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mmkin · 2 months

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Hearth and Home (Get You Some Arlong)

Next chapter of Get You Some Arlong is now up... let us Arlong simps rejoice. Link to AO3 here, the chapter can also be found under the cut and the handsome pictures of Arlong. Enjoy!

Content warning - the chapter is NSFW/18+ but all intimacy is consensual. There is a serious injury - no one dies but there is mention of blood and wounds.

A couple of notes and observations I have from watching the Arlong Park episodes (both anime and OPLA) I’ve enjoyed both versions of the Arlong Park arc, but as I was thinking about Arlong's tribute system, it left me wondering how people of places like the Conomi Islands manage to come up with the money to pay these monthly tributes.

In the anime, Arlong destroys the ships of the villagers and sinks Marine ships that come to fight him. So presumably places like Cocoyashi Village have no stable way of continuing to earn money. They would run out of cash and need to trade with one another for necessities. Arlong takes most if not all the money, and there does not appear to be an inflow of money from the outside of Arlong's area, at least none of which would reach the human villagers directly.

Tangerines may grow on trees, but money doesn't. Someone must have figured something out, but it’s never discussed AFAIK. And I’m one of these nerds who gnaws on little details from a show/movie/book/etc until I go near-mad over it, haha.

Also, Bellemere's sacrifice was unnecessary. (I refer more to the anime here as Bellemere had more wiggle room here compared to OPLA) I'm sure some people will hate me for saying this, but it was unnecessary for her to have opened her mouth because she had been given a perfect out by Genzo. I am sure the villagers would have been happy to support Bellemere in hiding Nami and Nojiko. There are historical records of various people going into hiding for years when facing persecution.

Instead, Bellemere cast her children into an uncertain future. She left the villagers on the hook for the tribute fees of two children (she had no way of knowing that Nami would have become part of Arlong's crew) and forced her children to witness the trauma of seeing her killed instead of keeping her mouth shut.

Lying about her family didn’t mean she didn’t care about them. Sometimes lying about someone’s existence was what kept them safe. In the past, people would hide escaped slaves, or unjustly persecuted fugitives and then pretend they didn’t exist when the authorities came sniffing around. It didn’t mean that the benefactors thought any less of the people they were covering for. It was simply pragmatic, and if Bellemere had been more pragmatic, a lot of grief could have been avoided all around. Just my two cents.

Not much a fan of Queen Otohime, either. I get that she wanted to bridge the gap between humans and merfolk, but she was too idealistic and didn't do as much good as she wanted to. Like, did she and her husband take a strong stance against slavery? Did they take measures to increase security around Fishman Island to prevent their people from being captured as slaves? And dumping orphans in the Fishman District and never giving them another thought, did anyone really think that problem would just solve itself?

Yeah, if I were a fishman or mermaid I’d be pretty upset, too. Of course, it’s nice that One Piece shows varying viewpoints, not just black and white, but it bothered me when Fukaboshi asked Hody what had happened to make him so hateful and Hody said ‘nothing’.

No no, it wasn’t ‘nothing’. Hody and his friends were very nearly kidnapped as children – thankfully Arlong showed up and kicked the ass of these would-be slavers. And honestly, if you’re a fishman seeing humans trying to kidnap fishman children, then I’d hope you feel at least a little pissed off. Or from Hody’s POV, some asshole humans tried to kidnap you and your friends to sell – that’d have to shake you up at least some. So as much of an asshole as Hody is, some of his anger was justified.

Also, if you come across a reference to 'The Breakfast Club', yes, I put that there on purpose, lol. Ok, that's a long enough author's note – kudos if you made it through that. On to the fic!

o0o0o0o

You sip your tangerine juice and lean back in your chair as you eye Buggy’s head idly when Chew sets it down on the table. The head is not quite as talkative, but then considering what he’s been through recently, you’d be pretty quiet too, probably. The clown has been through a wide range of experiences since being captured by Arlong. He’s spent most of his time in pieces, or when he’s intact, the seastone cuffs Arlong keeps on hand make sure he can’t use his Chop-chop powers. When his body hangs in the gallery, Arlong lets the other fishmen use him as target practice, which had Buggy wailing in dismay when he was allowed to see his body the next day, covered in splatters of paint.

The clown's head blinks as he takes in the morning light and then he registers your presence. You've not interacted with him much, but Buggy has paid attention – not that there's much else to do when one is a captive – and he understands who you are. He quickly looks around – doubtless to see if Arlong is around – before turning back to you. Chew sits down. Arlong is out for the day with some of his fishmen, collecting the tribute from a couple of nearby islands, so he’ll be back before the end of the day.

Since you were outed by Toma, you see little point in covering up at Arlong Park. Passing for human or male was something you preferred to do on missions or when traveling incognito was needed, but this place is your home now – the first place in a long, long time you’d call home. And you should be able to be yourself in your home if nowhere else. So you’re just sitting there in a swimsuit top and shorts.

“So, what did you bring me out for?” Buggy asks casually, seeing that the park is quiet. It’s just the three of you. “Chew taunts me while you watch? Not much of an audience this time.”

“Hmph," you snort. "You're a real showman, aren't you? And your Chop-chop jazzes things up, I bet." You sip your juice, your tentacles draped comfortably across the arms and back of the chair. Buggy perks up at your words, and Chew raises an eyebrow. You smile at Chew before returning your attention to Buggy. You're someone who prefers to live incognito. Even as Arlong's mate, you advise him behind closed doors, letting others think you're just Arlong's arm candy. Like a deep-sea squid, many do not see you until you're nearly upon them, if they ever see you. And here is one who is nearly the opposite of you.

“You’ve never seen one of my shows, have you? Such a shame.”

“I don’t know,” you say with a small sigh. “I mean, weren’t you holding Orange Town captive? A captive audience is…” You shrug, scrunching up your face. Chew smiles at that, behind the back of Buggy’s head. You blow a raspberry to punctuate your comment.

“Sometimes people need to be forced to sit down to appreciate what’s before them!”

“That’s an interesting mindset.” You look down at your nails. “Interesting doesn’t always mean good, though.”

“You could prove me wrong, then,” he says, staring at you with a pair of sea-green eyes that you will admit are attractive. (Nowhere near as attractive as Arlong’s azure eyes, though...)

“Well, I could put on a show for you. You’re the one in the position of power here, not me, toots. Put my head back on my body, and let me out of the seastone cuffs, and I’ll knock your socks off!”

You cross your arms at that, raising an eyebrow. On one hand, keeping Buggy captive constantly would wear on both him and Arlong, and even Chew. On the other hand, he’s still resistant at times, so none of you know if he will turn on Arlong the moment he has a chance to.

“How do I know this is not a ploy to escape?” you ask.

“Well, I’m on an island. One heavily populated by fishmen. I can send my parts flying, but not that far, not to another island.”

“Hmm.” You glance over at Chew, stroking your chin. “Arlong never did get to see a show either, did he?” you say, recalling Arlong telling you how the clown had been defeated by some kid in a straw hat. The two of you had a good laugh over that.

At that, Buggy’s smile freezes, and you smirk. “Hey, better than an audience of one, right? You didn’t think you were putting on a private show for me, did you?” You bat your eyes at him and Chew chuckles.

More fishmen watching also means more to take Buggy down if he ever tries something with his powers. Arlong has never allowed Buggy to perform at full capability, and well, you admit you're curious.

“Well, I can ask Arlong about it when he comes back. Besides, it’s not like I have the key to the seastone cuffs,” you add with mock chagrin. You know where they are, safely tucked away where Arlong left them, but there's no reason to mention that, is there? And Chew knows, too.

“But if you want to entertain me now, I’m not opposed to a good story or a joke.”

Buggy stares at you and then the tumbler of juice you have in your hand. Oh, how thirsty he must be. The Chop-chop fruit means his metabolism pauses if he's in pieces, so he doesn't need to eat. Nonetheless, you can see the poor thing’s lips are a touch dry.

“If it’s a really good one and Chew and I both laugh, you can have a few sips of my juice.”

