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eetherealgoddess · 20 days

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hellooo, welcome backkk!!! I FUCKING MISSED YOU LIKE SOOO MUCHHHHH. Girl, I thought you left tumblr because honestly the majority of the best writers I also know left:( You're my fav writer so I was really sad AND GIRL WHEN I SAW!! WHEN I SAW THAT YOU WERE ACTIVE 3 HOURS AGO??? MAN I CREAMED. I CAME. I ORGASMED-

I also have a request!! Do you write incest? It includes it, but ofc if you're uncomfortable with it you can ignore mee~ it can be stepcest or ykkk anything you're comfortable with!! the story goes with mikey's cute little sister that's rebellious (both him and the reader ain't in good terms ever since the whole bonten happened)emo mikey finally snapped and decided to punish her when she did something VEEERRYYY unforgivable. He and his men (bonten) brutally like bruuutallly punished her. it can be smut or anything you want. whatever it is I'LL EAT IT UP MHMMMM SCRUM DILLY YUM YUM MY PUR PUR POOKIE WOOKIEEEEEEE

I appreciate the love and support!! ts had me dying LMAO

i do not write biologically related incest nor half siblings but i’m fine with writing stepcest (depending on the plot) and like a foster or adoption situation (all 18+)

i kinda sort of followed the timeline so there might be scenes that are not accurate to the manga/anime, tho i did it that way to fit it in better with the plot so the scenes aren’t as long <3

ALSOOOO!!! i could’ve made this waayyy more brutal but when i was imagining different scenarios i literally made myself sick 💀💀💀

ꨄRebelꨄ

Oneshot - Yandere Bonten Au

❦Was it worth it?❦

Sano Manjiro, Hanemiya Kazutora, Sanzu Haruchiyo, & Haitani Brothers x Reader

(Mostly Mikey, Kazu, and Sanzu x Reader but read to catch the vibes :)

❣︎All of Bonten are included in this story except Mochi❣︎

Not fully proofread

MY TR FANDOM WORKS ARE ONLY ON TUMBLR & AO3 UNDER EETHEREALGODDESS! REPORT IF YOU SEE IT POSTED UNDER ANYONE ELSE BUT ME!!!

I apologize if I get any Japanese etiquette or culture wrong, I literally have to research the culture for some of my fandom stories so if anything is wrong, please excuse my ignorance.

Notice:

✩Y/n is 18+. I picture her as a black female but you can see her however.

✩Some parts of the story may not be realistic or factual. After all, this is a work of fiction.

✩Although it's a dark 'romance,' I do not condone any of the behavior displayed.

✩Dark content such as: gore, violence, triggering topics, graphic scenes, vulgar language, explicit sexual content, etc.

✩There may be scenes that involve non con and/ or dubcon so don’t read if that makes you uncomfortable

✩That being said, this story is for 18+ only.

Enjoy!

Rebel

You were never one to follow rules blindly. You always questioned what you were told no matter who fed the information. How could you not when you spend most of your childhood shipped from family to family like a worn out package that's been sent to the wrong destination repeatedly? It wasn’t until you aged eight years that you were finally adopted by a man who asked you to call him ‘Grandpa Sano.’

You were unprepared for the generosity you received from the Sanos, having been in situations where your foster family wanted nothing to do with you. Your negative experiences caused you to form a barrier, an outer shell that shields you from the vulnerability your brain wanted to protect you from. You were cautious, unknown as to why you were chosen. When you first arrived, you were greeted by the oldest sibling, Shinichiro. He was kind, sort of silly as he displayed his quirkiness whenever you would spend quality time together after you had grown to see him as a proper big brother.

Emma beamed when she saw you, excited that another girl would finally be around to become her companion in a house full of boys. When you were comfortable, you gained a sense of sisterhood you never thought you’d have the privilege to experience. The last Sano you had met was none other than Sano Manjiro, otherwise known as Mikey. The first contact was interesting as you both gave blank expressions to one another. After growing alongside the boy, you could tell the kid had a sense of cockiness, though rightfully so as you learn about his incredible strength.

Watching Mikey and Baji fight when they would practice their skills made you want to become as strong as them. You would observe their moves every chance you got, failing in your attempts until you would eventually succeed, resulting in you declaring a battle against Mikey. The boy gazed at your stern appearance before releasing a light hearted laugh. You didn’t dislike him, in fact you both grew closer as time went on. If anything, you were inspired by him, even if you came off as a bratty little sister who wanted to follow him around with all his friends.

Even at a young age you could tell that he would grow to be a good person. You felt safe in his presence, knowing that he counted you as family. Knowing that he grew to love you as well as you to the Sano family. You knew that Mikey would never hurt anyone, his soul radiating a warmth you have never seen before. That is, until the day came where all you heard was Baji’s begging for Mikey to stop as you watch in horror, the blood seeping from the corners of another one of his childhood friends, Haruchiyo’s mouth.

Your hands trembled as you eye the onyx orbs that bore into the boy on his knees, a cold expression laced with nothing but a shadow of darkness. Your own eyebrows were furrowed as tears streamed down your face while you switched gazes between the two boys.

“M-Mikey…” You whispered, listening to Senju as she cried in the background. He either didn’t hear you or ignored you. Whichever was the case didn’t matter as you heard him finally speak.

“Smile, Haruchiyo.”

His voice was deep, almost as if it wasn’t his own. You covered your own mouth as Haru began laughing hysterically as his tears mixed with the blood. You knew at that moment that something had switched. You didn’t know what exactly the change was, but you knew that absolutely nothing would feel the same.

Time passed as you all hit your pre - teen years and Mikey had formed his own gang, Toman. It was early in the making though you thought it was the coolest thing. You had let go of the negative image your mind had formed when the incident with Haruchiyo happened after Mikey had given a heartfelt apology to everyone, including the boy in the hospital bed. When you visited Haruchiyo, the young boy had confirmed his forgiveness and encouraged you to give Mikey some leeway. He was once again your inspiration as you reasoned with yourself that he just had a ‘moment.’

Everything was going normally for a while, Shinichiro teaching you how to ride a motorbike as well as Mikey allowing you to hang out with him and his friends occasionally. Kazutora and Baji pulled you along to search for a gift considering Mikey’s birthday is coming up. Having had a small crush on Kazutora for a while, you followed them, sitting behind the tiger tattooed boy with your arms wrapped around his waist.

It wasn’t until the mischievous delinquent explained his plan, in which you and Baji reacted with hesitation. He waved off your worries and claimed that the best way to obtain Mikey’s gift would be to steal from the store that holds his most ideal bike. When you arrived, you couldn’t shake the familiarity. It’s as if you have seen this place before but you don’t remember stepping foot into a bike shop ever in your life. As you stand to the side while Baji tries to move the bike, a presence causes you both to look up.

“Who’s shop do you think you’re breaking into…?”

“Y/n?” Your eyes widen at Shinichiro as the realization hits you.

Although you’ve lived with the Sanos for a few years now, you’ve never once stepped foot into Shinichiro’s bike shop. You’ve only come across pictures which is why there is familiarity. It completely slipped your mind that Shinichiro owns a place that just so happened to be this one.

“Shini… I…” He turned his head to meet his orbs with Baji’s.

“You look familiar, are you Keisuke?” Baji stutters as he attempts to respond. Just as he said his name, you both gasp as you watch Kazutora come from behind with a large tool, raising his arms before slamming them down. A resounding crack echoed througout the room as the weapon made contact with Shinichiro’s head.

Your breath hitched as you watched his body fall to the ground, landing with a thud. The same trembling you felt from your hands when you watched Mikey tear Haruchiyo’s face appeared as you stared down at Shinichiro’s lifeless body, the blood seeping under his head as it stained the floor. Baji drops to his knees as he hovers above the corpse, explaining to Kazutora who the victim was. The golden eyed boy could only respond by hyperventilating.

“What do we do? What do we do?” Baji croaks out, hand meeting his forehead as Kazutora’s fingers reach his own mouth, biting them as he stares in place with wide eyes.

“I didn’t do it… I didn’t kill him.” His voice trembled. You watch in fear as you eye the hysterical boys, falling to your own knees before sitting on the floor, arms wrapped around your knees as you whimper before the tears stream freely. Your bottom lip quivers as you gaze at your oldest brother’s form. You couldn’t help but take part of the blame considering you are a witness that could’ve done something to stop this madness before it occurred.

You listen to Kazutora’s ramblings as Baji attempts to call an ambulance. It was horrific to see them so distressed, a feeling of impending doom coming on as you realize there’s no coming back from this. Your mind ran through different scenarios on what would happen once the Sano family found out about everything.

“Let’s get outta here!” Baji says to you both though you couldn’t move, watching as Kazutora seems to lose his mind by the second.

“It’s all… Mikey’s fault.” Your eyes widen as you gaze at him with concern. “I need to kill Mikey.” He claimed with a distorted smile, tears threatening to fall. You could only stare in disbelief as the cops were heard outside the building.

When you all walked out, everyone except you binded, a head of blonde hair appeared in front of you with a surprised expression.

You watched as Mikey questioned Baji, in which he cried out an apology as Kazutora chants “Kill… kill…”

You were there for it all. You were there when Kazutora spent two years in juvenile, only to come back with a vengeance. You were there when Kisaki became involved as well as this random Takemichi kid who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. You were there for Valhalla's battle, witnessing Baji’s death as you held his head on your lap before Kazutora was arrested once more. You were there for the Christmas battle. You were there for the Tenjiku battle and you were there when Mikey disbanded Toman before he disappeared, followed by a few other people you had met.

There was even a time in your early adulthood when you went to visit Kazutora in jail only to find out he had been released a few years earlier than the ten years he was sentenced, seeming to have disappeared along with Sanzu and Mikey. For a while you blame yourself for not keeping in touch when everyone was initially ghosted by your brother. You wanted to give him the space you knew he needed considering he hadn’t been the same since you had first met.

Finally exhausted with your passive ways you decided to seek him out, figuring that you might be able to track the other members that disappeared as well. Although you kept in touch with Emma, Draken, Mitsuya, Chifuyu, and etc., you couldn’t ignore the yearning you felt to find your brother and friends. You missed them dearly. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to have known anything until you repeatedly bothered the dragon tattooed man to tell you the truth about Mikey’s whereabouts.

“Now that I’ve told you, forget about Mikey. Forget about the rest of em. It’s too dangerous, Y/n.”

Knowing that Draken is right, you listen. For a while you stopped your search and continued to live your life, working a 9 to 5 and coming home to your decent sized apartment. It wasn’t until you received a letter signed by the person you had been searching for. Once you reach the day that he wrote in the letter, you rush to meet him at the destination, speeding down the streets on your motorcycle.

Reaching the place, you eye the closed nightclub in awe. You wondered why he decided to meet you at this particular setting. You felt a rush of anxiety as you near the door, opening it before walking into the empty space. You walk through the dark room using the flash on your phone as you walk to the staircase, following Mikey’s instructions.

When you reach upstairs, you walk into the door he ordered. Your footsteps echo through the dark room, the sun outside illuminating through the open windows as a breeze flies across the room. Your eyes meet a head of platinum hair, indicating the back of someone’s head. The male who wears a black long sleeve shirt and pants sits with his back bent forward, arms on his lap as his head hangs low. The symbol on his neck stood out to you, reminding you of Izana’s earrings. Your eyes widen when realization finally clicks.

“Mikey?” You say, gaining momentum as you rush over to your brother. Before you could make it, a grip on your arm causes you to halt, as well as a firm pressure against the back of your head. You stare ahead as your breath hitches.

“Move at my pace.” The voice behind you demands. Having no other choice but to listen or risk an early death, you ignore your accelerated heart beat and follow alongside the body that shifted slightly to the side of you. Your eyes switch from the short man ahead to the person beside you, immediately catching the scar on the corner of the person’s mouth.

Sharp blue eyes suddenly meet yours during the observation, pink bangs swaying as his head faces you. His lips curve into a toothy smirk, eyebrows furrowing as he gives you a mischievous expression.

“T’s been a while, Y/n.” You turn away from him as you both walk closer to Mikey.

“I guess long enough to where you feel the need to have a gun against my head. As if we never knew each other.” You respond, irritation adding to your fear as you’re led to the chair in front of Mikey.

He only ignored you as his grin grew wider, guiding you to sit facing away from your brother. When your bottom meets the seat, Sanzu stood next to you with the barrel of the gun placed to your temple.

“Leave us, Sanzu.”

“Got it.” He responds before dropping his arm and walking towards the exit. “I’ll be downstairs.”

After giving you one more side glance, the pink haired man closed the door behind him as he walked out of the room.

“I heard you wanted to find me.” He says softly. Your fingers fidget in your lap as your knees are pressed together, feet spread apart. You chew on your bottom lip as you sit with a tense body, realizing the gravity of your situation and how dangerous it was to meet him with no sort of back up.

“This isn’t you. This isn’t how it was supposed to be…” You begin, shaking your head as you continue, “…I get it, Mikey. Everything that happened hurt like hell. Just because you went through something doesn’t mean you become the leader to a fucking criminal organization and kill lots of innocent people.”

When he didn’t respond, all you heard was your own breathing as you fought the tears that threatened to escape.

“You act like you’re the only one that went through anything. As if I wasn’t there experiencing as much pain as you! I didn’t run off and disappear and cause more harm to the streets, because there just wasn’t enough blood splattered!”

You had the understanding that you could be digging your own grave. The sorrow and anger hitting you all at once had your words slipping out fast. You missed him, who he was before. How could he have abandoned you like that?

“Y-you could’ve come to me. We could’ve been there and experienced it all together, Mikey. I-I know you’re just in pain, but I’m here. I’ve always been there.” You say the last sentence softly as your vision blurred from the moisture.

You listened as you heard rustling behind you, followed by footsteps leading towards your sitting figure. Your sobs went silent as a figure shadowed over you. The cold impact of the gun against your head causes goosebumps to run across your arms, a chill running up your back as you make eye contact with the man holding a weapon against your forehead.

Anyone could lose themselves in the void of his orbs. They bore into you coldly as he gazed down at you with a blank yet intense expression. Your bottom lip quivered as your eyebrows furrow angrily. His arm follows as you stand from your seat slowly.

“Is this all you know how to do now?” You almost growl, exhausted by the behavior your brother displays when you know he clearly has a hard time communicating his emotions. “Shoot whoever questions you. Murder instead of speaking on how you feel. When are you gonna grow up, Mikey?”

“Shut up.” He hissed. “You know nothing.” You only stare back in response, glaring at him as the gun cocks.

“Leave.” He states before lowering his arm. You watch the male as he makes his way to the exit. Before he walks out of the opened door, he turns his head to the side slightly, gaze still ahead.

“If we ever see each other again… I’ll kill you.” You chew the skin on the inside of your cheek as a nervous habit when he walks out, leaving you to allow the words to sink in.

In that moment, you determined that you would find a way to bring back the real Mikey. You couldn’t accept this. You would never accept this reality. You would do whatever it takes, even if that means going against your better judgment and acting on emotion, something you had a habit of doing. You don’t care what Mikey says nor have you ever listened when he told you not to do something. You don’t care that you’re risking your life by getting involved. You snatch the phone from your pocket before dialing a number.

“Naoto, I need your help.”

You didn’t know what to expect but it surely wasn’t almost succeeding in the take down of Bonten. Unfortunately, both you and Naoto missed a key detail to your plans which resulted in Bonten being free of the attention from the police. It didn’t help that some of the government officials involved were traitors to the force, having helped the criminal organization in secret.

Thick smoke polluted the building as a radiating heat caused you to sweat. You cough as your arm covers your mouth and nose, eyes squint as you see through the burning room. The alarms screeched as a warning to anyone near that a fire had been started. You heard the impact of whatever caused the flames, knowing a bomb had been planted somewhere inside which caused an explosion. You’re surprised that you’re still alive, along with some of the others who crawl and struggle towards the nearest exit, maneuvering through the limp bodies lying on the ground.

You search for your partner as you walk past broken furniture and office equipment, passing the body parts separated from the corpses who suffered the worst from the eruption. Unfortunately, you were hurt considering your limp, and the ringing in your ears definitely didn’t help. Your hearing has been out since you woke up. You search the police department, watching out for anyone familiar as you yell out, “Naoto!”

You continue through the damage, dodging any object that falls as you walk around the flames. An abrupt pressure on your back caused you to fall to the ground with a grunt, your hearing coming back just as you made impact with the floor. The platform of the bottom of someone’s shoe pushes you back to the ground when you try to pick yourself up.

The man behind you grabs a carton from out of his pocket, lifting the top before pulling a cigarette out. He set the box back in his suit’s jacket pocket before using a nearby flame to light it as he stretched his arm out. He brought the butt of the stick to his lips and sucked in as the remaining flame went out on the end of the cigarette. The man rubs the sweat off of his forehead using the sleeve of his suit, a strand of blonde hair swaying over his face as he drops the arm. He blew the smoke out as he gazed at your figure.

“I warned him about letting you go.” You could recognize that voice anywhere.

“Kazutora?” He takes another hit of his cigarette, holding his breath as he ashed it before blowing the smoke out of his mouth once more. A smirk grew on his face.

“You know, Y/n… I never took you for a snitch.”

“I never took you as a coward, but here we are. You kill people to feel a sense of control yet you’re always following someone else’s orders, seeking approval by anyone who’ll give it to you.” You state, irritated by the heat and the foot on your back.

The grin on his lips fell as he took another hit before leaning over and pressing the burning end of the cigarette against your neck. You gasp before releasing a shriek of pain, tears burning at the corners of your eyes. He holds it there for a moment as he stares down at you with a blank expression. He lifts himself back to a normal position once he removes the cigarette from your skin. A fresh bruise formed in the abused spot.

“Why did you guys become such fucking assholes?” You cry out.

“Come on, don’t start crying on me now Doll…” He chuckled, “…gotta save that for later when Mikey gets his hands on you.”

Before you could fight him off, his fingers squeezed firm against your pressure point. Your vision blurs before your head drops as you sink into darkness.

Your eyes flutter open as a spotlight shines on you. Attempting to lick your lips, you find yourself with a gag secured around your mouth. The red ball stretches your lips uncomfortably as they yearn to be moisturized. Your arms are cuffed above your head as your body is spread out completely nude on the bed. Your shrieks are muffled as the light dims, your knees pressed together as you attempt to cover yourself when you look down and eye the seven figures sitting out on a slightly lower platform, as if you’re on a small stage.

Marijuana and alcohol fills the air, along with the smell of tobacco as you watch the smoke fumes form above a few of the men. Your eyebrows furrow as your toes curl, embarrassment causing a warm face as you shut your eyes tightly, wishing to escape this moment as you’re sprawled out for a bunch of dangerous men. You hear footsteps in the quiet room, someone walking towards the bed.

Mikey appears in your vision as he looks down at you from the side. Your eyes water as you glare at him, disbelief from the fact that your own brother set you up like this. The boy you grew up with who inspired you to go past your own limits. The boy who wanted to make a new era for delinquents. No, you couldn’t believe this.

His fingers slowly traced over your stomach as they moved towards your chest, grazing around the outlining of your breasts. You couldn’t help the whimper of desperation spilling out through the gag, your body beginning to tremble as you realized the gravity of this vulnerable situation. You wanted this to stop. You wanted it all to stop before there’s no return.

“I left you alone…” His fingers dragged themselves across the middle of your breasts, slow and delicate with his touch. “…I warned you, Y/n.”

He slightly leans over as his hand moves to your lower stomach, rubbing the lining nearest to your pubis. Your breath hitched as you gaze at him with wide teary eyes.

“You’ve never been one to listen, have you?” The small smile that formed as he said the statement vanished as quickly as it came. Your stomach sucked in as he used his fingers to lightly glide back up to your chest before circling his hand around your neck, his index finger tapping your face twice. He leaned forward until he hovered right over your face.

“You’ll learn.” You release a shriek as your eyes shut tight, his fingers digging into the burnt skin against your neck, adding a painful pressure to the wound as the tears streamed down your face. When you open your eyes to a squint, his gaze is relaxed. His eyes made him look dead. He released you before walking to the end of the stage and turning to face the crowd, his hands behind his back.

“From now on you belong to me.” He turns his upper body to face you. “You’ll only get to eat, sleep, and breathe because of me. You will do as I say.” A taller figure began to walk on the stage, a familiar pair of purple eyes gazing down at your figure with his signature sly smile. The tall short haired man held a baton that rests on his shoulder as he stops next to the bed, closer to your lower body.

“You deemed yourself a traitor so you will be held accountable. Sister or not.”

You fidget with discomfort as you eye the weapon Ran holds with a concerned expression. He only gives you a mischievous smile in return as he drops his arm, awaiting instructions from his boss.

