looked up for him when it jingled on its own, a conditioned response that you hated.

It was another night where you couldn't sleep, plagued by thoughts of the future. You were in the infirmary, trying to figure out what to do, even though you really didn't want to think about it at all. You found yourself staring at the place in the wall where the Big Fucking Hole used to be, a bit ashamed to admit that you missed it and all of Kid's silly antics. You went to the wall and put a hand on it. It glowed a soft yellow as a door manifested in that space. Part of it was metal, so that he could open it if he wanted, but there was a different non-metal lock on it, so that he couldn't open it if patients were in the room or you needed privacy. It was the type of door that rolled on a track, so that it would be completely out of the way when it was open. You weren't going to tell Kid about it, wondering how long it would take him to notice on his own. You didn't want to answer any questions about why you did it in the first place, because you didn't really know yourself. 

Later in the day, as you were helping make repairs to the ship with Reck and Pomp, Kid came barreling from around the corner, out of nowhere, yelling for you. You were alarmed, thinking something bad had happened. Kid skidded behind you, crouching to hide, with something in his hand. 

"Ya gotta protect me, Rottie!" There was a shake to his voice that sounded scared, but it was really him trying not to laugh.

You had your gun drawn and pointed where Kid had come from in half a second. Unlike the others, you actually listened and acted accordingly, only because Kid sounded serious, at least to your ears. Before Kid could tell you they were just fooling around, Heat came face to face with your barrel, well more like chest-level, since he was much bigger than you. Your trigger finger twitched, but thankfully didn't pull, recognizing Heat, who had jumped back. You let your breath out and holstered your weapon, with an apologetic look at Heat, who was beyond pissed.

"KID! I swear I'll kill you. Give it back!"

"Insubordination! Get him, doll!" Kid pointed at Heat from behind you.

It was hard not to laugh, when a huge, menacing beast was attempting to hide behind your much smaller frame. Kid knew Heat wouldn't lay a finger on you, but he would light Kid's ass up in a second. You were confused.

"I'm not fighting Heat to protect your ass." You looked over your shoulder at him. "What did you do? Give what back?"

"Kid, please. I'm begging you," Heat pleaded. "I'll give you my dessert for a month."

Kid pretended to think. "Mmm not good enough."

"I'll... do that thing you like."

Kid paused decidedly longer at that. "Tempting."

You snatched the paper from Kid's hand while he was distracted. You were about to hand it to Heat without looking at it, but realized it looked like a wanted poster. It was your wanted poster. It was... altered. You bit your lip to keep from smiling. 

"Y/N I'm so sorry. I didn't know one day you'd be on the ship. Please don't hate me." 

Kid had made good on his internal promise to show you Heat's self-made pin-up of you. Wire and Killer were interested in what was going on, Wire more so because he caught a glance of your gun in Heat's direction, Killer because he knew Kid was being mischievous. 

"I don't know, Heat..." You teased. "I'm pretty upset." The poster was expertly combined with pictures from some racy magazine to make it look like you were totally naked on it. "Did you really think my boobs would be that small?" The model was fairly small-framed and petite. "I've got a bit more meat to me I think." 

It was Heat's turn to be confused. "You're not mad?" 

You shrugged. "It's kind of cute that you have a little celebrity crush on me." You handed it back to him. "Fix it, though. It's completely inaccurate." You stood on your tiptoes to reach Heat's ear. "And that's an order," you purred. You must have guessed his kink right, because when you came away, his face was red and he had a big grin on his face.

"Yes, Cap- Ma'am." Heat corrected himself so he didn't disrespect Kid, but he wasn't opposed to calling you "Captain" behind closed doors, in fact, he would be thrilled. He rushed away with his artwork before he could develop a raging boner in front of everyone. 

"I told him ya wouldn't be mad." Kid stated. 

"Kid! What if I had shot him!?" 

"Ya didn't." A smirk moved to grace Kid's features. "Now who's the guard dog," he said, flicking the tag on your collar.

"Whatever. Next time, I'll let you be incinerated." You walked away from Kid, catching Pomp, Reck, Killer, and Wire staring with amusement. "And what are you bozos looking at? Get back to work." 

Killer and Wire exchanged looks. "Bozos?" 

"Wait. Hang on. I didn't mean you." You glanced at Kid, contemplating switching roles and hiding behind him, but were too proud. It was too late. They had that look on their faces. 

"Better get ta runnin, doll," Kid chuckled.

You barely got two steps before you were slung over Killer's shoulder, Wire smirking down at you walking behind Killer. "You're just gonna let Smallest and Tallest steal me like this? I have work to do!" 

