#this crew all needs therapy

[korrinhorizon]

Why each of the New Moon Theatre crew needs therapy (fanfiction headcanons + my oc:Zotz)

Moon: PTSD (due to the events in sing 2 of him almost getting killed) and now a fear of heights

Rosita: PTSD as well, but is probably one of the ones that would actually be willing to go to therapy. She still has the fear of heights, but it’s not as bad anymore.

Gunter: I actually don’t know for Gunter? He seems to be having a huge smile most of the time, but he may have slight trauma from sing 2

Ms. Crawly: also like Gunter but now has a slight phobia to paint balls lol

Ash: like Rosita, she’s one of the only ones to actually to go therapy willingly, has slight trauma from the events from sing 2, and has recovered greatly from her break up, and is doing pretty good

Meena: Social anxiety, and has some panic attacks due to it, she gets help from her friends, family, and a therapist now to help her through it. In sing 2 she’s way better than in the first movie, but also has slight PTSD due to the events of 2

Clay Calloway: Depression, due to the death of his late wife. While also doing self-isolation to the rest of the world, now he’s getting help from the Cast and a therapist

(Now to the three I’ll like to call, “a therapist’s worst nightmare” trio)

Ryan: Imposter syndrome, due to Klaus’s ridicule, abuse, and influence towards other students and to Ryan. As well as PTSD due some things that happen in my Fanfic (*wink*wink*) and also self depricates himself (forced to go to therapy by Zotz and Johnny)

Johnny: (Woooof get ready for this) Panic attacks, self-deprication as well, depression in events in the first movie for a bit, PTSD due to events in Sing 1 & 2 as well as my Fanfic, losing sleep and eating less during sing 1. (Don’t worry, Ryan, Zotz, his dad, and the cast forced him to go to therapy)

Zotz: PTSD due to the events of Sing 2 and his past, social anxiety, not as bad as Meena but when crowded, he gets panic attacks, lets say 2x worse then Meena due to him not telling his family or friends, and being alone in a apartment for a few years. Slight hallucinations (for example dozens, sometimes hundreds of eyes watching him.) and hears voices in his head, which is rare but happens, mostly either saying silly shit or self-depricating words. (He is also now being forced to go to therapy by Ryan, Johnny, and the crew)

[sadsongsandwaltzes]

I am not a psychologist so I have no clue if this is just my own crackpot theory or what. And my apologies if I’m speaking out of my ass here.

We were not made for a fallen world. We were made for Eden. Since we have to live in this world corrupted by sin, the brain does what it has to in order to survive.

A toddler doesn’t know what “hot” means, until one day you warn the child not to touch a plate because it’s “hot,” they touch anyways, they feel the sting, and now they understand what “hot” means. The brain, now acknowledging this is something that can be a threat, has an immediate response to “hot.” Anytime someone says “hot,” we immediately recoil and make sure we don’t touch whatever is believed to be hot. The brain is simply trying to survive.

I think there’s a similar thing happening with trauma response. It’s the brain doing the same thing, but to such an extreme degree that it’s almost impossible to function. If someone survives a near fatal car crash, they may panic when they go near a car. Why? Because the brain has learned this thing to be an immediate and serious threat. The brain is now trained to fear and recoil. If you lived in a war zone and learned to sleep with one eye open so to speak, the brain is now trained to sense danger at every turn, especially when you’re in such a vulnerable state as sleep. You’re living in a constant state of anxiety because you expect a fatal threat. It’s why sudden noises and movements can trigger anxiety.

The brain is doing what it does. It adapts to perceived threats for survival. This heightened state of anxiety is deemed necessary by the brain, but we were not made to live in such a state. We cant. So the brain is, ironically, slowly killing itself. The brain is rewired and burned out and always looking for that next serious threat. It’s always reminding us that the threat looms. It’s where the subconscious lives. It’s why there’s constant anxiety, why there’s nightmares.

Of course, this can be exacerbated if the trauma is accompanied by severe grief or guilt.

This brings me to my point. If you would not tell someone to just pray the cancer away, I don’t think you can tell them to just pray the trauma away. We’re talking about a real physiological problem happening.

I think grief and guilt can be assuaged by the gospel. But the brain’s inner working itself? It’s a medical problem the same as any other. God absolutely can heal trauma same as cancer, but sometimes he doesn’t. Faith can absolutely bring about peace in hardships and give us the strength to carry on, but it’s not a guarantee that God will remove the hardship. That would be prosperity gospel.