“If you disobey me…” His eyes switch to Ran before the taller man brings his other hand to the object, fingers adjusting as he lifts his arms. Your eyes widen once more as you hysterically pull against your restraints, legs moving as you attempt to move your body to the side to no avail.

You release a blood curdling scream as your eyes shut tight, the impact causing a loud smack to echo in the room as the end of the baton makes contact with the skin on your thigh. The pain is broad, big. So intense that your whole leg numbs out as your body attempts to protect you. Blood immediately makes its way through your skin as an ugly bruise begins formation. You sob in agony as your head falls back on the bed. You shake your head as you bite the gag.

A cold chill is brought to your body as heat overcomes you, sweat dripping down your forehead as Mikey walks closer to you, staring down at you with the same blank expression. Sanzu watches the display with gleaming eyes, a wide smile on his face as he licks his bottom lip, biting it after as he’s mesmerized by the show in front of him. It was a gorgeous sight, you sprawled out on the bed naked in front of them under Mikey’s control. Your face is so wet with tears and an expression of fear and distress. So vulnerable and fragile. Your skin breaking with ease as the blood dripping down made him want to lick it up. He couldn’t wait to get a hold of you. After all, he’s waited for so long under Mikey’s command. His failed attempt at protecting you. Someone so resilient and yet so weak.

Kazutora is leaned back in his seat with a leg crossed over, his hair pulled back in a messy ponytail as he eyes you with no emotion. He ignored the erection forming in his pants as you’re forced into submission, bound by the cuffs as your beautiful voice blesses the room with your cries. A red hue forms on his face as he watches Ran hit you again in a different spot on the same thigh. His cock twitched when he heard your loud scream, the gag doing you no justice. He crossed his arms as he shifted in his seat to a more comfortable position.

Takeomi sat with a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth as he glared at the scene. He never really knew you so he couldn’t care less of your position. He just finds it hilarious to watch the rest of the men simp over Mikey’s infamous cute, bratty little sister. He’s surprised you hadn’t been killed on the spot for becoming a traitor. The leeway his boss is giving you is impeccable. Otherwise you’d be torn apart limb from limb, slaughtered and violated from the inside out. Long gone. This is nothing. He’ll admit that seeing your bitchy ass getting it in is a very sweet sight to see.

Kokonoi sighed as he turned away from the scene. Having remembered you from their delinquent days made this situation all the more sickening. He still couldn’t deny the view of you laid out the way you are having an effect on the cock sitting in his pants. It was uncomfortable, especially since he deems himself as sick as someone like Sanzu or the Haitani brothers for getting turned on by this in the first place.

Kakucho’s eyes followed Ran’s fingers, swiping some of the blood off of your leg before bringing it to his lips. You lay there, sobbing as Mikey caressed both sides of your face. He knew something like this would occur as soon as he began gaining information from the dirty cops about you involving yourself. Although he felt bad for you, he knew that you had it coming. You were warned and now you must deal with the consequences. He palmed himself before squeezing slightly to ease himself as he shifts in his seat, rock hard as he chews on his lip.

“Should I hit the other thigh, boss?” Ran’s smooth voice filled the room as he gently rubbed his thumb along the untouched thigh. You shook your head as you pleaded through the ball gag. You were so focused on switching your gaze between Mikey and Ran that you completely missed the third presence making his way to the foot of the bed.

Drool accidentally fell out of your mouth as you continued to cry and beg for Mikey to let you go and to not hurt you again. It was humiliating but you were in too much pain to care. You had to get out of there. You regret not listening. You regret not leaving him alone. You just want to escape. You just want to go home and hug yourself while you cry. You wanted to see your friends again, your sister Emma. You missed Shinichiro, Baji, your grandpa, Draken, Mitsuya, and everyone else. You missed them all and you wanted a big hug from them.

You wanted to feel safe, to feel loved again. You didn’t like this cold darkness that’s dragging you to a hell you never thought you’d experience. You wish you hadn’t been so stubborn. You just missed your brother, your friends who disappeared. Thumbs drape under your eyes as the tears are wiped away only for more to stream down your cheeks. You feel the ball gag unhook around your mouth as your chapped lips connect, licking them desperately as you continue to sob and pant.

“P-please let me go! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry Mikey I-I’ll listen! I’ll leave you alone just please…!” You rambled your apologies as he continued to gaze at you with the onyx orbs that felt as though they were forcing you to drown in his own darkness. Dragging you under with him into the void everyone so desperately tries to fill or escape from.

“I-I just wanted my big brother! I-I needed you to be who you were! I was wrong…” You sob, “…so fucking wrong. You’re too far gone!” Your hands turned to fists as your breath hitched as he climbed on top of you.

“You’re right. I am no longer your Mikey.”

Your hands tremble as you watch him reach into his pants to pull out his throbbing cock.

“No… no, no, no! Y-you can’t!” You plead as you realize what’s about to happen.

The younger Haitani grabs your ankle as he picks your leg up, along with the older brother who holds up your bruised leg. Mikey adjusts himself in between your legs as he spreads his own knees against the mattress.

“M-Mikey this is so fucked up! P-please! You fucking asshole!” You could only feel rage and despair as you watched him spit in his hand and rub his cock, moisturizing it nowhere near enough for it to easily slip through you.

“Oh shit.” Sanzu breathes out in excitement as the rest of the executives mentally sit on the edge of their seats. They watched the display, some with arousal and excitement while others with slight guilt and arousal. The air was thick in the room as Rin’s grip tightened on your ankle while moving his other hand to the bottom of your foot.

“You’ll learn.” Mikey whispers near your ear before he finally pushes in slowly. Your head falls back with your mouth wide open, nails digging in your own palms as the girth stretches you painfully. Your eyebrows furrow as you clench your teeth. He released a breathy moan as his mouth hangs open, head falling to your shoulder as your pussy squeezed him tightly. You both grunt when he finally bottoms out, base and testicles pressed firmly against you as he shifts his arms under you to hold the back of your neck with both hands.

He eyed the girl with a blank expression as she stood with her hand wrapped in Grandpa Sano’s. Even at his young age he could tell that she had been through quite a lot by the look in her eyes.

“It’s okay, Y/n.” He says as he pats your eight year old head. You sat with tears streaming down your face with your arms crossed as you pouted angrily at the fact that you lost against your fight with Baji who would help you practice your skills along with Mikey.

“You’ll learn.” He said with a smile as he gazed down at you.

You gasp as you feel his thick length pulling out of you, rubbing against the lining of your walls before he bucks his hips against you with a firmer thrust causing you to grunt in pain.

“You belong to me.” The teen growled.

“Kazutora is my friend! I’m gonna visit him whether you like it or not.” You glare at your brother before stomping away from the shrine.

Truth be told he didn’t like the way you made him feel. So out of control. So out of the loop. He knows that he’s your inspiration. He loves how worthy you deem him to be. He loves that you follow him around all the time like you're his little companion. His little sister. His.

If only you knew how hard it was to allow you on your own. To allow you to make your own decisions. To have abandoned you when he knew you were still vulnerable from everything you both went through. You don’t know how hard it is being the big brother of someone who’s just so fucking stubborn. He was afraid that he would lose you in the midst of his corruption, the dark impulse taking over day by day, so he left you.

“Fuck.” He breathes out as his pace accelerates, hips pulled back before thrusting against you as his grip tightens. His cock slides in and out of your pussy as the juice slickens the erection, making it easier to access as he presses deeper and deeper. The bed rocks as the thrusts become faster and firmer, the smacking echoing throughout the room as it becomes harder to hold back your grunts and moans.

You whimpered as you felt a pressure form against the ankle held by Rin. You make eye contact with him as his lips curl into a mischievous smile. You felt goosebumps form as the butterflies in your stomach fluttered, an impending sense of doom coming over you just as Mikey’s cock aimed for your erogenous zone, pounding your g-spot once you reacted with a shriek.

Mikey walks to the car sitting outside the club he had you meet him at after your conversation was finished. Five of his executives stood outside as he turned his attention to Kakucho.

“Watch her every move.”

He had a feeling you’d try something though he didn’t expect for you to involve the cops. Especially the detective that’s always on his ass.

“You. *Thrust* Belong. *Thrust* To me.” Mikey uses a hand to squeeze your chin, forcing your eyes to meet as you pant and sob.

All of the executives watch with dazed expressions as Mikey bitched you out. Some biting their own lips while others palmed their covered erections. Mikey eyed your face as it morphed while the pit in your stomach builds, indicating the nearing of your orgasm. He used one hand to balance himself against the headboard as he grabbed the leg Ran was holding to gain better access. He thrusts against you as his cock rubbed the inner lining of your vaginal walls, slick oozing out of your hole, a mixture of his semen and your juices forming.

The pain in your leg throbs as he pushes your leg up, causing you to whimper. You tried to hold in your moans, the feeling of the head of his cock hitting your cervix was overwhelming. Instead, grunts replaced the moans with each firm thrust against your ass. The hand on your leg tightens as you watch his eyes narrow down at you with his lips apart.

“This pussy is mine. Your cum is mine. Everything about you…” a thrust with a loud smack against your ass caused a moan to slip through his throat. “…is mine.”

Your head is pressed against the mattress as you feel the pit in your stomach release, the chemical reaction causing your mouth to open as a silent scream leaves your throat, eyes rolled back as he continues to beat into your pussy.

“Ah…” Mikey breathes, “…that’s fucking right, cum on this cock.” He said before using his fingers to press onto your wound made by the baton. You scream out in agony. The chains jingle as you pull against the restraints.

“You’ll learn. You’re gonna learn to listen to me.” He breathes out before switching his eyes to Rin.

“M-Mikey pl-!” You whimper, pleading for him to stop as you’re overstimulated, though his cock keeps its pace, assaulting your pussy as it slides through harder. Blood runs down your wrists, coming from the split skin caused by your nails. You accidentally glance at Ran who stares down at you hungrily. You could see the lust in his intense gaze, causing you to turn away.

“I don’t care how close you were or even the little crush you have on her. You will ask before touching her, got it?”

“Yes, boss.” Both Kazutora and Sanzu respond with stern expressions.

“N-No! What are you…?!” A loud crack fills the air amongst the sound of the rocking bed as your eyes shut tight, a monstrous scream escaped your lips as the pressure on your ankle created a numbing yet sharp pain that swam up your leg to your knee. You shakily look down to see your limp leg in Rin’s hand, ankle bent out of place as your foot hangs there. A swelling started to form as the skin tingled. It was surely broken.

“GET OFF OF ME! GET OFF OF ME RIGHT NOW!” You’re hysterical. The pain, overstimulation, and heat. The betrayal, sickness, and depression. The sorrow, despair, and downright filthy situation. All of the eyes on you. It was all just too much.

“I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH!” His forehead meets yours as his hands grab the sides of your face. His eyes shut as he thrusts hard, accelerating his speed before a breathy, drawn out moan escapes his mouth, just as Rin grabbed your other ankle.

Kazutora and Sanzu sit with discomfort as they angrily eye the Haitani brothers, realizing it should’ve been them holding your legs and punishing you. After all, they’ve known you the longest. They were closer to you. They were there for everything. Their erections become tighter as you thrash around and scream. Your rage fulfills them in an unexplainable way. They never knew why your rebellion always struck them in the heart. Who knew they’d be this stuck over their friend’s little bratty sister.

“I’m cumming.” Mikey whispers with his head against yours as he breathes out a moan. He grinds out his orgasm just as another crack fills the room, followed by an appalling scream from you. You cry as he pulls himself out of you. The swelling from both legs tingle as you lie there in terrible pain. Agony comes from your neck and both of your legs. As well as your vagina. You couldn’t believe what your own brother just did.

“I hate you.” You sob. You wanted to curl into yourself but the restraints made it impossible.

“Awe don’t cry so much, cookie.” A thumb caressed your forehead as Ran stared you down. “All ya gotta do is be good, now.”

“Or else…” Rin chuckled as he slightly dangled one of your broken ankles. You only sob in response, ignoring them as you try to refrain from making eye contact. You wanted to disappear.

Before he climbs off of you, Mikey leans over to plant a kiss on your lips. You don’t push him back nor respond to the peck. He pulls his pants up as he walks toward the other executives.

“Do what you will, just have her cleaned and brought to my room after.”

“I’ll always be the one to protect you, Y/n. You belong to me.”

You look into the eyes of your older brother, tears in your own as you hug him tight. You both sat on the ground in front of Shinichiro’s grave.

“You’ll learn.”

125 notes · View notes

grindsta · 4 months

Text

GAME FEATURES

THIS IS A REALLY LONG POST

There are SO MANY features in The Sims 3 that I keep learning more and more each day, so I decided to start keeping track of all of them. Some of these I've known myself, but most of them come from Reddit and TS Forum.

I'll keep on updating everytime I find new things.

Features are under the cut!

Gameplay

Careers/University/Skills

You can sign autographs as a rock star by clicking on a random building (bookstore, theater, stadium, etc.) and make cash. You can only do it once a week and have them perform the action yourself (similar to the vaccination event you do as a doctor).

If you send a Sim to college, you can get a financial aid grant every 24 hours. Just click on the administration building and select “apply for financial aid”. The better your grades, the more money you’ll get.

Traveling to the past with ambition’s time machine, random events will change your household’s present. (Change careers or add family members).

Sims who reach the highest criminal career level glow red. This is bad for relationships with Sims with Good, Friendly, and Family Oriented traits. Having maxed out the Charisma skill will mostly prevent it, or even throw “Jar of Friendship” potion at them. Although it is good for relationships with Sims with Evil and Insane traits.

When some rectangles of one (or more) skill is highlighted, it’s because it’s the requirement for the Sim job.

If you protest about low wages, you have the possibility of increasing the wages of everyone.

Parent Sims can have a wish for their kids to have specific careers.

You will get gifts for working on your job for 5 years.

Singer Sims could sell their albums to other Sims.

If you click on your Sim work building when they’re at work, you can demand a raise. but if their mood is bad or their relationship with their boss is bad, this can get them fired. You can also go out with your boss and ask for a promotion.

Sims can die while you’re lifeguarding.

Your Sim can get caught if they call in fake sick.

Sims in the medical career can follow up with patients by calling them.

You can fry beetles if you are an evil private investigator (if you have a magnifying glass).

Your Sim can be an evil politician.

Ghost hunters can “appease ghosts” at the graveyard.

Lifeguard and firefighter sims can “demonstrate CPR” on another Sim as a romantic action.

You can select what type of sandcastle to build if you have a high enough skill.

Your Sim can get tattooed and tattoo other Sims. It’s a hidden skill that, if low, tattoos will look like child drawings. You can also get the tattoo removed.

Maids

Some maids actually don’t do their work, you have to fire them so a new one comes up, and is, hopefully, better.

Most Maids will have at least neat and/or perfectionists, brave and flirty, or charismatic traits. Some Maids are also Kleptomaniacs. Exceptions to this are: Delicia Hoover from Bridgeport and Simon Swift from Barnacle Bay, they are Slobs, which means they will never actually clean your House.

Maids will quit if they see Bonehilda in your house.

Toddler/Child/Teen

Kids will gain skills if someone reads them skill books to sleep.

When a witch sim does their homework they accidentally get it done all at once by magic. They grab the blue notebook, but the green bar completes itself immediately and they look confused for a second. In case they fail to do homework by magic, their whole body gets burnt.

When children and teens are asleep, you can click on them to select a dream, and then they’ll wake up with a moodlet related to it. While the moodlet is active, you can get a special moodlet if their dream comes true. While still sleeping, the game will notify if the dream turned into a nightmare and they will get a negative moodlet.

Toddlers and Kids can build hidden skills with certain toys.

You can put kids in time out and they will stand in a corner crying.

Toys can go on the crib.

Babies can get diaper rash if using the changing station from The Sims 3 Store.

If you take a child of the bouncer, they get bratty and mad.

Children can hold a bear while talking to an adult.

Kids can read the newspapers to see what baked goods sell better.

When you get robbed children can get the lifetime wish to become a cop or a thief. They can also want to become a doctor after seeing someone dying or getting a new sibling, become a musician after seeing someone jam, become a creature robot cross-breeder after seeing a ghost. become a firefighter after a house fire, become a magician after seeing a sim use their magic, become a singer while singing with their imaginary friend.

Child witch Sims have stabilizers on their brooms.

Kids can get sick from prison food.

Your Sim can chat with toddlers through their Teddy Bears.

Parents can play with their toddlers in the ocean.

Children inherit the effects of some Genie Wishes.

Your Sim can get detention if they slack off in school.

You can create custom and random baby DNA at the hospital.

Children can fight teens.

Parents will have a higher friendship level with their baby with an at home birth than a hospital birth.

Traits

Inappropriate sims can take sponge baths from a sink.

Your Sim can have a hidden trait called “advanced art training” earned by completing the “Skilled Painting” opportunity acquired through working in the art appraiser career. Sims with this trait can paint paintings of any skill level (0 to 9), instead of paintings appropriate only to their painting skill level.

Bookworm sims can join the book club by computer and get mailed books.

Unlucky Sims can’t die. But they can die of transmutation and leave a golden statue.

Party Animals Sims can dance on top of the counter.

Mermaids with the Evil trait can spawn sharks.

Sims with the Green Thumb Trait can Revive Dead Plants.

Brave Sims can ask for a raise.

Frugal Sims will cut coupons from the newspaper.

Daredevil Sims can “play with fire”, and will stick their hands in the fire and pull them back out until their fun motive is full.

If your Sim has the hydrophobic trait they cannot Woohoo or Try for Baby in the shower.

Being in Bot mode (Bot fan trait) will keep your sim from aging.

Sims with the daredevil trait can eat bugs.

Sims who have the childish trait have the option to read a toddler’s book like any other. Others will get the message “Sim can only read this book to a toddler.”

The Good trait Sims could accuse of being meanspirited.

Sims with the Good trait can donate to charity.

Sims with the “Never Nude” trait shower in their bathing clothes.

Moodlets

If you click on a negative need moodlet, the game will have the sim do the activity to fill that need.

If you gift your child Sims too many times in a row, they get a “spoiled” moodlet.

The creepy magical gnome (the one that kinda looks like a devil) will sometimes spawn next to your Sims bed at night with glowing red eyes. Your Sims can get a creeped out moodlet.

Buy a baby, toddler, or child a teddy bear because it gives them a special moodlet when they sleep while having it in their inventory.

You get a moodlet when you have a blog and something from the blog’s theme happens in your Sims real life.

The “rejuvenated” and “completely at ease” moodlet prevents the horrified noodlet from exploring the catacombs.

Sims can make snow angels face down, and when they do, they get the frosty face moodlet.

Mourning over the dead Sim’s gravestone would reduce the negative effect of “Mourning” moodlet.

If you send too many secret admirers texts to the wrong Sim, they will receive a negative “being stalked” moodlet.

You get a moodlet saying “Brrrr! This is cold!” when your Sim sits on ice furniture.

When swimming in the snow you will get a moodlet saying “Polar Bear Club”.

Romance/Woohoo

You can woohoo or make out behind the scenes at the theater hall if you have two romantically involved Sims visit at the same time. It works for any rabbit hole you can visit (town hall, military base, science lab…).

Using the Time Machine to Try for a Baby in the past will result in a biological teen showing up later that day.

Try Online Dating on the computer.

If your Sim is dating someone and that someone is dating someone else, you can tell them they are cheating.

Sims gets a fertility boost after getting a romantic massage.

Sims can get kicked out of theaters for woohooing.

You can give a cinnamon kiss when you flavored your food with it.

If a Sim marries a plumbot the creator of said plumbot officially becomes their parent-in-law.

If your Sim feels betrayed from an unfaithful marriage they can rebound kiss.

Money

To make money, go to the science skill tree until you have enough skill to take samples from gems, and then clone them using the science station.

Adopt a bunch of dogs or have a werewolf Sim and make them hunt.

Go through the trash of wealthy households.

Experiment on bugs until you get a plasma bug then sample and clone it. A cat with high-level Hunting skills will also catch them occasionally.

Master the Martial Arts skill and break space rocks on the board breaker and get lots of valuable gems.

Paintings appreciate in value over time and are the best sold when the Sim dies.

Miner holes are treasure chests. You can also make several holes into a cave system.

If you have a philosopher’s stone, you can turn pretty much anything into gold. You run the risk of your sim turning into gold and therefore dying. However, if you have a death flower in your inventory you don’t die and you get to keep the gold statue of your sim - making tones of money because of it.

Pets

If you’re cooking food and have a pet, you can throw scraps to them that they will eat.

You can have a rock as a pet.

You can breed fish.

If a pet bowl is outside, any other animal can eat from it.

Gnomes can encourage and discourage cats and dogs on your lot.

