#after a long day of work and you just hear this kid singing train in the streets. in the RAIN.... it makes me laugh like i really. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

swordheld · 6 months

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hi! your blog is one of my favourites and i absolutely adore reading your thoughts. my grandfather recently passed away and it feels like i lost myself with him. how do i continue living after this? there is this constant weight on my chest and it feels like an emptiness has made a home inside of me. how do i go on when it feels like the world crashed on my shoulders?

hello, love! this is so very sweet and kind of you, and i hope you're treating yourself gently and kindly right now - there aren't words for a loss like this. that heaviness is difficult, and hard, and painful. it's okay if things don't feel okay, right now, or even soon - i think that's something that a lot of the people i know that have gone through similar grief feel: like they should be able to get back to a relative 'normal' in a [insert far too short period of time].

but it's okay if it hurts. that's where i'd like to start. you're allowed to feel that emptiness, that world-crashed feeling that goes beyond words, beyond time. don't feel like you have to rush this to feel some sort of better. things get easier with time, i promise you this, but sometimes painful feelings are important to feel, too. cry, scream, feel your emotions. they're a part of you. grieve.

it's perhaps a little silly, but when i think about death i always think about a couple of space songs: mainly drops of jupiter by train and saturn by sleeping at last. there are perhaps others that speak to the emotions better, but these two have always hit something a little deeper for me, and are popular for a wide-reaching reason.

and while personally i don't know much about grief like this, i do know a lot about love; and i think they're a lot of the same thing.

the people we love are a part of us, and this is why it takes from us so deeply when we lose them, because it does feel like we've lost a part of ourselves in the wake of it. but it's because they were so central to our experiences of living - our lives, that the separation introduces a hollowness - a place where they used to be. a home that now goes unlived in.

an emptiness, like you said.

but just because they're not here physically, doesn't mean he's not still there, in your heart, in your life, your memory. you can hold him close in smaller ways, as well: steal a sweater, or cologne/scent for something a little more physical and long lasting for remembering. hold onto the memories you cherish, the things that made you laugh, the ease of slow mornings and gentle nights. write them all down, slide a few photographs in there, go through it and add more when you miss him. keep them all close, keep them in your heart.

you're not alone, in this. he's still there, with you, it's just - in the little things.

he's with you in the way you see and go about your daily life, in doing what he liked to do, in the ways he interacted with the world that you shared with him. the memories you recall fondly when the night is late or the moment is right and something calls it into you like a melody, an old bell, laughter you'd recognize anywhere.

but i think, perhaps most importantly above all others - talk about him. with your family, your friends, his friends, strangers; stories are how we keep the people we love alive. the connections they've made, the legacies and experiences they've left behind, and so, so many stories.

how lucky, we are - to love so much it takes a piece of us when they go. grief is the other side of the coin, but it does not mean our love goes away. it lives in you. it lives in everyone who knew him, in the smallest pieces of our lives.

the people we love never really leave us, like this: they're in how we cook and the way we fold our newspapers, our laundry, in the radio stations we tune in to and the way we decorate our walls, our photo albums. they're in the way we store our mail, organize our closets, the scribbled notes in the indexes of our books. the meals we love and the drinks we mix, the way we spend time with one another. they've been passed down for generations, for longer than history - and we are all the luckier for it.

think about what you shared with him, and do it intentionally. bring him into your life, like this, again. whether it's crosswords or poetry or sports or anything else. if one doesn't help, try another. something might click.

i hope things feel a little easier for you, as they tend to do only with time. i hope you find joy in your grief, even if it is small and hard to grasp at first. know that your hurt stems from so much love that there isn't a place to put it properly, and that it is something so meaningful and hurting poets and storytellers have been struggling to put it into words and sounds that feel like the fit right for eons, and that it is also just simply yours. sometimes things don't have to make sense. sometimes they just are - unable to be put into words or neat little sentiments, as unfair and tragic as they come.

but i promise it will not feel like this forever. your love is real. and perhaps, on where to begin on from here - i think it's less on finding where to begin and just beginning. and you've already started. you've taken the most important and crucial step: the first one. wherever you go, after that, from here? you'll figure it out. you always have, and you always do. it'll come, as things always do. love leads us, as does light - and you're never alone in your hurt. in your grief, your missing something dear to you. i think if you talk about it with others, you'll find they have ways of helping you cope as well - and they have so much love of their own to spare, too.

as an aside, here is the song (northern star by dom fera) i was listening to when i wrote this, for no other reason more than it makes me think of connections, and love, and how we hold onto the people we love and how they change us, wonderfully and intrinsically. it's a little more joyous than the others i've mentioned, and plays like a story, and it made me think of what is at the core of this, love and stories and i am here with you, and maybe it'll bring you some joy, if you'd like it. wishing you all my love and ease 💛

#q&a.#birdsong.#wishing u gentle ease; the death of a loved one is near inexplicable to put into words and i hope you take care of yourself gently <3 #i hope this will make u laugh: when i was a tiny child in middle school there were times i would go outside in my tiny suburban cul de sac-#in the rain and sing along to my lil ipod nano and i only remember doing this to drops of jupiter. can you imagine going out to get the mai #after a long day of work and you just hear this kid singing train in the streets. in the RAIN.... it makes me laugh like i really.#i really thought i was so cool and deep and emotional ghjkd but i find it v funny that i only remember it w/ that one train track.#and saturn just. it's my fav s.a.l. song for a reason. that slow violin opening? the piano coming in gentle and easy?#it feels like light. like hope. like something new - a dawn after the long dark. that beautiful things can begin again even where #it hurts. and there is nothing more human than a sentiment like that.#how rare and beautiful it is to truly exist. what it is to be alive and get to be here and live with other people. with those we love.#i think your grandfather was so lucky to be able to know you. to have you in his life for the time you had together.#i'm no spiritual person; but i like to believe when you're thinking about him? he's thinking about you too.#the second law of thermodynamics (physics nerd mode) is that no energy has ever been created/destroyed since the beginning of the universe.#so it has to go somewhere - it's that carl sagan quote of 'we're all made of stardust'. because we are. we used to be stars; planets; etc.#i think it's why i think of these space songs - because they're a part of everything; once more; when they go. us and everything else.

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gojoux · 3 months

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『 𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘 』

· Pairing: Gojo Satoru x Reader

· Summary: Gojo is absolutely enamoured by you, even from the smallest thing you do, he’s always there to compliment you.

· CW: 5.2k // Fluff. Slight hurt/comfort. A bit suggestive. Being Gojo’s girlfriend means having a whipped boyfriend.

When you’re training by yourself.

You took a deep breath as you adopted your fighting stance, feet spread shoulder-width apart, knees bent, hands raised and ready. Focusing your cursed energy to enhance your physical prowess, you began your training regimen, flowing through the intricate movements you had practiced countless times before. Your body twisted and turned gracefully as you performed each strike and kick with perfect form, having honed your skills through years of diligent work.

Sweat dripped down your forehead as you moved through the rigorous routine, not allowing yourself to slow down. With each punch, you visualize an enemy being struck down. With each kick, you imagined yourself growing stronger and more agile. The exertion left your muscles burning, but you pushed through, determined to improve.

After finishing the last set, you finally allowed yourself a moment of rest, chest heaving as you caught your breath. A sense of satisfaction washed over you at having completed such an intense workout. You knew all that effort was making you a better sorcerer.

“Look at you go,” a whistle was heard behind you.

You turned to see Gojo walking up, an admiring grin on his face. Even with his eyes obscured, you could tell he was looking you over appreciatively.

“Thanks,” you said, wiping the sweat from your forehead. “Just trying to stay in shape.”

“You kidding? You’re in incredible shape!” he said. “The way you moved was like watching poetry in motion.”

You smiled, flattered by his high praise, and happy to have your efforts recognized. As one of the strongest jujutsu sorcerers alive, compliments from Gojo meant a lot.

“I still have a long way to go before I’m anywhere near your level.”

“Of course,” he grins cheekily.

“But your dedication to training is really paying off, you know? Just look at how toned your arms are now,” he emphasized his point by gently grasping your arm, squeezing your bicep.

“Hey!” you exclaimed, swatting his hand away.

He laughed playfully. “What? I can’t help but admire my girlfriend’s incredible physique.”

You shook your head in amusement. Only Gojo would be shameless enough to fawn so openly over your body. But his compliments, as ridiculous as they were, filled you with motivation. Knowing he was watching and supporting your efforts spurred you to work even harder.

“Alright, lover boy, as much as I’d love to hear more about how attractive you find my sweaty post-workout look, I need to get cleaned up.”

“Need someone to wash your back?” he asked slyly, waggling his eyebrows.

You shot him a pointed look.

“Kidding, kidding,” he said, raising his hands.

You gathered your things and started heading towards the showers. As expected, Gojo fell into step beside you, seemingly not done singing your praises yet.

“In all seriousness, you’re really good. I mean it,” he continued earnestly.

Warmth rushed through you with his heartfelt words. “Thank you, I appreciate that,” you said sincerely. “But honestly, it’s not anything extraordinary, stop complimenting me too much over that.”

“Heh, I’m just calling it like I see it,” he replied. “My girlfriend’s a total badass who’s only getting more incredible every day. What can I say, I’ve got an eye for talent,” he added with a cocky wink.

You laughed, giving him a light shove. “You’re too much.”

“And you love it,” he retorted, slinging an arm around your shoulders and pulling you close.

You leaned into him, smiling up at his handsome face. “Yeah, I really do.”

When you’re on your mission.

The dark alley was dimly lit, shadows stretching across the cramped passageway. Your footsteps were light and cautious as you scanned the area, senses on high alert. You were tracking a cursed spirit that had been terrorizing this neighborhood, attacking innocent civilians.

As a jujutsu sorcerer, it was your duty to stop threats like this.

Up ahead, you spotted your target—a grotesque, hulking creature with twisted features and elongated claws. It had a young woman pinned against the alley wall, ready to strike. With no time to lose, you leaped into action.

“Hey! Over here, ugly!” you shouted, firing off a blast of cursed energy to get its attention. The creature turned with an angry roar as you placed yourself between it and the cowering woman. Adopting a fighting stance, you are prepared to take it head-on.

The cursed spirit charged, swiping at you with ruthless force. But you were ready. With agile movements, you dodged and weaved, avoiding its attacks while looking for an opening. When you saw your chance, you struck—aiming your cursed technique at its chest sending it stumbling back.

Not letting up, you pressed your assault, pummeling the creature with your attacks. It tried to fight back but was no match for your superior speed and skill. With a final, devastating blow, you landed the finishing move, obliterating the cursed spirit in an explosion of energy.

Panting, you turned to check on the woman you had rescued. “Are you alright?” you asked gently to calm her down.

She stared at you with gratitude. “Th-thank you! You saved me!”

You smiled warmly, helping her to her feet. “Just doing my job. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”

After escorting her from the alley, you headed off to report your completed mission, satisfied at having eliminated the threat and protected an innocent life.

As you walked, a familiar voice suddenly spoke up behind you.

“Great moves back there,” he grins, walking towards you with his hand in his pocket. Looks like he got it easy on his task.

You turned to see Gojo beaming at you proudly. “When I felt that burst of energy, I knew it had to be you kicking some cursed spirit booty. And I was right.”

You laughed at his dramatic phrasing. “All in a day’s work. I’m just glad I got there in time.”

“Let me guess, you finished earlier and spied on me ‘kicking cursed spirit’s booty’,” you crossed your arms playfully, earning a chuckle from him.

“Yeah, it was a good show.”

Gojo stepped closer, gazing down at you admiringly. “It’s also that compassion that makes you such an amazing sorcerer,” he said. “You’re always focused on protecting people, even at great risk to yourself.”

His tone turned a bit calmer. “Watching you throw yourself in harm’s way like that… it scares me sometimes.” He gently caressed your cheek. “But it’s also one of the things I love most about you. Your drive to help others.”

You placed your hand over his, touched by his heartfelt words. “I’ll always do whatever it takes to keep people safe. I just have to.”

He smiled. “I know. And you do it with such skill too. The way you took down that cursed spirit was awesome. Your technique control has gotten better.”

“High praise coming from the strongest sorcerer around.”

“I’m just being honest here. You would’ve given me a run for my money, I bet."

You quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? Care to put your money where your mouth is and take me on sometime?” you challenged playfully.

A devious grin crossed his face. “Is that a date? You know I love any excuse to get handsy with you.”

You laughed, giving him a light shove. Even after a tiring day, he could always lift your spirits.

“Maybe later,” you said, taking his hand. “For now, how about lunch? Fighting cursed spirits really works up an appetite.”

“It’s a date then!” he instantly entwined his fingers with yours. As you walked off together, he added, “You take my breath away, you know that?”

You rolled your eyes good-naturedly. “Aww, aren’t you my own personal hype man?” you teased.

“Always!” he declared with his usual wide grin.

When you’re dressed up for a date.

“Satoru, can you come here for a second?” you called out from your bedroom.

“Be right there!” Came the reply, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Gojo stepped into the doorway, a signature grin on his face. “What’s up?”

You turned to him with a shy smile. “I just finished getting ready for our date tonight. Wanted to get your opinion on the outfit before we head out.”

It was your anniversary, and Gojo was taking you somewhere nice. You had agonized over what to wear, trying on ten different dresses before finally settling on the dress you’re wearing right now with delicate jewelry and heels to complete the elegant look.

Gojo’s eyebrows shot up above his glasses as he took in your appearance. “Wow…” he breathed, staring openly. “You look… beautiful.”

Your face heats up at his praise. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely stunning,” he affirmed, moving closer. His hands came to rest on your waist, head tilting as if to see you better from all angles. “This dress is perfect on you. It hugs your body just right.”

One hand slid sensuously down your side to emphasize his point. You hold his hand still with flushed laughter. “Down. boy. Keep it PG for now,” you chided playfully.

He held up his hands in acquiescence, though the desire in his gaze was palpable. “PG. Got it. I’m just appreciating my gorgeous girlfriend’s breathtaking beauty.”

You rolled your eyes at his dramatics, but his compliments made your heart flutter.

“The way the fabric drapes over your body…” he continued to admire you, “It’s like each detail was designed to accentuate your natural assets.” His voice dropped an octave. “Truly mouthwatering.”

“Satoru!” You swat his chest this time from embarrassment.

He grinned unrepentantly. “What? Can you blame me for being so captivated by you? You’re a vision right now. I’ve got the hottest date in town tonight, that’s for sure.”

You smiled, mollified by his sincerity beneath the teasing remarks. No one could make you feel as special and desired as Gojo.

“Think you can control yourself through dinner at least?” You asked archly.

He laughed. “I make no promises. But I’ll do my best to keep public groping to a minimum,” he replied with a wink.

Taking your hand, he led you downstairs and out the door, ever the gentleman. As you slid into the car though, his composure momentarily slipped.

“You look unbelievable in that dress,” he blurted, eyeing you up and down. “The things I want to do…”

He trailed off with an exaggerated groan. You dissolved into laughter, giving his arm an affectionate squeeze. Only Gojo could be so simultaneously sweet and shameless.

Dinner was an intimate, romantic affair. Gojo was on his best behavior, focused entirely on you. His compliments came often, praising everything from your smile to your witty banter. By dessert, you were practically glowing under his constant stream of adoration.

“Have I mentioned how stunning you look tonight?” He murmured, grazing his thumb over your knuckles. “Because you are dazzling, baby. I’m the luckiest guy here.”

You bite your lip, smile stretching wide. No matter how many times he said it, those words never got old.

The ride home was charged with anticipation. Gojo’s hands, so well behaved earlier, now roamed your body eagerly. Your pulse quickened as desire ignited.

Once inside, his control broke entirely. You found yourself pressed against the foyer wall, his mouth hot on your throat.

“I’ve been dying to get my hands on you all night,” he rasped into your skin. “This dress should be illegal… even the way you walk in it got me feeling hazy.”

You sighed blissfully as his lips and hands explored. When Gojo wanted you, he made sure you felt cherished, beautiful, and desired. It was intoxicating.

Later, lying enveloped in his arms, he nuzzled into your hair. “Have I mentioned you look sexy as hell in that dress?”

“Only about a hundred times tonight.”

“Well let’s make it a hundred and one,” he replied, rolling you beneath him to properly worship every tantalizing detail.

No matter the occasion, Gojo never failed to make you feel like a goddess. His passion and praise knew no bounds.

When you failed your mission.

The cursed spirit’s claws tore through flesh and bone before you could react. The young boy’s scream pierced the air, then suddenly went silent as his broken body hit the ground. Shock rooted you in place for a critical moment before rage took over. With a cry, you unleashed the full force of your power, obliterating the cursed spirit in an instant.

But it was too late. The child was gone, his sightless eyes accusing you of failure. Sinking to your knees, anguish crashed through you in waves. You were supposed to protect him. Instead, your hesitation had cost an innocent life.

By the time Gojo arrived, you were numb with grief. He assessed the situation swiftly before kneeling and enveloping you in his arms. You collapsed against his chest, finally releasing the tears you had been holding back.

He didn’t speak, just held you close and let you cry. There was no judgment in his embrace, only compassion. So you wept bitterly for the life lost, for your mistake, for the cruelty of this world.

When the torrent finally passed, Gojo gently wiped the moisture from your cheeks. “Talk to me,” he said simply.

Haltingly, you explained what happened. The guilt was a crushing weight on your heart.

“I should have been faster. I could have saved him,” you choked out.

Gojo gripped your shoulders. “Listen to me. This was not your fault.” His voice brooked no argument. “You didn’t hesitate from incompetence or cowardice. It was empathy. You saw a scared child and your first instinct was to protect, not attack. That compassion is what makes you an amazing sorcerer.”

You shook your head bitterly. “A lot of good it did him.”

“You can’t save everyone,” Gojo said sadly. “As much as we try, we can’t prevent every tragedy. What matters is that you care so deeply, that you refuse to harden your heart, even when it hurts this much.”

You wanted to believe him, but the stench of blood was thick in the air, a constant reminder of your failure.

Sensing your doubt, Gojo took your hands in his. “You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. Don’t let this make you afraid to keep caring. There are so many people out there who need that compassion.”

He tilted your chin up to meet your eyes. “This pain… means your humanity is still intact. That’s something to be proud of.”

A sob caught in your throat as you clutched his uniform jacket, anchoring yourself in his steadfast strength. The grief was still raw and raging, but his words lit a faint glow in the dark. Not of absolution, but of hope. That you could keep fighting and caring, without losing yourself.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured. “You’ll get through this. I’m here for you.”

The next few days were filled with more tears, self-doubt and sleepless nights. But Gojo remained your constant companion, providing reassurance when the shadows loomed.