And with all of this we can also recognize that certain treatments or habits may help relieve symptoms without fully curing, it exists on a medical spectrum.

And I think this is true about a lot of mental illness.

For the record, I think most mental illness in modern America is actually spiritual illness. And I think most psychologists are looney tunes. But people abusing a certain field of study and being stupid and misdiagnosing doesn’t negate the field of study as a whole.

If every sick person who walks into a doctors office no matter the symptoms gets diagnosed with cancer, it means the doctor is a quack and we have a problem of over diagnosis of a disease. But it doesn’t mean the disease isn’t real and that a certain percentage of the population doesn’t actually suffer from it. That would be a downright foolish thought.

Hormones, brain function, all of it can affect the mind. The brain is a complex organ. We still can’t fully understand it. And I don’t think we ever will. We know the brain can affect the mind. If it didn’t, people with TBIs would never suffer from sudden mental illness or personality shifts.

It seems wholly unchristian to deny the reality of both our body and the fallen state of the world.

[therighthandofvengeance]

alternative Babylon 5 S4 ending: actual mandated group therapy

[thejadecount]

Me: Yeah I don’t cry from tragedy romance

Me after watching the end of Loki:

[thescarvedinsect]

I decided to try drawing the whole crew. I've only gone through this show once so far, and it's still lodging itself in my brain.

Season 2 version here!

[insomniaticvoids]

You know I think it's wack how Capcom just glosses over thr fact that in RE6 Chris gets full blown I can't remember anything amnesia and you know even if one gains back memroi3s the on going identity crisis that does ensue with gaining memory that you know "you've" lived trough. Like man I'd love to see that touched on more in future installments of the game but know it'll never occur probably.

[serenanymph]

Happy Blorbo Blursday! How do your characters go to sleep? Any bedtime rituals? Do they fall asleep immediately or does it take a while?

Happy belated blorbo blursday!! Ooooh this is an interesting one. Not really sure how to answer the bedtime rituals bit so I might go a little off-track but here we go

Crys: Guy's sleep schedule is absolutely wrecked. Sleep?? What is that??? He's never heard of it. Averages like 3-4 hours and lives off caffeine. Has issues falling asleep and tends to wake up in the middle of the night. Gets nightmares :(

Icarus: One out of two of the pov characters who actually has an okay sleep schedule. Sometimes gets bad dreams but he's usually ok. Actually gets??? His full eight hours????? Drinks a cup of tea or milk before heading back to bed if he has issues falling asleep. All his friends avoid him when they're having insomnia because he will stay up the whole night just to keep them company, despite the fact that this usually ends with him faceplanting into his porridge in the morning.

Rhyme: Sleep schedule also absolutely wrecked, which is probably why she's so shor - *gets headshot*. Used to staying up past midnight dealing with stuff for the apothecary. Sometimes she's also practicing spells or trying to pry open the Book of Knowledge at 3 in the morning because you can never be too careful. Most often those efforts end in lots of screaming, things thrown, and some tears. Gets through the day with spite, coffee, and more spite. Also gets some pretty bad nightmares

Sol: Insomniac no #3, nightmares galore. The AMA works him to the bone and he had no other solution but to get used to it. So surprised when he's travelling with the others, even more so when he reaches the Grove. What do you mean they're taking watches in equal shifts??? What do you mean he can sleep in??? He still doesn't sleep much though so you'll often find him up before dawn, jogging or doing drills. He's aware the routines aren't necessary anymore and were kind of bad for him, but habits are hard to shake.

Dahlia: Only other person out of the pov characters who has like. A normal sleep schedule. Very concerned for everyone. Can fall asleep easily, but sometimes stress bakes past midnight, or makes snacks for her friends who she knows all have trouble sleeping (simple stuff like cookies or tea). Stays up to chat with Beatriz when the latter can't fall asleep due to anxiety. Unlike Icarus though her sleep schedule is more flexible so it won't end up with her passing out at the breakfast table.