Your Sim can pet their dog while they are lying on the couch.

Horses will eat and destroy the newspaper.

When pet birds die, their bodies don’t disappear, they lay there until cleaned up.

Two small dogs can eat from the automatic feeder at once.

Pets can eat garden plants.

Dogs can howl and cats can meow along with instruments.

Your Sim can drop a fish from your inventory onto the ground and their cat can eat it.

If your Sim dog uses the guard-the-house interaction, it will actually bark at any strays that happen to come by your door.

Foals will get a negative moodlet if their mother isn’t around. However, if a Sim gives lots of love and feeds it when it’s hungry, in a couple of days the moodlet changes to a positive one saying that it’s not missing the mother anymore because of all the care you provided

Death

There are only two graveyards in the game with fully unique and custom graves, and no generic ones. They are the graveyards of Sunset Valley and Riverview. Appaloosa Plains is unique in that it has a pet graveyard.

Burning, electrocution, and starvation are by far the most common causes of death among the preexisting graves, with old age being surprisingly common.

If you make a ghost Sim as a playable Sim and have them paint, all their paintings will get the Simoleon bonus to value from the painter being dead.

Your pets can save your Sim from death.

You can have funerals when a Sim from your household dies.

Small tombstone: Dies before 75,000 lifetime happiness points. Medium tombstone: Dies between 75,000 and 149,000 lifetime happiness points. Large tombstone: Dies at 150,000 and above lifetime happiness points.

Sims Graves have different emblems on them depicting how they died; flames, hands reaching out of water, shark jaws, etc.

Expansions

You can discover islands on Island Paradiso.

Isla Paradiso is full of hidden chests on secret islands.

Sunlight charm spell changes a wolf to their human form.

Some Supernatural portraits & paintings (marked with purple border in Build Buy) change during a Full Moon.

Vampires can raid the hospital and the grocery store.

Misc

When out in the ocean, the Kraken can appear. It can attack and sink your Sims small houseboat. It can spawn into Sunset Valley & Lucky Palms if you go out to the furthest point of the water.

If you have a microphone from university life in your inventory, your Sim can greet other Sims by shouting in their face.

You can plant cheese and eggs.

You can upgrade umbrellas.

You can store elixirs in the fridge.

You can waterski.

Sims can mess up an alchemy spell and become a toad.

Birthday cakes can catch on fire.

There are types of objects that aren’t in the catalog that you can make in the toy machine.

If your sims mess up the weather stone, it can rain flowers.

You can open a tab at a bar and if you can’t pay it, they will add it to your bills.

Aliens can steal space rocks from the science lab.

If you steal someone’s clothes after skinny dipping, they’re too mortified to go again.

If your sims are on fire, they can put themselves out in a shower or bathtub. They also put themselves out in dive wells from World Adventures and if you have a shower in a can.

You can upload your Sim sketches and paintings to the digital frames.

Sims can send thank you notes after receiving wedding gifts.

You can place snack bowls on island countertops.

You can announce aptitude test results to other sims.

Not all adult sims get a Midlife Crisis and there are variables involved.

You can go to therapy during a midlife crisis.

Sims who have body hair can get it waxed.

If you place a professional bar at a gym, with a mixologist, they can make protein shakes for your sims and a weird wheat grass-type drinks, graveyards have the tombstone topper and others. The library has basic drinks but one is “alien brain” and is a skill drink and stacks on the library moodlet and the supernatural bonus, so reading skill books takes way less time.

Sim can free criminals from jail with the mining tool.

Celebrities can’t be abducted by aliens.

You can throw herbs at the fireplace, and it will give you a moodlet that varies depending on what herb you have.

Selling objects in the Consignment store is something you can improve over time.

Your Sim can sue people for slander at City Hall when you’re a celebrity and they spread rumors about you.

You can get arrested for harvesting someone else's plants.

Details

The stones at the bottom of the fishbowl change depending on what you put in it.

Artistic, Can’t Stand Art, Computer Whiz, Evil, Genius, Gloomy, Insane, Neurotic, and Virtuoso Sims all have different and unique painting styles.

Fish can spontaneously breed if you put them in fish tanks.

If you are being robbed, and the police come to put the burglar in handcuffs by their car, while they search your house, you can click on the burglar to set them free. They will even thank you for doing so, promising to make it up to you, although they never do.

Cats can jump onto Sim’s lap and they can pet them.

You can drag the greeting card into a big digital frame.

You can get a “wrong number” call.

Clones will be attracted to the cloned Sim.

Cats can sleep on newspapers.

Sims can get a dirtbag reputation if caught cheating. If caught a lot of times, they get a slimeball reputation.

You can “Play in Sand” in the spots where you painted the terrain with sand.

If you have a big dog and a puppy or a cat and a kitten, they can cuddle together in a big pet bed.

Different bars will serve different food depending on the lot type. You can get onion rings, nachos, and hot wings at the normal lower-tier bars but olive platters and shrimp cocktails are reserved for fancy places like exclusive lounges, vampire lounges, and art galleries.

Sims can get sick eating bar food at the lower-end bars.

You can preview a house before you buy it by clicking on the magnifying glass.

Sims can chat on the bunkbed and interact on the playpen.

Try using “Disco tags” in the cheats menu (Ctrl+Shift+C) and go to the map view.

Sims can read lying on the beach towel.

You can style the time machine.

Bonehilda will fight robbers.

Hydrophobic sims won’t accept a fishbowl as a gift.

Simbots have 0’s and 1’s instead of zzz’s.

Male Sims can leave the toilet sit up.

Sunglasses have the reflex of the world.

There are 6 types of snowman - classic, evil, tragic clown, hockey, Grim Reaper, and alien.

With no couch, sims will play video games sitting on the ground.

There’s a city in the background of the university world.

Sims can have different sitting positions.

When your Sim spouse dies and comes back to life, they come back divorced.

Horses can ride boats.

When Plumbots pee themselves, oil is what gets on the floor.

If you place a rubber duck on the bathtub, Sims play with it while they bathe. If you place “World’s Brew Bubble Bath”, they will have a bubble bath.

You can change the colors of the street lights.

You get a popup when a pregnant Sim enters a costume party (it reveals the number of hours left for the pregnancy to end).

Store items come with new skills.

You can expand the inventory and relationship tab by dragging it.

Your Sim only earns LHP when your Sims mood is in the “bubble” on the Mood Meter,

If a Sim’s mood drops all the way to the bottom (-100), the Sim may simply refuse to do anything, even if directed to by the player. You can send them on vacation but if they become depressed on their vacation, it will be necessary to send them home.

The volcano in Sunlit Tides can erupt.

Ants crawl in and out of a public picnic basket carrying food.

Every time a Sims learning the Painting skill sells a painting directly from the easel there is a 20% chance that the painting will replace a wall decoration item in the local art gallery.

You can spy on neighbors with tab mode.

Your Sims can get bitten by mosquitos.

Sims can chat with other sims while cooking.

Friends can bring their kids over to play with yours.

Resort Staff NPCs sweep the floors of the resort.

Sims can get nauseous from foods with herbs.

Sims with the Asian Culture trait use chopsticks to eat rather than knives and forks.

Ghosts can swim in swimming pools but you can’t see their body under the surface of the water.

You can double-click on the save file you want to play on the main menu screen and it will start the game.

When you have the cheapest washing machine and your Sim tries to stop it from shaking, you will get a “Victory Over Washer” moodlet.

Magic gnomes spawn at random when you do related activities.

The trash bed in buydebug makes you stinky.

If you put your bird cage outside it might fly away.

The doors on cars matter, if a car has 2 doors, 2 Sims will get in, if a car has 4 doors, 4 (or 5) Sims get in. Also, babies and toddlers will be held by their parents inside the car.

You can wax your Sims, and when you do, their body hair will appear again after a while.

If lightning strikes vehicles during a storm, it will completely destroyed them.

If a Sim is performing an interaction related to a trait, the trait will be highlighted.

You can get a graduation gnome that “hides in your books” during university classes.

Create-a-style

You can drag the whole palette to other objects so they get the same style.

You can swap patterns by dragging one of them onto the dividing line next to the other.

You can randomize patterns + colors by right-clicking on the swatches.

Right-clicking on the color above the color wheel, the game will give you a more appealing color (a different shade) than the one you have selected.

CAS

Right-clicking the icons at the top of CAS randomizes that part of clothing you are on.

You can have hairstyles in different outfits.

Build-Buy

Plants change in size as you place them.

You can make custom object collections.

If you typed in the cheat moveobjects on you can move sims by just clicking on them (on Build Buy mode).

You can set seasonal decor on your home lot to auto-change if you place the debug marker and then decorate accordingly.

If you press alt when building a foundation, you can change the height of it.

You can paint ceilings.

Mods

If you play with NRAAS Story Progression, no vampires or celebs will be in your town unless you specifically say you want them.

#ts3 #the sims 3 #the sims #sims 3 #s3 #til

248 notes · View notes

astraxxei · 4 months

Note

thinking about lovesick corrupted yan venti 🤤

he was nice enough to give his darling their own room to “be nice” but they have a chain attached from thier ankle to the bed and its only long enough to go to the four corners of the room

thinkign ab how he doesnt think its noncon because it brings them clsoer together

thinking ab darling who just gor kidnapped and gets their ass punished for biting his dick mid bj

he would punish them by hurting them back lol

u should totally write ab reader biting his dick ( like as a way of attacking him ) and getting punished for it

yes this is a noncon request 😞

gn!reader possibly?

- :3

Hi :3 anon! OF COURSE I'LL DO TS. THE BITING IS SO FUNNY HELP ME.

✧.° - You belong to me, darling...~ ♡

ft VENTI from Genshin Impact.

WARNINGS : NSFW: SEXUAL THEMES. INTERACT AT YOUR OWN RISK. DARK CONTENT. ( :NONCON. Sadism/Masochism. Slight blood. Violence. Yandere themes. Character is a yandere. Reader is a victim. Degradation.)

Yandere! Corrupted! Venti. Reader uses they/them pronouns. Reader is gn. AU where corrupted Venti is the ruler of Mondstadt and reader is an innocent citizen. Oneshot: requested.

This is a dark content post. If you do not wish to see this type of content, please block the corresponding tags. I am not responsible for any person reading this. Reader discretion is advised. Any hate will not be tolerated. By proceeding under the cut, you confirm that you wish to see this type of content and you have FULL responsibility of what you're about to read and interact with.

~ ♡ ~

Even ever since you knew about what Barbatos has become, you did not wish to leave your birth nation. Strange, yet endearing, that you had such a strong connection to your homeland that you didn't want to leave even while you knew that your archon had been corrupted with a mind full of malice and power and then... nothing. Destruction and despair, but you preferred to endure than run away. Scared and stunned, you ran and ran like a chased criminal from the wind. You had went out to buy some apples, but suddenly you felt like the breeze has been after you. You felt like this for a while, every single time you stepped foot out of your home, like something was chasing you, a strong desire to make you it's possession filling in it's blood.

But the wind blew so hard this time, it knocked you on a tree and you passed out. About time, because you've been losing sleep lately, you though before blackening out. You suddenly wake up and... You feel strange. Your head hurts, but you're on a soft bed. But you try to get up and...what is that you feel? Restraints? Chains locked in your ankle on the bed.

You realized you could only move to reach the corners of the small room. The chain attached to your ankle was starting to hurt, but you didn't notice that. More importantly, you were scared. You didn't know what was going on. Who was the one that chained you, restrained you, in a place you've never been before? You hear a faint laugh in the distance. Malicious laugh... sending shivers of terror down your spine.

The one climbing up the stairs to the little room you were currently in was no one other than the Anemo archon himself. Your eyes widen. You can't believe you got into this situation.

"B- Barbatos?!"

"Call me Venti, dear~"

His voice is sweet like sugar cubes, but it's scary and intimidating at the same time. He is average heighted, his glowing, pink eyes are staring into yours. His huge smile is spread across his face, and you swear that even in your weak vision you can see blood staining his delicate clothes.

"Look darling. You're mine from now on~ I gave you your own room~ I should be getting rewarded for being so kind and sweet...to my lover. Come here, and I will teach you how to show me your appreciation all day~"

Terrified, you shake your head as he walks towards you. You were scared, so scared, oh, what a monster...

You almost don't notice how swiftly you're being pulled towards him. You try to protest and squirm but his hand is grabbing your hair so hard it hurts and you almost cry out in pain. A malicious laugh is the response you're getting.

"Ahahaha! Look at you, trying to get away from the Anemo archon! This is a way for both of us to bond, you know...you should want it...You should be good to me...or else... I might do something you won't really like...my lovely dearie~"

You stop protesting as his hand on your hair is hurting you too much to handle. Before you realize it you're lowered down to his crotch and as he throws his clothing to the side you see his erection pent up proudly right in front of your face. Your eyes widen at the sudden realization of his size, but you remember, he's a god, so you're not anymore surprised. He looks down at you mischievously and smiles widely as he runs his hand through your hair.

"See that? Well, you better take care of it. I don't have all day."

You sigh in despair of how you got yourself into this situation. You part your lips and start taking it slowly inside your mouth, sucking slowly and looking up at him with a slightly indifferent look. You see his flushed face as he grabs your hair tighter and pulls your head towards himself roughly, the sounds of pleasure escaping his mouth as soon as he feels yours around him.

"Aaah~ Mmph~ Haah~"

He tastes so good. You don't want to admit it to yourself, but you like it. You really like the sensation. But at the same time...you get slightly annoyed. You've been denied freedom and a good life because of this faulty archon, and now he's forcing you to suck on his dick? You feel absolutely degraded. You decide you can't tolerate this, no, for your nation, and your own sake, you can't.

Without even thinking you bring your teeth to bite down. Not too hard, but enough to cause pain. You see Venti's eyes widen and tear up slightly as he lets out a pained squeal and pulls back from you immediately.

You pant and breathe heavily, looking at him as your saliva is connecting your mouth with his tip. Suddenly he looks down at you with a very angry expression and before you know it a hard, sudden slap makes it's way across your face.

"That hurt, you fucking whore!"

Your vision goes foggy. You whimper and place your trembling hand on your cheek. The chain is still tied to your ankle. You look up at him, shaking. He looks down at you, breathing heavily, but seemingly less angry than before. He kneels down and his hand quickly wraps around your neck. It's really hard, and it hurts. You try to whimper out your words.

"..'m sorry..sor- hnn..."

He lets go of your neck and smiles. "This is what you get for being a disobedient slut. Don't worry, I still love you though~ disobedient or not, you're just my adorable little toy..."

He looks down at you with a wide, mischievous smile and caresses your cheek.

"...and I'm going to do anything in my power to make sure you understand that you're mine and mine only. The feeling of me will be implanted in your brain forever. You belong to me, darling...~ "

~ ♡ ~

A/n: I have never written anything more toe curling in my whole life. Also I managed to not laugh while writting the biting part. I did not expect this to happen.

#genshin venti #venti x reader #smut #genshin smut #dark content #gn!reader #genshin x reader #anemo archon #degrading k1nk #yandere #yandere character #mental illness #core #tw noncon #tw bl0od

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beauty-and-passion · 5 months

Note

No pressure as always, but I’m curious if you saw Thomas’ Year in Review. He talks a lot about his struggles with Sanders Sides and why the creative process has taken so long (at least, he gives his own take on the situation.)

If you saw it, I’m very curious about your thoughts! Because I honestly don’t believe that this video discredits any criticism, especially your criticism, but I’m curious if any of your opinions changed after watching it regardless. And no judgement either way, I just love hearing your thoughts ^.^

My dear, it's always a pleasure to reply to your asks! It might take me some time, but in the end, the answer will always come.

Thank you very much for telling me about the video because, if it wasn't for you, I would've probably never watched it and missed out a lot. Extra kudos for that.

So I watched it. And I read your post about it too (HERE because more people need to read it): it was very well made and I agree with you wholeheartedly.

However, I also took a lot of notes while watching Mr Sanders' video and there are a lot of other things I want to say in addition to the ones you already said. So I will gladly expand my thoughts and feelings here.

(It might be longer than expected, so I'll put it under a "read more")

Accepting criticism

Thomas admitted he easily internalizes negative criticism

He said that people are allowed to write everything/to criticize and that he doesn't want others to get mad over SaSi criticism

First of all, I am proud of him for showing this self-awareness. From what I saw of him, Thomas looks like a very prideful person, so it probably took him a lot of time and courage to admit his faulty behaviour.

But in the end, he did it. He showed some of the maturity I've always wanted to see coming from him and he deserves recognition for that: good job, Thomas. I know it wasn't easy because it sucks to admit we're not good at something, but it was a great proof of adulthood coming from you.

However, I would like to point out that he doesn't internalize just negative criticism. What the ts critics noticed (and you can find several proofs in the #ts_criticism tag), is that Thomas tends to reply with a lot of passive-aggressiveness not just to people offending him, but also to simple and harmless questions like "Hey, where is the SaSi finale?". Which are not negative, not criticism and even less negative criticism.

So it's not that he just internalizes bad criticism: he internalizes every single question regarding the SaSi finale which is not a compliment towards him or a "take your time, bro". And he internalizes it as something bad, which is not great, nor fair.

With this video, he took a step in the right direction and showed some self-awareness, which is very good. But now he needs to learn how to distinguish between different kinds of criticism - as well as recognizing that asking him questions isn’t criticism. It’s just asking questions.

(I also hope that some people won’t follow his mentality of “saying anything that isn’t a compliment = criticism”, because this can lead to a dangerous, distorted vision of the world.)

And since we’re talking about criticism, I wish that by saying "please do not get angry over criticism" Thomas finally put an end to the stupid idea that “people are not allowed to criticize”.

I know some people don't like to hear this, but criticism is inherent to the nature of every single work. Everything that exists in this world is allowed to be criticized. Heck, it's exactly because these creations are criticized, that they exist. Do you know what work isn't criticized? The one people don't talk about.

And no, despite what the opposers of criticism think, when people criticize something it's not because they hate the product: it's because they care a lot about said product. It's because they saw something good in it and they're disappointed the product wasn't as good as it promised. It's because they are so invested, that every mistake frustrates them.

In the end, it's not criticism that kills a product: it's indifference. It's not talking about it anymore. When you don't care, the product is dead.

So the opponents of criticism should be happy people are talking about SaSi with such passion, throwing ideas, suggestions and calling Thomas out. It's because, despite the empty promises, they still give a fuck about this project and want to see it succeed.

Maybe, thanks to Thomas' works, more people will not ban every criticism as "bad" Because Yes. Heck, they might even read a couple of posts and find out that the criticism tag isn't made of hateful people: just of people who care like them.

And maybe this will also discourage pathetic losers like the anon @softestvirgil mentioned in their last post. An anon who is so strong and brave, to say they would hire a hitman to kill another person just because they criticize something the anon likes. Very mature, very clever and very bold, coming from a coward who doesn't even have the balls to show their face, while saying this.

_______________________

The difficulty of writing

Thomas said he got overwhelmed by the public's reaction to SaSi "in the most wonderful and intimidating way"

When Joan left, Thomas felt the overwhelming weight of the series all on himself. He couldn't see himself doing SaSi without Joan

Roleslaying was a breath of fresh air, since it was a series with no stakes

Thomas realized he was doing his best with videos that didn't require him to write

Thomas said there have been moments when he despised everything he was writing. He spent whole days on a single interaction between two characters, only to hate everything and wonder how Joan would write them/what the viewers would think.

As always, I am a prophet. What did I say in these last years?

Thomas doesn't know how to handle this series? He admitted he couldn't see himself doing it without Joan.

Thomas prefers Roleslaying and shorter, more carefree videos because they're easier and they don't require him to write? He admitted he did his best with videos that didn't require him to write.

Thomas isn't able to write the series? He had struggles and hated what he was writing.

So, what was the result, if not Thomas postponing and focusing on other projects - thus ending up with characterization errors, mistakes and things he completely forgot? Just like I said?

But even if I'm right, I am glad Thomas FINALLY talked about it. One thing is deduce what's going on, one thing is the author himself admitting it.

So yes, I really, really appreciate him doing it. Again, it was probably very hard for him to say it out loud, but he did and deserves recognition for that.

I particularly felt for him, when he said he spent days on a single interaction, only to hate everything he was writing. I empathize with him a lot because that's exactly what I felt while writing the prologue of my story, multiple times. I spent days writing the same two paragraphs, over and over, trying to find the right way to do it, the right rhythm, the right words. And I ended up deleting everything, only to start again and try again and delete everything again, over and over in a neverending loop.