His praise never wavered. Each time you began slipping back into despair, he was there with an uplifting word.

Slowly, the light began to return to your eyes. Gojo’s unrelenting positivity and belief in you provided a lifeline to cling to. He reminded you of your own strength, even when you doubted it.

Not long after that day, Gojo took you out to dinner. Upon returning home, he presented you with a single white lily.

“This is to honor that boy’s memory,” he explained. “But also to show you that beautiful things can still grow, even from tragic circumstances.”

You accepted the flower, eyes stinging with bittersweet tears. Looking up at Gojo, you found no trace of pity there, only love.

“Thank you,” you whispered, for this gesture, and for everything he had done to see you through the darkness.

He kissed your forehead tenderly. “You never have to go through anything alone. I’m always here.”

Clutching the lily close, you rested your head against Gojo’s heart.

When you’re happy.

You stared down at the official letter, reading the words over and over. You have been chosen by a revered sorcerer in Hokkaido for a mission that requires your skill. Better yet, you have always admired this sorcerer.

One in a million opportunity. It makes you feel special to have someone notice you to the point they requested for you because they need your skill. Just maybe, you’d have the opportunity to be trained by that sorcerer to improve yourself.

Hands shaking, you looked up at Gojo, seeing his face lit up with a brilliant smile. In an instant, you were swept off your feet as he spun you joyfully around the room. You clung to him, dizzy with euphoria.

When he finally set you down, he cupped your face in his hands. “I’m such a proud boyfriend,” he said. “All that hard training paid off, huh?”

Happy tears pricked your eyes. Having Gojo’s wholehearted support and belief in your abilities meant everything.

You can’t help but pull him down into a fierce, grateful kiss. His arms immediately enveloped you, lips curving into a smile against your mouth. When you finally broke for air, foreheads touching, the depth of emotion in his gaze took your breath away.

In the weeks that followed, Gojo went out of his way to celebrate your accomplishment at every opportunity.

There were bouquet deliveries to your door, with notes reading:

“To the future best jujutsu sorcerer!”

Gifts would arrive filled with your favorite treats:

“For my hardworking girlfriend who deserves something sweet!”

Even when you were curled up on the sofa, just spending a quiet night, he would randomly take your hand and announce:

“I’m the luckiest guy alive to be with you.”

His little displays of pride and support never failed to make you smile. Gojo genuinely reveled in your success as if it were his own. Your joy brought him joy, a sentiment you fully reciprocated.

On the morning you were to start the intensive program, Gojo made you a lavish breakfast in bed. As you ate, he detailed an elaborate training regimen to prepare you for the challenges ahead.

“And I’ll be your personal sparring partner of course. Have to keep those combat skills razor sharp!” He grinned. “I won’t go easy on you just because you’re my girlfriend.”

You laughed. “I’d be insulted if you did.”

His expression turned serious then. Taking your hand, he met your eyes earnestly. “You’re going to do amazing things, I just know it. And I can’t wait to stand back and watch you shine.”

Emotion clogged your throat. No matter how far you go in this field, Gojo will always be your biggest supporter.

“As cheesy as it sounds... as long as you’re by my side, I know I can handle anything,” you told him with a rather bashful smile.

He smiled softly. “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”

Leaning in, he kissed you sweetly. When he pulled back, his usual cocky smirk was firmly back in place.

“Now finish up. Time to go show off why you’re the badass jujutsu sorcerer they’re lucky to have!”

When you’re sick.

A violent cough wracked your body as you huddled under the blankets, trying in vain to get warm. Your head was pounding, your throat raw, and your limbs heavy with fatigue. The flu had hit you hard and fast, leaving you miserable and bedridden.

A light knock at the door heralded Gojo’s arrival. He poked his head in, his usual playful grin replaced by a look of concern.

“How’s my girl doing?” he asked gently, sitting on the edge of the bed.

You offered a weak smile. “Been better,” you croaked out before dissolving into another coughing fit.

Gojo rubbed your back soothingly until the spasms passed. “Sounds nasty. Let me get you some water.”

He returned swiftly, helping prop you up to take small sips. The liquid soothed your inflamed throat but did little for the chills wracking your body.

Noticing your shivers, Gojo piled on more blankets and slid in behind you, pulling you close. The warmth of his body enveloped you, finally easing some of the shudders. You sank gratefully into his embrace.

“There we go, just rest,” he murmured, one hand gently stroking your hair. You sighed, comforted by his presence.

Gojo wasn't usually one for tender quiet moments. His boundless energy and shameless mouth tended to dominate any interaction. But now, he was the picture of care and concern—keeping his touch light, his voice quiet and soothing.

You were moved by this rare glimpse of his gentle side. Having someone see you like this—sweaty, sick and pathetic—would normally make you self-conscious. But with Gojo, you felt safe letting your guard down completely.

“Sorry you have to see me like this,” you mumbled.

He tilted your chin up. “Nonsense. You’re beautiful no matter what.” His thumb lightly caressed your cheek. “I’m glad you’re comfortable enough around me to be vulnerable.”

Warmth bloomed in your chest, and not from the fever. Even wrecked by illness, he could still make you feel cherished.

“What did I do to deserve you?” you whispered.

He grinned. “I ask myself that every day.” Dipping his head, he placed a feather-light kiss on your forehead. “Now, hush. No more talking, just rest.”

You settled against him once more, lulled by the steady rhythm of his heart. Time passed in a haze of fitful sleep and coughing fits, but Gojo stayed dutifully by your side.

When the chills returned, he bundled you uptight, acting as your own personal furnace. He patiently fed you soup and medicine, made sure you were hydrated, and kept the tissues handy.

True to form, he also kept up a constant stream of praise and encouragement.

“There’s my tough girl, fighting this nasty bug off.”

“Even under all those blankets, you’re still the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”

“Look at you powering through these coughs like a champ!”

His little comments never failed to make you smile. Only Gojo could find something positive even in your current state.

After two days of attentive care, your fever finally broke. The aches and fatigue gradually receded until you were able to sit up without assistance.

Gojo beamed at you. “There she is! Knew you could kick this flu’s butt.”

Taking your hand, he pressed a gentle kiss to your knuckles, and his eyes shone with affection. “I’m so proud of you for pushing through this. You’re strong.”

“I wouldn’t have made it without you.”

He waved it off. “I just gave you a nudge. You did all the hard work.”

Cupping your face in his hands, he gazed at you earnestly. “Never doubt your strength, or hide your struggles from me, okay? Ask me anything, I’ll give them all to you.”

You nodded, heart brimming with love for this man.

When you’re annoyed at him.

“Satoru, I swear if you don’t stop messing around I’m going to—argh!” you yelled in exasperation.

The infuriating man just laughed, dancing easily out of your reach as you swiped at him. He had been pestering you all morning with juvenile pranks and teasing remarks, fraying your last nerve.

“Aww, is someone a wittle gwumpy today?” he taunted in a baby voice.

You saw red. Lunging forward, you tackled him to the ground. Caught off guard for once, he landed hard on his back with a grunt. You pinned him in place with your body weight, glaring down at him.

“Call me grumpy one more time and I’ll show you just how nasty my mood is,” you growled.

Gojo’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Then a slow, wicked grin spread across his face.

“Well, damn, baby. I love it when you get feisty with me,” he purred. His hands came up to grip your hips suggestively.

You swatted them away in irritation. “Don’t get any ideas. I’m still mad at you.”

Rolling off him, you crossed your arms with a huff. Gojo sat up, smile fading.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry for riling you up too much,” he grins. “Didn’t realize you were actually that annoyed with me.”

Your anger deflated at the apology. He may act like a brat sometimes, but Gojo is always quick to make amends when he crosses a line—well, only for you, at least. (Don’t tell Geto and Utahime about this!)

With a sigh, you uncrossed your arms. “It’s fine. I overreacted too.” Glancing over at him sheepishly, you added, “And I know I’ve been… prickly lately. The stress has just put me in a bad mood.”

Between juggling studying, missions, and training, you had been spread thin. Gojo’s antics had been the last straw.

He scooted closer, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “You have nothing to apologize for. I should’ve realized you needed me to dial it down and help you decompress.”

Leaning into him, you gave a tired smile. “Well, tackling you did feel pretty therapeutic, actually.”

Gojo’s laughter rumbled against you. “See? Violence solves everything!” he joked, squeezing you playfully.

You push his chest slightly, but couldn’t help chuckling too. Only Gojo could vex you one minute and make you laugh the next.

He pressed a conciliatory kiss to your temple. “Tell you what, why don’t you go take a nice long bath to relax while I make us dinner?”

The offer was extremely tempting after the high-stress week you’d had.

“That does sound really nice,” you admitted. “But you don’t have to cook, I’m sure I could throw something—”

He held up a hand. “Nope, you just focus on unwinding. Doctor Gojo’s orders.”

The mental image of him in a doctor’s coat and nothing else briefly distracted you. At your silence, he grinned knowingly. “I’ll take that as an agreement to my plan.”

Rolling your eyes, you stood and stretched. “Fine, you win this round.”

“I always do,” he retorted cockily.

True to his word, Gojo prepared a delicious meal while you soaked in the tub. The aromas wafting in from the kitchen made your stomach rumble eagerly.

By the time you made it downstairs, the table was set with your favorites. Gojo greeted you with a flourishing bow.

“For the lovely lady, a feast fit for a queen.”

You laughed at his antics, touched by the effort. Over dinner he kept the conversation light, making you laugh recounting silly stories. For the first time all week, you felt your tension finally easing.

Later, as you lounged together on the couch, Gojo spoke up softly. “Feeling more relaxed now?”

You nodded, snuggling closer. “Definitely. Thank you for all this, it was just what I needed.”

Strong arms wrapped securely around you. “I’ll always be here to take care of you, no matter what.” He pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Even when you get grumpy and violent with me,” he added teasingly.

You groaned. “Ugh, I’m sorry for tackling you like that.”

“What do you mean? I loved it,” he said, weirdly eager about it. “Seeing you all fired up and feisty was incredibly hot.”

“You’re so weird.”

“You know you love me,” he shot back smugly.

Rolling your eyes, you stretched up to kiss him. “Hmm, you’re right.”

He just loves everything about you.

“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?”

Gojo’s voice boomed across the crowded hall, quieting the others in this luxurious restaurant he took you on a date with after high school graduation.

“Thank you. Now I know speeches aren’t usually allowed during meals, but I convinced the manager here to let me have the floor for a few minutes.” He flashed his most charming grin. “After all, it’s not every day a man gets to proudly proclaim the love of his life to a crowd.”

Your eyes widened in surprise as he pulled you up to stand up with him. Taking both your hands, he continued earnestly.

“This person right here is the most incredible human being I’ve ever met. Smart, strong, kind-hearted, and breathtakingly beautiful.”

Murmurs spread through the hall listening raptly. You felt your cheeks grow warm at the public praise. Trust Gojo to be so shamelessly romantic.

He went on, tone utterly sincere beneath the dramatics. “Her passion for helping others inspires me daily. The way she fights with skill and compassion in equal measure is a marvel to watch.”

Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a folded piece of paper. “I could spend hours listing all the reasons she amazes me, which is why I wrote it down.” Winking, he unfurled the lengthy scroll with a flourish, clearing his throat.

“Ahem… ‘The top 100 things I love about my girlfriend, revised edition’. Reason one…”

Your jaw dropped as he proceeded to read the entire list out loud to the captive audience.

It was mortifying. It was ridiculous.

It was so utterly Gojo.

As he extolled your praises, you buried your flaming face in his shoulder. “You’re crazy, you know that?” you mumbled against his suit.

He just chuckled and kept reading. “Reason 37, The way she scrunches her nose at me when I tell a bad joke…”

Despite your embarrassment, warmth blossomed in your chest. Trust Gojo to turn a simple dinner into a grand spectacle of devotion.

When he finally finished, he rolled up the scroll with a flourish and grinned down at you. “Of course, the list could go on forever. But I think I’ve sufficiently made my point.”

Cupping your face in his hands, he said loud enough for all to hear, “You are the love of my life. My soulmate. My one and only.” Then he brought his lips to yours in a fiercely passionate kiss.

Catcalls and applause erupted from the watching audience you (and him) don’t even know. But you were deaf to it all, lost in Gojo’s embrace.

When you broke for air, faces still inches apart, he murmured, “I’ll spend every day finding new reasons to love you.”

Emotion clogged your throat. You had gotten used to his easy affection and endless praise over the time. But this loud, public proclamation was on another level entirely.

“I love you too,” you whispered back, your feelings laid as bare as his.

Ignoring the continued hoots and chatter around you, Gojo lifted you effortlessly in his arms.

“Now then, I believe we have some private celebrating to do,” he purred suggestively in your ear.

“You’re terrible. What am I going to do with you?” You laugh in happiness.

“I can think of a few ideas,” he replied with a sly wink.

As he carried you out of the hall, you shook your head in amusement. Life with Gojo was never boring, that was for sure.

In between chaotic battles and daily life responsibilities, your relationship has grown into something truly profound. A partnership built on unwavering trust, passion, and laughter.

Gojo adored you loudly and unapologetically, just as you loved him.

And you wouldn’t want it any other way.

Also writing this as a practice dump for my upcoming English creative writing competition lol

1K notes · View notes

dittolicous · 2 months

Text

Saw some takes on One Piece x Pokemon so I thought I'd throw in my own two cents, seeing as giving characters Pokemon is my FAVORITE thing (just look at my fucking Submas fic, so many Pokeymans.... ehem).

First, to note that I'm working under the idea of 'One Piece where everything is exactly the same as Canon except Pokemon are also there'. How? Eh, its anime, baby, we don't need too much logic! They're just like a split off from regular animals - perhaps animals naturally enfused with Devil Fruit-like powers or something? IDK.

(That said, Pokemon cannot gain Devil Fruit powers like a regular animal can. There are many studies why but no 100% conclusive answer.)

Luffy:

1) Tangela ♀️ -> Tangrowth

Met on/at: Dawn Island

Background: Met when Luffy was young, in the mountain forest after befriending Ace and Sabo. They bonded over both having stretchy limbs. Constantly got tangled up in each other.

Evolved: During Marineford while trying to save Ace.

Reasoning: Stretchy limbs, a little goofy looking, but can become a strong fighter.

2) Mudkip ♂️ -> Marshtomp -> Swampert

Met on/at: Alabasta.

Background: Often hung out with the Kung-Fu Dugong for a fun brawl and was impressed by Luffy. Followed the Strawhats by sneaking into their luggage afterwards. Helped Luffy against Crocodile.

Evolved: First at Enies Lobby then finally over the timeskip while training with Luffy. Was supplied with a Megastone by Boa. First use was during Dressrosa.

Reasoning: Mega evolution similar to Luffy's Gear 3-4 appearances. Also completes the starter trio with Zoro and Sanji.

3) Aipom ♀️ -> Ambipom

Met on/at: Skypiea.

Background: Liked Luffy's singing, followed him around and snuck on board the Merry when it went to leave Skypiea.

Evolved: At Thriller Bark, trying to protect Luffy from Kuma.

Reasoning: Goofy monkey. “It uses its tails for everything. If it wraps both of its tails around you and gives you a squeeze, that's proof it really likes you.”

4) Drampa ♂️

Met on/at: Sabaody, pre-timeskip.

Background: Was entertaining kids at the theme-park when Luffy's group bumped into them. Became distraught that Camie was kidnapped and tried to help them find her. Was upset they couldn't protect Luffy or the Strawhats when the navy showed up, thus watching over Sunny during the two years to make up for it. Officially joined when they reunited.

Reasoning: Goofy. Fluffy white hair, similar to Gear 5. Kind to children, will become violent to protect or avenge them - think Momo, Tama, and Bonnie.

5) Lombre ♂️ -> Ludicolo

Met on/at: Dressrossa.

Background: Often snuck in to watch Colosseum fights. Didn't really understand why everyone always got so mad (mostly at Rebecca) but thought the fights seemed fun. Was inspired by Luffy's battles and defeating Doflamingo and really liked the party thrown afterwards.

Evolved: Accidentally, on the way to WCI, after touching a waterstone while playing around in Nami's treasure (with Gholdengo).

Reasoning: “Upon hearing an upbeat and cheerful rhythm, the cells in Ludicolo's body become very energetic and active. Even in battle, this Pokémon will exhibit an amazing amount of power.” Festive music makes it stronger, comparable to Drums of Liberation. Also goofy, likes to party.

6) Egg -> Riolu ♂️ -> Lucario

Met on/at: Zou.

Background: Was accidentally grabbed when the egg got packed with their supplies during the rush to WCI. Was nearly eaten by Luffy but Chopper recognized it as a viable Pokemon egg. Hatched aboard the Sunny when Luffy cried out to Sanji, feeling his emotions despite the distance. Intensely attached to Luffy as a result.

Evolved: At Wano during the Onigashima battle.

Reasoning: Use of aura similar to Ryuo Haki.

And, lol whoops, since this is gunna be LONG the rest of the Strawhats are going under the cut!

Zoro:

1) Scyther ♂️ -> Kleavor

Met on/at: Shimotsuki Village.

Background: Often fought each other while Zoro trained to beat Kuina. Was thrown off when Zoro came after him viciously one day, until he broke down mid fight and told him about Kuina, her death, and their promise. Joined Zoro when he eventually left the village.

Evolved: Found Black Augurite way back at Little Garden but was not aware of its use nor cared to evolve until Wano, after seeing Tonoyasu's execution.

Reasoning: Knife arms. Kleavor chosen over Scizor because Scizor is more claw or clamp-like while Kleavor keeps the sharp weaponry arms (just axes instead of swords). Kleavor also more old-fashioned, less fancy than Scizor, mirroring Zoro's simple ideology. Big, scary looking.

2) Magikarp ♂️ -> Gyarados

Met on/at: East Blue sea.

Background: Came across Zoro while he was lost at Sea. Helped lead him to land but was stunned by how he kept getting immediately lost and stuck with him to keep him from dying at sea. Likes to meditate with him. Dreams of swimming up a giant water. Love at first sight with Sanji's Feebas. Get clumsy and shy under her attention. Nearly went belly up when she evolved. Becomes a mated pair after Little Garden. Neither Zoro or Sanji are aware.

Evolved: To help them escape Enies Lobby whirlpools. Was given a Mega-stone much later at Wano, by Hiyori.

Reasoning: Unexpected powerhouse. Connects to Wano via ‘koi that climbs a waterfall’ and becomes a dragon. Mirrors Sanji's Feebas/Milotic.

3) Zangoose ♀️

Met on/at: Random East Blue island.