Beatriz: Her bedtime ritual is staring at the ceiling wide-awake replaying every single mistake she's ever made in all her sixteen years of life. If she's feeling the anxiety particularly bad she won't be able to fall asleep, but otherwise she's fine. Also sometimes has nightmares. Might jolt awake on the way to a panic attack. Poor bby :(

[saltpepperbeard]

The cryptic picture in Javid’s eye changed,,,

[demi-queen]

I just watched the play All My Sons, and if you’ve never heard of it then that’s fine, I didn’t before my school was putting it on, but oh my gosh. I can’t even fully articulate how that play made me feel. Like, I’m pretty sure I should be crying but I think my brain is overloaded with the everything that that was. I don’t regret going, but I could not watch it again for fear of triggering a deep depressive mood and even now it’s maybe a little stretching it. I went into it knowing that it was going to be A Lot, I mean, they put a content warning in the program, and I had heard from other people how intense it was, but I still wasn’t prepared. I’m gonna go have a milkshake and maybe process everything for a bit.

[drifting-dragons-world]

Kurga: There's no need to be afraid of me. I don't bite.

Takita: Yeah, but do you stab?

Kurga:

Kurga: I don't bite.

[arolesbianism]

Thinking abt my dupes some more, and it's such a joy imagining them working together to try and invent new stuff for their needs with their limited resources, especially when it comes to the guys anywhere but the main colony where the only actual scientist lives lol

[bbyjackie]

𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐘'𝐒 𝐆𝐅 — ♡

one piece social media + dating feat: luffy

♡ liked by trafalgar_d.law, ace and 3.1k others

_ynln: told me to turn around and all i hear is "ARGHH PUNK GIBSON I AM JAGGYYY"

tagged: p1rateking_luffy

trafalgar_d.law: yn is so real for posting this (liked by _ynln)

lovenami: NO LUFFY DON'T GET US INTO BEEF W OTHER CREWS 👹👹

↳ p1rateking_luffy: Nah I'm not scared, I got that DAWGG in me 💪💪

↳ _ynln: LMFAO LUF WHO TAUGHT YOU TO SAY THAT 😭

↳ p1rateking_luffy: Ace told me to say it!

↳ ace: ONGGG THATS MY BROTHER 🥱☝️☝️

CAPTAIN.KIIIID: YOU STYPU11D FUCKIGN MONEKEY TAHST A SHIT IMEPSONATION SHITHEAD

↳ trafalgar_d.law: your lack of ability to spell scares me

↳ killerrr: ngl he got you there kid

↳ CAPTAIN.KIIIID: SHYT UP TRADFALGAR

↳ CAPTAIN.KIIIID: WHIS SIDE ARW YOU ON

↳ _ynln: give kid some credit, only one of his hands got touch recognition (liked by trafalgar_d.law, ace)

↳ ace: LMFSOO

↳ sogekingg.usopp: 💀💀

↳ lovenami: PLS YN I WANT TO LIVE PEACEFULLY

↳ p1rateking_luffy: yn you're funny!!

♡ liked by p1rateking_luffy, saaaa_bo and 2.6k others

_ynln: ick: guys that eat like their food is gonna run away

tagged: p1rateking_luffy

theroronoa.zoro: proceeds to date a guy that eats like their food is gonna run away

↳ _ynln: i can look past the ick 🤭🤭

lovenami: SOO TRUE like no one's gonna take it from you, calm down hoover mouth 😭

↳ blackleg.sanji: nami san just so you know i am trained in dinner etiquette 💞💕❤️❤️‍🔥

↳ sogekingg.usopp: literally who asked 💀

p1rateking_luffy: What does ick mean?

↳ boahancock: Luffy you look so cute when you eat 🥰🥰 (liked by _ynln)

↳ lovenami: get u a girl like yn that wouldn't flip shit at what boa said (liked by nicorobin)

↳ _ynln: it means I Crush on Kind people

↳ p1rateking_luffy: THANKS YN 😁

↳ lovenami: PLEASE 😭

↳ CAPTAIN.KIIIID: 💀💀

↳ sogekingg.usopp: 💀💀

♡ liked by ilovecottoncandychopper, saaaa_bo and 6.7k others

p1rateking_luffy: yn gives me the ICK ❤️

tagged: _ynln

sogekingg.usopp: LMFAOO @_ynln

lovenami: THE CAPTION @_ynln 💀💀

CAPTAIN.KIIIID: AHUAHHAAH

saaaa_bo: LUFFY NO 😭😭

↳ ace: LUFFY YES AHAHAH

↳ saaaa_bo: ACE STOP BEING AN INSTIGATOR

theroronoa.zoro: oh god

↳ blackleg.sanji: there's no way that HE is the one with a girlfriend 😐😐

↳ theroronoa.zoro: tbf i get luffy with a girl more than u 🥱🥱

_ynln: 🤨

↳ p1rateking_luffy: You're my ICK yn! ❤️❤️(liked by sogekingg.usopp, lovenami, CAPTAIN.KIIIID, trafalgar_d.law, FRAAANKY, SOULKING, ace)

