they need to make more media about real actual small towns, you know what I’m saying? like we need more explorations of the absolutely crazy interpersonal drama that happens in towns with <500 residents. we need to get into the nitty gritty of the dysfunction and hatred blossoming in an unincorporated community with a population of 23 people.

Specter Carlo AU events for Chapters 4 & 5! I was originally going to add 6 to this too, but since a lot of big events happen with Romeo in that chapter it would make the post too long 😮‍💨

These two chapters cover more of Carlo’s dialogue as well as the start of the branching conversation and reaction between Truth and Lie playthroughs

[Character Notes] [Chapters 1-3] [Chapter 6]

Chapter 4

• The hike through the mine shafts and Twilight Town remain unaltered until arriving at the tram cart. Carlo will coment once you get on the tram regardless of whether or not Pinocchio uses the stalker salute to get on, though his response will be different depending on the scenario.

• If Pinocchio killed the Atoned, Carlo will comment: “Does it feel good? Killing people? Do you even feel anything at all when you get splattered in their blood?”

• If Pinocchio lied and used the ‘stalker salute’, Carlo will coment: “It’s weird, you know? Seeing a puppet lie, it’s almost like… Hmm.”

• Gemini will still have his usual little spiel, either nervously laughing and changing the subject to something more light hearted in the truth playthrough, or just taking Carlo’s silence as his queue to make a joke.

• Giangio is unaware of Carlo... Right?

• When Pinocchio enters the chapel Carlo will will coment: “This place is swarming with those freakish monsters, things just keep getting better, don’t they?”

• Carlo will coment on Cecile upon meeting her, he will say: “She seems devoted. I wonder what she’ll do if you can’t find that mark.”

• Upon meeting Alidoro, Carlo will have a different response depending on what you tell you him.

• If you tell Alidoro about Hotel Krat he will say: “You told him about the Hotel? Really? The Stalker? You really are a naive puppet.” (Note that he will also say this if you tell him about the hotel when you see him again at Venigni Works).

• If you send Alidoro to Venigni Works he will say: “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but good idea. You don’t know this guy or what he’s capable of. It’s best not to tell him about the Hotel.”

• Carlo will have new dialogue options when summoned before the Archbishop.

These dialogue options are:

“What do you think of the chapel?”

Carlo: “It isn’t my thing. I have never and will never have any interest in religion. They sure spent a pretty penny on this place though.”

“Do you think the Gold Coin Fruit tree actually exists?”

Carlo: “Yeah I do. What? Sometimes it’s fun to believe in something childish. If it turns out to be real I’ll even play you a song on the piano. If I ever get a tangible body, that is.”

“Tell me about this boss.” (He will have multiple responses to this.)

1. “I heard the bishop was obsessed with wealth. I guess it’s true, money really can corrupt anybody.”

2. “We only saw part of what the Archbishop became before he crawled down that hole earlier. Expect the unexpected.”

3. “With that long snake body and messed up… ‘wing’ it looks like he’s going to have a pretty far reach. I wouldn’t stand too close to him, but that’s just me.”

4. “I just know it’s going to smell horrible in there, there’s no way the home of a monster is going to be clean in any capacity.”

5. “I’d suggest using fire. Besides the irony of a holy cleansing flame, he’s still organic. Being set on fire isn’t going to feel good.”

Battle dialogue for the Archbishop:

1. “Oh wow, that is… very hard to look at.”

2. “Who would’ve thought chicken legs could be so strong!”

3. “EUGH! Really?! With its tongue?! Disgusting!”

(Phase 2)

4. “Somehow he’s gotten even uglier.”

5. “Make him regret coming out of his shell!”

6. “God chose you to be an Angel alright. Just not one that roams the earth.”

• If Cecile was given the mark and Pinocchio returns to find the letter and the record Carlo will say: “A killer turned nun, that’s something I didn’t expect to hear. I guess it just shows how much people can really change if given the chance...”

• If Cecile isn’t given the mark and Pinocchio returns and kills her monster form he will say: “I guess that’s what she’ll do. Even the nun isn’t free of sin.”

• Upon heading back to the hotel Carlo will have new things to say should Pinocchio use the mirror in his room again.

• At this point his dialogue will start to branch, certain dialogue only appearing during certain playthroughs or choices.

These dialogue options are:

“What are you thinking about?” (He will have multiple responses to this.)

1. (If you told Alidoro about the hotel) “I still can’t believe you told that mongrel about the hotel. You know it’s going to come back and bite us right?”

2. (If Alidoro comes to the hotel on his own) “I really don’t like that Stalker being here. Don’t get me wrong, I admire Stalkers as much as the next guy, but that guy? Something is off about him.”

3. (If you killed the Atoned) “You know, killing that Stalker at the tram wasn’t necessary. You could’ve lied. Unless you… like killing humans?”

4. (If you lied to the Atoned) “It was smart, lying to get past that Stalker like that. Why have unnecessary blood on your hands. Although, it’s strange that you would care about that, isn’t it?”

5. “Glad that business with the church is over with, that place was making me itchy. I didn’t even know I could get itchy when I’m like this.”

6. “Seeing all those books in the church makes me miss being able to sit down and read. If I could I’d be opening up my favourite book right now.”

7. “Something about that Giangio guy seems suspicious to me, like he isn’t telling the whole story… What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Chapter 5

• Carlo will be unable to coment along the Path of Pilgram due to a lack of reflective surfaces, but rest assured that he is not happy being there.

• Once it starts raining upon reaching the bridge to the Malum District he will be able to talk again, this will trigger a conversation between Gemini and Carlo.

The conversation will go:

Carlo: “Finally, that place was creepy as hell. You always take me to such nice places, don’t you?”

Gemini: “If you hate it so much then why are you here? Can’t you just go somewhere else?”

Carlo: “Despite how much I complain, cricket, I would still prefer to keep both of us alive. I don’t know how many times I have to reiterate that.”

• Carlo will have say something depending on what you choose to do with the Fox and Cat.

• If Pinocchio agrees to have them follow along and after the Cat calls him an idiot, Carlo will say: “You heard him right? He called you an idiot. I’m not gonna lie, I kind of agree.”

• If Pinocchio refuses to have them follow along, Carlo will say: “I don’t think they’d be helpful for very long anyway. Did you see those bells on their jackets? Looks like somebodies eyesight is going.”

• After the youngest of the Black Rabbit Brotherhood has complimented Pinocchio’s looks (and subsequently insults him), Carlo will coment: “She may have insulted you, but at least she has taste when it comes to the looks department.”

• Carlo will have new dialogue options when summoned before the Black Rabbit Brotherhood.

These dialogue options are:

“How do you feel about the rain?”

Carlo: “Why are you asking? Is it because I was complaining about the heat? Well, funny man, I happen to really like the rain, so no complaints here.”

“Are you scared of the monsters?”

Carlo: “Afraid? No. Disgusted and appalled? Yes. Nobody should be subjected to this. Especially not somebody that’s been afflicted by this disease.”

“Tell me about this boss.” (He will have multiple responses to this)

1. “Good thing you summoned me for this one. They were probably planning on making it four against one, kinda makes them look a bit… hmm… pathetic?”

2. “Usually I think Stalkers are pretty cool, they all seem to hold themselves with this sort of… nobility? That might not be the right word. Whatever the word is though, I don’t feel it with them.”

3. “Maybe in another life these guys could’ve really helped people. Then again, maybe they would’ve turned out the same.”

4. “Try focusing on the smaller siblings before focusing on the big guy. I say that because I already know they’ll all going try to dog pile you, don’t let them get the upper hand.”

Battle dialogue for the Black Rabbit Brotherhood:

1. “Ha! What a joke! That’s not a rabbit mask, he looks like a pig!”

2. “Would somebody shut her up already!”

3. “Half of you aren’t even rabbits! Bucket Head over there looks like a dog!”

4. “Oh this guy is the most pretentious of them all.”

5. “How pathetic and you call yourselves stalkers? Don’t bother coming back!”

• The portrait is still collectable upon entering the town hall, if acquired Gemini will still have his original dialogue, but Carlo will also chime in and trigger a conversation between the two.

• The conversation will go:

Carlo: “That’s… an interesting find. Gemini is right, it does look just like you.”

Gemini: “Wow, he actually called me by my name!”

Carlo: “Don’t get used to it.”

• The conversation with Giangio upon finding the Gold Coin Fruit tree stays the same, as well as the cutscene of picking the first fruit.

• Dialogue with Gepetto upon handing over the portrait will also stay the same.

• Carlo will have new dialogue upon speaking to him in Pinocchio’s room.

These dialogue options are:

“About the tree…”

Carlo: “I still can’t believe it exists and I literally saw it with my own eyes. On top of that, I was definitely not expecting it to be in the Hotel garden. I guess… this means I owe you a song on the piano sometime.”

“Why do you look up to the Stalkers?”

Carlo: “Have you seen their swordplay? It’s legendary, well, most of them anyway. I’ve always wanted to be taught how to fight by one of them.”

“What are you thinking about?” (He will have multiple responses to this.)

1. “I was expecting the Brotherhood to be better than that. They claim they’re constantly fighting puppets, yet they get taken down by one? That’s sad. (If it’s a lie playthrough he will add) Uh, no offence.”

2. “I kind of miss all that rain, it was nice. Even when we were slogging through knee deep water. I hope it rains again soon.”

3. (Truth)Carlo: “Why are you so nosy? Don’t you have better things to do than bother me?”

Gemini: “You don’t have to be so rude, you know.”

Carlo: “And you don’t have to be so annoying, yet here we are.”

4. (Lie)Carlo: “Nosy, aren’t you? Well, if you want to know that bad, I’m thinking about an old friend of mine.”

Gemini: “You had friends?”

Carlo: “That’s fair, I can’t knock you for that. There were only two people that could ever really tolerate me. Even my own dad didn’t… Ah, nevermind.”

In Another Life - Bogard x Female!Reader (One Piece Live Action)

A/N: This actually started as much more based on the lyrics of this song than it ended up - I guess this wasn't exactly my intent! It was initially meant to be so much more angsty. But that's how you roll when you just let the characters point you in a direction when you're writing. Every point on my plan got covered - that's all that matters! 😁✌

ALSO this is the first work I've EVER had properly edited for me, so, thank you very much Josh! I appreciate you taking the time to read this! [You don't know what you've got yourself in for agreeing to do more... haha! 😈]

The format editing on Tumblr broke me. So you get what you get below and I'm very sorry but I just could NOT anymore... You'll see it because it is very SPECIFICALLY one sentence that Tumblr seems to find issue with - so now that's just a random paragraph by itself in the middle of a conversation.

Disclaimer: Only the reader character is mine. He's kinda pieced together using elements of his anime counterpart because hell yeah I went back and watched those episodes for further characterisation. Nothing I've used is spoilers. The origami thing is original - but that's only because I've seen a ton of [fan] art of him with birds and I was like "Is this a thing? I need to include it somehow!" Turns out the birds are just a Marine HQ thing - but I liked the idea so I've kept it!

The 'backstory' is also originally because we don't know a whole lot about him yet in either media... sooooo...

Warnings: innuendo, sexual connotations, mention of injury, smoking, mild swearing, mild plot-relevant OOC.

Premise: HQ 3 is back in town. And for you, that ship brings a lot more with it than just injured marines. You're prepared for the usual push and pull this 'situationship' brings. You might not be so prepared for the other news he has for you...

Word Count: 7906

Song Inspo: Another Life - Tenille Arts

Full Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/29SKzlmL31pHFk54BwnO7k

--- Cause I don't wanna kiss anybody else's lips I don't wanna feel anybody else's touch I just wanna be the old you and me We'd be married, have a house and kids by this time In another life

In another life I would get to kiss you goodnight Hold your hand, play with your hair, feel your arms around me Giving me the best hug Yeah, we'd be so in love

In another life

I wouldn't have to kiss anybody else's lips I wouldn't have to feel anybody else's touch We could just be the old you and me We'd be married, have a house and kids by this time And you'd be here tonight In another life

---

Nothing new. That was how you would describe the day. Sitting in your office working through the papers of every Marine coming in and out of your ward; you weren’t sure you knew what busy was anymore. It seemed to be the same all the time - with very little variation in the amount of work you had to do day-to-day - sometimes you just had to work on them faster. With more and more to do for the Marines on the front lines, and with seemingly every other person declaring themselves to be a 'Pirate' these days, at least things were never dull - that you could count on. Today, another ship arrived, apparently with a lot of injured Marines on board, given how many new papers you had stacked up on your desk. You sat back in your chair and blew out a breath. You were glad at least none of these new patients appeared to be in any serious condition. The most interesting thing to you was the newly docked ship's designation: HQ 3. You regarded the papers again, and began to rifle through them slowly. He hasn’t said anything, you thought. Figures. There could be a reason for that, of course… he could be in here. You dared not go through them too quickly to find out. These days he had no reason to tell you, either.

Marking another case as not urgent, you became aware of a sudden clamouring outside your office. Back and forth yelling that sounded more like panic. So much for hiding away... Pushing yourself up from your desk, you opened the door and leaned against the frame, poking your head out into the corridor. Several nurses and doctors were running between rooms, each and every one worked for you now. Which meant that when you called out to them, they stood to attention. "What's going on out here!?" "Nothing we can't handle." "Oh, I have no doubt - is everything okay?" "Some of the new inpatients have a flair for the dramatic is all M'am!" You chuckled, folding your arms, and touched your head to the doorframe too. "Sounds right. Maybe we should give them something to be dramatic about!" You cracked a grin. "If sedative is necessary, get that going - but nothing appears serious. I don't want anyone else on the ward panicking or getting distressed though. Try to get them to keep it down." You winked. "Else I’ll be forced to tell them to, and I'm pretty sure they won't want that."

The small group who had paused to listen to you nodded along, before almost shying away from you, and retreating into the rooms they had come from. You were about to ask why – unless they were scared you were about to force something more upon them yourself – before your question was answered for you. "Oh, I don't know about that." You couldn't have stopped the smile spreading across your face if you'd tried. Not at the sound of that voice. You turned your head to him slowly. HQ 3 meant Garp, and the Vice Admiral brought with him his right-hand man, who was now staring back at you with something of a small smile lifting the corner of his mouth.

Bogard was leaning against the wall right outside your door, letting it support his full weight, right arm held across his body, left hand raised to his chin. If you'd have bet on that stance, you might have won. He had a nasty habit of just appearing like this, but you would never be one to complain about that.   You let your eyes linger on him as you drew them up and down his body. You could pretend it was for your deduction, but you both knew better. "What are you doing here? You don’t look injured to me.” His dark eyes swept the ward, which now hosted a group of Marines from the ship he sailed on. “Where he goes, I follow.” He started. “And, if I leave the ship here, I get to see you. So, it’s not all bad. Guess we’ll be staying while we stock back up, do repairs,” he paused briefly. “The usual.” You bit back the words you really wanted to say. "Doesn't sound so bad. Guess you'll be wanting the recent discharge list?" "You read my mind." "I know you!" You let that statement linger before adding, "all business. Let me get you that list."

You withdrew back into your office, gathering the papers of cleared Marines now waiting to be assigned back onto any ships that were currently docked who were in need of recruits. Much to your surprise you found your hands were shaking. You took a deep breath to steady your nerves; maybe you were more excited about this encounter than you anticipated. To say your relationship with the man standing outside your door was complicated would be an understatement. Something along the lines of a long distance, long term situationship might sum it up best - but they were just a few words that meant nothing to the history of it.

You had been a cadet when you'd first met him. He was a few years older than you. Back when Bogard was just finding himself in the Marine's. It was obvious to you then how fast he was going to climb the ranks. You'd been friends since day one - well, almost. Once you'd graduated your cadet training and had chosen to be stationed as part of the medical division, you began to realise just how injury prone and stubborn he was. At least that was the way he always presented himself to you. The number of times early on you'd found yourself patching up his gashes and wounds with him insisting they were just scratches were innumerable. You found yourself very quickly worried about him in ways that went beyond mere friendship. And the next time he'd done it had been your final straw. You couldn't recall your confession exactly, but you did remember that it came out in the middle of a heated ramble. You had been in tears – you were mad at him for getting hurt, and you were crying because you didn’t want to lose him. Fixing him up that time quickly led to a first kiss, and soon after a relationship. But it didn’t last.

Although he would never tell the story that way, the truth was at that point Bogard had been just dumb enough to make sure he always got an injury, so he had an excuse to stop by and see you, but smart enough to make sure he was never in any real danger. He had mellowed out a lot since then - he was so much more serious and careful now - especially with the responsibilities he had. Man, the more you thought about it, the more you realised just how much time had passed... You carried just as many responsibilities yourself now, but could you say that you didn't still worry about him? No - but he was always so far away that you couldn't allow yourself to dwell on it too much. The 'see you when I see you' was fine if he was going to turn up at your door looking as pristine as he did today. Bogard knew what he was doing - he wouldn't be Garp's second in command if he didn't. You trusted that you had no reason to worry about him. Not even on the Grand Line. If he did ever come back injured - you didn't want to think too much about it - you knew you'd go above and beyond. If anyone had ever been curious about what you were, then that scenario would probably hold all the answers. Though while that wasn't happening, it was fine as a mystery.