Background: Caught while roaming as a bounty hunter. Was terrorizing a local town until Zoro beat them. Has an explosive temper and can be difficult to control at times. More controlled after the timeskip but can still be egged into fits.

Reasoning: Sharp, mean-looking face. Has a long-term rivalry with another Pokemon (Seviper). Mark over left eye.

4) Treecko ♂️ -> Grovyle -> Sceptile

Met on/at: Long Ring Long Land Island.

Background: Watched their Davy Back fight. Thought they were kinda stupid ultimately liked their vibes and forced their way onto Zoro's team afterwards. Chose Zoro on a whim but it worked as they often nap together. Very chill, go-with-the-flow type.

Evolved: First at Sabaody while protecting Zoro from Kuma then finally over the timeskip. Was sneakily given a Mega-stone by Mihawk when the two years were up.

Reasoning: Green. Cutting attacks. Completes the Starter Trio with Luffy and Sanji.

5) Charcadet ♂️ -> Ceruledge

Met on/at: Thriller Bark.

Background: Was helping them from the shadows as they were too weak to take on Moria straight on. Saw the confrontation with Kuma and was greatly moved. Wants to be trained by Zoro.

Evolved: Over the timeskip.

Reasoning: Sword arms. Got stronger via cursed artifacts like Zoro's swords.

6) Applin ♀️ -> Dipplin -> Hydrapple

Met on/at: Wano.

Background: Saw Zoro as he pretended to be a traveling ronin in the capital. Became completely enamored by him. Kept following him and randomly popping out to give him food or lead him places. Young powerhouse. Really wants to protect and impress him.

Evolved: First when Toko gave Zoro a candied apple which Zoro then gave to them (since he doesn't like sweets). Had no idea it could evolve them. Then finally during the Onigashima battle.

Reasoning: Multi-headed dragon similar to three-sword style. Also funny for him to have a sweets-based Pokemon despite disliking sweets. Draws parallel to his friendship with Chopper.

Nami:

1) Meowth ♂️ -> Persian

Met on/at: Random East Blue Island.

Background: Caught in an attempt to abuse Pay Day. Wasn't efficient, only upsetting both of them, and gave them a rough start. Eventually grew to understand and trust each other. Becomes very spoiled later on, as Nami wants to give them a good life.

Evolved: While fighting Baroque Works in the final Alabasta battle.

Reasoning: Money cat.

2) Absol ♀️ (shiny) ⭐️

Met on/at: Random pirate ship in the East Blue.

Background: Freed them from a poacher while working for Arlong. Bonded over being considered bad omens (or so they believed). Helps her recognize warning signs of oncoming natural disasters.

Evolved: Found a Mega-stone in treasure at Thriller Bark. Only achieved it after the timeskip.

Reasoning: Ability to sense on-coming disasters similar to Nami being able to spot storms and her navigation capabilities. Shiny to match her hair.

3) Gimmighoul ⚧️ -> Gholdengo

Met on/at: Skypiea.

Background: Found roaming form in treasure from Skypiea. Freaked out before taking up residence in Nami's treasure. Very good at keeping it organized and safe for her. Not much of a fighter but focuses on keeping the ship safe when the crew is on land. Likes to watch her draw maps.

Evolved: Entirely by accident while trying to protect their treasure at Thriller Bark. Was not looking forward to having Nami find out some of the treasure was now part of their body.

Reasoning: Treasure, gold.

4) Castform ♂️

Met on/at: Weatheria.

Background: Lived with the Weather Wizards to aid them in their studies. Was moved by Nami's drive to help Luffy and then by her bountiful knowledge and skill. Helps her improve Clima-Tact range. Chose to go with her so they could become stronger together as well as see her achieve her dream. Later becomes BFFs with Zeus.

Reasoning: Weather-based abilities.

5) Wattrel ♀️ -> Kilowattrel

Met on/at: Weatheria.

Background: Befriended the entire flock while practicing lightning attacks. Chose to stay with her to keep ‘playing’. A little air-headed but well-meaning. Also BFFs with Zeus.

Evolved: At Dressrossa, while fighting Giolla. Not good at remembering their much bigger now and keeps trying to sit on Nami's shoulder.

Reasoning: Electric bird. Comparable to Nami's favorite attack with Thunder Tempo.

6) Dratini ♂️ -> Dragonair -> Dragonite

Met on/at: On the way to Fish-man Island.

Background: A scardy-cat but still tries to keep sailors safe. Got caught up in the mess with the kraken and volcano on the journey to the island. Stuck with Nami because she let them curl around her shoulders when they got scared. Officially joined at the end of the arc.

Evolved: First during the escape from WCI and then finally during the battle at Onigashima while desperately trying to protect Nami.

Reasoning: Saves sailors from storms and wrecks just like Nami navigates them to safety. Kindhearted.

Special Note: Nami is afraid of Bug Type Pokemon.

Usopp:

1) Spinarak ♂️ -> Ariados

Met on/at: Syrup Village.

Background: First friend, partners in crime. Helped back-up Usopp's lies however they could. Desperately wants to befriend Nami and Sanji (going slowly).

Evolved: During the timeskip. Took so long to evolve because of their personal fear they weren't going to be good enough to help Usopp achieve his dream.

Reasoning: Usopp claims to have played with spiders as a kid.

2) Remoraid ♀️ -> Octillary

Met on/at: Seas of Alabasta.

Background: Fished up on the way to Alabasta. Was too scrawny to eat, took offense to that, and made it their problem until caught by Usopp. Constantly disobeyed him, causing trouble and spitting water at them. Only grew to respect and listen to him in Enies Lobby, both out of his love for Merry and his strength to stand up for Robin.

Evolved: While protecting them at Enies Lobby, when they were stuck on the platform.

Reasoning: Gun fish for the sniper.

3) Finizin ♂️ -> Palafin

Met on/at: Water 7.

Background: Met while he tried to fix Merry. Usopp would talk to Merry and his voice drew in some wild sea Pokemon. Thought it was touching how much he cared for the ship. Saw him and Franky get kidnapped by CP-9, chasing after the sea train. Saw the ‘birth’ of and idolizes Sogeking.

Evolved: As they were leaving Water 7, hyped up by Usopp returning to his friends and wanting to protect them from Garp.

Reasoning: Superhero Pokemon = Sogeking.

4) Dreepy ♀️ -> Drakloak -> Dragapult

Met on/at: Thriller Bark.

Background: Followed them out of curiosity. Got slingshot-ed away by Usopp by accident when he panicked thanks to the zombies. Turned out to love being launched by Usopp's slingshot, kept coming back to him and even offering to help if he kept doing it. Refused to leave.

Evolved: First during the timeskip and then again at Dressrosa, during the final battle.

Reasoning: Likes being shot around. Good for a sniper. Also funny since Usopp is scared of ghosts.

5) Toedscool ♂️ -> Toedscruel

Met on/at: Boin Archipelago.

Background: Tried to kill Usopp at first but had a change of heart when Usopp accidentally saved them both from being eaten by the island. Helped him hone his skills and ammunition, then joined after two years.

Evolved: Over the two years.

Reasoning: Goofy, good at running away really fast. Draws comparisons to Usopp's use of plants and the like later.

6) Floragato ♂️ -> Meowscarada

Met on/at: Dressrosa.

Background: Was particularly feisty and troublesome and thus was turned into a toy by Sugar. Witnessed the God Usopp fight. Was more baffled then moved, choosing to follow Usopp out of morbid curiosity. Respect was grudgingly won when they watched him prepare his attack to protect Luffy from Sugar later on.

Evolved: During the battle at Onigashima.

Reasoning: Uses sleight of hand, showy, like Usopp. Similar to Palafin and Sogeking.

Special Note: Afraid of Ghost Type Pokemon. Still startles around Robin's.

Sanji:

1) Rattata ♂️ (shiny) ⭐️

Met on/at: Germa Kingdom.

Background: One of the rats he fed. Found Sanji in the dungeon and kept him company. Escaped with him, officially being caught once on the ship. Only survived the shipwreck because Sanji forced them to stay in their Pokeball, which kept them in a decent enough stasis until they were found, but only just barely. Has refused to return to their ball ever since.

Evolved: No. Refuses to evolve out of fear of becoming too big to hide on Sanji's person.

Reasoning: Sanji fed mice. Shiny to look more like his hair and play off the idea of a ‘waste of a shiny’. IE a weak or non-viable fighter Pokemon getting a shiny spawn instead of a cooler Pokemon, making the bad shiny more insulting. Sanji was a failure because he didn't mutate, Rattata was a failure because it did mutate.

2) Torchic ♀️ -> Combusken -> Blaziken

Met on/at: Baratie.

Background: A gift from Zeff when he started teaching him how to fight. Sparring partners. Doesn't tolerate Sanji's nonsense with women and will drag him away if they need to. Assists him in the kitchen as well.

Evolved: First evolves at Arlong Park then finally at Enies Lobby. Gifted a Mega-stone by Iva during the timeskip.

Reasoning: Fire-type kicking Pokemon. Completes the Starter Trio with Luffy and Zoro.

3) Feebas ♀️ -> Milotic

Met on/at: Baratie.

Background: Met after opening the Baratie, trying to steal scraps from trash because they were having trouble finding food thanks to being so weak. Sanji cooked them something fresh and told them they could always come to him if they were hungry. Doted on over the years as Sanji honed his cooking. Believes in his dream of the All Blue. Becomes intensely protective of him upon evolving. Love at first sight with Zoro's Magikarp/Gyarados. Thinks he's a real charmer even as a Magikarp. Was starstruck when he evolved. Becomes a mated pair after Little Garden. Neither Sanji or Zoro are aware.

Evolved: To protect him when Don Kreig attacked.

Reasoning: Hard to find yet very pathetic and weak Pokemon in first stage Originally evolves by increasing beauty stat via feeding poffins/special food. Mirrors Zoro's Magikarp/Gyarados.

4) Milcery ♀️ -> Alcremie (Love-Sweet, Matcha)

Met on/at: Kamabakka Kingdom.

Background: Aided him in improving his cooking and fighting skills. Let him vent about Iva and the others, eventually then about the Strawhats and his worries. Prefers cooking to fighting but doesn't shy away from a fight. Very calm and collected.

Evolved: Over the two years. Sanji picked her up while talking/venting over a long night and started gushing. Did his spinny thing.

Reasoning: Food Pokemon.

5) Type: Null ⚧️ -> Silvally

Met on/at: Germa Kingdom.

Background: Found in the Germa cloning lab being experimented on during WCI. Broke them free out of rage during his fight with his siblings, telling it to run. It ran off but found him and Luffy later, tentatively joining them because it didn't know where to go. Sanji had a difficult time looking at them at first but they were able to bond over time. Treats Rattata like an older sibling.

Evolved: During the fight with Queen in Wano. Was brought to tears as Queen tried to kill them and berated them on being Judge's work, given hope when Sanji denied him. Broke their helmet to stand with him.

Reasoning: Artificially created based on a God (Arceus), comparable to the theory that the Vinsmokes were trying to recreate Devil Fruit abilities (hence the swirl brows). Also, helmet, and the symbology of destroying the helmet thanks to friendship and to become stronger. “Through the bond it formed with its Trainer, its will was strengthened, and it was able to destroy its control mask.”

6) Bounsweet ♀️ -> Steenee -> Tsareena

Met on/at: Wano.

Background: Lived in the flower capital of Wano. Hung out around Sanji's noodle stand after he opened it. Befriended Rattata and snuck into Sanji's pocket with them. Didn't really have a reason, very air-headed and doofy. Not a single thought in their head. Doted on by Sanji nonetheless. Surprisingly vicious in a fight upon evolving.

Evolved: First during the battle at Onigashima, then again later at Egghead Island.

Reasoning: Leggy Pokemon.

Special Note: Afraid of Bug Type Pokemon.

Chopper:

1) Egg -> Happiny ♀️ -> Chansey -> Blissey

Met on/at: Jaya.

Background: Found as an egg in the forest of Jaya, while they were looking for a South Bird. Hatched during the freedom party in Skypiea and imprinted on Chopper. Likes to hide under his hat or in his backpack before evolving.

Evolved: First evolved over the timeskip and then again at Wano.

Reasoning: OG healing Pokemon. Pink.

2) Audino ♀️

Met on/at: Torino Kingdom.

Background: Was learning medicine alongside Chopper. Chose to go with him after being told stories of the Strawhats’ adventures by Chopper (half out of admiration, half out of horror over the injuries gotten).

Evolved: Gifted a Mega-stone by the birds (it was in their shiny stash).

Reasoning: Another good nurse Pokemon. Mega-evolves like Chopper's forms.

3) Smoliv ♂️ -> Dolliv -> Arboliva

Met on/at: Zou.

Background: Was touched by the Strawhats saving the Minks. Wants to help people like Chopper does. Doesn't like fighting. Helps tend to Chopper's medicinal garden.

Evolved: For the first time at WCI and then again later while breaking Luffy out of jail in Wano.

Reasoning: Kind Pokemon. Seed Sower ability causes healing. Good support for medical care.

Special Note: Chopper isn't wholly comfortable with having Pokemon partners thanks to his own animal nature. The three he has wouldn't take no for an answer. He treats them more like students or assistants. He can understand Pokemon-speak though it's like deciphering a very thick accent.

Robin:

1) Budew ♀️ (Shiny) ⭐️ -> Roselia -> Roserade

Met on/at: Ohara

Background: Only friend before Saul arrived. Escaped with her when Ohara burned. Extremely protective of her, slow to trust others. Will have no mercy on those that betray or threaten Robin. Relaxes a bit after Enies Lobby, trusting the Strawhats unconditionally to have their back.

Evolved: First evolved not long after escaping Ohara, while protecting a sleeping Robin. Evolved again a couple years down the line when she started going through pirate crews.

Reasoning: Comparable to Robin's Devil Fruit. Shiny colors for darker feelings.

2) Galarian Yamask ♂️ -> Runerigus

Met on/at: Random Ruins

Background: Met in some ruins during her travels to find the Poneglyphs. Likes to people watch. Tends to accidentally creep on others without meaning too, forgetting that ghost powers frighten people.

Evolved: Before joining Crocodile.

Reasoning: Runes. History based and creepy.

3) Cofagrigus ♀️

Met on/at: Random Ruins.

Background: Similar to above. Tried to lure her to her death but was soundly defeated. Was told her goals, piquing their curiosity, and decided to join her. Likes when Robin reads to them or talks about her latest discoveries. Also likes pranking/scaring Usopp, Chopper, and Brook.

Evolved: Before meeting Robin.

Reasoning: Sarcophagus. History stuff. Lottsa hands.

4) Unown (D) ⚧️

Met on/at: Skypiea.

Background: Met while looking through the ruins. Helped her figure out where the bell and Poneglyph were. Feels a pull towards Poneglyphs but cannot explain why. Often seems nervous for no particular reason.

Reasoning: Mysterious. D.

5) Zorua ♀️ (Hisuian) -> Zoroark

Met on/at: Random Island.

Background: Met while traveling with the Revolutionary Army. Was a rescue from an island ravaged by bad marines. Originally meant to be given to the marines in a trade before the RA showed up. Apparently was a regular dark type at that point but died in the ensuing chaos, then somehow came back. Was feral and lashing out in the RA's care but Robin was able to get through to them. Bonded over their painful histories. Wants to help see Robin's dream through.

Evolved: Over the two years.

Reasoning: History of Zoroarks being hunted similar to Robin being hunted by marines. Contrast between Unovan and Hisuian, pairs well with Robin originally seeking death before the Strawhats. Illusions good for evading people.

6) Houndour ♂️

Met on/at: Wano.

Background: Belonged to the Beast Pirates. Was newly hatched when it witnessed Robin fight Black Maria. Felt safe and confused Robin for their mother. Tried to protect her from Brooke when she passed out afterwards. Very cuddly. Loves kisses. Gets dressed up in little outfits.

Evolved: No. Too baby.

Reasoning: Demon dog but actually very sweet. Demonic doesn’t mean evil or bad. Similar to Robin's demon form.

Franky:

1) Squirtle ♂️ -> Wartortle -> Blastoise

Met on/at: Outskirts of Water 7.

Background: Was one of the kids of the Blastoise that saved Franky after being thrown overboard. Was fascinated by him. Stuck around and help fish him out again after being hit by the train.

Evolved: First evolved while trying to pull Franky to safety after the train accident. Later evolved again while running the Franky Family.

Reasoning: Canons. Big, sturdy Pokemon.

2) Golett ⚧️ -> Golurk

Met on/at: The junk ship.

Background: Met after Franky was hit by the train. Was haunting around the scrap heap. Was inspired by how Franky rebuilt himself. Likes to have funky designs painted on their armor, like Franky's star arm tattoos.

Evolved: At Thriller Bark.

Reasoning: Toy-robot like.

3) Galarian Zigzagoon ♀️ (Shiny) ⭐️ -> Linoone -> Obstagoon

Met on/at: Water 7

Background: Stray that he picked up after returning to Water 7. Escaped from visiting pirates. Part of the Franky Family gang, helping steal from pirates. Loves parties and loud music. Leaps before looking.

Evolved: Evolves for the first time while infiltrating Enies Lobby to save Franky and Robin. Evolves again at Dressrosa.

Reasoning: Gang-related (via Sw/Sh), loud and unapologetic. Actually not a bad guy. Shiny as the bright colors match Frank better and stand out more. Goofy.

4) Varoom ♀️ -> Revavroom

Met on/at: Water 7.

Background: Picked up by the Franky Family. Helped power-up Franky's bigger inventions. Can join together with General Franky to give him a boost in strength as well as some poison abilities, and with the Sunny for an emergency boost if low on cola.

Evolved: During the timeskip.

Reasoning: Car. Gang-related (via Sc/Vi). Still not the bad guys. Mechanical.

5) Miraidon ⚧️

Met on/at: Baldimore.

Background: Met at Vegapunk's abandoned lab. Inspired many of Franky's updates and inventions. Timid around new people. Likes Franky because he smells like metal and oil. Is introduced to burgers by Franky, having an enlightening moment. Can be bribed with promises of burgers or fries. Is capable of connecting to any Vegapunk system to download or transfer data. Does not necessarily understand what it means or how to decrypt it.

Reasoning: Motorcycle. Extremely technologically advanced. No line between machine and beast/man. Sandwich gag. Relation to famous scientist.

6) Tinkatink ♀️ -> Tinkatuff -> Tinkaton

Met on/at: Dressrosa.

Background: Was confused as a toy at first. Kept trying to use parts of Franky to make a hammer. Constantly following him and almost getting hurt during the big battle. He liked their spunk. Cannot be left unsupervised in the workshop or they'll keep making bigger and bigger hammers from whatever it finds.

