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gildedmuse · 4 years

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So... I have this bad habit where sometimes, when attempting to summarize the idea for a fic, I go into waaay too much detail.

Like, I don't go as far as to actually wrote the damn thing because, you know, effort and laziness, but... Well, it's a close call. It gets to the point where it's less a summary and more what my friends use to call a Quick Fic. All that's .kissing is the actual dialogue and descriptive narration.

Having said that....

Here is a "summary" of an ZoLaw AU where Law works for Doflamingo...

What happened was, basically, Law got caught by Doflamingo after eating the devil's fruit which eventually allowed him to cure his dieses, thus why he's still alive. Or, at least, isn't dead from lead poisoning. Because let's face it, Doflamingo could have just killed the boy then and there. Sure, he'd have to find the fruit all over again, but better that the deal with this little traitor

Except really it was his brother who had been the traitor. Law is still just a child, and children can be so suspectable to any number of ideas so long as an adult gives them a pat on the head and a treat after.

Which is when Doflamingo realizes that he can just manipulate Law into being another loyal follower. Then eventually - when he's no longer useful - Doffy will have him sacrifice his life for his own immortality. By that point Law will be family, and family never lets Doffy down. Not anymore.

So it's under Doffy's personal tutorage that Law grows up, and as much as he might resit the man who imprisoned Corazon, it's hard not to eventually fall to all Doflamingo's sweet praise and promised. And Law gets what he had wanted all along: a way to get back at the world that willingly watched his home wiped off the official world map and would be happy to see the entire town dead to the very last one. This Law truly earns his title Surgeon of Death, acting as the top officer of Hearts in the Doflamingo crime family. And yet despite his cruelty, he isn't even on the government's wanted list; protected under the Shichibukai's jolly roger.

In the meantime, the Strawhats are still doing their thing right on through Punk Hazard (which they somehow manage to not only live through but actually do more damage and cause twice as much chaos. The biggest difference is that Ceaser and Monet escape and Sanji can't perv out over being in Nami's body). So this time when they roll into Dressrosa it's less "backing up the plan of an ally" and much more "on complete and total accident" and "without a damn clue".

Yeah, basically they're the Grand Line's easiest prey.

But, hey, it works out! Well, no, not really. But Sanji does meet Violet, Luffy meet Sabo and help recover Ace's devil's fruit, and Zoro does get lost and require a magic fairy guide. Plus, hey, since they're not really there for any purpose other than that they happened to be passing by, it's not like they can't pull a dine and dash. They may be unprepared, but The Monster Trio can still keep up the fight until everyone is back on the Sunny.

A perfect escape!

Except no.

Because Luffy isn't totally ready to leave, not when he wants to know more about what Sabo is doing and help his new friend Rebecca. Not that they have time to debate the merits of staying or pulling a tactical retreat since at that poing Big Momma is on their ass. And that scary dude in the long black coat is still somehow following them, teleporting himself through the fucking air like wtf why is this happening now!? Nami is forced to make an executive decision: they're can't stay. Also, oh God oh God they're trapped and they're going to be killed and oh God.

It's moments like these you're almost thankful one of your crew members is a total maniac. Because in the middle of all this mess, Zoro just smirks, tells Nami to just concentrate on getting away from that annoying ass ship, he's got their other attacker covered. Which only makes everyone freaks out MORE because what is Zoro thinking: he'll be killed! ("Not immediately, of course. First they'll likely torture him for information, perhaps even kill him as slowly as possible." / "What? Why would you say that? That is not SUPER helpful to hear right then!") The Sunny goes into an all out panic attack. Everyone is yelling or crying or both.

Except Luffy.

Luffy who looks at Zoro, at the singing ship, at the dark power user trying to slash their ship apart, at the shore line of this island and the way it radiates a fake happiness covering Rebecca's very real pain. Luffy who just lowers his hat over his eyes and gives the nod.

Zoro smiles, and is immediately almost clobbered by a giant Chopper. What is Luffy saying? Don't they realize that is the same guy who almost took down Sanji, Zoro AND Luffy only moments ago? Zoro can't fight him alone! Sanji, more calm than the rest, lights a cigarette while explaining that he's not trying to stop Zoro from getting himself killed or anything, but Chopper is right. That guy was incredibly tough, and there's no way Zoro can do it alone ("Shut up dartbrow! You don't know what the hell you're talking about! I could take him down with just the two swords! With one hand behind my back!" / "He already kicked your ass once, Marimo! Or have you forgotten because of all the head trauma!?" / "The only reason he kicked OUR asses is because YOU kept getting in my way you damn weak-ass cook!" / "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, IDIOT MARIMO!?") Franky tries to regulate the fight but he's busy blocking those deadly aimed slashes from hitting his poor ship while Brook and Kin'emon work on stopping the incoming cannon balls. Either way they're going to have to do something SUPER fast if they want to get out of here. Yeah, Luffy, we need an actual plan. We can't just send Zoro out to-

"Zoro", Luffy says and despite everything going on around them the deck of the Sunny goes really quiet. They all know that tone. "Zoro, I need you to take care of this until we can get back. I still need to kick Mingo's ass for a friend."

At the sound of his captain's no nonsense voice, Zoro is suddenly easily able to stand, shrugging off the pile of people trying to stop him from jumping to his death (and by pile of people I do mean the coward trio and Sanji, who is mostly just trying to get in a few kicks). He draws Wado, clutching the katana in his teeth and yet still somehow manages what you know is a smirk. It's a promise.

And like that, Zoro is launching himself right into the blue sphere of the battle.

A battle against one of Doflamingo's top officers. A devil's fruit user with a twisted heart and home field advantage. Needless to say, it does not end well for our hero.

—🧡—

Although, Law has to give his rival swordsman some credit. He has his share of fun toying with the boy, and despite never standing any real chance of victory Law can admit the strawhat pirate puts up a better fight than most. Far better than Law had been expecting from some one so new to the New World (supposedly he got Mihawk to agree to train him, but Law has met the Hawk Eye and finds the idea utterly absurd). Then there is the way his smile had just an edge of what Law could only call manical delight, even when it became clear he'd long lost. This greenhaired kid really is stupid enough to believe his captain will come back for him. As though he would come charging back into Doflamingo's territory a second time just to retrieve a single crew member. One who was not only crazy enough to sacrifice himself but couldn't even win the fight. At the same time the swordman's loyalty and faith - as misplaced as it is - is kind of... Adorable. Who knew someone could come so far on the Grand Line and still be so innocent?

Law immediately wants to corrupt it.

Thes other family members will whine tell you, Doffy has always had... Let's say... A "soft spot" for Law. He's spoiled that brat for years, is what they mean but don't dare to say. Sure enough, Law barely has to work to talk Doffy around to letting him personally see to the prisoner's arrangements. Doflamingo is a little suspecious at first (he can never truly trust Law, not after the Corazon incident), but he quickly dismisses it. He's had the Heart Officer's loyalty for years now.

Of course, when he sees the spark of interest light in his apprentice as they eye their newest spoils of war, he can't help but tease Law. After all, Zoro is quite an enticing young man and Law isn't the only one there who likes pretty things. They're so fun to destroy which - judging from the way Law shivers when Doffy runs a hand through thick green hair before yanking the boys head back against the wall hard enough to leave the young captive panting and dizzy - is precisely his protege's plan.

(Doflamingo also happens to know Zoro almost definitely had trained under Mihawk, and he would love to see his fellow warlord's eyes flash with barely contained anger when he learns how Doflamingo has broken his favorite toy. It's not his fault - Mihawk is always so uptight and repressed, it makes agonizing him too much fun for Doflamingo to resist.)

In the end, though, he knows when Law's determination is set. And for whatever reason the boy has decided he absolutely has to be the one to keep their guest "comfortable" while his captain makes up his mind on what he'll do. So Doflamingo only teases for a bit - touches a little, plays with the barely conscious boy kneeling at his feet, enjoys the way Zoro still has enough spirit left to try taking bite when Doffy's fingers trail to close to his bloody lips (oh, and, what a joy! Law nearly growls at the prospect of not being the one to ruin the boy!) - but eventually he stops his little game. He gives in, telling Law to have fun with his treasure. He is the one who took him down after all. It is only fair he keeps him.

Just try not to completely break the poor thing, not until Strawhat returns for him.

Law snorts at the very idea. This is hardly the first time they'd done this. He's never seen a single captain try and retrieve their stolen property (he has of course, but he doesn't remember them). He doesn't see why Strawhat-ya would be particularly special.

Before Doflamingo can come up with a clever, vague answer about Law trusting him, Zoro suddenly gives a bark of laughter that would have scared lesser men senseless. It only serves to draw the two men's interest back to their little pet.

Luffy won't come back for him, Zoro confirms, much to Law's surprise (he personally never thought Strawhat-ya would, but then why would the swordsman sacrifice himself so willingly for a man he has so little faith in?) and has Doflamingo raising an eyebrow in.... Interest. Zoro looks at both of them with no fear, like he hadn't taken a humiliating defeat and is even now bloody and chained up, helplessly listening in on these two infamous pirates talk about him like he is a mere object. Actually, if anything, he appears to be wearing a smirk under all that blood. Because he knows something they don't.

Luffy won't come back for him, because his captain knows Zoro doesn't need to be rescued.

To Law, this makes Zoro look like an even sweeter treat. Doflamingo is simply amused, remarking that perhaps their little pup has yet to realize the leash around his neck is shaped like a noose.

Zoro meets his gaze, steady yet daring. He promised Luffy that he'd take care of it, and so that is what he will do. He'll never go back on his word, especially when it comes to his captain. Something Doflamingo with his distrusting and fear-toed crew couldn't understand. So see, their plan to use Zoro as bait will never work, because Zoro swore to Luffy that he'd be take care of it. So he will. Luffy has enough faith in Zoro that he'd never believe anything less and would never turn around out of doing to try and mount a rescue.

No, when Luffy comes back it will be for the sole purpose of kicking Doflamingo's ass.

The mood darkens. In a flash, Doflamingo is in back in front of him, yanking Zoro forward by the chin. He squeezes hard enough to bruise. You can hear the cracking of bone as he explains to Zoro exactly how precarious his current position is only to grow second by second more frustrate by Zoro's completely lack of fear. So he squeezes harder. He slams the boys head back into the wall and starts smiling when he gets a since from the stoic swordsman.

Before he can do any real damage Law steps in, reminding Doffy that he promised him he could have the boy. And just like that, Doflamingo's whole mood appears to shift back to calm. He puts on his fake smile and let's Zoro go, even pets the boy's hair. Of course, he had promised. And he, too, is a man of his word. Something Zoro will surely learn in time now that he is one of them.

Zoro, now with blurred vision and the taste of fresh blood on his tongue, is smart enough not to answer. But not smart enough to lower his head or try and appear humbled. Lucky for him, Doflamingo decides the boy isn't worth it. When he turns around he notes the hungry way Law is eyeing the kneeling prisoner behind him. Which brings a crueller, yet more genuine, smile to Doffy's featurss. The Strawhats vice captain may act invincible now, but he's never faced Doflamingo's own Surgeon Of Death. As disinterested and put off as Law might usually act, the boy can be dangerously twisted. He's sure his top officer will break the young pirate down bit by bit - both literally and figuratively - long before his captain can come running back in to try and find him (and Doflamingo is sure Strawhat will, no matter what Zoro might think).

He leaves with one last reminder to Law not to completely shatter the infamous Pirate Hunter. No, Doffy would hate to see their newest family member treated so poorly, especially seeing as he has much bigger plans in store for the young Mr. Roronoa. Specifically, he wants to see the face of Monkey D Luffy when he watches as the last bit of his first mate's spirit broken.

And because Doffy practically raised the boy and knows exactly the right buttons to push, he decides to give Law a little extra motivation to bring Zoro to that point. Just in case that interest turns into something dangerous like longing or - laughable as it is - actual fondness. It's so simple, too: as he walks by he simply whispers how there is nothing like crushing the heart of unrequited love.

It will be such a treat, tearing Zoro from his captain, and watching Luffy realize he's lost his chance to love the other man, wouldn't it Law? What a truly tragic romance. It almost makes you hope the two of them at least had some time together. Law didn't happen to give them a moment along before forcing Zoro to throw himself into the fight, hmm? Just a small, precious second or so for the two to share a final kiss. After all, not even Doffy is so cruel as to deny the poor boys such a tender moment.

Sure enough, Law's eyes immediately narrow and Doflamingo can feel the jealousy rolling off him. Not because Law gives a damn for their prisoner's feelings - Doflamingo raised him better than that - but he always has had a possessive streak. Having taken an interest in the swordsman, he will hate the thought that the boy might even think of another or that Law won't be the first to possess him in ever possible way.

Doffy leaves with a cruel, deep laugh. He can't wait until dinner, when he may just happen to remember the rumours about his "friend" Mihawk and his taking a young green-haired boy under this wing and in to his bed. By tomorrow he suspects every part of Zoro's body will bare at least some mark that he now firmly belongs to no one but Trafalgar Law.

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maluminspace · 4 years

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Genre: Fluff/Parent!sos

Pairings: Calum Hood/Michael Clifford

Word Count: 5.8k

Written for: 5sos fic event

Prompt: “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have no idea what I’m doing. I almost never do.”

Event Masterlist

A/N: My first contribution to the fic event that @h0tsos and I put together. This whole experience has been so fun, we’ve managed to bring together a bunch of really talented writers and I hope you all enjoy all of the fics they’ve all produced. I really hope that everyone’s on board to do another of these because I’m so happy with how this one is turning out!

Title taken from ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ By ABBA.

***

Michael Clifford had made no secret that his days off were incredibly important to him. He loved to lounge around in his underwear playing whatever games he fancied with his online buddies for as long as he liked.

So it is a testament to his friendship with his long-term best friend, that he’d given up one of these glorious days to take care of Luke’s daughter.

Michael had thought it would earn him some much needed friend points since he’d gotten Luke into trouble with his girlfriend after their last drunken night out.

The park had seemed like a good idea at first. Michael had thought that a bit of fresh air might be just what his honorary niece needed to tire her out. It turned out, however, that little Ivy had more energy than Michael had given her credit for.

“C’mon, Uncle Mikey!” The toddler grinned as she pointed towards the playground hopefully. “Push me on the swing!” Her blonde curls bobbed around her face adorably as she bounced up and down on the spot, staring up at Michael with big blue eyes. She looked so much like her dad, that was undeniable.

“Isn’t it nearly time for your nap, Miss Hemmings?” Michael yawned, glancing at his watch. He’d sort of hoped to be home by now so that he could join his gamer friends in a few online battles whilst the little one slept for a couple of hours.

It didn’t seem like that was going to happen, though and he just had to make his peace with the fact that he was probably going to be out in the world entertaining this energetic toddler for the rest of the day.

Ivy shook her head defiantly. “Not tired!” She giggled. “Swings now!”

Rolling his eyes, Michael admitted defeat. His best friend’s little girl really knew how to wrap him around her finger already. He allowed Ivy to lead the way to the playground, hoping that he’d at least get to sit down for a bit whilst she played with other kids.

The play area in this particular park was a fairly large one, split into a few different sections for different age groups to enjoy. The whole playground was surrounded by a bright red fence and there were two sunshine-yellow gates marking the entrance points. The toddler section was situated next to the nearest entrance. It was undeniably cute, with ocean themed rockers, swings and slides. Beyond that was a pirate ship themed jungle gym, complete with various climbing frames, slides and monkey bars. On the other side of the playground was a set of swings for older kids, one of the tallest slides Michael had ever seen and a climbing frame that gave him vertigo just looking at it!

It was a warm sunny day, so of course the place was absolutely packed, full of families of all descriptions. There were quite a few older kids tearing around, not really caring which of the smaller ones they scared in the process of whatever dumb game they were playing. Michael made sure to keep an eye on them, knowing that he’d probably end up in a huge argument with their parents if they ruined Ivy’s day in any way, shape or form.

Luckily the boisterous brats seemed to be terrorising the area of the playground where the larger slides and climbing frames were situated and Ivy only seemed interested in the toddler section. She headed straight for the swings but another little girl swooped in to grab the last empty one just before her.

At first, Michael thought that Ivy was going to get upset, but she simply pulled Michael over to the slide instead. It was set into a simple little purple plastic structure shaped like a submarine. Ivy seemed torn between playing in the submarine and going on the slide itself. Her cute little face twisted into a confused expression as she seemingly contemplated her choices.