He hadn't moved an inch when you returned with the stack. "Here you are, unless I should be giving these to the Vice Admiral?" Bogard took the papers in a way that suggested which was wisest; to him. You held your hands up to indicate that was well noted. "Just let me know who stays and who goes so I can update my records." He flipped through them quickly. "Of course. I suppose it will depend on how many we want that aren't cadets." "Cadets? I mean there might be some fresh faces there, but they will come with a little experience." "Might need that where we're going." This time it was his right hand held to his chin as he moved to answering your question quickly. "Yes, cadets. We're training them." "You're training cadets?" You could see it, actually. He'd be good at that - tough but fair. His captain too. "Lucky cadets." Bogard placed the papers in his pocket. His expression seemed to suggest that might not be the phrase he'd use. He looked up and passed you, studying the corridor and listening to the activity you'd just set in motion, before turning his attention fully back to you. "The whole ward, huh?" "It'll be the whole medical centre soon." "So I hear. Never in doubt when it comes to you." You looked away bashfully - voice quiet. "Thank you." "Still, you could be out on a ship as the main doctor. A HQ ship even. You're plenty good enough." You made a noise, but didn't want to look like you were laughing at his suggestion. "Despite being a Marine, I still prefer dry land. I'm comfortable here. I enjoy my work! I’m even about to be promoted. Where do you go once you're a ship doctor for a HQ vessel?" "It would be worth it for all the places you would see,” he continued. “The prestige." You knew where this was headed, and turned it back on him as quickly as you could. "And you, what about when they call you to World Government bureaucracy and pen-pushing, and you spend more time in a building than you do on the open ocean?" You asked. Bogard made a face like he was considering it, but you knew he wasn't. “Right now, I would probably decline such a position.” he huffed. “I think I have much to learn before I go there." “Uh huh." You knew that, how could you not? Just like he knew you didn't want to be out at sea. No matter how many times he would try to persuade you out there every time he saw you.

That was the point you had known it wouldn't work out. You wanted him safe with you, whereas he wanted you to go travelling the world with him. Neither would comprise. And so, every time you met, you would dance around this question again. Asking without saying 'why aren't we together, really?' in a different way every time. The reality was you'd both chosen your preferred lifestyles and your work over each other. But you weren’t about to admit that out loud, and Bogard wasn't either. So, here you stayed.

To make sure this didn't get too heavy immediately, you cleared your throat and changed the subject. "I heard you were in the East Blue?" He gave a short nod, but instead of offering any more information, he hit back with a rumour of his own. You couldn't say you was surprised that he would keep his official work a secret - such the man he was these days. You knew you'd get it out of him eventually. Though it might take something a little less... professional... "I heard you were with some captain." Try as he might to hide it, Bogard let his emotion seep into his voice. It was obvious who and what he was referring to, and he wasn't happy about it. You bit the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from teasing him about being jealous - that wouldn't end well. And what with where you were right now, you had to be very careful what you let slip, just in case of any prying eyes and ears. And you also knew that Bogard knew he had no right to be jealous - regardless of the truth. Still, this was one thing you wouldn’t tease him about. Reassurance was the only way forward. "Rumours fly.” You dismissed. “That was never a thing." Which was true, after all, you still only had eyes for the man in front of you. Despite the fact that there had never been a conversation about it between you. You could date someone else. You just weren’t sure if Bogard believed you, especially as you didn't know how long he had been holding onto that knowledge for. You knew how much he valued the truth though, so lying would have been unwise at best. “I’d never do that.” you continued. To you, you thought. But you left that part off. You were met with the same steady look he'd been regarding you with throughout this whole conversation so far. You sighed, glancing behind you back down the ward - all seemed calm right now. They knew how to reach you if they needed your help. Turning back to him, you offered a gentle smile. "Care to take a walk with me?" He pushed himself away from the wall with a smile. Turning across, he offered you his arm - ever the gentleman. You smiled back sweetly, wrapping yourself around him, and allowing yourself a moment to admit in your mind just how much you'd missed him.

For a while there was silence, but it was comfortable and more relaxed. You both knew you wouldn’t be able to stray very far. It'd be more like a walk around the block, but it was still away from unwanted attention. He watched you closely. You carried yourself and your rank well. You coped with the pressure of it all. You could handle yourself. You just wouldn't answer the call to open ocean. It seemed strange to him, but he admired how sure of yourself, and your convictions you were. He would not change your mind, no matter how much he wanted to. Still, there was something about the rumour that was bothering him. It wasn't that Bogard thought you were lying - of course you wouldn't. You knew how much he disapproved of it. It was the subject of the rumour that hurt Bogard most. Of all the people that rumours could fly about with you, not him, but someone else? Someone who must have seen you far less than Bogard did… at least he would hope so. People were aware you had been something once. Was it so hard to believe that you might be making it work again? Bogard put in the work even when he was so far away. There were more than enough reasons to conclude that he was still with you. In many ways, he wanted to be asked. Even if he went against his principles and denied it. Though, given you weren't technically a couple, it wasn’t technically lying. He hated how much it caused him to wonder if you had ever been with anyone else ever since you broke up. If Bogard couldn't even get a rumour going, but someone else could? It bothered him that he could get wrapped up in such a way. You weren’t his. But the exclusivity was an unwritten rule. It was expected that you would always be able to return to each other like this. That didn't mean if either of you fell in love with someone else… Surely you had both expected the other to have moved on by now. You both should have moved on by now! It hadn’t been months after all; it hadn’t even been a few years. It was closer to decades, and here you both were. Bogard just didn't want to hear it being discussed. He wasn't sure what heartbreak would feel like; but he didn't want to know either way. And he hated even more that, after all this time, if he lost you for good, he knew his heart would break.

The silence from him wasn't something that you thought was particularly unusual - Bogard was notoriously a man of very few words.  Though you often wondered what ran through that head of his; but someone had to keep Garp in check, so you knew his mind was sharp at least. They seemed like complete opposites - which, you thought, made them perfect for each other. Walking with him this close around the medical centre was enough for you right now. It was nice getting used to his presence again. Even if you knew you'd have to let him go soon. And too soon at that. Glancing over to him, you recognised Bogard’s look was a little further away than you had expected. Realising that you wanted those gorgeous brown eyes back on you, you broke the silence. If he was in his head about this stupid rumour - which you wouldn't be surprised if the Marine Captain had started and stoked himself - then you knew what he needed to hear. And if he felt the truth was so important, he was about to get some. "I have to say, I'm not entirely sure why you're so worried about that rumour. It's me who should be thinking about things like that. Why, I bet you have a girl in every port!" It was clearly a joke, but his look was a little too sharp - Bogard clearly took offence to the idea he was worried. Even if he was. Luckily, his expression quickly softened. "Guy on every ship." He quipped back. You gasped, ready to take full offence to that. "That's way worse than the rumour! Stop it! What do you take me for!? At least mine could happen!" You weren’t stupid - he was a good-looking man. Loyal, dedicated; an old-fashioned romantic. Work-driven sure, but you'd seen other women fall for him. All it would take was for him to find one who he could fall for too, who would share in his dream and actually want to travel the world on a ship with him as a Marine. It scared you a little how easy it was for you to imagine that he could be in a very happy relationship right now. Bogard raised an eyebrow. Surely you didn't believe that, he thought. And if you did, how wrong you were. Surely the ridiculousness of his own statement only highlighted the ludicrousness of your own? How untrue it was? For you though, it was clear you had a point. Besides, what did he have to be worried about? Who would you date anyway? It wasn't like you were about to pick up a guy at a bar or something. "Nearly all the men I see around here are either sick or injured." You protested. He shrugged, and when he doubled down, you were glad you could hear the jokey tone to his voice. "All the more time to get to know them then." "Please." You scoffed, pushing his arm a little. "Besides, you're the only one writing to me, and making me origami, so..." He stopped so abruptly, but you were ready for that. Halting to measure his reaction. He looked across to you curiously. You never wrote him back; he didn't expect you to. Bogard smiled - for once a little wider than usual. Possibly more of a smirk. "Like those, do you?" He teased. You allowed yourself to blush under the weight of his look. The bolstered confidence in him at your words, and then your admittance. "Maybe a little too much."

Despite the jokes you made, it was barely covering up what you really meant - bringing to light exactly what you were both most worried about. And the ego-boosting rush of hearing that it wasn't true. The real truth was no matter how nonchalantly either of you said goodbye - see you later - neither of you wanted to see the other with someone else. Neither of you would like it very much. The difference was you were quite prepared for the possibility of that eventuality. Bogard was not.

Once you had made the full circle and wandered back to your office, you resumed much the same positions as you had before. Although closer and more comfortable this time. Once the ice had thawed a little, you were now acting more as friends. (As if that was all you were.) Where you could get him to smile a little, and if you were very, very, very lucky, you might even get a huffed laugh out of him. Although he did have one last piece of official business to pass by you. He pulled some rolled-up papers out of his Marine coat. "You asked about the East Blue before." He started. "I did." You straightened your relaxed posture a little. Assuming you wouldn't have to do any work to get a candid answer this time. "We were there chasing around a new upstart young group of Pirates." He continued. "Another group?!" You very nearly rolled your eyes; you’d lost count of the crews popping up all over the place over the years. HQ 3 seemed a little overkill, though. "You guys? Really?!" Bogard shook his head. "Understandable reaction. But this crew has potential." He held the roll out to you. "May I request you put these up around the wards?" You looked from the roll to him and back and took it gently. "These upstarts already have bounties?" You asked. "Their captain does." He replied. You continued to stare at him questioningly, but when all he did was stare back, you knew the answer was on the paper itself. You unravelled them and almost let out a laugh.

'Monkey D. Luffy' - the name explained everything. You looked back at Bogard with an amused expression and raised eyebrow. Bogard merely shook his head, expression in understanding of your reaction. 'Let's not go there!' "Sure. I'll put these ones up! That's quite the bounty for the East Blue though! Who'd he piss off!?" You walked back into your office to put it with your unfinished pile of admission checks. This time Bogard followed you, standing in the doorway. "Nezumi.” He replied. “Oh, that weirdo? With the rat face?” You circled your head with your finger. “Rat would certainly be one way to put it.” You couldn’t help your perhaps overly loud reaction. “Oooh! Ooooh. Ooh! Would you like me to tell him that next time I see him?” Bogard placed his hands either side of your door frame, leaning in a little.  ‘Oh yeah you would badmouth me like that!,’ he thought - instant reaction - mouth opening before he changed his mind. Returning to a more relaxed lean, and crossing his arms. “I wouldn’t waste my breath.” You whistled. “Damn! You got a mouth on you.” Sharp as the blade he carried - when he wanted to be. But perhaps also a sign of how close you were, that he would speak as freely as this. Instead of responding, he opted to watch you with his eyes narrowed. You chuckled. “No, I know you. I know that you don’t waste your words.” Pausing for thought, you placed the papers down slowly. Raising your eyes to the window, you mused. “I guess I feel honoured that you share so many of them with me.” “Writing letters is completely different.” He replied. You looked across to him; voice sweet, and smile gentle. “That’s not what I meant.” Bogard bit his lips together, unsure of a comeback. Instead he wound the conversation back, nodding to the poster you just placed down. “Highest bounty on the East Blue now, actually. Doubt he'll stay there though." He said. "Ah. Grand Line bound!" You replied inquisitively. For a while the whimsy of it all had you smiling, until your smile dropped in realisation. If HQ 3 had been chasing them around the East Blue? You looked back to him slowly. Was Bogard going to follow them around the Grand Line? How long would that take? How long would it be until you saw him again? Even he knew he didn't have the answer to that. As he'd stated - where Garp went, he did. No questions asked. Still, Bogard couldn't leave it like that. He felt compelled to reassure you. "Of course, we might not follow them. We had investigations going on before they arrived on the scene." You remembered. "What now then? You really think you'll be back to 'Baroque Works'?" "We were heading that way anyway. I don't see why that would change now." He shrugged. "Doubtless you'll find out when I write to you!" You chuckled, running your fingertips over the picture in the wanted poster. A new kid on the block in a straw hat? Generations had seen this before.

Silence fell for a moment, which allowed him time to look around your office. Then he really couldn't help but smile. Lined up along the window frame, and just about every spare space on your shelves were collections of intricate origami. Bogard had sent you every single one of them. His preference was birds of different shapes, sizes, and colours. But they were all there. Every letter he had sent you came with one, and he'd sent you a letter every time he felt he had something worth saying. Writing back wasn't the point of it. He could guarantee that no one else knew where these came from. Whether you made them or they just appeared. But they weren't there for anyone else to know about - they were there for you. And every time Bogard saw them he wondered how the hell he could ever let himself get worried about any feelings you might have for anyone else. He looked back to you - having finished studying the picture of Luffy, you were now watching him - and Bogard knew he'd been caught with a rare smile on his face. He let it bleed into his words. "You kept them all." It wasn't a question, and his heart swelled. You giggled, pulling a box draw out from the top of your desk. "Honey, you have no idea!" From within it spilled forth letters upon letters, all wrapped up in Marine paper and blue ribbon. You had kept every single one of them too.

It was a little later in the day, as you were finishing up another round of administering medication, when you returned to your office and found that another Marine had made himself comfortable there. And not the one you would have expected. "V-Vice Admiral!" You stood to attention as he rose from your chair, "Sir! How can I help you?" "At ease, please!" His smile was warm, "In fact it's me that I think can help you!" He held out the stack of papers you'd given Bogard earlier. "I trust my second in command’s judgement on these." You took them gratefully. "Of course. I'll make sure everyone is prepped and ready to cast off when you're ready to set sail, Sir." "Better make it sooner rather than later, Lieutenant.” Garp placed his hands in his pockets, expression serious. "I don't want to be hanging around for too long. We have much to get started on." "Oh- I see." You knew you was failing at hiding your look of disappointment. Letting go was never easy, but if you had to do it sooner than you expected? You'd only just got Bogard back - you weren’t ready to let him go again just yet. Garp could see it on your face. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen Bogard interact with you before. They'd stopped off here plenty of times. He'd just never pried into the private life of his second in command before. But something was clearly going on this time. If he hadn't thought so before. He indicated to the origami on your shelves. "I always wondered where these went. Clearly, Y/N, they all come to you!" Your eyes widened. You didn't even know anyone else knew Bogard made them. "Y-yes, when he writes he always sends..." You gestured to the shelves, wondering if you'd said too much. Did Garp know that he... wrote to you? "Would have thought writing was his preferred method of communication. I know he’s a man that’s concise at best.” he continued. “Though he never seems to have that problem around you. Which is something in itself." You knew you was blushing by now, and you couldn't quite meet the Vice Admiral’s eyes. What he was saying was by no means untrue. "He's not always been like that." You were lying and you knew it. But you had to say something. You had no idea what Garp did or didn't know, or what Bogard would even want his superior to know! "Mhm." You weren’t sure that response was convincing enough. "Can't help but wonder exactly what's going on between you two." he enquired. Dammit! You were definitely turning redder now. "He-" You paused. Then took a deep breath, locking eyes with Garp this time. "We were once a couple, yes. But, we went our separate ways due to our own work preferences." You gave a shrug, realising how sad you suddenly felt as you smiled. "He wouldn't stay. I wouldn't go." "...Shame." Garp nodded. "From what I’ve heard, you have enormous potential. Definitely something we could use out there." You bowed deeply. "Those are kind words, Sir. Thank you. But it was never what I wanted. The front line isn't for me, and I would be outright useless in a fight. I'm no field medic." "We could change that." He interjected. You laughed. "I hear you're training cadets?" You weren’t sure you wanted to go back to that, weren’t sure how you would act being trained by them, honestly. "With all due respect Sir, many have tried and at this point I think I'm fine being a competent medic, and a pathetic fighter. I barely scraped through weapons training, and I decided that I would never want to handle one again! At least not by choice." "Competent would not be the word I'd use." He took a few steps forward, causing you to stiffen your posture. "Brilliant, maybe." He tilted his head. "Funny you should say that and be going off with a swordsman." You gaped for a minute. "We-Well I--" You tried to compose yourself. "That was always Bogard's thing." Your laugh was nervous. "Though I admit I can't help but be fascinated. I notice that people are intimidated by him without him even having to draw. So, once he does?" It was hot. It made you feel a little something something, and you'd never really seen him in action in a real fight.

Though of course you were not about to mention this to Garp.

"Well, there's always room on my ship. If you want this to be something more.” He paused for a brief second. “Intimate again." Garp's stare was intense. "I do hope you'll consider it, Y/N." You swallowed hard. Intimate? As if you weren't still--- "A HQ ship would be an incredible honour, Sir. I…” you paused. “Surely will consider it." "Glad to hear it." he replied enthusiastically. Garp swept past you, but stopped at the door. "I have no doubt you'll have the Marine's prepped and ready for our departure. I do suggest if you want to spend any more time with my second, you get as much of it in as possible." Even if you couldn't see him, you could hear the amusement and smirk in his voice. "Should I send him back up to your office, Y/N?" You opened your mouth, but found you couldn't answer before he walked away laughing.

Next thing you knew you was back in the arms of your situationship - under the sheets.

***

Despite what Bogard and Garp had said, it was nice for them to stick around for a little while. It reminded you that you shouldn’t get your hopes up that it would be permanent. But it gave you a taste you couldn’t help but crave. He really was all yours here. And you could pretend you were somewhere in the past, thinking about this as your far-off future. One where neither of you had ever put anything above the other. Breaks were rare when you had work to do, but right now, you also couldn’t afford to spend any free time anywhere else.

Bogard was sitting on the steps to the medical wing when you found him. Hunched over what could only have been a lighter, given the small smoke trail.