Buggy glances upward while thinking of something that’ll get him some of that juice. You hold up the cup enticingly.

“A naked blonde walks into a bar with a poodle under one arm and a two-foot salami in the other…”

o0o0o0o

One of the things Arlong likes to do when he is in an especially devilish mood is to have you ride his thigh. He enjoys watching you getting all worked up and then trying to give yourself relief by rubbing yourself against his leg. At least this time he took off his shorts before he has you doing that and is sitting back in his chair, watching as you rock your hips against him.

You've never said it, but you know that he knows you enjoy his roughness sometimes. His dirty talk, the way he grabs you or holds you down, or gives you orders. He knows you have a difficult time cumming – if at all – when he tells you to ride his thigh, so he can watch you get all flustered and frustrated. If there's a glimmer of mercy in him during such sessions, he might decide to use his hand and help you, but right now he's just watching you with that smug smirk of his.

His erections are temptingly close, but you know you can't touch them – much less ride them – until he decides he's ready for that. Sometimes he might pump himself while you watch, so the entertainment is mutual. Your gaze drifts down to the thick pair of throbbing rods, starting lavender at the base and taking on an enticing red hue along the shaft, especially around the heads. Even now, you still on occasion boggle over the fact that Arlong has two of them, but you have no complaints when you think about how absolutely fantastic these shafts feel buried inside of you.

“Arlong…” you groan. You are close, and your hips snap in frantic rhythm as you bear down on him, feeling that gorgeous sharkskin of his against your pelvis and thighs.

“That's it. I know you're close… keep going. Good girl, yes, that's it. You're so wet and hot. Be a good little slut and cum for me, and you'll get to play with more than my thigh…" His hand reaches to touch your face, his thumb sliding against your mouth. Your lips part, and you bite gently down on him as you start keening. You're so close. So fucking close.

You look into his eyes and bite harder, pressing your tongue against his thumb as his words give you the push you need. A short moan breaks from your throat before your rhythm slows, your thighs shivering against him.

“I'm so proud of you," he purrs lecherously. "You worked so hard…" Damn right, he knows you worked hard for it – he was right there for every minute of it. That bastard.

He’s your bastard, though. He can spew out his obscenities, and grab you, and dominate and fuck you, and chortle over how you belong to him. All of that is yours. But as you also know very well, Arlong has more than that to offer, though few would know or suspect it.

He’s also your mate and partner. You bask in the purr of his voice as he speaks to you, your hips swaying against him slowly as he pulls his hand from your mouth.

“You have more than earned your reward. Come and get it." he wiggles his hips. You need no further invitation and straddle him as you lower yourself onto him, one cock sliding into you while the other one is nestled between your stomachs. You wrap a tentacle around it and ensure he gets both cocks stimulated at once.

It’s all too easy to lose yourself in his passion, and the park fades away as you ride him fiercely, his hands on your sides as he keeps you close, his cocks twitching against and within you as you moan out his name, tasting him as he pulls you in for a fierce kiss.

After he cums, you lean back, seeing the pearly mess that is smeared along both of your stomachs.

“You see the mess you made, little slut? Clean that up now,” he scolds, pointing to himself. You smirk at him but obediently disengage from him and kneel before him to lick the cum off him as he watches you, savoring the taste of his skin and the firmness of his stomach. You bat your eyes at him, or wiggle your tongue, making a little show of it as he relaxes in his chair.

“Mmm. Arlong…” you growl against him as you lick the last drop off him before playfully biting along the ridges of his abs. He smiles at that before you stand up, your front in full view, including your semen-splattered stomach. “Well?” you ask lightly, placing a hand on your hip as you look at him. His smile widens into a smirk as he raises his eyebrow. “Are you going to return the favor?” you tease.

“Does this dirty little slut want me to clean her up?” he asks in a drawl, resting his chin on a hand.

“Considering that you made your slut dirty in the first place…”

He rises from his chair, stepping out of the shorts he had bunched around his ankles. Even naked, he is an impressive sight, all muscles and sharp points and sheer strength. (Actually, one might argue that he looks even more impressive naked, all of his physical strength on display, every rippling muscle there for all to see, admire, or cower before) But you stand before him unafraid, his passion evident on you – not just the mess on your stomach, but the fading bite marks on your shoulder and thigh. (You know he will be marking you with fresh bites in due time)

He steps toward you with a playful growl. You giggle and step back, batting your eyes. Without another word, he pushes you into the pool, and you instinctively react before you’re in the water, whipping your tentacles out and hooking them around him. You drag him in with you, hearing his surprised but amused laugh.

That’s what he gets for messing around with someone with tentacles. Though you have to wonder if he had an inkling you’d do that if he gave you a reason to. You smirk at him as the two of you drift through the water, his hand sliding across your stomach to clean you up – and continues sliding along your body long after the fact.

o0o0o0o

Nami comes home from one of her missions, and you can tell something’s up.

Cocoyasi Village is free, but it is still surrounded by Arlong's territory, which has expanded in the years since Arlong and his pirates came to the island and his deal with Nami was made. Arlong still has more power over their lives than the distant World Government, and certainly more than the Marines, of which Nezumi and several others are in his pocket. (Arlong still has plenty enough towns to extract tributes from to cover all these bribes. More towns, more bribes, it seems the cycle doesn't end…) Even though Arlong has never officially announced Cocoyasi Village's freedom, word still gets out and over the last few months, several humans arrived at Cocoyasi Village, petitioning for citizenship.

Nami's deal with Arlong did not include newcomers – only existing citizens of the village at the time Nami bought its freedom, and any children they might have. This he is able to argue when Nami asks him to allow them to take up residency. And in this, you see where he is coming from. If people from towns under Arlong's control see Cocoyasu Village as a haven, then people will flock to the village, meaning Arlong loses tribute from these people, and the village will grow too rapidly. Arlong Village is a learning experience as word of mouth attracts more seafolk from a variety of walks of life and there are definite growing pains.

Nami glances at you. It was a surprise to her to finally learn that you are Arlong's mate, but you've since assured her that you remain friendly to her and she can come to ask you for help if she needs it.

… It doesn’t mean you’ll help her every time she asks for it, though. Much as you respect Nami, you are still Arlong’s mate, and Nami has a more secure place in this world as a human than you and Arlong do as fishmen. (which is how this whole thing started) Humans have most of the Red Line and so many of the islands. The tragic tale of Queen Otohime shows how much hatred persists in the world despite her efforts to make peace. So if a fishman wants to seize a bunch of islands for himself and his fishmen, what of it? Humans still have most of the world’s land.

“They will have to pay tribute,” Arlong says. “If they do that, they can stay in the village in peace.”

You know that’s as much of a concession as Arlong will make. These new humans can return to their home villages, or suck it up and pay tribute.

“I will let Genzo know," is all Nami can say. You wonder if these newcomers will be expected to pay on their own or if the village will pitch in and help – they certainly have more money sitting around without the old tributes to pay.

“Good girl," Arlong says, dismissing the redhead. He looks at you with a small smirk. You smile and shrug, though you can't blame Nami. After all, Arlong had been going to exploit a loophole to keep Nami bound. So if Nami saw a loophole she could use against Arlong, you certainly won't blame her for trying. "In the meantime, these Straw Hats?" Arlong says musingly. Buggy had mentioned them, and now Nami has run into them on her last mission.

“Worth keeping an eye on,” you say. It wouldn’t be the first small pirate crew that you or Arlong ever had to deal with, but you know from experience that once in a while, life likes to toss a nasty surprise at you.

o0o0o0o

You and Hatchan – who both can pass for human by hiding your extra limbs under clothing – are on a mission. This one called for gathering information directly from humans so you and Hatchan pose as partners – platonic or romantic as befits the situation – while gathering information near a marine base. It is outside of Arlong's territory, but as Arlong expands his reach, conflict with this base will be inevitable unless the right person can be bribed or threatened.

As you expect, the local tavern has quite a few Marines, so you buy a drink and sit there, listening to the conversations around you.