Evolved: First by the end of Dressrosa and then again Egghead Island.

Reasoning: Goofy but strong.

Brook:

1) Chatot ♂️

Met on/at: Random passing ship.

Background: Met while drifting at sea. Their old partner was killed, so they found comfort in each other. Liked Brooke's singing. Officially joined him after Thriller Bark.

Reasoning: Parrot+Pirate=✅️. Musical.

2) Cubone ♂️ -> Alolan Marowak

Met on/at: Thriller Bark.

Background: Lost their family and original partner. Joined Brook tentatively after seeing him mourn his crew in front of their grave.

Evolved: During the two years. One of the few Ghosts Brook isn't afraid of.

Reasoning: Dead friends. “This Pokémon sets the bone it holds on fire and dances through the night as a way to mourn its fallen allies.” Reminds me of Brook's big attack in WCI.

3) Sewaddle ♂️ -> Swadloon -> Leavanny

Met on/at: Sabaody.

Background: Fell onto Brook while they were running from Kuma, was sent with him during the split. Was comforted by Brook and eventually partnered with him. Reminds Brook of his late partner Kricketune. Likes to dance when Brook plays music. Sadly not very good at making music or playing any instrument despite practice but has fun all the same.

Evolved: Both over the timeskip.

Reasoning: Similar to a Kricketune. Agile, light, with sword arms. Similar to Brook.

4) Toxtricity ♀️

Met on/at: Random Island.

Background: Met while touring during the two years. Helped Brook explore more modern music methods. Played back-up while he toured. Tends to accidentally shock Brook when excited. Gets along very well with Franky's Obstagoon.

Evolved: Before meeting Brook.

Reasoning: Represents Brook's electric guitar.

5) Popplio ♀️ -> Brionne -> Primerina

Met on/at: Fish-man Island.

Background: Originally apprenticing with the mermaid cafe/dancers. Heard Brook's music and wanted to learn from him. Thinks he's hilarious, though they don't know what panties are. Will show him random items when he asks to see someones. Gossip buddies with Sanji's Milotic.

Evolved: During the fight with Giolla and again at WCI.

Reasoning: Singer. Also mermaid related, goes well with his perv nature/gags.

6) Fuecoco ♂️ -> Crocalor -> Skeledirge

Met on/at: Dressrosa.

Background: Big Soul King Brook fan. Recognized the Strawhats at Dressrosa and followed them. Sneaks aboard to Zou to meet Brook. Was disappointed by his frazzled appearance at Zou at first but stuck around. Was won over by his dedication on WCI. Strong but prefers making music to fighting.

Evolved: First on WCI then again during the Onigashima battle.

Reasoning: “Skeledirge’s gentle singing soothes the souls of all that hear it.” Also goes well with his electric guitar.

Special Note: He did have another team before his death but they too passed away. He also refuses to have a Wailmer/Wailord on his team as it would feel disrespectful, like trying to replace Laboon (a normal whale). Afraid of Ghost type Pokemon - takes time to adjust to Robin's team.

Jimbe:

1) Basculin ♂️ -> Basculegion

Met on/at: Fish-man Island.

Background: Childhood partner. Has always been by his side. Very honorable and willing to sacrifice for the greater good, though they're not always sure what that is exactly.

Evolved: Evolved fighting off bad human pirates, almost dying. Before Jimbe joined the royal guards.

Reasoning: Old-man fish. Can embody loss and perseverance against racism.

2) Oshawott ♂️ -> Dewott -> Hisuian Samurott

Met on/at: Fish-man Island.

Background: Met when he joined the royal guards. Belonged to them in general. Was partnered up with Jimbe. Didn't get along at first but grew to understand each other. Didn't really agree with leaving the guard or trust Arlong but respected Jimbe and went with him to expand their horizons.

Evolved: First while working as the royal guards and then evolved again while sailing under Fisher-Tiger.

Reasoning: Honorable, samurai-like.

3) Poliwhirl ♂️ -> Poliwrath

Met on/at: Random sea.

Background: Met after becoming a pirate. Had anger issues and went with Jimbe after losing to him, wanting revenge. Calmed with age but will blow a fuse if pushed hard enough.

Evolved: While sailing under Fisher-Tiger. Stole a Waterstone off a marine ship.

Reasoning: Fighting. Similar rage to Jimbe in his youth.

4) Kubfu ♀️ -> Rapid-Strike Urshifu

Met on/at: Random Island.

Background: Joined after Jimbe became a Warlord. Met him as he traveled the lands. Tried to pick a fight but was no match. Was taught Fish-man Karate by Jimbe.

Evolved: After mastering Fish-man Karate and being gifted a Water Scroll.

Reasoning: Represents Jimbe opening himself to humanity after Fisher-Tiger and Koala. Water based fighter. Karate.

5) Herdier ♂️ -> Stoutland

Met on/at: WCI.

Background: Met during WCI. Had bumped into him in passing a couple times before and witnessed his showdown with Big Mom. Was greatly moved by his resolve. Having slowly built up resentment for Big Mom's treatment of her family and disregard for life, they defected and aided their escape. Partnered with Jimbe but was requested to go ahead with the Strawhats both as proof they'd meet again and so he'd know they're being watched over by such an honorable soul.

Evolved: After Jimbe returned, at the Onigashima battle.

Reasoning: “This extremely wise Pokémon excels at rescuing people stranded at sea or in the mountains.” Similar honorable/proud nature. Dependable like Jimbe.

Special Note: Jimbe still has space for one more Pokemon to represent how new he is to the Strawhats and is still carving his place. Will fill the space in time.

#One Piece #monkey d. luffy #roronoa zoro #blackleg sanji #vinsmoke sanji #pokemon #cat burglar nami #god usopp #ditto rambles #BOY DO I HAVE THOUGHTS

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smok3r7 · 4 months

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Is Leaving Even An Option?

Joel x F!reader

Explicit, 18+

Three: Neighbor

Series MasterList & Main MasterList - My Ao3

Summary: Your days have become one in the same, even with the terrifying reality of death right outside the walls of Jackson. You never thought you’d be in the situation you’ve been stuck in for seven years now, the daily abuse you endure has become an expectation. You take whatever your husband throws at you, literally and figuratively, because you’ve been trained to believe this is normal. But a new man, Joel, moves next door and happens to be friendly towards you, this causes your husband’s anger to worsen. Your mind starts a gruesome war with itself - can you leave him or do you stay until the inevitable happens?

Chapter Summary: Finally, you’re starting to find your footing again. You have your job back at the stables, your friendships are growing strong, and now you have new neighbors; Joel & Ellie. After showing them to their new home, you and Joel have a moment on his porch, and you can’t just shake that specific feeling.

Word count: 4.2k

⚠️Warnings: controlling husband, anxiety, forgiving husband over and over, walking on eggshells, starting to stick up for yourself

—

“Morning, Mrs. Rossi! See you soon!” The group of nineteen year old girls yell at you as you make your way towards the stables, turning to see Jinny, Andrea, and Chloe standing in line for some hot cocoa. You smile while waving back to them and yell, hi girls, as you continue past them, and your heart warms from seeing their faces gleam when you answer them. Those girls are absolute saints.

Not long after the incident at the restaurant, Maria helped you get back into working in the stables, and, well, it was really an excuse for you to get out of the house - but Nate didn’t need to know that. The three sisters volunteered to help out with anything you needed, and you weren’t not sure why they adored you so much but you certainly felt more sure about yourself as a person again, not only as Nate’s possession.

When the girls get blabbering about their drama, it makes you think back to Rosa. She would’ve loved Jackson and these girls, so you hold onto these three close to your heart and soul, like they’re your own.

—

The winter season has come in full swing, the bitter chilly air stings your face as you stride faster through the busy streets of Jackson. Even though the sun has just passed the tips of the snow covered trees, Main Street is already buzzing with people talking with each other about whatever they can, even the Tipsy Bison is loud with people singing and talking obnoxiously loud.

Even though you have a hard time with the cold, you honestly love this time of year. Jackson has come to feel like your hometown in Tennessee during the holidays. The way people decorate their homes and businesses reminds you of home with the twinkle lights, Christmas trees, artwork from kids, and the natural joy people have - even with the disgusting truth just outside the walls.

You’re just about to open the red barn door when you hear the deep voice that you swear will make you turn to stone, for eternity. With your right hand on the cold metal handle and your black military boots planted in the wet snow, you slowly turn your hooded head, and you’re met with him about fifteen feet away from you, looking like he wants to murder you here and now.

You know he won’t do it, at least right here in front of everyone, only because he has to keep up his nice guy persona. Little does he know, ever since that night almost a year ago, when he left you lying on the floor from his anger, you started to talk about what he’s been doing to you with Maria and the girls. You’re not even sure who knows, and really, you don’t care about who does and who doesn’t, because at the end of the day, you have to make the decision to leave him for yourself, and for some insane reason a part of you will not let go.

“What do you want?” You ask so only he can hear you, and you’re not in the mood to deal with him but he’s not going anywhere soon it seems. “Didn’t realize you were working today, you knew I came back last night, right?” He spits as he takes a couple steps closer and the crunch from the snow under his feet rings in your ears.

You had snuck out the house this morning while he was in the shower, and he had gotten home when you were already in bed, so you acted like you never heard him come in while he embraced your warm body, and when he started to snore, you knew he was in a dead sleep. That was when the brawl started in you again - on one hand, you can’t leave him because you love him, but on the other, you need to leave now and you don’t deserve this.

Still in the same position, much like a statue, you’re just about to make up some lie when you hear behind you, “You okay Mrs.Rossi?” You despise the way his name is attached to you, confirming the feeling of being his property. It makes you shiver.

All of a sudden, you’re surrounded by the three sisters, and Nate’s expression changes immediately. You almost laugh at the drastic difference in him that let him keep up his appearance. “Thank you ladies, I was just about to head in anyways,” you reply to them, still staring down Nate’s baby blues. You can tell he’s fuming and you sense the girls do too, because they start to babble and push you inside with them.

His tall figure disappears from your view and is replaced with stalls of beautiful horses and bails of haystacks.

“Did he touch you?” Chloe questions as the girls start to inspect your face with care, a hint of anger shining through.

You love that they care so deeply for you but you feel extremely guilty for making them feel like this, until you remember that you were doing the same thing for families, seeing a lot of yourself in these smart girls.

“No, honey. Thank you, though,” you reply softly while you guide their hands away from your face, “Let’s get to work, ladies.” You’re not gonna have Nate mess up your mindset for work, or even these three. He doesn’t deserve that kind of attention.

—

“Tommy!” An unknown voice echoes throughout Main Street. The day is about done, you’re taking a breather after taking care of just about all the horses, and your head instinctively turns in the direction of the mystery voice. Who is that? You whisper to yourself as you notice Tommy climb down from the wooden stage and jump into this older man’s arms in a strong hug.

You don’t quite have the best view of the situation, there’s about a ten yard gap from you and them, and all you can really make out is that this seems like an important reunion.

“What’s that all about?” Andrea asks as she sits next to you on the bench. You shrug your shoulders, “I’m not sure, but I’ll probably find out soon.” She looks at you with her head cocked to the side, eyebrows raised.

“I bet money Maria will talk to me about it, I guaran-fucking-tee she will.” You laugh, your eyes returning to the two men now walking with each other, when you notice a girl on a horse behind Maria who must be his daughter.

“Okay,” you announce, standing up with the pop of both your knees, “Back to work!”

Andrea groans and throws her head back dramatically, “Aren’t you tired, old lady?” and the two of you fall into a fit of laughter. Let’s go, you repeat and head back inside, still laughing.

—

You wave bye to the sisters one more time as you lock up the barn doors, before turning around you hear them laugh in unison, “Bye, old lady!” Followed by the sound of their feet creating shoe prints in the freshly fallen snow as they quickly run home.

A genuine smile grows on your face, your chest fluttering from the name, so much better than Mrs.Rossi. You begin to walk in the direction of your own home, passing the Tipsy Bison for the second time today and it’s still just as busy, if not more, people finally being able to relax after a hard day's work. Kenny’s Burgers is the next building you strut past, and you hate that you associate Nate with this place because their food is delicious, but your gut twists and turns whenever you’re there.

After taking a right turn on Spruce St., you finally hit your neighborhood and a sense of peace flows through your body. You take in the smell of smoke from people having fires and the natural outdoorsy smell, and you love Jackson, you really do, but you wish you could start from scratch.

The familiar sound of Maria calling your name from her front yard a couple houses ahead breaks your aimless stride home.

It’s just after six, and the sky is pretty much pitch black, so the only source of natural light is from the moon, and tonight, she is shining beautifully. The snow covered yards, streets, and pathways are eye-catching. You’re in awe at how incredible this place can look and feel and yet, only a couple yards away on the other side, it’s wretched.

Thankfully, there are some lanterns that light up the streets and sidewalks, and you can see who is standing in front of you. As you approach Maria in her front yard, two male shadows come into your sights on her porch, and you’re a little weary but you continue with strong strides up her driveway next to her, not wanting to look weak.

“Hi hun, how was work?” She warmly asks and pulls you into a strong hug as you stand on her porch. She holds you for a second then pulls away while you answer, “It was good, got all the horses pampered up and the girls stacked up some more hay bails.”

“Good shit, girl!” She praises you with a genuine smile and a gleam in her dark brown eyes that tells you that she’s actually happy for you and not just saying it to say it.

“Maria-” Tommy clears his throat to remind her what she wants to talk to you about, and she whips her head around to look at him sitting on a couch behind her, he immediately whispers, sorry!

You laugh at how quickly the long haired man listens to his lady. He’s obviously not actually scared - they just play around but have respect for one another, which is how every relationship should be.

Then your eyesight shifts to the left of Tommy and you take in the face of this handsome looking man in front of you, leaning on one of the brown porch posts.

“This is Joel,” Maria introduces, and she continues to ramble on but it quickly fades to a buzzing sound as you reach out your hand to shake his. Joel. Joel. Joel. It repeats on a loop in your head.

His large, calloused hand wraps around your small hand and firmly shakes, but yet you feel like he’s cradling you, trying to be careful - like you’re so fragile that anything could break you.

You slowly take in the strong features of his mesmerizing face. He’s carved with lines that make you crave to learn more about him, his long brown curls now streaked with beautiful grays that match his scraggly beard, the color of his lips reminiscent of a rose from the bitter cold, and finally his whiskey stained eyes gazing back at you - they are what capture you the most. Joel. Joel. Joel.

“Since the house next door to yours is empty, I was hoping that you could show Joel and Ellie the way.” The last bit of her story catches your ear, thank god. You and Joel are still staring into each other's eyes as you speak, “Yeah, I can definitely do that.”

“Thank you, darlin’,” he winks and walks back into Maria’s home, “Gonna go grab the kid.”

You don’t even realize, but the smile on your face says it all - you have fallen hard for this man. You slowly wrap your arms around yourself, hugging your jacket closer as you lean back against the railing of the few steps leading to the cement. As you take a deep breath in and out your nose, the cold air causes a cloud to flow out of you and you chuckle to yourself.

“You’re funny,” you laugh as you make eye contact with Maria, who is now snuggled next to Tommy on their brown wicker couch under a quilt blanket.

“Who? Me? No way,” She shrugs her shoulders and giggles for a second before she sincerely goes, “But really, don’t write this off immediately. Give it a try.”

You know exactly what she’s referring to; leave that bitch ass and venture out. Which you honestly want to do, and the majority of you wants to be absolutely done with Nate. You desire to pack up all your shit and leave him and everything in relation to him. But you just can’t do it yet.

You wrap around yourself tighter, now wanting to halt this conversation from snowballing into an emotional mess. Then, just like that, your wish is granted; the creaky wood door opens and out struts this young girl, who you’re guessing is Ellie, followed by the brooding figure of Joel.

You quickly wipe your cheek from the one tear that fell, and stand up straight so she can hop down. “Ellie, what do you say?” Joel sternly asks, clearly annoyed, but you’re assuming he must have to constantly remind her. It’s sweet to see.

“I already said thank you earlier!” She responds as she continues to walk towards the lit up street, “So where are we going?”

Joel scoffs next to you and you look to see him shaking his head but with a slight smile, “This girl… Well, thank you for lettin’ us stay here. I guess we’ll, uh, see you tomorrow. Goodnight.” Tommy gets up and hugs Joel one more time while Maria comes over to you and takes you in her arms.

“Remember, don’t write this off immediately,” she whispers to you and you smile back at her, nodding with a soft okay. The couple goes back to sit down and Joel is next to you, both of you waiting for the other to walk down the front five cement steps.

“Ladies first,” a more defined southern accent flows off of his lips as he puts his hand out for you to go first. You nod and take the first step down, and suddenly you feel the butterflies start to form as you play back, “Oh, so we have a southern charmer here?”

You hear his deep chuckle behind you, “Yes, darlin’, guess you do.”

“Well, if you guys just wanna follow me up the road a bit, I’ll get you to your house.” You instruct as you turn on your heels and guide the pair down Spruce St. to their beautiful home right next to yours.

“This place is fucking huge!” Ellie states in awe, you turn around to see her face taking in all that Jackson has to offer, remembering that feeling for the first time.

“Ellie!” Joel snaps at her, and your body jumps from the sudden change in his tone.

Your high from meeting a new man who you admire has disappeared, now you're back into your normal defense mode. Knew it was too good to be true.

You only live about six houses down from Tommy and Maria, and by now, you're about three houses away from the navy colored house they’ll be living in. The rest of the walk is silent - all that can be heard is the snow crunch and noises coming from each house as you speed walk past, some with the loud sounds of children, some with couples singing and laughing, and others filled with music flowing out their windows.

“Why is she walking so fast?” You hear Ellie whisper.

You haven’t even realized that you’re about two houses ahead of them, having blocked out everything, just trying to get them to their destination before you crack from the disappointment of believing he was different. You slow your walking down so they can catch up just a bit, and you don’t say anything, you just slow down so you don’t make this any worse.

“Not sure,” Joel whispers back trying to keep you from hearing, however they don’t know that you’ve become a master at listening to whispers, and can thank Nate for that skill. You know when to hold your breath and how to zone in on the inflections they make, you can hear them clearly as day.

“Maybe cause you yelled, you dummy,” Ellie retorts a little louder than you think she intended because then you hear a smack and an ouch! Followed by Joel saying something you couldn’t catch because you started to laugh, a guttural kind of laugh that makes you stop in your tracks and hold your hands on your belly.

You don’t doubt that you look insane to Joel and Ellie, especially since they thought you couldn’t hear them.