You sighed gently, folding your arms and shaking your head. Taking the steps slowly towards him - it wasn’t like you were about to sneak up on the swordsman, he knew your footfall well enough by now - it still didn’t cause him to extinguish his smoke. You stopped on the step above the one he was sitting on. Two heavy steps down, to let him know you were less than impressed, hands moving to your pockets as you bent slightly over him - feeling all at once like a doctor scolding your patient. (Well, it wasn’t like you hadn’t already had the opportunity to check his full physical health at this point.) “You know those aren’t good for your health, right?” You started. As if to mock you, he took a long deliberate drag. “Trust me, if you were on my ship, you would need these to relax too.” He replied. You narrowed your eyes. “Oh no, Mister. No using your captain as an excuse!” “He’s a damn good one.” He protested. Another drag, before he removed it from his lips, but he didn’t put it out. You leaned yourself a little closer to him, lowering your voice – positively saccharine. “Don’t worry, you can order me around!” Bogard raised a hand to his mouth slowly, and coughed. You waited with a smirk on your face for him to take the bait. “Don’t tempt me.” Bogard gave his voice the appropriate stern edge. You had the cheekiest little grin on your face, and hummed like you were a little too happy with yourself for that one. He gave you enough time to bask in it, before looking back to his smoke. “You’re going to ask me to stop, right?” You folded your arms, sighing. “At the risk of sounding like a broken record. You know my spiel by now.” Bogard gave a single nod of agreement. “You’ve never quite got me to quit yet. I think by now you’d know it wasn’t going to happen.” His eyeline had remained level until that moment, but he looked up at you now. “How’s work?” He asked. “Nothing changes…” You shrugged. “But I do have five minutes.” You took the next step down and sank to sit with him. Bogard’s smile was gentle, no matter how obvious it was that you would choose to spend your precious free time with him when he was around, it didn’t make it any less significant of an act.  “Smoke?” He held it out to you. “Ha!” You liked that he smiled at your sarcasm though, his eyes back on whatever he was watching before. “What are you-?” Bogard nodded forward, then pointed, you followed his fingertip down to the beach. Upon it were Garp, and two marines whom he looked like he was giving a stern talking to. “Oh! Your cadets?” “Mhm.” “And you’re up here because?” He scoffed. “Please, you think they’re ready to take me on yet?” You almost rolled your eyes as he took another drag, making sure to blow the smoke away from you. “I can take on both of them using only my less dominant hand. It’d be hardly worth their time either. What does it teach them? Something they aren’t ready for?” You couldn’t help the smirk that toyed with your lips. “Do you have one of those?” “One of what?” He enquired. “A less dominant hand?” You teased. You couldn’t look at him, because you knew you’d crack - but you knew the kind of stare he was giving you, before he jogged your shoulder. “Stop.” You couldn’t help the quick burst of laughter you let escape.

You continued to watch the two young men train with Garp for a while. And eventually you let yourself unwind enough to lean up against his shoulder. It was funny how much more you felt his body sink into relaxation below yours after that. And he put his smoke out too. He was content to sit with you like this. Yes. This was exactly what you dreamed of. Even if you couldn’t say you missed Bogard often (you were far too busy working here to do much of anything!), at least you didn’t let yourself and your thoughts linger on that feeling for too long. This physical contact was exactly what you needed. His letters could cover almost everything else, letting you know he was okay and that you didn’t have to worry. It was exactly what made this work without it having to be a relationship. But they couldn’t hold you. They couldn’t replace his touch. Your eyes lowered to his hands. It was weird for you to think just what they were capable of. He could be so gentle, but his swordsmanship? Just how many lives had Bogard taken with the exact same hands that held you the way he did? You sank your teeth into your lip as you frowned. You could think these things all you liked. Right now you just wanted to hold them - that’s what you knew for sure.

Bogard regarded your body language. Even when you weren’t looking at him, he knew what you desired. It didn’t matter how damn long you had been away from each other. At this point, it was simply muscle memory. You could both say whatever you wanted. Sometimes he wondered if being “single” really was the easiest option for you. It sure sounded like it. But he knew how it complicated things. How it twisted your feelings. Maybe you couldn’t make it work together. But you couldn’t make it work without each other either. Bogard knew you were thinking about how this could be your life. How could you not be? He was thinking it too – and by now he knew you better than you knew yourself.

He moved his hand from his knee, extending it towards yours - palm up - still watching your reaction. You hesitated; too shy to look at him now. Bogard knew, of course he knew. At this point he might as well have been a mind reader. Your movements were slow and deliberate. You took his hand gingerly; lacing your fingers together. Before moving your other to fit his hand between yours. He watched you do this with a smile, before pulling your hands gently back into his lap. You made a small noise before burying your face in his shoulder; surely blushing now. He focused back on the beach, running his thumb over the back of your hand. Yes - this was worth coming back for. Even if accepting the way you otherwise lived meant he sacrificed this to miss you the rest of the time. And if neither of you would move to give that up, you always would.

*** Seeing him off came all too quick. His return seemed but a fleeting moment - a heartbeat, and you were having to let him go again. The thing that stopped you from letting this be anything more than it was. But you were kidding yourself. You were in a relationship. The code; the unwritten rule, the exclusivity of it. There'd never been anyone else. Neither of you were calling it that, though. Neither of you referred to each other as ‘Partners', or ever enquired if it would be like that again. Everything but in name. Yet you would continue to tell yourself this was for the best - and that you wouldn't hurt for a little while as he sailed off into the distance.

Everyone around you on the dock was moving fast, getting final-final preparations done before they set sail. For the two of you, time was virtually standing still. Your hands were in his, and right now all you wanted was for them to stay there as long as possible. As tradition stated, you both had one more try in you - one more line of persuasion before the same conclusion would be reached, and you went your separate ways once again. Bogard leaned into you. That small near smile on his lips that reflected so much more brilliantly in his eyes. And in that moment the light was hitting them just right; illuminating that brown colour in a million beautiful shades. His voice was soft and sweet - as if this time he was really pulling out all the stops. "You should come with us.” he said. “We could always use a doctor." You chuckled, shaking your head. But you were grinning. You couldn't help but smile brilliantly at the way he was making you feel. Of course he was still trying to get you to go with him, despite already knowing your answer. You had to admire that spirit – every single time. "My place is here." You said firmly. You bit your tongue between your teeth cheekily for a moment, before teasing back with. "You could always stay." It was Bogard's turn to chuckle. "You know I can't do that." Your head tilted. 'Exactly'.

But he kept leaning, and you weren’t about to stop him. Now might have been the time to be professional. But it was also the exact time to be unprofessional. You pushed yourself up to meet him in a goodbye kiss. Both of you probably expected it to be short and sweet, but then again neither of you were pulling away - content to stay in it. You couldn't take it anymore, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He reciprocated, hands on your waist pulling you into his arms. At some point someone whistled. You felt him laugh, but he didn't pull back – Bogard just kept kissing you. Not even with the thought in his head that he was doing this in public. A little harder, edge a little more possessive of you. There was something in this kiss meant to completely destroy the idea that there was, or ever would be, anyone else, ever. Even when you were merely joking about it, even when he was too. You surrendered to it, and to him, completely.

Back on the ship, Helmeppo has spotted what was happening on the docks below. And if he was surprised by the kiss in the first place, the fact that it was going on - the stoic second in command swordsman that Bogard was? The guy who wore a perpetual frown most of the time! This wasn't happening - in fact it was beyond being seen to be believed! It was a ‘pinch me I must be dreaming’ moment. He smacked Coby - who was only oblivious because he was working - perhaps a little too hard. But he didn't care, and threw his other hand just to check that he wasn't the only one seeing this! The smaller cadet also couldn't help but stop and stare, almost gaping.

Garp watched the scene with a shake of his head, and a laugh. Sometimes it was good to be right!

Eventually you both had to pull back, if for nothing but a need to breathe. But you kept close. Your fingers gripped his Marine coat tight as you held him close to you. His head dipped to yours. Bogard kept his arms wrapped around you. You closed your eyes and tried your best to hold back your tears. "Stay safe." You whispered, emotion flooding your voice. "I don’t want to see you back here anything less than immaculate.” “Stay safe too." His voice was equally emotional, strained against the proper tone he was trying to emulate. "Don’t take any shit.” You pulled slightly back from him, laughing. “You come back to me.” "You know where we're going. I can't make any promises. But…" He relinquished your warmth none too fast, reassuring you. "I always do."

You stood for a moment like that, unsure where to go from here. You couldn't help it, pulling him back for one more kiss goodbye - and much shorter, to your own dismay. Before drawing your hands to the centre of his chest, fussing with his Marine coat for a second, and making certain to pull it straight, ensuring that the emblem presented itself dead centre. If you were going to tell him to be immaculate when he returned, you damn well weren’t sending him away if he was anything less! "You tell those other girls..." You laughed, unable to finish the joke. "Tell them what?" "They c- can't have—y-!” You kept laughing through it. “I can't even finish that thought." You grinned, putting it another way instead. "You're mine." He shook his head at you. "Always was." Before bowing low, "Until next time, Y/N." Bogard left you with a smile, and with that, began walking a few feet to the ship’s gangplank. You called after him, "I'm already looking forward to that letter!" He nearly laughed.

Upon boarding, Helmeppo and Coby still hadn't got over the scene. Staring at him almost in awe - definitely with a million questions for the man helping to train them. It took just one look, a single stare to swear both of them to eternal silence. Maybe they would get their answers one day. Maybe he would want to talk about it. Right now, Bogard wasn't sure. He did know he considered it private, no matter how passionate and public his goodbye was to you.

You stood back, listened to him shouting commands to get the ship running with a smile on your face. Just like that he was in his element again. He was working now. He was the second in command to a Vice Admiral. 'That's my man.' For a moment, you wondered if you should have asked. You’d still never had a concrete conversation around being officially together again. You supposed it was as unsaid as the exclusivity. The illusion that you would both still be single; until the time you met again. But what was more official than 'Always was.'?

Whatever you were, you were content.

As the ship pushed away from the dock, Bogard appeared at the starboard side railing, offering a hand up gesture as a wave goodbye. You waved back enthusiastically. Glad to see him one last time before he sailed into the sunset. And here you would be the next time he was able to visit you. Because you would wait for him. And maybe one day, you’d give in to him. Or he would settle down with you.

Whoever’s will won out in the end, right now you knew one thing for sure. You didn't care if it meant you were together.

---

Two swordsmen down one to go! 🖤💚💛

Other OPLA Fics: 'Late to the Party - Roronoa Zoro x Reader

what’s tmommr(? did i get that right?) about?

TMMOMR, which was just the name i came up with for tagging's sake, stands for The Many Mysteries of Monster's Rift. I said I'd stick with that name but since saying so, I've done a lot of deep thought about the characters and the world and I'm not sure how hard I'll cling to that name in the future... but I'll still use it for now ^_^;...

Anyways originally I designed the tmmomr characters as supernatural beings, ranging from stuff like vampires and werewolves and witches, to cryptids and aliens and other kinds of monsters. Everybody had something going on with them that made them supernatural in some way. It was going to be a small town mystery about a rapidly changing environment, and an attempt to fix things before things got deadly.

Buttttt... while I still wanna keep some supernatural flair in there, I think I'm wanting to go a different direction with the characters. I've considered lately the idea of inserting them into many stories, different roles and settings every time. There's probably plenty of other and better examples out there than this, but sort of like Happy Tree Friends in a way? You know, how not all the characters in the roster are necessary for any given story, and the ones that are involved sort of just assume the role best fitting to them for said story.

I'd like to do something like that. It might also be because I can't settle on one environment or setting for them. I want them sci-fi and I want them medieval and I want them noir fiction and I want them having sleep overs or traveling the world or doing fuck all.

TL;DR, it isn't about much right now. It's mostly character designs and some have more character development than others. I'd be happy to talk about them & expand upon them if you or anybody else is curious, though :3!

Director's commentary on Underneath The Tree? I saw you reblogged the post so here we go:) UTT is my favourite work of yours :3

thank you so much, anon!! i'm so glad you enjoyed UtT, i had an amazing time writing it so im delighted you enjoyed it <3

Underneath the Tree very much started as the baby of myself and @exit-pursued-by-a-lesbian . we started it in november last year, just based on the fact that they were mad that every single thing i wrote (and tbh, most of the time still is) was angst, so we thought, hey, it's nearly christmas, we'll figure out something related to that.

as i have a long-standing rep for torturing b'elanna in my fic, she of course had to get some joy, and it escalated from there. i wouldn't describe either of us as die-hard b7 shippers, but we both definitely ship b'elanna with seven more than anybody else, and we both love kes, too, and think so much more could have been done with her, especially with a potential friendship with seven, so she got a big role as well. kes comes with the doctor, so he got something to do, too, and as we were introduced to vines by a voyager vines video (yes, we do unfortunately spend our free time watching things like that. it's a great use of our time!) so it seemed natural for their arc to involve a vine. neelix sort of just... showed up. i don't remember adding him to the story. he was just there. janeway was similar, except more wanted, and i firmly believe that all the best b7 has kathryn manically encouraging them all the way. tom and harry are another ship that we both ship together more than we ship either of them with anybody else, so they got to make a few appearances, and the voyager betting pool spiralled from that. you need a few more stakes than the general emotional torture of b7 being hopelessly in love with each other, so the betting pool, vine, and christmas party worked out nicely, as well as bringing me extreme amounts of joy.

our original plan was to both write a version, and then pick the best chunks from both and combine them, so we spent a lot of time in mid december wandering around our local town centre looking at clothes and christmas decorations brainstorming. hence, tuvok.

all the shops near us tend to go slightly insane in terms of the types of clothes they stock near christmas (pretty much every item of clothing described in the story is something we've actual found within twenty minutes of our houses, aside from tuvok's heels) so as we were brainstorming the logical idea seemed to be to point at clothes and go, "x character wears that (hopefully to the voyager christmas party)". it's funny to do regardless of what character you pick, but tuvok makes it infinitely funnier. like, seriously, i recommend it: wander around your local shops going "tuvok would wear that." it fuckign SLAPS.

anyway.

that lead us to picking out every part of the voyager christmas party scene. who doesn't love a good christmas party with your alien coworker who you're homoerotically in love with? once we'd figured out the stakes, we just had to weave the story together and, y'know, actually write it. this is the point where it became much more of a me effort than an us effort, bc deadlines are HARD, y'all.

i think i wrote the first chunk up until kes realises seven's in love with b'elanna by the third of december or so, and then i wrote the entire rest on the twenty-first, when my adhd brain went oh SHIT i have to write this we no longer have infinite time. my favourite scene to write was definitely the mess hall scene where janeway drinks a bathtub of coffee, b'elanna punches kes, and kes drinks an inordinate amount of hot chocolate. it was such a fun little moment of realisation, tbh, and it gave my beloved kathryn her second in the spotlight, too.

after that, all that was left was for @exit-pursued-by-a-lesbian to beta it, and then i posted it! (yes, all the christmas songs are real. yes, they're all on a star trek-named christmas-themed playlist on my spotify. no, i will not provide a link bc none of you need to be able to find the other playlists on my spotify, which include a thirty-six hour worm-themed playlist featuring the whole hamilton soundtrack)

once again, thank you so much, anon! i'm glad you enjoyed the story, and i'm sorry that this post is almost as long as the story

Sims Tag

Tagged by @charmandersims, so I figured I'd answer. I don't share my sims stuff any more but I do still play. (Now that I finally have a computer that can run it again.) I never tag anybody, but if you're a sims person and you want to do the tag, do it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What’s your favourite sims death?

I like death by satellite. I don't make a habit of killing my sims on purpose, but sometimes, just to let some frustration out, I'll make a sim of an annoying person and drop a satellite on them on purpose.

Alpha CC or Maxis Match?

Maxis Match. I think alpha CC looks out of place in any sims game.

Do you cheat when your sims gain weight?

Not usually. Sometimes, if I have a story reason for a sim to be skinny, I will, but usually I just let them stay fat until they roll the want to be skinny again.

Do you use move objects?

ALL. THE. TIME. I have to. I try really hard not to get my sims stuck places but sometimes they get stuck. And sometimes you just want somebody or something RIGHT THERE. Move objects is the easiest way.

Favorite mod?

I'm gonna go with Macrotastics. I like being able to tell my sims to do something using the macro menu instead of giving them 47 commands.

First expansion/game/stuff pack you got?

I first played Sims 2 Deluxe, which had the regular game and Nightlife. My sister got it for our ancient PC (which we called the Rocket, because it always sounded like it was going to blast off). Boy was I surprised when I got the base game for my Mac and there wasn't a downtown or dates or anything!

Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing?

I think I say "live" like "alive" but I don't know. I don't usually say it aloud, and then when I think about it for this kind of question, I can't figure out what I actually say...

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made?

So, I don't know that I ever shared this neighborhood (and if I did it was ages ago and all evidence has been deleted) but I made a BACC founder named Lexi who I really liked. She was kind of quirky and she had elf ears...(I don't tend to make a ton of my own sims...)

Have you made a simself?

Ages and ages ago, and I don't have one around anymore.

What sim traits do you give yourself?

Bookworm, Shy, Creative, Loves Kids...I'm a family sim? (I don't think about this much...Can you tell?)

Which is your favorite EA hair color?

I'm a sucker for red hair. I always wanted red hair.

Favorite EA hair?

Um...I don't know? I haven't used just EA hair for a while now.

Favorite life stage?

I'm going to say toddlers, because they're cute, but I like all ages.