It was only when Ivy spotted a little boy hiding inside the submarine, that she made her decision. “Hello!” She chirped, her blue eyes regarding her potential new friend with excitement. “What game are you playing?”

The little boy, who seemed to be right around Ivy’s age, looked up at her, his brown eyes shining with tears. He looked a little bit frightened and Michael immediately felt the need to find out what was wrong. Before he could ask what had happened, though, Ivy beat him to it.

“You’re sad?” She asked, plonking herself down on the tiny painted bench next to the crying boy.

The brown-eyed little boy nodded and pointed to a scrape on his elbow. “Fell over…” he sobbed, aiming a tearful glance at the older kids still running around recklessly near the pirate ship.

Michael felt anger bubbling up in his chest. How could those mindless brats knock over a toddler and not even make sure he’s okay before carrying on with their stupid game? “Where’s your mummy or daddy, buddy?” The blonde man asked. The little boy shrugged, fresh tears spilling over into his cheeks.

Michael tried to think, glancing around the playground to see if he could find a distressed parent. It didn’t take him long to find a man that looked like he was on the verge of tears, frantically glaring around the playground with a tiny backpack in one of his hands. He seemed to be calling out a name but he was a bit too far away for Michael to hear him over the noisy games of the dozens of children filling the playground.

Of course leaving Ivy and her new friend alone, even for a second, was out of the question. That only really gave Michael one option, he jammed his thumb and index finger into his mouth and whistled loudly, waving his free hand wildly so that the frantic dad would know it was him that was trying to attract his attention.

When the upset man finally met Michael’s gaze, the blonde gestured for him to come over.

Taking one more look around the playground before figuring that he had to trust this stranger, the dark haired man jogged over. “Have you seen my little boy?” He asked, before Michael had a chance to speak. “He’s only three years old, he has…”

“Brown eyes and dark curls like you?” Michael asked, smiling in what he hoped was a soothing way.

The stranger nodded hopefully. “Have you seen him?”

Michael gestured to the little submarine and stepped aside so that the obviously distressed dad could be reunited with his son.

The dark haired man crouched down and his face lit up with relief as he saw the little boy sitting next to Ivy on the bench inside. “Arlo!” He sighed. “Why did you run away from me like that, little dude?”

The toddler’s lip started to shake as though he was about to start crying again.

“No, no! Don’t cry, buddy!” The father said gently. “I’m not angry, I was just worried! I couldn’t see where you were!”

“Sorry, Daddy.” Arlo muttered, scrambling out of the submarine to give his father a hug.

The tall, raven-haired man grinned as he enveloped his son in a loving embrace. It was only when they pulled apart that he noticed the graze on Arlo’s bare elbow. “Oh no, Sweetheart!”, he sighed. “What happened?”

Arlo shrugged but once again shot the group of boisterous older kids a furtive glance that told Michael everything he needed to know.

“You should have come to me, buddy!” The father said, his brow knitted together in a worried expression. “We’ll clean it all out when we get home, yeah? I think we still have some of those dinosaur band aids left too. I’m sure that’ll fix it right up!”

Arlo seemed satisfied with his dad’s plan and gave him a watery smile. “Can I play some more?”

Before the kid’s dad could reply, Ivy bounced over reaching for Arlo’s hand. “Lets play on the slide!” She giggled, pointing at the submarine slide.

Arlo looks at his father hopefully before the man that Michael had decided is incredibly handsome now that he’s seen him up close, told the toddler to go ahead.

Ivy literally jumped for joy as her new friend took her hand and allowed her to pull him over to the slide.

“She seems like quite a handful.” The handsome stranger observed as he watched the two toddlers climb the few steps to the top of the slide.

Michael nodded. “She really is… I can’t keep up with her. She’s like a tiny whirlwind. I have no idea how people have children and stay sane.”

“Well you’re not alone in that.” The stranger smiled softly. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have no idea what I’m doing. I almost never do.” A sort of sadness tainted his smile as he gazed over at his son.

Feeling the need to cheer up the sweet stranger, Michael paints a cheerful smile on his face. “You look like you’re doing a great job to me.” He reassured as best he could. His lack of experience in parenting kind of made him feel like he had no right to say something like that, but he needed this guy to know he wasn’t a bad person just because his kid ran off one time.

“Thanks.” The dark haired man shrugged. “It’s nice to hear that once in a while.” He turned back to face Michael and once again the blonde was taken aback by just how pretty the stranger’s face was. “I’m Calum, by the way, and the little escape artist over there is Arlo.”

Taking the hand that was offered to him, Michael let out a tiny laugh. “The little ball of sunshine over there is Ivy, I’m Michael.”

“Is it just the two of you here?” Calum asked, taking a quick glance around the playground. “Ivy’s mum not here with you?”

Michael shook his head, a sudden fear washing over him as he realised that Calum had this all wrong. “No actually… I’m not…”

“Oh I’m sorry man.” Calum interrupted, a slight blush ringing his cheeks. “That was a stupid question. I, of all people, should know better than to ask that. Being a single parent is hard enough without idiots like me assuming stuff about you and your family…”

Before Michael could explain the whole misunderstanding, Ivy yelled over, not only saving him the bother of clearing things up, but saying it much simpler than he could have. “Watch this, Uncle Mikey!” She giggled, launching herself down the slide at an almost alarming speed. He rushed forward to catch her so that she didn't topple off the end of the contraption and hurt herself.

“Be careful!” Michael sighed. “What would your daddy say if I took you home all bruised up?”

Ivy simply laughed again and bounded off to join her new friend at the base of the steps.

“Wow, I messed up even worse than I thought.” Calum chuckled. “Can we just start over?”

Michael smiled fondly as he brushed himself down. “It’s fine, I’d assume the same thing you did. Ivy is my best friend’s kid, though. I offered to take her for the day to give her parents a rest.”

“That’s sweet.” Calum complimented, letting his gaze drift to Arlo and Ivy again as they reached the top of the slide. “They’re lucky to have a friend like you. Ivy seems to love spending time with you, too.”

Michael managed to tear his gaze away from Calum to watch the children go down the slide again - a lot more safely this time. “Yeah, probably because I let her eat way too much sugar and don’t enforce nap times.” He admitted, feeling somewhat guilty in the presence of a parent who’d most likely have a meltdown over someone taking care of his own child with such lax discipline.

The dark haired man simply laughed. “That’ll all change if you ever have your own. Nap times are like the only part of the day you can shit done without a tiny shadow following you around chattering about whatever annoying TV show they’re most into that day.”

Michael laughed, allowing himself another look at the handsome man beside him. “I get that. I guess these are just perks of being the favourite uncle.”

Once again, Calum’s smile slips from his face, replaced by a more thoughtful expression. “Yeah, that must be fun. Sometimes parents get so caught up in all the mundane stuff, it’s difficult to provide light entertainment like this.”

Faintly, Michael wondered what Calum’s deal was. He seemed pretty lonely and Michael couldn’t help feeling bad for him. Being a parent was hard, he knew that from what Luke told him - the sleepless nights, the tantrums and the constant worrying that you’re doing a good job. He couldn’t really imagine going through all that alone. Luke had a partner, siblings, parents, in-laws and a whole group of close friends to help him out with Ivy, and even he still struggled at times. “Well you’re here now and Arlo’s having a great time! Look at his little face.” Michael grinned, glancing over at the little boy as he tugged Ivy towards the steps of the slide again.

“That’s all thanks to you and Ivy.” Calum insisted. “He was having a shit time before and I…”

“Hey…” Michael soothed gently, automatically placing a hand on Calum’s shoulder. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Kids get into scrapes all the time. Ivy got her fingers trapped in her toy box last week. Luke thought he was gonna have to take her to the emergency room, he thought she’d broken them!”

Calum stared at Michael’s hand for a moment, before lifting his gaze to meet the blonde’s eyes. He seemed to go through a bunch of different emotions, all of them flickering across his face and disappearing too quickly for Michael to identify them.

Worried that he’d overstepped a boundary, Michael pulled his hand away, feeling his cheeks heat up in an embarrassed blush as he dropped his gaze. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s fine.”Calum reassured him. “I just don’t get much adult company these days. I’m not used to being the one that needs comforting.” He laughed humorlessly.

That wave of sympathy and sadness that Michael had felt for Calum a moment ago seemed to intensify. “Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from Luke, it’s that parents need a shoulder to cry on sometimes too.”

The raven-haired man gave Michael a soft smile. “You’re right. We do. I’m glad your friend has you to help with little Ivy - he’s a lucky guy.” He met Michael’s eyes for a moment before turning back to the children and taking a step towards them. “I should probably get Arlo home, it’s almost lunchtime - he gets cranky if he doesn’t eat on time.”

“I feel that on a deep level.” The blonde man laughed. Luke had always told him he got on so well with Ivy because they were mentally the same age. Apparently, he was entirely right.

Calum gave a huff of laughter before calling his son over. “C’mon buddy, time to go!”

Arlo’s face dropped into a heart-breaking frown and Ivy mirrored it perfectly. They both looked so distraught at the imminent end to their short friendship, that Michael just couldn’t let it happen. If he ever needed a reason to stop being such a wuss, this was definitely it. Even though he couldn’t explain why, Michael felt a strong connection to this stranger and his need to get to know him better had started to consume him. He wasn’t usually the confident type; Michael never usually put himself out there, always waiting for others to make the first move instead. Judging by Calum’s demeanour, though, he was sure that if he didn’t say or do something, this would be the last time they ever spoke. That thought had barely crossed Michael’s mind as he summoned all of his courage. “Hey, Calum, um…” He scratched the back of his neck nervously, trying to force out the words perched on the edge of his tongue as Calum turned back towards him, a curious expression on his handsome face. “I was gonna take Ivy to our favourite little café for lunch - it’s only about a five minute walk from here. I wondered if you and Arlo wanted to join us? It’d be nice for Ivy to have someone her own age to chat to…”

Arlo and Ivy both looked up at Calum hopefully, their little faces focused on him as they patiently waited for his response.

Calum’s face broke out into a genuine smile. “You really wouldn’t mind if we tagged along?”

Michael shook his head, trying to control the nervous energy pulsing through him. This was the closest he’d ever been to asking someone on a date and it was pretty terrifying. “Of course not. You’d actually be doing me a favour because if I have to hear about how Olaf from ‘Frozen’ is the funniest thing ever one more time, I’m sure I’ll lose my mind. Please let Ivy give that speech to Arlo whilst we talk about anything else. You’d be saving me, honestly.”

Dropping down to crouch next to his son, Calum slips the backpack in his hands over Arlo’s shoulders. “What do you think bud?” He asked. “Do you wanna go for lunch with Ivy and her Uncle Mike?”

Arlo nodded, immediately reaching for Ivy’s hand. “Can we have toasties?”

Calum shrugged and looked up at Michael. “I don’t know; do they make good toasties, Mike?”

Nodding confidently, Michael took Ivy’s free hand. “They make the best toasties I’ve ever had.”

“And milkshakes!” Ivy interjected matter of factly, causing Calum and Arlo to giggle adorably.

The looks on all three of their faces made Michael’s heart melt. He was pretty sure he’d never felt quite so proud of himself before. “Well, that depends.” He chuckled. “Their banana milkshake is the best I’ve ever had but their chocolate…”

“Choccy milkshakes are the best!” Ivy grins, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. “Lets go!”

***

The walk to the café took a little longer than usual. That was mostly down to the fact that Ivy and Arlo stopped every couple of minutes to discuss, in Michael’s opinion, the most mundane shit imaginable. At one point, Ivy had stopped to tell her friend that a twig on the ground looked like a crooked old finger. She proceeded to pick it up and the two of them giggled over it for a while. Michael has taken this opportunity to ask Calum some simple, non-intrusive questions. He just wanted to get to know the handsome stranger better; there was no crime in that. A moment later, Arlo stopped to scoop up a handful of cherry blossoms and throw the tiny petals into the air. This resulted in both toddlers giggling delightedly whilst twirling around every time the warm breeze picked up enough to swirl the petals around in the air.

The whole thing was completely adorable. Michael found himself smiling stupidly big by the time they’d reached the café. He was particularly pleased when he noticed that Calum’s happy expression mirrored his own. He somehow looked even hotter when he was genuinely cheerful.

The little café was pretty busy, but luckily, Michael’s favourite table near the window was still available. He urged the children over to it before slipping off his denim jacket. He didn’t miss the way that Calum eyed his bare, tattooed arms for a moment before helping Arlo into one of the chairs.

The waitress arrived before Michael had even helped Ivy out of her pretty blue cardigan. Not that he needed the menus to order of course; he and Ivy were creatures of habit.

“Oh, you’re taking care of your Uncle Mike today, huh?” The middle-aged lady grinned at Ivy. “Is he behaving himself, or do I need to give you his banana milkshake instead?”

Ivy laughed, her blue eyes sparkling gleefully. “He’s a good boy!” She answered instantly. She’d always loved the staff here, having been a regular since birth as it was one of Michael’s and Luke’s favourite places to hang out.

“Glad to hear it!” The waitress nodded. “Are you two gonna get your usual, or are we having a change today?”

Michael was terrible with names and since the staff here didn’t have name badges he was clueless as to what to call the friendly waitress. “The usual, please.” He grinned, as he glanced back at Calum who was quietly reading out the children’s menu to Arlo.

The lady nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything less!” She laughed, before turning to Calum and Arlo on the opposite side of the table. “And what can I get for your new friends?”

“Two cheese toasties, a cappuccino and an orange juice, please.” Calum replied, placing the menu back in its holder.

Once the waitress finished hitting the order down, she informed the men that their order wouldn’t be long before she bustled off behind the counter.

“This place seems nice.” Calum observed, glancing around the simple room approvingly. “I never even knew it was here.”

Michael widened his eyes in mild surprise. “Really? I come here at least once a week.” He confessed.

“Yeah, I can tell.” Calum chuckled. “You’re on first name terms with the staff.”

Heat rose in Michael’s cheeks yet again and he faintly wondered if anyone had ever made him blush this much in such a short space of time.

“I don’t mean that in a bad way!” Calum rushed to repair the damage he obviously thought he’d done, by reaching out to place his hand on Michael’s lower arm. “I think it’s really cute, actually.”

Maybe it was because they were sitting opposite each other in a quiet little corner of the café, that made Michael hyper aware of the word ‘cute’, or perhaps it was the slight emphasis that Calum put on that particular word. Whichever it was, the blonde was kind of melting and it was incredibly embarrassing. He’d never really flirted or been flirted with much when he was sober, so he wasn’t sure how to react. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if this was flirting; was he just overreacting? Was this how normal people interact during the day? Michael wouldn’t know; he spoke to the same few people during the day and two of those were his parents, one was Luke and the rest were employees at this café.

“Yay! Milkshakes!”

Ivy’s excited voice pulled Michael out of his fog of thought and back to the table. Calum still had his hand on Michael’s arm and it felt as though that patch of skin was burning, but not in an unpleasant way - in a ‘I need more’ kinda way. Knowing that that thought is entirely not appropriate for the situation, Michael forces himself to remove his arm from Calum’s loose grip. He offered the raven-haired man an apologetic glance before turning to the familiar waitress that was approaching their table with a tray of drinks.

Calum seemed a little saddened by Michael’s decision to pull away from him, but his face brightened a little as he watched Arlo sipping his juice delightedly through a colourful paper straw.

Somehow working out a way to let Calum know he was cute, too, preferably without being too forward, was now Michael’s top priority. He had absolutely no idea how to do that though.

“I’m sorry.” Calum mumbled, “I apparently don’t know how to interact with other grownups anymore.” He adds, almost guiltily.

“Don’t apologise!” Michael rushed to put his new friend’s mind at ease. “I’m the worst at speaking to people, especially when I don’t even have a beer for a bit of Dutch courage, y’know?”

The raven-haired man laughed at that, although he kept his attention mostly on Arlo. This was presumably to avoid eye contact and Michael understood that reasoning. “Ah yeah, I remember alcohol.” Calum sighed, in faux distress. “Haven’t had the time or opportunity to enjoy any of that in a while.”

Something about Calum’s tone and demeanour suggested that he was mildly upset about that but the fondness with which he regarded Arlo, made it clear that his key reason for not having a beer lately, was entirely worth it.

“Yeah, I guess being a dad can do that.” Michael replied, hoping that his sympathy didn’t come across as sarcasm or anything. “Eat up your time, I mean. It must be really rewarding, though.” He added.