I know it must've been hard for Thomas, because it is hard. Because you feel like shit. Because you ask yourself how can you not write this right, what are you doing wrong? Maybe you did everything wrong from the start, maybe the entire thing is wrong, maybe you're just too stupid to do it - and you see other stories and other writings and they're all so good and you suck so much and you feel like an even bigger loser.

And now you may ask: how can you break this loop? How can you move forward?

We will talk about Thomas' solution in a bit.

_______________________

The lack of an outline

Thomas admitted he lost connection with his characters

He said he was feeling bad for letting people down

He said he's writing the outline of the season finale by referring to notes left by Joan

He finished 3 drafts out of 4 parts. And they're still reviewed

Wow, it looks like the lack of a proper, full outline leads to characterization errors, forgetting things and taking a lot of time. Jeez, I wonder who said all of this since like, idk, forever?

As I imagined, there is still no outline at all and Thomas isn't even working on a full outline for season 3: he's working on an outline for the season 2 finale. Which means season 3 is still stuck in a limbo.

And yes, I know they're not great news, but at least they're real news. Real fucking news about the finale, not just "finished draft 3" or "worked for 8 hours" or "it will come out this year maybe yes maybe not". We finally have real news and we know how much Thomas did and what he's currently working on and how much is still left to do. So, again, he deserves recognition for finally talking about it.

Does that mean the writing is good now? Heck no, this isn't a proper way to write and my previous post still stands: the writing is still taking too long, the lack of an outline is still a problem, part 4 and the review will probably take another two years minimum and a competent writer would've helped A LOT to make the writing smoother and faster.

However, I better understand now why Thomas didn't hire one: he probably wanted to do everything by himself to not disappoint everyone and was too prideful to ask for help - considering he didn't tell anyone about his struggles either.

But what did it lead to? The outline is still missing (with all the expected consequences) and Thomas suffered for the huge weight of expectation he put on himself.

_______________________

The importance of not escaping criticism

Thomas' resolutions for this year are:

to be more open and honest about his struggles

to stay away from criticism (he doesn't even want to be tagged in it)

Those are great resolutions, especially the first one. Considering he kept everything by himself and didn't tell anyone about his struggles, being more open and honest about them is a very good decision.

And staying away from negative criticism is good too, considering that 1) it's good for mental health in general and 2) he just admitted he internalizes criticism, so staying away from it can only be helpful.

However, as said before, Thomas sees as “negative criticism" everything, including people asking him about the finale. So if he escapes from all kinds of criticism, he will also escape from harmless fans who just want an update from him.

Besides, it’s never good to escape from all kinds of criticism. Criticism is essential for writing, especially constructive criticism. Sure, you might find the 12-year-old who says "You stink and your work sucks because my headcanon is not here!", but you may also find the expert who will explain some technicalities of writing. Or just someone who can offer a deeper insight into a character. Or just an interesting idea to develop into a plot point.

Also, considering how Thomas tends to label every little critic as "negative", people who want to show their love might end up feeling "forced" to use just compliments, in hopes that Thomas will notice them/know they love SaSi. Which isn’t good either, because... well, people would be forced to censor themselves and suffocate their rightful questions just to make him happy.

_______________________

How to escape the neverending loop of hate-writing

Thomas said he wants to rediscover his joy in writing by working on more Asides/other projects to "stretch his brain"

He also expressed his love for short-form creation

Thomas' solution is a good one. Doing other things, focusing on other stuff, letting SaSi in the back to write different stories: this is all good and valid, I’m sure it will help Thomas’ mental health a lot.

However, writing small stuff with no stakes is also what Thomas wrote for most of his life. So by doing that, he basically reverts to something he’s already used to. And of course he loves it, it’s his comfort zone: it’s very understandable he feels at ease inside it.

Still, this is not a bad thing: it’s good to do it once in a while and it's even necessary for your wellbeing. But you can understand by yourself that this doesn’t help solve the problem. This just postpones the problem. Maybe it won’t come back now, maybe not today or tomorrow or during the season 2 finale. But the problem will eventually come back.

Why? Because SaSi still lacks an outline. Because the story should still move in a more mature, complex direction. Because there are still a lot of threads to develop and close. Because the characters still need mature development.

How do I think Thomas can solve the problem? Sure, detaching himself from it is good for a while, but he cannot do just that and escape into his comfort zone. He needs to face the problem and he can do it only by learning how to write.

And if it’s hard to do (because it is), then the best solution would be to hire a competent writer. Not because the writer will replace him, not at all. The writer will help Thomas to learn and understand the technicalities of writing especially for a project as big as SaSi: like how to develop an outline, how to connect all threads, how to move from a simple to a more complex plot, how to keep a continuative plot throughout several episodes without destroying the stakes. The writer will be an assistant for the writing of SaSi and a teacher from whom Thomas can learn everything he needs.

So, if Thomas really wants to give himself some grace this year as he said, I suggest he shares his writing responsibilities with someone competent and bias-free. A real writer from whom he can learn not just for SaSi, but for his future projects too. Not only this will benefit him in the long run, but it will also give him a more humble and mature approach to writing in general, by recognizing and accepting his limits and doing actual work to improve himself.

But this is just my suggestion. If he wants, Thomas can keep doing what he’s doing now, i.e. working on smaller stuff into his comfort zone and stepping out a little bit when he feels more confident.

Again, this isn’t a bad solution, but the problem is that it takes a lot of time. But, like, A LOT. You need to regain confidence from inside your comfort zone, then step out again to face a bigger problem - a problem you still don’t know how to face, because you don’t know how to write and you don’t even have an outline or a plan to tackle it. And what if you lose confidence again? Will you come back into your comfort zone and wait again to gain enough confidence to step out once more?

I know you will never read this post, Thomas, but let me tell you this: I also lost the spark with my characters several times in the past. The first time, it was because I still didn’t know how to write, so I was frustrated by the writing itself and how everything was dull. Then I lost my spark because the plot kept getting stuck and I had no idea how to improve it.

Both times, I left the project in the back and focused on other smaller stories, smaller projects and books to read.

After the first time, it took me a couple of years to get back on this project. But do you know how long it took me the second time? This year, it will be 8 years. The last time I wrote that project was 2016. And only now, after 8 years, I think I found the solution I was searching for.I could do that, because I never showed this story to anyone. It has always been my personal, secret project. But can you do the same? Can you really afford to spend 8+ years, doing everything by yourself? As I said in my previous post, unfortunately Sanders Sides has your face. And you cannot revert the biological clock forever.

_______________________

In conclusion

Do I appreciate Thomas a little more after this video? Definitely. He still didn't apologize for his lack of organization and his take on criticism is a bit questionable, but he's improving. He showed more maturity than he did in the past three years and I appreciate that. He has my respect for doing it, for admitting his mistakes and for opening up.

Does that mean he can take forever for the finale? Heck no. I still want to see the finale before the end of time and I still want to get more frequent, honest updates coming from him. And, no that doesn’t mean he has to do 20-minute-long videos every time: even just a simple, clear tweet is enough. Just to let us know how the work is going.

I also hope he will develop better communication with his team, improve the organization and, most importantly, hire a competent writer from whom he can learn more about writing in general (and regarding SaSi).

While for the fandom, I wish we would be nicer too. It doesn't make sense for us to fight over a simple series, when there are bigger problems out there. Let's enjoy our time together instead, let's criticize if we want to, let's do fanart and write fanfictions and let's fight over silly stuff only, like which ship is the best and which Orange is the best Orange. Even if the second doesn’t even need a debate, because we all know pirate!Orange is the best ;P

#sanders sides #ask #thomas sanders #ts criticism #as you said we all love this series #and we all want what's best for it #that's the only thing that matters #and if there is someone who doesn't want SaSi to succeed #then let's just ignore them #they don't deserve any attention

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maximumqueer · 6 days

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One Piece and Media Literacy

So this entire post was born out of me trying to understand why there are certain readings and interpretations of one piece that get under my skin so much. I like to think that I am normally pretty open to different readings of a text. I’m an English major, literally 90% of my degree is discussing different interpretations of fictional media, and that often involves encountering people with different readings than my own. That is good, and I think that as long as a reading can be backed up with good faith textual evidence it’s a valid reading. And that was the sticking point for me, that the takes that I kept seeing had logic behind them. I could see how and why the person sharing them came to the conclusion they did. But, what I realized is that even though these conclusions did make sense, it also relied on an incredibly literal, surface level take on the scene that also oftentimes ignored the context of how and why the moment was taking place. In other words, a lack of media literacy.

I’m going to use two scenes that I personally view as getting misconstrued as a result of this as examples. The first one is Shanks' conversation with Whitebeard, particularly this sentence Shanks says in response to Whitebeard questioning Shanks on the loss of his arm.

I have seen this moment be interpreted as Shanks intentionally losing his arm to teach Luffy a lesson in leadership, that what makes a good captain is one who is willing to put themselves and their life on the line for the people they care about. I do think that is a lesson Luffy took away from this moment, but I don’t think that this scene is framing it as intentional. The meeting between these two characters is grandiose, and the dialogue they use exemplifies that. Just before this, Whitebeard asked Shanks “What enemy did you give that left arm to?” (One Piece, Ch. 434, pg. 11). Whitebeard isn’t asking Shanks if he literally gave his arm to an enemy, but rather asking who he lost his arm to, but in a verbose way. As such, Shanks doesn’t mean that he intentionally gave up his arm. And while he could have said that a sea monster took it, he instead switched focus from the thing that took it to the person who he lost it for. It shows Shanks' mindset towards losing his arm, and how he does not actually view it as a loss, as it was lost saving a kid Shanks saw potential in, a kid who would be a part of the new era.

I will also say that the implication of Shanks intentionally losing his arm makes him a worse person, and cheapens his and Luffy’s relationship. The implication being that the emotional distress we saw him in when Luffy was kidnapped and in peril was at least to a point faked. A person in distress is not worrying about what lesson they can impart onto the person they’re saving, and as such saying that Shanks could have in that moment decided to intentionally give up his arm paints him as a much colder, more calculating character, which I would argue would be to the detriment of his character.

And I know that this reading is in part trying to explain why Shanks, a very powerful character, would lose his arm to a sea monster in the East Blue. But this was Shanks from 12 years ago, I don’t think it takes a massive leap in logic to assume that he simply wasn’t as strong of a character back then. Add to that his attention mainly being focused on making sure he got to Luffy in time, and I think him losing his arm in that moment makes perfect sense.

The second scene is when Rob Lucci suggests that Luffy’s use of gear 2 is causing him to shave years off his life.

What Lucci says here is often taken at face value, and then applied to every other gear we have seen Luffy use. This is also information that is stated as fact, more often than not. That every time Luffy uses gear 2 or 3 (pre - ts) or gear 4 or 5 (post - ts) that he is taking a couple years off his life. And as this all stems from Rob Lucci, we have to ask 1: Is Rob Lucci knowledgeable enough to actually make this claim? And 2: Is he a trustworthy source of information?

The first question is up for debate. Lucci could very well make an educated guess about the strain Luffy is putting on his body. But at the end of the day he is only going off of very limited knowledge about both Luffy and his devil fruit. The second question, I would argue, is a resounding no. Lucci is a member of CP9 (now CP0) an intelligence agency that focuses on infiltration. Part of Lucci’s job is to lie and coerce people. This is also the man that killed his fellow soldiers that had been taken as POWs to prevent the county they were fighting from having the upper hand. That is not the kind of person whose word you can take at face value.

It is also worth noting that the broader scene that this line of dialogue belongs to involves Lucci trying to psyche Luffy out by telling him that there is no hope of him or his friends winning, using the claim that he is shortening his life, as well as information that his crew is in a tunnel that will soon flood, killing them. And while some of this info is true, that is not the reasoning behind Lucci telling him it. He wants Luffy to be discouraged and to feel like there is no possible way for him to win. The information he tells to Luffy does not have to be true for this tactic to work.

What I’m trying to get at here is that analysis that does not take in the broader context of the story, or the established characterization of the people in the specific scene being analyzed leads to a reading based in ignorance, as not all of the information is being considered. It can also lead to misunderstandings within the fandom, like how I’ve seen it stated that Luffy using gear 5 shortens his life span. There is no canon backing for this, other than the literal interpretation of what a villain said about an entirely different gear nearly 20 years ago in real time. Or it can unintentionally paint a character that has previously been characterized as deeply caring for the protagonist as being cold and distant instead, more focused on making the next generation is strong - both physically and as leaders - than about saving the protagonist's (who at the time was a child) life.

#one piece #one piece spoilers #one piece meta #monkey d luffy #red haired shanks #rob lucci #media literacy

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deecotan · 2 years

Note

Do you have a list of favorite zosan fics? Sorry if someone's asked this before x.x

Hooo boy, this is going to be challenging because there's simply a lot of fics that I like and it's kind of all over the place depending on my mood, but I'm going to make a general list of some of my favorites and a short summary of why I like them.

This is going to be a little long so I'm going to put them under read more!

Sketches of Life (and Love) by Fledgling — An exploration of a headcanon where Sanji likes to draw in his free time. This fic always leaves me with a warm feeling every time I read it because how endearingly sweet it is. It's basically a domestic fluff story about both ZoSan and the Strawhats crew in general.

green with envy blues by adietxt — A cute fic about Zoro being jealous. Jealous!Zoro has been one of those tropes that make me screech like a feral animal every time I come across it and this fic does exactly that. It's pretty short and simple but it captures the characters very well. It's set during pre-timeskip which makes it even better to me because pre-TS Zoro possesses that boyish quality that post-TS Zoro doesn’t necessarily have anymore.

Old Men Blues by postmoderne — Quoting directly from the fic's summary, “Sanji and Zoro: two ancient fucks (in love).” because this is exactly that, a story about old men ZoSan. Old Zoro and old Sanji are both still as stubborn as ever and it's endearing.

Meet me under the orange tree by candelina — A canon divergence AU where Zoro and Sanji met as kids, as Zeff opened up Baratie in Zoro's hometown. It's an adorable and heartwarming story of little Zoro and little Sanji's friendship. There's also a part two which is also worth reading.

Other fics from candelina: The whole world will know, another fic about old men ZoSan, this one involves Zoro deliberately showing himself to the Marines for god knows what. It's sweet, it's beautiful, and it shows that Zoro is as reckless and idiotic as he is a loving, devoted husband.

Zoro's Boyfriend, Who Lives In Canada by donutsandcoffee — Modern AU, where Zoro's friends try to stop him from believing that his imaginary, totally made-up boyfriend actually exists. Of course Zoro's boyfriend doesn't actually exist, because with the way Zoro describes him he's way too perfect to exist and how can anyone so perfect actually exist? A hilarious story of misunderstandings.

Other fics from donutsandcoffee: My other favorite stories would be Prison Blues and it’s a long way forward, which serve as both a ZoSan story and a great Sanji character study.

The Three of Swords by 8ball — A medieval AU with knight Zoro and prince Sanji, a concept that starts to really grow on me after I begin to read this fic. In this story, Zoro is a cursed knight appointed to serve Sanji, a deeply kind-hearted prince whom Zoro eventually pines over. It's a beautiful take of prince and knight AU; devoted knight Zoro is something that I didn't know I need. It also has a sequel.

Steady, As She Goes by auspizien — I've always loved auspizien's fics and this is the one fic that made me fall in love with their writing. This is a modern AU story where Zoro is an ex-agent with PTSD who meets and befriends Sanji, a paramedic. It's a multi-chapter fic filled with humor, angst, pining, action, and good ol’ slow-burn.

The Tribulations of Tempation by SweetyGreeny — Zoro accidentally sees Ace and Sanji doing... the do, and then spends days after that feeling shocked, confused, angry, and disappointed. A simply delicious story of pining and jealous Zoro. There's a slight AceSan in the beginning but the endgame is still ZoSan.

Other fics from SweetyGreeny: A Siren's Sinking Song, a canon-divergent AU where Sanji is a siren who one day meets a peculiar swordsman from a wandering ship; this story is beautiful and I love the idea of siren!Sanji, but please note the major character death TW. The Burden of Blondes, Sanji finds out that Zoro has a thing for blondes, and for some reason he feels uneasy. A fun story with some good smut.

(I Want) Someone to Love Me by three_days_late — Sanji is about to turn 17, so he hopes that he can get his first kiss before that. A cute high school AU that involves everyone wanting to kiss Sanji (honestly, who doesn't) but only one person gets to actually do it.

Other fics from three_days_late: Blood Red - this might be a little biased because this fic is inspired by my comic, but that's also a perfectly good reason why I must add it here; this fic is able to capture the spirit of the comic perfectly. If you want to read a short exposition of Zoro showing his protective side, then this fic is worth the read. The Christmas Swap, a modern AU in which Sanji and Reiju switch partners during Christmas so they can attend their family gathering without having to come out as queer. It’s a wonderful story about family, relationships, and what it feels like to be closeted. The Only Way Out (Is Through), a beautiful Prince Sanji and Knight Zoro story, where circumstances forced them to be unable to be together - and it also has a side Nami/Vivi.

Curly Angel by APTX (translated to English by NMTD) — In this alternative canon universe, everyone has a guardian angel, and Zoro's just happened to be Sanji. Hilarity ensues. I have to admit that I absolutely love all of APTX's ZoSan fics, but since most of them are in Chinese, if you're like me and doesn't mind reading some really botchy translations of said fics, then you can try using Google Translate to read them.

Let me be your Inspiration by TheWanderers — College AU where Sanji is an artist/painter - another fic that explores Sanji as someone with an artistic streak, but also so much more. It's a beautiful story that starts out with Zoro having to model for Sanji's painting but ends up falling in love with him. I love the way the author adapts the characters' canon backstory into this universe.

Thy Fearful Symmetry by Harubo — A modern AU where Sanji is a tourist visiting a tiger reserve during a family vacation and Zoro is a detective investigating a poaching ring. All of Harubo's fics are godsend but I particularly love this one because the setting reads like a perfect rom-com drama movie about a stressed, overworked chef meeting a handsome detective. There's also a nice tidbit where the Vinsmoke siblings are trying to get along with each other.

Retrogade by Hazel_Athena — Sanji got badly injured after a fight, and ends up losing a big chunk of memories - he doesn't find it too bothersome until he notices how weird Zoro starts to act around him. It's a really good temporary amnesia fic with some really delicious pining!Zoro material.

Done Dirt Cheap by Balderdashfromafool — Basically a Western ZoSan AU, where Zoro is an outlaw and Sanji is a small town chef. This one is fun and lovely, and as someone who doesn’t read a lot of Western-themed stories, I love the way the author describes the Western setting in this fic.

Each A Love Song by Shadowcatxxx — Sanji is frustrated because Zoro's surprisingly popular with women when he doesn't even like them back. A story of a confused Sanji trying to find love and being the World’s Most Oblivious Man.

And that's all for now! It got way longer than I initially thought....there are some fics that I exclude, mostly the more explicit, PWP-type of fics, as well as Omegaverse fics, because my taste on them tend to be more specific and self-indulgent as ever. I might need to make a separate post for that, and also like feel free to ask me about them anytime.

I really hope I've done these fics justice with my summaries. I can't overstate how talented these authors are, so please shower them with love, kudos, comments, attention, etc etc if you have time.

#zosan fic #zosan fic rec #deeco's fic rec

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m4g3114n1c · 2 months

Text

You have my attention. Don’t waste it.

Midas (Fortnite) x Fem!Reader

tags: NSFW!, explicit, pretty raunchy 🥰, AFAB Reader, Established Relationship, Smut, Aftercare, Vaginal Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Backshots, WHO WANT BACKSH💔TS??, Porn With Plot, slight plot, Creampie, degradation kink, Spanking, Midas is kinda sadistic, Mild BDSM themes, Unsafe Sex, Light Sadism, Dom/sub Undertones, CROSS-POSTED

im back also im writing a smut prequel to all this bs with slight plot into what the reader and Midas’ relationship was, so next thing I write is going to be intern reader x boss/ceo Midas

jus a warning he’s not going to be like he is now and is strictly about sex and no feelings he’s kinda cold guys 😞 but leaning more about sub/dom next part

You and Midas knew it felt appropriate to separate yourselves from each other for now. He needed to focus on this, you weren’t really helping him focus. As smart and useful as you were, it was far too difficult for him to have you in the room with him.

An apt Midas was working away on the monitor already on the desk, and trying to keep himself focused with contacting his team properly after being gone for so long.

Every now and then, he’d spare a quick glance to the side where the large window had displayed you outside. You were relaxing with a two piece bikini on, with no motivations to even dip in the water.

He figured you were just sunbathing. His suspicions did grow, however, on what your true intentions were with wearing that because you sat right next to the window where he’d be.

You sat on the sofa instead of the area where the group of beach chairs were, designed for that kind of thing. He considered that, possibly, you liked how more cushioned and comfortable it was.