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

More gameplay and storytelling than building. I'd rather download something if I need a specific lot, but sometimes I just have to build it myself.

Are you a CC creator?

Nope!

Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad?

Not really anymore? I mean, I have people who I know play sims on here who I'd call friends, but we don't talk about sims. I just like their posts of their sims. (Is that friendship?)

What’s your favorite game? (1, 2, 3, or 4)

Sims 2. I never played Sims 1 or Sims 3, and while I got into 4 for a while, I find the gameplay too shallow for me to enjoy it longterm. Whereas with Sims 2, I can remake the same town and makeover the same sims 47,000 times and not get tired of it.

Do you have any sims merch?

Nope! I can't think of any that I'd really want either. It's cool to have, I guess, but I don't wear jewelry or t-shirts much and I have too many mugs already...

Do you have a YouTube for sims?

Nope!

How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing?

Um...I've just kind of learned a lot more about how the game works, I guess? I've probably gotten more Maxis Match...Um...When I first started I was making original characters in original neighborhoods and now I play premades?

What’s your Origin ID?

I have no clue. I don't use Origin anymore, since I don't play Sims 4. (Sims 2 still runs on my Mac without needing Origin, for which I am rather grateful.)

Who’s your favorite CC creator?

I can't pick just one!

How long have you had a simblr?

Since...2013, maybe? I don't remember exactly. I started on Tumblr around the time people were moving over here from Livejournal, because I wanted to follow certain people whose blogs I liked.

How do you edit your pictures?

I use Preview. I just kind of crop them and that's it.

What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next?

If somebody would make the last two expansions for Mac, I'd be so grateful! Specifically Apartment Life. I want witches!

What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far?

I'd say Nightlife is my favorite. I also like Open for Business, because Bluewater Village is my favorite neighborhood, but as I mentioned, Nightlife has features I can't live without. (Also Bon Voyage just for the "walk to lot" feature.)

Again, I'm not tagging anybody but if you want to do the tag, do it!

Tell me about some of your original projects, like the characters or plot or something

That gif is making me lose it,,,

But yes!! I have 3 main projects rn,,

MG Love-Corp, World End Class, and Technocide

I've made some posts about WEC (which u can read here) but I can tell u about the basics of the other two;

MG Love-Corp is a magical girl series, the main character Vivian Stewart (She/Her) has always wanted to be a magical girl and the day she becomes independent a acceptance letter shows up that's from a old application from her childhood making her the next magical girl!

She (obviously) goes for a interview and gets the job!! There's a 4 other magical girls;

Asami Sasaki (She/Her) who's the picture perfect magical girl and the elder of the group, though she's mainly just very tired

Tatum Woods (They/She) is a rebellious chill gal who doesn't take their job as a evil guy fighter savoir of the town that seriously from what the others see of her

Berty Jäger-Deriabin (They/Them) is a quiet mysterious person who seems to just,, disappear and reappear and the group barely knows much about their personal life. Though they do like video games so that's cool.

Eglantine Alvarado (She/Her) is the most popular of the group! She just loves to spread positivity and make everyone happy though she's very overbearing,, she's also pretty flirty to everyone around her

Yeah that's it,, they're still very much a wip lol

Technocide is my most recent and still being made but it's a project I've been wanting to make for awhile,, so I'll just put the basic plot for now lol;

“Cyrus was a young boy living by himself after his whole family left, being a social recluse due to a virus outbreak in his society. He spends most of his days working on electronics and other cybernetic things in his bedroom surviving on stale chips and warm soda.. One day while out looking for more materials he finds a odd looking crystal orb, bringing it back to his lab he tries learning what it is. He accidentally ends up dropping it causing it to shatter into multiple pieces and releasing a blinding light, he wakes up in another world in the middle of winter (nearly dying).

Nearing death he is found by an odd angel looking creature named Ethan and taken into their home and Cyrus asks for help finding the missing pieces of the magic orb in hopes of going home. The two find out the orb shattered into 8 pieces, one owned by them and 7 found by others around this world now they have to grab the other pieces from the now holders of them in hopes of getting Cyrus home.. Or if Cyrus even wants to go home.”

That's long yeah sorry oops,, I'll elaborate on any of the three if anybody wants me too I am passionate about them <3

I think it was you that proposed the theories, but I have some questions: 1) What was your thoughts on the idea of Argento possibly being Tifa's mom & that they're from Wutai (due to her maybe putting Leviathan's Materia in the town well)? I DID look & Argento seems to have blue eyes (eye because eye patch) from the shots I could make out from them. Plus the only info we DO know about Tifa's mom is that she dies from an illness & we haven't physically seen her any from what I'm aware of.

2) Do you think they'll ever go into why Tifa has red eyes in the games? And/or if they'll hint to her & Vincent maybe being related somehow, like that they're cousins or something? I DO know that I saw your post where you pointed out they were the "original versions" of what would end up being Aerith & Sephiroth in the early "relationship chart" concept pic. (I don't know if her also being related to Yuffie somehow due to Wutai ties would be too much.)

3) Do you think Usher (the Dirge multiplayer character's guide) could have been turned into the Restrictor we meet in its story mode? We know who the VA of the latter is but we don't know about Usher's from what I was able to find, & it's been a bit since I've watched the cutscenes so I haven't compare them.

4) Do you think they could repurpose the plot point of the Player Tsviet being able to resist the Restrictor's control being either the previous Usher connection idea where his SOLDIER version is him trying to help & guide the player, or possibly Hojo trying out a "prototype" version of the plot he tries to preform with Weiss where he tries to mentally hijack him?

Hi 👋👋👋 welcome to the random weirdness that is my Tumblr 🤣

So the theory about Argento came before we got any info from ToTP, where we see that Tifa's mother is called Thea and she grew up in Nibelheim. It really was just a random shot in the dark all based on this one fact that Argento came from Wutai and looked a bit like Tifa and I have a weakness for super cool badasses. So it wasn't really anything serious, outside of looking up a bit of character info and connecting some very tenuous dots for fun and fanfiction fodder. I think I did actually use that HC in a fanfiction, so some of what I said at the time wound up being because I was working out stuff for that reason and thought it was a fun topic to talk about. There's so many characters and stories in ffvii and a lot of them get overlooked for the main cast or because salty dumdums don't want anybody to acknowledge anything, besides what they decide is important. So, it's actually a fact that Argento isn't Tifa's mother and isn't responsible for anything that happens in Nibelheim. We never find out why there's a materia in the water tower, but apparently it's been there for a long time.

Turns out that Nomura originally chose red eyes for Tifa because he liked the colour on her and how it fit with her aesthetic. Doesn't go any further than that with her design. Nojima is the one who had to work that into the world build, and I think at the time they didn't really pay it any mind and thought most people wouldn't either. Somewhere down the line they understood people's curiosity about Tifa's eyes, especially when they couldn't match the colour in AC and made them brown, so that really put attention on that aspect. With the expansion of world building through the compilation, we see several other characters with red eyes. Besides Vincent Valentine, there's also Rosso the Crimson from Dirge of Cerberus, and Matt Winsford from First Soldier, so I think the devs are trying to make an effort to normalise the eye colour while still getting the impression across that it's a fairly rare shade. And yeah, in early development Tifa and Vincent were brother and sister, and that's why they both have dark hair and red eyes, but they're clearly not related by the end of development, especially since Vincent is old enough to be her grandfather. As for Yuffie being Tifa's relative, that was a HC based mostly on ffx Yuna and Rikku being related because Nojima wrote both scenarios. I doubt it'd be true, but it's fun for fanfiction.

I honestly can't remember anything about the multi player mode for Dirge, so I can't really answer this. Last time I looked anything up for it was about 2yrs ago and it wasn't all that interesting for me so I very likely purged it from my brain 🤣

I doubt Nojima will pull any of the player aspect of Dirge from the game because that would take focus away from ffvii. At most, the devs have said they want to include a few references and locations from the compilation.

Pinned Post Revamp!

[I’m still taking drawing requests in asks btw!!!]

Intro

Howdy!! Welcome to my blog!!!

I post art (digital drawings, traditional drawings, nail art sometimes) and whatever else I feel like!

You can call me pod/peas/peapods/ whatever else you can come up with!!! (I love nicknames!!!!!!)

Feel free to message me if ya wanna chat (especially if we’re moots)!!

And you can tag me in any tag games and such! It doesn’t annoy me- I just might not participate in all of them!

Mutuals can ask for my Spotify 👉👈

Drawings requests-

I’ll do request for OCs and any fandom I’m in, and maybe ones I’m not in too depending on my mood

No nsfw

No ships (unless you’ve seen me post art about the ship before probably)

Just send me an ask or a message!

Art trades-

I’ll do art trades with anybody! Shoot me a message about it :]

The same rules apply here as the ones with the drawing requests!

Fandoms-

Rangers Apprentice (and brotherband)

JoJos Bizarre Adventure (currently reading jojolion)

Demon Slayer (I’ve read the manga)

Naruto (I haven’t watched all of it yet soo)

The Moomins (1990s cartoon)

Star Trek (basically all incarnations but it’s been a while)

DC (I’m very new to this fandom though)

Tags-

My art - tag for my artworks !

My posts - tag for my posts, anything other than art usually

Pea pods lore - information about me or my blog

Doodles - any drawings that are sketches, like art requests!

Drawing requests - you guess it! It’s my tag for drawing requests

Asks - self explanatory, it’s for asks I get

note here- I tag all my jojos posts and art with “jjba” (among other tags) but I don’t use it for anything I reblog! So if you’re wanting to go through and only look at my jojos posts, you can filter my blog with “jjba” and only see my posts!

AU tags- ( yes I know they’re mostly for jjba rn)

[JJBA] glam rock au - my sbr rockstars au

[JJBA] small town kids au - golden wind characters aged down, with cameos from basically every other jojo character-

[JJBA] jojoxter au - my jojo moomin au!

[RA] barons apprentice - an au with Foldar as morgarath’s apprentice, and generally exploring their dynamic

[RA] ra wild west- cowboy au :] !!!

[JJBA] pods mermay au - mermaid drawings of jjba characters

Mutual tags -

My sister cameo - @scarymonsters-andsupercreeps

The alpha 💪💪💪🐺🐺🐺 - @bekahkmcc

Unknown 🧡 - @unknown-art-room1

Dandy post ✨ - @dandelions-arent-weeds

Vinny post 🩷 - @gayfraggle

Any other mutuals who want tags can ask for them / give suggestions!!!! <3

OCs:

Rani Ambrosi - an oc I have in an original universe

Berry Barracuda - JJBA oc

Cherry pie - JJBA oc

Loretta derby - JJBA oc

Alrighty! That’s all!!!! bye bye!!

10 Best Netflix Series In 2023

In today’s fast-paced world, people are drawn to thrilling, horrifying, comedic, and mysterious movies and series that provide entertainment and relaxation. Amid their busy routines, individuals seek moments of leisure to unwind. To aid in this pursuit, we present a selection of top Best Netflix series to consider.

Netflix, a widely used streaming platform, offers a diverse range of featured movies and series. Founded by Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings, Netflix was launched on January 16, 2007.

Let’s delve into the finest Best Netflix series available:

1. Dark

Debuting on December 1, 2017, “Dark” narrates the tale of a small German town grappling with the disappearance of two children. As the search unfolds, the town’s sinister history and the intricate connections between four families come to light. This enigmatic drama unveils a complex puzzle brimming with twists and enigmatic characters, all linked to the town’s tumultuous past, even stretching back to 1986. “Dark” stands as Netflix’s first original German series.

2 Stranger Things

Among Netflix’s most celebrated series, “Stranger Things” delves into a captivating blend of 1980s science fiction and alien intrigue. The story revolves around a group of high school students from Hawkins, who, led by a girl named Eleven possessing extraordinary powers, confront supernatural forces to safeguard their town.

3. Friends

Friends, A Popular web series of Netflix. Friends series is about 6 people of friends who stay together with their ups and downs and show every path of life in a sarcastic way where you understand that at last everything come out as for better and it shows that everybody faces the same criteria of a path where everyone deal with their own ways. It is a must watch series which makes you familiar with the characters.

4. Never Have I Ever

A High School Teen Drama. Where all Gen-z are playing an important role to showcase what affection and letting go means. where change need to happen for a good reason. It is series about a girl name Devi who is an indian who has shown as how her family and friends supports her on biggest trauma and make her show for herself by appreciating that whoever she is, she is fine by her, she doesn’t need to be changed for anybody else to be accepted in their life. She should take a stand for her mistakes and make it up to it. Running is never an option for anybody. It is a courageous girl which was portrayed in a series.

5. Wednesday

“Wednesday” immerses viewers in a world of magic and intrigue. The titular character, Wednesday, embarks on a journey of investigation and discovery, showcasing her multifaceted talents. The series is reminiscent of the magic and charm found in the Harry Potter universe, captivating audiences with romance, suspense, and drama.

6. House of Secrets

This series got more fame not just in Netflix but in real life as well. It is the true story of 11 people 1 elder grand mother, 5 parents and 5 children who has done suicide because of some superstitious reason. It is the biography series of 3 episodes. In this series, It is shown that they have taken their live because they think they will rise again the next day. this is not the suicide as per them. There was a notebook where everything was written like what each person is doing right or wrong or if it is wrong then it needs to be taken care of etc. A must watch biographical series where no one missed the chance to got to know what really has happened.

7. The Witcher

The Witcher, from name you have got what characters were be played in this. In this series you get to watch the mediaeval period where there were witches, how they save the life of others and theirs. you get to watch how the small child find her way out to know what she is and there is man who helps her make her discover that she has powers that needs to be safe and controlled. it start a little confusing by portraying present and past together so they can be at align together to understand what really has happened. Must watch series.

8. Money Heist

Money Heist,” originally titled “La Casa de Papel” in Spanish, is a highly popular Spanish television series that has gained international acclaim since its debut on Netflix. The series follows a group of robbers, each using a city name as a code name, as they plan and execute meticulously orchestrated heists on the Royal Mint of Spain and later, the Bank of Spain. Led by the enigmatic and charismatic mastermind known as “The Professor” (Sergio Marquina), the group aims to print billions of euros and achieve their ultimate goal of financial freedom.

9 You

You” is a psychological thriller television series that premiered on Netflix and has gained significant popularity for its intriguing and dark narrative. The series centers around Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley), a seemingly charming and intelligent bookstore manager who becomes infatuated with various women he encounters. However, Joe’s infatuation quickly transforms into an obsession, leading him to engage in increasingly disturbing and manipulative behavior to win the affection of the women he desires. “You” examines the darker aspects of modern relationships and the dangers of idealizing individuals based on curated online personas. The series raises questions about privacy, consent, and the ethical implications of technology in the digital age.

10. Lucifer

“Lucifer” is a popular television series that originally premiered on Fox and later found a new home on Netflix. The series follows Lucifer Morningstar (played by Tom Ellis), the Devil who has grown tired of his role in Hell and decides to retire to Los Angeles. He opens a lavish nightclub called Lux and indulges in the pleasures of the human world. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes involved in assisting the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) as a civilian consultant.

I hope you liked this article. As you can read more articled which are given blelow.

oo?? enlighten me.?? :0c & i just finished some art ^__^ i have nothing to do in class rn 💝

^-^ okie dokieeee

fun fact! this story actually started out as a vocaloid au! and then i realized pretty quickly that the characterizations differ enough from my usual to make it an original story. i dont have an actual name for it so i call it cryptid town for now ^_^

the protagonist is a girl named ring bell! she’s a grumpy orphan who recently moved to the town, and is being fostered by the dellamore family. she has blue hair and pronouns <3 she knows that this supposedly normal little town ISN’T WHAT IT SEEMS!!!!!!

because in the woods there’s a bunch of cryptids! by cryptids i mean tehyre kinda like ghosts? but theyre alive? but not rlly? theyre like a mix of ghosts & yokai ig… anyway ring and her new bestie pike dorian befriend the cryptids :)

thats the basic premise… there r more characters (both human & cryptid) but i dont want to overwhelm anybody w the sheer amount of blorbos lawl !

Can you write a pure angst, using 10 and 35 please ( Idc about the characters ) :)

Getting hurt with the haikyu boys part 3 (Iwaizumi)

Part one Part Two Part three

Word count: 2.8K

Genre: pure angst

Authors Note: I am sorry for just how shit it is lol. I had an idea and it kind of got worse as it went along but I hope you like it anyways.

You were pregnant.  

You wanted to cry.  

You stared at the test in front of you. Two lines. Positive. There was no denying it, as much as you wanted it to be negative. You could tell you were pregnant before you even took the test, all the throwing up you were doing, the nausea you felt when certain foods were being cooked at work and the ongoing foot and back pains you felt.

Iwaizumi first approached you at your job, some shitty dinner that only paid you enough so you can make ends meet. You could tell he had money, the way he dressed, his demeanor even the way he talked. ‘What was a man like this doing here?’ you thought.  

Apparently, he’s seen you around for a while, your city was small you’d only really leave this place if you had a fair god mother or died and of course you are clearly alive and don’t have a fairy god mother...until you met him.

He ordered a coffee, didn’t drink it though (probably knowing that your boss spat it in whenever he was in a bad mood or because he just needed an excuse to be around) just waiting for you to finish your break. You sat in a corner booth for ‘privacy,’ not that anybody was even in the place.  

“My names Iwaizumi Hajime” he said keeping a blank facial expression  

“What do you wan-”

“Miss L/N, I think I’ll do the talking here. Okay?” he said with a smirk appearing on his face after seeing your slightly shocked face when he revealed knowing your last name.