♡ liked by p1rateking_luffy, jinbe and 3.5k others

_ynln: 2️⃣ icks

tagged: p1rateking_luffy

p1rateking_luffy: SORRY HEHE

p1rateking_luffy: LOVE YOU YN

↳ _ynln: 🫤💞

blackleg.sanji: how does he manage to screw up and STILL have yn 😩😩

↳ sogekingg.usopp: keep ur head up king 🤕🤕

lovenami: that’s at least 200,000 berries for no photo credits 😙

↳ _ynln: WTF NAMI YK I DONT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY 😭😭

↳ lovenami: that’s MINIMUM. i had to third wheel you guys for three hours, i need money for therapy 🥱🥱

[imgae-insertshockedgasps-16]

humans are space orcs

imagine someone with chronic joint pain, whose dream their whole lives has been to go to space and meet the aliens and be a scientist and learn

so they look up the requirements as a kid and go "fuck."

they wouldn't make the cut.

their dreams are dashed. hopes ruined. lifelong dre destroyed.

except....

they've never really said a whole lot about their pain. they don't particularly like doctors, and they think that they've been managing just fine, so they never saw the point.

so maybe... maybe if they just don't say anything, they can make it to space.

they spend all of their time training. doing physical therapy exercises so that their joints aren't so loose, soaking up as much scientific and mathematical knowledge as they can, teaching themselves to push through the worst of it in pursuit of their dream.

and they make it.

they make it to space! it was gruelling, tortuous work, but they made it!

their first mission is an exploratory one, with a diverse crew which only has one other human.

they're thrilled.

they have dozens of alien friends and acquaintances. they spend hours learning and researching alien planets and cultures. it's everything they've ever wanted!

but

it's exhausting.

they're in more pain than they've ever been, more frequently than they ever have.

they keep up their exercises as best they can, but even those are often too much.

they smile when asked if they're alright, tell everyone that "i'm fine! just tired."

but they need a break. they can't imagine going or being sent back to earth, this is their home now, with these people, on this ship. but they don't know how much longer they can take this.

one day, on their day off, a fellow researcher comes and knocks on their door.

"are you here?"

"not today islith."

"but we've been called! there are some exciting new discoveries that need further cataloging and investigation, and carlmoth thought you would enjoy the task!"

"i can't today, islith."

"are you ill?"

"...kind of? but i'll be right as rain tomorrow. it's my day off anyhow."

"nonsense! you should go down to medbay!"

"i'm alright, i promise."

"you get out here right this minute or i'll report you to medbay myself!"

"no!" there's a series of crashes and thumps, and then they open the door.

"oh, you look awful. come on, you really must need medbay, what if you're contagious." islith tries to grab them but they shy away.

"i'm not contagious, i promise."

"how can you possibly know that? what if you picked it up from a sample, or, or, garfon has been sick recently! humans can't survive cerian sicknesses-"

"i didn't catch something from garfon, islith," they sigh and open the door wider. "come in and let me explain."

"alright, but if i think you should go to medbay afterwards then i'm taking you there."

"sure, islith."

islith enters, notices the piles of clothes, rumpled bedsheets, the lights are off and the port window shut.

"what's wrong?"

they sigh again, "my body doesn't work like it's meant to, islith."

islith is wildly alarmed, "and you said there was no need for medbay?!? come with me right now and-"

"no! i can't, islith, you don't understand."

"then explain it to me."

"i've... always been this way, although it's gotten worse as i've gotten older. my body, it just isn't built quite right, there's something wrong with it that makes it not work properly and hurt often."

"you're right, i don't understand. why can't you go to medbay?"

"i'd... be thrown off the ship."

"what?!?"

and so they tell islith a story about a young child whose dream was to touch the stars.

"and now, it's too late. i'd get in huge trouble for lying to the government, especially for so long."

"well- but- but humans are so resilient! you hear all the stories!"

"not every human is the same, islith. some of us are born disabled, and some of us get hurt in accidents, just like any other species."

"well, then, well there must be something we can do?"

they look up in shock, "we?"

"of course we, you ridiculous creature," islith said with a fond sigh. "you didn't think i'd leave you to suffer, would you?"

"but, you could get in so much trouble!"

"that's alright, i don't mind. what else are friends for? and, anyway, we don't have to tell your government, we can tell mine."