Calum nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, it is really rewarding and I wouldn’t trade my time with this li’l due for anything.”

It was obvious that Calum was telling the truth. The love he radiates for his son was undeniable. It was also obvious that Calum was tired, though, and possibly in need of some time for himself. It was far too early in their friendship for Michael to start prying about how much his friends and family help out with Arlo - let alone offer his own help - but he was determined to do something. “It’s important for you to have a bit of down time too.” He ventured cautiously. “I know that Luke and Chloe take Ivy to a playgroup sometimes. That gives them a break to hang with other parents and stuff…”

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to do something like that.” Calum shrugged. “I think it’d be great for Arlo to make new friends.”

“I made a new friend today, Daddy!” The little boy grinned, pure joy painting his tiny features as he beamed up at his father. “Ivy is my new best friend!”

Michael was pretty sure his whole heart had just melted into a puddle of mush on the floor. Arlo was just about the cutest kid he’d ever met, besides Ivy.

“She is?” Calum asked, his brown eyes sparkling with happiness. “Well I guess I’m gonna have to get in contact with her parents to set up more play dates for the two of you, huh?”

Both of the children nodded excitedly at the proposition and Michael couldn’t help but beam at them. In his peripheral vision, he noticed Calum’s gaze turn back to him. Even though he kept most of his attention on the kiddos, Michael didn’t miss the way Calum’s eyes continued to sparkle as he glanced at him.

It’d admittedly been a while since Michael had dated anyone. He was severely out of practice when it came to flirting like this. Luckily, he was saved the bother of trying when the waitress chose that moment to return with their food. She set each person’s chosen meal in front of them, pulling funny faces at the children and smiling politely to Calum. When she placed Michael’s plate in front of him, she offered him a knowing look, almost like a smirk and she motioned with her eyes to Calum. It was undoubtedly a silent appreciation of his taste in men. He gave her a quiet laugh in response, but inwardly he wished the ground would swallow him up.

As they ate, the children exchanged careless conversation. They giggled at each other constantly and took every opportunity, no matter how small, to chat to the other. Michael found himself faintly wishing he had the confidence and nonchalance of a kid Ivy and Arlo’s age. As it was, he was stuck in an awkward silence with the most attractive person he’d been in close contact with for months. Calum was definitely the most promising candidate for a date that he’d had in embarrassingly long time, but he was too stuck in his own head, too worried about making a fool of himself to do anything about it.

Unfortunately, Calum seemed equally as determined to keep himself guarded. Unless of course he wasn’t attracted to Michael at all, in which case he was simply waiting quietly for this ordeal to end. Either way, Michael felt completely out of his comfort zone and therefore decided to make little more than pleasant small talk.

As the food on everyone’s plates gradually disappeared and the inevitable ending of the lunch ‘date’ grew ever closer, Michael felt his anxiety about the whole situation growing inside of him. He kept trying to weigh up the options in his mind. Was he more scared of putting himself out there for once, or of letting this promising opportunity slip through his fingers? It was a question he spent a long time debating with himself - too long in fact. By the time he’d decided that he was definitely not Calum’s type, everyone had already finished their lunch and both of the children were slumping over the table, obviously feeling tired now that their bellies were full.

“I think it’s time for a nap, little bud.” Calum chuckled softly as he tucked one of Arlo’s curls behind his ear. “Are you gonna say bye to Ivy and her Uncle Mike?”

Arlo groaned, shaking his head disapprovingly. “I don’t wanna go!” He protested. “Wanna play more games with Ivy.”

Ivy agreed, sleepily nodding her head. “And we want cake.” She added with a yawn.

It was adorable that both children had taken such a shine to each other and the thought of parting them now was heart-breaking, but definitely necessary. “Well I think you’d both fall asleep in your cake if we got you some now.” Michael reasoned gently. “I think we’ll have to just arrange to meet up another time.”

Pouting dramatically, Ivy shook her head. “Don’t wanna go home yet, Uncle Mike!” She whined defiantly.

Before Michael could argue with her, the waitress appeared with the bill. “I thought I’d bring this over seeing as the little ones look about ready for bed.” She laughed, placing the printed receipt on the tale. “I’ll be right back.” She added before gathering the plates and heading for the kitchen.

Calum shuffled in his seat in order to pull his wallet from his back pocket before reaching for the bill.

This was Michael’s only chance to do something to show he liked Calum without putting too much pressure on himself. He grabbed the bill before the other man could and gripped it tightly in a closed fist. “I’ll get this. It was my idea to come here, so it’s only fair!”

Calum’s surprised expression softened into something like a grateful smile. “I couldn’t let you do that…” He argued, but there wasn’t much conviction in his voice.

“Sure you can!” Michael insisted. “Please, you and Arlo deserve this.”

Seemingly deciding that protesting further was pointless, Calum simply thanked him and slid out of his seat before turning to Arlo. “C’mon buddy, it’s home time.”

The little boy frowned but did as he was told, clambering off the seat and joining his father at the end of the table.

Ivy wasn’t quite so well behaved, though. She opted to begin a tantrum just as the waitress returned to take the payment for their meals. Michael handed the lady a few notes and insisted that she keep the change before turning to the crying toddler. “Ivy, do you really want me to have to tell your Mummy and Daddy that you’ve ruined the day like this?”

The blonde child shook her head again, although tears continued to fall down her chubby cheeks.

Once the small group had filed out onto the street, Ivy pulled her hand out of Michael’s and lunged at Arlo, wrapping him in a big hug. “You’re my best friend.” She pouted as Arlo hugged her back and returned the sentiment.

Judging by the heartbroken look on Calum’s face, he was having as tough of a time with the idea of separating the children as Michael was. After silently chewing on his lip for a moment the raven-haired man turned to Michael, a resolute expression on his beautiful face. “Could I borrow your phone for a moment?”, he asked.

Despite his confusion, Michael nodded and pulled his phone from his denim jacket before unlocking it and handing it to Calum. He watched in shock as the other man typed in his name and number into Michael’s contact list. “Could you please forward my number to Luke and Chloe? Maybe we should arrange a playdate for the little ones. They seem to have really hit it off and it’d be a shame to keep them apart.”

Michael nodded, slightly disappointed that reuniting the kids was the only reason Calum had offered his contact details. “Sure, I’ll make sure they know how well these two got on today - I think they’ll like that Ivy found herself a new friend.”

Smiling, Calum held his hand out to Arlo. “It’s time to go, lil’ dude. I’ll make sure that you get to see Ivy again soon, okay?”

Even though the little boy was obviously upset about having to leave Ivy, he seemingly trusted his father implicitly and gave her one last hug before taking Calum’s hand.

Ivy’s bottom lip started to wobble again as fresh tears brimmed in her sky blue eyes. “C’mon, little miss.” He said, scooping her up into his arms. “You heard Arlo’s daddy, you two will get to play together again really soon, yeah?”

The toddler nodded glumly as she cuddled into Michael, resting her sleepy head on his shoulder.

“Hey uh, Mike…” Calum mumbled just as the blonde man turned to leave.

Michael stopped in his tracks, glancing back at Calum and Arlo curiously, not sure what else there was to say.

“If you, um, wanted to text or call me sometime.” Calum rambled, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “We could maybe hang out, y’know, without the kids… I could buy you a drink or dinner or something…”

Michael’s heart seemed to leap out of his chest as he nodded all too eagerly. “I’d really like that.” He replied, unable to stop a beaming smile from erupting across his face.

A sigh of relief escaped Calum as the tension in his face and shoulders lessened. “It’s a date, then…”

“Yeah, it’s a date.” Michael grinned. “I’ll text you as soon as I get back to the car so you have my number too.”

“Great.” Calum replied, lifting Arlo into his arms. “Don’t forget to pass my number to your friends, too. It’s not like Arlo to click with other kids so easily; I’d hate for him not to see Ivy again soon.”

“I’ll make sure they contact you ASAP.” Michael promised. “See you soon, Calum.” He added, before turning back in the direction of where he’d parked his car.

As he set off, still feeling a little giddy at having been asked on a date by the most gorgeous man he’d ever laid eyes on, his attention was brought back to the real world by Ivy’s sleepy little voice. “Uncle Mike…” She yawned, fixing him with a heavily lidded stare. “What’s a date?”

Tag list: @catearscliffo @byxthexway @afuckingunicornn @painkillerash @moonchildsblack @calumbbyyy @h0tsos @loveroflrh @sexgodashton @megz1985 @myfalsedevotion @aulxna @honeyedlashton @tea4sykes @ghostofmashton @fairyintheglass @cashworthy @cashtonasfuck @opheliaaurora23 @5sosnsfw @wildmichaelflower @wildfl0wer-meg @irwinkitten @cxddlyash @wildmalumflower @cashtonasff5sos @iovehemmings @lowpowermodex @pinkbubbles-and-bigtroubles @celticclifford @5-secondsofcolor @queer-5sos @Secret-Diary-of-an-Aquarius-blog @babylon-corgis @paradigmax @koalacal @treatallwithkindness @lovelybonesetc @morguleth @atlcalm @mantlereid @calumsmermaid @punkrockpreferences @mermaidcashton @mysticalhood

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getreadytosmash · 4 years

Note

][All questions for otp meme for Samuel + Rhys][

@blind-mutant

Coffee shop AU: Who is the barista, and who frequents the coffee shop?

Rhys is a barista trying to pay bills and a rundown coffee shop and it SUCKS until Samuel walks in and asks for enough coffee to kill every loving human on earth. Well. Ok. It definitely weirds Rhys out with how Samuel goes into lengthy speeches about his inventions or incredibly depressing talk about hell.

But god he's cute and Rhys loves how Samuel purrs when he gets coffee and the amount of cash Rhys gets when he leaves. It gets better when Samuel mostly comes at night and stutters and walks into a wall thr first time Rhys flirts with him.

Highschool/College AU: Who is the straight-A student, and who’s the backrow slacker?

Samuel is that prick who always reminds the teacher of due homework. Yeah sure, that history paper was only three pages but who cares if he did ten? He wants to do well so that Phil isn't the one who his father is most proud of in the family. He wants to be noticed, needs to be noticed for what he could be one day.

Rhys hates him. God, is there nothing worse than a know it all? The only thing that makes it worse is the fact that Samuel is a cute nerd that makes Rhys wanna bully or kiss him. They get assigned a project together and its hell until Samuel starts to realise why Rhys hates school, the pressure of being a mutant and being seen as stupid. Similarly Rhys sees the pressure Samuel puts himself under to be good enough and well...at least there's a chance of finally being able to shit the nerd up in a kiss.

Rivals to loves AU: Who takes their rivalry seriously, and who is half in it just to push the other’s buttons?

Rhys thinks that the Leader is just an undersized loser who tries too hard. Yes he's brilliant but he ain't tough shit, Rhys has seen Leader without his heeled shoes before. Of course, Rhys knows that he isn't that impressive either, but it's still funny to tease Leader and to hear the other man squawk in offence.

Leader....oh boy he is determined to show Rhys that he is the true superior mastermind, not Magneto or Mystique. Rhys is a fool who should recognise the fact that Samuel is a very impressive villain and therefore should stop teasing and flirting with him! They're enemies! Can Rhys stop smiling so sweetly and making innuendos of everything??? God, he makes Samuel want to press the absolute dolt to a wall and make him see that Leader clearly someone to not mess around and flirt carelessly with.

Enemies to lovers AU: Which one switches sides?

Hitting it a bit different here!! Rhys is a master thief, someone trained to use his shadows and cute face to get anything he wants. Samuel is a hard cracking detective who is determined to work long nights and to finally figure out who this apprentice thief is. Little does he know that said thief often likes to come and visit the agency, doing some filework and essentially being the reason that Samuel still lives thanks to coffee and the occasional healthy meal.

Of course, Rhys knows that Samuel is both highly intelligent and....a dumbass. Which shouldn't be as cute or appealing as it is, but Rhys finds himself...actually wanting to be helpful when Samuel has a migraine or blushing when Samuel says that he's going to marry Rhys for bringing him coffee. And maybe Rhys sends Samuel a mysterious bouquet that's from the "Midnight Stealer" and perhaps he lives to hear the flustered shriek when Samuel finds them.

Soulmate AU: Who is eager to meet their soulmate? Who absolutely does not want to meet their soulmate?

It sounds a bit silly to say that Rhys held out onto the idea of a soulmate, more so when Blue died and she hadn't been his soulmate. Fuck fate and all that, but it's still something that runs on his brain when he's alone. Honestly, I think it would be really neat if it was one of those soulmate aus where you can feel your soulmate die and Rhys is the lucky ass who gets a soulmate that dies multiple times.

Anyway, Samuel sees the flaws in soulmates. He's been to hell and back and he rules it with a green fists. Soulmates are for the living and he lost that a long time ago. It doesn't stop fate from giving him Rhys though and Samuel now spends most of his time panicked and staying away from the other man, less Rhys somehow picks up that they're meant to be together as nature has decreed. He does a pretty good job of it until Rhys, stubborn beloved brat, decides that enough is enough and he will confront Samuel on why he always seems to avoid him.

Samuel wishes deprately he wasn't attracted to such stubbornness.

Single parent AU: Which one is the single parent? (Alt. if they’re both single parents: Which one is open to starting a new relationship from the start? Which one is never planning on finding love again… Until they meet the other and are instantly smitten?)

Rhys really isn't...prepared for the little mute girl to start following him about but. Ok. In his defense he does try to loose her but then the worry of a lost child sets in, especially when said little girl opens her mouth and a small noise of surprise is enough to almost make the windows shatter. Rhys is an early father at the age of meeting his new daughter for five seconds.

Of course, Samuel comes running, out pf breath and now seriously considering doing some of those exercises Red keeps telling him about. He isn't even suspicious of Rhys at first because...well, the man looks like a human Daisy and he can smell the intentions off him. Rhys gasps in offense and Coral is just having a wonderful time right now until she gets grounded for wondering off from her uncle.

Samuel is rather smitten by the man who handled a mute 8 year old rather well and...coffee is always a good way to repay people. Rhys is more than happy to get to know the cute man who is still slightly wheezing, especially when he learn that this isn't the first time his niece Coral has wondered away from him. Samuel is cute and more than willing to do anything reasonable to repay Rhys for looking after someone so precious to him and of course Rhys wants dinner with Samuel because he isn't a clown much and knows not to resist a cute guy who wears leather pants in his free time?

Doctor AU: Which one is the longsuffering doctor? Which one is the patient?

People in the institute aren't well. Rhys knows that so far it has been the doctors, ever since the new guy has shown up, deadly quiet but malice practically written into the air. People get sick and they die and only a few patients have suffered this fate but almost every doctor has gotten ill. He keeps hearing about how they need to use stronger collars or medicines to keep Sterns calm but nothing seems to work. The only time he sees Sterns is when they roll past a body bag that has the man's shape and even then it couldnt have been him, Sterns was walked past Rhys's cell later that night!

They eventually get out. Rhys's own doctor can't lay a single finger on him before he starts vomiting and dies after Rhys kills him for all the previous pain he was forced to be induced to. Everyone is free and Blue dies but then Sterns is there, keeping the collar and bracelets and anklets on for whatever reason and he's telling Rhys he can bring her back. He isn't sure if he believes Samuel but then when the other man starts muttering about how he's going to have to travel and blow himself up again, Rhys needs to come with him.

He isn't quite sure what Samuel is yet. But he definitely isn't human and he isn't good for anyone involved. Which is why Rhys deems him the best choice to tag along with. Samuel seems to know what he's doing and when Rhys let's loose the raccoon eyes...well, he kinda likes the way Samuel suddenly stutters and looks away while letting Rhys do what he wants. He's already been charmed for weeks now.

Bodyguard AU: Who is the bodyguard? Who are they protecting? Which one is secretly pining for the other?

Samuel disagrees with the idea that he needs a bodyguard. His body gives off enough radiation and be can come back from the dead! But apparently that isn't good enough for being left alone in an entire X-men college isn't acceptable. Cue Rhys being left with Samuel since he's nocturnal and now he's faced with someone he might not see or hear for three hours and then find out that Samuel was fast asleep in the lab where he's helping develop Krakoa flowers.

Samuel on the other hand? Holy shit. Cute man they told was to protect him or to make sure that he doesn't do anything shady. He doesn't seem to get weirded out when Samuel purrs or falls asleep midway through work, only concerned. That's why it comes to his attention that obviously Rhys perhaps needs to be charmed or convinced that Samuel, everthe brilliant light he is, should try and get Rhys to come to Vista Verde with him, where the beautiful man would be muh more appeared there!