Unfortunately, shit goes sideways when someone starts a fight, and as luck would have it, a few rookie pirates come in, and it becomes much worse. All you can do is slip out as quietly as you can because you do not get involved in fights between humans.

Outside, you see a pirate ship that was not there when you went into the bar.

Yeah. This sort of thing usually doesn’t happen on the smaller islands, but as Arlong expands his territory and takes on bigger towns, it means bigger problems – hence the necessity of this mission and any information you can gather. Unless somehow the pirates and Marines can weaken one another to the point where Arlong can move in and take the spoils.

Guns are fired and there are a few explosions. More than one of the pirates is a Devil Fruit user. You're not dressed as a Marine or a pirate, but as a 'human civilian' you or Hatchan are not necessarily safe especially as there are multiple fights and you just want to get past them but you can't use your tentacles unless you want to out – and draw attention to – yourself, which would defeat the purpose of this mission. And as luck would have it, you catch several bullets that would have killed you if you were human.

Hatchan manages to get you out of there and back to Arlong, but you’re in considerable pain and there were moments you were not sure you would make it. You almost lose one of your tentacles because of a bullet that went through it. Arlong looks down at you as you lay there in the infirmary, Hatchan and the physician fussing over you, making sure your torso and tentacles are bandaged properly and you are comfortable before they leave you alone with your mate.

You lay there, high from the painkillers you were given. You're not quite sure how much time has passed. Even with the superior speed of a fishman, it took some time for Hatchan to get to Arlong Park, especially with having to take care of you as well, because you were in no condition to swim. You were in so much pain and half-mad from it that Hatchan was giving serious consideration to seeking out the nearest doctor, regardless of whether they were human or not. You managed to fish out the bullets with your tentacles and a dagger you carry with you, and oh fuck, did that ever hurt. Hatchan's not likely to forget your yowls when you were digging out the last bullet that was embedded more deeply in your flesh than the others. If he wasn't a fishman, you might have broken his hand with how hard you were squeezing it.

The drugs are such a relief. It still hurts some to move around, so you keep your body as still as you can, drawing in slow breaths and feeling the bandages around your middle.

Home sweet home. It’s not the homecoming you were looking for, but at least it seems like you’re out of danger and you can finally breathe easy (and so can Hatchan)

Arlong on the other hand… you’re not sure what you see in his eyes as he stares down at you. There is concern and relief for you, and anger that someone dared to hurt you in the first place. But there’s more than that, and despite how well you’ve come to know Arlong, it’s a mystery to you. You do find out about it soon enough.

o0o0o0o

“Hey, Y/n,” you hear Nami’s voice as you doze in the infirmary, several days after your homecoming. You’re recovering, and feel considerably better, but you are still weak from blood loss and dealing with multiple injuries.

“Oh, hi," you murmur. Though Nami didn't complain to you after Arlong made his decision about the newcomers to Cocoyasi village, you know that she thinks you should have said something. You're not going to hold it against her. Maybe it's from living around humans for periods of time before coming to Arlong Park, but this insight does help you advise Arlong. After all, it's this knowledge of yours that stopped Arlong from destroying his already-fraught relationship with Nami.

“How have you been?” you ask.

“Just fine. Sorry about what happened to you.”

All you can do is shrug. “You’ve had some close calls, didn’t you? And I know you’ve gotten worse than scrapes and bruises.”

“Not something that nearly killed me, though,” she says with some sympathy.

“It is what it is. It's good to see you though." You sincerely care for her welfare and even that of her sister and the town sheriff. You don't tell her that, though. Maybe she knows, maybe she doesn't. "Is there anything you wanted to talk to me about?"

You see the hesitation on her face, and you won't pressure her about it. "You can trust me. But, no worries either way. Hey, there's a birthday party coming up in a few days. Are you going to be there?" you ask, looking to change the subject to something more cheery. One of Arlong's most senior crew members has a birthday coming up soon, and you and Nami both know Arlong likes a good party.

“I don’t know. I’ve been to plenty enough of these,” she replies with a shrug. Oh, that’s right. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Nami has had a quite difficult time here, especially in the first few years. One wouldn’t think that by looking at the way she moves freely around Arlong Park and the island or how she talks to Arlong or other fishmen, but you’ve picked up on bits here and there of the trauma she’s had to deal with here. The two of you exchange a few more friendly words before Arlong’s shadow fills the doorway. Nami sees you look up, and she turns to see her captain.

She and Arlong exchange a couple of polite words before he excuses her, and she slides past him. You can not help but smile a little as you look up at him, his presence is comforting to you. But then, he’s your mate. After your ordeal, all you want to do is be near him.

“What's a pretty little squid like you doing in a place like this?" he asks with a playful rumble as he pulls up a stool and sits next to you. You reach out, and he takes your hand in his own.

“Waiting for my sexy sharkman,” you reply. He chuckles.

“So the doctor says you’re coming along,” Arlong comments as he glances at the bandages.

“I certainly hope so,” you reply dryly. He grins at that and squeezes your hand. “I’ve been hurt, but never like this. I was actually afraid I’d never come home.”

“Home,” Arlong says quietly.

“What else could it be?” you reply. “You’re my mate, and this is your home, so it’s my home, as well.”

You see a rare glimmer of softness in his eyes and expression as he looks at you. He murmurs your name in a husky tone before leaning down to kiss your forehead.

o0o0o0o

By the day of the party, you’ve recovered enough to be out and about, though you have no plans to leave the island for a while. You’re content to simply walk around the island before the party starts, getting some much-needed sun and fresh air, stretching your legs after all that time spent in bed. You wiggle your tentacles, and all of them stretch out and dance as you command, except for one. It’s the one that took the bullet, and the doctor is not sure if the damage is permanent. It’s sluggish, especially beyond the wound.

All you can do is stretch and massage it, and now and then exercise it, trying to restore it to its full functionality. You don't want to think about what will happen if it never does. You try to count your blessings. At least you didn't get anything cut off. You're alive. You're with Arlong, home and safe, and you still have all your other fully-functioning tentacles to kick ass with. This is not the first crisis you've faced (although you certainly hope it will be the last!)

You get back to Arlong Park just as the party is getting underway, meat roasting on the spits as kegs and bottles are being set out for the guests.

“Enjoy your walk?” Arlong asks as you sit in the chair that is set for you.

“It feels good to be outside," you say. You still feel a little weak, but you no longer feel half-dead. And you feel nice in the dress Arlong gave you. He took it off one of the ships he recently captured and brought it down to the village where a fishman had set up a tailor shop, and had it altered to accommodate your extra appendages. It's a summer dress that once belonged to a privileged human female who will never see it again, and damn, you look good in it. The color suits you, the sequins are tastefully applied, and you are very well aware of the admiring glances Arlong sends you through the night. Arlong gives the birthday boy well wishes, and the food and drinks are passed out. Buggy is brought out, and Arlong unlocks the seastone cuffs.

You will admit, Buggy knows how to put on a show with his daggers and chop-chop ability. It's quite a treat for the birthday boy, and it's funny to think that hiring a clown or magician is something some humans sometimes do for children's parties, and here Arlong is, employing a clown to entertain a grown fishman who is nonetheless enjoying himself.

There's a bit of soreness in your stomach when you laugh too much, but otherwise, you're having a grand time. The show goes without mishap, and for Buggy's cooperation, you convince Arlong to let Buggy have some of the good food that's being shared by the fishmen and even a bottle of rum. You've become an effective good cop against Arlong's bad cop when the situation calls for it. The seastone cuffs go back on Buggy before he gets fed, but he gets to spend the night in his cell in one piece.

Devil Fruits may be a pain in the ass to a fishman, but you have to admit you see how some of them can be useful. And in this world, you can’t rely on just one thing to get ahead. Sure, Nami’s maps are wonderful, but you’ve nudged Arlong into diversification so that he focuses less on Nami and more on things that are truly more beneficial to the Arlong Empire. As you remind Arlong, there are better and more powerful men than Nezumi that he can manipulate, and the strength of a fishman is nothing to scoff at, but fishmen can still be captured and forced into slavery so the Arlong Empire needs weapons and technology of its own to augment the natural strength of the fishman race.