"but i'll-"

"we don't have any rules like that. any of us who are disabled can still manage in space just fine with the right support, and i bet you could too."

"i- islith- i don't-"

"don't worry, we'll all back you when it comes down to it. you're out teammate, our family. no one on this ship wants to watch you leave because of something you can't control. now come on, let's talk to glidlep in medical, she'll understand."

and for years, things continued on that way, until eventually it was an open secret that the human with the exosuit was disabled and not technically allowed onboard.

and down the line, when nasa found out and was furious, the entire ship and more stood by their side.

[peanut-with-wifi-access]

okay guys calm the fuck down

WildBrain are still getting used to animating in this style. Do I need to remind you all of S1 (especially the pilot's) animation? Give them a break, let them cook/get used to it. It's just the trailer. The season itself will still be amazing, regardless of animation quality. The story is what matters.

ANYWAY LET'S DO SOME ACTUAL ANALYSIS HUH

monkie trio have a meeting with the Ten Kings?

This shot is just fucking rad

I don't remember your name but Hi NeZha's dad! You're at the Ten King meeting too?

NeZha's at the meeting too, MK seems excited about something

They fucking re-banded him I'm going to start biting

WHERE IS ANYONE GOING I'M ABOUT TO KILL

Who— why do these two have the two of the stones?

Is this DBK's old territory? The flaming mountain that was 100% Monkey King's fault?

Seems like NeZha might be helping the crew!

Prophecy?

Sandy moments! Yes please! Wonder what he's defending MK from? Is he just venting? Is MK getting therapy?

strange temple which gives them two of the rocks (the ones that were with the dragon(?) and the tiger) and is marked with a mural of the stones. It also emits a green/gold flash. Nüwa, that you?

Nine-Headed and Hundred-Eyed Demons! What's up you two? You have cool designs (esp hundred-eyed)

Monkie MK!!!!! why is he crying? what's with all the stones being with him alone????? NÜWA WHAT DID YOU DO

HARBINGER HARBINGER HARBINGER

what're you doing here, Nine-Headed? Also why are you the same color as Mo and Sandy—

RETURN OF THE RED!!!! DRAGONFRUIT SHIPPERS COME GET YOUR FOOD

[rhiaemrys]

All of those Batfamily de-aged fics, but like, they’re all in their "Trouble-Maker Era". This is primarily to create as much chaos as physically possible, and potentially cause Batman a stress aneurysm.

Like, Dick Grayson, going from a relatively well adjusted (for a vigilante which isn’t saying much) to a tiny crazed 8 year old Robin who is ready to Fight God or die trying. He keeps perching on chandeliers, throwing stuff at people and hitting Damian over the head every time Damian mentions hes Robin.

Jason Todd, who was a well settled Red Hood. Little murder, but mostly having fun with the outlaws and saving the world. Now is an angry recently resurrected 19 year old bent on beating the Bat up. Currently he's gone to the wind. No one knows where he's at, but once something blows up they'll use that as a triangulator.

Cassandra Cain, who already is a stubborn shit at the best of times but has learned to compromise more and more over the years, is back to the homeless child that Bruce found during No Mans Land. She only trusts Bruce and Duke and is utterly willing to wreck anyone else who gets close to them.

Tim Drake, who has found his calling as whatever call sign he chooses, is now launched back to “All my friends and family are dead or think I’m in desperate need of therapy (which I am but god forbid I admit that), I think I’m a little insane with grief so let me traverse the entire world and work with one of my adoptive fathers greatest enemies to find him” Red Robin era. He's been holed up in his room running the calculations that this is a doomsday scenario since he got back from being de-aged.

Stephanie Brown (who, unlike the rest was smart enough to run for the hills when the magic user appeared, yelling out that this one is for the idiot boys, but unfortunately got waylaid by Cass), is now a new Spoiler who is spoiling to fight Batman barehanded because he said that she should go home.

Duke is back to the Robin War gang era and along with Dick, ready to Fight God. Hes got like, fifty makeshift weapons at one time and ends up teaming up with Cass.

Damian, currently Robin and doing very well in the role, is now back to the newly acquired child stage where he’s attempting to prove himself to both sides of his heritage. He ends up being terribly endearing to Bruce solely because, even if it's only partial, at least Damian sticks around for the whole lecture when the crew gets in trouble (he's only doing that so he can find loopholes).