Pirate AU: Who is the pirate? Who is the member of the royal family who did not sign up for this?

The plan that ends with prince Rhys being kidnapped is brilliant and some of Samuel's best work alongside Red. The only thing he didn't account for was how thrilled Rhys actually is once the other man realises that he was on a pirate ship. Freedom! Adventure! Pretty men in beautiful pirate clothes! Its every horny prince's dream and Rhys makes quick work of letting Samuel know that.

God help Samuel when Rhys gets something more befitting of a pirate when they all realise that his family aren't going to pay the fees. He looks so cute AND hot in tight pants and bellowy shirts and know Samuel is going to wheeze over the ship, but not long before Rhys starts wanting sword fighting lessons from Samuel....personal close lessons.

Childhood best friends AU: Which one was super obviously in love with the other the whole time? Who was oblivious until they were older?

Rhys was very adoring of Samuel as a kid. He didn't seem to care about what Rhys is and he was just thrilled that he had someone close to his own age that he could sit down with and share animal facts. They were close friends for years before Samuel's mother went "missing" and he moved back to Hawaii for his father's work.

And it isn't years later that Rhys tuns into a short green man who is seemingly delighted to see him for whatever reason. Samuel on the other hand can't stop purring as he rambles because Rhys is beautiful and he smells wonderful and Samuel only snort-purrs harder when it finally clicks and his face lights up at his only childhood friend.

Red chucks a pillow and tells them to get a room while Leader shrieks and Rhys giggles.

#ask #blind-mutant #he swims in a sea of regret (leader)#headcanon

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codedredalert · 5 years

Text

paint the flag and fly it high

gen, oneshot | Law & Heart Pirates, Law & Donquixote brothers | 4,138 words

Law had a statement to make, and every warning needed a recipient. (Or, how they got the Heart Pirates name, symbol and submarine.)

Tags: cute heart pirates interactions, trust and friendship, law angst, nightmares, mild body horror, mention of canonical genocide, mention of canonical character death, canon compliant, the law novels have no power over me

(Read on Ao3.)

@mothersea-zine collab with @smarties-art whose lovely art can be found here.

===/\===

“Boss,” said Shachi with a tone of great importance. “We need a flag.”

Law turned to look at him, leaving only one hand on the helm of their little stolen fishing boat.

“We have a flag,” replied Law, puzzled. The fishing boat was flying the Spider Miles flag. Shachi knew this, as did Penguin and Bepo. Law had specifically told them to hijack a Spider Miles vessel because Law remembered just enough of the port registry and rules to make a convincing bluff if he had to.

Shachi floundered and waved his hands.

“No, like. A flag to show we’re pirates!” he explained.

Ah, Shachi meant a Jolly Roger. Law had already been considering it, but Shachi was fun to tease.

“If you really want everyone to know we’re pirates,” started Law very seriously and Shachi leaned forward, nodding. “Go take the Spider Miles flag down.”

Penguin started snickering and Shachi scowled. Bepo looked up from his maps and between the three humans.

“Um, I don't get it,” said Bepo. "Sorry, can someone explain?"

"Stateless ships are presumed pirates by the marines. It was one of the anti-pirate measures implemented after Gol D Rogers’ execution," supplied Law.

"Ohhhhh." Bepo’s mouth formed an ‘o’, or as close to one that a polar bear’s long snout was able to manage.

"Wait," said Shachi. He squinted at Penguin, who tried to stifle his laughter and look back innocently from where he was standing beside the depth reader and other gauges. "There's no way you knew that."

"I didn't," admitted Penguin, through badly contained giggles. He flashed the peace sign. "I was laughing at your face."

Shachi half-stood to reach across the table to swat Penguin, who stepped away quickly, laughing. The boat rocked violently and something in the locked cupboards fell with a loud thud.

"Guys!" shouted Law.

Bepo grabbed Shachi with one paw on the chest and one on the back and held him in place. The boat rocking steadied.

"Better sit down, Shachi," whispered Bepo loudly. Shachi sat with a small grumble.

"Sorry, Boss," he said.

"Captain," reminded Bepo.

"Ah, sorry, Captain."

"Yeah, sorry, Captain," echoed Penguin.

Law gave a small nod and turned back to helming. There was a shuffle of papers behind him, Bepo moving maps on the table.

"I thought Shachi was talking about the skull flag,” Bepo started conversationally. He yelped suddenly and Law turned to see Shachi clasping one of Bepo's paws in both hands.

"Bepo," Shachi said dramatically. "You're the only one who gets me. I'm done with these guys. Let's run away together and make our own pirate flag.”

"Umm…" Bepo edged away from Shachi as Penguin cracked up again.

"Good riddance," gasped Penguin as he caught a breath while laughing. Shachi smiled and flipped him the middle finger.

"A Jolly Roger," said Law, turning his eyes back onto the waters. “Jokes aside, we can’t put up a Jolly Roger anyway.”

"What!" cried Shachi. "Why not? C'mon, Captain. It'd be so cool."

Law gestured at the engine gauges and throttle, already maxed out.

“I know it'd be cool. But cool or not, this is our top speed. We’d be sitting ducks for the marines if we actually confirm that we're pirates. And then what?”

Shachi slumped facedown on the table in disappointment. Penguin and Bepo had matching thoughtful frowns on their faces.

"Could we steal a faster boat?" suggested Bepo. Shachi perked up hopefully.

"And cannons," added Penguin.

The three of them turned to Law expectantly. Law felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

"I'll think about it," he said, and his crew cheered.

Law was bad at sleeping.

Maybe that was a strange way to put it, but Law had been that way even as a kid. His parents had sometimes teased that he was a difficult baby because he'd only sleep for an hour at a time.

Law wasn’t sure why he had been so restless as a kid, but he knew why he dreaded sleep now.

The frequency of patients in his parents' clinic had increased slowly, slowly, then all at once. Tell-tale hard white patches of toxic Amber Lead bloomed like mould on the skin of all his city's people. In his nightmares, Law tried to shout, to warn everyone of the government's treachery, but they carried on, unfazed ghosts of people who would be dead the coming day. Amber Lead would overtake his throat and Law would watch voiceless as fire befell the White City.

Law would run, because he always ran. That was all he was ever good at–running away and finding himself alone, ashes of the dead on his tongue and forehead, stolen weapons in his childish hands.

Then, he was Doflamingo's and he had been stupid enough to think that was better. Forty-hour wake cycles, passing out exhausted, and chasing fucking Doflamingo's approval had been better.

(And for a while… it sort of had been. It was being seen, being held up to judgment and being found worthy, being found more than enough by someone who had made it and knew what it took. That validation had been headier than drugs in a world of despair and death.)

And then, there was Cora-san. God, there was Cora-san.

Cora-san, who returned Law's knife in his back with protection from Doflamingo. Cora-san, who gave up his secrets to Law freely and in faith just to have Law hold it over him and gloat. Cora-san, who fought his way through every hospital in the North Blue chasing a nonexistent cure for Amber Lead Syndrome when any sane person would have given up.

Cora-san, who died so Law could live.

(It ended badly. Of course, it ended badly. Law wasn't allowed to have good things, and Cora-san was indisputably Good.)

When Law dreamed of Cora-san's death, it always started with Law screaming his throat raw but never making a sound. There was only stuffy, maddening darkness and Cora-san's ragged breathing. A weakening heartbeat, its faintness amplified by the wooden shell of the treasure chest. Doflamingo’s growling bass voice, tone so derisive Law could almost see the man's expression.

Gunshots.

Law sat up in the interior of the stolen fishing boat, breathing hard and feeling sick.

It took a moment for him to orient himself and take in his surroundings. All the lights were off as per Law's orders, so they were less likely to be spotted. The only light was the moonlight flooding in through the windows where the helmsman could see out of the cabin, and the faint orange and white glow of the various dials and gauges set into the captain's table. Bepo and Shachi were snoring peacefully on the benches along the walls. In the background, the engine hummed softly and Penguin was at the helm, his silhouette backlit against the windows.

Law took a moment to regulate his breathing, letting it return to normal before he got up and went over to Penguin.

"How's the fuel?" asked Law in a low voice. Penguin glanced at him, but wasn't surprised that he was up. Law's crew was long accustomed to seeing him awake at all hours of the night.

“Half-tank last I checked. Hang on." Penguin fumbled for a switch in the dark, and the glowing needles on the gauges dropped just a bit lower. "Yeah, fuel's alright. ‘Specially since we’re going slow and quiet now.”

Penguin flicked the switch back and looked at Law with eyebrows raised in a mix of concern and pointedness. Law sighed.

“I’m fine. It’s just the usual,” Law told him. Penguin nodded.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“No.” Law never did, but Penguin always offered anyway. He knew when to back off too, which Law appreciated.

“... All–” Penguin broke off into a yawn. “Alright,” he started again. “Let’s talk about something else then, I’m falling asleep on my feet over here. How’s the Jolly Roger coming along?”

Law leaned against the wall, resting his head against the edge of the window as he looked out over the dark waters.

"Can't decide whether to go traditional or not," admitted Law.

Penguin chuckled.

"If you end up going with ye olde skull and crossbones, I'll eat my hat."

Law inclined his head and shared a brief smile.

"You're right, I won't use that for the design. But I was thinking about the traditional function of the flag as a warning," said Law. "A Jolly Roger serves more as a marker of identity now, but just thirty years ago, they were warnings to the ships about to be captured–the most common message was surrender or be killed."

Penguin shrugged, taking one hand off the wheel to gesture, palm up.

"How about both meanings?" he asked. "Warning! We're young, dangerous, and incredibly handsome. Give us all your stuff and fall in love with us! Something like that."

Law snickered.

"Something like that," Law agreed. He ran his knuckles over the window, the glass cold against his skin. "For the identity part, I'd like something to do with medicine."

"Yeah," said Penguin. "Sounds good. Maybe that snake sign thing. Or that symbol you showed us last time. Radioactive? Uh, wait no. Biohazard? I don't remember the name but it was cool."

Law contemplated this with a thoughtful frown.

"Mm. Maybe." He shifted his weight off the wall. "I should go sketch a few ideas."

"You should go sleep," corrected Penguin.

Law waved a hand in dismissive acknowledgment and headed back to the table. He turned to a fresh page of the captain’s log and drew the circular prongs of the biohazard sign by feel rather than sight.

Biohazard. Something about that didn’t sit right with Law. It harkened too much to the days where people had treated Law as a disease rather than a person. No, Law hadn’t clawed his way back from the jaws of death so many times to label himself like this. Cora-san hadn’t raged like a lion at every misinformed medical practitioner for Law to take this symbol.

Cora-san. Law really owed him everything. And–Law’s pen dug into the page–Doflamingo had murdered him. Familiar hatred gripped Law’s shoulders, a sour, burning poison, the seductive whisper of vengeance. Over the roar of his thoughts and his heartbeat in his ears, he distantly heard paper tearing as he dragged the pen across the pages of the logbook.

Doflamingo was one man. Law could take him. Law knew the way he thought, and his tricks. Law just had to be smart and careful and lucky. (Too bad that Law’s particular brand of luck meant that only he would survive and absolutely no one else he cared about would.)

Well, Law had a statement to make, and every warning needed a recipient.

I’m not dead.

You tried to make me like you. You failed.

I’m going to use everything you taught me to destroy you.

“.......ptain? Captain.”

Law startled awake, arm sweeping a wide arc at the shadow leaning over him. The shadow lurched back, swearing. Law blinked and saw Shachi with a hand over his own ribs, grimacing. Outside the window, the sky had lightened but the sun still hadn't come up.

"That looked like it hurt," commented Bepo.

Law pinched the bridge of his own nose and swept his hand up, pushing his hair back from his face.

"Sorry." He apologised to Shachi, who made a small wave with his hand.

"It's fine. What were you working on anyway?"

Law looked down at the paper before him and circled one of the designs.

"The pirate flag you asked for." Law tore out the page and held it up. Shachi and Bepo grabbed it eagerly.

"Nice," said Shachi while Bepo nodded in approval.

"Lemme see." Penguin stretched out a hand for the paper and Shachi passed it to him. Penguin tipped his hat back and squinted at it.

"Looks good," said Penguin, handing the paper back. "So you went with the radioactive sun idea after all."

Law's face scrunched in confusion. He looked at Shachi and Bepo, who had similar expressions.

"That's just a face," said Shachi. "Right, Captain?"

"Isn't it a lion?" asked Bepo.

"It's meant to be a virus," muttered Law. "Because we're going to use Doflamingo's machinations against him, and spread our influence."

Law took a fresh sheet of paper and drew it again. The Donquixote smiley face without the slash through it, surrounded by stylised glycoproteins. This time, Law exaggerated the lines at the ends of the radiating spikes round the smiley face. Shachi and Bepo leaned forward to watch.

"Mm, I see, I see," said Bepo, nodding supportively. Shachi made an affirmative sound.

"Now all we need is a name," announced Shachi. "Something badass! Like, um-"

Law shook his head and his crew fell silent, looking at him expectantly.

A name was easy. Law had been wanting to pay tribute to Cora-san. When Law had drawn a line in the sand and asked if his crew would follow him, he had bluntly stated that his primary goal was to avenge Cora-san. It only seemed fitting to name a group for its goal.

There were four Donquixote executives, named after the playing card suits in the language of Dressrosa. Corazón, when translated, meant–

"Heart," said Law. "We're the Heart Pirates."

===/\===

Their new submarine ran hot with its engine working at full power. The humans were all sweating buckets and Bepo was dangerously close to overheating.

Law leaned over Penguin's shoulder to look at the complex panel of screens, dials, gauges, and switches.

"Anything on sonar or radar?" he asked.

"Not for the last half hour," replied Penguin.

"Can we please surface, Captain?" pleaded Bepo from where he had given up and just stretched out on the floor.

"Not yet." Law was sympathetic, but half an hour wasn't comfortable enough to risk surfacing and the marines renewing their pursuit. He looked over the instruments, consulted the hefty manual for the submarine's controls, and double checked the map which Bepo had surrendered.

"Shachi, switch our course to the second eternal log pose from the left and lower speed by half."

"Got it," replied Shachi from the helm.

Law walked over and crouched by Bepo to pat him on the head.

"We'll enter winter island waters soon, and easing up on the engine should bring the temperature down too. We'll surface once we get there," Law told him. "Bear with it 'til then, Bepo."

The polar bear mink groaned into the metal grating of the floor but gave a weak thumbs up. From the helm, Shachi groaned loudly too.

"I can't believe you're making bear puns right after we literally stole a submarine from a marine base in the most badass heist ever," he complained. "Bear puns."

"The heat's gone to his brain," Penguin chipped in from where he was monitoring all the instruments. Penguin gestured above his own head, splaying his fingers. "Poof! He's gone and lost it under that fluffy hat of his."

Law hadn't intended to make a pun, but if it distracted his crew from the heat…

"You're all just bear-eft of good taste," said Law with a perfectly straight face. His crew groaned unanimously.

"Captainnnnn."

"Penguin, make him stoppppp."

"Captain, I'll give you fifty beri if you promise to never pun in front of me ever again."

"I'm not that cheap," Law shot back and Penguin laughed.

"True, true. Did you hear what that scientist guy said to that officer? This is the most costly marine ship ever developed. You got that expensive taste, Captain."

"Y'know what's expensive?" interjected Shachi, grinning. "Expensive is how we blew up all their other ships." He raised a fist. "Boom! Man, we really lit them up. With their own explosives too! Hahahaha!"

Penguin gave a supportive whoop and Bepo rolled over onto his back and cheered from the floor. Law laughed. They'd even managed to grab the blueprints, which would help with any future repairs. If any plan could ever go perfectly, this one had.

They surfaced in a rocky bay and opened the door to the summer of a winter island, the sun warm and the air chillingly crisp. Law shivered as the cold air rushed in the door.

"Fresh air!" Bepo ran out and skidded on the wet deck, crashing face-first into the railings. Shachi and Penguin made a collective sound of alarm, and Law started half-jogging over to Bepo in concern. Bepo raised a paw while using the other to hide his face.

"I'm okay," Bepo called with a notable embarrassed waver in his voice. "Don't look at me."

Law slowed to stand in the middle of the deck.