As the night winds down, you excuse yourself and for the first night in several weeks, you will be sleeping in Arlong’s bed. It seemed like almost another lifetime since you left the park with Hatchan to go on your mission. The nights in the infirmary were long and lonely, even in a drug-addled sleep.

You remove the dress, carefully folding and putting it away before pulling on a plain linen nightie and sliding into Arlong’s bed, feeling a wave of nostalgia and comfort wash over you as you stretch out in the bed you share with your mate. The sheets are freshly laundered and you bury your face against your pillow, inhaling the crisp scent.

It’s not long before Arlong comes upstairs, and you watch through half-lidded eyes as he removes most of his clothing, sitting at the side of the bed in his shorts. He’s a handsome sight from the back as he runs his fingers through his hair, and you lean up to kiss the side of his fin.

“Mmm. The sight of your bare back and fin is a most pleasing one, Arlong,” you purr as you kiss his shoulder several times before you lay back down. He turns and grins at you, obviously happy to have you back in his bed. You know it hasn’t been easy for him, having you close but having to restrain himself for your well-being. You’re still a bit sore, but as long as Arlong is gentle, you’re happy to accommodate him because let’s be real, you’ve been wanting him, too.

Arlong would sometimes sit with you in the infirmary if he was going over his ledger or had correspondence to go through. It was nice to know that he looked for work he could do near you and sometimes you’d just watch him for a few minutes as he stared at the page intently. At least that was better than hearing him roar at various fishmen outside over small irritations. He’s already quick enough to anger, but the stress caused by his worry over you causes him to be even pricklier than usual around his subordinates. You know the fishmen have been hoping you’d recover fast and put Arlong back in a better mood.

He draws close to you, gathering you up in one arm as he looks down at you. You hum contentedly and cuddle against his chest.

“It has been lonely up here without you,” he growls gently into your ear.

“Do you think I haven't been lonely?" you scold him lightly. He chuckles and his other hand rests on your hip. You wiggle against him, and he takes the cue, his hand pulling up the material of your pajamas to reveal the fact that you're not wearing any panties. "I only ask that you be gentle with me. I'm still healing," you whisper.

“It will not be easy,” he says as he growls and nips along your jaw. “I’m quite pent up.”

“I would appreciate it,” you coo at him. “I promise, you can be rough when I’m fully healed.”

He grins at that, and you know he’s going to hold you to it. But in the meantime, he honors your request, soothing the ache in you that was caused by time away from him and exacerbated by your injury and recuperation.

I love you, Arlong. You want nothing more than to whisper that to him after your session. You moan quietly and arch against him as he slides his hand down there, rubbing a finger along your slit, where his cum is oozing out.

“Mmm. I love filling you with my seed,” he says as he nuzzles and kisses your shoulder and arm, being careful with his nose. His finger continues to gently tease your slit, sliding up and down it, and on occasion, pushing his finger inside, as if he’s trying to push back the cum that’s leaking out of you.

“I know,” you reply with a satisfied purr. Out of the two of you, you are certain Arlong enjoys sex more. That doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy it nearly as much as he does. And how could you not? This man is your mate. You were his from the first moment he laid eyes upon you at the Baratie regardless of whether he was conscious of that fact at first.

“I’ve been doing some thinking while you were recuperating,” he states conversationally, his hand continuing its lazy ministrations. “You know you are very dear to me.”

“I do not doubt that, Arlong." You reach up to touch his face.

“I want you to stay on this island unless you accompany me somewhere," he states. You stare at him for a moment, absorbing his words.

“What about missions?” you ask softly.

“No one can fault the fine job you have done, but we have more people here now who can get closer to humans, including mermaids. I do not wish to risk losing you, and there is much of value you do here at Arlong Park already, and I don't just mean the sex," he clarifies with a twinkle in his eye, "As a member of the Arlong Pirates, consider this a promotion."

You're flattered, and you're not surprised that Arlong is being possessive and protective. After nearly losing you, of course, he doesn't want to take any risk of that happening.

“There’s something else I would like from you,” he says softly, and he is staring at you with hunger, his hand still down there, caressing you.

You wonder what it could possibly be. You've given him all of yourself. Your body, your skills, your loyalty, your wisdom, and advice. Your love. “What is it?” you ask.

“A child.”

#writing #one piece #villain gets the girl #fanfiction #arlong #opla #arlong pirates #one piece x reader #arlong x reader #arlong/reader #arlong the saw #home from the sea #get you some arlong #x reader

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quitealotofsodapop · 8 months

Note

[bonding experience/enrichment.]

Just food? What about things like theater, since SWK does know Mac was interested in that?

Wait...when did musicals become a thing?

Don't worry! The gang take Macaque out on all sorts of activities when he's up for it, not just food.

Macaque quickly gets a hang of television and films, much to SWK's surprise. ("It's recorded on wax and film and projected using light and electric signals. It's not that hard to understand.") But the second Tang mentions seeing a live version of a musical like say Les Miserables, then Macaque *immediately* wants in.

"Modern" theatre has been around since about 1800s, but theres a lot of variation depending on where you were in asia at the time of Jttw. A lot of stage shows in China during the pre-Tang dynasty were song and dance dramas recreating real life events, or battles. Shadow Puppetry (like with Mac enjoys) became a thing during the Han Dynasty (140 – 87 BCE). Depending on when Macaque passed away, he could have been exposed to the romantic-comedy era of Zaju theatre in the Song (960–1279) dynasty.

Macaque really doesn't like crowds, but he can attend a live show as long as he has someone to ground him. The first musical the others bring him to is one that infamously uses shadow puppetry in it's effects; The Lion King.

Macaque is silent for the entire production, so much so that the others think he's bored stiff - except for Wukong who knows what Mac looks like when he's completely enthralled. And because Mac has been subconciously clutching SWK's hand since "Circle of Life".

The second "King of Pride Rock" finishes, Macaque jumps to applaud and cheer. He gets so excited talking about the effects and music afterwards that he can't stop stimming (hand flapping and jumping into his shadows) and ends up crashing asleep the second him and Wukong get home. He's the kinda guy to bring flowers to throw on stage for the actors.

He gets so infamous at the theatre as a frequent and supportive guest, that he gets offered a job working there. Mac quickly accepts. Macaque presents his first shadow play that very halloween at a children's matinee - a few traditional fairytales (like the story of Chang'e and Hou yi, and the tales of Nuwa), capped off with his infamous "The Hero and the Warrior" story, with a slightly more... hopeful ending. He's gets a little flustered when the kids starts asking "Did the Hero and the Warrior get married after?" at the end. Especially when he remembers that Wukong (along with the rest of the gang + Nezha) came to support his opening show. His shows become very popular for all the effort and heart he puts into them, and his insane shadow puppetry skills. Ends up with a few friends/co-workers from the theatre who kinda know he's The Six Earred Macaque, but they aren't saying anything.

Some extra theatre/musical hcs I have for the LMK characters:

Current favorite musicals/plays of Macaque's include; Wicked (the themes of persecution, the unfairness of history, broken friendships, and grief really speaks to him), The Phantom of the Opera (only he understands the motivations of a drama king), and Mamma Mia (he likes the Abba songs).

Wukong gets bored like... real easily. He's a comedy guy. But he'd rather be bored watching something with Macaque than alone. He tries to underplay how interested he is in things cus he thinks he's just annoying people. He accidentally "WHOA!"ed loudly the first ever time he ever saw the live costume change/transformation in Beauty and the Beast. He got really embarassed, until Mac backed him up with his own excited hooting. He also really enjoyed Great Gatbsy ("That wasnt exactly a musical, peaches." "It had a lot of songs though." "Fair point.").

Pigsy doesn't really care for musicals, prefers straight acting. But he'd be lying if he said he didn't cry during The Waitress.