It concerns Bruce how many of these literal children are either down to murder or take out their siblings should said sibling Attempt To Murder.

[irisintheafterglow]

way hay, and up she rises! (opla!zoro x you)

summary: zoro leads the crew to an informant from his bounty-hunting days; they don't know his history with the pretty singer in the bar.

wc: 2.6k

cw/tags: swearing, implied fem!reader (wearing a skirt and makeup) but they/them pronouns used, basically singer/bodyguard trope, strangers to lovers, brief guy being an asshole (and protective zoro!), simp zoro, i love zoro, can you tell how much i love this man

note: do i imagine lucy gray baird when i think about reader singing in a bar? maybe a little bit. do i wish i could sing like rachel zegler as lucy gray baird? abso-fucking-lutely. i've been listening to a lot of random sea shanties lately so this is where that came from. hope you enjoy!

likes, reblogs, and replies are much appreciated!

“You’re sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Of all the times for you to doubt me, cook,” he says, catching the door with the toe of his boot and kicking it open, “I can say for certain, I have this under control.” His feet step through the doorway and he’s bombarded with jolly laughter, drunken singing, and a dancing fiddle. The patrons cheer with flasks and goblets in their hands, liquor splashing onto their neighbors when they slam their cups onto wooden tables. It’s warm like a hearth, not a hell, and the unkempt atmosphere wraps around him like a familiar blanket. Within seconds, he’s not a pirate anymore; he’s back to being a hunter. 

And there, swinging the edge of your skirt with a tambourine in hand, was you. The lantern light catches in your eyes in a way that makes them glow, enchanting him like a spell. You’re just as breathtaking as the last time he saw you, singing clearer than the stars shining on a winter night. When you speak, it’s like invisible ropes extend from your lithe fingers, grabbing each man by the ears and pulling them in to listen further. He’s no different, finding himself drifting toward your stage when a sudden hand tugs him away. 

“Hey, we’re going this way. Luffy found a table in the back,” Nami informs him over the controlled chaos of the bar. Her voice quiets as he follows her to a secluded corner, but her teasing was not lost to him. 

“Pretty interesting place you’ve led us to.”

“That’s one way to put it,” he replies blandly, still slightly awestruck from seeing you again.

“Got a crush on the singer?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he deadpans, sliding into the booth next to his beaming captain. He gladly accepts the bottle Usopp offers him, taking a swig without so much of a flinch when it burns down his throat and goes straight to his head. 

“What were you guys talking about?” Luffy pipes up and he doesn’t hide his grimace in time. “Did Nami say something to bother you, Zoro?” 

“Doesn’t she always?” An uneasy feeling settles in the pit of the swordsman’s stomach, one he could only explain by not having eyes on you. He was used to being here alone, where he could admire you without distraction. He knew he wasn’t ready for the crew’s interrogation about his history with you. “I just need something to drink.” 

“You’re already holding a bottle, if you’ve forgotten already,” Sanji reminds him. “Don’t make us drag your sorry ass out of another bar.” If looks could kill, Zoro couldn’t fathom the number of coffins the stupid cook would need. 

“Alright, alright,” Luffy interjects. “Zoro’s just been…stressed. We all deal with stress in our own ways.” 

“There are healthier ways to deal with stress than alcoholism,” Nami points out. “For instance, talking it out works wonders.”

“While I appreciate the concern, we’re here for information, not therapy,” Zoro states tersely, taking another gulp from his bottle. “We came a little early, so we’ll have to wait until the band is done with their set before we move in on the target.” His eyes drift back into your general direction, hoping there weren’t any guys giving you trouble. 

“Why can’t we just move in now? There’s enough chaos in the bar to be a distraction,” Luffy asks.

“Sanji and I could start a fight,” Usopp offers in response, holding up the cook’s wrist like he was ready for the first punch. “That worked last time.” Zoro shakes his head. 

“Too risky. The informant won’t say anything if we interrupt the music, especially if it’s a bar fight,” he replies, a fond look blinking across his face. “They’re a little…difficult, sometimes.” The pieces click together in Nami’s brain before he can stop her and the realization dawns on her in no time.  

“Your contact is the singer.” He shrugs one shoulder, not looking any of his crew in the eye and instead watching the growing crowd around your stage. “The singer you have a crush on?” Zoro’s head snaps back to reality and becomes all too aware of the heat growing on his cheeks. 

“I don’t have a crush on them,” he mumbles half-heartedly. 