In spite of all his conjecture, he knew you wanted him to be tempted. Beguiled, he might say to your successful attempts at making him shy his attention away from his work.

Now, you might as well be in the same room as him right now because he absolutely could not keep his eyes off.

After a few failed attempts at working, he blankly stared ahead. His eye caught the bed, which was now tidy and made, prior to the events yesterday. Well shit. The peaceful and clean bed only made him think about you pleading for more under you the other day. That didn’t help with progressing more in his work.

Midas glanced outside again, to which you had now placed your sunglasses on. You leaned over as you were sat up on the sofa, thoroughly spreading what seemed to be sunscreen. He felt like he was eyeing his prize if he got to finish his work.

Sitting outside, you could feel just how Midas’ gaze was locked in on you while still separated from the thick glass; his stare making the glass separating you both deemed useless.

He looked pissed in a way, his eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth tightly pressed in a tight line; the thought of him pissed at you turned you on a bit.

It was amusing seeing somebody who is usually locked in on his work a lot of the time get distracted by something tiny like his girlfriend wearing a bikini.

While you smeared sunscreen on yourself, your legs, your arms, the sun immediately caught against it which in turn made Midas look at you like pure gold, his most prized treasure.

You placed the sunscreen back on the table, picking up your book and reading where you left off. The sound of the waves helped you settle yourself into a calmer environment, than if you were inside it’d feel way too quiet.

Birds flew past obnoxiously just as you thought that. You grumbled, trying to get back to your book, to which you were literally gripping at.

Soon your relaxing environment was now beginning to piss you off, the waves sounded repetitive and was driving you crazy, the sun felt too hot right now and the wind wasn’t even blowing in the right direction.

You sounded so bitchy and whiny, getting tired of everything outside, but you had the right to, you’ve been out here for at least two hours.

Wait.

You halted in your tracks when you began to pack up your book, your sunscreen, your phone, and your water bottle.

He would probably think you were trying to distract him from his work if you came back inside. Even if not in the same room as him, just knowing that you were in the interior of the yacht might’ve tempted him.

Another side of you wanted to go, because who cares? The other side told you to sit your ass down and deal with more of it until he was done his work.

The Gods answered your prayer, because as soon as when you packed up, Midas seemed to be finished. He looked like it. His body language was more open, body more relaxed, and he wasn’t staring at the monitor anymore.

He was absentmindedly pushing the chair around slightly. You shrugged to yourself, thinking this was the best time.

When you got inside of the room, placing your things at your designated table, Midas was staring at you. Although he didn’t want to overdo it at the point you felt uncomfortable.

“You finished?” You asked warily, not to piss him off. Midas caught on that quickly, raising an eyebrow that was one of confusion but he nodded. “Yes, sent the alerts out, might take them a while to find us though.” He leaned back in his chair, quite relaxed that he was finished.

You took the chance to go behind his chair, hands working at his tense muscles connecting his neck and his shoulder. You remember when you first pointed out how tense his shoulders were.

It still felt like yesterday when Midas still saw you as his intern, whom he didn’t trust much. He thought you were way too happy go-lucky to be a real person, nobody is sunshine and rainbows.

The fact is, he needed somebody like you in his life to balance out just how shitty he is. You knew you were working for a villain, yet you were still sitting around in his building, supporting him as if he were the best man alive.

Without your outgoing personality, he probably wouldn’t have managed to approach you in the first place and ask you out for dinner that cost way more than your pay check.

Your attitude was beginning to rub off on him.

Your thumbs pressed harshly, but it was working. Midas sighed out of relief, needing you to come do this for so long.

“Is this alright?”

His breath hitched, the immediate moment your mouth was near his ear. The feeling of you so close was alluring him.

“That’s—yes, it’s alright.” He said under his breath in a tone that hinted that he was ready for what you were about to do next.

Heat bloomed on his face, blood rising up to cover his cheeks in chagrin. Still massaging him, you experimentally pressed your lips on his neck. He kept himself composed, not daring to make a sound.

He didn’t protest to stop so you continued, sucking hard, completely stopping the massage. Midas groaned under his breath, cursing.

Before he could even process it, you were now straddling his lap. In all of your bathing suit glory, he could already feel himself getting hard. He could tell you were impatient, just by how you clung to him.

You cupped his face, eyes closing as you kiss him slowly. The long drag of the kiss was passionate. Midas hand came down to squeeze your ass, pulling you flush against him.

Just by doing that, the immediate feeling of his cock growing harder, trapped in his slacks had you moan during the kiss. He smelt like aftershave, and his body-wash that you had no idea what the brand was but knew it was expensive.

The kiss then turned more eager, before you knew it, Midas’ tongue was already exploring your mouth, pressing itself against the roof of your tongue or sucking your tongue.

He had a bad habit of always kissing so rough. You felt him nip hard enough to break the thin barrier of skin of your lip. He pulled away, eyes wandering brazenly onto your kiss-bruised lips. He definitely had some sadistic tendencies. Midas chased your lips once more, making you moan when he pushed back against your tongue.

You rubbed yourself against him, the only thing separating you and him were your bikinis and his stupid fucking slacks. You wanted to rip off his clothes and you were so sure, he wanted to do the same.

Midas pulled away, eyes were low-lidded, stare intense and it felt like he was stripping you with just his eyes.

“I wanna fuck you so hard right now,”

“What’s stopping you?”

That set him off. The moment you said that, it was over. You stood up from your position, only for Midas to turn you around, roughly bending you over the table.

You wish nobody was cruising around in the ocean today. There was no space where there was a solid wall was obscuring the view, the room was just all full body windows. The thrill of being so out in the open did make you grow even more embarrassingly wet.

“Remember when I fucked you the first time like this in my office?” He basked in the view of you bent over, and so easy to access. You remembered just how rough he was with your intern-self. Your relationship back then was complicated, and he didn’t even know if he wanted a relationship with you.

It was a strict sexual relationship, if that made sense, which then slowly eased into an actual relationship. Which then included all of the feelings, and all the softness of his heart that you found so hard to believe actually existed to come to light.

“Yes, I remember,” You fared to say, voice shaky. Midas pressed his clothed erection against your half bare ass.

His fingers he then placed in front of your mouth. The sun glinted on his golden hands, he brought his fingers closer.

“Suck.” He pressed himself firmer, leaning forward to say in your ear. The fullness of his voice slightly startled you but you obeyed his commands. You came forward to take his fingers into your mouth yet he still coaxed you to practically push them farther.

You hummed, withdrawing his fingers before pulling them back in again, tongue dragging across the underside and the pads of his fingers. The hot wet feeling of your saliva covering his fingers had him breathing more intense than usual.

“Just like that,”

Midas breathed out, rolling his hips against your ass again as if imagining he was fucking you already. The way he was getting impatient made you moan around his fingers.

He withdrew them, pushing the fabric of your bikini, slowly, he stretched you out with one finger. Then his second finger, pumping them in and out with a steady pace. Midas’ eyes were glued at how wet you were and how you tightened at every movement of his fingers.

You began whining, not being able to do anything with your hands due to the fact Midas left hand was pinning them behind your back.

“You’re so wet, and we haven’t even done anything,” He laughed softly, not out of complaint but out of shock. The shock of pleasure made you jolt, as he curled his fingers in your cunt, the tip of his fingers pressing against your spot.

He continued, the squelching of your pussy had him quickly unbuckling his belt with the hand he was pinning your wrists behind your back with. At such an awkward angle, you turned around to meet his eyes for a split second. He was still fully clothed and you were in half a bikini.

The soft clinking of metal made you moan even more desperately, wanting him to hurry up and fucking put it in already. He pulled his fingers out, sucking and licking his fingers clean of your arousal.

“Let’s see if you feel just as good as you taste, yeah?” His voice was dripping with a tantalizing and warm tone.

The sound of Midas spitting on his palm and stroking his cock filled the room.

“Hands on the desk,”

You followed, resting your palms against the edge of the desk.

“Fucking take that off,” He shortly huffed, but not having the heart to not help you. He tugged down your bottom piece of your bikini, throwing it and leaving it on the floor.

He prodded his tip at your soaked pussy, before purposefully missing to part your labia; his slick length just brushing up against your clit to give a small amount of friction. You whined.

“Sorry, baby,” He laughed softly, even though he definitely did that on purpose.

That was definitely a first. He’s never called you baby. Never in the relationship he’s ever called you nicknames, especially something as simple as that. Only you’ve called him nicknames, not him. It made you feel special, because shit, who the hell is just casually getting called baby by Midas? Nobody. Ever.

Maybe he called his past wife that.

You didn’t really care when he was so close to being inches deep in you.

“Tap my thigh if it’s too much, alright?”

He didn’t even have to slowly go in when your cunt was soaked. You gasped out his name when, hearing him groan behind you. He bottomed himself out, balls deep with just one movement. Whenever he prepared you with his fingers, it never really prepared you due to the fucking size of him.

“You’re so tight,” He sighed sharply, not stopping to wait anymore.

He pulled himself out until he was fully out of you, before slamming back in. His momentum continued, settling on a neutral pace, keeping you on a level to not immediately cum. With every drag of his cock, a moan pushed itself out of you both.

“Come on,” Midas rasped out.

“Tell me, has anybody fucked you as hard as I do?”

You sometimes forgot how conceited he was about that. You remembered the first time you walked through his building and spotted his statue of himself made out of gold. You thought, wow, he must really love himself.

Well, you know you got your assumptions right.

He had every right to be that goddamn egocentric, he was hot, smart as hell and also knew how to fight. He got out of the underworld for Christ’s sake, of course his ego would be inflated.

You found it extremely attractive that he found himself this capable during sex, because he was right. Nobody has ever done it like he does.

A sharp pain on your rear end had made you instinctively whine.

Did he just slap your ass?

Your assumptions about him being sadistic were now proven to be true. His hand that slapped your ass was still on it, rubbing the swollen skin to alleviate some of the pain. His gentleness paired with his perverted dispositions had you feeling confused. You liked it.

“Are you having trouble hearing?” He kept his strokes to a steadying momentum as if to try and teach you a lesson.

His hand made sharp contact with the same spot again. You leaned more forward on the desk, elbows resting on the actual desk.

“I’m sorry—I, nobody has. Only you, Midas.”You were practically drooling, getting fucked out of your mind like this by your own boss was something you thought you’d never get to do. It was still something else working under him while being your boyfriend.

If there was a photo for the word, “cock drunk,” you’d be on the front page.

“I better be,” Midas found that answer particularly pleasing so his strokes picked up its pace. “Yes, don’t stop—please,” You gasped out, the sounds of skin smacking against skin filling the room.

Midas’ hand gripped on your waist, hard enough to bruise, guiding you with his pace. His free hand managed to snake its way to your clit, his large fingers pressing and rubbing circles against it. The pain but also pleasure tore another moan out of you.

The extra stimulation had you feeling like your legs were about to collapse beneath you. His pace picked itself up even further, his cock unforgiving and ruthless. Your breaths were now staccatos, short and cut off with every thrust of his hips.

“I’m close, Midas—God, I need it.”

“Fuck, yeah. You need to cum? Say it.” He sternly spat out in between breaths.

“I need to cum, please Midas. Let me—“ He smacked your ass one last time, and the feeling had you on the brink of cumming.

“I’m gonna fill you up and you’re gonna take it, alright?” He leaned forward to brush his lips against the shell of your ear, his voice hardly audible. “Yes, I’ll take it. Please. Just let me cum.”

His finger kept rubbing against your clit, yet he came first. He filled you with his hot cum to the hilt, groaning as he continued to give you your orgasm. “Shit,” He hissed, feeling you come and follow shortly with mewl. You tightened around his still semi-hard cock, and he had to pull himself out with ease.

You almost felt the weight of your legs take you down to the floor but Midas’ strong arm caught you, leading you to the bed and gently lying you down face up. Your chest heaved heavily, forehead damp with sweat, feeling the cool air hit your skin. Midas’ hair was slicked back awkwardly because of the sweat as well.

“Are you alright?” He worried, eyebrows knitted as his eyes wandered to your hips which were bruised.

“Were you trying to kill me?”

He breathed out a short laugh.

He said your name with a sigh. “That was one round,” His tone seemed to be about how he does go harder when it’s more than one round. He does, you know, you haven’t forgotten when you went specifically four rounds non-stop and you got sick the day after. He felt bad that morning.

You laughed at the ticklish feeling, feeling his nose nuzzling into your neck. “Okay, yeah, yeah,” You said with a smile and he pulled away.

His libido works differently and oddly enough, he never seems to get tired.

“Whatever,” You rolled your eyes playfully, standing up and giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

“Where are you going?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at your sudden departure.

“The washroom, I need to pee your cum out, idiot,” You said, now farther away, but he still could hear.

“You want me to get a UTI?” You scoffed, shutting the bathroom door with a click.

“Of course not,” Midas laughed softly, scratching the back of his neck.

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tardiiwrite · 2 years

Text

Playing games - Sanji x GN!Reader

First post had to be the HCs I wrote for Sanji. Inspired by something I read a while back and have been on my mind since

WC: 789 | NSFW MDNI | AFAB Reader

Summary: You suggest a little game for Sanji, curious to see how long he would last

Contains: Teasing, fingering, praising, creampie

NSFW under cut

Pre-timeskip Sanji

Poor boy, he’d be so eager to play along with your game, not realising how much he would struggle with himself.

Still he would take his time kissing down your body, hands working wonders as 3 fingers pump inside your dripping heat, lips and tongue working over your clit in slow but firm rolls.

Only after he made sure you came at least once, most likely twice from his lips and fingers alone would he move away and finish undressing, his cock already swollen and sticky from the pleasure he felt while eating you out.

Sanji thought he would be okay, but the feeling of just having the tip inside you drove him crazy. It’s too little yet too much, the sensitive tip hugged by your warm walls sent shivers up his spine.

He melted under your praise as you tell him how good he is for holding on and being such an obedient boy for you, whimpering as he feels his control slowly slipping

He would beg you to let him push into your cunt, want to feel you around his cock and hold you close while he grinds into your sweet spot over and over. Want to feel you squeeze around him and moan for him

He was literally shaking and begging before giving up on the game and admitting defeat, he just wanted to cum with you and make you feel good and after he has lasted longer than you thought he could, you tell him he can move.

Boy will literally push your legs up against his chest and sink into you in one smooth movement, moaning loudly at finally being fully inside you, telling you how good you feel, how much he loves you for giving this to him. Sanji needed a moment to collect himself, not wanting to cum right on the spot.

After that he set a slow but deep pace, making sure to angle his hips to always hit where you like it the most, efficiently bringing you closer and closer to your own peak.

As he gets close himself, Sanji’s pace gets a little desperate, begging you to please cum with him, please let him cum inside you. And with how good of a boy he has been, you allow him and he sobs happily, holding you close as he brings you both over the edge, not stopping his thrusts even as he’s getting sensitive, wanting to feel the pleasure of you for as long as possible.

Will collapse afterwards, panting and embarrassed by how he couldn’t hold out more before succumbing to the pleasure. Drew you both a bath to clean up once he regained his strength.

Post-timeskip Sanji

Okay hear me out.

Post-timeskip Sanji is so much more in control and confident. Has no shame in his devotion to you.

However—

Post TS Sanji was just that much more smug about things, more open to teasing you and eager to please you, but not in the way he did 2 years prior.

Sanji would still take his time worshiping your body, whispering praises and words of love, the scratch of his beard leaving pleasant tingles across your skin.

Be prepared, this man will eat your pussy like its a four course meal and not stop until he’s satisfied, or you beg him sweetly to not strive too far from the original game

Lmao you thought he would be playing this game?

As Sanji had you laid out before him, legs held over his hips, he will carefully slip the tip in before ‘accidentally’ sliding the rest of the way in

“Oh no, it seems like I have lost the game dear. Oh well.”

Will then proceed to fuck you stupid with his constant love biting and dirty talk, moving your legs up just so and suddenly he’s reaching deeper into you.

As you cry for him that you're close he’d pull out and just have the tip in, not moving as you protest, just looking down at you with much amusement. To think you wanted him to stay like this instead of fucking you was beyond him so after some more begging from you he will resume and increase his pace, not stopping until your cumming around his cock.

And then he will finally let himself go, pressing your thighs against your chest as he thrusts a few more times, the last one as he cums going as deep as he can, deep groans and moans of your name leaving his lips as he did.

He'll pull you close and give you so many kisses as he snuggled you, basking in the afterglow before getting ready for clean up.

#vinsmoke sanji #vinsmoke sanji x reader #one piece smut #one piece x reader #one piece headcanons #< dark mode >

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kiliinstinct · 5 months

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Chapter 25:

Rating: R Pairing: Nalu FF.Net || AO3 [Ch: 1] ||| [Prev] | [Next] Happy First Update for 2024! Please remember to give thanks to @phoenix-before-the-flame for being my beta. Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Next Update: Jan 24th February Post Dates: 12th and 26th

”Youuu're distracted 'bout somethiiing,“ Cana sang , playfully dropping most of her weight on Lucy's shoulder as she stared blankly into her soup bowl.

Grunting, Lucy struggled to support the added weight before nudging the bowl across the table; to prevent her bangs from enjoying an unfortunate dip in the heated dish. ”Am not.“

Playfully poking Lucy’s side with her elbow, she replied, ”Could’ve fooled me. Makin’ me worry the food isn’t good with how long you’ve been staring at it,” She snorted in amusement and gave another jab. “You didn’t even notice when I sat down.“

Lucy jolted up, knocking their heads together in the rush, ” Ow! Geez, calm down! I was exaggerating.“

”How long was I staring into space?“ Lucy asked, taking stock of the mess hall in consternation. It certainly was more active than she recalled. She bit her lip. Hopefully no one else took note of her obvious distraction.

”I dunno, “ Cana pondered. A familiar smirk toyed at the edge of her lips. “I’d say more like fifty-”

Her shocked groan gave way to the fortune teller cackling, ”That's not an exaggeration, that's an overstatement!“

”Relax, relax,“ Cana mollified, sliding off Lucy’s side to lazily produce a card, held deftly between her fingers. Lucy hadn’t realized she’d taken out the pack, ”I know you didn't mean to ignore your good buddy, so I'm gonna to give you a tiny reading to make up for the teasing.“ She winked, “On the house, of course.”

”Who said I wanted a-,“ Lucy's eyes squinted at the card, baffled when Cana flipped it in her fingers and away from her curious gaze, ”Wait, I didn't see which one it was-“

”You're not the one reading it: I am.“

”But that-“

”Ts-ts-tsh!“ She shushed, covering Lucy's mouth with a finger, ”No complaints. It’s rude to complain about free things. Just eat your food and I'll figure out the rest.“

When the fortune teller began to shuffle her deck with no further prompting or explanation, Lucy pulled her bowl back, pouting as the steam rolled into her face. It was a marvel that her meal was still so hot despite how long it sat while lost in thought. Perhaps it was whatever magic was used to heat it in the first place.

But those thoughts led her right back to square one: Natsu. Cana was right on target when she called Lucy distracted, but explaining what had her out of sorts was an entirely different matter. She didn't know where to begin sifting through the confusing tangle of emotions she was feeling.

What was her priority now? She couldn’t tell.

Taking the first spoonful, she began to mull it over again. Her guilt still plagued her, forever at the back of her mind, twisting her stomach into nauseating knots when she was alone. But Natsu's injuries held her fast and Porly's cutting words stayed cemented in her head. Most of all, was her time spent watching the draconis the day before. She forced the memory from her mind before her face could flush from more than her soup.

It was a miracle the whole village wasn't speaking of it. Gray was true to his word , keeping the scene he’d interrupted quiet. Lucy would have to thank him later. Better him knowing rather than Cana, who was currently sniffing out her secrets like a bloodhound. Lucy dreaded the thought of her full mental ruminations being revealed under the seer’s knowing, mischievous gaze.

A few bites more and she began to unwind, letting the warmth of her meal heat her up from the inside out. The gentle sound of card shuffling melded with the general chatter in the hall and the clattering of utensils through the room became a calming background noise. The soup really was delicious, bursting with flavor. While having no answer to her errant thoughts, the comfort of her surroundings and meal soothed her fraying nerves. Perhaps she should get seconds...

”So you're wanting to ask Natsu something, but don't know how to bring it up, eh?“

Lucy choked on her spoon, wheezing around the wooden utensil as the hot liquid scalded her throat.

”... eww, did that just come out of your nose, Blondie?“

”Cana!“ Mortified, she quickly wiped her face with a nearby rag, whining pitifully as the other laughed uproariously, “T-that wasn't- ... can we pretend that didn't happen?”

“Sure.” Cana's grin was devious. “Tell me what you want to ask Natsu.”