Tang is a Nerd. A big history Nerd. He has seen almost every historical musical and play there is, and critiques them harshly for accuracy. Except for Hamilton - he will relent for the eye and ear candy alone.

Nezha has really old fashioned tastes. He likes traditional chinese opera. His fave is "The Heavenly Maid Scatters Blossoms". He also liked "Matilda".

Princess Iron Fan and DBK have seen "Romeo and Juliet" like hundreds of times, in multiple languages. PIF stopped seeing the show after her husband was imprisoned. She does however have a ridiculously in-depth knowledge of Shakespeare and other Elizabethan era plays. DBK unashamedly loves sappy romantic musicals, and will sing the love songs to PIF when he can.

So yeah. Lots of theatre enrichment for the drama king himself.

#six eared macaque #liu er mihou #sun wukong #lmk hcs #the monkey king and the infant #the monkey king and the infant au #lmk shadowpeach au #shadowpeach #lmk tang #lmk pigsy #lmk nezha #lmk princess iron fan #lmk demon bull king #lmk character hcs #lmk tmkati au story events #lmk pif #lmk dbk

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yr-obedt-cicero · 1 year

Text

I was taking an analytical look at the “I wish there was a war” letter to Stevens, and I've come to think it's one of the most noteworthy letters from Hamilton in his childhood.

—condemns me and would willingly risk my life tho’ not my Character to exalt my Station. Im confident, Ned that my Youth excludes me from any hopes of immediate Preferment nor do I desire it, but I mean to prepare the way for futurity. Im no Philosopher you see and may be jusly said to Build Castles in the Air. My Folly makes me ashamd and beg youll Conceal it, yet Neddy we have seen such Schemes successfull when the Projector is Constant I shall Conclude saying I wish there was a War.

Firstly, look at how tightly knit his words are. It could be that Hamilton didn't think he would have enough time to get all his thoughts down, or that he would have more to say. But this is extensive, even for other letters from Hamilton around this time. I personally think it was excitement, and the thrill as Hamilton contemplates his future.

But what's most considerable is where Hamilton's priorities lie, and how these never really changed through his life. Hamilton obviously knew his greatest chance of earning the stature and respect he wanted was to fight in the military. But it wasn't just the fame and love that Hamilton wanted, he wanted to be an idolized hero. I always wondered why he just never became a merchant. It was in the field of possibilities; living in a literal national trade system, already having experience helping his cousin Anne trade, and having a pretty good education and literacy. Hamilton was even very efficient with money and economics, which is why if he had just gone on to become a merchant even in the Carribean or just elsewhere; he would have made thousands. Like make the success his dad never did. If Hamilton joined the Revolution only to earn his social status amongst the higher-ups, it makes no sense for him to be praying for a war back in '69. If it was wealth and stability Hamilton wanted, it wasn't like it was out of reach.

But no. What Hamilton wanted was more. He wanted heroship, and glory. So really, Hamilton wanted to be known as a hero, he wanted to be that dashing name you read about in historical battles. Ultimately, Hamilton joined the war for the worship of his heroism. And I really believe this was his way of healing the wounds of being a bastard child born out of wedlock. From day one, he would have witnessed the persecution his mother was treated with for her tainted name as a “whore”. And even after that, him and James were but bastard children that no one wanted. Shoved through homes with no family sparing them anything in their wills, it would have been evident and in their faces James and Hamilton were unwanted illegitimate kids. So, Hamilton's recovery from this? What's his drive for all this ambitious spirit? Hamilton was literally this nerd ass main character who felt he was “destined for more”, who idolized the men in heroic battles he would hear about and wanted to emulate such. This was his way of recovering from being an unloved child. Hamilton's way of proving himself to all those that undermined him, degraded him down to nothing but a “whore's son”, or considered him too frail and ill.

It's even evident when he does join the revolution, as I said, these ideals stayed with him. Hamilton could have easily gotten status if he just remained as Washington's aide. Hell, he could have done the same if he was Greene's or Knox's aide. But that isn't what Hamilton sought, he wanted the veneration of a war hero, because he wanted to fight and be known as just that. It's clear he loathed the secretary position, more than just because of Washington's berating. And it's even evident moreso later, where yeah, being Treasury Secretary was nice, but he continuously returned to the army for the Quasi-war or to be inspector general.

Basically, Hamilton didn't just want wealth and status, he wanted fame and to be a hero.

#amrev #american history #american revolution #alexander hamilton #historical alexander hamilton #history #txt

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mysterybooks-world · 2 months

Text

Hello guys

I have another one of the reincarnated storys

it's from the Hazbin Hotel series

warning: To watch the series, you must be of age 18 or above

but there is a twist.

y/n reborn as Alastor's father

I've seen many fan art & comic dubs & animatic about Alastor's father being a terrible person.

But some others make him such a good father in the aus.

I read this about Alastor's mother

But not much information about his father

Just this information: Around the late 1800s, she became involved with a Caucasian man and would go on to have a son who became known as Alastor. Shortly after Alastor's birth, her partner abandoned both her and Alastor to avoid possible persecution for being involved with a woman of Creole descent, leaving her to raise Alastor on her own.

So listen

y/n is big fan of (hazbin hotel)&(helluvaboss)

y/n 've read or Watch everything about them Such as theories & fan stories & they songs & y/n even read the comic Origin of hazbin hotel

you can say y/n they are a nerd

One day, y/n are now dead Then you became Alastor's dad

When y/n died they woke up they found themselves In another body,

At first they understand what is happening And when they looked in a mirror It was a reflection of a young man.

y/n when they touch the mirror Suddenly images of memories the owner if this body

(Important note: I couldn't find Alastor's father's name So choose a name for him. else I found on that Alastor fall name is Alastor Hartfelt)

So your name :(Oliver Hartfelt)

y/n they jaw dropped Out of shock. Then y/n took a deep breath Until they nerves calm they down And you understand the situation.

y/n: Okay, I'm in a stranger's body and his name is Oliver Hartfelt

mmm Why the name of Hartfelt sound Familiar

What kind of world am I in.

Usually When I read about This is a kind of storys I may be in a novel or game.

Is there any kind of guide or user guide

They were answered by A blue screen in front of them

and there is Info about me

y/n: Well, this is useful and I have read the writin.

and here my second time my jaw dropped From what they read

y/n:Okay, The bright side I'm in a world of hazbin hotel

OMG I do not believe this. This is like a dream come true But there is one problem

I AM THE FATHER OF AlASTOR

What a disaster

I know very well from the fandom that Alastor did not mention anything about his father

Because he was a bad person and There is also a theory that Alastor kill him

Of all the characters why me. No need to panic

As it seems Oliver have not met Alastor's mother

Then the screen changed Written on a screen say

I must get married to Alastor's mother and of If I fails to do it, then Alastor will no longer exist in the world

y/n panic again: WHAT.

Get a hold of yourself, y/n. You can do it

Although if I fails, I will destroy the future

without Alastor Things will change for the worse.

TO Make it a short

Oliver Try to win a Alastor's mother heart And there was a lot of drama

But in the end they succeeded Marry to her.

Oliver thinking about a work career to Radio host Because they knows that Alastor was a radio star host When he was alive

So you make things easier for Alastor when he grows up

This is exactly what happened

Oliver have a radio station building And Oliver became famous And learn some information about radio and he buy books about radio information or how to repair the radio for Alastor when he grows up

And when Alastor was born, He didn't realize he was crying tears of joy When he was holding Alastor in his hands And in is mind Curse The owner of the body, he knew, he would leave them in this part

But he is not him, he is someone else So he will care his family

Oliver skill set level up When he learns a new skill

Oliver hobbies

1-Playing musical instruments. 2-Hunting gun 3-Taking pictures of Alastor. (Oliver has a whole collection of books about pictures of Alastor and the stages of his life) 4-drawing 5-Making handmade things such as

Alastor is amazed at the things dad creates.