“I’ve seen you around for a while now, you’re beautiful you know that right?” he said making your cheeks heat up a bit. “Anyways, I think you’re gorgeous and a man like me needs a pretty girl like you on his arms. By the lack of response to my name, I assume you don’t know who I am...but I guess that works in my favour”

Your face is getting bored by the second not really listening as he rambles on about himself, “I need you to be on my arm every night that I go out to one of my boring business meetings.”  

“Business meetings?” you ask  

“You know, a bunch of ‘business’ people go out and talk ‘business’ together.” he said sarcastically as if you were stupid.

“I know that, I just thought you’d elaborate about it.” You sighed “What do I get out of this?”

“Finally, you’ve gotten to the interesting part, you my dear get money and lots of It” he says finally catching your attention “I’ll pay you 1 million Yen per night, and all your dresses, outfits and expenses will be paid for so you won’t have to worry your pretty little head about finances again” he ‘smiled’ at you.

“What's the catch?” squinting your eyes  

“The catch is just that you have to accompany me to all my events.... and you have to stay in my condo.”

“Wh-”

“Don’t worry dear, it’s a nice place” interrupting you “probably better than any shithole you live in”

“Fine, fine” his words were convincing you “Is there a contract you have for me to sign?” you ask wanting to at least be somewhat ‘protected.’

“No contract, just this verbal agreement. Between me and you right here right now.” he winked “so you’re in agreement of our arrangement?”

“Yes.”

That was your first mistake believing Iwaizumi Hajime.

Sure you could defend yourself now and say ‘I was poor and in need of help’ but you’d know it would just be you in denial talking.  

The first time you attended a meeting with Iwaizumi, you came home from quitting your job since Iwaizumi said ‘you’re on my payroll now.’ You found a beautiful red dress laying on your bed accompanied with shoes and accessories and note saying, ‘I trust you to be able to do your own hair and make up my dear – I.H’

You didn’t have any family, or any friends. Most people that have had even a single encounter with you have deemed you to be ‘Not Likeable’ saying you’re not a people person or just lack any sociability. You were stuck in this town because of the debt your father has left you in before he supposedly ‘passed’ away. Leaving you drowning in all his financial woes, meaning you couldn’t go to university or become a professional *insert dream job here* like you wanted to be.

When you exited your building, you saw Iwaizumi leaning against a flashy car parked outside. “You chariot awaits m’lady” he says with a cheeky grin on his face making you roll your eyes. You got in the car and he started driving, humming along to a random song slightly agitating you.

“So, when are you moving to my place? It’s a part of the agreement.” he said in a sing song voice in the tune of what he was humming.  

Iwaizumi reminded you of JD from heathers, he was nice when he wanted but he did have a screw loose that was triggered when things didn’t go his way. Like a small child who didn’t get the toy he wanted when he had a million other toys.  

Him being the child. You being the toy.

“Our agreement is bullshit, just verbal.” you say mockingly “remember?”

“don’t start with me Y/N I'm not in a pleasant mood today” he says gritting his teeth “and I don’t need you fucking with me tonight.”

He puts his hand on your thigh, a little too harshly making you internally wince. “Okay here’s the rules for the night. You stay on my side for the night, only speak when spoken too, don’t drink too much since no one likes an alcoholic of course.”

“Oh, so all I need to do is sit pretty like a good little girl.” you say sarcastically

“Precisely” he lessens the grip on your thigh making you breathe in relief.  

The event was boring to say the least, you did as Iwaizumi said stood next to him with a fake smile plastered on your face all through the night. You’re sure that people did ask you questions, but you were in your own little world only stepping out of it when Iwaizumi either pinched your arm or gripped your thigh.

The end of the night was ‘eventful’ to say the least, before you entered the car a hand wrapped around your waist and you were pulled into a back alley. “We couldn’t end the night so boring, could we?” it was Iwaizumi, of course it was.

He started peppering your neck with kisses and roaming his hands all over your body. He eventually trailed the kisses from your neck to your lips, leading you both into a full blown make out session. It was fast and you couldn’t really think straight. Iwaizumi was getting a bit too forceful, gripping and kissing harder than he needed to, leaving marks as if to say ‘you’re mine now.’

That was your second mistake. Getting sexual with Iwaizumi Hajime.

He said you had to go back to his house which was basically now yours. You complied, obviously had no other choice since he didn’t offer or ask. He told you too.

Waking up in the Iwaizumi residence was an ‘experience.’ Iwaizumi wanted you awake when he was awake and asleep when he was, never giving you a moment too yourself. You swiftly came to the learn of the reason why he wanted you in his ‘care’ (as he called it anyways) he wanted his eyes on you all the time.

You carried on attending the events bored out of your mind and the nights went the same way. Fancy dress, long car ride, not paying attention, getting fucked in the back alley then sleep in Iwaizumi’s expensive silk sheets.

You didn’t know much about Iwaizumi besides what you could find. In the day time, Iwaizumi spends it cooped up in his office whilst giving you the ‘permission’ to roam around the house. Iwaizumi kept all his important stuff in a small box under a creepy floorboard in his basement original idea I know. All the information in there was just stuff about generic stuff about his childhood. Him being brought up into wealth, how much he weighed as a baby and all the allergies and boring shit that he had.

Iwaizumi Hajime was an enigma.

You and Iwaizumi did get along. Sometimes. You did do things that weren’t strictly fucking and going to business meetings. He took you on what you could only be able to describe as dates, and outings showing you off to all his actual friends. That’s when you learnt the difference of the ‘two’ men, Iwaizumi and Hajime.

Although they were the same person by name, Iwaizumi was rough around the edges and cold at heart not caring about you at all. Hajime, whilst still being rough around the edges, basically made you out to be his girlfriend giving you the love and care you needed. You really liked the times when you were with Hajime.

That was your third mistake, falling in love with Iwaizumi Hajime.

As things progressed, your quality of life seemed to dwindle (not that it was great in the first place.) Iwaizumi was barely in the house, claiming that for these particular ‘business meetings’ he didn’t need you.

On one night, a simple phone call definitely changed your whole dynamic.

“Yes babe, I’m coming over tomorrow I can’t wait to see you and the girls again.” he said to the other person on the phone.

“Why do you question my love for you, of course I love you.” he said again

“I love you, the girls even the dumb dog that Haru forced me to get for her 8th birthday I love. You guys are my family. My lovely wife and out girls”

Your stomach churned, you backed out of the hallway that you were in. He had a family, of course he had a family. You went into the guest room, where you kept all your things, you couldn’t do this anymore. Although you pretty much lost all your morals when you formed this whole agreement but you refuse to sleep with a married man with kids. You couldn’t. Being the reason why a family might break up is something you wouldn’t ever do.

Iwaizumi heard all your commotion and entered the guess “Woah darling who’s moving out?” he asked jokingly  

“Hmm probably your wife and kids, after they realise their husband is a CHEATER!” you spat

“Woah, woah Y/N” he said getting closer to you “You don’t know what the fuck you’re on about”

“I think I know pretty well; you’ve always been a pompous ass Iwaizumi; it was my bad for thinking that you weren’t married throughout all of this.” You finished packing up as much close as you possible can and headed out the room.

“You need to watch your mouth Y/N” he says aggressively  

“Or what Iwaizumi, or should I say Hajime” you shout “Or is that only reserved for your WIFE!”

This seem to really tick him off, “You don’t know anything Y/N, you really think I could love a dirty slut like you? Huh? Well, I didn’t know that you were important enough to be able to know the details of my personal life.”

“I'm not a slut” you mumbled. Which was completely true, Iwaizumi didn’t notice that the first time you slept together was the first time that you slept with anyone.

“repeat that again for me y/n?” he said mockingly

“IM NOT A SLUT!” you shout in his face

“You are what I say you are darling”

“Fuck you.” You try and push past him hard, to get out the house but you’re no match against his anger and brute strength. So, when he slams you against the wall, he banging your head. Leaving you concussed and bleeding. Before you completely pass out all you hear is a repetition of Iwaizumi Hajime murmuring “I'm sorry, I’m sorry” whilst wrapping his arms around your comatose body.

You woke up, thinking that was all a dream but the ache in the back of your head proved otherwise.  

“Y/N, darling your awake!” he said making you flinch

You moved away from him when he sat on your bed looking at you with ‘love’ and ‘care’ in his eyes. He goes to stroke your cheek whispering “you’re so be-”

“Fuck off” you say. That bang to the head was a wakeup call literally reminding you of all the hot and cold moments you had with Iwaizumi that you submerged into your head for the sole reason of ‘wanting to be happy.’ But you weren’t happy. Deep down you knew that.

“But y/n, darling I love you.” he said and you closed your eyes shut wanting to tune him out “I love you Y/N.”

“You don’t" you replied back harshly with your eyes still shut tightly

“But I do Y/N, I love you” he repeated the ‘I love you’s’ over and over making you want to scream out in frustation.

“Shut up!” you yelled “You don’t love me, stop saying that” your head throbbing with every word “Just stop. Make it stop! Kill me if you have to! Just make it stop” you say thumping at Iwaizumi’s chest becoming a hysterical crying mess. You weren’t talking about the physical paint he caused you (even though that hurt ALOT) you were talking about the constant heartache it was just being around him.

He didn’t know what to do. So, he just put his arms round you again and you yelled your frustrations about him to him into his chest.

You woke up into a new place, not your old one or Iwaizumis just something brand new.  

With a note on your bed side table saying:

‘I love you and I’m sorry’

Making you tear it up and toss it out.

You had no further contact with Iwaizumi, you figured that the new house you lived in was already paid for, but you didn’t want Iwaizumi to show up one day saying that you owed him money so you decided to get a job. A small one, that didn’t require any strenuous Labour or heavy shift times.

It was a few weeks after Iwaizumi left you and you felt sick and heartbroken. After finishing your shift at your job you felt hot headed and extremely ill making you run to your toilet to spill out your guts.

Which lead you to your predicament now.

Pregnant.

You were pregnant.  

You wanted to cry.  

You stared at the test in front of you. Two lines. Positive. There was no denying it, as much as you wanted it to be negative. You could tell you were pregnant befonhre you even took the test, all the throwing up you were doing, the nausea you felt when certain foods were being cooked at work and the ongoing foot and back pains you felt.

You didn’t know what to do. There was only thing you could do, but you certainly didn’t want that. ‘Call him’ the voice in your head urged. ‘That would be the best option right?’ you thought ‘I mean he did love you afterall...’

It took a whole day of pacing around and wondering on what you should do. But you knew that leaving the situation longer would only make it worse. So you kept his business card on you when he gave it to you since that was the only phone number you had. He was all you actually had.

You called and the phone rang 4 times, your heart beating faster and faster as it rang.

“He-”

“Hello this is Sakura Iwaizumi speaking” a feminine voice said “Who is calling?” you hear someone say in the background. ‘Iwaizumi’ you thought, your face smiling. You realised you haven’t responded so you rushed out  

“I’m Y/N L/N, I need to speak with Iwaizumi.”

“Haji dear, there's a girl on the phone for you... someone of the name called Y/N L/N”

You heard muffles in the background and Iwaizumi saying “Just hang up the phone she’s not worth it.” Your heart stung ‘She’s not worth it.’ Did he really mean that? As much as you claim to hate him, you didn’t really. As you’ve said before you always liked his loving and caring side over his cold hearted one.

You put the phone down and just cried, wailing your heart out for him. Why? You don’t really know to be honest. This was all a dumb agreement, he used you because he was bored and he probably already knew you were pregnant from when he gave you that concussion. But ‘he doesn’t want you’ you reminded yourself because ‘I’m not worth it.’

AUTHORS NOTE: once again, i’m sorry lol. But im most likely going to do a part two of my ‘long shot’ series with Akaashi or a character of your choosing. 

I’m a playwright. I mostly write about dead women forgotten from the history books. Giving them a voice and putting them back into the canon brings me peace. Did blowing up one of the most beloved television characters of all time bring Rob Thomas peace? I have tried to look at what Rob Thomas did to Logan from a completely unbiased writer’s perspective and this is what I came up with.

1. Rob Thomas is an idiot. I’m talking, full on, did not realize what he was destroying, idiot. Perhaps, he thought the show truly was so much bigger than Veronica and Logan’s relationship. I think the show is bigger than Veronica and Logan being together. However, I do not think it is big enough as it has been written by Rob, to be bigger than having the core surviving characters involved. If Rob, thinks that he can just blow Logan up and this fanbase will follow him into the night, than he is an idiot. He said in interviews that he has planned this death for years. That this death was a bridge to this new Sherlock/Fargo show of the future. Anybody gonna watch that?

2. Rob Thomas doesn’t like working with Jason Dohring. I have absolutely no proof that is the case, but usually when fan favorite characters get written off it is because behind the scenes people are not getting along anymore. Hell, he put a bad wig on James Jordan and had him play another role. If he does LOVE Jason Dohring SO much, will he pop up with a bad wig and play a beat cop in some town angry Veronica ends up in? Jason says he loves working with Rob, so I would assume this is not it.

3. Rob Thomas hates the character Logan. Logan was never originally supposed to be a main character. Logan and Veronica were never supposed to be a couple. Logan wasn’t meant to become so intensely a part of the heart of the show. (Granted, neither was Keith the way Rob originally intended for him to be.) Kristen has expressed that she is Team Piz and has always found LoVe to be toxic. It’s not Jason they wanted gone, they just didn’t want Veronica to have to be with Logan. (Again, that does not mean you have to blow him up.)

4. Rob Thomas is a whiny, egotistical, asshole. Waaaaah the studio wouldn’t let me do this. Waaaaah the higher ups wanted the opening to be like THAT. Waaaaaah they won’t let me kill ALL the kids on the bus. Waaaaaah I’m gonna have to pander to the fans for this movie. Waaaaaaah LOVE has to be end game. Waaaaaaah they won’t let me say the F word. That’s it! I AM GOING TO DO EXACTLY WHAT I WANT! Forget the fans. Forget the actors who helped launch my entire career. Forget the integrity of the story. I’m gonna do what I WANT! Because I am a genius and I am the reason Veronica Mars exists at all!

5. Rob Thomas truly thinks that married women can’t be badass. By now, many of you have probably read the interviews Rob has done where he talks about Veronica having a husband or a boyfriend and it just killing her ability to be a badass boss.

(Mind you, he had already given Logan a career that could take him away in an instant for GIANT chunks of time, and he could have just, I don’t know, HAD HIM GO MISSING IN ACTION and had Veronica search CONTINENTS for him AND MAC COULD HELP IN Istanbul AND IT WOULD BE EPIC? NO? NOBODY? SORRY I AM YELLING.)

Rob felt like, Veronica has to go on mystery adventures and we would all just go on the road with her. He’s betting we choose mystery over the relationships, when the only truly captivating mystery he ever wrote was, who killed Lilly Kane. Therefore, he must have wanted to break up Logan and Veronica for good in highschool and he’s been pissy about it ever since. Fucking fine then, don’t start season four with them even together. Not only did you start it with them together, you HAD HIM PROPOSE. You evil, vindictive man.

6. Rob Thomas doesn’t want to do Veronica Mars anymore. Even if he’s a giant idiot, super egotistical, or misogynistic enough to think married women can’t have fun, he HAD TO KNOW this would be the end. Right? So, maybe he’s over it. Maybe, he felt like he couldn’t truly move on with his life unless he blew this up? Maybe, he realized there’s better Veronica Mars fanfic out there than anything he’s written since season 2?

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Closing Time - Asahi x Reader

Characters: Asahi Azumane, female reader, original female character, small Taichi cameo

Relationships: Asahi Azumane x Reader

Genre: Fluff, hurt/comfort if you squint, SFW but 16+ please

Warnings: Alcohol, general drunken shenanigans, emetophobia (mentions of vomit), bad language

WC: 6.4k

Author’s Note: Hi everyone! This is a totally self-indulgent bedtime-scenario-type story because there is simply not enough Asahi/Reader content out there and I adore him. It’s also my first time writing in 2nd person, so PLEASE feel free to send me any feedback, please just be kind :) I really don’t like to use y/n, so I only used it a couple times towards the end when I wasn’t sure what else to do lol

The preview begins with the bolded text below and fic continues after the cut :)

Reblogs appreciated! <3

You weren’t planning on getting this drunk. But by the time it got to be about 11:30, you didn’t know what else to do. You had put so much effort and energy into making yourself look nice just for your date not to show up. Your roommate was out of town, so instead of going home and pouting, you figured you might as well have some fun while you were out. But you’ve never been good at exercising restraint, and the fact that you were alone wasn’t doing you any favors. But by closing time had rolled around, you could hardly see straight. You needed help, so you call upon an old friend.

“Do you have anybody you can call for a ride?” Kawanishi asks.

Kawanishi’s the bartender at this izakaya, and over the course of the night, you spent most of the time talking his ear off. He’s nice enough, and held pleasant conversation for the last few hours. He says he used to be a volleyball player, and had even played on the same team as a one of the guys on the Japan National Team. You forget to ask him which school he attended, but he probably was tired of talking to your drunk ass anyway, so you don’t bother asking. “Yeah,” you say, digging in your purse for your phone. “Are you sure? I can call a cab for you if you need it,” he offers. “Nah,” you say, hiccupping between words. “I’ll call somebody. Thank you though.” “No problem,” he says. “Just try to make it quick.” You scroll through your phone, trying to figure out who to call. Your roommate’s out of town visiting her parents, so she’s a no-go. You could call Kokomi. Honestly, she would deserve the 2AM phone call for setting you up on this failed blind date in the first place. Ever since you moved to Tokyo last month, she was constantly trying to set you up with somebody, whether it was a friend, a coworker, or some rando that she had met on the train. Unfortunately, all of them were jerks. And this one was the biggest jerk of all. You silently curse yourself for going along with her antics again.