But you honestly don’t even know why you’re laughing hard enough to the point where tears are forming and your belly hurts, leaning forward just a bit to relieve yourself. Maybe you’ve finally snapped, all because you now know that either Maria or Tommy - hell, maybe the both of them - told Joel and Ellie about your marriage and what you’ve survived, and still are surviving.

After a moment, you finally collect yourself, and by now, the two strangers are to the right of you, just standing like lost puppies waiting for directions on where to run.

“So sorry,” you apologize while wiping the happy tears that brim your eyes, before two of them quickly spew, no, no, it’s okay, and you can see that they are trying to gauge your reaction. They handle it well, surprisingly.

You all take a second to regroup as the delicate snow softly falls from the black sky, and then you’re back to leading them just past your moss green house, where you see the living room lamp on and you know that Nate’s waiting for you. Like you’re a teenager sneaking back in the house and he’s your father, just waiting to catch you and read you the riot act. You know you’re in for it tonight after the stables act anyway.

You carefully walk up the wooded cream colored steps that lead to the large porch wrapping around the beautiful home, and you hear Ellie gasp. You can just imagine the excitement she feels as you unlock the big oak door and softly push it open. You step to the side as you put your hand out in front of Joel with the key dangling from your cold fingers, watching as he gently pulls the key ring off your digits.

“Welcome home,” you softly coo as you gaze between Joel and Ellie.

“I call dibs on the shower,” Ellie shouts as she flies past you and Joel, causing you both to chuckle as you watch her sprint up the stairs and disappear into the second floor of the newly owned home.

“Thank you, sugar,” Joel says, his accent thick and smooth, “Will I- we be seeing more of you?” Joel asks as he stands across from you with one hand in his jean coat pocket and the other rubbing the back of his neck just where his lazy curls sit, gazing down at you with such admiration and enthusiasm in the glow of his brown eyes.

The butterflies have come back in full force - your head starts to feel fuzzy and light headed from the way he calls you darlin’ and sugar with a voice like butter, and the way he watches your movements, as if he’s trying to memorize them all, filling you with curiosity and the yearning for more. You haven’t had this feeling for someone since you first met Nate seven years ago, it’s exciting.

Rocking side to side to try to relieve your sore feet from standing all day in terrible shoes, your hands interlocked behind your back, starting to become frigid, and you lift your head up to meet his gaze one more time to engrave in your mind the features that make Joel Miller so enticing.

“I sure hope so,” you purr with innocence pouring out of your eyes while your actions speak the opposite. With a sudden wave of confidence, and without thinking, you take a step to close the gap that separates you, now only being a couple inches away from his bearded face, both taking in each other breaths escaping your mouths for a moment. You whisper with a sly smirk on your lips,

“Goodnight, Miller.”

“Goodnight, Sugar.”

Neither one of you move, both of your wet soaked boots from the snow firmly planted into the cream porch adjacent to one another. You should go home to your husband, you know he’s waiting for you, counting the minutes that you’re gone, but for the first time in ages - you don’t care about that.

All you desire is Joel Miller. The want, no, the need to have him hold you with all his limbs and stroke your back with his calloused fingers until you fall into a deep peaceful slumber and can forget about everything you’ve been through is growing larger and stronger, the longer you stand here and stare at him. You gaze between his whiskey colored eyes and pink lips that curve into a soft, kinda cocky smile as he too gazes between your eyes and lips.

“Goodnight, Sugar.” He repeats, more convincing than the previous.

“Goodnight, Miller.” You slightly bite your bottom lip as you smile, still just inches away from his lips.

You’re the first one to move, reluctantly turning your body around and cautiously walking down the front steps. When you reach the bottom, you turn around to see Joel in the same exact spot, still watching you.

“Just wanna make sure you get inside safely,” he says with a certain charm to his words.

You have to force a smile as you make your way next door, you don’t want to go into your house - more of a prison than a home. You wish you could laugh at that but you can’t because it really is; Nate makes it a living hell within those walls, even though, now, you don’t cower away and you hold your own. But he still doesn’t let up.

You reach your smaller porch and raise your hand on the knob, but before you turn and open it to whatever fresh hell is waiting for you on the other side, you turn your head to the right to look at Joel one more time for the night, and he’s still in the same spot. Now, though, he’s facing you and leaning over the wooden railing with a look of concern. Your heart stings at seeing this man, who you just met under an hour ago and yet you physically feel like you know everything about him and you’ve known him for years, showing such sorrow on his face for you.

Hoping to give one last attempt at a smile to try to convince him or, well, let’s be honest, you try to convince yourself that everything will be okay. He sends one back to you but he is filled with rage as he tries to keep it together, fists balled up and rubbing together.

You take a deep breath as you now face the white door. Please be passed out, please, you whisper to yourself as you build up the strength to turn the doorknob your cold hand is holding onto.

Three, two, one, you mumble as you open the door and you’re immediately met with Nate staring right at you, sitting in his brown leather recliner with a glass filled with whiskey in his hand, and the empty bottle of Jack Daniel’s sitting on the glass table in front of him.

Closing the door softly, you lean your back against it as you kick your boots off next to the others, staring right back into his blues, not backing down from him. You begin to walk to the kitchen, away from him as soon as possible, because even though you’re not scared, you would rather not be involved in a fight tonight.

He still hasn’t said anything to you, he just keeps watching your every move, and even though you're not looking in his direction, you can feel his eyes like daggers in your back. You open the fridge, grab the jar of pickles, and as you open the jar with a pop, your hip bumps the fridge door closed.

Pickle jar in one hand and a pickle in the other, you start up the steps to escape into your bedroom, and you’re just about to make the final step to your safe space, casually chomping on pickles when you finally hear it.

“How’s Joel?”

#joel miller #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x reader #Is Leaving Even An Option #joel miller x you #joel miller fanfic #joel miller series #pedro pascal

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daisynik7 · 1 year

Text

A Bento For Kento

Chapter 1: The Very First Bento

Pairing: Nanami x f!reader

Word Count: ~2.7k

cw: mention of a tragic accident (does not go into detail)

Summary: You make the very first bento box for your dear brother, Ren. You also find out some surprising news. Nanami hasn't found a new bakery to buy his typical ham and cheese sandwich. He eyes his new student's bento box with envy.

Notes: The first bento box is inspired by this: Cute Octopus Sausage Bento! I mean, how cute is this?! Let me know in the comments, chat, or in a private message if you'd like to be tagged in the next chapter(s)! And thank you for reading! Likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated :)

ao3 | Next Chapter

A Bento for Kento Masterlist

--------------------

White rice, check. Chicken gyozas, check. Spring mix salad with a side of creamy miso dressing, check. Hot dog pieces shaped like little octopi, because why the hell not, check. All in the bento they go, you think, in a sing-song voice.

It’s the beginning of summer and the temperature is finally starting to warm up. This season always puts you in a lazy mood, more so than usual. Hearing the neighborhood kids play joyfully outside makes you wish you had a mandated break as well. But no, you are an adult! Almost thirty in fact. Unfortunately, you haven’t had a vacation in years, so you will continue to flow through the mundane cycle of adulthood until you’re retired or, fingers crossed, win the lottery. None of which you predict will happen in the near future.

Thankfully, your job allows you to work from home most days of the year. This is especially nice because this summer, your dear younger brother, Ren, is living with you. Your parents originally planned a long family vacation overseas with him, having never had a chance to travel before. You were excited for him to see the outside world, explore his horizons. Since you couldn’t go because of your responsibilities to your 9-to-5, you were planning to live vicariously through him as he enjoyed the sights, sounds, and most importantly, the delicious food.

When he decided last minute that he did not want to go on the trip anymore, you were shocked. Your parents, being the saints they are, waved it off casually, not even attempting to convince him to reconsider. You questioned them to discover the reason for the sudden decision. They simply said, “He has his reasons.” No further explanation. After pestering them a few more times, only to receive the same answer, you stopped, leaving everything up to your own speculations.

Maybe it was cold feet? Anxiety? An awkward phase? Overseas trips can be stressful, you can understand that. Still, you can’t help but wonder. It’s probably a hormonal teenager issue that you can’t comprehend, but your parents can, so you leave it at that.

Because your parents couldn’t get out of all the deposits they made, they chose to go on their big trip without Ren. Not wanting your brother to be alone, you offered your place for him to stay, which he was just as excited about as you were. You’re happy for this opportunity to spend time with him. It’s been years since you moved out and you missed hanging out with your family. You also feel guilty about putting minimal effort into visiting them, despite being less than an hour train ride away. This is your chance to make up for lost time, especially with your brother, who you’ve always felt a special bond with. Before they left, your parents made it a point to tell you, “Take care of him while we’re away.” As if you needed to prove to them, and yourself, that you are capable of being the best older sister you can be.

Truth be told, it’s been lonely living on your own, a revelation that you sense more and more each year you get older. Having Ren here, someone in your life who loves you unconditionally, is a welcome change. This summer is going to be exponentially better than the last five since living alone. You’re sure of it.

The first Monday of vacation, fueled by a single coffee’s worth of caffeine, you greet your brother happily in the kitchen. “Good morning, sunshine! Look what I made for you!” You cradle a precious bento box in your hands, slowly lifting it up like Simba, imagining “Circle of Life” playing in the background.

Ren, fresh out of bed and still drowsy, stands in front of you, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “Huh?” He yawns and stretches his arms out. “What is it?”

“It’s a bento box!” You lower it and open the cover delicately. Your eyes sparkle as you imagine a golden light shimmer from within. “I put this together myself! TikTok has a plethora of bento box content, so I took a lot of ideas from there.”

His eyes widen, gazing at the food as if it’s valuable treasure. “Gyozas! And hot dog octopi!” A bright smile on his face, he takes his phone out to snap a picture. “I’m putting this on my story, this is too cute.”

You almost tear up hearing him praise your creation like this, but it’s too earlier for those shenanigans. Calming down from your excitement, you say, “I’m still practicing. And I’m sure I’ll run out of ideas soon, so if you have any special requests, let me know.”

Closing the bento and setting it back down on the table, you ask, “What do you want to do today? If you’re hungry now, you can dig into the bento. But I was thinking we can go for a walk at the park before we eat! What do you think?”

His smile slowly turns into a small pout as he shifts his feet guiltily. “Well, actually, I forgot to tell you. I start summer school today.”

“Huh? Summer school? But your school is so far from here! It’ll take us at least 45 minutes to get there!” Is this the reason why he didn’t want to go on the trip? All because of summer school? And if he knew that, why would he agree to stay here, when it’s so far away? You start to panic slightly, taken aback by this sudden news.

“It’s not exactly for regular school,” he begins to explain. “It’s…uh, for this other program I’m applying to.”

You stare at him, brows furrowed, arms crossed, waiting for more of an explanation.

He speaks a little faster now. “It’s a summer program for this school called Jujutsu High. A big opportunity came up and I took it. The lessons are three days a week for the next two months. That’s the reason I didn’t want to go on the trip anymore. I have to attend these lessons so I can officially get in next semester. I want to go to this school from now on.”

Pausing to take a breath, he continues. “Mom and Dad know all about it. I explained it to them. They support me 100%, which is why they didn’t make a big deal when I backed out of the trip. They know this is important to me.”

Your mouth hangs open slightly, still confused, waiting for it to make sense. Jujutsu High? Why is this the first time you’re hearing of this? And Mom and Dad know all about it? Why didn’t anyone tell you?

Ren walks towards you and puts his hands on your shoulders, giving you a firm squeeze. When did he get so much taller than you? Weren’t you supposed to be the adult here?! “I know this doesn’t make sense, but it’s important to me. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. It’s just…hard to explain. And I can’t really tell you everything yet. You just have to trust me.”

He’s being weirdly cryptic, but you start to realize how odd your parents were also being the other day.

He has his reasons.

Take care of him while we’re away.

Is there something they all know about that you don’t? And why are you the only one being kept in the dark?

You snap out of your thoughts when he starts speaking again. “I’m sorry, I know I’m being strange about this, but I don’t know how to explain everything right now. Just trust me. It’s not sketchy or dangerous, I promise.” He flashes you a reassuring grin.

After contemplating for several seconds, you sigh. “You promise it’s not some creepy cult, right? I’ve indulged in my fair share of true crime podcasts. I can see the warning signs!”

He laughs. “If it is a cult, then I’m already screwed, right?”

You roll your eyes. “Okay, fine. I’m going to pretend that this is perfectly normal. I trust you. And I trust Mom and Dad. If they’re good with it, I’m good with it too. You don’t have to tell me everything right now if you don’t want to.” You pause, then reiterate, “I trust you.”

He wraps you in a big hug, “Thanks sis. You really are the best.”

You return his embrace, still concerned, but ultimately deciding not to worry so much about it. It can’t be anything too nefarious, right? “Anyways, Jujutsu High. Is it close by?”

“Yeah, it’s walking distance from here, about 10 minutes. But I’m doing my lessons at a nearby office building. I actually have to head over there now to meet my teacher. Our first lesson is today.” He scrambles to pack a few items into his backpack.

How strange, an office building? This really might be some weird cult thing. You grab the bento from the table and hand it to him. “Well, take this. You’ll need food. Are you skipping breakfast?”

He packs the bento carefully into his backpack. “Yeah, I’ll just save my appetite for this. This looks so good. Thanks for making it.” He zips up his bag and swings it over his shoulder. “Well, I’m off! I’ll see you later.”

As he walks towards the door, you yell out at him, “Be careful! See you later!”