"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Law. Bepo nodded vigorously so Law looked away, taking in the scenery. The small island they had anchored at seemed deserted. The shore was all dark rocks and sparse wild vegetation.

"Okay, then." Law backed off a couple of steps, and looked back at Bepo. The polar bear mink peeped back from behind his paws. "Keep watch and cool down. Yell if there's anything we need to know."

Bepo nodded some more in acknowledgement, and Law made his way back to Penguin and Shachi.

"Is he okay?" asked Penguin. Law nodded, and Penguin and Shachi relaxed.

"He's just embarrassed," Law told them. "I've asked him to be lookout so he can cool down out here. If you two feel alright, the three of us will explore and take stock of what we have."

Penguin and Shachi looked at each other. Penguin crossed his arms and motioned for Shachi to speak. Shachi scratched the back of his head under his hat.

"Man, why you gotta say it like that, Cap'. Makes us sound like slackers," he complained. "Of course we'll help out. Can't make you do everything, right?"

One exploration and stock-take later, the Heart Pirates stared down at the cans of paint which Shachi found.

"I'm doing it," declared Shachi. "I'm painting our symbol over the marines' mark. I found the paint and it was my idea–"

"No way," interrupted Penguin. "You'll drip paint everywhere, and I don't want to have paint on me. Captain, don't let him."

"My painting would have style though!"

"We don't need so much style that some people think it's just a smiley face with some hair again!"

"I'll do it," said Law, but he was cut off instantly. Shachi, Penguin, and even Bepo, who had been watching the exchange quietly, rounded on him.

"No way," said Penguin.

"Captain, you can't come," said Bepo very seriously. "You might fall into the water when we aren't looking."

"Yeah. Anyway someone's gotta stay on the boat." Shachi realised he misspoke and hastily corrected himself. "I mean, the submarine. For like. Safety reasons. Didn't some people drown recently because they couldn't get back on their boat?"

Law looked at the three of them, who stared back very sternly.

"Alright," said Law, not wanting to argue. It was less work for him. "Penguin's neater, so he'll paint. Shachi is stronger so he can give Penguin a boost. Bepo is tallest, he should hold the paint can."

Shachi grumbled a little, but went along with Law's decision. They lowered the dinghy to the water. With the pulley system, it was lighter than expected, and lighter still with all four of them pulling. The dinghy hit the water with a little splash.

"Are you still going to sit on Shachi's shoulders?" asked Law, watching the waves rock the small boat.

"Yeah," sighed Penguin, looking at the dinghy too. "It shouldn't be too different from picking apples, right?"

"You're going to fall," predicted Law with deadpan certainty. "Just try not to hit your head when you do."

Shachi overheard and grabbed them both round the shoulders, shaking his head and waving one hand as if to ward off a fly.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't curse us like that, Captain! Have a little faith, right, Peng?" Shachi clapped Penguin on the back, lighthearted.

"If you drop me, I'll kick your ass," Penguin promised, tying the orange paint to a rope for Bepo to lower to the dinghy.

"You'd try," corrected Shachi before he grinned and did a flip over the side of the railing. He caught the side of the rope ladder and slid down, pretending to blow kisses like some swashbuckling hero. He landed in the dinghy just in time to catch the paint can Bepo sent down.

Bepo applauded. Penguin caught Law's eye.

"Show-off," complained Penguin loudly in fond exasperation. He passed Bepo a can of black paint to lower and he made his way down the rope ladder normally. Bepo followed soon after and Law was left alone on the deck. He took up a spot by the railing, where he could look down and watch as Shachi hoisted Penguin up on his shoulders.

"Make it big enough to see from marine headquarters!" Law shouted down at them. They looked up at him and grinned as Bepo cracked open the orange paint can.

"Yes, Captain!" all three shouted back, and they started painting.

There was something to be said about afternoons like that on the ocean. The bright yellow railing Law leaned against was warmed by the sun, and the salt breeze was cool against his skin. The voices of his crew calling 'left', 'a little higher', 'pass the paint' were muffled by the wind and the rhythmic waves against the hull of their new submarine. The shore rose picturesque from the crystal blue waters.

As expected, the wind picked up a couple of hours into the painting work and drove bigger and bigger waves into the bay where they were anchored. Penguin was just starting to draw the beginning of a wonky black circle before the little dinghy rocked violently and Shachi lost his balance. Law instinctively reached out.

"Room!" he called, and there was a rush of blue, a sphere appearing in his palm and expanding outwards steadily, too slowly. Law gritted his teeth, and willed his power to move faster, but to no avail.

With a yelp, Shachi and Penguin tipped into the water. The boat almost capsized, and Bepo landed face first in the boat, spilling a good half of the black paint. The blue sphere marking the domain of Law's powers spread over the dinghy a moment later.

"Gah!" exclaimed Shachi as he and Penguin surfaced, spluttering. "Cold!"

"Cold," agreed Penguin through his chattering teeth. He swam over to the side of the dinghy and made an attempt to climb up. He couldn't quite manage and ended up in the water again.

Law glared at his own hand. Too slow. Forget having a chance of beating Doflamingo in a fight, he would just get laughed at if he appeared before his ex-captain at this level. He needed practice badly.

Law grasped the air. The paintbrush that Penguin had dropped started floating.

"Pack up and come aboard before you catch a cold," Law called. "I'll handle it from here." He directed the brush with a flick of his fingers. It started making a slow and precise black line on the hull.

There was a long moment of stunned silence as Penguin and Shachi clung to the side of the dinghy, and Bepo sat up, rubbing the side of his head. Law finished the black circle and started on the eyes of the smiley face.

"You're so cool, Captain!" Bepo commented. His fur was blotched with black paint, on his ears and paws. He looked like a panda. The thought made Law smile as he finished both eyes and started on the mouth of the smiley face.

"What the hell, Captain!" Shachi burst out suddenly. "Say that you can use your powers like that before we end up in an ice bath next time!"

"Yeah, helping a little sooner would be appreciated next time!" yelled Penguin. He swam to the rope ladder. "If you didn't sink like a rock, I'd throw you in the water to see how you like it."

"I did offer to do the painting," Law reminded them. He finished the mouth and started on the radiating spikes of the glycoproteins. "But all of you insisted that I just watch you from here for my safety, right?"

"See if I ever look out for your safety again," grumbled Penguin as he made his way up the ladder. He reached the top and swung a leg over the railing. "Can't believe you watched us struggle like a bunch of fools for three whole hours when you could have done this from the start."

"It's more entertaining this way." Law grinned. It felt right too, that all of them contributed to painting their symbol in some way.

With a few motions of his hand, Law completed the mark on their new home.

===/END\===

(Read on Ao3.)

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at-the-exd-of-everythixg · 4 years

Note

][All questions for otp meme for Sal + Mahogany][

@blind-mutant

Coffee shop AU: Who is the barista, and who frequents the coffee shop?

Sal doesn't think any barista, no, any human, can possibly be that tall. Yet Mahogany towers over him and Sal is definitely intimidated by their smile, like Mahogany is still getting used to doing it without showing so many teeth. It would be super unsettling if Sal wasn't used to the whole "world is filled with freaks" thing so he just simply beams back when he hits starbucks at three am and tries to ignore the shaking in his fingers.

Mahogany seems fit to ignore it too and they're just happy that Sal calls them by their preferred pronouns. The little sweet but odd smelling thing is just concerned with the amount of whip cream he gets in his drink. They love to hear the funny nosies Sal makes when he sits and sips an incredibly sweet drink that makes their nose wrinkle in distaste. Everything about Sal is little and sweet and Mahogany never fails to tell that to a choked Sal.

Highschool/College AU: Who is the straight-A student, and who’s the backrow slacker?

Mahogany studies hard. They know that they must if they were to take over Gra's business of bee keeping. Everything is important for that job and not a speech impediment or learning/eating disorders can stop them. They owe Gra everything for taking care of them when Moder died and all of the siblings and cousins don't seem to help their stress. The only thing that really relieves them is their gymnastics class, which they share with the class slacker, Sal Estrellas.

Yeah, Sal knows his future is important, blah blah. His dad is an astronomer, his mum is- was an an astronaut and Mal himself is working off somewhere researching possible life expansions on other planets. Big whoop. Sal doesn't seemingly care about thay, better be the failure and do what he's good at; being pretty. Sadly, that's when the oversized nerd gets hired to be some sort of tutor for him by the school and now Sal is stuck with a undone noodle trying to teach him algebra while Sal flirts widly and tries to convince Mahogany to do some....fun things instead.

Rivals to loves AU: Who takes their rivalry seriously, and who is half in it just to push the other’s buttons?

Sal hates Magni. Hates their stupid face with the way they grin ans leap to try and catch him during his dance practices. Everyone else thinks it's so funny, but when Mahogany is the one on stage and twirling about while laughing? Apparently that's what gets the cash rolling in lately. All because they're a better dish for all the monster fuckers rather than Sal.

But they don't understand why he's so upset. Mahogany just likes to see how pretty their star is on the stage and to try and be as good as he is. Mahogany doesn't quite understand why he scowls so much when they meet eyes but Bex just tells them not to worry and that they're doing so good by not eating anyone. Mahogany wants to be good for her, for Sal. So obviously one of these days they need to try and see what would finally make Sal smile and smell sweet at them. Maybe if they follow and eat a man for him?

Enemies to lovers AU: Which one switches sides?

Its terrifying. To be trapped in a crazed town full of weirdos in a cult. They're not natural people either. They're all gangly and lack colour, not to mention the fact that some of them can turn into monsters. Does this mean that Sal will be turned into a monster too? He doesn't want to turn into a monster. At least, not more of a monster than he already is.

But it's hard when Mahogany is so sweet. Sweeter than anyone Sal has met and that's horrible. He doesn't want to fall for their crooning or petty face when Mahogany gives Sal sweet things or telling him how much he's wanted and adored. He doesn't want to be something else but Sal finds it harder to fight back against the idea of being happy and a family aa the day goes on.

Soulmate AU: Who is eager to meet their soulmate? Who absolutely does not want to meet their soulmate?

Sal can't stand soulmates. And with good reason. His own father had forgotten whatever soulmate he had in favour for his mother and that didn't stick together. Soulmates were bullshit and his very existence was proof of that. After all, what alien would have a soulmate? Apparently a 6'9 norse monster who had been waiting to meet their other half of hearts.

So yeah. Sal heard a crunching noise one night and when checking it out, came face to blood coated face of his supposedly other half. Cue the screaming and Sal passing out, only to wake up in his place with Mahogany crouching over him and affectionately smiling. Cue more screaming from Sal while Mahogany is already thinking up ways to impress their new and oh so little mate!

Mahogany loves Skye. Their little baby is sweet as anything with eyes as pretty as the- well, Sky! Except Skye seems to enjoy wandering off a lot and Mahogany often needs to chace after said sweet but bratty baby. It gets even worse when Skye runs into a bright club, drawn in by the pretty lights mixture of human smells within. It causes them quite the panic when they see a tiny human yelping and standing back as Skye paws at him.

They save their baby easy enough, but now Skye has gotten quite attached to the sparkly man and she doesn't want Alpha to eat spar'kly and they want to sit around and look at the prettiness that is Sal, who is...awkwardly charmed by the little pale brat...and less charmed by the giant pale brat who has a wagging tail and doesn't seem to care about the filthy fliers he comes out with. Ugh. It seems he just adopted two new cats....or maybe a new beau and a baby? God that's even worse.

Doctor AU: Which one is the longsuffering doctor? Which one is the patient?

Sal and Mahogany attend the same therapist and often sit next to each other in the waiting room. Mahogany is there to talk about their loss of Gra and their eating disorders along with issues containing the blackouts they suffer. Mahogany is very interested in the little man that spends half if his time texting or bobbing his head to music. He's cute.

Sal definitely notices it too. His shrink says that he tends to sabotage all relationships with people he likes, not to mention no longer purposely derailing his health as a form of self harm. His shrink says that maybe he needs to try and form more friendly relationships with one of his other patients, someone who knows what a similar thing Sal's going through? It would be tough work but Mahogany is more than happy to know the little man if that means he'll get to know them too.

Its risky, but Mahogany and Sal want to try and make a friendship work and for the most part it's rather easy...if it weren't for the fact that Mahogany is VERY tall and fit...Sal drools over the time he was lifted by one hand from Magni.

Bodyguard AU: Who is the bodyguard? Who are they protecting? Which one is secretly pining for the other?

Mahogany...doesn't think much of their new bodyguard to be honest. Sal is short and he doesn't look that strong...but obviously something works because Old Alpha hired him and Mahogany knows that she wouldn't do it if she didn't know that Sal would really protect them. Sal, at least, seems more than ready to do what he needs to in order to ensure that his charge is safe.

But fuck its almost painful to rush after Mahogany. They're a gangly noodle and its more often than not Sal is rushing to keep up with their stupid long legs and worse, their stupid mouth that grins and flirts happily. Their flirting is so awful though and technically it's part of his job to make sure they stay safe by not using said flirts....and that Sal can teach better ones, right??

Pirate AU: Who is the pirate? Who is the member of the royal family who did not sign up for this?

No one would miss a pretty little royal, that's what Sal tells himself at least. He remembers the feeling of a crown on his head. Mahogany would certainly be happier on a ship, with their freedom and cute pants and shirts. Really, when he kidnap them, Sal is absolutely sure that this is the right choice. He hated being a prince and it's a thrill to have someone so strong and tall on the ship with him. Especially when Mahogany let's Sal clamber all over them.

Mahogany loves it just as much. They love the sudden freedom and they regret leaving their home, leaving Gra to take care of everything now that the heir of the kingdom is gone. But Sal is so sweet and he always insists on their freedom...how could they ever think about going back at times? And if they run into a blue charming pirate or a pretty pale prince? Well, Mahogany and Sal always want to spread the idea of their freedom about!

Childhood best friends AU: Which one was super obviously in love with the other the whole time? Who was oblivious until they were older?

Sal was smitten by Mahogany as a kid. They looked like a prince or a princess in one of the soteybooks. They're sweet and they don't mind playing rough, even if Sal's dad worries a lot with the amount of scratches and bites that Mahogany leaves on him. The visits carry on to Mahogany's Town long before Sal suddenly disappears and Sal's dad never talks about him again, only muttering cold and cruel things that Mahogany doesn't quite understand.

But now as an adult, Mahogany is alone and they have caught their Sal's scent. He was their mate long before any of them realised and its certainly something when they shift and start taking off to look for their little mate. Just a shame that Sal wasn't warned in the middle of a late night fuck with his latest scam....well, at least they were serious when Mahogany said they would give Sal their heart?

#ask #blind-mutant #the living stardust (Sal)#the monster of forgotten midnights (Mahogany)#headcanon #sksks this felt weird to write for my own kids but this was fun!!!

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hopeduckling13 · 6 years

Text

Find My Way Back To You: Chapter 4

Summary: Hope Swan-Jones is the product of the product of true love and her true love, so her having very powerful magic was always in the cards. Luckily she lives in a town where everyone is very familiar with magic, so nothing can go wrong, can it? Or so everyone thought, but then one day as a newborn Hope accidently travels back in time with her mother Emma. How will the past population of Storybrooke react to their Savior having another kid and being married? And more importantly will the Savior and her baby daughter find a way back home to all of their loved ones?

- - -

Catch Up:

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14857127/chapters/34395467 FF.NET: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12964592/1/Find-My-Way-Back-To-You

[Prologue] [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3]

--- KILLIAN’S POV ---

I’m working on my ship, while I try to figure out how to skin my bloody crocodile, when suddenly Swan’s voice echoes through the air.

“Hi. You mind some company?”

I quickly – maybe too quickly �� turn towards her and look at her. Bloody hell. I should just stop looking at her as soon as she enters the room - or my ship in this case - all the time. She left me on the beanstalk to die. I should hate her for it. I should really want her dead or at least honour my whole ‘I’m done with you’ speech – we’re enemies after all. But I just can’t. She’s obviously attractive as hell and there’s just something else about her. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I know it’s there. Why else could I read her every thought? Why else would I stare at her as soon as she’s close enough. Why else would it take me so bloody long to realize, that there’s a baby on her arm?

Now I’m confused. During our whole adventure together back in the Enchanted Forest, Swan only ever mentioned her son and that she needed to get back to him. I always figured, that he’s be quite a bit older. And why does she dress her son in a weird clothing piece, that is pink with little purple anchors on it? And why does the baby wear a little bow on her head? I don’t know much about this world, but I figured, that the clothes wouldn’t get any crazier, but I suppose they did.