“He’s great, you’ll love him!” “You said that about the last three guys you tried to set me up with, Kokomi.” “Please!! You’ll never know if you don’t even give him a chance.”

Well, you gave him a chance. And it ended up with you all alone, drunk as hell in an unfamiliar part of the city. You dial Kokomi’s number, but it goes straight to voicemail. “Bitch,” you mutter. You unlock your phone again and look through to find somebody that might be able to take you home. You scroll back to the top of your contact list, and your eyes settle on another name. He lives just a few blocks away, and knowing him, he’s probably awake working on something anyway. You click on his contact and wait for him to answer.

*

The exhaustion’s starting to get to him. It’s the weekend and he can afford to stay up an extra couple of hours to finish this design, but the combination of fatigue and frustration are taking over. He sets down his pencil and moves towards his bed, until his cell starts to buzz. He glances over at the clock on the wall. 1:49 AM.

Who could possibly be calling at this hour?

Asahi picks up his phone, surprised to see your name on the screen. His heart skips a beat in his chest, both from excitement and nervousness. Aside from his teammates, you’re one of the only people he bothered to keep in contact with after high school. The two of you had even met up a few times since you moved to the city, but he never would have expected you to call at this hour unless… unless something is wrong. “Hey you, what’s up?” He says, choking back a yawn. “Hiiiii Asahiiii!  I tried to call Kokomi but she didn’t answer her phone… could you come pick me up?” Your voice is thick and your words are almost unintelligible as you speak. It’s obvious that you’re far from sober. “Where are you?” Asahi asks, failing to mask the anxiety in his voice. “Are you okay? Are you safe?” “M’fine,” you slur. “But I…” Suddenly the call drops. Asahi calls you back in a panic, his heart racing as he waited for you to answer. You could be in danger and he’d be powerless to help you. He doesn’t even know where you are. “Hello?” A man’s voice comes through the speaker. “Who are you? Where is she?” Asahi asks frantically. “Relax, man. I’m just the bartender,” he says. “Look, your friend’s next to me, but she’s on the verge of passing out. Can you come get her before she pukes all over my bar? She’s at Zoetrope. You know where that is?” “Of course, I’m on my way now! I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Asahi says, grabbing his apartment keys and putting on a pair of shoes. He’s out the door almost immediately.

*

Kawanishi presses your phone back into your hands. Your head is spinning so fast that you struggle to keep your eyes open. “Is he coming?” you ask. “Yeah, he’s on the way,” Kawanishi says. “He’ll be here soon. Now do me a favor, don’t get this drunk the next time you come into my izakaya or I’ll have to kick you out.” “You’re kicking me out???” “Only if you start throwing up,” he says under his breath. “I’m not going to throw up!” you exclaim, suddenly becoming very aware of the churning in your stomach. You grumble, slumping over the bar. You squeeze your eyes shut, the spinning in your head only getting worse with every breath you take. You feel like you’re going to die, and honestly, between the embarrassment of being stood up and the wave of nausea coming over you, you’re ready to welcome that death with open arms. “Hey!” Kawanishi says, smacking the bar next to your head. “Your friend’s going to be here soon, don’t fall asleep or I’ll throw you out on the street myself.” “I’m sorry, Kawanishi-san.” You sit up slowly and cradle your head in your hands once more, trying to make the world stop spinning.

Please get here soon, Asahi.

*

Asahi sprints down the street as fast as he can towards the izakaya. He’s sure that he looks suspicious running down the street alone at night, but he doesn’t care. You’re in trouble, and he’s the only person that can help you. He finally makes it to the bar and hastily pulls the door open. You’re dressed beautifully, and your makeup and hair are exquisitely done. Unfortunately, the way you’re slumped over the bar makes it obvious that something’s wrong. He’s not sure what happened, but whatever it was, it must have been rough. The bartender gently helps you out of your seat, and Asahi can’t help but think that he looks very familiar. You straighten up and as soon as you make eye contact with Asahi, you perk up. “Asahi-san!” you exclaim, rushing towards him and almost falling over. You crush him in an unexpectedly tight hug. “Long time no see, big guy!” “I saw you three days ago,” he says under his breath. You continue babbling unintelligibly, and Asahi looks up at the bartender. “Did she close out her tab?” Asahi asks. “I took care of it already,” the bartender replies. “Please just make sure she gets home okay. She’s had a rough night.” “Yeah, of course,” Asahi says. “Thanks for helping her out.” “No problem.” Asahi peels your arms off him and starts to nudge you towards the door. Just before the two of you leave, Asahi stops and turns back to the bartender. “Have we met before?” he asks. “I played for Shiratorizawa. Didn’t think I’d see you again, Karasuno Samurai.” Asahi frowns slightly. He hasn’t heard that nickname high school, and it’s weird hearing it again now. “Right,” he says. “Well, thanks again. Have a good night.” Asahi leads you out of the bar and down the sidewalk. You hold tightly to his arm, stumbling over yourself. He braces you against his side, and you take this opportunity to tease him a little bit. “Do you like my outfit, Asahi-san?” you ask, pressing into his side. “Yeah, it’s really nice!” he answers nervously, turning his head to hide the blush creeping up his cheeks. He’s not lying – you look beautiful, both your top and your skirt accentuating your curves in all the right places. But it would be wrong to say anything more than that while you’re in this state. That wouldn’t be fair to either of you. He brusquely clears his throat and keeps walking as soon as the light signals that you can cross. “I dressed up extra nice tonight, but it didn’t even fucking matter,” you grumble, your voice breaking slightly. Asahi either doesn’t hear you, or does hear you and decides not to say anything. “I’m soooo glad you’re here,” you say, drawing out your words even longer than you were a minute ago. “I’m sorry, this is super embarrassing! I should’ve figured this out on my own.” “It’s okay,” Asahi says. “How long have you been in Tokyo again?” “A month? I think?” “Exactly,” he says. “You probably don’t know your way around that much. I’d feel terrible if I wasn’t able to help you find your way home.” “Meh,” you say. “I’ve had the worst night of my fucking life, so maybe it would be better if I passed out in a ditch somewhere.” “Do you want to talk about it?” Asahi asks. “No,” you answer quickly. “Okay.” You start blathering again and Asahi has to practically drag you down the street behind him. The station just past his apartment has a train that can drop you right by your building. He can just take a cab back after he gets you home. He considers inviting you stay the night at his place since it’s right there, but he’s afraid of being weird, so he doesn’t say anything. The two of you come to a stop at the train station… which is closed. “I’m sorry,” Asahi says remorsefully. “I guess the train stopped running at midnight. I’ll call you a cab.” He goes to pull his phone out of his pocket, but you grab his hand before he can. “Can I stay at your place tonight?” you ask sheepishly. “I… my roommate is out of town. And I’m really not doing good right now. I just really don’t want to be alone.” Despite how out of it you’ve been since he picked you up, Asahi sees nothing but complete sincerity in your eyes. Tonight must have been really rough. “Are you sure?” he asks. “I’ll just sleep on the couch- or a futon if you have one!” you say, nodding. “Okay.” Asahi turns back towards his apartment and you follow closely behind him, not letting go of his hand the entire time.

*

Asahi helps you across the threshold of his apartment and sits you down on a chair by the door. “Asahi-san, you’re so handsome with your hair down like that,” you say, reaching up to twirl a finger in his long chestnut tresses. “And you’re loopy,” Asahi mutters, disentangling your fingers from his hair. Once again, he finds himself hiding a blush. He’s not used to being showered with compliments, and he knows you wouldn’t be saying this stuff if you were sober. He kicks off his shoes and kneels down in front of you, helping you take yours off. “How are you feeling?” he asks you. “Can I get you some water or a some–” “Why didn’t you ask me out when we were in high school?” you ask suddenly. “I think I made it pretty obvious that I had a crush on you. It’s all I could think about when you were holding my hand back there.” “I – I, uh,” Asahi stammers. You burst out laughing, startling Asahi. It’s that same boisterous laugh you’ve had for as long as he could remember knowing you. You were always self-conscious about it in high school, but your laugh has always been one of Asahi’s favorite things about you. Despite the fact that it’s at his expense, he’s glad to see your mood improve. Asahi considers your question for a moment. He really liked you too back then, and everyone knew it. Suga and Daichi constantly teased him for it.

So why hadn’t he asked you out back then?

Well, for a number of reasons. He spent so much of his third year focused on volleyball that he didn’t have the mental or emotional capacity for much else. He hadn’t even planned on going back to school after graduation until Nishinoya helped convince him to pursue his passions. He felt directionless, and he didn’t want to burden anybody else with his indecision. But most importantly, he was scared you’d reject him. Suga was right. He really was a coward. He’d dated a few people since high school graduation, but none of them made him feel the way you did, and they didn’t treat him as well as you would have. Which begs the question – why hasn’t he asked you out since you moved to Tokyo? He pushes the thought to the back of his mind. This isn’t the kind of conversation to be having when you aren’t even able to form a coherent sentence. Asahi’s thoughts are interrupted by your hand on his shoulder and a loud hiccup. “I should wash my face. Can I wash my face?” “Sure,” Asahi says, helping you stand up. You stumble forward, but he catches you easily and pulls you back to your feet. He quietly leads you to the bathroom and sits you down on the edge of the bathtub. “I’m sorry,” you say. “I’m a mess.” “No, you’re not. Hold on a second,” he says, opening the drawer under the sink. He pulls out a small package of makeup wipes and takes one out. He kneels in front of you and begins wiping the makeup off your face. “I know they’re not great for your skin,” he says. “But it’s better than nothing, right?” “Why do you even have those?” you ask between hiccups. “Do you wear makeup? I mean, it’s obviously fine if you do, but it doesn’t really seem like your thing.” “I don’t, but you never know when they’ll come in handy! I do work with a lot of makeup artists,” he says, somewhat defensively. You get the sense that he’s lying about something, but Asahi changes the subject before you can probe him any further. “So what were you doing there by yourself?” he asks. “It’s not safe to be alone so late at night.” Clearly this was the wrong thing to ask. All the negative emotions and thoughts you were having all even spring to the forefront of your mind, and you start to cry. Asahi starts apologizing profusely, but you wave him off. “It’s fine,” you sniffle, wiping a tear away from your cheek. “Kokomi was trying to set me up with one of her friends, but he never showed up.” Asahi sits back on his heels. Kokomi is another girl from Karasuno that ended up in Tokyo. She wasn’t in the same class as him, but he remembers how loud she always was in the hallways. Honestly, both of you were always loud, but you’ve always been much more considerate of others than Kokomi ever was. “Shit,” he mumbles. “That really sucks. I’m sorry.” “Yeah. It does suck.” Asahi grabs another wipe and asks you to close your eyes. You do as he says, and he lightly wipes off your eye makeup. He’s worked with enough models to recognize that you’re wearing false eyelashes, so he gently pulls those off too. You feel yourself start to wobble on the edge of the tub, so you grip his arm to steady yourself. “I’m sorry,” you whisper. “It’s okay,” he says. “You don’t need to keep apologizing to me.” “Do you think there’s something wrong with me?” you ask suddenly. “Wait, what?” “I just… this keeps happening to me. Everyone always says that it’s because they’re not the right person for me, but it’s starting to feel like there’s just something wrong with me instead,” you say, choking back a sob. “I know I just moved here, but I’m just so lonely. I hate feeling like I’m not good enough.” Asahi tenderly wipes a tear from your cheek and cups your face in both hands. “Hey, look at me. There is nothing wrong with you,” he says sincerely. “That guy is an idiot and a jerk. If he had any idea how extraordinary you are, he never would’ve done that to you.” You can’t bring yourself to look him in the eyes. You don’t feel like you deserve to be spoken to like this – with such genuine kindness and sincerity. Asahi makes you feel so good. So special. He always has. And he’s just so… tender, especially for somebody who looks as intimidating as he does. You wonder if those feelings from high school ever truly went away. You sit up straighter and try to smile at him, but your stomach flips unexpectedly and violently. “Asahi-san?” you ask, gripping his shoulder tightly. “Yeah?” he replies. “Toilet.” Asahi moves out of the way as fast as possible. You hunch over the rim and retch into the toilet bowl. Asahi quickly scoops up your hair and holds it behind your head as you throw up. “Please, just leave me,” you mutter. “I’m gonna fucking die here.” “I’m not going to leave you here and you’re not going to die,” Asahi says, gingerly picking up the last loose strands laying on your neck and holding them back with the rest of your hair. Your back tenses up again before you begin heaving once more. Asahi tucks his nose into the collar of his shirt, careful to make sure that he’s out of your field of vision. He wants to be there for you but he had a weak stomach himself and the sight and smell of somebody else’s vomit is something he knows he won’t be able to handle. You mumble weak apologies between hacks, but Asahi just ignores them and rubs your back gently. After what feels like an eternity, the churning in your stomach finally stops and you reach up towards the flush handle. The exhaustion in your body and heart finally begin to catch up with you, and your hand falls back to your side. “I got it. Do you think you’re done?” Asahi asks, coaxing you back up into a seated position. You nod, too tired to try to speak. Asahi quickly tugs his shirt back down from his face before you can see and closes the toilet lid. “I’m sorry,” you mumble. “Don’t be,” Asahi says, flushing the toilet. “I’m your friend. I want to help you. And I’ve already told you that you don’t need to apologize to me.” Asahi helps you sit on the top of the toilet and rises to his feet. “Don’t go anywhere,” he says, scurrying out of the room. Although your eyes are closed, you still feel your body swaying. More than anything, you just want to go to sleep. Asahi pads back into the room and presses a wooden cup into your hands. “Drink this,” he says, turning on the faucet. Even though drinking something is the last thing you want to be doing right now, you go ahead and lift the cup to your open mouth. Cold water passes your lips and washes away some of the disgusting taste in your mouth. It feels gross, but you force yourself to drink all of it. Asahi takes the cup from your hand and turns the faucet back off. You flinch at the feeling of a damp washcloth on your face. “It’s okay,” Asahi says gently, cradling your chin with his free hand and angling your face up. “Just cleaning you up a little.” You murmur in acknowledgement and Asahi continues to wipe your face down. You almost fall asleep sitting on his toilet, but he gently shakes you to keep you awake. “Stay with me for another minute,” he says softly. “You can go to sleep soon. You’re gonna be just fine. I promise.” His words and his voice are so sweet that you want to cry. A couple rogue tears drip from your eyes and onto his hands. “I’m sorry,” you say once more. Asahi sets the washcloth on the counter and starts to pull you to your feet. You struggle to stay on your feet, so instead, he carefully scoops you into his arms and carries you out the bathroom. You don’t care where you go, you just need to sleep. Asahi’s pretty certain you’re asleep by the time he deposits you on his mattress. Your chest rises and falls slowly as he pulls his duvet over you. He begins to make his way to the couch, but stops when he feels you grab his hand. “Please don’t go, Asahi-san,” you whisper. “Please.” You tug harder at his fingers and he knows he can’t refuse you. He ends up sitting on the edge of the bed holding your hand until you fall asleep.

*

As soon as your quiet snores permeate the silence, Asahi untangles his fingers from yours. He brushes a loose strand of hair out of your face and he can’t help but let his eyes linger on your sleeping face for just a moment. The moonlight trickling through the window illuminates your hair and casts a silvery glow on your skin. Despite the awful night you’ve had, you look absolutely radiant. He feels himself blushing again, but he takes some comfort in the fact that he doesn’t have to try and hide it this time. Not while you’re fast asleep in his bed. He’s far too scared to admit it, even to himself, but he’s fantasized about falling asleep next to you many times before. But in those fantasies you weren’t drunk and crying over another man. Asahi sighs, stands up, and moves over to the dresser as quietly as he can. After setting a few things out for you, he goes into the bathroom, gets ready for bed and heads to the couch for the night.

*

By the time you wake up in the morning, you feel like you’re going to die. You can’t remember what exactly happened the previous night. The last thing you remember clearly was talking to the bartender about high school volleyball, of all things. Your head’s pounding, and your stomach aches painfully, screaming at you to please eat something. You don’t open your eyes, fearing that it would somehow trigger another round of vomiting. Eventually, you force yourself into a seated position and open your eyes. The bedroom you’re in is small, but pretty well-decorated. It’s decently tidy. The only mess is a few crumpled up clothing designs discarded on the floor next to the trash bin.

Designs? Did that mean?

You’re at Asahi’s apartment. In his bed. Your eyes widen in panic.

  What happened last night?

You’re still wearing the clothes that you wore to the bar last night. And there’s no evidence of him ever being in bed with you. You reach over towards your phone, which has been graciously plugged in for you and set on the bedside table. That’s when you notice the note along with a sleeve of crackers and a glass of ginger ale.

Good morning!

There’s a set of clothes you can wear at the foot of the bed and a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. Feel free to take a shower if you want. Extra towels are underneath the sink. Please have something to eat and drink too. You’ll feel better if you do.

-Asahi

P.S. Please don’t feel bad. It’s okay.

You grab a few of the crackers from the bedside table and eat them, washing them down with the ginger ale.

Why does Asahi have to be so damn considerate? The whole situation is so embarrassing.