“Aw, Zoro is in love!” Usopp sighs. “I always knew he had a heart.” 

“It’s not love. It’s just admiration, if anything,” he counters, but it’s no use. His crewmates were already on a roll. 

“I thought you said you had this under control,” Sanji recalls with a taunting smirk. 

“I do have this under control.”

“Your red complexion says otherwise,” the cook replies and Zoro’s frown deepens. It wasn’t part of his plan for the rest of his friends to find out about his relationship with you. In fact, accompanying him to the bar was not part of the plan in the first place. “Look, I’m happy for you. Honestly, I am. If you could do it, then I surely will find someone even better.” 

“That’s enough,” Nami cuts in before Zoro can unsheath a sword. He nods in curt gratitude, but she doesn’t let him off the hook. “However, as payback for not telling us about your little sweetheart, you’re gonna explain how you know them until their set is done.” 

“Says who?”

“Says us,” Usopp answers, holding up Sanji’s fist again and miming the cook punching him in the face. “Or, we’re gonna cause a scene and make them come to us first.” 

“You guys are impossible,” Zoro mutters under his breath. With a deep exhale, he establishes a single rule. “You don’t tell anyone about what I’m about to tell you, understand?” The crew nods. “Good, because if someone finds out about them, I’m gonna shave your heads while you sleep.” 

As with most people Zoro interacted with, you met him because of a fight.

“I didn’t need your help,” you had told him that night, resting your boot on a ribcage for leverage and yanking your sword from the dead assailant’s chest. “So, you can leave now.”

“I thought you said you had this under control,” he remarks, cleaning the blood from his blade and inserting it back into its sheath. 

“I do have this under control,” you reiterate with a glare. “It was just an off night.” 

“Pretty impressive for an off night, though your swordsmanship could improve.” His hand gestures vaguely at the half-dozen attackers lying at your feet, amateurs whose strength depended on their numbers. Numbers, which he'd helped you cut down when you didn’t show up at the meeting spot you’d agreed upon. 

“I can’t tell if you’re trying to insult me or compliment me,” you scoff.

“Doesn’t matter, as long as you keep talking,” he replies without missing a beat, following you through the backdoor of the bar and down a dusty hallway into what he presumed was a makeshift dressing room. “You could make a good career out of bounty hunting if you wanted to.” Closing the door behind him, he settles into a nearby chair and watches you tidy up trinkets on the vanity. 

“I don’t remember letting you come in here, much less telling you to have a seat.” Your guarded nature only intrigues Zoro more, but he’s more than willing to leave if you truly didn’t want him present. Something in his gut told him, though, that you secretly enjoyed the company. “And, no. I’m not interested in the violence of your world, only the information part.” 

“The information part you didn’t show up for,” he recalls with a scowl. You hum in fake sympathy at his displeasure. 

“And my sincerest apologies for getting attacked while on route to our meeting place,” you bite, shaking your head when he rolls his eyes. “Look, we’re here now, so just ask your questions and get out.” Zoro does ask his questions and you give him the answers he needs, but the lingering feeling of disappointment when he bids you farewell stays with him even after he collects the head you helped him find. So, with the reward money sitting heavy in his pocket, he returns to your run-down little bar the following week. 

Without the pressure of fulfilling a hunt weighing on his chest, he catches himself enjoying your performance a little too much. It was mesmerizing, the way you danced across the stage and blew kisses to drunken audience members. Zoro even found himself smiling when he was able to catch your eye. 

“I take it the hunt went well,” you say in greeting when he appears in the doorway of your dressing room. It’s after your band’s last set and you’re visibly more relaxed than the previous time he saw you. Instead of barging into your space, he simply leans a muscled shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed and observing you remove your makeup. 

“It did. Your little tip about the maid worked wonders.” 

“She’ll always turn a blind eye if it means a little extra money.” 

“She also knew the place better than the maps I was reading,” he adds. “I wouldn’t think to talk to her if it weren’t for you.” You dismiss his compliment with a wave of your hand. 

“The Lady of the House’s true right-hand is not her husband, but the one that cleans up after him,” you muse with a satisfied smile. He’s still standing in the doorway, you notice from the corner of your eye. “You can come in if you promise to explain why you’re back again.”

“Consider the promise made, then,” he replies, shutting the door and taking a seat the same way he did the week prior. “I wanted to apologize for getting off on the wrong foot.”