Alastor When he was young thinks his father was Kind of is a magician.

when Alastor grows up he became a Radu star like his father

And when Alastor began his career in notorious and elusive serial killer in secret After his mother died from an illness

There was a detective who caught Alastor while he was hiding the body

But suddenly Someone stabbed him behind the back in the heart

And this person is Oliver is dad

Alastor stood shocked While his father carries the investigator's body

Oliver: son Don't stand like this, quickly, let's hide the bodies

And after they returned home

The next day

Alastor asked his father How long did he knew he was the killer?

Oliver: From the beginning But I won't ask why you're doing this

Oliver: I'm not a person to judge people

Oliver: Sometimes the best people are the ones who are not perfect

Alastor hugs his father and says: thanked dad

Oliver: No problem. I think you are the most handsome killer, he added

Alastor Embarrassed: Dad no

Oliver: Dad yes

Oliver continues to tease Alastor

His father would help him kill people sometimes

Oliver told Alastor about a strange story he had with an old man

The old man tells him About hell When he was a child

Oliver lied about an old man. He wanted to tell Alastor about hell when he fell and Alastor would be prepared in hell

Of course Oliver can't tell Alastor directly

Alastor will ask him how he knows all this

So he made up a fake story about a mysterious old man who told him about how hell works when he was a child

One day

But someone tried to kill Alastor With bullets But his father protected him

And that's how Oliver died

Anyway

This is the form of a demonic Oliver.

Oliver tried to make it a coincidence to meet Lucifer And he succeeded

Lucifer like Oliver handmade things Especially the duck part

You can say Oliver became like his advisor

But after some time Lucifer started to see Oliver as father figure Not only him

Mammon Queen Bee-lzebub Asmodeus Belphegor Stolas Goetia

I've read some fan stories & fan comic that The rulers of hell are Lucifer's siblings

I imagine Asmodeus asks for love advice from Oliver And he talks about how he love Fizzarolli

You could say he became like a royal father to them

LOL

Do you guys remember (episode 5 Dad Beat Dad)

In a song

Hell's Greatest Dad Sing-Along | Hazbin Hotel

Alastor tried to annoy Lucifer by taking his daughter's attention away from him

however, Later Lucifer found the perfect revenge

Lucifer sent some pictures of him and Oliver to Alastor With a message says Your dad is my dad now

Nene Nene Nene Nene.

Alastor went crazy with anger and jealousy

Alastor Knew his dad was in hell With him Because his dad always visited him at his home

however, Oliver didn't tell Alastor With his relationships with the most powerful demons

Because he knows that his son will use him for more power

(note: y/n as Oliver is loves and adore his son Alastor. So if Alastor is sad or frustrated because of him.

Oliver will give very little power and information Until he sees him smile)

Here's the funny part of my story

In the past

Alastor with Vox talk about work

When Oliver suddenly came

Alastor: Hello, Dad how are you

Oliver: hello, son So who is your friend?

Alastor: Dad meet Vox, vox Meet my dad

Vox: Nice To meet you

They shake hands

In the middle of the conversation

Oliver said to Vox What do you think of my son

Vox: He is a good friend, even though he is Trickster

Alastor: Thanks for complimenting me

Vox rolls his eyes:

Oliver: you know Alastor

Oliver: I think you and Vox will be very wonderful couple

Alastor spat out his Coffee while Vox choke on a biscuit

Oliver smiles a devilish smile And continue by saying It's good that you found someone for you son

Alastor: DAD

Vox: Blushing with embarrassment

Oliver: so vox Let me show you some pictures of Alastor when he was a child

Alastor took the photo book and burned it

Oliver Take out another Copy photo book

Alastor did the same thing a hundred times

Alastor:How many copies do you have?

Oliver: Plenty Because I know you'll burn the pictures

Oliver show vox pictures while telling stories about pictures while Alastor hits his head on a table from embarrassment.

Yes, I know, I'm evil

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor #Alastor's mother #Alastor's father #helluva boss #helluvaboss #au #my au #Oliver Hartfelt

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lovebillyhargrove · 1 year

Text

Part 2 of Billy knows his limit

If Billy is completely honest with himself, spring in Hawkins is kinda nice. Of course, not a day goes by that he doesn't miss the ocean, Billy craves is like a lost soul, but he has to admit - there's something about the fresh spring air in this numbing Peasantville, that makes it just a tiny bit more tolerable. Something's breezing around, Billy feels it with every breath he takes. Expectation, probably.

Ironic though. Expectation is definitely not on his mind right now. He has zero of it, and even if its absence makes him hollow, it is still better that way.

Billy hasn't talked to Harrington in weeks now. Talking is beyond impossible, a new kind of science fiction. Even accidental eye contact is thoroughly persecuted. They still bump into each other at school, but whenever Billy catches the slightest whiff of Harrington, he steers clear. Basketball practices seem to be the biggest problem, but both of their lovesick asses have excelled at carefully tiptoeing around each other, and if Billy knocked the annoying prick down on a couple of occasions, then, well.. that's basketball. Parties have died down for the time being, cause everyone seems to be up to their ears with exams and shit.

So Billy has it under control. He even has his thoughts in check - whenever his mind starts drifting off and the tormenting details of that memorable night resurface, Billy forces himself to turn his train of thought back. He's not going to deal with this. It's not worth it. If Harrington couldn't even own up to what he himself had started, then it's all bullshit.

Repeat. Like a mantra, Billy.

It's not fucking worth it.

The only things he can't control are his dreams and exhausting morning boners. Billy doesn't allow himself to masturbate to the memories, he's not some pathetic loser whose heart is broken beyond repair. Naturally, sticking it in some wet welcoming pussy has crossed his mind, just to blow off steam, defuse electricity under the skin, but for some reason he can't do it either. Doesn't want to do it. It would feel like deceit, so for now Billy just wears himself out with workouts.

He wishes Harrington just packed up his stuff and left the town.

Maybe in that case he could actually enjoy Hawkins's spring that really isn't so bad.

Until one evening

Max had a late AV club or some other nerd crap at school. Billy had to bring her there at 5pm and pick her up one hour later.

Which he did, the responsible big brother that he is.

Parked his car. Let the brat out. Told her not to be late. Got eyes rolled at him. Told her to watch the attitude. Lit up a cigarette.

Fuuuucking bad luck. Harrington's beamer stopped a couple of parking spots away. Billy saw it out of the corner of his eye and made an effort not to turn his head. The babysitter brought his kiddos to the club. Of course.

The parking lot was practically empty, just a couple of school teachers' cars.

And theirs.

Harrington could've parked at the other end of the lot.

Billy thought of driving away but then changed his mind. Who the fuck was Harrington anyways. The fucking dethroned majesty. He didn't own this place.

Instead, Billy lit up another cigarette and wished he could teleport the fuck out of here. A beach would definitely be much nicer. Sure, spring air in Hawking was fine and all, but it lacked salt nonetheless.

Five minutes later Harrington's beamer left.

Run, Harrington, run. As god is Billy's witness, Harrington's dick was nice to touch, but it just isn't worth the trouble.

The fucking coward.

See, Billy knew fear. Faced huge waves and shit. Almost drowned a couple of times. Fought fights like he was ready to die. Didn't usually leap into something reckless like a madman, but never backed down if danger was staring him in the face.

Billy knew fear, and he wasn't afraid of what had happened between him and Steve two months ago. He wasn't afraid to look Steve in the eye and tell him that they were fucking every night in Billy's dreams. With much variety. And that he would sell his soul to do it all for real.

Billy wasn't afraid, but Harrington, apparently, was, and Hargrove had no interest in this chicken shit.

Billy knew fear, and the only fear he had - that was his second blood - was the core breaking look of his father.

But that's a completely different story. Someday Billy will leave. Someday he will run away without looking back. Someday he will run for the sake of his life.

And he will be right, won't he?

The sound of an approaching car broke Billy out of his thoughts. He glanced in the window. The hell? Harrington's Beamer was hastily driving back. Did the loser forget the time this stupid club was over?

The beamer parked next to the camaro.

Steve got out of the car and walked right up to Billy's door.

"Hey, Hargrove. I want to talk. Can we talk?"