You take a deep breath and look around, sighing. All alone once again.

~~~

“Nice to meet you, Nakamura. My name is Kento Nanami. I’ll be your mentor the next few weeks.”

Ren Nakamura, aged 16. Gojo recruited him when they found him wandering around the abandoned building they were investigating outside of Tokyo. This is a trial run before officially offering him a spot as a student in this upcoming schoolyear. He has no history or knowledge of Jujutsu Sorcery, having been raised by a family of non-sorcerers. However, according to Gojo, he seems to have an eye for curses, having the guts to take them head-on with no experience whatsoever. And clearly, Gojo has his own eyes on him for a reason.

“He’s adopted. His parents were killed in a tragic, mysterious accident and these family friends took him in.” Gojo gave Nanami a brief background last week. “It seems like since then, he’s had a habit for exploring haunted houses and chasing curses.”

Gojo paused, then smirked. “The kid’s got guts, that’s for sure. He was taking on this ugly looking grade 4 curse with just his skateboard as a weapon. Luckily we found him before he could get hurt.” Gojo laughed and said happily, “He’s pretty twisted, so he’ll fit right in.”

That’s how Nanami ended up here, his summer dedicated to guiding this rookie. He still owes Gojo a favor, so they settle on this as a way to pay it back. Nanami actually doesn’t mind training young prospects in Jujutsu Sorcery. Teaching is one of his hidden passions in life. It gives him purpose, something his last job couldn’t fulfill for him. Plus, it’s fun and he’s proficient at it.

Him and his new student spend the first few hours going through the history of Jujutsu Sorcery and the school, Ren interjecting often to ask questions expected from someone who’s life suddenly changed upon realizing this unique ability. Gojo even made a surprise appearance to check-in, adding a bit more chaos to the mix.

After Nanami feels like he’s overwhelmed him enough, he decides it’s time for a lunch break. He looks at his desk and remembers too late that he did not pick up lunch for the both of them, which he intended to do. The local bakery he frequents stopped selling his favorite ham and cheese sandwich. He had put off finding a replacement for a while now. After running errands all morning, the thought of providing lunch slips his mind completely.

“Nakamura. I’m sorry, but I did not bring lunch for us. I’m just going to make a hot tea for myself, but if you give me a few minutes, I’ll run out and quickly buy – ”

“Hey, no worries, mentor! I actually brought a lunch.” He pulls out a bento box out of his backpack and opens it.

Nanami’s eyes widen behind his thick glasses as Ren removes the cover. It almost seems as if a dazzling light radiates once the food is revealed. Gyozas, white rice, salad, even hot dogs shaped like little sea creatures. He would never admit to anything being “cute”, but that is the first word that pops into his head, seeing this charming work of art. Ren stares lovingly at his meal, rubs his hands together, and begins to eat.

As he digs into his gyozas, Nanami heads to the breakroom down the hall to make himself a cup of hot tea. Damn, that looked good. Need to remember to find another bakery that has ham and cheese sandwiches, he thinks to himself, waiting for the hot water to dispense into his mug.

He comes back to the conference room, freshly brewed tea in hand, and finds Ren pointing at his bento, mouth full as he muffles, “Want some?”

Shaking his head, he declines. “No thank you. I’m fine with my tea.” He pauses to think. Then he adds, “Looks good, though.”

He swallows before proudly announcing, “My sister made it! It’s something new she’s trying.” He hums happily as he bites into one of the meat octopi. The salad has been skillfully avoided, causing Nanami to smile for a fraction of a second before he catches himself.

He watches his student, all while taking a few sips of his tea. “Do you live with your sister currently? I heard that your hometown is outside Tokyo.”

“Yeah I do. She lives 10 minutes from here, so it’s convenient. I know I’ll have to move into the dorms on campus, if I get accepted that is. It’ll be nice to have my sister nearby, though. Even if she doesn’t know about any of this.” Ren frowns slightly. Perhaps it’s guilt? Nanami assumes that his sister is a non-sorcerer, based on what Gojo told him about his family situation. He also assumes that she isn’t fully aware of what her brother is now involved in.

He takes another sip of his tea, unsure how to respond since he has little experience explaining Jujutsu Sorcery to non-sorcerers. In fact, he’s made sure to keep his personal life completely separate from his work. That’s how it was when he was a salaryman, that’s how it is in his current profession. He even swore to himself that he wouldn’t get married while he is still working as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Maybe this is also an excuse to avoid the awkward dating scene that he finds so tiresome.

“Are you sure you don’t want any?” Ren asks, pointing at the remainder of the meal, which is just leafy greens.

Downing the rest of his hot beverage, Nanami replies, “No thank you. I’m fine.” He looks at his watch. “Actually, let’s call it a day. I don’t want to overwhelm you on your first lesson. We can continue tomorrow.”

Ren stands up from his seat and rubs his belly. “Sure, sounds good! I’ll review my notes tonight and ask any other questions tomorrow.” A burp escapes his mouth, and he looks nervously at his mentor. “Sorry,” he mutters.

Nanami rolls his eyes, still hidden behind his spectacles, ignoring the crude belch. “I’ll see you tomorrow at 9 AM. Please don’t be late.” He remains seated as Ren stuffs his belongings into his bag and waves goodbye out the door.

Removing his glasses, he leans his head further back on his chair and closes his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his left hand. It’s been a while since he’s taught a lesson, and he’s not accustomed to talking so much. Human interaction can be just as exhausting as fighting off weak curses. Frankly, it’s overwhelming for him at times, being a man of few words on a regular basis.

He opens his eyes and sighs deeply, looking around at the empty room. All alone once again.

--------------------

Tag List: @liliorsstuff-blog (appreciate you! ❤️)

#nanami kento #Kento nanami #nanami kento x reader #nanami x you #nanami x reader #nanami x y/n #jujutsu kaisen nanami #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjk x reader #jjk x you #jujustsu kaisen x reader #a bento for kento #daisynik #jjk anime #jjk nanami #nanami fluff #jjk fluff

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englishstrawbie · 8 months

Text

august 26th : homemade lemonade

Carina arrives home a little after eight o’clock, her body weary after back-to-back surgeries all day. The summer heatwave they are currently experiencing didn’t help. The hospital’s infrastructure is struggling in the hot temperatures and the vents had broken down at least three times today. Carina had escaped to her Porsche in between patients just to enjoy its air conditioning. Her feet ache, her legs are tired, and all she can think about is a cool shower and falling into bed – preferably naked, with her wife.

She is immediately greeted by the overwhelming smell of lemons when she steps into the apartment and, for a moment, she wonders if Maya has been on a cleaning spree. And then she sees her wife in the kitchen, rolling out and squeezing lemon juice into a small bowl – hears her too, as she sings along with the radio, a little off key as always. She doesn’t hear Carina or the click of the front door, so Carina lingers for a while, watching her.

Maya is relaxed and happy, and Carina feels her heart swell at how carefree she is, so different from the woman shrouded in darkness who shared their bed twelve months ago. So many times these days, Carina finds herself just watching her and soaking in her happiness.

As if sensing she is being watched, Maya looks over her shoulder and smiles when she sees her wife.

“Hey,” she says cheerfully. “How was your day?”

“Hmph. Long,” Carina says, kicking off her shoes and padding into the kitchen. “What are you up to?”

She greets Maya with a kiss, then leans back against the counter to watch her work. How her wife makes squeezing lemons look sexy, she will never know.

“Making lemonade,” Maya says. “I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from the station and they had all these lemons going cheap. This heat is insane and it reminded me of when I was a kid.”

She wipes her brow with the back of her hand.

“My dad went away for a few days on a work trip, so it was just me and Mason with Mom. We had a neighbour with a lemon tree who came over with a bag full of lemons, so Mom taught us how to make lemonade. We set up a little table on the sidewalk in front of our house and sold it for twenty cents a cup.”

Her eyes glaze over as she tells her story.

“Mom said we could spend the money we made on whatever we wanted. I chose an ice-cream sundae and Mason wanted a new comic. Mom took us to the cinema afterwards. It was a Disney movie, I think. She even let us have popcorn.”

“It must have been a good day to still remember it,” Carina says, picking up on her wistful mood.

“Yeah, it was,” Maya says. “We used to make lemonade every summer after that, until my dad started coaching me.” The smile drops from her face. “Then every holiday was spent training.”

“Maya…” Carina says softly, but Maya shakes her head.

“It’s okay. Diane says it’s important to remember the good parts, I just have to learn not to let it be tainted by the other stuff.”

“That’s good advice,” Carina says.

Maya exhales, a habit she has picked up on when she is letting go of what used to haunt her.

“Okay, I think that’s enough lemon juice,” she says, pouring what she has into a jug of water and adding a cup of sugar. “You know, my mom always swears by adding a little bit of honey too.”

Maya searches the cupboards until she finds the jar she is looking for. She adds a spoonful of honey and mixes it together. Meanwhile, Carina grabs two glasses and fills them with ice. Maya pours the homemade lemonade over the top and swirls it around, then passes one glass to Carina while keeping the second for herself.

“Cheers.”

“Cin cin.”

They clink glasses and each take a sip.

“Hmm, so good,” Carina says, sighing with delight at the sensation of the cold liquid down her throat. She nods towards the pile of lemons left over. “Maybe tomorrow I can show you how to make lemon gelato?”

Maya smiles. “I’d like that.”

Carina returns her smile as she slides her hand into Maya’s.

“Come on, bella, I need a shower to wash off this day.”

She starts to pull Maya towards the bedroom.

“And you need my help with that?”

Carina smiles over her shoulder. “Not a need – a want.”

august prompts

#station 19 #carina deluca #maya bishop #station 19 fanfiction #my fanfiction #august prompts #scheduled

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cwritesforfun · 2 years

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Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Fem!Reader: Crush

You are a weapons systems officer. You like rules and your call sign is “Priss,” but you still like to have fun when not working. You are also Maverick’s daughter and not many people understand how you’re related.

Y/N’s POV

I walk into the base and into the hangar where we’ll have our first talk with our guest instructor.

I take a seat next to Bob and I hear “Priss? Is that you?” I look over and see Hangman smiling with a toothpick between his lips. I may hate his arrogance, but he is hot. Hangman then says “Damn you look different. I mean it’s a good different, but it’s different for you.“ I look different?! Either he means I look different than old me or I look weird. I reply “Thanks. A girl loves to know that they look different. You’re a true gentleman.”

I hear “Attention!” I jump up and stand at attention. Someone announces “At ease! Take your seats.” I move to sit down and as I sit, I see the guest instructor. Holy sh**! It’s my dad!

My dad asks to see me after the lesson. Wow way to make me feel weird on the first day, dad. Geez. I cannot believe this.

I walk over to my dad after the lesson and he exclaims “Y/N, I had no idea they picked you for the mission. Why didn’t you tell me?” I answer “You’ve been busy. I forgot to tell you. I know. I’m sorry. But, I’m not leaving this mission, Dad. I believe in it and I know you said it will be dangerous, but I’m strong now. I’m not a kid anymore.” He replies “I know you’re not a kid anymore. I know you’re one of the best too, so I know choosing to leave would be wrong to ask. All I ask is that you stay safe and stay alive. I love you Y/N.” I reply “I love you too, Dad. I’ll be careful. I promise.” He smiles and we hug.

After I leave, I get ready for the drills to run outside.

As we wait to begin, Hangman asks “What did Maverick want with you, Priss? Did you get in trouble on the first day?” I snap “I’m not trouble. We were just catching up.” Rooster sneaks a glance at me and laughs. I’ve known Rooster since I was little and my dad introduced me to him. We’ve been friends for years and completed training together. We went to different bases after training and I haven’t seen him for over 2 years. Hangman looks over confused and asks “How long have you known him?” I answer “My whole life.” Hangman looks even more confused. Does he not get that I’ve known him this long because we’re related?! I exclaim “Hangman, he’s my dad.” The shock on his face is too funny. I guess he never knew. I thought everyone knew.

Skip to night - Hard Deck

I walk in with Phoenix and Bob. We both order drinks first.

The bartender, Penny, introduces herself and tells me she knows my dad. She’s his new girlfriend.

We head over to hang with the boys after.

I get bored of watching Hangman win every round of darts because like we get it, he is good at darts. It’s annoyingly hot. I’m also tired of watching Phoenix flirting with Bob. It’s so obvious that they like each other, so I just excuse myself to get a drink.

As I wait for a drink, someone slides into the seat next to me. I look over and it’s Rooster. I exclaim “Hey.” He replies “Hey.” I reply “I can’t believe we’re both on the same mission and that we’re learning from my dad.” Rooster smiles and asks “Oh you mean the man you’ve known your whole life?” I laugh and answer “I could not have been more obvious. I thought everyone knew we were related. I knew I had to tell Hangman because my dad is going to keep talking to me during the mission. He also might say love you or daughter to me.” He replies “Yeah. Hangman was so shocked. It was funny. I came to sit and get a drink, but I think the piano is calling me now. What do you say to a song with me?” I answer “Sure, Rooster.”

We go over to the piano and we both sit on the bench. Rooster starts singing and we take turns singing. We also take turns playing the piano.

Next Afternoon

I am currently doing 200 push-ups. I hate my life right now.

Fanboy asks “Hey Priss, has Hangman talked to you today?” I answer “No. Why?” Rooster says “He wants to ask you out.” I laugh and say “You’re kidding me, right?!” Rooster answers “I wish I was kidding. But, he’s a player, Y/N. Don’t let yourself get hurt.” Fanboy says “Damn and I thought you were going to convince her to go out with him. I was so wrong about you man. I think you should go out with him, Y/N. He’s not so bad when you get to know him.” Rooster says “I’ve known Y/N since I was 6. She’s my friend. I’ve known Hangman for a few years. I wouldn’t willingly tell her to date my rival.” I scoff and say “You don’t have a say in who I date. I can date whoever I want.” I finish the 200 and I stand. I exclaim “Bye boys. Enjoy the extra 100.” I leave them behind.

I hear my name being called and see Hangman. He runs up to me and says “I just got back. I wasn’t shot down.” I reply “Great job, Hangman. You don’t have to do push-ups. How lucky.” He is staring at me right now and not talking at all so I ask “What did you come over to tell me?” He answers “Nothing. I just wanted to say hi.” I ask “And what about what Fanboy and Rooster said?” He asks “What … uh … did they say?” I answer “Nothing bad.” I’m going to mess with him. I want to have a little fun with this. He asks “What did they say?” I hear my name being called so I reply “Sorry, I gotta run. Bye Hangman.” I then run off.

Skip to the weekend… Hangman’s POV

Apparently, Fanboy and Rooster told Y/N about me wanting to date her. She looked all innocent saying that they didn’t say anything to her, but she knew. I don’t even know if I can face her. Does she not like me? Is that why she didn’t say anything? Whatever, I’m going to the Hard Deck to drink.

I’m currently waiting outside Y/N’s door unsure if I should knock to ask her if she needs a ride. I want to talk about the date thing. The door swings open and I see Phoenix standing there. She turns to face the room and exclaims “Priss, your man is here!” Her man?!?!?! I wish:( I ask “I was just coming to see if Priss needs a ride tonight.” Phoenix answers “Priss does and she’ll be glad to ride with you.” I nod and say “I’ll just wait for you outside until you’re ready Priss... I mean Y/N.” Y/N turns to me from her desk and says “Yeah I’m almost done. Give me like one more minute.” I nod and smile. Phoenix looks at me and asks “Wait do you actually want to go on a date with Y/N?” I answer “Yeah I do... Wait how do you know that?!?!” She asks “Uh... Rooster and Fanboy told me. Bob also said he saw you check her out last week at the bar. Do you like her or do you just want to sleep with her?” I answer “Yes I like her. She caught my eye 2 years ago and I still need to ask her out. Fanboy and Rooster told her. She hasn’t said anything to me since.” Phoenix says “You were crushing for 2 years. Hangman, dude, you are down bad.” I laugh and Y/N appears next to her smiling. I can’t help but keep that smile on. I ask “Ready, Y/N?” Y/N answers “Yes I am. Bye Phoenix. I’ll see you there.” Phoenix replies “I might not. Have fun you two and be safe.” I laugh and Y/N follows me to my car.

I open the passenger door for her and she slides in. I close the door and get into the driver’s seat. I exclaim “You look lovely tonight, Y/N.” Y/N replies “Thanks, Jake. You look lovely tonight too.” I smirk and say “Well aren’t you the sweetest little thing I’ve ever seen.” She smiles and blushes a little. I say “Look, I wanted to drive you tonight because we need to talk about what Fanboy and Rooster are saying. It’s true before you ask. I do like you and want to take you on a date. I have for 2 years, but I always chicken out when we’re alone.” She replies “Ask my dad if I can go on a date first then we’ll talk.” I gulp and she starts to laugh. She exclaims “I’m kidding. Your face went into total panic mode. Yeah, I’ll go on a date with you if you officially ask.” I smile and say “Damn you’ve got jokes now. Priss isn’t as prissy anymore…. So uh would you like to go on a date with me this weekend when we have free time?” She answers “Yes. I will happily go with you on a date... do you want to still go to the Hard Deck tonight? I want a drink.” I reply “A girl after my own heart. Yes, we’re going.”

I drive to the Hard Deck and we walk in together. We order our drinks first then I challenge her to a round of darts. I win by 1 point. So she has game?!?! I like her even more.

I ask “Why have I never played darts against you before? She answers “Uhhhh... I just always avoid you when you ask everyone to play you. Plus, you get kind of gloat a lot when you win and it annoys me, so I just drink to forget it. I also find it hot, but that’s neither here nor there.” I reply “Oh... I’m hot... tell me more.” She says “Not until you explain what you meant when you said I look different.” I sigh and say “I did not mean that negatively. You just look more confident in who you are and it’s beautiful. That is what I meant.” She replies “Gosh damn Jake, that was sweet. You’re making me want to kiss you.” I smirk, put my hands on her hips, lean closer, and ask “Why don’t you? I consent.” She wraps her arms around my neck, closes the gap, and we kiss.

#top gun imagines #top gun fluff #top gun hangman #top gun fic #hangman fluff #hangman fic #hangman x reader

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worriedvision · 2 years

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A wanderers son - Kazuha

So this is gonna be a bit more of a fluff leading into a slight crack fic. Female reader this time! The _ usually is a substitute for your name, however this time it is your son's name. It'll make sense I promise! Tiny bit of angst at the end, it's a bit long. Mentions of having a child, as well as implied things but it's not descriptive in that way.

One night, you had a one night with a stranger in your bed. Somehow, he managed to woo you well enough to allow him to explore your body without as much as a name.

Only for him to be gone the next day, you thinking it was just a really really nice dream.

A confirmed pregnancy weeks later confirms the opposite. You knew this man was the father considering you hadn't engaged in any other activity. Asking around about a man with a red streak in his hair, a poetic voice and a similar way of talking, you're met with suspicious looks.

You ask Yoimiya, the fireworks girl, about him, and you're thankful she explains who it was as well as why nobody was giving you a name.

"Oh, Kazuha?" She whispers, making sure nobody else was listening in. "He left Inazuma a while back. Why are you asking for him?"

It's your turn to look over your shoulder, and you feel the gravity of the situation hit you.

"I'm pregnant." You mouth, Yoimiya widening her eyes before opening her mouth, closing it, and opening it again.

"He's the dad?" Yoimiya asks, you nodding while you explain you hadn't engaged with anyone else in that way. "Oh man, that's tough. I'm here to help you if you need it!" She cheers, hands on her hips.

Hearing a twig snap, you both look over, seeing Kuki there.

"How much of that did you..."

"All of it." She explains. "Boss would probably get irked if I let you go with the knowledge given to me. Our gang would likely have no qualms with you joining."

You nod, Yoimiya clapping out of joy.

"Looks like you'll not need that guy, then!" Yoimiya sings. "Tell me when the kids here, I want to be the fun aunt!"

Thanks to Kuki and the Arataki Gang, you manage to have the child without any real problems. He looks like the spitting image of Kazuha, but thankfully nobody makes a comment, merely raising a brow curiously.

Time flies by, and your boy grew up to be... Quite different from Kazuha.

He wanted to become a doctor. To be able to secure work in Inazuma, to be known for his ability to treat patients. Kuki helps him study, and before you knew it he had gotten into a course in Liyue to get more hands on training.

You missed him dearly, and him being away made you think of that night. That man that seemed to disappear from your life as quickly as he came. The lines he spoke so eloquently to you, the way his hand brushed past yours in reassurance after the actions were done. Him holding you in his arms as you drift off to a deep sleep, calculating his leave.

"Ay, mom!" Itto teases, rubbing the top of your head. "Missing your little one? Me to! The little bro's great with wounds!" He laughs out, looking over at his gang.

After a few months, you hear your son is returning to Inazuma for a break before returning to his studies. Smiling to yourself, you prepare to embarrass him with the biggest welcome back party you could. With the help of the Arataki Gang, of course.

Meanwhile, Kazuha has been requested by Ayato for whatever reason to return to Inazuma. Not questioning it, he decides to show up, just to figure out what was so important for him to be there.

Your son is the first to return to Inazuma, worried something happened to you when he notices Ayato there, walking towards him as he begins to welcome 'Kazuha' back. Not knowing a Kazuha, your son decides against correcting the influential man, suspicious that this may have been some strange codename.

"Come, Kazuha." Ayato encourages, your son following without saying a word of protest. "I have something important to inform you of."