Before Lucy could ask why Cana thought she had something to ask, the fortune teller held up another card. Like before, she pulled it away before Lucy could read it. Though Lucy could’ve sworn she’d seen a circle of cups decorating the front. She knitted her brows together. Did cups mean something?

Cana managed to look offended, lips pursed together as she whined in an over dramatic huff, “I'm hurt, I thought you trusted my skills by now.”

The romni didn't bother replying, opting to raise her brows and stare, dubious of Cana's behavior by now. When she began eating again, Cana continued with a lazy drawl, “Listen, whatever it is, I'm sure I can help ya' figure it out. Or I could tell Natsu how you look with soup shooting out your nose next time I'm watching him. That's your call.”

“You’re not on the rotation.” Lucy replied with a level voice, despite taking a nervous bite.

“I wish.” She rolled her eyes, lips pursing together in a petulant pout, “But Master weaseled me on. I got no say in the matter. Now talk before I use this to make the most out of my babysitting time later.”

A sigh and she slammed the spoon down, face burning brightly, “Has anyone ever told you that you're absolutely insufferable sometimes?”

“That's more like it, now spill!“

Lucy vaguely wondered if Cana was the true gossipmonger of the village or if she just liked having a stranglehold on every secret she could get her sly hands on. Glancing around the hall, she noted everyone too wrapped up in their own discussions to eavesdrop and chewed her lip: considering her options.

Anything to keep Natsu from having more fodder to tease her with, she decided. "... when he was in Porly's hut, he had a lot of nightmares... or memories perhaps.“

”Yeah so? Does this have a point?“ Cana urged, cards dancing in her fingers as she arched them in a perfect bridge and began to shuffle again, ”I was hoping for something juicy you know-“

”He asked for someone named Igneel.”

The cards froze, one almost slipping from Cana’s grasp and Lucy knew she'd struck something. Her nose twitched, face twisting to a hard, neutral expression as she set her deck aside. Cana reached for a mug of ale she'd brought and knocked it back, impressively downing it in one go.

“... so you do know who that is.” Lucy said.

”I needed that,“ She exhaled, voice lowering an octave or two. ”Does he know?“

Lucy squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable with the heavy feeling that surrounded them, dropping her gaze as she pinched the tip of her fingers over and over anxiously. ”No, I don't think so. When I asked, Porly said he was a man long dead, but didn't give me anything more than that. I figure it's his business to tell anyway so I didn't want to pry. It's just...“

”Better to ask him then anyone else,“ Cana finished, finally meeting Lucy's eyes, ”go ahead. Ask him. Maybe you'll probably learn more than we have.“

Lucy blinked, “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly how it sounds.” She explained with a shrug. “We've all caught the name at some point or another, but he's never explained more than Porly's said.“

Lucy hummed a noncommittal reply, thoughts already drifting back into the previous void they'd been in. Something was bothering her and the new information only made it worse. “... I had assumed everyone here was pretty open about their lives, but I suppose not.”

“What’s life without a few secrets? Can’t keep everything out in the open.” Cana said, returning to her deck of cards, “We treat each other like family, sure, but we know better than to push.”

Lucy snorted, “Save when you're teasing.”

“Well, duh, what's a good day without a little teasing?”. She swiped a mug out of Elfman’s hands as he passed by to prove her point. Ignoring his outraged blustering, she took a hearty swig until the taller man stomped away to replace his stolen drink. Lucy marveled at the fortune teller's ability to move her cards with one hand, eyes gleaming, “Besides, you make it so easy.”

With a scoff and bemused stare, Lucy resumed her meal, feeling a touch lighter than before. There were still many things she couldn't wrap her mind around, but at least she had a place to start. She would just have to find a good moment to ask Natsu and hopefully - her grip tightened on the spoon- not cross an unseen boundary.

They fell into companionable silence, with Lucy shoving her now finished bowl aside and

Cana counted her cards before shuffling again, muttering under her breath at every interval. It was a quiet, secure comfort that Lucy reveled in.

Not only from Cana, she realized the same comfort came from those around as well. Whether it be from Wendy's gentle check-ups or Mirajane bringing her along for chores or chatting with her siblings, Lucy couldn't ignore the fact she was settling in.

And while Lucy didn't know just how deep her roots had dug in, she was grateful for every moment of peace. It eased the grief that haunted her for over a year, and offered her the smallest inkling of hope that in time, everything would be far better than it was before.

She desperately wanted to believe that, even if guilt still gnawed in the cockles of her heart. In that silence, she decided she'd put herself on rotation to watch Natsu again. And this time, she'd ensure Makarov didn't take another three days to give it to her.

All things considered, the day was looking to be an easy one. Lucy was full and warm, resting easily on the table with her eyes drooping low from post meal stupor. A nap seemed on the horizon, but a sudden shout from the entrance snapped her awake and grabbed everyone's attention.

“Lucy! Is Lucy here?!“ Levy barreled through the hall, skidding against the ground as she twisted her way around the tables, barely noticing the ones she narrowly missed striking as she passed. Her hair was askew, puffing about her head in static and bits of dust and cobweb clung to her in patches.

Asides from skipping most of the festivities before it was interrupted, the smaller Romni looked as if she'd been buried beneath old books and dust bunnies for the past month. Considering the amount of times she refused to leave her archive, Lucy guessed the assumption wasn't far off.

Bracing herself, she stood, waving the smaller girl over, ”What's going on?“

Cana, reaching out to help brace Lucy's elbow, wrinkled her nose at one of her cards. ”Guess she found somethin-“

Levy came at them too fast, practically crashing into the table as she failed to stop in time. Levy gasped an apology as she hunched over the table with a sharp inhale of air. ”You'd be right! I KNEW I'd heard that story somewhere before.”

“What?” Lucy asked, flummoxed and feeling as if she'd missed a step, “heard what story?”

“Yours!!” She exclaimed, grasping Lucy's shoulders as excitement exuded off her like its own aura. “The one I transcribed for you! It sounded so familiar and I couldn't figure out why, but I found it. You've got to come with me, this is so interesting- erm, I mean,” She paused, cheeks turning red as she realized her passion was currently shouting directly in Lucy's face, “oh, sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to blast you with my breath there.”

“It... it's fine,” Lucy said, feeling slightly dizzy, “You didn't bring it with you?”

Levy reeled back at Lucy’s words in mortification. ”An old document like that is not going anywhere out of my protection charms, are you crazy? No, no, no, you simply have to come with me: right now.“

”What's the big deal,“ Cana asked, stretching her arms over her head, exposing her stomach in the process, ”It's just an old story passed down through clans isn't it?“

”Yes, but this one is from a completely different clan,“ Levy pressed further, biting back another excited squeal, ”yet it tells the same thing and has MORE to it. Seriously, this can't wait!”

She paused, took a deep breath and retracted her last statement, “Oh no, no, wait. It can wait. You probably have chores to do.” Levy’s excitement seemed to dull, she twisted a dangling cobweb hanging for dear life from a blue strand of hair and flicked it away. “It doesn’t have to be now if you have things to do.”

“I'm not all that busy...” Lucy started, glancing back towards the others currently peering from their tables to witness Levy's rising tide of emotions.

“Really? Great!” She chirped, eyes sparkling once more, ”Let's go. Right now!“

Cana was on her feet before either girl moved, cards pocketed and a third mug of ale emptied. (Lucy realized she missed that one being swiped and wandered towards the victim now missing their alcohol.) Clearing her throat, she slapped her hands on Levy and Lucy's shoulders and winked, ”I'm coming too. Been needing some more girl time. What d'ya say?“

Honestly, Lucy felt as if everything was happening all at once. She could barely keep up. Seeing no reason to deny Cana, she nodded and Levy wasted no time grabbing their hands, intent to drag them both out as quickly as possible. It took a hurried reminder from Cana for the transcriber to slow her pace, muttering a sheepish apology to Lucy in turn.

The trek to Levy's archive was faster than it was in the past. A fact that made Lucy proud of her newly growing abilities. The magic was still a faint whisper, but the comforting tendrils came at her call any time she needed a brace for her leg; while the pain she'd grown used to was ebbing away by the day.

Cana was a good companion on their trip, counterbalancing Levy's exuberance with sass and sarcasm, lightheartedly teasing both as they traveled the beaten path. When Levy grew too excited about her collection, the fortune teller would temper her with a cheery pat to her back and wide smile.

“It's been awhile since I've seen you this hopped to share a book, Lev.“ She spoke, voice dripping in sincerity despite the lop-sided, humoring smile.

A faint dusting of red covered Levy’s cheeks, twiddling her fingers through the barest of pouts, ”Look, I know not everyone shares my hobby, but I meant it when I said Lucy would want to hear this so-“

”I love reading,“ Lucy interjected, raising a brow, ”you could talk to me about books anytime you want.“

”Really?!“ Levy's shrill cry sent a few starlings to the air, taking flight from their positions in the trees alongside the road. ”Why didn't you tell me before?“

“You, uh, didn't ask?” Lucy countered lamely.

Their aimless chatter continued as they went, bouncing from idle gossip to fond stories with laughter filling in the gaps. By the time they entered the small haven for Levy's collection, Lucy had almost forgotten the length of time the collector spent looking for just one story.

She thought her first viewing of the library was messy, but Levy apparently had a talent for chaos that put Natsu to shame. It was like a cyclone went off,tearing every book from their shelf and piling them up in uneven stacks. They haphazardly balanced on the floor or were strewn across tables already struggling under the weight of yellowed scrolls and half open novels. There was barely any room for Levy’s small frame yet she found space to weave through with ease, leaving Lucy and Cana stuck by the doorway, too cautious to risk tumbling each stack into a bigger mess.

Cana sneezed as Levy tried to clear a path for them, sending dust billowing into their eyes.

“Sorry!” Levy said, scrunching her shoulders as she tiptoed around the many stacks that blocked the way, “I haven't ... actually reorganized yet.”

Cana's voice was a level monotone when she replied, ”That's obvious.“

”Hmph!“ Levy didn't bother replying, instead ushering the other two after her as she unearthed a couple of chairs for them to use before diving headfirst into the stack piled on the center table. It wobbled dangerously as Lucy rushed to balance it, heaving a sigh in relief when Levy pulled back with a bright smile, books still safely in position.

”Do you need help organizing this later?“ The celestial asked, imagining the hours it would take to make this place normal again.

Levy's smile grew even larger, ”nope!“ She quipped, simultaneously rolling out an old scroll carefully. Its parchment was thick, yellowed with age and torn along the edges, but Levy handled it with the gentle care a mother would their own child.

“This,” She explained reverently, ”This is what I wanted to show you. It's a small myth about the Sun and Moon shared between a clan of fortune tellers.“

This raised not only Lucy's attention, but also Cana's, who’s attention was slowly starting to drift away. Her back straightened and she leaned in close, gluing herself to Lucy’s side to get a better look as she whistled lowly. ”My people huh? I always slept through those stories as a kid, let's hear it then!“

Lucy nodded furiously in agreement, curiosity piqued, but the words wouldn't rise past her ribcage. A sensation of heavy weight began to form in her lungs, robbing her breath as she considered the paper before her. ”A story similar to my clan’s?“

”Erm,“ Levy scrunched her nose and looked at the ceiling, considering her words, ”I think it references yours, actually.“

”What?“ All thoughts and tumultuous questions fell away leaving behind an expanse of empty echoes in Lucy's mind.

How was that possible? Lucy always believed it to be a closed myth. And for it to be shared with a non- celestial clan…. She tried to dig through her memories, but she knew her clan always kept their distance from others. So when…? She couldn't wrap her head around it, sitting stiff as a board with wide eyes. How many more versions of the story existed out there in the world?

The library around her shifted, darkness creeping in at the corners of her eyes and a quiet voice, one she hadn't heard since Kage attacked, whispered in the back of her mind.

'Listen... and learn the truth.'

The truth? Her brows narrowed, face scrunching at the thought. At Levy and Cana's puzzled stares, she realized she'd voiced the question outloud and flushed, feigning dust catching in her throat, she coughed and waved them away, “D-don't mind me, go ahead and read, Levy!”

Sharing a look between each other, Cana shrugged and Levy nodded, both deciding not to pry further. Instead, they settled into their chairs as Levy smoothed the edges of the paper and clicked her tongue.

”I'll try to read it as accurately as I can,“ She muttered, eyes whirling down the paper to eye a few spots in the story, ”It’s a different dialect, one that i’m not so brushed up on, and the writing is a bit smudged in places.“

”You didn't put protections on this one?“ Cana asked, arms crossed, ” tsk tsk Ms. Librarian, that's out of character for you.“

”It was like this when I got it. I protected what I could.“ Levy earnestly defended, shooting Cana a glare in a silent order for the other to shut her mouth. Lucy bit back a giggle as she watched the two of them, calming down now that their focus was no longer directed at her.

”Anywho,” Levy waved her hands over the parchment bringing the attention back to the main topic. She cleared her throat a few times in preparation, “sorry if I don't tell it as dramatically as you do, Lucy: here goes!“

Levy began, eyes narrowed as she carefully translated the faded words; Words that felt all too familiar to Lucy and yet, completely new. They pulled her to the edge of her seat, lulling her to get lost in a story she thought she knew already:

Ages ago, when time first began and the world was new, the Sun and Moon crashed to the land below, shadows of their former selves and banished from the skies. The broken spirits roamed the lands, alone and uncertain what their new lives held.

The moon, an adaptive creature, befriended the world in her travels. She met the trees, the animals, the open seas, and all grew to love her. She was only human, but her gentle light stayed within, calming those around her. In time, she met her own kind: other humans, who traveled the world and studied the writings of the stars. She found a home and stayed, ignoring the empty feeling in her heart that spoke of a piece she'd long-lost.

The sun, so bright and fiery, was not so lucky.

Know this, my listeners, for this is a tale you must learn, lest you allow the fate of the sun to fall upon you. Take heed to my words and know them for the warning they are.

For anger and pain is a dangerous beast and it darkens the hearts of anyone who suffers in its grip. The sun, lost in a world he didn't understand; His memories of his former life were stripped away, leaving behind the sharp, stabbing pain of loss that hollowed his heart daily. At the rising of the bright orb in the sky, he'd suffer again and again, and no matter the distance he traveled, a cure could not be found.

”This pain... is this the truth of this world?“ He asked himself, losing hope of ever being like the others he came across. His body, inhuman, was deformed and monstrous. The animals feared him, the seas and forests refused him the comforts they could provide and nothing could replace the memories he had lost.

In time, he forgot everything but the pain and he learned hate. His body held within it a flame that had clung to his soul even as it shattered, but that heat was now blackened in anger and desperation. Unable to hope, he filled himself with the promise to end his pain no matter the cost.

Even if that cost damages the world. As the earth began to grow and change, and humans learned of language and magic, he leveled the land with his pain everywhere he touched and everyone learned the meaning of fear...

It was during this time that the humans of the land-

”Geez, this makes Lucy's story more sad than it already was,“ Cana muttered, interrupting Levy mid sentence.

She glowered through her bangs, ”Excuse me, I’m trying to tell preserved history here. Are you going to let me finish this or not?“

”Fine, fine, I'll shut up, geez.“

Satisfied, Levy continued.

- the humans of the land began to fight back. This horrific beast of scales and fire was too dangerous to leave alive and they refused to fall victim to the horrors he spread. His anger was a blistering sight, but their will to survive formed like a twisting gnarled tree whose roots settled deep into the earth.

They met the sun with weapons and magic and the sun thrashed them about like ants. The wars waged were of desolation and massacres, staining his once pristine claws and scales a deep red.

But the Sun persisted, for his broken soul found no solace, not even in destruction. Making the world feel his pain in vengeance did not soothe the ache in his bones, nor did it numb the pain the light above gave him. He was a broken, raw beast, still healing from wounds he'd long-forgotten and the world suffered for it.

And the Moon... she knew him from first glance, the empty void in her own heart screaming at the sight of her former beloved. His pain echoed in her ribcage and while she wanted nothing more than to settle his heart and return to the embrace of the soul she once adored, she could not allow her new family to fall. The humans were hers to keep and the Sun's mutual destruction had to end.

Her gentleness was a memory long lost and as her clan looked on, mystified by her fearless approach to this raging monster, the first kindling of hope sparked in their hearts. Her golden hair shone under the sunlight and the sun's eyes cleared at the sight of her.

This. This is what he was searching for. Was it not? He reached a claw towards her and she reached for him, shedding tears as she begged him to calm.

'Please, no more, be at peace and leave these people.'

He listened to her pleas and the attack in his heart came two-fold, one from his damaged soul, the other his drowning guilt.

'Is it you?' He asked, desperate for the answers he'd sought for decades, 'are you what I've been missing?'

Fate is a cruel thing.

When the moon thought the destruction would end, believing her words would reach him, the pain of the sunset struck as the blows of mortal weapons pierced his scales from all sides.

She had provided the perfect distraction and in her horror, the humans she had come to love, pressed upon her Sun with the same rage he'd given them, and his blood drenched the earth in a torrent of rivers.

There was no hope. No solace for the Sun as his life was slowly stripped from him. His last thought as he stared upon the brilliance of the who he'd sought for so long, was one of bitterness, not relief.

After so long, his soul had met the other, and in his moment of weakness, she'd betrayed him.

His final breath became a curse.

'May you meet the same end when next we see each other.'

A death rattle that jarred the bones of all swept the land and as mortals cheered, finally safe, the moon fell to the ground, crying the tears he would never see.

Love is blind, they say, but it's the other side of hate that’s unseen. It twists and reshapes the words and thoughts of those around you. And what once was something beautiful, can become twisted and full of horror.

Remember this, my listeners, before you let the hatred in your own hearts fester and burn. To know pain is to know life, but to drown within its depths is to spread the blood of the first dragon into the bowels of our souls, until nothing, but darkness remains.

Levy’s hushed voice barely registered in Lucy’s ears, the tale had swept her up, tangling her in its words and held her like a vice. Horror filled her throat, choking her from sound and breath.

This wasn't the tale she imagined from her favorite story. This was a fate that spoke only of tragedy, stripping away the hope of a happy ending. And yet, it still rang familiar, an echo of her nightmares that she struggled to make sense of. Nightmares that made her understand the moon’s desperate pleas and hopelessness as tears began to spill down her cheeks as she sat there unmoving.

“That was... '' Cana inhaled sharply, her own eyes red, “well it was something all right. Geez, my own clan…what a bunch of downers.”

Gently rolling up the scroll, Levy gave no comment as she clamped it shut, setting it aside to the only clear spot on the table. “I honestly think there's even more, but I'll have to look for it, I think. That or I just saw them in passing and didn't get to bring them here, but it's amazing right? To find a completely different ending than what Lucy gave?“

”I wouldn’t use amazing for a story like that…“ Cana shifted, unable to sit still as a dreadful silence settled among them. But that silence broke to a sniffle that alarmed her and Levy both.

Lucy's shoulders shook as an uncontainable sadness flooded her, ”... all the moon wanted was to help... and she still lost him in the end. He died thinking she meant for it to happen... That's awful, isn't it?“

In a rush, Levy and Cana both shot from their seats to comfort her, the scroll left behind and forgotten. But no amount of assurances could calm her as the tears continued to fall in rivulets down Lucy's face. She mourned both the Sun and the Moon, and felt their pain as if it were her own.

Something had shifted in the air. A deep mourning that filled the empty spaces between persons and weaved its way through the trees. Those attuned to the magic of the world felt it blanket their senses like a slow moving front of clouds rolling through the sky, forcing tears to gather in the corners of their eyes.

It passed through the village, waking sleeping infants with desperate cries and making many pause in their chores for a moment. It wrapped around the alcove and dipped past the bluffs to bring a silence to the Magnolia Forest, sending the lively fauna for cover and stilled the trees that surrounded a lone warrior still out for blood.

Erza felt it change the taste in the air and frowned. Her hunt, while frustrating, had continued long after she'd lost Kage's tracks. His residual energy had become her beacon, following the weak remnants of it since the day before, but this new sorrow overcame what remained of Kage's aura and left the redhead feeling hollow.

She gulped down an inexplicable urge to sob, eyes watering for a second. Whatever intense emotions that had crossed the area, she couldn't attend them, not when she was so close. She couldn’t afford to lose the weakening trail now Erza pushed onward through the thickets, sifting through the heavy air in search of her prey.

His disappearance, though odd, had led to many other strange occurrences. The bits of metal found in the wood and a taste of water and stars in the air. Magic was thick in the woods, with unfamiliar scents tumbling over one another vying for her attention to leap into action. In a way, her hunt for Kage was a lucky one, as it gave hint to something else brewing in the woods, long before the others would become aware.