Wow, really. Billy considered just sitting there like Sphinx, not engaging in the conversation.

"Talk about what, Steve?"

"About.. look, I don't really know how to.. start. I .."

Silence

Oh for Christ's sake, enough of that

The wicked desire to break Harrington's face comes back and ignites every cell in his body

Like poison

Billy swings the door open, making Harrington jump away

Gets out, grabs him by his lame fucking polo

"I told you to stay away from me, didn't I? I'm not in the mood for your fucking mind games, did you not understand it, huh??"

Harrington looks scared, but not enough.

"It's not a game, Billy! Just fucking listen!"

"NOT. IN. THE MOOOOD !!"

Billy can feel his blood reach its boiling point. He pushes the motherfucker.

It's November 1984 all over again.

Or no, its not.

He can stop.

Billy turns to walk away and get back into his car. But when he feels a hand grabbing his shoulder, he turns and swings.

Billy hits Steve aiming for the nose and Steve hits back. Hargrove plunges forward like a bull, in blind rage, and they both go flying to the ground. For a minute there they are like two feral animals rolling around on the warm asphalt, each trying to get the upper hand. At last Billy manages to sit on Harrington's thighs and puts a hand around his throat.

It's November all over again

But Billy - not worth it - can be in charge of his rage now.

He squeezes his hand, and stops himself

He's not gonna do it. It's bullshit.

Harrington inhales sharply

"Stop Hargrove, fucking stop, you fucking psycho..!"

Billy eases the grip and feels how tender skin on Harrinton's neck is. He feels the pulse and Harrington's eyes are open so wide, Billy's beginning to drown - he's just too pretty

The mantra, Billy. Not worth it.

Both are breathing heavily

"I didn't even start anything Harrington, what the fuck is it that you want from me??"

"I don't know! I'm scared okay? I'm scared Billy I've never.. done anything like that. Felt anything like that. I'm scared and I .."

"Uuu clean sunshine boy never got his dick hard for a guy before huh? You wanna whine about it? Go crawl back to your ex or run to mama!"

Billy looms over Steve and holds his chin to make him stop wiggling

'I'll tell you one more time, Harrington. Stay the fuck away from me. I'm not gonna be your fucking lab rat that you experiment on."

"It's not like this! I'm not .. experimenting! It's not about a dick, Billy, I've seen plenty of dicks in .. I don't know, locker rooms and .. I don't give a fuck about that. It's you. YOU scare me, Billy."

Hargrove's hand is still like a claw on Steve's face

"YOU scare the living hell. Out of me. When.. when you see a hurricane coming, you run, you hide. Billy, I've never .. felt anything like this before, I'm .."

"Oh yeah? Well, why don't you make up your mind about what you really want here, lover boy. I mean I like the hot and cold games but what exactly are we playing for? What do you want, Steve?"

He ignores the painful hard on that's ripping his jeans.

"I uh .. I don't know how to .. fucking say it."

Billy's laughing quietly and not without malice. He pats Harringon's red hot cheek

"Go home, Steve. Go hide. It's fine."

Hargrove's getting up and spitting blood and heading for the car and this is the moment when the school doors swing open and a haggle of kids come out to the parking lot talking loudly. The conversation dies down in a second when they see the oddly familiar picture.

Steve's slowly getting up from the ground dusting off his jeans.

"Billy! What the hell?" Max's voice is shrieking and hissing at the same time.

"Get in the car, Max, now! We have to be at home at 6.15."

"NOW, MAXINE!" - he barks,

Max gets in the car and Billy slams his door.

A screeching sound, and the camaro vanishes out of sight.

Part 3

#harringrove #billy x steve #harringrove ficlet

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karkleisdead · 2 years

Text

*sigh* some purring hcs??? Is that what I've come to??? It's just the most domestic thing I cannot--

Aradia: loud purr, but rare. She clicks excitedly and croaks (a result from the frog fusion), but she rarely purrs. When it does happen? Good luck hearing anything else. She uses her purring as a weapon-- she purrs violently around Sollux, and he "buzzes" back. She also takes pride in purring louder than karkat, although she doesn't necessarily always win that one.

Tavros: so so so quiet but almost constant purr. ESPECIALLY when he's playing fiduspawn-- it can crank up in volume lightly, but it mostly stays in the limits of troll hearing. He doesn't click or make any other variety of troll noises as often. He DOES growl as a "confidence boost", though.

Sollux: This man simply does not purr normally. Try as his friends might, they can't get him to. He clicks a lot, and he buzzes sometimes-- he sounds like a bee hive. Many count that as him purring, but sollux does not. He still says he's one of the only trolls in alternia history who's never purred. (He's lying).

Karkat: Poor guy has the LOUDEST purr. He can barely talk through it. It doesn't happen as much as Tavros, but it happens more constantly than he'd care to admit. Because of drone persecution, he can manage to hold it back and make himself quiet, though it hurts a little. He also clicks and growls a lot. He's vocal!

Nepeta: She LOVES to purr!! It shakes her body more than it makes noise, though. Still, she makes it so that she purrs a lot, and basically on command! It's medium in volume, most of the time. She also is a fan of attacking Sollux with purrs. It's to little avail. She also makes a lot of growling noises, especially when hunting and when hyping up her moirial! Her click is less pronounced, but it's not exactly rare, either.

Kanaya: Not a huge purrer. She would LIKE to purr more, believe me, but it's just not feasible. She tries to purr more when in a rocky relationship with Vriska, since she wasn't entirely sure how to show affection otherwise, but she learns to tone that desire down a bit. Her constant clicks make up for any lack of purring. She chrips and clicks and overall sounds like a very lovable cicada. ESPECIALLY when she talks about her many interests or has a certified Nerd Moment (TM).

Terezi: oh boy. She purrs, but it doesn't SOUND like purring. Since she has direct dragon lineage, her purring is a little scary. It sounds more like a dragon gearing up to shoot fire in your face, and it's LOUD. She likes it that way, though. Makes it funnier when she starts and scares away an uninformed troll. It also scares Karkat. Vriska thinks it's cool as hell. She doesn't click, but she chirps, which sounds like a little bird when it's fully up and running. Overall, scary but adorable.

Vriska: Vriska loves it when others purr, but she HATES when she does it. That's why she restricts it to the best of her ability. It's very quiet, almost kitten-like in nature. Sometimes, her quiet purr is shown to those she is close to. Eridan counted it as a victory when he got her to purr for the first time when they were kismesises, and Vriska resents him for it. Terezi personally loves Vriska's tiny purr. Much more commonly than purring, though, Vriska growls and clicks. Many FLARPers on Alternia would shudder when they heard a characteristic "click... click... CLICK" of Vriska's approaching party.

Equius: Perhaps inherited from Nepeta, perhaps there inside him all along, Equius is a frequent purrer. It's a moderate volume, as compared to his friends, and it happens quite frequently. It's strangely deep, though, even if it matches his voice. If gamzee could clearly remember killing him, he might recall a low purr, as well. He gets embarrassed a lot, since sometimes he purrs in inopportune situations (i.e. during casual conversation or quietly lying in his pile), but Nepeta insists it's cute. He also growls quite a bit; he doesn't necessarily mean it aggressively. He hardly ever chirps or clicks.

Gamzee: Gamzee is a vocal son of a bitch. He's not really loud, but due to his constant soporific state, he tends to constantly be purring, chirping, or clicking. When thinking about things he enjoys, that sound increases tenfold. His subtle purrs and various other noises vs his interested/focused purrs and other noises have a very stark sound difference-- had Tavros not been a completely online friend for most of their relationship, Gamzee's red feelings would have been revealed a lot sooner. If he is not making a noise of contentness or happiness, chances are he is growling in some capacity. When he is sober, it seems as if every word is a growl.