As your son walks away, Kazuha departs from another ship that had arrived shortly afterwards.

"There you are, _!" He hears someone unfamiliar say. "Come, we really need your help with this person." They run off before Kazuha could respond. Instinctually, Kazuha follows, hoping he was able to help.

"Kazuha, take a seat." Ayato states, your son reluctantly doing so. Ayato sits across from him, presenting him with a photo of him. Furrowing his brows, your son immediately thinks 'why is this man showing a picture of me?'

"I think this may be your child."

That statement makes your son choke on his own saliva.

"Look at the picture. The same eyes, that hair, you even have the same height." He jokes lightly at the end.

Oh boy, this was going to be a long day for your son. He had hoped he could help the man who had requested assistance from Liyue with a patient.

Kazuha has a similar predicament, being scolded for being a terrible doctor. Of course he wasn't a good doctor, he's a wanderer.

"I believe you may have gotten the wrong person." Kazuha begins to explain. "For my name is not _." He continues, the man squinting his eyes before he opens his mouth to scold him further.

"Kazuha!" Yoimiya yells, Kazuha sighing out of relief when someone finally came to help. "Ayatos looking for you, you know?" She lightly nudges him in the side.

"Sorry, sir, but he's gonna be late. _'s most likely been confused for Kazuha I'm afraid!" Yoimiya pleads, starting to drag Kazuha along with her as she begins to walk.

"Okay...please get _ along when you can." Yoimiya nods, a thumbs up to say 'sure thing' to the guy as she begins to get Kazuha to where he should be.

"You're..." _ starts, wincing slightly when Ayato shows more pictures. Some with you, some with Kuki. "...really creeping me out?" He finishes reluctantly, not sure what to say. Your son stands up, hoping to get away as quickly as possible as to avoid an uncomfortable discussion on some sort of reward in return for handing someone else over.

"What on earth is going on?" Kazuha asks Yoimiya and Kazuha, both encouraging him to enter the room.

Your son opens the door, only to stop in his tracks as he looks up to see Kazuha. They both look dumbly at each other, lost for words.

"Are you _?"

"Are you Kazuha?"

Both of them ask at the same time, nodding slowly. Realising that Ayato was telling the truth about Kazuha being someone different from him, your son relaxed visibly.

"Ah, was there a miscommunication?" Ayato states. "I must apologise. However, it's for the best you see each other face to face."

Kazuha attempts to retrace his flings, already knowing that chances are, this was his son. He could only think of you, the woman foolish enough to sleep with a man who was a poet.

"Stop gawking." Yoimiya huffs out. "There's a man that needed your help, _. It doesn't look like a long task."

The man finally gets sorted, thanking your son for his service before he looks back and forth between Kazuha and your son.

"Gosh, you really do look similar. You two related?" He chuckles. "Ah, either way, I'll let you both go." He sighs, waving them off as he turns to close the door.

Your son arrives back at the Arataki gangs base, Kazuha next to him, and the first thing he hears is a 'whoa!'

"You copied yourself? Bro, you're a genius!" Itto gasps. Kuki turns the corner, seeing whats happened before shaking her head lightly.

"Welcome back, _! Is this your dad?" Kuki asks, your son nodding. "...You really do look alike."

Oh boy, if he had a penny every time someone said that...

"Come, your mum's gonna be excited to see you."

The look on your face when you saw both your son and the father. Hoo boy you were shocked.

"Mum! I'm back." Your son starts, hugging you before he pulls back, giving you some jueyun chilli's from Liyue.

"So the two of you met today?" You smile, not focusing on Kazuha had you start to talk to _.

After a discussion, your son goes to take care of the self maintained members of the gang, knowing he had a long road ahead. Kazuha sits next to you, uncertain of what to say.

"I am a wanderer by nature." He begins.

"I figured that out after asking around for you." You laugh lightly.

"... I didn't mean to get you pregnant. I wouldn't run away from you without at least explaining myself."

"No need to apologise " you respond. "I was the one who fell for your charms despite knowing nothing about you."

Kazuha awkwardly looks down at his feet, still not sure what to say.

"it's as well the gang have been such good family to him." You look up, your son tending to a leg injury.

"..."

"I am a wa-"

"Kazuha, stop." You state, placing a hand on his forearm. "I wasn't expecting to see you again. It's nice, even if it's the only time."

"...Can I get your name?" Kazuha asks, looking over hopefully.

You shake your head no, Kazuhas hopeful look replaced with slight hurt.

"I doubt you knowing my name would do any good." You explain. Before Kazuha can protest, however, you see your son waving you over, calling out 'mum'.

#genshin impact imagines #female reader #reader #kazuha x female reader #kuki shinobu #arataki itto #yoimiya #ayato #thoma

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ffxiv-swarm · 7 months

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Would you tell us more about Pavo's weird and traditional tribe? He's probably the OC of yours that I want to examine under a microscope the most (the runner-up being Q'sevet, of course) :3c

OH NO YOU'VE ACTIVATED MY TRAP CARD

Bullet points in no particular order bc i've Never written this shit down before:

i freely admit this was based HEAVILY on classic maya life/traditions/art but like. bunnies

well, classic maya shit + Fae, But The Kind That Eat You

ritualistic cannibalism my beloved (if you're caught in their woods there is like an 80% chance you will be killed and/or sacrificed to their gods and/or eaten)

but aside from that the Miret-Moor village of Whispering Stars is...surprisingly chill? they have beehives and cassava and probably a variety of chocobo

clothing tends to be very sparse--think loincloths & wraps & leathers--because golmore is Fucking Hot

women and children stay in and around the village, men in a loose perimeter around it

TECHNICALLY they're only allowed back into the village once a year but in practice...wow, it sure is something how those sentries just Happened to be looking the other way

strong tradition of literacy and papermaking but their written tongue is indecipherable to eorzeans

(they actually descend from a Turalian viera tribe who went east during ehhHHH one of the previous astral eras & thought golmore would be a good place to settle)

also a very strong tradition of astrology. like. VERY strong. their current matriarch, aud (pavo's grandma!) is said to hear the voices of the stars themselves. stars tell them when to plant, when to harvest, how their kids will grow up, etc

which means that when pavo was born with the constellation of the Great Tree on his shoulder, they all went "ooooh"

alas, Kalju Happened

boys are supposed to stay away from the village for 7 years after they accept a mentor, learning the ways of men (tracking, various rites & rituals, etc). after those 7 years, they return, there's a big feast, they get facial tattoos, the works. the whispering stars dudes pretty much float around in each other's orbit the rest of the time, but long-lasting relationships aren't uncommon.

they follow the viera male surname system when introducing themselves & it's considered lucky if you're trained by someone who shares your elemental affinity

(ladies are always considered to have Earth affinities, but whether they are Rehw-Setlas or Djt-Setlas depends on whether they have borne children or not)

in the wider forest, though, they use their village name

Whispering Stars members also have day names used in the village, following the number/day of their birth in their calendar. these are used mostly for divination but sometimes they get used as actual names if you decide your given name sucks

typical full name: [first name] + [day name] + [elemental affinity] + [village]

ex: Sigri Ten Deer Djt-Marouc Miret-Moor, Kalju Four Jaguar Rehw-Gilda Miret-Moor

i AM capable of going on about classic maya naming systems for a while do NOT test me

ANYway, they're allowed to go anywhere in golmore!...but not beyond it. once they leave the tree cover, they're considered to have forfeited the protection of the Wood and the Green Word, and are thus too unclean to remain. only blood offerings can placate the wood, and depending on the length of the transgression that might be a hell of a lot of blood

this may have something to do with their dances on certain times of the day or night, dances beneath the stars

...Aud, along with every other high matriarch before her, has been known as the Starsinger. Do they sing back?

say, where did ultima come from anyway?

don't worry about it

at least she's not the only one in charge; the five eldest women in the village make major decisions as a group, and among men the eldest Djt-Marouc leads

yes this means pavo would have eventually been in charge, god help them

speaking of pavo, a fun mutation he has (common among the tribe) is what are called "climbing feet;" they're semi-digitigrade, with high arches and long toes, and so he's more comfortable in heels or sandals than closed shoes. in fact he's the MOST comfortable off the ground entirely, so it's a good thing...

...that the tribe builds their houses in trees! no, not just treehouses. actual giant hollowed-out trees, living spaces carved into or grown out of the wood.

think fanow here

except fanow PROBABLY doesn't have a skull rack outside the front gates as a warning

at some point i need to sit down & come up with a pantheon but Not Today

#pavo #fire the headcanons #viera

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arrowflier · 2 years

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Home

Previous Parts: 1. Car 2. House 3. Group Home

4. After everything, he got to go home again. Home to his house, to his family and all of their problems—paying bills, putting food on the table, and keeping the kids out of trouble. He fell back into his old routine, along with everyone else, and everything was just like it was before.

But none of it felt right anymore. He’d had a taste of something else, something more, and his life no longer fit within the same walls. The sound of happy chatter around the table, the echo of children’s cartoons through the living room—it happened around him, but he wasn’t part of it. It made him think of pizza rolls and beer and snorted laughter, of body heat and sly glances from the side. And every time a door opened, or someone spoke to his back, he—

Monica would have understood, he thought. She must have felt that way too, every time she came back. Back to people and places that didn’t match what she’d left behind.

And he tried, he really did. Tried like she must have tried, all those times. To put his own thoughts aside, to be part of the whole again. To be part of what made the house home.

He couldn’t.

So he left.

“Name?” they asked him when he got on the bus, nothing but a bag of old clothes on his shoulder.

“Phillip Gallagher,” he answered, and decided he was.

He wasn’t Ian anymore. Ian was young, and hopeful, and naive. Ian was a child sleeping in the back of a car, a boy sharing a room with his brothers. A man convinced that everything he needed lay in the heart of someone who couldn’t ask him to stay.

Ian never left. He just became someone new.

New worked, for a while. New kept him going, kept him in check. The barracks weren’t home, but he didn’t need one—home hadn’t been enough anyway.

The work was enough. The grueling slog of wake, train, sleep. Following orders without question, like he was used to, like he always had before the day he—

Before the day he didn’t.

It felt good, to be good again. He aced his physicals, scored high on marksmanship. Was too tired to remember why he excelled; too tired to think of obstacle courses on rooftops, or shooting guns under the L, or running from the cops just to keep an eye on someone who had to.

And he didn’t mind the other rules, either. Rules that grated on him not long ago, in a different world. Rules like staying quiet, like staying put. It didn’t matter when they told him he couldn’t leave, because he didn’t have anywhere else to go.

And he was doing well, he was. His bunk was starting to feel like his, worn to the shape of his tired bones. The voices of the other soldiers grew familiar, the cadence of their snores a staple of his nights.

Most nights, at least, when the others weren’t up late whispering. They did that a lot, it seemed. Sharing news from outside, details of lives they left behind. They hadn’t left themselves behind the way he had.

“Got a letter from my little sister,” Joey Burns said one night. “She got into Harvard.”

“My girlfriend left a message with the sergeant,” Conner Williams shared the next. “Her dad ain’t got long left.”

“You hear about the ruckus down in the city?” Jerry Goodman asked in the early hours. “Big drug ring got busted, bet the cops get a big head about it now.”

“Any of you talkin’ for a reason?” Ian cut in sharply. “Because I’m here to train, not to listen to your gossip.”

They grumbled, but they shut up. Stopped talking where he could hear them. Eyed him warily in the mess, during drills, but left him alone.

He’d thought he was good at being alone, by then, but apparently he wasn’t.

Being alone gave him too much time, too much freedom. Too many sleepless nights staring at the ceiling, plain and unmarred, unable to shut up his own mind in the absence of mindless chatter.

He made it a week longer. Almost two. Ignored the overeager recruit that almost bombed his whole squad by accident, and the way his singed eyebrows looked oddly familiar. Ignored the know-it-all private with the curly hair that almost got himself discharged for talking back, and the way he somehow knew that a middle finger was raised discreetly behind the private’s back. Ignored the overly familiar woman at the mess, and the kids there to visit their medal-bedecked dad.

It was fine. He was fine.

Then he stumbled across two boys his age on their way back from the armory, cheeks rosy, uniforms wrinkled.

“Damn,” one of them said with a self-satisfied smirk. “We gotta get extra duties more often.”

“Shit,” the other one hissed, seeing Ian, nothing but fear in his face. “Hey, it’s not what you—”

Ian walked away.

The next day he stole a helicopter, and tried to fly it home.

#not super fond of this one but I have to go to bed so #have it anyway!#daily speedwrite #fanfic #ian gallagher #minor angst #home #eventual gallavich #julnowrimo

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nghtmqred · 1 year

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✧.* is that DECLAN O’CONNELL hanging around town ? I wonder if they want to know what the future holds, as for right now, they are a NEW LOCAL TO MCKINLEY ? i’ve heard they can be pretty OBSTINATE. how typical for a HUMAN (PSYCHIC). i guess they must rely on their CHARISMA side shining through. rumor has it they’re trying to hide THAT HE MAYBE HEARING PEOPLES THOUGHTS OR HES GOING CRAZY HEARING VOICES IN HIS HEAD ONE OF THE TWO, but that’s probably just noise…

Growing up in Dublin for Declan was a touchy subject. His mother left his father when he was around ten years old. Dad hit the bottle hard after that, and it was up to Dec to take care of his four younger siblings early on. He never blamed his dad for his alcoholism. He wasn’t drunk that got violent. He was the kind of drunk you felt sorry for especially when he could hear his harsh, critical thoughts of himself as a father and husband. Still, it was hard not to resent his old man having Dec become the man of the house early on; that was how his love of cooking started.

Mum had been the one to do most of the cooking, with her gone, and dad to instead stand on his own feet let alone cook his children’s food. The responsibility fell on Declan. He even had to go grocery shopping, gather up all the kids and make the trek to the farmers market. Doing his best to entertain and distract his siblings on the long walks to and from. Singing songs and telling stories, all to keep their thoughts off their situation. You know, typical big brother.

But when it was time to cook, Dec liked the kitchen. Even as his little sister helped him out - Maeve, his little sous chef. Sure, he got picked on when kids found out he was doing the mum’s job cooking the meals. In which case, they caught both of his fists. Declan was happy to take care of his sibling. Of course, he didn’t like it all the time. He didn’t like having to help his dad get up and out of bed daily and night. Didn’t like to cook all the time. He was a kid… he wanted to do kid things. But they were his family, and family was and would always be important to him.

Eventually, though, dad started drinking less. Became more present and aware that his children needed him. And Dec was grateful, at sixteen, knowing he needed the break, wanted the chance to enjoy his life, and boy, did he do so with gusto.

When it was time to figure out what he wanted to do with his life, he knew it would revolve around food. Yes, it may be cliche to say he was a foodie, but he genuinely was. He had no real training and couldn’t afford it, but his father knew some people in the states, his uncle, to be precise. Declan could go live there in New Orleans and study under some fascinating and exceptional chefs.

Even though he didn’t know or remember his uncle that well, Declan jumped. So he said goodbye to his father and siblings a hopped over the pond to the states. And was it a shock to his system! In particular, New Orleans was far from the life he knew. But he took it in stride. Too obstinate in believing anything was impossible for him to figure out. His uncle Kieran helped him get his foot in some doors, and Declan got to work.

It was funny; coming to New Orleans at eighteen seemed to do him good. The voices were so loud and so clear. It was like he knew what a person wanted to eat, knew what they were in the mood for, and he delivered tenfold. It was strange, and he never questioned it-- not till the day he heard someone screaming for help. He couldn’t understand why no one else seemed to hear her, but he could. Only he couldn’t find her, not till it was too late. The body of a young woman with punctured wounds on her neck and arms. That was the first time the voices in his head weren’t all good.

So he told his uncle and tried to keep them quiet as best he could. Some herbs a herbalist gave him said would help him out. And they did for a long time. For years the voice softened and quieted. Once arriving in Mckinley, though-- it seemed they were back and louder than ever. He isn’t sure why isn’t sure what it means. But he’s starting to think that if he isn’t crazy, he better find out exactly what is going on with him.

#sanguishqs.intro #tw alchoholism #╭ 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘 / 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙳 𝚄𝚂𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚈 𝙾𝚄𝚃𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴 ! ↠ declan o’connell ╯#declan oconnell intro

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antonioacaso · 14 days

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Chasing Dreams: A Tale of Sports, Dance, and Self-Discovery

My love for sports came at a very young age. I was this young kid who wanted to play with people twice my age. It was basketball that I fell in love with at first. When I picked up the ball, I felt like a kid who has dreams of entering the NBA. I would train day and night just to reach my goal of playing in the big league. On August 21, 2017, this was my first ever basketball game representing the school. I was the shortest kid of all the players we were up against. We lined up, and the starting five were called. The commentator then said, "Number 4, Point Guard, Antonio Acaso." My heart was trembling with excitement as my name was called. As the game started, I was so nervous that I committed a lot of turnovers. My coach then told me, "Anton, just enjoy the game and play it like it's your last game.". As I went back to the court, I started to relax a little bit and started to get into a rhythm. Shots were coming back and forth while people were cheering for our school. I scored a total of 10 points, garnering a victory for the MMIS Burgandy Hawks.

My love for basketball suddenly faded away because I knew I had no chance to play in the big leagues with other good players because of my height disadvantage. It was the year 2018, and I heard a loud, booming sound from the quadrangle. I rushed to check it out, but it was Grade 9 students playing a sport that I wasn't very familiar with. I went down and asked them what sport they were playing, and they responded to me that they were playing badminton. They were so kind that they let me play with them. As a beginner, I was struggling a lot, but when I held the racket for the first time, I felt a connection that I was destined to play this sport instead of basketball. The school was offering a badminton clinic after school hours, so I decided to join as well. On the first day of training, I was having a hard time because of the different training they have from basketball. But as time passed, I started getting used to the sport. One year later, on September 21, 2019, to be exact, I was given the opportunity to represent the school and play badminton in the North District Athletic Meet. On the day of the competition, my coach told me that I was one of the youngest players in the whole competition, which made me feel the same feeling as in my first ever basketball game. I was nervous, and I was shaking the entire time. My coach then told me to relax and enjoy the game. With the racket being one with me, every hit of the opponent looked very slow from my perspective, which gave me clear shots on where I should put the shuttle. But at the end of the day, we only got 2nd place and didn't have the chance to participate in the unit meet.

Going back to the past, I was this very energetic kid who loved to sing and dance all day long. Which is how I fell in love with dancing at a very young age. I actually loved dancing because I used to watch my ate dance, which gave them the opportunity to represent the whole of Cebu in Manila in 2015. I grew up watching Matt Stefanina and following his online tutorials on YouTube. Which brings us to September 26, 2023. This was a day to remember; our blood, sweat, and tears paid off. You can hear the loudest roars coming from the senior high-prowling panthers. This was the last Grade 12 Intramurals at MMIS because we are graduating. With all the hard work, it paid off; we became the grand champions of the dance palabas competition. This was one of the best intramurals that I ever joined since I got to spend the last year of my senior high school years with my closest friends. It was also a very good experience dancing in front of the whole MMIS community because I was dancing with my heart out and I had the chance to dance with my friends, which made us the champions.

In conclusion, my journey through sports and the arts has been transformative. From dreaming of NBA stardom despite physical limitations in basketball to finding success and fulfillment in badminton and dance, each experience has shaped my character. Though basketball's height barrier redirected my focus, it led me to discover new passions and excel in unexpected arenas. Badminton taught me perseverance and the joy of competition, while dance became an outlet for self-expression and camaraderie. These diverse experiences have taught me that success isn't solely measured by victories but by the passion and dedication we bring to our pursuits. As I bid farewell to MMIS, I carry with me valuable lessons, cherished friendships, and an unwavering commitment to pursuing my dreams in whatever form they may take.

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rainydawgradioblog · 2 months

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A. Savage showed me I can write a decent song (I’m delusional)