"Yer dismissed for the day." There wasn't much else to do anyway.

Several hours later, you were facedown in a pillow soaked with sweat and drool and tears, trying to muffle your screaming. It felt like your cervix was in a boxing match, and losing, with Wire's huge cock. You were sticky and sweaty, drying fluids on your back and thighs. Your thighs were going to give out from holding your body up for so long. They were shaking even though Wire was supporting most of your body. He and Killer made you climax so many times you lost count. At this point you were begging them to let you rest. Both sets of lips were swollen, from kissing or fucking depending on which ones. Your fingers were curled into the sheets so hard you thought your nails would put holes in them. 

"You're taking Wire so well." Killer was petting your hair, gently tugging it to pull your face from the pillow. "We want to hear you though."

"If we can't hear you, you're gonna have to do it all over again."

You whined. "I can't take much m-more." 

"You talked such a big game and now you're trying to tap out? That's too bad." Wire brought a hand down on your ass. "You're done when I say so." He grunted as your cunt clenched around him. 

"You can do it, darlin." Killer rubbed your back. He was done, throughly satisfied after taking turns fucking your pussy with Wire. You wanted them both at the same time, but Wire didn't think you were ready for that yet. Killer agreed. They were always the two that held back. Heat and Kid were all for whatever you wanted to do and barely ever told you no. 

"F-fuck." The muscles in your body tensed. You were so close, yet reluctant. 

"Come on then. Finish on this cock so I can give you want you really want. Which is what?"

"I want y-your cum. P-please, Wire."

"There's my good girl," Killer said, his hand slipping under your body to play with your clit. 

"A-ah." You fought the urge to smush your face back into the pillow. 

Killer, who had become well aware of the faces you made when you came, could tell you were close. "Cum for us. Let Wire know how much you appreciate him fucking you." 

You opened your mouth in a pained cry as an intense feeling of pleasure seeped into every fiber of your body. The inside of your thighs got considerably wetter. "T-hank you, Wire." If it weren't for him, you would be completely collapsed in a pile of mush in the middle of the bed. All your limbs felt like jelly. 

Wire pulled you tighter against him, shooting his load as deep as he could get it, doubling over you. He kissed between your shoulder blades. "Well done." 

As soon as he let go of you, you flopped on your back, exhausted. 

"Let's get you in the bath." Killer scooped you up.

Wire was putting his clothes back on.

"You're not coming?" 

"I'm too tall. Not comfortable." 

You blew him a kiss. "Night night then." 

"Night night." Wire scrunched up his face. He hated how that came out of his mouth. 

After Killer ran the hot bath, he got in the water and set you between his legs. He massaged your scalp as you laid on his chest, lazily washing your hair. You sighed contentedly, stretching out and letting Killer's hands wander as they pleased when he washed the rest of you. He made you feel so safe when you were in his arms. You'd never had a refuge like that before. You turned around and pressed a kiss to Killer's lips, which he gladly returned. 

There was a knock from the door to Kid's room. 

"Yeah?" Killer replied. 

Kid walked through. "Mind if I join ya?" He was already shedding clothing, and his metal arm, all over the floor. 

Your eyebrows pushed together. "You know how to knock first? And you asked permission? Where's Kid?" 

"Shut up. I can be a gentleman." Kid lowered himself on the other side of the tub. He pointed between the two of you. "So which one of ya is gonna wash me?"

You patted the water in front of you. "Come sit. I like to be sandwiched between my two favorite boys." 

Kid moved to sit in front of you. "Which one is yer favorite favorite?" 

"Well his name starts with K-I." You washed Kid's back, appreciating its broadness. 

"Ha! I knew it was me!" Kid paused. "Wait. Damn it." 

You laughed. There was no way you would choose. Killer irritated you way less, but Kid was devastatingly charming when he wanted to be. 

Killer caught your wrist when you strayed too close to Kid's stump. "Let me get that."

You were a little embarrassed that you didn't think anything of it, but obviously Kid might be sensitive about his injury. "Sorry." You wondered if you could give him his arm back, if he would like it back. You moved to sit next to Killer, watching him methodically wash around the missing limb.

It brought a smile to your face watching the two of them, who very obviously knew each other inside and out, trusted each other completely. You leaned against Killer, still very tired, not opposed to being sandwiched between them again in Kid's bed. You slept better that way. If Kid had noticed your remodeling project, he didn't say. You were a bit disappointed, eager to see his reaction. 