A blessing in disguise perhaps, but something about the bits of magic Erza traced felt familiar. It haunted her in a way. Traces of memory from last year's travels weaved in and out of her mind and more than once, she thought of friends she'd made outside of the clan. Traders and information-gatherers alike.

The thought that one of those possible friends having their auras mixed in the miasma she now felt was strange. It filled her with an apprehension that clung to her nerves and raised her awareness to new levels of paranoia.

“I'll have to do another search,” She decided, muttering harshly under her breath, “after I bring that vile man back to the cells.”

If the particles of magic remained as they were, she even considered bringing along a travel partner: just in case.

But if she was to do any of that, she'd have to break free of this purveying sadness that clung to every fabric of her clothes.

Just who or what was amplifying such an emotion? She almost felt as if the world was mocking her, attempting to block her from her quarry.

Erza Scarlet, however, was not a woman to be so easily duped. While disoriented for a few seconds, she reclaimed her aura trail quickly and continued her trek. The mixture of magic was growing stronger, and with her enhanced hearing, she easily caught the echoes of battle from hours ago.

She was close; Too close to fail. And this time, she vowed, Kage would not escape her. His magic would be too weak now, and she was determined to use that to her full advantage.

With the sun on her back and the shadow of the trees covering her, Erza continued her advance, following the trail as it thickened in the air. The sounds of battle were slowly growing loud and - no, not battle, that was hours ago, then what was it?

A heavy crash echoed through the bushes and hills. This puzzling realization sped Erza's pace, anxiety rising as the magic and thuds were soon joined with the familiar smell of blood.

She hated that metallic tang in the air. It brought a twist in her gut and her face paled, recollecting battles from the past that left her shaken and troubled. For her home, she would fight as it was a necessary evil, but the proof of battle never became easier.

Was it Kage, bleeding out? No, if that were it, it would have happened already. She'd grown used to his tracks and injuries, what she sensed now was a different being altogether and the thudding through the trees thundered ever closer the further into the thickest part of the wood she went.

It took only a few more minutes of travel for her to realize that it wasn't just her advancing on the sounds, but the source of it was heading towards her as well.

And it was coming down fast.

She had enough time to brandish her blade, eyes narrowed and body poised for attack when a man stumbled through the bushes, hair tousled, smeared with sweat and old blood, and a hand clasped tightly to his sternum. Red seeped beneath his palm, telling her of a dangerous wound that stained his tunic and cloak. He fell to his knees, panting for air as Erza hesitated her action.

To attack a stranger who was already wounded...

But his hair, the fierce gleam of his eye and the red of a distinctive tattoo etched into the side of his face held her attention. Erza’s blade fell, but she still held it loosely in her grasp. She knew this man, but his appearance foretold of a danger she wasn't quite ready to face.

“... Jellal?” She asked, mystified by his appearance, “What are you doing here? We were supposed to meet when I -”

His cough interrupted her and a shaky hand rose in greeting as he struggled to his feet, “... discuss later, please.” He winced as he leaned against the nearest tree, catching his breath as he quickly tightened a sash over his wounds as a makeshift bandage. “I had hoped it would last long enough to find help, but I clearly overestimated my abilities. It's been a long time, Erza.”

Today was the day of many encounters, she gathered, as her next question was never allowed past her lips due to another, much larger man bursting through the same direction. His clothes were more torn, old from travel, with scraggly black hair twisting wildly down his back. He was less damaged than the other and instinct made her recover her sword to hold it aloft, lips curled back in a snarl.

“Halt! What's your purpose here?” She demanded, angling herself quickly to stand between the man she knew and the other, who laughed at the sight.

“So YOU'RE the one the shadow twerp was so worried about, huh?“ The man smirked, fishing out a small roll of bandages from a pouch on his belt, ”if that dumbass had held still for five minutes he wouldn't be struggling like that. Use this before you start shit.”

”I thought we were in a rush,” he replied, cheeks flushed from more than his jaunt through the woods. He turned his gaze away from the others and sighed, “besides it's not serious.”

“... a wound like that...” Erza deadpanned, eyebrows raised when the feral looking man tossed her the bandages. Reflexively catching the roll, she kept her back to the edge of the woods, keeping an eye on the man as she moved to examine Jellal's wounds, “... isn't serious?”

“You're not going to believe me if you don't see it for yourself, are you?” Jellal asked with a tired, sardonic grin, “Very well. It's been almost a year after all, inspect as you wish.”

Her frown was deep set, but she made quick work of removing his makeshift coverings, eyes glued on the wound with an intensity she was known for. “I was on the trail of an escaped prisoner. Once I'm done here, I'll have to leave.”

The larger man scoffed, eyes rolling, “Tch, no ya' won’t.“

”Excuse me?“

“Handled it.”

Her shoulders sagged in relief, seeing her old friend had told the truth. While bloody, it was shallow, an injury that would heal in time without much issues. With that out of the way, Erza's attention shifted back to the other, gaze narrowed as she considered her options. This man... while traveling with someone she considered an ally... could she think the same of him?

His teeth were sharp, smile too full of them to feel safe, and his red eyes were filled with a bloodthirst she recognized in most enemies. No, despite the odd circumstances, she didn't want to trust him at all and didn't like the fact one of her information traders was traveling with him. None of it felt right.

”And how did you handle it?“ She demanded, searching for any proof to trust the man.

Shifting to allow her space to work around his wound, Jellal grunted and spared a sour glance to his companion, ”Stop beating around the bush, Gajeel. I won't help you if she chooses to strike you for acting out.“

”Feh, spoilsport. Fine, see for yourself.” Hefting what appeared to be a sleeping roll off his back with more force than necessary, Erza was startled to realize a body was wrapped within it. A loud groan echoed as it struck the ground.

Right before her was Kage, unconscious but alive, and finally captured.

“He was already fucked up when he found us,” Gajeel explained, glaring at Jellal with disappointment, “but he put up a rabid fit to hold us off and that moron chose to take the damage rather than risk killing him, so I had to do it instead.”

“He's not our target to kill,” Jellal argued, clearing his throat when Erza moved to examine the body, “... in all honesty, we were looking for your clan, Erza. I won't lie and say us running into this man didn't give us a bargaining chip. We want to enter your village, if you'll let us.”

“And what makes you think I'd allow that?” She asked, voice a harsh whisper, “you've given me no reason to distrust you, Jellal, but this man is an entirely different story.”

“Cause we've got what you want,” Gajeel answered, stepping on Kage's still form with little regard to his health, “Information.”

“So how about it?”

#Fairy Tail Fanfiction #Nalu Fanfiction #Nalu #NatsuxLucy #Natsu Dragneel #Lucy Heartfilia #FT Fanfiction #Fairy Tail #Flame's Desire #Fanfiction #My Writing #My Fanfiction

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torchsart · 7 months

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★ COMMISSION INFO ★

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mcrmadness · 1 year

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i have a question about your 'finnish doesnt have accents' post

are there variations within a region that is considered to have the same dialect? like for example in cities do people who are more 'working class' sound different from people who are more 'upper class' even though theyre from the same city. or do people who are from rural areas sound different to people from a city even if they dont live far away from each other

i know that not everywhere puts as much emphasis on class division as places like britain do and maybe in finland 'countryside' and 'city' are considered separate dialects anyway but if there are differences within a dialect how are they described?

i dont want this to come across as me trying to 'prove that finnish does have accents actually' because its really not. i just find it fascinating how different languages are built up and hearing that a language doesnt have the concept of accents kind of surprised me so im sorry if thats how it sounds

Hi! And don't worry, I don't think your message sounds rude at all!

To your questions I would say: no. There is no working class vs. upper class division in Finland, at least not anymore. The spoken language sounds the same no matter how much money you make, and the countryside doesn't differ from the city at all.

The only differences within a dialect I know of is older people vs. younger people. Some dialects might also have tiny regional differences to them within a region. I speak one subdialect of the Savo dialect myself, and my area is quite big and what's nowadays considered part of this city, used to be smaller towns or villages maybe ~20 years ago. The dialect is the same in all, but there are slight differences to which letters are used. I googled this a bit as I'm not certain how it goes as I speak a mixture of these, but here's an example I found:

The word for 'forest' is "metsä' in Finnish, and to say "in a/the forest" it's "metsässä". But in Eastern Finland, we don't really like the -ts- combo. So there are two different ways of saying those words inside this region:

mehtä -> mehässä or mehtä -> metässä

In some other dialects in Finnish, it become mettä -> metässä, which I also use often despite it not even being my original dialect. When I was working at a place where we had lots of older visitors (who were in their 50-70s) from all over this region, I eventually started to notice that I started to pick up this older, even stronger way of speaking Savo dialect. Again, it's about which letters you leave out, switch or add, because the pronunciation is always the same, but I'd say this is the difference between older vs. younger people speaking. And I always say that nowadays I speak so that I sounds like a 60 year old man because of the way I use my dialect lol

More under the cut, my answer got a bit too long as usual...

Here's another word: kylmä. Which means "cold", often I say "kylymä" where that extra vowel is a speciality of a few Finnish dialects. But if I'm going for a really strong Savo, much closer to the actual Savo dialect which I do not speak naturally, then I switch that vowel to another one and it becomes: "kylömä".

Or if twisting the words even more, the partitive case is "kylmää" in the written (standard) Finnish, but in my dialect you can say that as "kylymää", "kylmee", "kylymee" or "kylömää". The reason why I speak of dialects and not accents is that anyone from any region in Finland saying this, will have the "accent" the exact same and they will sound Savonian by just reading those out loud. You don't need an accent to fake a dialect in Finnish, you just need to know the features and quirks of a dialect which is such a complicated thing I personally cannot imitate other dialects. I can only somewhat imitate the actual Savo dialect, but I still don't get it to be perfect because I did not grow up talking that dialect, only a version of it. (But some people are really good at remembering these features and can imitate other dialects really well, and I find that super fun to listen to :D)

The fun thing about Finnish is also that whenever we have weird things happening in a dialect - we write those differences down. Because everything is spelled the way it's pronounced, and everything is pronounced the way it's spelled. You can often tell someone's region from their writing if they write in the spoken language, but you can't tell where someone grew up in if they are speaking another dialect because the dialects don't have accents that would expose it. The same way you cannot tell if someone's from the countryside or city, you can only tell which city area they most likely live in because of the dialect they speak (also foreigners moving here usually pick up the dialect of their region, but might still speak Finnish with the accent of their own mothertongue), and you also cannot tell anyone's income based on the way they speak.

I've heard that in the UK people sometimes have to fake their accent if they're working class or such as it might affect the way they are treated/if they're gonna offered a job or not, but we don't have anything like that here. In fact, the whole thought is so bizarre to me because Finnish has no accents and I can't even imagine what it would be like to try and do an accent not natural to me. The closest I can imagine is switching to more cleaner version of Finnish, something resembling the written Finnish but not too much because also the written Finnish sounds really really weird when spoken unless it's the president, prime minister or news reporters on TV doing so. (I often clen up my dialect a bit if I'm speaking with someone who might not be that familiar with my dialect, as sometimes it could be a bit difficult to understand - and also because people often have the tendency to call this dialect very cute and it makes me feel like I'm infantilized and not maybe taken so seriously, which doesn't help when I'm already also a babyface :DD But that's a whole different story already!)

Okay, my answer got a bit long and I'm honestly not sure if I even answered anything you were asking about lol. But feel free to elaborate or ask more if any of this was too confusing. I literally don't really know when e.g. with English something is an accent and when it's a dialect, as Finnish only has dialects but I know for sure that e.g. UK, US and AU Eng are accents and not dialects. But where does e.g. Scottish fall in? Is that an accent or a dialect? Or all the different regions in the USA alone, are those dialects, or are there both? And what defines it which is which if there are both accents and dialects? Knowing answers to these would probably make me understand the whole "everyone has an accent" thing a lot better.

#answered asks #kasnudel #finnish #languages

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maxemilianverstappen · 1 year

Text

Fanfic Trope Anon, I got your ask.

I am not a popular blog and I never tag my diskhorse in a way it would appear on major tags; so, I would like to say a few things about the subject you brought up on small dick and feminization tropes applied to Max being very popular in fanfiction, but I will put it under a read more to spare people.

We all have different kinks and you can have yours and I can have mine and it is none of our business to judge the other for having these kinks, but lately, small dick Max/omega Max/feminized Max is so popular that it makes me question what can be the allure of it. (Seb also is quietly getting the same treatment and unsurprisingly the other side of the coin is L/ewis and M/ark, which I would also talk about the dynamics of, but our subject matter is Max.)

In the past, I saw many posts about how not liking L/ewis' fashion sense and criticising it was a form of emasculating him. Some of the points those posts made were quite on point and even though I don't like the guy, trying to emasculate a guy who identifies as male/masculine thru his fashion choices had sounded very cruel and made me angry on his behalf.

Fast forward to today... I have been a part of this fandom's fanfic side since 2018. I have read the biggest ship tags from start to finish. I have looked at the most used and post popular tags since then and until M*xiel became a thing, A/BO wasn't at all popular in the fandom and until those Max in swimsuit/sports shorts pics surfaced and Max became a serious WDC contender, there wasn't much feminization or small dick fics around either. Not just about him, in general. But slowly, especially due to some prominent M*xiel writers' influence, omega Max/pregnant and lactating Max/small dick Max/feminized Max became extremely popular and L/ewis and C/harles fans took it from there.

I used to read M*xiel a lot back when the ship tag wasn't infested with the above kinks and back when I thought the writers of it liked both D/aniel and Max equally. Then I realized most famous Tumblr bloggers and M*xiel writers were actually just D/aniel fans and using Max as his adjacent because he gave them the "shippy" material and diskhorse they needed to get their creative juices going, like abused by his dad Max, like depressed Max, like asshole Max, like Max who is just a loser in life Max... Okay. I understand these tropes really lend themselves to quite dramatic fics, alright, whatever floats ppl's boats as long as their knight in shining armor, sunshine personified D/aniel can step in and teach Max some humanity and love and yada yada. I'm a writer, I can see the allure of this. If i was shipping it, I might also have written a grand dramatic fic around these tropes. But what I hate about this shit is that it shaped the way most new fans' perception of Max.

When people rightfully say that D/TS and fanfiction shape the F1mblr's perception of reality and moral standards, I agree. Max being written as a person who is "not whole/defected/in need of saving/a machine/an asshole/a terrorist" had created this "perception" of Max that some ppl must be finding appealing to deconstruct in the worst way possible.

Like, we see a male/masculine identifying guy who looks quite though, broad, tall, who is actually self satisfied, complete, strong and uncaring of what others think of him, who has built his personality around his own ideals and beliefs and wants instead of caring about how he is perceived by others. He looks like such a character, isn't he? The way he is satisfied with himself, is in peace with himself is making his haters crazy.

I know there is a certain allure to deconstructing a guy who is stereotyped as an "alpha" into a much more human, much more real person than the "trope-y" version of how the majority of the fans perceive him as, as I am fond of doing it with Kimi, but this really feels different with Max and Seb.

Look, I don't think I am the best writer out there, but taking a guy from the confines of one stereotype just to put him into another, then it looks both cheap and unserious and ridiculous if the aim is just to subvert the possible tropes that might be attached onto a guy like Max....

If the aim is just to sexualize him in ways that depict him as a feminized person, an omega person or a person with a small dick, just to really enjoy the said kinks/tropes... Then, well... Yknmk, but why, really?

Is it due to some people's need to emasculate him? ( Why the criticism against the fashion sense of one guy was such a huge deal enough to be called emasculation but when we question the emerging popularity of these particular tropes about another guy we are ridiculed and even being lashed upon with such a defensive force as if they're defending their lives?) To strip him of his power on the track/as the top athlete of his field? To make their chosen blorbo to shine through?

I enjoy writing abo fics, too, but from a gender studies perspective, we must all agree that it is absolutely fucked up and only serves as another reminder of gender inequality and sexual violence. So, it must be cathartic to write about a normally very broad and alpha male looking kinda guy as some lactating needy weak omega who needs the cock of his rival to feel complete/to find real happiness/etc? The dynamics at play here is really strange. I have read stuff about r*pe fantasy/o/mega heat/a/lpha rut situations serving as a liberator from the guilt of having wild sex full of pleasure, etc. And i get the allure, but I look at the Max omega fics and all I see is traditional femaleness expected by the society being forced upon a guy. And the guy liking it a lot while the writers and the readers are talking about misogyny and feminism and yada yada on the side. Feminization, too. I enjoy the occasional lingerie wearing guy image in the fics, but Max enjoying female lingerie while being verbally degraded and used sexually by his rivals and being happy about it and even seeking it out is a theme i see quite a lot.

I mean, this thing started to turn up as a major tag in AO/3 recently. And it's always Max or Seb, or L/ando... Three of the most hated guys of the fandom for some reason huh... And always with the people who are their rivals for some reason.

Toxic ships are a thing and ppl enjoy them for whatever reason, yeah. But nobody can deny that their popularity skyrocketed with the D/TS and with the new influx of fans. Yeah, liking toxic ships don't reflect what you actually like in a real life relationship, true. But it is very interesting how popular these hate ships have become in recent years as ppl found more about M*rtian, Br*cedes, S*wis (which funnily evolved itself into a flower ship thanks to its delusional fans) and recently latched onto whatever L/ewis and Max are called as ship.

Always Max is the one having these kinks latched onto him. Writing him as a top/switch in a healthy and normal way brings in less comments and kudoeses i guess. I have even been confronted about how I can not like omega Max and how i can even think of max as an alpha male.

Going deeper into these waters might even get one be called as a T*rf, lol. Yeah, for example, not wanting to see my fav treated in the way almost all the female population has been fighting against deserves being called that name. Or not liking a small dick Max or Seb being used by L/ewis or C/harles... What kind of an itch does that scratch I wonder. Genuinely.

And let me say that for anyone who has read this till here, this is not an invitation to come to my inbox and spew shit at me just because i try to understand why the fandom likes certain shit in conjunction to certain drivers and what it reflects about the actual state of mind of the said people. I'm not trying to start shit here. I will block anyone who tries to, though.

#this is messy and long anon sorry #it is late #but i wated to answer you

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russilton · 2 years

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Mark, buckle up. 😭

I'm such a sucker for playlists, I'm already currently making my way through the ones you linked. I absolutely L O V E the upbeat art playlist, it screams of Gewis podiums and happiness and success and love and attraction, y e s! Britcedes supremacy & good vibes. Good stuff. 🎉

IWLYN, that's the kind of thing that almost makes me chocke up a little. Sad and hopeful, raw, romantic but also angsty.

Actually, let me go into a bit of detail real quick - Fools is such a Lewis POV song, right. I've seen that one in a lot of playlists before and it fits and it hurts everytime.

Such good friends, it has to end, it always does. That's the way life is.

Do we take that risk?

And so it all boils down to this. We've got our aim, but we might miss. We are too fragile just to guess.

And I've been in this place before.

There's want, but there's also fear and apprehension. It's about the damage of past experiences fighting against the hopefulness for a good outcome...

Wonder came on directly afterwards and, for my money, that's such a George POV song, isn't it. There's a different kind of vulnerability here, one that really feels younger. This one doesn't speak of past hurt that has left some lasting effects but it does speak of insecurity. Hesitancy and self doubt clashing with admiration and so much longing, sooo much longing. And persistance.

You're completely off limits, for more reasons than just one. But I can't stop. You're the centre of attention, you control the atmosphere. You're so busy being busy, I don't want to interfere. But I can't stop.

Also: The future's far less daunting walking into it with you - that's the most Britcedes line to ever britcedes, come on.

(Song rec-ish, what are your thoughts on Little Did I Know by Julia Michaels/Willow by TS? Two of my Top 10 Gewis songs and I can't help but think that they fit the vibe of the IWLYN playlist very well)

I have yet to listen to the RB AU playlist, but I've already seen that Do I Wanna Know is on it - of course it is. So on brand. I also feel like you've hit the spot with I Don't Know Why. Because yes, that's the vibe of this story. And Bleeding Out? COME ON. Feels! So many feels!

Don't worry, I'm not going to write an entire thesis on every single one of your song choices and the different interpretations and scenarios that pop into my head when considering them. But. I COULD. They're such good choices.

(Btw, do you also listen to music whilst writing or only when drawing?)

This ask is SO out of proportion, please. Please be nice to me, I'm just excited, I swear I'll leave you alone. 😂 Before I run I will exploit you, though. I really want to tag @thatsmemate here and now and ask where the playlist for her AU is, because. BECAUSE.

Ok bye 👋🏻

Gonna stick my whole answer under a read more because this post got v long and I already spam the dash enough

I love your analysis of fools and wonder. Those songs and sick of loosing soulmates are my go to angsty otp songs, because they’re so… tentative. They’re about longing and TRYING for more. And that’s kind of what George and Lewis are for each other and for racing. It’s about trying in the face of uncertainty. I used to listen to them on repeat as I read fanfic, just over and over.