You contemplate just grabbing your phone and getting the hell out of his apartment, but you’re not going to pass up the opportunity to shower. You finish the last of the crackers, chug down the ginger ale, and grab the spare clothes at the end of the bed. You turn the doorknob as silently as you can and awkwardly creep down the hall towards the bathroom, stopping briefly to peek in the living room. Asahi’s fast asleep on the couch, clad only in pajama pants and a pair of fuzzy socks. His hair is down and messily splayed across the throw pillow he’s resting his head on. Quiet snores pass his lips. He looks cute. Your eyes trail from his face and down to his stomach. Despite quitting volleyball after high school, he seems to have mostly maintained his athletic form, except for a tiny little layer of pudge on his lower stomach. The corners of your lips twitch up into a smile, until that little voice in the back of your mind reminds you of your place.

Quit staring, you perv! You need to get out of here!

You hurriedly continue down the hallway and jump into the shower as soon as you get into the bathroom. You think that maybe if you clean up fast enough, you can get out of Asahi’s apartment before he wakes up. However, as soon as you step into the shower, all worries about rushing out disappear into the back of your mind. You bask in the hot water, the steam clearing your sinuses and relieving some of the pain in your head. You silently thank the gods that Asahi actually uses conditioner, and not just 3-in-1 like most of the other men you were previously…. acquainted with. Although, it makes sense to you that somebody with hair like Asahi’s would have a strict haircare routine. As you shower, fragmented memories of last night start to come back to you.

Being stood up at the bar. Calling Asahi for help. Puking your guts out in his bathroom. Him carrying you into his room and laying you down on his bed. Him staying by your side until you fell asleep. You wishing he would’ve crawled into bed with you and held you through the night… Wait, what was that last part?

As soon as you’re done rinsing the conditioner from your hair, you step out of the shower and swiftly towel off. You find the spare toothbrush Asahi mentioned, take it out of the packaging, and brush your teeth with his toothpaste. The dry, gross feeling in your mouth is quickly replaced with a minty fresh taste. You slip on the sweatpants and t-shirt that Asahi left for you and dry your hair. Thankfully, Asahi isn’t as huge as most people make him out to be, so while the clothes he left out are a bit big on you, you’re not drowning in them. You’ll just bring them back some other day. You start combing through your hair, and that’s when you hear it – the sound of somebody padding around in the apartment. Shit. Once the footsteps quiet down, you rush out of the bathroom and towards the front door. Asahi eyes you as you scoop up your shoes, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Good morning!” he says kindly. “How are you feeling?” “I’m so sorry Azumane-san, it won’t happen again!” you say as you throw open the door and rush into the hallway. “Hold on, wait up!” he says as you pull the door closed behind you. You run all the way to the stairs at the end of the hallway and go to call Kokomi for a ride home. That’s when you realize that your phone is still plugged into the wall in Asahi’s room. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. You turn around and trudge back towards his apartment. Before you can even knock, the door opens slowly. Asahi stands there in just his pajama pants, holding your phone out to you. “You shouldn’t leave without your phone,” he says. You thank him and take your phone, a blush creeping up your cheeks. You try not to stare at his bare chest, already feeling like a creep for ogling him while he was sleeping. “Your clothes are still in the bathroom, too,” he says. “I can go get them for you. Or I can just wash them and give them back to you another time if you want to leave.” “No, that’s okay,” you say, covering your flushing cheeks with the collar of his shirt. “I’ll get them. Can I come in?” “Of course.” Asahi steps out of your way and you head straight for the bathroom, avoiding looking in his eyes. Asahi never gets angry, and you know he wouldn’t be mad at you over something like this, but a lingering sense of shame still washes over you. You scoop up your clothes and leave the bathroom. As soon as you cross the threshold into the living room, the smell of coffee and frying fish washes over you. Asahi stands in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. In the time that you were in the bathroom, he put on a Black Jackals sweatshirt and threw his hair into a loose bun. “Do you want a cup of coffee?” he asks, smiling at you and pouring his own cup. “It’ll help with the hangover.” You stand there and ponder his offer for a moment. Sensing your hesitancy, Asahi suddenly turns back to the stove and mumbles something that you can’t quite make out. “What did you say?” you ask. Asahi rubs the back of his neck, a nervous habit he’s had since you were kids. “I don’t mean to pressure you to stay or anything! I just thought it might help for you to have something more than crackers and ginger ale.” “You’ve done plenty to help me since last night,” you say. “But I’ll take that coffee if the offer is still on the table.” “It is!” Asahi says a little too enthusiastically for his own good. You can’t help but smirk as you take your seat at the kitchen table. Asahi pours you a cup of coffee and slides you a bowl of the rice and fish he made. You thank him quietly and start to eat. He slides into the chair across from you and eats his own breakfast, eyeing you carefully. “What?” you ask after catching him staring. “Since when have you ever called me Azumane-san?” he asks. “I don’t know,” you mumble into your coffee mug. “I didn’t think we reverted back from first name basis,” he says. “I thought we knew each other better than that.” “I don’t know,” you say, a devilish smile crossing your face. “Care to explain why you actually had those makeup wipes in your bathroom drawer? I doubt your makeup artists are coming over to your apartment.” Now it’s Asahi’s turn to blush again. “My ex-girlfriend left them here,” he says. “Felt like a waste to just throw them out.” “Ex-girlfriend?!” you exclaim suddenly, startling Asahi and causing him to drop the wipe on the floor. “I didn’t know you were seeing somebody!” “Yeah,” he says, throwing the wipe in the trash and grabbing a fresh one. “We broke up a while before you moved to the city. She left a bunch of her stuff here and refused to come pick it up. I think she was just too embarrassed to see me again. I got rid of most of it a while ago, but I kept some of the more… uh, utilitarian things.” “I’m sorry,” you say sincerely. “Why did you break up?” Asahi feels a slight pang in his chest. He met his last girlfriend through his job. She was nice enough, and things seemed like they were going okay until he showed up at her apartment to surprise her for their 6 month anniversary, only to find another man in her bed. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” you say. “It’s fine. She cheated on me with some other guy,” he says, his expression darkening. “I think they’re engaged now.” “Shit,” you say. “What a bitch.” “Woah, settle down, it’s okay –” “No, it’s not,” you say firmly. “You deserve someone way better than that. Somebody that treats you with the love and respect that you deserve.” Asahi knows you’re right, but he doesn’t really want to press it. That whole mess had done a number on his mental health, and he really doesn’t want to burden you with his emotional baggage. He adjusts his glasses again and forces a smile. “You know, you should really take your own advice,” he says. You try to think back on what you had said to him last night. The details are fuzzy, but you remember crying. A lot. Instead of answering him, you shovel down the last of the rice and fish. “Thank you for the meal,” you say. Asahi smiles and nods at you before beginning to clear the dishes away. You stand up and stop him, insisting that you clean up yourself. As you finish drying the bowls, your phone buzzes. You check it, only to see a handful of missed texts from Kokomi.

Ono Kokomi [8:32} Hey!! Sorry I missed your call. How was he?  (°◡°♡) [9:14] That good?  (^.~)☆ [9:18] Or that bad?! (;;;*_*) [9:57] HELLO?? (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ [10:32] ARE YOU ALIVE?!?!?!  〣( ºΔº )〣

You roll your eyes and quickly type out your response.

Y/N [10:33] Yeah, no thanks to you. (￢_￢;)

Ono Kokomi [10:34] Was it really that bad?

Y/N [10:34] He didn’t even show up. (╥_╥) [10:34] Azumane picked me up at 2 AM because I was too drunk to go home alone. I stayed the night at his place. [10:34] Speaking of which, can you come pick me up? Not really in a state to take the train and I think you owe me one.

Ono Kokomi [10:35] (⊙_⊙) [10:35] Spill. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Y/N [10:36] There’s nothing to spill. I threw up in his bathroom and he slept on the couch. Can you just answer my question please? (҂` ﾛ ´)凸

Ono Kokomi [10:36] Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m on my way, lovebird. (￣ε￣＠)

“Everything okay?” Asahi asks. “Yeah,” you say, slipping your phone back into your pocket. “Kokomi’s going to come pick me up.” “Are you sure? I can take you if you want,” he offers. “Yeah, she’s already on her way,” you say, setting the bowl down and turning to face him. “Besides, you’ve done more than enough for me already over the last twelve hours.” You silently pick up your things and walk towards the door. Asahi rises from his chair and awkwardly clears his throat. “Do you have all your stuff?” You nod and smile. Before you open the door, you approach him and wrap your arms around his waist. He shyly hugs you back, hoping you can’t hear the rapid pounding in his chest. “Thank you, Asahi,” you whisper. “You’re amazing.” You let go first and leave his apartment quietly. As soon as the door closes, Asahi walks back into the living room and flops down on the couch. He covers his face with his hands and groans. This morning was almost too much for him – seeing you in his clothes, eating breakfast together, you hugging him before you left. It was all so painfully domestic, and he wishes it didn’t have to end. If only he wasn’t such a coward, he would’ve asked you to stay longer. He doesn’t know how long he lays there until he finally decides to get moving for the day and finish that piece he was working on when you called last night. He checks his phone and sees your name pop up on the screen.

Y/N [11:00] I’m home. Thanks again for babysitting me last night. Whatever did I do to deserve you as my guardian angel? ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚ [11:00] Or was that Noya-san? I forget. (^ω~)

Azumane Asahi [11:01] Lol. You’re welcome. And that was what we called Noya in our club days, but I don’t mind you calling me that too (* ^ ω ^)

Y/N [11:03] Let me make it up to you. [11:04] Come over for dinner tomorrow night?

Asahi almost drops his phone on his face. His fingers fumble as he types his response. He waits a moment before sending it, rereading it ten times to make sure he doesn’t come across as desperate.

Azumane Asahi [11:07] I’d love to. Do you want me to bring anything?

Y/N [11:08] That’s not necessary. I owe you a nice dinner. [11:09] You still like tonkotsu ramen?

Azumane Asahi [11:10] I do!

Y/N [11:11] It’s a date! See you tomorrow! (☞°ヮ°)☞ ☜(°ヮ°☜)

*

“You said nothing happened last night,” Kokomi says, staring over your shoulder at your phone. “Nothing happened, Kokomi. Now leave me alone,” you snap, tossing one of your throw pillows at her. She deftly catches it and plops down on the couch next to you. “Please,” she says, swatting you with the pillow. “The only reason you two haven’t gotten together is because you’re the densest people on the planet. I bet he’s flopped down on his couch right now thinking about how he doesn’t even want to wait that long to see you.” “Shut up,” you grumble. Kokomi’s phone rings and she quickly checks it. “Anyway, I have to go meet Kaito,” she says. “Got to go. Let me know how your date goes!” She waves and practically skips out the front door. You lay down and start making a shopping list for ingredients for tonkatsu ramen. As soon as you’re done, you set your phone down and cross your arms over your face.

“I bet he’s flopped down on his couch right now thinking about how he doesn’t even want to wait that long to see you.” No, Kokomi. That’s me.

Honey You're Familiar (Like My Mirror Years Ago); Part 1

(Gif credit: @driverdelight )

Part 1: The Beginning

Part 1 I Part 2 I Part 3 I Part 4 I Part 5

Summary: It’s gotta be bad luck to meet the love of yer life at a funeral, right? Clyde’s just askin' for a friend.

Word Count: 3,625

Warnings: fluff, awkward plot set-up, butchering of the southern accent, brief mention of cancer & distant side character death (happens off screen), siblings that won't leave well enough alone, original female character— let me know if I need to add anything else!

A/N: This story contains an original female character. I try to make my OC's fairly neutral in description so everyone can enjoy them; I always accept pointers on how to do this better. This is my first attempt at writing in two years, after some of that good ole' depression-induced writer's block. So if you're here simply to make fun of my sorry writing, I completely understand. Have fun!

Prefer AO3? I gotcha!

Clyde hates funerals. He really, really hates them. He’s attended far too many in his relatively short time on earth, most for buddies that were far too young to die. Hell, his family had a funeral all planned out for him before he somehow pulled through in the hospital; right as rain—all but one hand.

But he knows he can’t miss this one, so he forces himself to get dressed as nice as he can: an old pair of black slacks that were a little too short, a black dress shirt, and a grey tie of Jimmy’s. His dress shoes were old and scuffed but he figures no one will be looking at his feet. He just wants to get in, show his respects, and get out.

Mr. Stephens had been his high school English teacher two years in a row. He’s the one that got Clyde into reading, who always told Clyde he didn’t need to be an athlete to be great. Mr. Stephens made Clyde proud of himself—had taught Clyde lessons he still carried with him to this day.

He hadn’t even been 65 when the cancer took him. Clyde didn’t think it was fair, but it never is.

Jimmy drives him to the little Baptist church across town and Clyde is pleased to see the parking lot full. Mr. Stephens had been a good man; he deserved the turn-out. There are a couple people milling out front, finishing their last cigarettes before the service starts; Clyde recognizes a couple of them from his high school class.

He takes the front steps two at a time, hunching his shoulders over as he enters the building in an attempt to look smaller. The rows of pews are mostly full, especially nearer to the front. Clyde takes a hasty seat in the back, beside little old Mrs. Hastings, who gives him a warm smile. Clyde can only hope she doesn’t rope him into one of her two-hour-long conversations after the service.

The buzz in the room dies down around ten, the stragglers finding a seat or leaning against the back wall, and the preacher appears out of nowhere. Clyde listens to the man’s booming voice—so out of place at such a somber event—talk about what a good man Mr. Stephens was, and how no one should mourn since he was now in Heaven with his wife. Clyde wasn’t exactly the religious type, but he figures it’s a nice sentiment.

The preacher says the next of kin will now speak, and Clyde’s brows furrow in confusion. He can’t remember any sort of family; the Stephens hadn’t had any kids as far as he knew. Though Clyde guesses he hadn’t exactly been the most in-tune with the family’s business over the years—really just what he’d seen in passing.

A young woman stands and makes her way to the front, only increasing Clyde’s curiosity. She was far too young to be a daughter. A granddaughter, perhaps? She seemed too old for that. Clyde chews on the inside of his cheek, listening to the woman speak. He doesn’t like hearing her voice shake with sorrow; it makes his stomach knot up.

She doesn’t speak for very long. Mostly thanks people for coming, saying her Uncle—oh, she’s a niece, then—would be so happy to see how much he was loved. Clyde’s eyes prickle a little at that. It was all anybody wanted, right? To be loved. He clears his throat as quiet as he can, ducking his head until the water dissipates from his eyes. There’s a prayer, and a hymn, and then the service is over with.

_____________________________

“Clyde! Clyde Logan!”

Clyde pauses at the bottom of the steps, turning around at the unfamiliar voice calling his name. He’s surprised to see the niece—Juniper—speed-walking towards him, her kitten heels clicking on the floor. For a moment he wonders what he’s done, what sort of funeral faux-pas he’s committed, but then she smiles at him. It makes his heart flutter in his chest, an unexpected feeling. She comes to a stop in front of him, still on the last step, not quite in the parking lot.

“Yes ma’am?”

He says politely, curious eyes roaming over her. Juniper is still smiling, looking up at him.

“I’m glad I caught you. I’ve got something for ya.”

She holds out her hand, and it takes Clyde a moment to realize she’s handing him a fifty-dollar bill. He blinks, his brain trying to compute what it meant.

“... Ma’am, I don’t…”

She huffs out a laugh, though Clyde can tell it’s not directed at him, so he doesn’t feel self-conscious about not understanding. Juniper ducks her head as she rubs absently at her collarbone, looking sheepish.

“I figured you wouldn’t remember me. We uh…”

She trails off, mouth doing a funny thing. Clyde suddenly panics, wracking his brain. They what? Did they sleep together? But he would remember, of course he would remember. And she was so young, if they’d been together years ago it would be… no, that couldn’t be it. Juniper isn’t privy to Clyde’s mental gymnastics; he has to focus all his attention on listening to her when she speaks again.

“When I was fifteen, I took my uncle’s car out for a joyride. I figured I wouldn’t get caught, because—well, I was fifteen, and stupid. Drove it fast on a dirt road and a rock flew up and cracked the windshield. I took it to the auto shop, hysterical, knowing my life would be damn near over if my uncle saw the damage.”

Clyde’s heart rate gradually slows; her story was starting to sound vaguely familiar.

“—You were working that afternoon. I gave you all the money I had, my allowance, babysitting money, everything, and still came up fifty dollars short. You paid it. You didn’t have to, you didn’t know me, and I sure deserved getting in trouble for stealing the car. But you saved my ass.”

Juniper lets out a laugh, shaking her head. It makes Clyde’s chest feel all warm. He remembers now, her words bringing forth a fuzzy picture in his head.

He’d been a 24-year-old community college drop-out—more from lack’a tryin’ than lack’a smarts, he now knew—working his last month before basic training. She’d been a gal who was way too young to have a nose piercing, had eyeliner streaming all down her cheeks when she’d come into the shop. He’d felt bad for her, wanted to help. He’d sideswiped his daddy’s truck when he was fourteen and got his hide tore up for it. Fifty bucks was nothin’, really, ‘specially when he was about to leave town. He hadn’t thought he would make such an impression.

“—I always meant to pay you back but then you left for basic, and eventually I left for college, and I just never saw you again. So here— “

She holds the bill out to him again. He looks from her, to it, to her again; can feel a smile tugging at his lips.

“Yer… paying me back from eleven years ago?”

“Well, better late than never.”