Killer turned his head to you. "Sing that again." 

"Huh?" You had been sining under your breath without being completely conscious of it, waiting for them to be done. "It's just the Bink's brew song." 

Kid groaned. "Killer, don't make her sing it. She's bad at it and that song is annoying." You could always count on Kid to be brutally honest.

Killer looked at you insistently. It made you self-conscious, especially now that he was staring, so you ran through the words quickly:

Gather up all of the crew, it's time to steal all Binks' brew. We will go, to where, who knows? The loot will be our guide. Robbed behind the tavern's side. Thieves and bandits far and wide. Whores they sing, of lustful things to pirates passing by.

"Wow, that was even worse than the first time. Nice." Kid snickered.

"The first time? Kid, you've heard her sing it before?"

"Yeah it was fucking awful. Opposite of a siren. Made me want to jump overboard." 

"Maybe you should have. Damn." You were regretting extending him an olive branch. 

Killer gave you a sympathetic look. "Where did you hear that version?"

"What do you mean? Everyone knows every island's got a spin on it." You were puzzled about where this was going. "It's the one from my island. My hometown." 

"KID!? You didn't recognize it?!"

"Fuck are ya talking about? Ya know I always hated that song. Sounds the same as when Heat used to sing it to get on my nerves." Kid seemed to think about it. "Hang on. That's why it sounded kinda familiar I guess." Kid went on. "Ha! That's funny. Yer island and our island had the same version."

You and Killer had shared a glance immediately when you both realized the connection. Kid was working on it, almost there. 

"No!" Kid snapped his head to face you. "Yer not...?!

"From an island that hasn't got a name because the leadership changes with the gangs? From an island built on crime? Yeah I am."

"NO FUCKING WAY!" 

"Come on. Let's talk about it in Kid's room. The water is getting cold." Killer suggested. 

"Why my room?"

"Because this one made a mess of my sheets," Killer wrapped a towel around your shoulders. 

You felt your face burn with blood rushing to your cheeks. "That's your fault," you mumbled. 

Kid refused to have you wear one of Killer's old shirts that you had become accustomed to. You were in his room, so you had to wear his shirt. Well, first he insisted that you didn't need to put anything at all on, but you had fought him on that. Kid didn't even try to mask his desire for you, eyes glued to your tits, and you really couldn't begin to fathom going another round with him. Killer and Wire wore you out. You had started to lay back down on Killer when he was settled. Kid stopped you and demanded that he get a turn because Killer had you all day and in the tub. It gave you a warm feeling to know that you were wanted. 

Kid went on and on about the adventures of the two of them and the trouble they would get into as kids. He explained that the four of them used to lead gangs themselves before they became pirates. Then he talked about how bad the food was there, when you could even get your hands on it, and how shitty it was to live in the environment as a kid. It made you jealous to hear of their time together. Maybe if you had something like that, you could have survived there. Eventually something would have happened to force your hand though, you were sure of it. 

"So what made ya leave? Other than all the shitty things I already mentioned." 

You took a deep breath. "You already know most of it. It was chaos, as you said." You continued. "Once all my friends were gone, I had no where left to go except to find another gang to join. And by then I was sick of that life. They weren't even friends really. We all just stuck together out of necessity." 

"What happened to them?" Kid asked.

"The same thing that always happens: they died, or they left, or they were stolen." You sighed. "Maybe it would have been different if I had met one of you." 

"No," Killer said. "You had to go your own way to be who you are now."

You snorted. "Would have preferred to skip the torture bit of 'going my own way'." You went on. "I was a sitting duck without a group. I finally decided to leave for good when I saw a girl a little younger than me get murdered in cold-blood. It could have easily been me there instead of her."

"What did the girl look like?" Kid's voice was melancholy. He had a hard time coming to the conclusion you were from the same island, but he already knew the answer before you replied in this case.

"Petite. Short hair. Freckles maybe. I don't know. She was far away."

"Victoria." Kid said, even more sadness in his voice.

"Her name was Victoria," Killer clarified. He was surprised to know that you were even closer to them than you realized, yet somehow never crossed paths. 

Kid moved from behind you to retrieve the picture he had of her. He handed it to you.

"Yeah... That's her." You had thought she looked similar to the girl from your past, but memories were fuzzy and you thought there was no way you could be from the same island. You were wrong. You gave it back to him. "I'm... sorry."

"So it wouldn't have been different if ya had met one of us. We couldn't even protect Victoria." 