But well focusing on more important matters. Why the bloody hell is Swan here? Has she come to grill me some more about Cora? Didn’t I make it clear enough the last time she did, that Cora has her own agenda and we aren’t really allies here in Storybrooke? How often does she need me to tell her that? Not that I mind her company or that commanding voice she used the last time she interrogated me, but I’d rather have her come here because she wants to be here, than her just doing her job. But I guess, that she’ll never visit me voluntarily anyway. Unless her bringing along her son, who looks quite like a girl to me, is a sign of trust. She wouldn’t want to endanger him, so I doubt she’d bring him along to my ship, if she thought, that there’s a possibility I’m going to hurt him. But that’s probably all just wishful thinking on my part. I should stop getting my hopes up since there’s nothing worse than giving yourself false hope. It’s just going to get my heart broken in the end. I’ve seen her walls after all and I doubt, that she’s ever going to let me break them down. She’s probably never even going to admit to herself, that we have a connection. Why does she have to be so bloody guarded and stubborn?

All I am for her is another villain disturbing her home. The quiet town called Storybrooke, in which I’m not welcome. Not at all.

“No. But why exactly are you here, Swan?”

Better get this over with. I know myself, that she isn’t here for me, so I once again remind myself to eliminate that little piece of hope in the back of my mind, that refuses to die out. Swan will never care about me and I shouldn’t care about her either. I have to work on that – it can’t be that hard, right?

Or maybe I don’t have to give up on her after all.

She might look at me a little weirdly after I asked her the question, but she’s still coming over to me. As soon as she’s close, she leans up on her tiptoes and presses her lips on mine. It’s only for a few seconds, but even that small kiss makes me totally lose my mind. The way her lips feel against mine is incredible and it just feels...right – like in a weird way, that’s where our lips are always supposed to end up: pressed against one another. And even more shocking besides the point that Emma Swan just kissed me out of nowhere is, that it sort of seemed to be a familiar gesture to her – like we’ve done this before. But I am very sure, that we indeed never did this. Not ever. There’s no way, that I wouldn’t remember that bloody hell of a kiss. So, maybe this all just proves, that there is a connection between us.

I dare to look at her again, when I realize that, to check whether the kiss had the same impact on her as it had on me. And by what I can see, it did. She seems very confused and disorientated, lost in her own thoughts. I just keep looking at her because it’s something I’ve seemed to have grown quite fond of. I get lost in her eyes then like she’s lost in her thoughts, until I realize how wrong this is for what seems like the hundredth time today. I can’t possibly develop feelings for this girl. She doesn’t trust me and that will never change, so all I’m doing by falling for her is signing up for heartbreak. I can’t do that. I can’t get distracted from my revenge. I’ve come here to kill Rumpelstiltskin and that’s all I intend to do here. There are no friendships or relationships on the schedule – not even with Emma Swan.

It won’t be easy not to fall for her since our connection is very real, but I have to at least try. We both aren’t good at relationships and we’ve been through enough, so this would only hurt us even more since there’s no way it’s ever going to work out.

“Are you okay, love? Why are you here anyway?” I say, while trying to sound harsh, when in reality I just want to be nice to her and show her the kind of man I could be – the good kind – for her and even her cute kid, which keeps looking at me with shining eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She really isn’t, but I won’t question her about it. That would be the job of someone, who cares about her and I’m trying not to care after all.

Because all I care about is my revenge. It’s stupid that I keep having to remind myself of that.

Why does Swan have to have such a big impact on me? My whole revenge mission sounded far easier before I met her and that’s saying a lot since I spend hundreds of years in Neverland and some days my crew kept telling me to give up. I never did, but I can’t say, that the idea of it didn’t sound tempting at times. The temptations caused by Swan are far worse though and I’m afraid, that I’ll give up my revenge any day now – for her. I can’t let that happen. I just can’t. Sorry Swan – and for the first time since I became Captain Hook I actually mean that.

“You’ve come to ask me more about Cora?”

Swan seems relieved, so that’s probably exactly why she’s here. I knew it. She quickly opens her mouth to answer, but stops immediately, when the little lad begins to cry softly, while he reaches his hand out to me. Emma then looks from the baby to me and repeats that multiple times, before speaking to me again.

“Killian, would you mind holding her for a minute?”

Her. So, my original assumption was right. This is a baby girl. But how is that possible? She mentioned only her son and this baby seems to be only a few weeks old. In that case Swan must’ve still been pregnant in the Enchanted Forest or given birth there. Neither of those options is possible. Something is incredibly off about this whole situation. First the kiss and now the baby…

What the hell happened? Did Cora make a mistake and we’re in some parallel universe? No. That’s not possible either since Swan only started acting strangely today. It must be a curse or something. Maybe the crocodile knows about mine and Swan’s connection and is trying to do to me, what I did to him by pushing Belle over the town line. He might be messing with Emma’s mind or something.

Suddenly I get thrown back to reality and away from my thoughts, when Swan moves even closer and begins to put the baby in my arms.

“Swan, I have no idea how to hold a baby – and my hook – “I begin to say, but it’s already too late since Emma has already put her in my arms. Surprisingly the little lass stops crying and pulls on one of the lapels of my jacket with her hand. I can’t help but smile at her.

I look back at Emma and see that she’s looking at my hook before putting some pink thing on its tip with magic – and what’s the worst about this is that I don’t even complain to Swan about that thing. I don’t really care about it either since it keeps the baby safe. What the hell happened to me? And what the hell happened to Swan? I didn’t even know, that she had magic up until now. She always seemed too good and nice to have it, but I guess there are good magicians, too.

“You’ll be fine.” Swan smiles one more time at me, before picking up a bag. She opens it and pulls out a tiny woollen blanket with the name ‘Hope’ stitched on it.

She looks at her baby and gives her a little kiss on the forehead. That isn’t good for me at all since her head is far too close to my nose right now and I can smell her intoxicating smell far too much. If Swan continues this – whatever it is – any longer, I don’t think I can manage to stick to my plans anymore. But I don’t want her to stop either, so there’s no way I can bring myself to tell her to go.

“You’re probably very cold, right? Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you, my little angel.” Emma talks to the baby in a very adorable voice. It’s quite high pitched, but not in a ridiculous way. She gives the baby another small kiss – on the cheek this time – and I try to figure out whether the baby is more adorable or Emma.

Then Emma begins to wrap Hope in the blanket and I – the most feared pirate in all the realms – actually help her with my hooked hand. I think now I can officially say, that the plan I had when I came to Storybrooke hasn’t only been made more complicated, it failed. I already had a thing for Emma but seeing her with this cute baby made things a hundred times worse. I’m totally screwed.

Once Baby Hope is wrapped in the blanket, she begins to close her blue eyes and Emma takes her back into her loving arms. She watches the baby in awe, while softly rocking Hope to sleep and I’m afraid that my heart will burst any second. Seeing Emma with her baby just does things to my heart, which I thought was long rotten by now. She seems to be in her element. The little lass can be quite happy to have a mother who loves her as much as Emma obviously does.

I don’t know how long we stand there like that – Emma looking at her daughter and me watching them both alternately. But when Swan looks up again, she still has a big smile on her face.

“I should get her home.”

“Yeah. You do that.”

She hesitates a little, before kissing my cheek.

“Goodbye, Killian.”

What? Since when does she use my real name? It sounds far too good when she says it. I think Swan actually wants me to have a heart attack.

“Bye.”

Swan turns around and walks off my ship. I watch her leave, while touching my cheek on the spot she kissed me. I really am so damn screwed.

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creative-type · 7 years

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Worth A Thousand Words III: Oda and Stealth Character Development

So...what’s the point of the Skypiea arc? It’s a question One Piece fans and detractors alike ask. I don’t know the answer, but it was probably because Oda thought it would be cool. By its very nature One Piece is not a tightly woven story. Rather, it’s a sprawling adventure epic, and it does sprawl epically.

Skypiea is, however, an excellent arc when it comes to Straw Hat development, and today I want to focus on one scene in particular with regards to my favorite Nico Robin.

No, not that one.

While there is a certain significance to the fact that a survivalist like Robin would choose to side with the Straw Hats over the hugely powerful Enel, the moment Zoro catches Robin is more important to Zoro than Robin. He was the most openly against her, the one who trusted her the least for the longest amount of time. Here Oda is showing us in big flashing lights that, yeah, Zoro has accepted Robin as part of the crew.

But I don’t want to talk about big, flashy character moments. I want to talk about this

Robin actually gets a pretty decent chunk of screen time during the Sky Island Saga as a whole. It was easier back then because Oda was juggling six main characters instead of nine, but it’s pretty easy to tell he was giving Robin special focus.

This makes sense. Firstly, Robin was a former enemy, so there’s a need to separate Nico Robin from her Miss All Sunday persona. Secondly, as important as Robin’s dreams are to the narrative as a whole, her position on the ship is the only one that isn’t strictly necessary. Any pirate crew requires fighters, cooks, navigators and the like, but very few would deem “archaeologist” as a position needing to be filled. So immediately after adding her to the crew Oda makes up a situation where Robin’s skills are helpful and necessary

In this scene Robin also establishes she’s the only one in the crew who’s even heard of the sky islands, while giving some much-needed wisdom to Nami. This, along with what we’ve seen in chapter 218 and the end of 217 gives us what we need to know about Robin’s personality and position in the Straw Hat’s crew. Then shortly after stealing Jaya’s eternal pose from Masira (showing off yet another skill usually relegated to Nami) Robin almost disappears from the narrative entirely and is largely absent from the Jaya sub-arc.

To be fair, up until this point she had been wearing Nami’s clothes, and Robin is, like, almost a foot taller than she is. Some shopping is justifiable here, but it brings me to one of the most important things to keep in mind when analyzing Robin as a character:

Isolation and Distance

One of the best ways to visually convey that a character is emotionally distant is to physically separate them from other people. When Robin first showed up as Miss All Sunday she was sailing the ocean alone. During her confrontation with the Straw Hats about their route she sat far above them where she couldn’t be touched. She left that argument with only her rad turtle ship for company, and spent a surprisingly large amount of the Baroque Works Saga apart from Crocodile despite ostensibly being his partner in crime.

Robin continues to be less than engaged after joining the crew. Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp fool off with one another constantly. Sanji and Zoro fight. Even Nami is known to smack the rest upside the head when they’re being stupid. Robin alone sits above all their antics, not showing her first face fault in a series lousy with them until well after the timeskip.

It’s pretty easy to pick up in the dialogue that Robin never calls any of the Straw Hats by their actual names, preferring to refer to them by their occupation (or their nose, in Usopp’s case). But the use of impersonal nicknames can’t be the reader’s only clue to Robin’s personality. Both Vivi and Robin have a habit of calling Zoro “Mr. Bushido”, but while the desert princess is kind, personable, and if anything cares a little too much, Robin is distant, standoffish, and at times even cold towards others around her.

You can even glean some insight from her fighting style. Robin doesn’t have to be in the same room with someone to kill them. She attacks from a distance, relying on stealth and surprise to snap necks and dislocate limbs. It’s brutally efficient and deeply impersonal, perfect for an assassin - or, perhaps, a young girl who was forced to learn on the fly how to fight against much larger opponents who showed no restraint or mercy.

This is something that was emphasized more in the anime where they had the benefit of knowing Robin’s backstory ahead of time and working little clues into the post-Alabasta filler. They’re a little on the nose at times, but episode 131 is a good example of what I’m talking about here, especially when emphasizing the fact that during the early chapters after joining the crew Robin often doesn’t speak unless directly addressed. To quote Oda in the Volume 71 SBS:

Reader: Robin always talks about creepy things in front of the crew. But her own thoughts, she often thinks of fun stuff like “cats” or “Dress Rosa”. Why doesn’t Robin talk about these things with the crew to make them laugh?

Oda: Even though Robin likes cute things, she’s a bit dark/creepy herself, so if she tries to put these cut thoughts into words there is a chance it may come out as scary/ominous. That’s the kind of woman Robin is.

Robin censers herself to avoid sounding weird. There’s enough evidence of her macabre sense of humor (spoke aloud) to assume that she has embraced her morbid self...most of the time. But Robin has been an outcast her entire life. Even before the Buster Call the citizens of Ohara were calling her demon/monster/creep/insert appropriate insult here.

(For those who don’t remember, the bruise on her cheek is from the other kids who were throwing rocks at her )

Robin spends large stretches of the Skypiea arc by herself, which further emphasizes the importance of what group interaction we do see. Robin has been hiding behind a well-crafted facade for nigh on twenty years because she needed to be a demon in order to survive the cutthroat world in which she lived.

Which takes us to point number two

Survival

Robin is all about living to see another day. Or she was until Crocodile shanked her (more on this below) Because of her past, she views the world through the lens of a survivor. It shapes how she thinks and how she acts, and Robin at this point doesn’t know any other way to live.

Robin has been miserably lonely for a long, long time, but believes if she allows herself to get close to others they’ll betray her. She learned the hard way not to trust anyone and that to let your guard down is to die. We see in Alabasta that Robin isn’t afraid to use deadly force against those who get in her way.

She’s got a bit of a mean streak, too. Though Robin didn’t kill Tagashi, she almost crippled her. That leg injury could have ended Tashigi’s career as a swordsman, which is almost crueler than killing her outright.

When Robin’s backstory is revealed in full the audience is always shown as Robin being the one betrayed, and never the betrayer. I think this helps garner sympathy, but her interaction with Crocodile shows that she’s not above a little backstabbing herself. Aokiji says that every organization she’s ever been a part of no longer exists, and I think that’s only possible if her reputation is at least somewhat deserved. When it comes to finding out the truth of the Void Century, Robin has literally the worst tunnel vision ever.

Which brings me to my last point

Openness to Change

Throughout the Sky Island Saga Robin is a woman who has lost her reason to live. Her only lead to the Rio Poneglyph was a dead end, and she doesn’t find Roger’s message until the end of the arc. That leaves a big chunk of time where she’s staying with the Straw Hats just because she can.

I think if she were as truly as fiercely pragmatic as she (and others) claim then she has no business on the Going Merry. Half of what the Straw Hats do is idiotic and should get them killed, and it’s amazing that they’ve survived this long as it is. Since Robin had resigned herself to death during the tail end of the Alabasta arc, we can assume that the idea of dying doesn’t bother her. Yes, Luffy made her go on, but she’s still stuck in this directionless limbo.

This is important because it gives Robin something other to focus on than the Void Century. Her desire to find the True History consumed her to the point where she was willing to work with Crocodile for four years and bring a “good” country to the brink of ruin. Without this obsession driving every decision Robin makes, she can take a step back and see the Straw Hat Pirates for what they really are.

The Stealth Character Development

Robin is not the focus of chapter 253. It’s a transition chapter situated between the first and second halves of the Skypea arc. The Straw Hats have reunited had their obligatory split the party moment that happen with frighteningly regularity. The crew are setting up camp as night approaches, comparing notes of what they’ve discovered so far.

Until this point, Robin has been with Zoro and Nami. These two make up 2/3 of the Straw Hats who showed initial distrust to Robin, and at this point Zoro stil hasn’t accepted her as one of their own. Yet they treat her with respect, and Nami especially seems to look up to her as an older sister figure.

Then Nami finds the other half of Cricket’s house, and without hesitation Zoro follows the comparatively weaker crew mate through the incredibly dangerous forest, which displays a trust for one another that would be very appealing to someone like Robin.

When the Straw Hats finally reunite, everyone is on good terms with one another. Remember, at this they’ve have stumbled into the middle of a civil war, made enemies with an unknown entity with a god complex, branded themselves as criminals, and almost gotten their ship destroyed. Some of their misfortune is just that - misfortune. But bad decision making plays at least a part of their current circumstance. It would be easy to turn on one another, and I think most pirates would. Just see how Usopp reacts when he sees what’s happened to the Merry

Anyone who has read the Water 7 arc knows how much Usopp loves this ship, but his first concern is Chopper. Compare to how any one of the Baroque Works agents reacted when someone failed a mission. Instead of falling apart during a time of crisis, the Straw Hats come closer together.

Chapter 253 begins with the crew setting up camp. Once again Robin goes off and does her own thing, this time finding a hunk of rock salt to use for cooking. Sanji predictably praises her, but he also reveals that he’s got a brain in his head by saying how important salt is to survival. Tick another box in the Straw Hat’s favor.