My first major purchase after arriving in Copenhagen last summer was a ticket to see Andrew Savage’s European tour in February. The legendary Parquet Courts co-frontman played Ideal Bar in Vesterbro with his band Midnight Stew to a crowd of me and 99 tall mustachioed film bro-looking Danish lads in their 20s and 30s. I fit right in wearing my artsy new A. Savage “Riding Cobbles” t-shirt, as Andrew convinced me with his lovely little tunes to write a song of my own.

Andrew’s visual aesthetic had me straight to Ticketmaster before his latest album Several Songs About Fire even dropped. Everything he rolled out in promo shoots, cover art, and concert merch was drenched in David Hockney meets “The Adventures of Tintin” meets the doodles on the back of my middle school binder.

Paired perfectly with the cartoony visuals, the music of Sevel Songs About Fire boils down melodies to a uniquely simple formula. Nothing is overcomplicated, leaving plenty of room to feel every chord change and focus on his glorious rusty voice, which is down-to-earth but also smooth enough to make me think he could burn the house down singing Frank Sinatra hits if he wanted. Andrew’s style makes great songwriting feel like something that anyone with a shitty guitar can do, and that’s not meant to sound shady.

Another major draw to Andrew’s music is his lighthearted pessimistic humor that he throws all over his lyrics. It’s the same humor that my dad’s college buddies who never had kids embody. You can tell he’s got a weird whimsical take on the world in the way he phrases his feelings. “My weekly dinner of popcorn and Coke / Every Friday, like communion that I took as a joke” in the intro “Hurtin’ or Healed” is objectively a bit bleak but you can’t help but smirk and hope you're as witty as him at age almost 40.

I can thank Andrew and his band Parquet Courts for my appreciation of art punk and a lot of the politically charged folk rock I obsess over today like early Courtney Barnett and Fontaines DC. The band’s pop art aesthetic and funky yet punky take on indie rock recontextualized a lot of harsh punk aesthetics into something that made a lot more sense to me when I was first getting into music. Album’s like Wide Awake and Human Performance were palatable but gritty enough to slap some taste into my teenage brain.

Where Andrew’s solo work deviates from Parquet Courts is his more laid back take on songwriting, packed full of energy without doing the most. He’s got a handful of chords and progressions that are standard but still sound so uniquely his own. Hearing a song like “Le Ballon” or his latest single “Black Holes, the Stars and You” put Andrew’s skill at building tension and emotion with just a few particular chords and subtle melodies on full display.

Most of the emotion conveyed on Sevel Songs About Fire is rooted in finding comfort in simple pleasures and observations in a life far from a sense of home. Living all the way in Denmark, I listen to “Riding Cobbles” bumping down the cobbled Copenhagen streets, “My New Green Coat” while wrapped in my new thrifted Bob Dylan jacket, and “Mountain Time” watching the geese fly in Vs like they do in the Cascades back home.

To me, the album is music to ramble to– it’s the music you listen to with your thumb out on the side of the road with a knapsack tied to a stick over your shoulder. I listened to the new album for the first time while waiting for trains between Berlin and Copenhagen, anticipating a long bus ride to Stockholm the next day. Being on exchange often felt chaotic, trying to experience as many new things as I could without a lot of regard to my ability to settle down, and Sevel Songs About Fire is exactly that. Andrew mentioned during his set that he loves touring because he has the unique ability of finding a sense of home in a lot of places, something I wish I was better at.

After Andrew’s show, I picked up my very own $35 guitar from the charity shop down the street and started thinking about tiny observations or inanimate objects that made me feel any kind of something. However insignificant these things seemed, they were unique to me which is exactly why Andrew’s music is so important. Several Songs About Fire was never about reinventing the wheel but more about a unique perspective and personality using the bread and butter of what makes a great song.

I beg of you please listen to Several Songs About Fire and after you’ve realized it’s your favorite album ever I’d give his debut album Thawing Dawn a listen. For more political indie rock stuff I’d listen to Parquet Court’s Wide Awake and if you like it even punkier, try Light Up Gold.

You’re welcome!

Mead Gill

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itwas50yearsagotoday · 8 months

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youtube

8/31/23: It was 50 years ago today, August 31st, 1973, the Rolling Stones would release their eleventh studio album (in UK, 13th in USA) Goats Head Soup. Another example of Boomer Rock decline in 1973, this album has been much maligned in critics' circles, both in contemporary and recent reviews. As a whole it's hard to disagree... this album is a huge letdown from Exile and is certainly the worst Stones record since Their Satanic Majesties Request from '67. So is it all bad? Not at all, in fact I would say this record is a tad underrated... just a tad. I'll cover the two baddies... first, in what has to be worst album-opener for a major band ever, 'Dancing With Mr. D'... Mr. D is 'drugs' of course, and I think they were on some kind of barbiturate when the recorded this stinker... the melody rarely strays from the dirge of mid-tempo minor key chords, and has a shitty chorus... worst of all is my disappointment, I think. Book-ending this record is the final track 'Star Star' which is actually titled 'Starfucker' but their record distributor forced them to change it. I don't mind cursing in songs, but when that's all the song is about is where I object... Jagger singing 'star fucka star fucka star fucka star' etc... is just embarrassing nowadays; the music itself is some kind of Chuck Berry ripoff; again, a very disappointing album closer. That said, the the innards of this moldy bread sandwich are quite delicious. The two hits from this record are 'Angie' and 'Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)'... the former I will cover next month; the latter we'll cover here because it was not a hit until well into '74, after this blog's completion. 'Heartbreaker' is pretty awesome (and frightening!), as it has this nasty 'wah wah' guitar sound from Mick Taylor throughout... very dark themed lyrics about kids taking heroin, kids getting accidentally shot by cops... it is very mid-1970s. It would peak on the U.S. charts at #15 in the spring of '74. Starting with track #2 the meat of this album begins... '100 Years Ago'. This could have been a hit if released as such... a somewhat pleasant but edgy melody for the first part of the song, and then it gets quiet for the bridge, and then drives into this tremendous jam that finishes out the final 90 seconds of the song. Gives me goosebumps, man. Speaking of goosebumps, that leads us to 'Coming Down Again'... my favorite Russian music critic hates this song, but I think it's great... again it fits the dark theme of the album, but instead we have sadness replacing terror, and wow... Taylor makes his guitar seem to weep (more so than Clapton even, thank you very much)... it may be too much for some folks, as it is five minutes of wistful depression, but gawd I love it. Honestly, Mick Taylor saves this record, full stop. After the two big hits we get to the fifth song in sweet succession 'Silver Train'... another Taylor moment with his slide-guitar throughout, it is definitely reminiscent of 'All Down the Line' from Exile but supposedly they'd been working on the song for a few years. The best part of the song is when Jagger is basically screaming the lyrics towards the end of the song. 'Hide Your Love' is okay, but it's a somewhat generic bluesy number. 'Winter' is definitely one of the highlights of the second side... kind of combo of 'Angie' and 'Coming Down' in sound, but somehow they make it feel like a cold sunny day, not exactly pleasant (I hate sunny winter days), but effective. Then we get to 'Can You Hear the Music' which sounds like a parallel to 'Can't You Hear Me Knocking' and it is a bit jammy, but the production is very muddled... not that great. So what you have on this record is the ultimate mixed bag of a record: three or four excellent songs and two or three awful songs, with decent filler. What the critics have right about this record is that it is the stepping off point for the Stones long, dinosaur-ish, decline, culminating in their final decent album Tattoo You eight years later (after that forget about it). Worth your time, mostly.

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venus-light · 1 year

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A list of pleasures of the flesh and small joys about being alive:

Beautiful people, sex, friendship. The flesh of fruit. The petals of a flower, and the smell of baking bread. Toast that crunches in soup, a soft cat on the windowsill. New songs to sing in the kitchen, playlists made with love, another shot pulled back with laughter.

Another experience ticked off the list. No rush. Cool tattoos. More piercings over the years. Singing your heart out and being applauded. Remembering how someone takes their tea. Soft hair. Painting stars on your face. Getting drunk at a party. Making two coffees in the morning. Maybe three. Cradling the warmth of a mug in your palms. Having a blanket placed on your lap. Sitting down in a newly clean room. Scented candles. Sleepovers. A shelf full of drinks. Lightning storms caught on camera. Tropical weather. False eyelashes. Takeaway food from all corners of the world. Having a nickname. Walking quietly in the early hours of the morning. Talking excitedly on the same wavelength as someone.

The kindness of a bus driver. A sweet, excited conversation with a waiter. Being lost in a crowd. Teaching something to a friend. Existing in beautiful nature. Having people to share it with. Beautiful sunsets in the evening through a car window. Roadtrips. Cathedrals. Being called over to join someone. Choosing each item carefully from the grocery store. Seeing growth from the people you love, seeing them look visibly excited, visibly happier. Clicking with someone you just met. Cooking for someone. Navigating a new city.

Making your siblings laugh. Making your friends laugh. The sound of an ensemble harmonising together. The ring of violins and cellos. A city dressed up for Mardi Gras. A sincere compliment. The hours waiting in anticipation before a concert. People playing chess on the floor in a crowd. The feeling of riding through tunnels on a subway. Tall boots. Bubble tea. A couple falling asleep together on the train. Pride flags in unexpected places. Solidarity in unexpected places. A crowd singing together on the streets of Melbourne. The bold lights of a performance.

Art that grabs you by the throat. Sexual tension. Intricate rituals. Understanding. Safety. Challenge. Acceptance. Love. Healing. A group hug with friends. Singing duets. Spinning around in a new flowing dress. Dressing yourself up in glitter. Not feeling alone in the world. Strangers who smile at you on the street. Cute kids. Travel. Self-made photoshoots. Hearing your musician friends play and laugh and sing. Nighttime in a new city. Collapsing in a hotel room and taking your shoes off. Playing soft, calming music so your siblings can fall asleep. Taking the top bunk.

Acts of care. Warm drinks and gloves on a cool day. Mountains though the window. Opening someone’s drink for them. Swigs of water after a long volleyball game. Good banter. Fulfilling conversation. Celebration. Snow. A great joke in a story you keep coming back to. Resting your legs in a pool. A shoulder to cry on. A Chinese name for your younger sister.

A poem that makes you see shrimp colours. The ocean. Space. Forests. Crowds. Choirs. Music. Vastness and magnitude and interconnectedness. Forest cities. The feeling of being desired. The relief of being a part of something larger than yourself. The feeling of pride when you create something beautiful. Costume design. Children’s performances. The way creativity flows like a mysterious, branching, unpredictable stream. Being remembered for something you love and are good at. Experiencing intrigue. Wonder. Appreciation. Beauty. Desire. Trust. Intimacy. Catharsis. Awe. Relief. Surrender. Letting yourself be moved to tears.

Feeling yourself grow and change with time. The slow work of building skills over the course of years. The fulfilment of a new technique finally clicking. A great serve in volleyball. A high five. A high note that resonates just right. Makeup that shimmers. Dewdrops on the bus window. A dress that captures the light.

Beautiful comics and artwork. The feeling of finally understanding something. Characters and people that capture a fragment of yourself forever. Work that changes you. Resonance. Melting. Fondness. Pride. Self-recognition. Vanity. Nonconformity. Joy. Giving in to something. A really good u-quiz.

Understanding and acceptance. Setting boundaries, finally. Letting go of resentment, finally. Letting go of a life lived in service, shedding a dead identity like old skin. Making choices out of love for yourself, and out of love for others. Ninety three thousand photos in your camera roll. Mementos of love and grief. Protest marches. Charity work. Cafe desserts. Time spent in joyful conversation. Chatting on the couch with family and friends. Learning how to love someone else. Someone else learning how to love you. Being flawed, accepted and safe.

Choosing what feels good over what looks good. Living on your own terms. Letting go of repression. Forgiving yourself. Unburdening yourself from shame. Offering yourself acceptance, understanding, solidarity, compassion. Having the safety and self-assurance to offer the same to others. Refusing to assimilate, and choosing to be authentic instead. Being in a room for the first time, where conflict and disagreement is safe. Being flawed and vulnerable and embraced. Waking up one day and realising you’re not afraid all the time anymore.

#poetry #spilled ink #personal growth #gratitude #venus writes

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dzpenumbra · 1 year

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11/9/22

Alright, I'm just gonna dive in head-first because I want to catch up on sleep and hopefully get up a bit earlier tomorrow. I had a very intense night terror last night. I haven't had one in a while. And I think a big reason I haven't had one is because I've been smoking. I could be doing that whole hypochondriac thing where I just want to blame things on biophysical reasons (I have a long distant history of doing so, nasty habit).

I think we all know that cannabis affects dreams, it's like... one of the biggest things about detoxing that everyone says, its one of the only withdrawal symptoms. "Your dreams get intense." I'm a little bit worried that I have been sleeping so well lately because my dreams have been suppressed. Which, for someone with C-PTSD or whatever you wanna call it, is a bit of a blessing. And I think the only way I've really been able to get away with that - because dreaming serves a crucially important function in cognitive processing - is because I've been really proactive about introspection and self-work.

But I also need to remember that my entire days are deep introspective soul work and detailed permanent ink artwork, there's really not a lot of time that's like... relaxing and enjoying life in there. It's work. I need to remember to laugh and play and goof around. To experience joy for the sake of joy, recreation for the sake of recreation. I don't know if it's my family, or my region, or my country, or the world as a whole right now - I have no idea how widespread this compulsion is right now - but it feels like everyone I've been meeting is like... obsessed with work, and being productive, and making more things faster. As many things as fast as possible for as much time as possible. And that 1. feels like a symptom of an extremely dysfunctional society, and 2. I feel like it hasn't always been like this. I remember times when it wasn't like this within my lifetime. So... maybe it was my social groups, my family or maybe my culture that shifted, but I just wanna really stress how important it is to like... live life. Enjoy life. Go just sit in nature and be around animals. Roll around in the grass. Play with your pet. Be a kid. Sing really loud and dance! It's not lame, it's fun. It's not productive, it's nurturing, it's enriching, it's CULTURE. So I'm very very blessed to be able to pursue my skills and my discipline, and I hope to gain the confidence to integrate myself into artistic communities again very soon. But I have to remember to not just produce creative things, but to consume them too, for my own enrichment. To nurture my soul.

I went to bed after my journal last night. I didn't smoke, I took the tincture instead. That might be part of it. I fell asleep pretty easily, kitty did migrate a bit but I fell asleep moderately quickly. I was awake about 2-3 hours later. With my heart pounding harder in my chest than any time I've skated this year. Like pounding so hard that you can almost feel it rattling off your sternum, like I felt if I listened hard enough I could hear it externally. I woke up and tried to breathe slowly and was on the verge of tears, then I actually glanced over to my nightstand and my eyes were drawn to one of my two dream journals, the one with a pen in it, ready for a vivid dream to be documented. And I remember saying "well, this is what all the practice was for, here we go." Something close to that. Because I trained different self-developed dream recall techniques for actual years. I got really good at it. I've been collecting very vivid dreams in journals since around 2017ish. I have a lot now, some really cool ones. I hope to get myself to turn them into mini graphic novels or animated shorts sometime. Maybe even music videos, that would be really cool. Someday... someday... When I don't have to worry about fucking "is this gonna make money" and I can actually make something fucking inspired and mystically beautiful for the simple sake that it is demanding to be made, because it is inspired, not because it might be "marketable". Someday.

I recorded the dream. The vivid parts that hurt me very deeply, that made me feel guilt and shame and despair and outrage and deep deep sadness and powerlessness. The parts that I remembered. And I left commentary after the dream recall - which I've never done before in that book. Sorta talking myself out of reliving the dream and narrating my mental process like I'm doing now. To help myself transition out of that really intense PTSD nightmare back into reality, into crying and purging emotions, adrenaline bursts in the chest, dreadful apocalypse feelings, tears. It was very good to get it out. I'm very glad I gave myself permission to cry.

I spent the entire day recovering. I worked through it a bit with my mom, bless her heart. We reminisced on better times when I was a child. I shared with her some astrology stuff that she found very interesting, which sorta surprised me a little and was a nice bonding moment that helped me feel seen and understood. It was good to bond after such deep pain, it was healing.

Throughout the rest of the night, I was alone with Max, who spent most of the night in the bedroom while I was in the studio. So... I spent it alone. I worked on the hoodie more, it's coming along, I started another mandala and it's mostly done. I made quick, easy frozen food that I got in case an emergency meal was needed. I watched a lot of skate videos by NKA Vids and singing analysis videos by A Charismatic Voice. And I kept periodically getting bursts of adrenaline throughout the night. I don't know if I was encountering mini-triggers? Or if it was just... overflow or something? Aftershocks? I don't know. But my emotions have just been bubbling throughout the day and unfortunately, not a lot of good ones have made it to the surface. It changes so quickly, from super optimistic and hopeful and confident and ready to take on the world! To mortified and childlike and wanting to curl up in a ball in a well lit cabin far away from society with some imaginary nurturing protective partner and not come out for months.

I remember saying to my mom, how deeply grateful I was that she has been supporting my artistic pursuits, because - and I said this with tears streaming down my cheeks - there's no way I'd be any use working a "real job" if this happened. I would 100% call out of work, and I would not lie to them, because I really fucking hate lying for no reason so much. And I guarantee I'd be fired if I called out because "I had a bad dream". Because people just really aren't there with PTSD. Or sensitive people. Some people just really aren't there yet. They go "well, why don't you just turn your feelings off?" "Have you tried not crying?" "What are you, a pussy? Suck it up, get over it, it's not real." Shit like that. And how these people end up in management, I really have no idea, but like all of my managers but one at every job I've worked was like that. And fuck those people. Please be kind. Not everyone allows themselves to be as callous and miserable as you, some of us still have hope and love in our hearts that we're trying to keep alive. And it's very hard to do that when you can't tend to that fire because Karen needs her toasted sesame bagel with tofu veggie cream cheese right the fuck now, and you aren't literally dying, so you better be there to get that for her. You want to pay your rent, don't you?

I'm venting. I do that a lot when I feel vulnerable, I think. I get outraged at people from like 10 years ago and shit. I bet if I got a cool job like... apprenticing with a lapidary artisan, or working in a tabletop game shop, or some weird occult new age store, or a rare antique restoration place... I bet I wouldn't have a shit boss. I bet the circumstances would be very different. And I'd probably make a good amount of money because I never fucking spend any. So... maybe I should chill a bit on the "everyone is an asshole and out to get me" thing, because it's been the subtle anxious fear-narrative all day lurking in the shadows. In the penumbra... hehehe... Obscured, hidden behind physical sensations and shit. Fear of Judgement, and Justice. And worse... Fear of Fear. Lots of Fear of Fear.

I have so much deep admiration for people with PTSD who don't have the support that I have, who somehow manage to make it through an entire workday just sneaking out by the dumpster to smoke a cigarette and bawl their eyes out and curl up in a ball and rock back and forth, then put out the cigarette, dry their eyes, fix their makeup if they're into that, and go back in with a goddamn smile on their face. All on 3 hours of sleep and a trauma flashback that is latched to their spine like some kind of parasite, like a lamprey or a leech or a tick. It really did feel like that most of the day.

So I canceled my plans to go to this new age shop I was really excited to go to, to get cordage and mineral supplies (for jewelry making) and find cool trinkets and weird new age books and stuff. And spent the day trying to heal. And I think I did okay, I'm still a bit jumpy and a bit primally scared of the dark, but I feel worlds better than when I woke up 20 hours ago. Accepting the feelings and working through them has been really hard, and I didn't do it completely, but I engaged in the moment and a few times throughout the day and worked through them and it was very worth it.

I even smoked tonight. A tiny bit, but enough to feel it, and I didn't freak out at all, not even slightly. And I'm really proud of myself for challenging myself like that, even if it was just dipping my toes in the pool.

I am going to try to go to bed now, while it's still dark out - first time in a while. Goodnight, Moon.

#diary #journal #online journal #stream of consciousness #stream of thoughts #spilled thoughts

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