You looked to Killer, who was equally sad. There was nothing you could say to make either of them feel better. It was clear that this was a deep wound that you couldn't heal. You felt like you were intruding on their private emotions. "I can leave," you said softly. You felt sorry for bringing it up unknowingly. 

"Please stay," Kid's voice was scratchy. 

Killer explained the whole story so you could put the pieces together. You had switched places with Kid so that his head was resting on your chest. You couldn't see his face, but you could feel the fabric against your chest become damp. He was crying. The only comforting gesture you could think of was to run your hand through his hair. Killer was sad, but he was always better at controlling his emotions. Kid wore his heart on his sleeve. Eventually, you could feel his breathing become slower and deeper and could hear snores coming from Kid.

"Is he okay?" You asked Killer, who was still awake next to you. 

"Yeah. Victoria was our first crush. Kid was head over heels for her. He was devastated, we both were, when she was killed. If he thinks about her for too long, he gets like this." Killer wanted to change the subject before he ended up like that too. "I can't believe all this time we were from the same island."

"Me neither."

"Wire and Heat are going to be beside themselves." 

Your eyes rested on Kid. A few months ago, this would have been insane to you. 

"Don't worry. He'll be the same Kid you know and love tomorrow." 

"Love is a strong word." You narrowed your eyes at Killer, suspicious that he was insinuating something.

"It is." You thought he had fallen asleep the pause was so long, but he continued, "Kid has grown very attached to the idea of you staying on the crew." And more softly, as if not to wake him, "Very attached to you." 

"Funny. He said a very similar thing about you."

Killer's eyebrows went up, a blush spreading across his face. "He did?"

"Well, his exact words were 'Killer really likes his little kitchen whore'." You laughed quietly, trying not to let your chest shake.

Killer huffed. "It's called a sous chef."

"That's what I fucking said!" Your voice was louder than intended. Actually, why were you two even whispering? A sea train could run over Kid and he would still be asleep. You noted that Killer made no other corrections to your statement. 

[neverevan]

istg if the twitter crazies ruin this for us and get him fired while edy stayed for a whole season despite what she said/did literal weeks ago, not years.

they won't get him fired, I highly doubt Tim gives a crap about what is being said on twitter. I'd wager that the only person on the show who is actually seeing this shit is Lou. (I mean, I bet Oliver has a burner but yk lmao)

but if it gets to a certain level, I would absolutely not be surprised if he'd pull back from social media or the show itself. I have no idea about his inner workings, he's essentially a stranger to us (so is the rest of the cast) but he spoke about getting hateful comments a few years ago and how he didn't really mind, since his fans always came to his defense, so he didn't really have to worry about it.

his filmography is filled with noname small appearances though, aside from S.W.A.T. and that show doesn't have half the size of the fandom as 911 —nor is he the subject of shipping wars turning people into rabid dogs on the internet over fictional men to the degree that he is on 911twt.

so who knows how much it's getting to him. I really couldn't care less who likes and dislikes any of the actors, but harassing other, real people, be it someone on the show or other fans will never be an okay behaviour and it will never go without an impact, unfortunately.

but one thing that I don't see any of these 911 "fans" considering is the limitless pettiness of Tim Minear.

if, after sending him death threats over cut scenes just this year, they end up chasing away the guy who played the characer who gave Tim such a refreshing opportunity to finally go there with bi Buck and the accidental writing genuis that is the invisible string theory, then made him exit before Tim could work out his storyline to its natural progression — which is a phrase we're hearing a lot in the interviews and for a reason — yeah, I don't know how keen he would be on catering to that side or the fandom.

also yeah, no one gaf about Edy, so I really don't think this would break the camel's back with a character that has an actual personality and some bearing on the story, instead of being a pushover cardboard cutout who was only kept around because having two off-screen breakups didn't scratch Tim's writing itch.

[chevelleneech]

Blocking every former and supposedly on the fence Buddie shipper who feels the need to tag Buddie on their posts where they claim to want Buddie to happen so badly or are in a dilemma about it going canon, because they’ve, “Seen the toxicity in the fandom and can’t take it anymore.”

Bullshit. They’re making up excuses to jump ship, when it’s really not necessary.

If you don’t want to ship Buddie, don’t ship them. It’s not against the law. It won’t get you excommunicated from the 911 fandom either, but it will make you look like a fool for acting like: 1) you didn’t know there were toxic fans in the fandom to begin with — as there are in all fandoms, or 2) there aren’t any toxic fans among the BuckTommy fandom.