“The Demon of the East Blue apologizing to me? What a world we live in,” you quip and he chuckles. “For the record, I wasn’t mad at you. Well, not entirely.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Yeah, I was mad at you for interrupting the set to ask your questions, but I can’t blame you too much. It’s your first time here, after all.” He listens to your explanation intently, like there was no other voice he’d rather be hearing. “But for future reference, interrupting me while I’m singing will make other clients I serve a little jumpy.”

“They think you’re conspiring against them?”

“Exactly. I try to keep the same after-the-show policy with everyone, so if I give priority to one person, they’ll question my reliability.” He nods, your irritation suddenly making much more sense. 

“And when they question your reliability, they attack you outside the bar,” he concludes. 

“Mhmm, which was why I was late for our meeting. For that, I am sorry.” Your voice is softer than the candlelight illuminating the small room and he finds himself being drawn into you again, like a magnet. An idea pops into his mind, one that was sure to cost him a few hunts, but he’s sure you’re worth it.

“Ever think about hiring stage security?” 

“For a dirty-ass bar like this? Definitely not,” you laugh. “Maybe if I were playing for the general of the Marines, but here? That’s funny.” You thought that would be the end of your conversations with Zoro, but decided not to question his intentions when he showed up the following night. You spied him sitting in the same dark corner with a glass in his hand, watching you like you were the only being that mattered in his world. As the songs pass, your eyes find him on instinct and you’re rewarded with a rare grin that makes your stomach float. No sooner did you start your last set of the night, though, did a new client come storming into the bar. 

He was a Marine defector, one that was trying to make it onto some pirate’s ship before the government found him. In the second drawer of your dressing room vanity, you had a list of ships and ports that would guarantee him a smooth disappearance into the sea. He desperately needed the list and, being a new client, was clueless about your after-show policy. 

“Alright, give me the list. Let’s go,” he hissed once he reached the front of the stage, his words barely audible over the sound of your band. You attempt to smile and play him off as another drunk, but your amiable expression disappears when he tries to grab the edge of your skirt. “I’m not fucking messing around. Give me the fucking list.” As expected, your regular clients started to shift uncomfortably in their seats, looking at you and the greenie suspiciously. In their minds, you were giving special privileges to a new guy. “Stop being a bitch and give me the list.” The man reaches out to grab your skirt again when a strong hand shoves him away from you. 

“Get lost. They’re in the middle of performing.” You steal one glance at the swordsman in front of you, the one resting his hands menacingly on the hilts of his swords. His broad shoulders become a wall in front of you, impossible to pass without risking instant decapitation. The new client scurries away and you release a shaky breath, sending Zoro a grateful look when he’s back at his seat. Please stay, you mouth wordlessly. I’m not going anywhere, he mouths back.

He stays with you during your official meeting with the ex-Marine, arms crossed and stationed in the corner of your dressing room like a guard dog. When the meeting is over and Zoro’s all but thrown the man out of the building, he walks you home and waits until he hears your door lock before leaving. He’s back the next night, and the next, and the next, and all the nights afterward for nearly a year. You start to ask him about his past, his hunts, and his dreams. Little by little, you both start to take down your defenses and trust each other with vulnerability. He’s late, sometimes, when he gets caught in a hunt; but, you always end up finding him waiting for you in your dressing room. 

After he kisses you for the first time, you start inviting him in once he’s walked you home, impatiently locking your door before pulling him to your room. It’s little things that make you fall in love with him: waking up to find him hogging all of your blankets, resting on his bare chest and relishing in the feeling of his skin against yours, running a hand through his hair until he wakes up with a sleepy smile. He falls freely, hopelessly, and completely in love with you, too. 

He knows nothing has changed when you rush into his arms as soon as you see him in your dressing room. 

“Hey, songbird,” he mumbles while his arms lock around your waist. “I burn from missing you.”

“I’ve missed you more.” Your voice sounds muffled against his shoulder as your arms wind tightly around his neck. He buries his face into the crook of your neck, pulling you as closely to him as humanly possible. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Zoro felt at ease. “I thought I saw you walk in, but you didn’t go to your usual spot.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I have some…friends with me,” he says slowly, nudging the door open to reveal his crewmates eavesdropping from the hallway. You smirk knowingly, running the pad of your thumb over his cheekbone. “Alright, alright. Just say it–”

“I didn’t know you could make friends,” you tease and he prevents you from saying anything else by pressing his lips against yours. “Wanna introduce me to them?”

“Give me a second, baby,” he murmurs against your skin. “I need you to myself for a bit.”

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