Every one of the Straw Hats helps set up camp, even the captain (useless as he may be). More than that, they each reveal a little of their talents. It’s sort of a reverse of what happens earlier in the arc when Robin showed off for the rest of the Straw Hat’s benefit. Through this Robin sees that the Straw Hats aren’t just good fighters, but smart and skilled as well.

After establishing the location of the gold and making plans for the next day, Robin makes a practical suggestion

This sequence marks the beginning of Robin’s stealth character development. She’s speaking here as a pragmatist and a survivor. Her point is valid, and any sensible person would have agreed with her.

The Straw Hat Pirates are many things, but sensible isn’t one of them. Luffy turns to Usopp in complete disbelief, while Usopp basically says “Go easy on her, Cap, there’s no way she could have known.”

Until this point, Robin has not been questioned by the Straw Hats. She’s not seen this sort of reaction directed at her, especially by Luffy. Her face says it all

Robin’s expression is pretty neutral here, but you can’t hide that sweat drop XD. She’s genuinely concerned that she’s made some sort of mistake. Remember, in Robin’s dog-eat-dog world a making a mistake is tantamount to death. She’s spent twenty years allying with people who at the very least distrust her, and more often than not try to kill her. And now, stuck up in in such a precarious position 10.000 meters above ground she has to be especially careful.

It’s okay, Robin, you’ve not done anything wrong. Luffy is just a dork

Note that Nami - the other survivalist in the crew - immediately jumps to her defense. They’re outnumbered by Zoro and Sanji, who have already made a giant bonfire.

Before we know it, the Straw Hats are partying with a bunch of wild wolves (Oda, plz...). They’re stuck deep in enemy territory on the night before a planned raid on the city of gold...and the Straw Hat Pirates are having a blast. Usopp’s playing the drums, Nami’s getting plastered, the rest are dancing their little hearts away, and Robin...Robin is smiling. This has got to be one of the most surreal, bizarre situations she’s ever seen.

Which brings us back to the image I started with

This says a lot about where Robin is at this point in the story. We can’t see her face clearly, but it’s established on the other half of the spread that she’s enjoying herself. Yet she remains distant, both physically and emotionally. The only thing that’s keeping Robin from joining in is Robin herself.

The Skypiea arc is important to Robin’s development because it rekindles her dream, but more than that it gives us moments like this where Robin is exposed to something she’s desired for twenty years, something we see later she’s always wanted but never believed that she would have.

The Straw Hat Pirates accept Robin unconditionally and show her a side of life that she’s never seen before. Even without knowing her entire backstory, by the time the Water 7 arc rolls around the audience genuinely believes that Robin would sacrifice her life, and the lives of every one else in the world, just to save the Straw Hat Pirates, and that wouldn’t be possible if Oda hadn’t given us this scene and others like it.

To put it another way, I fully believe that Robin would still make the same decisions during Water 7/Enies Lobby regardless of whether she found Roger’s message or not. The Skypiean Poneglyph furthers Robin’s part of the plot, but chapter 253 furthers her character arc.

What makes this all the more impressive is that Oda trusts his readers enough to figure it out for themselves. Unlike the anime, he never calls attention to Robin’s isolation and her gradual warming to the crew. Gan Fall wakes up on the very next page, and the focus shifts to more exposition, ending with the big reveal of what vearth is and why in the it’s so important. The development is stealthy.

Oda never makes a big deal of when Robin starts calling the crew by their real names during Thriller Bark. He doesn’t shove it in our face when she feels comfortable enough to tell Franky off for being stupid in Chopper’s body during Punk Hazard. He’s constantly using small moments all throughout the series to show how the crew has changed and grown, which is partially why people don’t think the characters have much depth.

It’s there, but without reading carefully it can be lost with everything else that’s going on. Just compare the Skypiean party to the end of Enies Lobby and tell me that Robin hasn’t changed. I dare you.

#One Piece #Nico Robin #Writing #Manga #Analysis #Character Development #Skypiea #Eiichiro Oda #creative-type analyzes

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lizacstuff · 7 years

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7x02 Anons

I have a bunch of anon asks, many of which are a bit negative in tone, so I’m going to answer a smattering of them under the cut to protect those who don’t want to see it.

Anonymous said:So wasn’t enough captain swan but i’ll take it!

There is never enough Captain Swan for me, but this is about what I was expecting. This episode wasn’t about Emma. This episode was about Henry and the new characters and stories. It was to give us closure and let us know how things happened while at the same time trying to entice us to the new stories.

They are trying to move forward. I’m not really onboard, but I think it’s the right path if they want this to work.

Anonymous said:I loved what we got. But??? Adam and Eddie were able to get Jennifer for just one more episode and they only gave her THREE SCENES? Why? We should and could have gotten much more. I can’t believe they didn’t give us a scene of CS in their house with their little one. Or at least setting up a nusery with Emma showing a tad more. Something!

See what I wrote above, this wasn’t about them it’s about Henry. Killian and Emma appeared in order to serve Henry’s story. I get that you (and I) would have preferred if it was the Captain Swan hour, but except for the CS Movie we’ve never gotten that. We’ve always been given big (awesome) pieces and then had to fill in the details ourselves. This show is always plot, plot, plot. It’s never character, character, character. So this was no different than what has always happened.

And, hey, maybe they didn’t want to flash forward 7 months and show us Hook and Emma with the baby in case they want to use it in a series finale or something. You never know. in the meantime we have our imaginations and a very creative fandom.

Anonymous said:Yes, what we got was wonderful. But how stupid of Adam and Eddy not to use the full potential of having Jen back for an episode? It’s a waste! She got like 5 minutes total! And I will be forever gutted, and bitter, that we didn’t get to see CS find out they were pregnant. And I’m especially upset they didn’t show they in SB or at home with their baby. They could have given that to the audience if they’d bothered to utilise Jen fully for the one time they have her back.

You’re a real glass half empty kind of girl, aren’t you?

Honestly, for something that you’ve invested this much time in, isn’t it easier and more fulfilling to be happy with the “wonderful” that we did get, instead of bitter about what we didn’t? It’s your choice, but to me it seems like an easy one.

Anonymous said:Looks like A&E lied yet again ….. they said that Emma was in “ ALOT “ Of this episode …… I guess they count mentioning her name 50 times and giving her 2 scenes 🙄

While what we got was just about exactly what I expected, yes, Adam stretched the truth once again. Oh Adam, you and Eddy and your semantics do make it easier to quit you.

Anonymous said:I’m glad that cs got their HE, but really? Wish hook? And with a daughter? I wanted to see Emma and Killian’s baby not a random girl

Then this reboot is probably not for you. That’s okay. Lots of TV shows are not for me. I’m pretty sure many of us would have preferred to see a show about Emma and Kilian’s baby, but JMo isn’t on the show anymore. Emma is no longer the protagonist and would you really want to see a CS baby without Emma? Would you really risk Captain Swan in order to have some random storyline on this mess of a S7?

I’m flabbergasted that anyone would care enough about S7 to want them to jeopardize Captain Swan.

I’m good with them riding back into the Storybrooke sunset together and off of this show altogether.

Anonymous said:It’s me or even the quality of the editing is getting worse? The script it was is it, but even now with how fast the scenes goes from one to another and how bad are some of the new actors it’s like everything get worse

Hmmm… I didn’t notice the editing. I think you may be reacting to the overall pacing, they are still all plot, plot, plot and try to cram too much into every episode.

As far as the actors, I thought Gabrielle Anwar was the least of the issues in the first ep, but in this one… oh my. As @counttotwenty said to me, she should be twirling a mustache with every word she utters and @doddplaza compared her to Snidely Whiplash. It’s so broad and cartoonish that it’s bad. Both the writing for her and the acting.

Anonymous said:I think the audience will be really grossed out at this other Hook having another love interest. Sure it’s not THE Hook, but it’s the same actor and he looks exactly like the other one, it’s going to be extremely hard to dissociate him from the real one. There’s no way I’ll be watching any of that. And Colin is going to be excited about it and yeah, I have no time for that. I hope it gets canceled before we reach that part or Colin has the chance to hyperventilate about it on twitter.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. First off when has Colin ever hyperventilated on twitter? Other than using a few too many exclamation points he’s incredibly low-key and usually just retweets stuff. He was on the promotion train for S7 during the cons this summer because its his job. It’s a requirement. Cut him some slack.

As for the love interesting, I agree. I think putting Colin on screen with any other woman this season would be a huge mistake. Even though he’s a totally different character (a fake person really) I don’t think the audience is ready. However… do A&E know that? I don’t know.

What I do know is I won’t watch a second of it, so if it happens it doesn’t matter to me.

Anonymous said:I am 100 percent thankful they didn’t muck up captain swan but I feel like the undercut Killian becoming a dad for the first time by making wish world Hook a dad already. Also I thought Adam and Eddy said wish world was not real? How does WWH know Tremaine etc ? This show is a hot mess

Hmmm… WishHook must have found a way to leave the WishRealm and ran into Tremaine? No idea. I’m certain they are going to be fifty-eleven-thousand plot holes in this thing.

Here’s the thing.. do I think it’s stupid? Hell yes. But I don’t think they should have done any of this AT ALL. It was too soon for a reboot and they shouldn’t have drug characters from the original into it. However, that train has left the station so I’m just left feeling gratified that they found a way to not ruin Captain Swan or Killian Jones. So… while I think the WishHook thing is stupid and does not remotely match up with what we were lead to believe that WishReal was (a twisted up EQ/Genie version that was all fake) I’m not gonna put up a fight like I care. Because when it comes to this show I only care about Captain Swan.

Anonymous said:I’m so happy emma and hook are happy but it makes me sick that Rogers is going to go off with some other woman and we are probably going to see their kid. I won’t even be watching but… I thought I’d be over the moon about Emma and hook and I am, honestly I am, but I feel like my emotions are all over the place and I can’t seem to get past my feelings about seeing Rogers with another woman. I don’t know. Sorry to both you I just dot have anyone to talk to and I’m crying a lot so.

Honey, I don’t think there is any reason to be this upset. WishHook and Killian are different people. They are not the same and no one is forcing you to watch WishHook do anything. Let the show go, don’t let it ruin Captain Swan for you. They’ve done this to preserve Captain Swan, so take it at face value. Nothing they do in S7 matters. Seriously.

Anonymous said:I still think it’s ridiculous this show even had another season without so many main characters, but hats off to the writers for what they came up to keep CS intact. I feel like a very lucky CSer right now because this could have been a total disaster and they managed to keep CS, Emma and Killian untouched. I’m not here to see any version of Hook/Colin acting romantically with other women (yuck) so I’m out from now on, but I’m at peace with where they left CS. THANK GOD

Agreed on all of it.

Anonymous said:this was an emotional curtain call? god they really become terrible writers

I have to say that might be one of the lesser Jane episodes. I mean there were some things that were deftly done, like having Hook and Emma able to go home, but not have it appear they were abandoning Henry. They threaded the needle on that pretty well, but some stuff was so heavy handed.

I can NOT believe for Shoe Believer that they had two people observe “Are you in love with her?” after observing Henry doing nothing for two seconds.

Really?

That��s how unsubtle things are going to be from here on out? That line twice in the second episode before the audience has even gotten to know these characters? For really no reason? Wowza. Talk about trying to force a ship. That was bad.

Victoria Belfrey’s and Lady Tremaine’s writing was ridiculous. It is so broad and over the top, but as @counttotwenty said to me this morning, the show is taking itself so seriously.

(And again, Colin, the best OUAT scripts you ever read? Oh honey. That observation is not holding up)

Anonymous said:I’m seeing Hooked Queen gifs now. Really hoping A & E don’t go down that route! Or that the child is theirs. The horror!!!! Don’t think I could bare it. But in terms of CS I think that’s the best we’re going to get and I’m happy Emma gets a second chance (an addition not a replacement) like Snow did. Just imagine the cute adventures this little pirate will have with those two as parents :)

Okay the idea of Hooked Queen makes me want to vomit, so please don’t send me asks about it. I’ll ignore them or possibly block you. Seriously. It doesn’t mean I think it will happen, it just means I don’t even want to think about it. However, I do want to address your speculation that the child could be theirs. Come on. You don’t think there would have been a flicker of recognition when they just teamed up this episode with WishHook talking about finding his daughter. I can’t remember how the WishAU disposed of Regina, but I think we can rest easy on that she’s not the mother. Good grief.

Anonymous said:that know it all anon of yours from earlier certainly has egg on their face now.

She never came back to apologize for telling people who believed that was not our Hook in the sneak peek to use logic!

I never come after anyone just because their spec is wrong, but don’t come into my ibox and insult others who have different and (ultimately correct) speculation. It’s rude.

Anonymous said:The way they’ve set this up though - they’re kinda asking Emma and Hook fans to leave, when they need to desperately keep as many viewers as they can. Because if Rogers was the real Hook and he’s obviously not with Emma and his real child, people would still be invested in him as the character they’ve always known. But now, all those fans can literally leave and not miss anything! Colin is great and all but they’re selling people a whole new character and now that’s another strike against S7.

Thank GOD they didn’t do this. I know it would have been better for investment of fans, but the idea of Killian and Emma separated when we know JMo will never appear again to wrap it up? That sound fucking awful.

So, yes, they are risking fans of CS leaving after getting the happily ever after confirmation, but if the show doesn’t stand on it’s own, it doesn’t stand. Every new show has to debut and find it’s audience, so does this one. Honestly, I’m thrilled they’re not risking destroying CS just for a few more eyeballs. They have a bit of integrity left.

Anonymous said:I wonder how pissed the shippers are that Emma and Queen Queen didn’t speak or touch? Or that Jen and Lana didn’t even film together?

I’m guessing they are not happy. But they are so upset about the CS child and *gasp* adult Henry trying to woo a lady without both his Mommies there to change his diapers I’m not sure how much they have focused on the lackluster goodbye.

Like Lana and JMo, Emma and Regina aren’t really friends. They are frenemies who are related and know they have to get along for the sake of Henry and Snow and sometimes team up to prevent evil. Period.

Anonymous said:Im with you Liza. I cared only that CS got their happy ending and ended in a safe place. Henry is part of that but I can assume he’ll make it back home someday just fine. Hes an adult who makes his own decisions. Im actually grateful to A&E. They gave me an exit strategy from OUAT. I get to take it knowing my beloved characters are in a beautiful safe place. I cant ask for more w/ JMo’s exit. I hope we might get a peek into their lives in a series finale but if this was it, Im ok. Im happy too.

Me too! I hope in the series finale we get a peak into their lives. Time will tell!

Anonymous said:I couldn’t agree with you more. CS is happy and alive and together and pregnant. As far as I’m concerned nothing else happened on the show. I can walk away happy and live in fanfic and Colin/Jen cons.

Long live the fandom!

There are all sorts of Storybrooke important questions to explore, for instance do Killian and David go out sailing? Have Snowing had more children? Who’s the big spoon… Killian or Emma?

Anonymous said:A strange episode but a good one for me! I was looking for peace after JMo said she was leaving. The reason I cont w/ OUAT was b/c of CS alone. They got their happy ending. Shes w/ her parents, husband & kid, and her adult son is living his life away from the nest as all children do. I can watch the first six seasons in good faith, finish w/ 7.02 and let the rest go. It a blessing of a goodbye to OUAT for me as I was always done after tonight. The true Killian and Emma are happy and so I am too.

It was a strange episode, I don’t see me really ever rewatching it, but Killian and Emma going through that portal is all that matters. I’ll enjoy the gifs of their scenes for a long time to come.

#captain swan #ouat negativity #not all the asks are negative #ouat s7 #asklizac #anonymous #ouat 7.02

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sanctferum · 7 years

Text

Dangan Ronpa V3: Chapter 4 Free Time!

After leaving the library, I immediately find a hidden Monokuma near the bottom of the stairs. Let’s look at all these old and new areas to find some others. There’s one on the railing in the second floor hallway, and another in the dorms, and yet another in Tenko’s abandoned lab. The final one must be during a trial minigame.

Hanging out with Kaito, he offers to spend the free time talking about himself. The reason Kaito feels so strongly about the universe. When Kaito was a kid, he used to go to his grandpa’s house. (Let’s not mention what we saw in the motive video to him.) He’d look for treasure in his grandpa’s old warehouse, and one day, while rummaging around, he found a treasure map, to find the treasures of these with! He promptly sold it to a pawn shop for cash. Kaito wouldn’t follow a map to adventure. He’d make his own maps. Still, the sea was calling him now, so he used the money to buy a boat and went on a voyage, and soon after becoming a captain, he met his destined rival. Where is this story going?