You can’t claim to be tired of toxic Buddies for saying BT is bland or lack chemistry or LFJ is ugly or whatever else, when there are BT shippers saying the same exact things about Buddie and RG. Both sides have toxic fans, the only difference is that BT shippers currently have canon on their side, so those of you jumping ship are able to feel more validated in leaving.

Fans wanted Buck to be queer for nearly as long as the show has been out, and not once has anyone really shipped him with other people. Josh here and there, Connor occasionally, and that one prophet who wrote about him and Tommy. But majorly, it’s been Eddie. As such, toxic fans have been toxic when it came to any and every relationship either of them were in, so what makes Tommy any different? Did y’all really expect all the toxic fans to be happy with yet another love interest they weren’t looking forward to?

Not only that, but again, there are also toxic BT shippers, and fun fact! They didn’t pop up out of nowhere nor were they born out of defense of Buck and Tommy’s extremely new coupling.

I promise you, those same people were die hard Buddie shippers waiting with bated breath for Buck or Eddie to kiss each other or a man in general. They got it with Buck, so now they feel the need to belittle everything that came before in hopes that Tommy won’t be written out. They don’t care about character development or chemistry or Buck as an actual character either, proven by the many many posts across Tumblr, Twitter, and Tik Tok framing them as in love and smitten.

Claiming Eddie doesn’t mean anything to Buck. Claiming Tommy was a knight in shining armor. Claiming (and this is truly the fault of lazy writing and Tim and co trying to give themselves an out for under developing BT) Buck not talking about Tommy is a sign of happiness.

BT is sexual attraction first and foremost, and that’s all we know. Which is fine, I’ve said before, s8 will hopefully expand on them and their relationship if that’s the plan, but until then, there’s nothing there. Meaning there is nothing about the ship to defend the way some of their fans are doing, but somehow that’s more acceptable than Buddie fans defending Buddie? Sure.

Point is, if you’re jumping ship, go ahead. You don’t need to explain or more aptly worded, lie about why. Toxic fans exist on both sides. Most of you would just rather deal with the ones on the canon side of things, because it helps you feel better. Less embarrassed or anxious, maybe? I don’t know, because regardless of if Buddie ever goes canon, they’re not real, and there is no reason to feel anything if it turns out their shippers were wrong.

But I have to ask, what’s going to happen if BT does end? What will be the excuses for all the trash talking and belittlement of years worth of theories? What will y’all say to rectify putting one toxic group on a pedestal over the other? Because that’s what’s happening. BT shippers are being given full clearance to act like shit to people simply because their ship is canon, so what happens if that changes? What happens if Buddie does go canon? Where will all the high and mighty attitudes go?

[eisforeidolon]

Re: "Resolution"

The other reason I think Hellers need to believe that the "confession" needs to be addressed is that they insist Castiel "came out as gay" in that speech even though he did no such thing. So they want Cas to be openly gay in obvious ways in a revival because "they can't just put him back in the closet."

The thing is, for a long time, Heller fandoming has felt less like enjoyment of the show and more like desperately wanting to WIN some zero-sum competition with other fans. I think part of why they insist that Cas is gay as indisputable, textual, canon fact is because that makes it homophobic to have other readings of him like headcanoning him as asexual/not experiencing love in a human way or shipping him in a m/f ship (you should see how they treat Megstiel shippers!) It's about claiming him as THEIRS, in service to their ship, and taking him away from other fans.

If there's a revival and Cas is in it and not their "gay angel," they'll claim it's censorship or erasure when the fact is he was never gay in the first place. Saying "I love you" to another man ≠ coming out as gay. Coming out as gay = saying "I'm gay."

Absolutely.

I don't really have anything much to add to this because I agree completely on all points. Whatever it may have started as, it has very much turned into prioritizing needing to "win" and "own" the characters, the show, and the fandom for hellers. I know they've been awful to Megstiel shippers and I don't even recognize the versions of Dean or Castiel their meta involves, because they're not allowed to have any thoughts or motivations in their heads that doesn't link back to wanting to have gay sex with each other. Even any theoretical writing of the ship into the canon actually being done remotely well doesn't seem to matter to them at this point - so long as it happens someway, somehow to give them the "win".

[shinyzango]

So, about that "A Steampunk Carol" graphic novel...

I totally did not forget to make the post about it like I promised I am so sorry.

For those who are not familiar with it, long story short a while ago I came across a Kickstarter project for what seemed to be a steampunk adaptation of the Nutcracker story and was bummed that I missed out on it and wasn't able to support and secure a copy for myself, but a fella made me aware that it did actually get published in Italy a few years ago, and that it was sold on Amazon. And after discovering that there was literally only one copy left, I bought it on a whim to both read it and to hopefully attract more attention to it for reasons I'll discuss in just a bit.