Clyde doesn’t know what comes over him. He bursts into laughter, his whole face crinkling up. It’s a loud belly laugh, just the abrupt absurdity of the situation getting to him. Juniper starts laughing with him, her hand landing over her mouth to try to muffle herself. It makes Clyde laugh even more and there they were, strangers yet not, dying laughing out in front of a funeral.

The doors of the church swing open, and Mrs. Hastings emerges with two other women, having taken them hostage with her conversation. The group eyes the laughing pair, and it makes Clyde quiet, placing one big paw over his own mouth in an attempt to be more polite. Juniper giggles, but starts clearing her throat, trying to hush herself. They finally get themselves under control, but don’t dare speak for fear of setting off another fit; all they can do is look mischievously at one another, eyes sparkling. Clyde can’t remember the last time he laughed like this with someone who wasn’t Jimmy or Mellie.

Eventually, Juniper breaks the silence, apparently finding more faith in herself than Clyde had in his own ability not to lose it again.

“I mean it. Take it.”

She gestures with the banknote. It’s crisp, despite having been held in her palm. Clyde slowly drops his hand; shakes his head.

“I can’t take yer money.”

“You can and you will, Clyde Logan.”

Juniper gives him a look, and he finds himself taking the bill from her fingers. His hand dwarfs hers; he has the odd thought that if he held it, it would break. She looks pleased; gives him a victorious grin.

“Good. My uncle would probably haunt me if I never paid you back.”

Clyde barks out another gleeful laugh, surprised at her comment. She starts to speak again, but then the church door is opening, the preacher sticking his head out. He asks for her, and Juniper gives Clyde one last look.

“Save it for a rainy day.”

She points at the bill, now crumpled up in his palm, then she’s up the steps and into the church before Clyde can even think of a response.

_____________________________

“Now, tell me why I thought this was a diner.”

Clyde turns from his place at Duck Tape’s front door—keys in hand to start settin’ up for opening hours—to look towards the voice behind him. There was Juniper, leaning against a shiny corolla and giving him a megawatt smile. Clyde can’t help but smile back, surprised but happy to see her. It’s been almost a week since the funeral, he was sure she’d be gone by now.

“Sorry to disappoint, ma’am.”

Juniper scoffs, shaking her head.

“You better stop calling me “ma’am.” And I don’t think you could ever disappoint me, Clyde Logan.”

He can feel his cheeks pinkening up at her words, though he isn’t exactly sure why. So, he nods, and hopes she can’t see his blush from so far away.

“Alright. Juniper, then.”

She nods at him; he nods back.

“This used to be the Campbell’s diner. They got bored with it and turned it into a bar, and then they realized they just hated runnin’ a business.”

He chuckles, shaking his head.

“—I was their best worker. They trained me as a manager and then one day just up and gave me the place. Said they wanted it to go to someone who loved it.”

Clyde still remembers the swirl of emotions he’d felt that day—the disbelief mixed with gratitude mixed with hope like no other. He’d floundered for a while after coming back, with his hand and PTSD and no sense of direction. The bar gave him that, and suddenly it was his. Mr. Campbell had gruffly told Clyde that the place was a curse; that it “sucked out your soul and your money.” Clyde thinks it’s the one thing his family curse hasn’t touched.

“... You can come in, if y’like. We ain’t open yet but I don’t mind. I’ll fix ya up a drink and a sandwich.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Ya can and ya will.”

He grins at her, echoing her past words, and she laughs.

“Alright, twist my arm why dontcha.”

She moves to grab her purse from her car, and Clyde gets a view of the curve of her ass in her denim shorts. He turns back to the door quickly, fumbling to unlock it. Dammit, why couldn’t he behave himself? She was sweet, and charming, and beautiful, and—and she didn’t deserve being gawked at by him.

You’re not that type’a guy, Clyde, he chastises himself in his head.

He holds the door open for her and she thanks him as she walks in, looking around curiously. Clyde is suddenly nervous, though he’s unsure why. He was proud of Duck Tape, of what he’d done to it and how he ran it. Maybe it was a little old fashioned, but he never had complaints. So why, now, was he anxious to see what she—a relative stranger—thought?

“You c’n, uh—sit at the bar, I’ll be right back. Just gonna get some stuff.”

Juniper nods; she’s still looking around when he escapes into the back. The kitchen was small, barely used; Duck Tape didn’t exactly have food, per se. Sometimes Pete, one of the barbacks, would make a special batch of little appetizers for people, but mostly it was pretzels and peanuts. Clyde’s considered adding a permanent food menu, but he’s still got some calculatin’ to do on if he can afford it. Some months the bar was scraping by as it was, even with his regular VA disability checks, and it’s not like the regulars came to eat.

Still, the pantry was regularly stocked with sandwich fixings for the staff, and that’s what Clyde collects—bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato, pickle. He’s just coming out of the kitchen when music starts up, Patsy Cline’s crooning filling the empty bar. Juniper looks at him from where she was standing in front of the jukebox, a sheepish smile on her face.

“Sorry, I didn’t think about how loud it would be with no people in here.”

Clyde chuckles, shakes his head.

“S’alright. There’s a little knob on the side for the volume.”

Juniper turns it down before coming to join him at the bar top. She sits on a stool across from him, watching him start making them both a sandwich. It’s quiet as he works, but it’s not uncomfortable. Clyde finds that he enjoys her presence; likes her there in his space. It’s odd—usually he values his time alone opening up the bar. He likes the routine of setting up, making sure everything is stocked and clean; likes the silence and the peace it brings him. Yet he’d invited her into his sanctuary, and somehow, she fit.

“I thought y’would’ve gone back home by now. Heard you were out West.”

Clyde speaks up as he serves her the sandwich he’s made, grabbing them each a cold glass of water. He tries to busy himself; tries to act like he’s not wholly invested in her sticking around. Heard you were out West, he’d said. Heard. Like it was happenstance, like someone said it to him in passing; like he hadn’t been in the salon just two days ago, purposely eavesdroppin’ on the Purple Lady’s gossip. Juniper hums around a mouthful of food, breaking him out of his guilty thoughts.

“Yeah, up in Portland. I thought I’d be back by now too, t’be honest. Not that I don’t like being here! It’s just not what I had planned. But Uncle Roy left me the bed & breakfast, and I need to get things sorted to make sure it’s taken care of. I don’t want to leave it for just anyone to run.”

Clyde nods, leaning against the counter as he eats. After Mr. Stephens left teaching, he and his wife had turned their large home into a two-room bed & breakfast. It was surprisingly popular with both locals and travelers who wanted a “small town stay” while passing through. He hadn’t thought about what would happen to the place now that the Stephens’ were gone. Juniper sips at her water before speaking again.

“I’ve been able to convince my job to let me work remotely for now, but that won’t last forever.”

She sighs, scrunching up her face; Clyde thinks it’s cute.

“Whaddaya do for work, if ya don’t mind me askin’?”

Juniper huffs, a rueful smile on her lips. She has another bite of sandwich, taking her time to answer.

“I’m an in-house attorney for an energy corporation out there.”

“Yer a lawyer?”

Clyde’s brows arch plumb to the ceiling as he stares at her. He spares a thought to the bundles of heist money he had stowed away in a safe in the back of his closet, right next to his daddy’s old pistol. Lawyer’s not the same as a cop, he tells himself. Juniper’s oblivious to his plight; she takes his surprise in another way.

“What? Don’t I look like one?”

She grins, gesturing to her lacy shirt and jean cut-offs. Clyde almost apologizes, but her laugh is open and carefree; he hadn’t insulted her. She continues speaking, shifting on the barstool.

“It’s not what I wanted to do with my degree. I wanna work for a non-profit, maybe a defense fund. I have a specialization in human rights law, but— “

She sighs, a little frown appearing on her face. Clyde has the sudden urge to reach out, to use his thumb to massage the furrow between her brows until she’s smiling again.

“—but it doesn’t pay the bills. Especially not Portland bills. And I was lucky to get the corporate internship as it was, so when it turned into a job, I just thought hey, I’ll gain some experience, save some money, and then find where I really want to work once I’ve earned my keep. But I dunno, recently things just feel so…”

She trails off, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. It’s obvious she has more to say, so Clyde waits patiently as he eats. It was somethin’ he was good at: waiting patiently.

“I mean I don’t want to complain. It’s a good job, and someone has to do it. I’m—I mean, I do good work. It’s just not what I want to do.”

She stops suddenly, letting out a soft laugh before looking up at him, a sheepish look on her face.

“Sorry. Here we are, basically strangers, and I’m unloading all my problems onto you.”

If it were anyone else Clyde would brush it off in the most casual way possible. Say oh, I’m’a bartender, it comes with the territory. Make it easier for both of them to distance themselves. But he doesn’t. Instead, he says:

“I don’t mind. I’m always here to listen.”

When Juniper looks at him, he swears she’s looking straight into his soul, like she knows his every thought, every feeling, every shudderin’ beat of his heart. There’s a pause, and then she gives him a smile.

“I guess I’m making a bit of a habit of unloading my problems onto you, huh? First the windshield, now this.”

And just like that, the spell is broken. But instead of it being jarring, it’s a smooth, seamless transition. That moment was over, but there was a reassurance in the air: there would be many more moments to come.

_____________________________

Days turn into a week; one week turns into three, and then four. Juniper sticks around, still trying to work things out with the bed & breakfast. That afternoon at the bar turns into a habit, and Clyde finds himself offerin’ to be the one to open the bar on days he doesn’t even work. He wants to spend as much time with her as he can, and these not-a-date lunch-dates were the perfect excuse.

They were friends; Clyde felt confident enough to say that. It was probably the quickest friend he’d ever made, and he knew that was likely all thanks to her. It’s not that she was extremely outgoing or anything; they just seemed to click in a way he rarely did with anyone. Some days when they had lunch together it was silent, him cleaning and her working on her computer. Quiet but comfortable, together. They didn’t have to speak, didn’t have to anxiously fill the space between them with words. They could just be.

Jimmy barges in one day, having driven up early from Lynchburg and apparently decidin’ not to tell Clyde of his plans. The older Logan breaks the peaceful silence of the bar, shoving the door open and bitching ‘bout traffic. Juniper jumps just about a foot off the barstool she was perched on, and even normally-stoic Clyde startles. The pair look wide-eyed at the intruder, and then Clyde is clearing his throat, moving away from where he’d been leaning into Juniper’s space over the bar top.

A slow grin spreads across Jimmy’s face, lookin’ like the cat that caught the canary, and Clyde knows he’s in big trouble.

Mellie just so happens to come into the bar the next day, askin’ Clyde if he’s seen her purple sparkly clippers when they both know he hasn’t. He tries to tell her with his eyes to get the hell out, but he knows it’s a lost cause—growin’ up with Mellie, she never got out of your room if she knew it was buggin’ ya.

As soon as she finally—finally—leaves (only after she goes out of her way to introduce herself to Juniper, telling her to come by the salon anytime she needs anything), Clyde gets a little ping on his phone.

Then another.

And another.

And another until he’s huffing, scrollin’ through and punching the mute chat button with one of his giant fingers.

Juniper twirls back and forth on her barstool, her pretty summer dress dancing around her legs. She’s watching him with an amused little smile.

“Your siblings are nice.”

She says eventually; she says knowingly. It makes him flush pink; makes him curse the little messages he knows are building up on his phone.

Ask her out.

Ask her out.

Ask her out.

Mr. Genova: Instructions for Use

Hello there! I recently got to re-read Hetalia’s story about Napoleon in occasion of a trip in Corsica, and suddently remembered this adorable little guy. While there are a lot of wonderful people that took the mantle and tried to give character and story to what are actually just 2 sketches from 3y ago, I also noticed some disappointment (understandable) and…. misinformation from lack of context and historical knowledge about the topic. I know that seeing the 4th italian brother when maybe your country isn’t in yet can be frustrating, but trust me when I say that Genova is a very important character for many of the events that occurred between the middle-ages and WWII (does Colombo ring a bell?).

With that said let’s try to discover together who actually was is Mr.Genova!

Why Genova and not Genoa? Genova is the correct italian name of the republic/city while Genoa is it's english version and, incidentally, the name of Genova's most renowed football team. So just like for Venezia and Roma we'll keep the original pronunciation.

In this first part we’ll talk about Genova design

[Original sketch by Hima, I just polished and colored it to better convey my ideas about his design.]

I’ve heard people complaining that “he just seems like a fusion of Romano and France”, funnily enough not only the comparison is quite on point, but it’s coherent with Genova’s history and probably intentional on Hima’s side.

To understand what I mean let’s look at a little map of modern Italy

We can immediatly notice some things ->

1) Liguria (the name given to Genova’s historical territories after the city became “capoluogo di regione” in 1948) borders with France and Monaco. For all it’s life Genova had to fend against France and would often end under it’s dominion for brief periods; at the same time their vicinity favored a similar culture and language (with one BIG exeption we'll see another time): Monaco and Corsica, previously territories of Genova, retain a great resemblance with Ligurian when speaking their actual language, aka Corso and Monegasco. At the same time Ligurian presents some elements common in french that are actually absent in standard italian.

2) Genova is situated in front of the Ligurian sea and has open access to all of west-Mediterraneum, becoming the most important harbor in north-west Italy since it gained his autonomy from the HRE around 1096 A.D. Due to Liguria peculiar geografical conformation (no plains and the Alps-Appenines isolating Genova from the rest of north Italy, favoring a climatic bubble that makes the region a greener version of the south) our republic decided to limit it's expansion towards northen countries and instead focus on the Mediterraneum sea, becoming Spain and by proxy South Italy best commercial/political buddy till (almost) the end of it’s indipendent life.

3bonus) Yes guys Seborga is a little town in the Ligurian hinterland and was part of the Genovese republic. While Seborga's story is really interesting (might do a focus in the future) the general history and culture of the 2 is the same.

NOTE: every time I use the term “Italy” during any period pre 1861 consider it only as the geographical meaning of the peninsula (Italy as a country wasn't a thing till then).

PALETTE AND DESIGN

With this introduction in mind it makes sense for little Genova to have his hair styled similar to France and a darker shade compared to Veneziano. While the dark gray used by Hima could hint at both black and dark brown, the latter is by far the most common color in Liguria so I decided to go with that.

His eyes are anybody’s game to be fair, but I decided to be as faithful as possible to the average ligurian so, just like Feli and Lovi when Hima decides that his eyes aren’t olive anymore, brown/light brown is the most common color in Italy (+ we already have Seborga as the random flashy neighbouring brother).

To end our palette the skin tone could be an in between: probably darker that a Northener but lighter than a Southener (no mayor arabic nor germanic influences here)

CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES

clothes -> nothing too important to say, the clothes are fit for the XVIII sec., they shows Genova’s status as a wealthy commercial republic and unofficial bank of Europe (yup, before Switzerland Genova had that role and it’s banks are considered the oldest in Europe). As long as the colors used aren’t too flashy everything is fine.

crown thingy(?) -> now this is where things become interesting. There are 3 possible options I could think as of why Genova, of all the possible accessories, has a crown when it wasn’t even a monarchy. Pick what you prefer or feel free to add your personal interpretation if you want.

1) money and superbia: as written before, during it's prime Genova was a wealthy republic, lending money to half of Europe and being the indiscussed queen of west-Mediterraneum (ofc Venezia was the queen of east-Mediterraneum, but that’s another story for another post). The city even got the nickname “Superba” to enanche the grandiosity and way too much pride of it’s people. A crown would be a fitting choice for someone who is probably a bit narcisist.

2) city status: in ancient paintings the personifications of countries and cities were made recognizable by the presence of a little crown on their head. Adding to that, in Italy to be a full fledged town or city you must receive a crown symbol to put on your emblem, maybe Hima is hinting at Genova actual predicament.

3) the Lanterna: I’ll admit the first thing I tought while looking at Genova was “that looks like a little tower”. A bit strange, but actually not farfetched; if you have ever visited Genova you’ll know what I mean when I say this city has a lot, and I say A LOT of towers positioned trough the historical center. The reason? To protect themselves from the French/Ottomans/eventual pirates, in the XVI sec. Genova decided to build a massive system of walls and towers that surrounded the city. There is also a specific tower that is considered the symbol of Genova itself “la Lanterna”. The Lanterna is the oldest Lighthouse still in function trough Europe; maybe if you glance at its modern look it doesn’t scream “tower”, but before it was semi-destroyed by the French army in 1513 A.D. Lanterna beared a striking resemblance to what Mr.Genova is wearing.

“MUGUGNO LIBERO”

Last but not least, the infamous pout that gave Genova the label of “Romano 2.0”. It’s not random, it’s not wrong, it’s such a toughtful and unexpected touch that Hima would be declared honored guest by any Genovese (and made me personally laugh like an idiot for an hour).

What Genova is doing here has a specific term in the local language, mugugnare!

What is “mugugnare”? Mugugnare is a peculiar way of complaining and rambling specific of the Ligurians. This act is soo ingraned into the culture of the region that it’s considered an art and will take a good part of any conversation you’ll have with a local.

I’ll be more specific when we’ll touch Genova possible characterization, just you know that where Romano is loud, pretty offensive and direct the mugugno is more subtle and passive-aggressive. It can and WILL BE directed at anything, from the weather to jobs to Venezia and the rest of the north.

This finally brings us in what defines most of the characters of Hetalia, the wonderful land of stereotypes.

See you in the next part where we’ll talk about the temperament and culture of what is often considered the “black sheep” of north Italy!