I think you’ll like run for cover, it’s mostly songs about antagonising each other, pushing boundaries but still being drawn back together. But there’s also some that are just about the cost of perfection; those are about how George feels like working for redbull is like having a knife held to his throat, constantly on the edge of falling. Lewis is all about playing with fire, red bull is the stinging burn.

I very much like your song recs and they have now both been added. Kimy will be delighted I’ve finally added a Taylor song lol. I’m not very musically educated, I get most of my songs from either the radio (I listen to 80’s radio with my dad a lot), exercise playlists, or YouTubers using it for montage music or animated music videos. And tiktok, a lot comes from tiktok. Sue me. The rest will be my dads influence. He likes Coldplay, muse, imagine dragons, arctic monkeys, and therefore, so do I lmao.

I’d say I actually listen to purely music while I write MORE than when I draw. I can watch anything while I draw, I spend a lot of time watching the Simpsons or family guy on marathon while I draw because it’s a very brain off kind of activity. Part of the little cocktail of Autism and Adhd in my brain means I find it hard to do ONE thing at a time, or my brain gets too loud. Because art is a physical thing, I can watch tv while I work. When I write it needs more brain power so I find it harder to have TV on. I used to have to write in complete silence and I *hated* it. I also find a good music playlist now keeps me on track for the mood I wanted, which in AIWLYN and Run for Cover is really important. Otherwise I just use the good vibes list hahaha

This ask is not out of proportion, and don’t you dare leave me alone, trust me this is the exact kinda shit that gets people like me clapping excitedly. I LOVE people talking about things I’ve worked on or created, it’s like a drug. Why do you think I’m always begging for tags and comments! It’s! My! Shit!

#asks #anonymous #mark’s playlists #redbull george au #aiwlyn

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mareastrorum · 1 year

Text

WIP Wednesday: TF&TS (Dream: Fortune)

Here is a scene from chapter 2 of a longfic I am working on.

Fanfic Summary: Mollymauk Tealeaf survived the encounter with the Iron Shepherds, but a short time later, a spirit had begun hunting him, claiming that he stole his body. This Campaign 2 AU begins with Episode 26 and continues on from there.

This fanfic will be posted on AO3 starting in July.

⁂

I see the moon, the moon sees me, Gods bless the moon and gods bless me: There's grace in the ground swell and grace in the squall; And grace of the gods o’er us all.

Molly hid behind the shadowed fence, peeking out across the road at the small crowd facing the other side. A lantern hung above them, one of many lighting up the plaza in the late evening. The people were all much taller than him. There were gasps and laughs and murmuring, but they kept facing away, and he could not hear what they said.

Slowly, carefully, Molly snuck forward, checking side to side to be sure the distant men in piecemeal armor patrolling the square did not notice. He slipped his hand into some pockets, fishing out a few coins out unnoticed. He silently rushed away, back behind the fence, once he heard someone start saying “thank you” because that must have meant they were done.

There was a small clamor from the crowd before they shuffled on, laughing and chatting. Molly peeked out to be sure they were gone before turning back to count. There was enough light to make out that he had snagged a few copper and a silver piece. He put them in his pocket and looked out past the fence again.

A lanky man in green and brown clothing with a brimmed black hat sat on a colorful blanket under the lantern. He had a long, thin face with pleasant features. He whistled and smiled to himself as he shuffled some cards. Once he looked up and spotted Molly, he waved hello.

Molly cautiously approached, ready to bolt if needed. He retrieved three copper from his pocket, but the man saw that before Molly said anything.

“Oh, no need,” the man replied. “I made good tips today. You keep my share. But would you like a reading?”

“Wassat?” Molly asked, putting the coins away.

“I can tell your fortune with cards,” the man explained as he spread the cards face down in a crescent on the blanket. “Pick one, flip it over, and I’ll interpret it for you.”

Molly moved closer, squatting down just shy of the blanket, still out of arm’s reach. The cards had painted backs with swirling gold patterns. Some seemed to be more worn than others, but he had no idea what any of them would be on the other side.

“Go on, draw a card, just one,” the man insisted. “Let’s see your fortune.”

Molly looked at the cards thoughtfully. There were so many. He was not sure which one to pick. This was different than playing for money or trinkets. It seemed bigger. What if he chose a bad one?

The man waited patiently, neither moving nor shifting from his amiable expression.

Molly changed his mind as he reached for a card several times, trying to sort out if there was some clue to which cards were the good ones. Eventually, he chose the most worn looking card and flipped it over, placing it away from the rest.

A painted card of Catha soaring above a pool, clouds framing the full moon. Ruidus appeared only in the reflection below, slightly obscured by Catha. White narcissus flowers grew along the water’s edge. The label at the bottom read M-O-O-N, and the label at the top was upside-down.

“Well, that’s a lovely omen,” the fortune-teller said cheerfully. “Moon is Sehanine’s card. She’s the Moonweaver, a goddess, one of the Prime Deities. She made Catha.”

“But I’m the red one,” Molly replied quietly, pointing at Ruidus in the lower half of the card. His tail pulled close and wrapped around his left ankle.

“Ah, no, see, there’s two halves to the cards,” the man explained softly. “You placed it with Catha at the top, so that’s your reading. The other half is Mirror.” He spun the card so Molly could read the other label.

M-I-R-R-O-R.

Molly checked around them—no one else close by—before asking, “What’s she the goddess of?”

“Lots of good things,” the man beamed. “Moonlight, shadows, love, secrets, tricks. But that’s different from light and darkness. Moonlight and shadows are in-between. She wants people to seize their own destinies and pursue their passions, untethered and free.”

“What kinda tricks?” Molly prodded as he lifted his head.

“Oh, like illusions and misdirection,” the man answered. “Mischief, really. She likes when people use that for good, either to help others or to hinder the wicked.” He looked around quickly, then leaned forward slightly to whisper, “Especially when we trick bad people, like the families and the gangs.”

Molly nodded, then looked back at the card, then up again. “What’s the fortune?”

“She’s got an eye on you,” the fortune-teller claimed with a wink and a smile, motioning up to the sky. Molly looked up and saw the full moon hovering high above them.

Had it always been that pretty?

“Why’s she watch stuff through the moon?” Molly inquired as he looked back.

“The gods are all locked behind the Divine Gate,” the man explained. “The Prime Deities built it to save us from the Betrayer Gods, who wanted to destroy all creation. They are not here with us, but they watch, and they do what they can.”

Molly frowned, “Then she’s gone, too?”

The fortune-teller continued, still smiling, “Yes, but just because the gods are gone doesn’t mean that the gods or the people have forgotten the other. Their influence still reaches us, and they protect and help us when they’re able.”

“What d’ye do fer them t’ help?” Molly asked, confused.

“You can pray,” the man replied. “You just talk to them, and sometimes they answer. But even if the gods don’t answer, there’s always hope.”

Molly tilted his head, his expression blank. But they’re not here.

The fortune-teller picked up the card and flipped it in his hand a few times, “You know, there’s a rhyme I think you might like. Would you like to hear it?”

Molly perked up a bit and nodded.

The man placed the card back in the deck, shuffled, and then tidied the stack. He drew two cards at a time, one in each hand. First, a card with a destroyed city and another with a gate as he recited slowly, “In but a flash, beyond the ash, the gods all went and gone.”

Molly mouthed the words after the fortune-teller said them, tapping the rhythm with his fingers while he watched the cards.

du-DUM du-DUM, du-DUM du-DUM, du-DUM du-DUM du-DUM

The fortune-teller placed the first two down, then pulled a card with a menacing shadow and a fourth with a bloodied soldier, “The darkness came to grasp, reclaim, and suffocate the dawn.”

Then, a fifth with a starry sky and a sixth with a candle, “But from that night, a burning light doth keep back shadows’ bane.”

A seventh with a sword, and an eighth with a sunrise, “The strength to fight will set alight the morning sun again.”

Molly quietly thought to himself, still repeating the rhythm with his fingers.

Seven pairs. Need seven.

Gone. Darkness. Dawn. Light. Fight. Sun.

“I can say it again, if you like,” the man said cheerfully.

“I remember,” Molly boasted, and he repeated the rhyme word for word.

“Good memory,” the fortune-teller smiled. “It means that even if the gods aren’t here, there are things we mortals can do, too. We’re not hopeless without them. We’re free.”

Molly nodded and grinned.

* * *

The smell of flowers came first, then a deep ache in Molly’s muscles as he shifted. He blinked himself awake to see braided white and black hair interwoven with a few wildflowers. Yasha slept next to him. A warm blanket had been pulled up to his neck. The night sky above was clear and starry. He could not see the moons through the tree cover.

Weren’t they stuck in a dungeon? Didn’t he just wake up from a dream? Was this another one?

Molly laid there a short while to enjoy the second dream (it’s so warm) before the ache convinced him that it probably wasn’t one. It was too definite. Then his stomach growled.

Yeah, he was awake. Well, half-awake. And confused. And so godsdamned hungry.

Molly propped himself up onto an arm with a groan, a flower crown falling onto his chest as he looked around. He was in a cart between Yasha and Jester, whom were both asleep under the same blanket. Actually, it was his tapestry of Bahamut, and it was surprisingly cozy. His leather jerkin had been serving as a pillow, though he had his coat on. Beau slept on the other side of Jester, half sticking out of the tapestry. Molly turned and saw Fjord sleeping perpendicular to the others with an actual blanket, his torso propped up against the side, and a bundle of fabric cushioning his head against the corner. Nott had curled up between Yasha’s hair and Fjord’s legs with Caleb’s coat over her.

Flashes of images came back and disappeared in an instant. Yasha with bloodied arms and face, crying and screaming while she pulled on chains. Lorenzo threatening Yasha with a bloodied, curved tool. Lorenzo holding a knife up to Molly’s eyes.

Molly’s muscles tensed as he gripped the blanket and whipped his head to look over the Nein again, breathing rapidly. But no, they all looked unharmed. No blood. No marks nor new scars. No manacles, chains, nor restraints.

His breathing began to calm as Molly looked himself over. He definitely felt like he’d been injured, but he didn’t see any wounds. Well, he had that new scar on his chest, but it had healed properly now. His clothes were fine, too, not even a stain nor a tear. Had that all been a nightmare?

How did they all end up on a cart? In a forest? Where was Caleb?

“Guten Abend, Mister Mollymauk,” Caleb said quietly as he walked into view at the end of the cart, a teacup in hand. “Are you feeling better? Would you like something to eat?”

Before Molly could form a response, a tall, pink furred man wearing fantastic, flowing teal and pink clothing walked into view behind Caleb, looking in with curiosity. Damn, he had style. He lifted a teacup for a sip and smiled warmly. Were they having a tea party by themselves?

Molly slow blinked, still processing fuzzy thoughts. Did the Iron Shepherds drug him? Gods, he was tired. Hadn’t— what had happened in that cell again? Maybe this really was another dream.

“Hi,” the tall pink one drawled calmly. “I’m Caduceus Clay. Mister Caleb, ah, you may want to explain the, ah, developments.”

“Oh, ja,” Caleb nodded stiffly. “Herr Clay has joined our party. We rescued everyone and now we are en route to Zadash.” He paused. “And we killed Lorenzo and the Iron Shepherds. We took their cart.”

Some of the tension loosened in Molly’s limbs at those words. Caleb’s social awkwardness was adorable, even now. But was this real? Molly’s thoughts felt too clouded to be sure either way. It was all too hazy, too broken up, too everything.

Then his stomach growled again, long and echoing. Gods, fine, figuring out what had happened could wait until he ate something.

Molly was about to speak when an irresistible yawn leaked out—apparently, his body needed everything at once. He shook his head slightly, baubles chiming, and replied hoarsely, “Pardon me. Good evening, and thank you for the rescue. I’m Mollymauk Tealeaf, Molly to my friends. Nice to meet you, Mister Clay. Something to eat sounds great. I think that’s everything? Apologies, I’m still waking up.”

“You might still need some proper rest,” Caduceus suggested. “They seemed to favor magic to impose sleep, and I doubt it was rejuvenating. I have some tea that may help with that, if you like.”

“That sounds lovely,” Molly commented as he slipped out of the nest of Nein members and climbed out of the wagon.

The more he moved, the more Molly realized just how sore and stiff he was. By the time he got off the cart, he mostly wanted to crawl back in to sleep. But he was starving, and he had no idea how to turn down tea. He settled for stretching (which felt so good for his aching muscles that he almost curled up on the dirt) and yawning.

“How do you feel?” Caleb inquired as he sat and motioned to an empty log near the fire. The slight furrow in his brow gave away his concern. “You, ah— the injuries were rather severe.”

Shite, that was not what Molly wanted to hear. Ghosts of sharp pain in his arms, on his chest, at the base of his horns came back and disappeared. Molly briefly shut his eyes and shook that off with some jingling jewelry. No, he didn’t want to know. If he didn’t remember, fine, it was going to stay that way.

As he thought over a reply, Molly looked around the camp. The cart was parked adjacent to a small fire, and Caduceus and Caleb had taken seats on the cleared area around it. Caduceus poured a cup of tea—from a beautiful looking teapot into an actual teacup, not just a mug. There was another fire a few dozen feet away, at the end of what seemed to be a chain of carriages, where two other people chatted quietly.

“Worse than I look, but much better than before I slept,” Molly answered quietly with a wincing grin as he took a seat. He was not about to talk details, he did not want to know. “I assume Jester patched me up?”

“We both did, actually,” Caduceus said with a smile as he offered the teacup. “She was very worried, so she’ll be glad to find you’re recovering.”

"Thank you,” Molly nodded as he took the tea offered by Caduceus. Hells, they needed to change topics. “Did we join a caravan too?”

“Ja, in a sense,” Caleb confirmed as he shifted to his usual stoic face. “We are escorting Ms. Mardoon back to the Gentleman, per our contract.”

“Right,” Molly nodded, not recalling a single detail of that agreement, as he sipped the tea.

Molly was instantly distracted by the flavor, a bitter base with a complex bloom of floral notes and honey, all soothing his throat on contact. He tasted the hint of chamomile, but there was more that he did not recognize. Traveling with the carnival meant he’d had the pleasure of trying many different local teas in all the towns they had visited, but none had been as… pure. It was like drinking water from a fresh stream instead of a lake.

“How’s the tea?” Caduceus prodded with a soft smile. “It’s from one of the newer families.”

“This is delicious,” Molly grinned. “But what do you mean about the families?”

“Oh, I make tea from the plants that grow in the Blooming Grove, my family’s home,” Caduceus explained.

“It’s a graveyard,” Caleb added as he handed a plate with rations over. “So the tea is from specific family graves. We’ve taken to calling it ‘dead people tea.’”

Molly took the plate, a bit incredulous at first, but, well, he’d heard of stranger, “Thank you. And that’s amazing. Should we hold onto corpses of the monsters we kill to grow more tea then? Nevermind, no, those would taste terrible. Can you imagine ankheg tea? It’d probably be poisonous.”

Caduceus chuckled, “That would be a bit difficult on the road. But I brought some blends with me, and I’m eager to try other teas as we travel.”

“That’s something to look forward to,” Molly laughed softly. “So, uh, what happened after the ambush? I mean, clearly you got away, but how did you get the rest of us out?”

As they explained the events of the past few days, Molly sipped at the tea and ate. The soft bread, tender sausages, nuts, and tasty dried fruits made him so glad he had spent the extra coin on good rations for this trip. He’d have eaten anything at the moment, honestly, but their usual fare would have probably been miserable.

Thus, Molly almost missed it when Caleb said that they had recruited Otis of the Tombtakers by saying they needed help to rescue Lucien. Molly had been between bites, so at least he avoided choking.

“Please tell me you ditched them already,” Molly pleaded, bracing himself for the worst.

Caleb nodded, “Ja, we reasoned that Lucien was trying to keep a low profile, so they should wait in Shadycreek Run to hear from him.”

“Thank you,” Molly said simply. He was not a fan of using that identity in any way whatsoever, but considering it helped save the Nein and he would be able to easily avoid the town, this was fine.

Ah, damn, that meant he would not be able to check out Shadycreek Run. Then again, maybe that was for the best, if that was where the Iron Shepherds had been based. Sketchy towns were their own type of fun, but that might be a bit too far along the spectrum to be enjoyable if slavers like that had worked from there.

Caleb and Caduceus continued explaining what had happened and their current plan to return to Zadash. Gods, right now, nothing sounded better than soaking in the hot baths at the Steam’s Respite. No, wait, a massage in the baths. With some whiskey and fruit. Molly had no energy for any fun activities on top of that, but lazing about for a few hours in steaming water would be amazing. As soon as they got rid of Ophelia Mardoon, that was going to be his first stop.

Fuck, that was days away. The aches in his muscles seemed worse for a moment with that realization.

“Mister Mollymauk, there is one more thing I’d like to discuss,” Caleb added as he finished explaining.

“If it’s about Lucien, please don’t,” Molly grimaced. He returned the empty mess plate and held onto the remaining tea. “But thank you for the food.”

“It’s about your safety—the group’s safety—in general,” Caleb reasoned as he took the plate, and Molly frowned, realizing he was going to lecture. “Otis mentioned that Lucien had an old feud of some sort with Reese Jagentoth, one of the important members of a ruling family in Shadycreek Run. They also said that Lucien hated a group called the ‘Claret Orders,’ which trained people in blood magic. It would likely be in everyone’s interest to be wary of those two groups.”

“Well, I am happy to do that,” Molly replied, a bit relieved. “I thought you were going to try to get me to reconnect to Lucien’s old buddies or something.” He chuckled, some nervousness leaking into it.

“Nein,” Caleb responded. “You are not Lucien, so there is no purpose to that. But we do not know whether we may run into others who have crossed him, and now that we know those names, we know when to be careful.”

“Thank you,” Molly nodded before sipping more tea, warmth spreading in his chest.

Caleb was surprisingly comforting at the moment. The Nein had only been traveling as a group for about a month or so, and he had not been all that cooperative for the first few weeks. Yet, out of all the Nein, he seemed the least concerned with Molly’s past—unlike Nott, who was incorrigibly convinced that Molly needed to reconnect with whoever Lucien had been.

It was nice to have some support that he was Molly, not someone else. Not needed, really, but it was appreciated all the same. He knew who he was, decided what he cared about, and it was just nice to have some validation, especially from a cute wizard.

Yep, that’s all it was.

“I’m still kind of confused about the Lucien thing,” Caduceus chimed in. “Is he a lookalike or twin brother or something?”

Molly groaned, which turned into yet another yawn, before he replied on the inhale, “That would make a lot more sense.”

“You should rest,” Caleb suggested. “Mister Clay and I have the next hour or so of watch, so that should be enough time to discuss.” Caduceus nodded complacently, and Molly was all too happy to let someone else take over that discussion. Molly downed the remaining tea and returned the teacup.

“Thank you both,” Molly said graciously as he stiffly rose to his feet and gave a humble bow (that was a bad idea, that sting lingered too much). “And good night.” The other two bade good night and returned to their own discussion while he walked to the back of the cart and tried stretching out the soreness one more time.

Oof, Molly gave thanks a lot in short succession. He wasn’t a fan of owing anyone and usually would make it clear that he didn’t owe anyone anything when he didn’t ask for it, but, well, they did a lot, and it wasn’t like he had been in a position to decline. Plus they got the job for the Gentleman done at the same time.

Then again, that’s the sort of thing people are supposed to do in a group like this. It’s just surprising that Caleb and Nott did all that when they had seemed so disinterested in getting attached to the rest of the Nein. Beau got along well enough with Jester, Fjord, and Yasha that Molly had expected her to try at least. Then all three of them went out of their comfort zone to recruit allies. Molly would return the favor when it came the around the other way.

Stretching had not alleviated the deepest aches, though it helped a little. Eating normally woke Molly up, but exhaustion had settled in the past few minutes. So he wondered for a moment if he had passed out already when he looked at the cart and saw that it was empty.

Molly blinked a few times, some idea just at the periphery of his memory that there was something about the cart. Caleb said it was the Iron Shepherd’s cart. What was it?

Oh, yeah, an illusion.

Molly stepped to the edge of the cart and poked his head over the threshold, seeing the Nein as soon as he did so. Right, that was going to be so useful.

He crawled back to his spot under the tapestry and fell asleep as soon as his head rested on his jacket. He spotted the flower crown on the tapestry right before he closed his eyes; he had meant to grab it, but that was too much.

Molly’s last waking thought was that it was nice to be back on the road with the Nein.

#tf&ts #wip wednesday #mollymauk tealeaf #lucien critical role

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