I'm just going to say that I'm very back at writing reviews so apologies if this doesn't say anything at the end or if you didn't get the answers to your questions dkfjgn

Alright, now for the book itself.

First things first, the story. I won't go into details right now as I do not want to spoil folks in case this does get released in english to a wider public, but I can add a Spoilers section in the future where I explain in detail what happens if I get asked about it.

The story, like I said, is an adaptation of the Nutcracker And The Mouse King, but it is quite different in many elements, and spices things up quite a bit, especially after the introduction.

Sadly it feels quite rushed in its execution imo, I assume it's because they had to fit everything in a single volume. Which is a shame because there are many concepts and ideas that are very fascinating and interesting, both for the plot and for the characters themselves.

Speaking of the characters, they are quite unique and interesting.

The main kid, Caitlin, who is the Clara/Marie of the story, can be a little sassy, but she still feels grounded and has a good balance between putting down her foot and being nervous about the situation. I don't mind her character.

The Nutcracker, who is only called Schiaccia (just a shortened "Schiaccianoci" which is nutcracker in italian. I assume he's called Cracker in english if they kept that logic), feels solid. He's a loyal soldier, skilled but does show hints of insecurities. A good lad.

The mice are great as well, I'm really intrigued by the lore they cooked up for them, and the Mouse King is actually not bad, and I like what they did with his character.

There's also another supporting character, a tin soldier who goes by Sergeant Idle. He is basically a companion to the Nutcracker. He is basically a plot tool, helping with the backstory and moving the story forward, but not in a bad way. He's very enjoyable.

I would have loved to see them all explored further, but like I said it all feels rushed probably because it had to stick all in a single volume. I don't know if the authors ever considered this to become a series or if it's just a one-shot story, but I would honestly love to see this evolve into a series, if only because I love the characters and I would love to know more about the lore they cooked up for it more in detail, letting all the elements have the time to shine.

Moving on to the graphic...

I love Lorenza's art style. It looks very sketchy, with a clean roughness to it if that makes sense. And I really like all the designs of the characters.

(Apologies for the glares, I tried my hardest to limit them as much as possible. also ngl I'm giggling a little seeing how Schiaccia looks similar to my Hans skdfkjhn)

All in all, I really like this adaptation. It's unique and enjoyable, if only a little rushed.

Like I mentioned before, this was Kickstarted a while ago to get properly published in english. It was successfully funded and as far as I know, they're currently in the process of printing copies if not even shipping them for the backers. I still don't know if the folks at Last Ember Press are planning in making it available to purchase outsite the Kickstart, but I really hope so because I do think this deserves to be available to everyone.

[musette22]

Hi Minnie! I don't mean send an ask that isn't stucky related so if it's one you don't want to answer I understand.

I made the mistake of going into the TeamIronman tag on ao3 yesterday. I wasn't in the fandom when Civil war came out so I watched the movie as a passive viewer and missed a lot of the teams conversation. But I was curious because I've always been staunchly TeamCap so I clicked on the tag and it shocked me. So many of the TeamIronman fics twist Steve to make him out to be the villain even when he so clearly isn't. I mean i understand disagreeing with him on the accords and his actions in the movie but to completely twist the character so completely that's he's basically unrecognisable is strange to me. They make up all sorts of things like it's Steve's fault that Tony had a bad relationship with his father which doesn't make any sense because Steve was in the ice during that time.

To me, it seemed like majority of the TeamIronman fics don't have a leg to stand on based on the facts given to us in the movie so they're twisting Steve and Bucky to make them the villains. Not all of them, but a majority of them seem to be convinced that Team Cap should beg for Tony's forgiveness and sign the accords anyway. I don't really get it and I was wondering if you have any idea where the animosity comes from? I could be wrong but I haven't seen this in the Team Cap fics that tend to treat Tony pretty fairly and say that he understandably angry when he sees the footage of his parents death.

Hi lovely! Don't worry, you're welcome to send me asks about whatever you like, as long as they're respectful, which this message seems to be!

This is a bit of a tricky subject, in the wider Marvel fandom context, but it's also an interesting one imo. I don't want to start (or revive, I guess) a big debate at all, I'm personally very happy to just enjoy my Stucky fics and the Team Cap fandom these days, and not worry or even think about the existence any other fandoms/ships that include our boys. What they do over there is their business, and ultimately, I just don't want to know the details. I also wasn't in the fandom during the Civil War days, so I was never involved in the debate at the time (though I would always have been Team Cap, there's no question about thay for me). But I will admit that I have in the past also noticed and wondered about the same things you're describing right now, so I understand where your confusion is coming from.