The boss of the Great Pirates. Uh. What.

He and the boss of the Great Pirates fought many battles, and eventually became friends. Then they had one final battle to determine who would conquer the seas. Kaito knew he could win, but he’d come to realize he wouldn’t be satisfied with just the sea. Kaito won the battle but didn’t finish the guy off, and ever since then, they haven’t seen each other. To be continued next time…

After an incredibly stupid and suspect story, we return to our room. No more free time today.

Monokub announcement! Night-time starts now, Monophanie and Monotaro have fallen in love, etc. Wait, what? C’mon, what’s with all the incest stuff. First Kiyo and now this bullshit…

Shuichi decides to pretend that never happened, and goes off to train with Kaito and Maki.

Gonta is up too. He thinks it’s best that even with the Student Council dissolved, people stay in their rooms for the night. Both Ryoma and Angie were killed at night…by that logic, the day/night split for the murders is 50/50, though.

Gonta feels useless. Shuichi encourages him, saying everyone can tell how much he cares about everyone. Gonta comes to a decision…but doesn’t say what it is. He’ll discuss it tomorrow at breakfast.

Outside, Kaito and Maki are waiting. 100 sit-ups each. In the time it takes for Shuichi to do 3 sit-ups, Maki’s almost at 30…that’s 10 times as fast. Impressive. And Kaito…has done none. He’s just staring at the stars…he gets up and tells us he needs to use the bathroom. Maki offers to go check on him for Shuichi while he finishes his sit-ups, but Shuichi points out that Maki would have to follow Kaito into the boys bathroom.

So no on that plan…but Maki takes the opportunity to ask a surprise question. Did Shuichi like Kaede? Maki thought he didn’t, because she can’t understand how people could become friends so quickly, especially in a situation like this. It’s weird.

Shuichi asks Maki what circumstances that people meet under aren’t weird for a sudden friendship. Maki is unable to answer, because it’s not an experience she has ever had. Damn, that’s…

Before Shuichi can figure out why Maki is asking these questions all of the sudden, Kaito returns. He drank too much water before training and had to pee. A lie, in all likelihood, but not one Shuichi picks up on.

So, then, the training begins again from the beginning. Another 100 sit-ups.

Kaito isn’t exercising because he has nothing to worry about, or so he says. What’s up with him?

Neither Kaito nor Shuichi are able to do the extra 100 sit-ups, but Maki manages it easily. Back in his room, Shuichi reflects on what the flashback light made him remember. All the things he remembered…If they’re connected to this situation, or to the Ultimate Hunt, or to the funeral…maybe the answers can save them. But those are answers Shuichi does not have.

Monokuma Theater! Haven’t had one of these since chapter 2. Chapter 3 just had Monodam theaters.

According to Monokuma, soccer players wear numbers on their jersey to determine how many mochi they get in the red bean soup they eat post-game. That way, the red bean soup can be properly prepared in advance. Trading jerseys with someone gets you that jersey’s number of mochi in your red bean soup. But for baseball players, the number represents how many pieces of meat they get in their curry. Volleyball players and sliced pork in their ramen, etc. And that is the importance of jersey numbers. Thanks Monokuma, that all sounded really credible and trustworthy trivia.

Morning announcement! Monotaro and Monophanie are now playing the part of an abusive boyfriend and the girl he seduced.

Outside the dorm, Maki and Shuichi talk about their conversation last night. Maki sounded like she didn’t care, but that wasn’t true. A detective should listen before making assumptions.

Maki walks off. Further up the path is Himiko, who’s out of breath from running all the way to the front of the Academy building from the dorms. She ran as part of her new philosophy of moving forward with her life. Walking is too slow of a pace for that! Shuichi questions whether she needs to be physically going fast to do that. The thing is, how else is she gonna do it? She doesn’t know of any other way to live life facing forwards, for Angie and Tenko’s sakes.

Still, she’s definitely gotta pace herself. Shuichi gives her a black belt from the monomono machine, so she can exercise in Tenko’s dojo. After breakfast, Shuichi will meet up with Himiko and train in the dojo.

Miu’s standing in the hall, near the basement stairs. Shuichi almost immediately regrets talking to her.

Fun last night? Huh?

Oh, she thinks Shuichi, Kaito, and Maki had a threesome in the middle of the courtyard. Yeah, that sounds like something Miu would think. She goes off to the breakfast hall, but not before mentioning that she’s working on the perfect invention! Once Shuichi has that, he won’t even need a rubber…Shuichi muses that Miu seemed more upbeat, and that she said “wait” in relation to the invention. Is she working on something right now, that she’s almost finished with? It’s weird…hopefully it’s something other than her figuring out how to make drugs and getting high. That’s the last thing we need.

Inside the dining hall, Gonta seems to be trying to convince the others of something.

Oh, he plans to fight Monokuma. Even with three Monokubs dead, there’s still two Exisals, and Monokuma himself has spares, so…bad idea.

Kokichi doesn’t think Monokuma’s defeat would even stop the killing game. And why would anyone (read: just Kokichi) want it to stop in the first place? It’s starting to get fun now, after all. He also states his intent to win the game. If he needs to become the next blackened to do that, he’ll do it. But the game can’t continue until there’s another killing…so, someone kill already, and make the fun start! And if no one kills each other, Kokichi will have no choice but to take the matter into his own hands and become the blackened himself.

Kaito punches Kokichi in the face. As Kaito yells at Kokichi, Keebo cautions that even minor fights can escalate into murder. If we try and solve our problems with violence, another killing is all but assured. Kaito, who was about to punch Kokichi again, steps back and puts his fists down.

Gonta says that if everyone’s gonna fight each other, he’ll go fight Monokuma rather than watch another killing happen.

Miu tells him there’s no need for that. Hmmmm. I wonder what she invented? An Exisal of her own?

Himiko delivers a Miu line…no wait, that’s just an example of what Miu would have likely said. But she told him not to be worried about Monokuma instead. Miu says that recklessness is pointless because she’s got a plan to save everyone.

“I’ll bring you to a world where the killing game doesn’t exist!”

It’s the computer, isn’t it…she plans to use the computer to create a new world of her own. That’s the only thing I can think of.

After breakfast, we head to the dojo to train with Himiko. Gonta’s there too. And he’s refusing to accept that there’s no way he can help out, so we have no choice but to invite him to train with us and work out together.

Himiko’s gonna do mage exercises. And the best way for her to gain the mana necessary is to have someone overflowing with vitality nearby. Gonta can stand nearby while Himiko borrows his vitality for her exercise. OK.

The exercises are basically preparations for stage performers to do their stuff. That isn’t a Mage exercise. That’s a Magician exercise. Well at least Himiko and Gonta are having fun.

Back to our room. Gonta wanted to fight Monokuma to save his friends. There’s no way Miu would ever say it, but she probably is working hard for the same reason. But Shuichi can’t help his friends, because his talent is only useful after they’re dead.

Free time again! Let’s see what nutty story Kaito has this time.

OK, so Kaito fought off a bunch of rival pirates and left his ship. But before he could get to port, he got caught in a storm. Right when he thought he was done for, a whale ate his boat. Hey, has this guy been watching Pinocchio too many times or something?

Whales are apparently the second smartest thing in the world. The smartest thing is Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars. What am I reading.

Kaito was sheltered from the storm, but he was stuck inside the whale’s stomach. He eventually made it to port, and realized that he’d tried to conquer the sea, and the sea won. So next up was…the land. This story sure is long.

Shuichi is just sweatdropping. Kaito talks on. He sold his boat and all his belonging, and entered the jungle. As he cut his own path through the dense growth, he found himself face to face with va giant anaconda, capable of swallowing a man whole! Kaito defeated the fell serpent, but that ended up triggering something else. Right before him, a gate opened up, leading to the Underground Empire, who had been using the anaconda as a watchman.

Against his better judgement, Shuichi asks what the heck that even is. Apparently, it’s a civilization located in an underground cave. Kaito invaded the empire, and made the emperor into his sidekick, but then time ran out and he had to go back to his gramp’s house. Summer vacation was over. So…was this whole story just his younger self thinking up a cool story about what the map could do?

Anyways, back to the main topic. Kaito must have wanted to become an astronaut for some reason, right? Even if he lost track of the topic while telling his tall tale. His reason is that the universe is the final frontier for him to conquer! Besides, astronauts are cool! What kid hasn’t grown up wanting to be one?

Shuichi looks so disappointed…

Well, time for more Free Time!

Kaito wants to escape. Who knows how much astronaut training he’s missing. But since we’re here, at least we got to meet each other and become friends.

Kaito says he could be called the Ultimate Hero. He’s had plenty of sidekicks before Shuichi. He’s only an astronaut trainee, but in other fields, he’s already made quite the name for himself. One of his sidekicks became a star rookie in major league baseball, another became an engineer who won a Nobel Prize, he even tutored the prime minister of Japan in politics! (What, the figurehead Prime Minister or Kirumi?) He goes on to talk about other sidekicks and make up a bunch of bullshit to brag about. But still, he says that he only nudged them in the right direction. Because…he believed in them. And that’s what’s most important, following the path you believe in. Kaito may be an idiot, but he’s someone who can give encouragement to others…encouragement that lets them face forwards and pursue their dreams. In that sense…he’s the perfect partner for Shuichi.

Evening time. Monotaro gives the night-time announcement. He has a bruise on his face and Monophanie is nowhere to be seen. Serves you right, asshole.

Monophanie whopped him so hard that he’s forgotten where he is and what time he’s announcing it to be. And didn’t there used to be someone else?

Monophanie steps out from behind a pillar to say that Monotaro is helpless without her. Shuichi doesn’t even bother commenting on the soap opera this time.

Training time with Kaito and Maki. Keebo and Tsumugi are in the dorm halls. Keebo’s worried about another murder happening if people are out at night. Keebo and Tsumugi discuss how seriously to take anything Kokichi says…everyone should make sure to be careful around him. I somehow suspect he might be the next victim, and he certainly is not gonna be the blackened this time around. Tsumugi’s also annoyed about the soap opera Monokub announcements. Keebo is more worried that it’s an incestual relationship. OK, well, they’re just robots, no offense, so if you want to squick at someone, Kiyo’s a better choice.

Do the Monokubs have to abide by human morality if they’re bears? No, they aren’t even bears. They’re robots oh shit Keebo’s mad about robophobia again.

Outside, Kaito doesn’t look well. Maki says it’s because of what happened earlier. Kaito suggests the three of them skip training and just talk. He definitely has something on his mind, so…

The conversation almost immediately turns to the subject of Maki’s life. Like, what her favorite blood type is. What? You meant, what’s her blood type, right? (It says it’s A, right there on the monopad’s report card.) Kaito seems to be acting stranger than usual.

Shuichi has a question of his own. When they first met, Maki told Kaede and him that she was the Ultimate Child Caregiver. Why that title in specific?

As the topic is about to move on, Maki speaks up with her answer. She grew up in an orphanage. That part of her backstory wasn’t made up. She has no idea who her parents even were, much let alone memories of them. And what she told us at the beginning…the only part of it that was false was her Ultimate title. Maki really was an orphan, and she really did end up helping raise the orphanage’s other residents…and kids really do like Maki. She doesn’t like taking care of them, but the kids like her anyways…but she never had a choice as to whether to become a caretaker or an assassin. Because when she was 10, a group of strangers started hanging around the orphanage. They were all smiles, but didn’t interact with the kids. Only watched them from afar…trying to see what talent each of them had. And Maki agreed to let them adopt her when she heard that they’d donate a large sum of money to the orphanage if she did. And that’s how Maki’s life started to become a living hell.

Ever since that day, she trained to become an assassin. And she had no choice but to keep going, even when she didn’t want to. As long as she became an assassin and succeeded in her missions, the orphanage would continue to receive funding…at first, Maki vomited every day, cried every night…but then, she got used to it. It was her life now. And so she became a tool to be used for killing by the cult she worked for, and her heart became empty, and her emotions numb, and her thoughts on why she had to keep going diminished.

But even with all that, she has to ask herself after every mission what life would have been like if she stayed at the orphanage. It’s a gnawing thought that will never leave her.

So that’s it. The story of Maki Harukawa. A girl who made what seemed like the right choice, and descended into hell because of it.

Kaito says that Maki and Shuichi both try to shoulder things on their own. Better to trust in others. Having shared your burdens with your friends, you’ll become stronger. And if Maki has managed to share her burden with Kaito and Shuichi, then maybe she’s become stronger already.

Maki acknowledges that the training has made her stronger, and the three friends spend time just talking. Shuichi feels more than ever that he needs to uncover the truth of the Academy, so he can protect his friends. No matter what, he needs to keep his friends alive.

And yet, at that very moment, in the games room in the basement, Monokuma is face-to-face with Kokichi. Kokichi, who has something to talk about with Monokuma in private. Something that will make the killing game that more exciting. Kokichi also says that the reason he hasn’t used the motive yet is because it has to be used dramatically. But then, he had an idea. A certain someone is planning something interesting. If the motive is used with regards to that, then the game would become super intense. I wonder who the certain someone is? Gonta or Miu, perhaps.

When Monokuma says you’re an evil bastard, you’re pretty damn far gone.

Kokichi makes the evilest face he’s made yet. And evil is what he is planning…

Monokuma Theater! Dishonest people…you can trust them, cause you know that they’re dishonest. But an honest man, you never know when they’re gonna do something idiotic. Unless he’s lying about that. And so on and so forth. Kokichi’s plan really impressed him, it seems.

Monokub announcement, starring no one. No wait, Monophanie appeared out of literally thin air to continue the soap opera bullshit. Monophanie and Monotaro eventually realize that they need each other, and a curtain falls with the words “The End” on it. What a long, strange announcement.

Outside the dorms, Kaito wants to ask Shuichi for advice about their training sessions. We’ve been doing sit-ups and push-ups, but Kaito feels like something is missing. Martial arts, or mental training…we have a practice sword in our inventory, so Shuichi and Kaito decide to train together after breakfast. Kaito will bring Maki over as well.

Near the boiler room, Gonta’s still looking for the tiny bug…

*Silver the Hedgehog voice* IT’S NO USE!

Hey, I did say I would bust out that line every time the voice clip was used…

Himiko’s in the hall near the bathrooms. She’s sad the Monokuma soap opera is over. She thought there’s be a plot twist, where Monophanie would turn out to be pregnant with a kub of her own, but it’d turn out the father wasn’t Monotaro! The father would be Monokid, or Monosuke, or possibly Monodam but probably not. Despite her predictions, the soap opera ended happily ever after. I wonder if Himiko is a soap opera fan? Wouldn’t have thought so before now, but…

Inside the dining hall, everyone but Miu and Kokichi are here. That worries me.

Everyone’s trying to think of ways to make themselves useful to each other. After breakfast, we go back to our rooms. But even then, an “unspeakable malice” is brewing.

No time to worry about whether Miu is dead, though, because it’s time to train with Kaito.

Oh right. Maki doesn’t use swords. Oops.

It’s a painful memory, but Kaito tells her to get it out there so the three of them can continue to share each other’s burdens.

So, Maki gathered information for her mission. The target worked late at night, but was also into some nerdy hobbies. And we’re talking Tsumugi-levels of nerdy, especially considering that this guy loved cosplay. So Maki came up with a plan. Use a prop carrying case to stealthily bring a katana with her and then kill the guy with it. The plan worked at first. Then Maki drew her katana on the guy. But her height and hairstyle match that of a popular character who is a katana user, and she was in the middle of a cosplay hall when this happened. And so, before she knew what was happening, Maki found herself in a different hall, with people photographing her as part of a photoshoot. Luckily, no one looked inside her weapon case, or she would’ve been busted. They would’ve realized the katana was real…Kaito and Shuichi think the whole thing is pretty funny. But the story isn’t over with. Maki returned to her employers without having killed the guy. She was branded as a failure. And failing meant her employers would no longer donate to the orphanage…which is why she had to keep going. So that her hell of a life would have some kind of meaning.

Shuichi returns to his room. Hopefully there’ll be at least another free time before the murder. Ooh, there is. Next time, we finish up Kaito’s last free time event and move towards the inevitable deadly life.

#Dangan Ronpa #Dangan Ronpa V3 #Danganronpa V3

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