I think it might have something to do with the comics, like perhaps there's more going on there than there was in the MCU, and that's where some of the Team Iron Man support/anti Team Cap behaviour stems from? But maybe not, I don't actually know anything about the comics myself, so I may well be wrong about that.

But anyway, when considering the Civil War conflict as it was presented in the MCU, I just can't understand how people could side with Tony without any understanding for Steve's perspective, or how they could ever make Steve (and Bucky) out to be the villain(s). I think you'd have to spectacularly misunderstand Steve's character and the circumstances that led to Bucky becoming the Winter Soldier to do so. Steve being a thoroughly good man is the main reason why he even became a superhero in the first place, it's essential to his very existence. And as for the idea that Bucky is a villain rather than a victim... well, that just makes my blood boil, and always will.

I personally don't dislike Tony, I just think the MCU didn't do him any favours in those final movies, and I much prefer the more reasonable, inherently kind version of him we often see in Stucky / Team Cap fics. So no, I personally don't understand the need for such animosity either to be honest, nor where it comes from. (I have some ideas about why some people might idolise Tony and want to see him as the guy on the right side of history/the victor, and Steve as the opposite, but lets just say that I don't think I would see eye to eye with those people in real life either)

Anyway, this is all just my opinion, and I'm really not looking to antagonise anyone or start a big discussion. We're all entitled to our own fandom opinions, it's mostly just entertainment in the end, and as long as we don't harass others with our opinions or go looking for conflict, I think it's all fine. But I also don't think there's any harm in discussing questions like these within our own circles, so yeah, thanks for your message and I'm sorry I can't really shed more light on the situation for you!

[toogayforthistoday]

Little bit of a rant, cause I'm back on the Borderlands!AU hell wagon, Borderlands is one of my Special Interests so of course I'm hyperfocusing on the lore again, and continuity errors bother me

Spoilers for Borderlands 3, said rant, and pet death mention under the cut

I was writing some more of Gabe and Dabi's Borderlands!AU, cause I had to put my Heart Rat, Eris, to sleep last week, the night before I was supposed to get home from my trip, and I'm still incredibly heartbroken about it, and for some reason my go-to coping mechanism is writing hurt/hurt, no comfort, we march into the thorn bushes naked to feel better /j /ij /lh

I was thinking about making Hawks another Siren for story purposes (screw genders, we're all hermaphrodidic frogs in this house /j /lh /ij), so I went to go look at the list of known Sirens...

And I think I just realized there’s a canon timeline issue if there’s only supposed to be 6 Siren’s at a time, with the 7th and final one locked away for everyone’s safety.

Because at the time of Borderlands 1, we have:

Lilith, with Phasewalk (who was a Siren from a young age)

Steele, with an unknown power (who had the rank of Commandant in Atlas’ Crimson Lance)

Maya, with Phaselock (who got her powers as an infant, and given to the Order of the Impending Storm)

Amara, with Phasetrance (who has had her powers since childhood, first using them when she fought a bully)

Angel, with Phaseshift (who got her powers as a child, and was at the very least in her mid-to-late teens while helping the first batch of Vault Hunters) and

Tyreen and Troy, with Phaseleech (who it is implied got their powers from Nyriad, seeing as the ancient Eridian-Speaking Siren had locked them in the Vault on Nekrotafeyo where the twins were conceived | As up until this point all Sirens were women, it is assumed that the only reason Troy is a Siren is because he was Tyreen’s parasitic twin, and somehow ended up absorbing some of Tyreen's Siren abilities as well)

They were all, or at the very least should have been, Sirens, so there's the 6 right there.

By my math (apologies if I'm horrendously off here, I'm going off my memory and 2 minute google searches through both fandom wiki and the Borderlands threads on Gearbox's Forum site, so something's bound to be off), there's:

About 5 years between Borderlands and Borderlands 2 (Mentioned many times in-game)

There's about a year between End Game-Borderlands 2 and the Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary DLC (Lilith mentions Mordecai had been sober a full year so he could properly raise Talon, who hatched shortly after Handsome Jack's death)

Then 7 - 8 years between Commander Lilith and Borderlands 3 (Off-handed comment from Vaughn about the VR torture devices only really being used to play games from 7 years ago, making reference to Borderlands 2 VR | Tiny Tina has 'World's most dangerous 13-year-old' in her Borderlands 2 Title Card, and 'All grown up. Still insane.' in her Borderlands 3 Title Card. Presumed to be around 20 as Gearbox has yet to give an official age)

So 11 years minimum, 15 years at max, and both those numbers are if we fudge them as far as canonically possible. And all of these lovely ladies, and Troy (with the obvious exceptions of Angel, whose power passed on to Tannis, and Commandant Steele, whose power is probably currently sitting in some poor teenager at this point, can't wait to meet you in Borderlands 4!) are at least in their late 20's - early 40's during the events of Borderlands 3?

So here's where my issues show up

There’s a couple of comics set during Borderlands 1 (Borderlands: The Fall of Fyrestone and Borderlands: Tannis and the Vault), that introduce another Siren: Asha, with some kind of Animal Control ability that I cannot find if there was ever an official name given or not, other than Animal Control.

According to the comics, Asha was employed by Marcus as an attendant in Fyrestone, greeting the Vault hunters as they come through the town and helping them get set up, as well as close friends with Claptrap. Two months prior to Roland, Mordecai, Brick and Lilith being dropped off in Fyrestone, Nine-Toes had rigged a bus to explode on arrival as part of his first attack on the town, and Asha was thrown into a coma when she was hit with shrapnel. Claptrap sent her to New Haven to been cared for by Tannis, finally regaining consciousness just before the Vault Hunters leave to fight Sledge. The only time we ever see her use her Siren abilities is when the final piece of the Vault Key is eaten by a Rakk Hive, leaving Tannis, Asha and Claptrap to rescue the nearly defeated Vault Hunters. Claptrap gets badly damaged, Asha reveals to him she's a Siren, she disperses the Rakk swarms, letting the Vault Hunters launch a bomb into the Rakk Hive, killing it.

Asha's status has been listed as unknown, and I cannot find anything about if the comics are canon or not. But that is still 7 Sirens during Borderlands 1.

So, as I was playing through Borderlands 3 on stream, back when it originally was released, I came across Nyriad's Audio log, "Warning":

You. You know now all that I know. This was an epitaph, not for myself, but for the world I knew. I have brought ruin to the Sirens, murdered the Eridians, and imprisoned a primordial force of the universe. Perhaps I have earned your hatred, or your sympathy. But that is not why I write these words. I have told you the truth, no matter its hard edges. Before I can put my fractured mind to rest, I must pass one more warning.

You must never find the Seventh.

(I could not find the written transcript for this Eridian Writing anywhere, even on the fandom wiki, so I ended up transcribing it myself from a video. Many thanks to EruptionFang on YouTube for having the complete Eridian Writings Messages with timestamps so I didn't have to launch my game just to get it)

Anyways, I pointed out that I could have sworn I'd read something, probably around the time of, or just before Borderlands 2 official release date, saying that there were only ever 7 Sirens at a time, and was very confused as to when they'd changed it to only 6. Am I the only one that happened to? Is this another case of the Mandala Effect?

But back to my rant, did Nyriad think of herself as the Seventh? Or was she referencing another of her sisters? Cause if she was talking about herself, then I kind of wish Nyriad has been clearer in her warnings, y'know? Instead of being vague... But if she was talking about one of her sisters, then yeah, canon's wrong. The way she worded her warning kind of made me think she was referring to one of her sisters, so...

The other possibility is that the comics are not canon at all, in which case canon's correct. But I would like official clarification on that.

Can we please know, Gearbox?!? I'm begging you guys to give us a straight answer!

But yeah. Mini rant over. Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk.

[drawnfamiliarfaces]

Not a question tho... I just want to say that I REALLY love your art style for Hero:108! It's just so precious to see it on my tl again... I love them! Especially Lin Chung and Mystique Sonia! (You made me into LinSonia again 🥹)They are my fave! Again...Thanks for drawing them with your awesome art style!!! Have a nice day! 🥰

Oh oh boy QAQ!!<3<3<3<3 Thank you sm for your kind words!!!

People keep saying nice things to me and I appreciate it so freaking much, but this one kinda gripped by the throat because I was in H:108 mood lately lol and H:108 has such a tiny fandom presence, well anywhere tbh since its such a silly cartoon, and its just very nice to know that there are some people out there who enjoyed silly stuff I drew. QwQ <3

And its really flattering that it reignated your love for LinSonia! They are kinda my fav characters too and I actually accidently started to enjoy that ship too. ;3

[hawkogurl]