Eridan: Seadwellers as a whole tend to have different sets of noises. What is known as a purr to a landdweller doesn't exactly have a real seadweller equivalent-- glubs, growls, and chirps are much more common. That being said, Eridan hates how vocal he is. What is compared to a purr in land troll society would be a fluttering of the gills, which creates a light whooshing noise. Eridan does this. A lot. His scarf covers some of this, but not all of it. He also growls and chirps and clicks uncontrollably at times, making unwelcome noises commonplace for him. Feferi says that it's probably because he spent so much time out of water, but what does she know? He glubs much less, but he still does at times when anxiety is high.

Feferi: I mean. It's quite obvious she glubs, no? It is constant. Whether she uses it to her advantage as a pun or it just happens, that's how she lives her life. She weaponizes her glubs, doing at times she knows will make her close friends laugh. It's not like she WANTS to be laughed at, but seeing her friends smile is pretty great. She also has a very loud, high pitched chirp, which is used less than her glubs, but still makes for an interesting environment. She used said chirps in her life back home, using it to disorient unsuspecting lusii. Her clicks are few and far between, though welcome most times. She also does gill whoosh from time to time, but less so than eridan.

#homestuck #karkat vantas #kanaya maryam #aradia megido #tavros nitram #sollux captor #nepeta leijon #terezi pyrope #vriska serket #equius zahhak #gamzee makara #eridan ampora #feferi piexes #purring???? seriously????

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the-laridian · 1 year

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What's the process of creating a new character/OC like for you?

This ended up being a LOT of writing XD

I figure the best way is to give a couple of examples: Langley (The Outer Worlds) and Volkov (original work, "BDVV" in the daily wordcounts).

Langley was originally created as a side character for the Bad Trip sequel (still named Crossover as of this writing). I needed some extra characters to be part of Felix’s ship crew. Langley’s original character concept was: young, blond, fanboy. That’s literally all I had.

Most of my characters start out rather unfleshed like that, actually. I hate to create their entire history and backstory and all their personal details and thoughts from the start. I prefer to let them form organically.

In Langley’s case, I don’t even remember how I came up with his name! But I did decide he wrote fanfiction - why not? He’s a fanboy, right? In this case, fanboy over Rowan (as the mysterious Captain Dane who appears to be such a threat to Halcyon) and then Felix (who is also super cool and goes on more adventures).

But as I wrote Langley in Crossover, I realized he had to meet Rowan sometime during Bad Trip - so I wrote him into the Tartarus prison break-in. Which meant I had to come up with his occupation. UDL, of course; and you know what? Janitor, like Rowan was, except (as like Rowan) with a fancy title.

Playing around with the concept of “Langley writes fanfiction” and a side essay I wrote about the state of Halcyon fandom (which is to say, Halcyon fandom is terrible), I created Langley’s “internet friends” of fanboys and fangirls.

I still couldn’t tell you what Langley looks like, I don’t have a faceclaim for him, but I can picture him by way of his personality. I also don’t have much more of his backstory than that he’s a UDL janitor-turned-spaceship-crew-and-aspiring-author, but that’s really all he needs. He’s fun, he’s an upbeat character. Maybe a little naive, but probably also the kind that would jump into a fight on your side without a second thought.

Volkov started the other way: with a faceclaim.

Volkov’s concept (Soviet/Russian agent in a Cold War setting) came from a different work of mine, but I revamped him for this one. I found a picture of a Russian man with very intense eyes, and bam: this is the new Volkov. My cowriter (@porkwithbones) noted “wow, those are some intense eyes” so that too is part of his description.

Volkov’s story is set in an alternate universe and it’s 1973; he primarily works in Persia (Iran) and the “Iron Wall” (that universe’s Iron Curtain). Naturally this meant I had to do at least some research on this area even if this fic is purely for fun and will likely never be published.

At one point Volkov mentioned something about the country of Georgia (part of their USSR-equivalent). PWB leapt on that with their character noting, aha, yes, Volkov does seem to have a bit of an accent.

I thought: you know what? Yes. He’s Georgian now. And his family Russified quickly to avoid ethnic persecution or worse when the armies of liberation showed up. So now he has some more backstory; I decided his parents are still alive, too, but he’s an only child (because I like to limit the cast I have to work with if possible).

As a coincidental part of the story, Volkov and his future romantic partner (he didn’t know it then) end up talking about animals, and I then decided: Volkov’s favorite animal are elephants. He’s an elephant nerd. Thinks they’re the coolest thing ever. Also he’s into wildlife photography but in a hobbyist sense (because at the time I needed him to be doing something outdoorsy).

This later enabled Volkov and his romantic partner (once they became that) to easily find each other: meet at the elephant enclosure in the city zoo, if they happen to be in the same city.

So by now, I have his career (undercover agent), some backstory (grew up functionally Soviet Russian), some hobbies (Elephants! Photography!) and having written some more of the story just before writing this essay - he’s got a taste for Middle Eastern food. Not really a foodie or a gourmet, just he likes it and enjoys it. And I have his faceclaim.

You can see here, I start with very loose ideas of the character concept - a look, a personality trait - and build on it, adding to it organically as the story progresses and I come up with things I like. If these are to be published, it does mean some rewriting to correct the earliest parts, to make them consistent with later work.

But I vastly prefer this to coming up with everything at the very beginning, before writing. If I had to come up with Volkov’s interests at the start? I couldn’t do it. I know, because I’ve had those “here’s 100 things to create about your character!” worksheets, and it doesn’t work. I don’t care what their birthday is just yet, and I don’t know what their favorite childhood memory is. It’ll come to me as I need it.

If you’re curious about any other character, feel free to ask!

#laridian writes #answered #langley #volkov (cold war original work)#character creation

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wartakes · 9 months

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Three Conflicts to Keep an Eye On (OLD ESSAY)

This "essay" (its another listicle really) was first posted on August 11th, 2021 when I was struggling for ideas in the Summer doldrums.

Honestly, this one is a little dated now and maybe even OBE but still useful for looking at some of the situations we're in today (and for checking to see how accurate or not I was) so it may still be worth reading now.

(Full essay below the cut).

You don’t have to look far today to see either an ongoing violent conflict with significant impact, or a tense situation that could very quickly turn into such a conflict. War continues to rage in Yemen, Ukraine, Syria, and Afghanistan (though at the rate the Taliban is advancing at the writing of this piece, it may not be going on much longer), causing mass upheaval, hardship, and other repercussions throughout their respective regions. Meanwhile, other geopolitical points of contention have the potential to turn to bloody conflict under the right circumstances in the coming years, such as a Russian invasion of the Baltic States or escalation of their invasion of Ukraine, a Chinese attempt to seize Taiwan or more territory in the South China Sea, a war with the United States, Israel, and their respective allies against Iran over its nuclear program or regional ambitions, or the ever-recurring threat of war or instability emanating from North Korea – just to name a few.

However, between these conflicts and other global stressors like the effects of climate change, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and much more, it’s easy for other conflicts to fall beneath the radar of most people until they finally become bad enough to be noticed. Conflicts involving countries that may not capture attention in the same way that China, Russia and the other usual suspects do. Conflicts that are no less important, but that people who aren’t gigantic nerds about this kind of stuff (like me) may not be spending a lot of time thinking about, if at all.

So, this month, I wanted to do a quick around-the-horn on three of what I think are some of the most important conflicts or potential conflicts to keep an eye on in the near future due to how bad they could get and the potential impact they could have on their respective regions and the rest of the world. This list is by no means all-inclusive, and I thought about adding more, but I decided to keep this installment to a tight three because I felt these three have been the ones most pressing in my mind lately that have not had as much coverage in the news. I also wanted to flesh each of them out a bit more than I could have done with a bigger list (and also, frankly, because I’m wiped and the thought of writing any more pre-emptively exhausted me). I may follow this up sometime in the near future with additional conflicts for the list and I’ll likely make this a recurring segment as conflict map of the globe continues to shift and morph.

For now, though, let’s begin:

1. Burma (Myanmar)

Years of perceived progress towards democratization in Burma (officially renamed “Myanmar” by the previous military junta) came crashing down in February 2021. The political party of former dissident and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi had just maintained their majority in November 2020 elections after being swept into power in the 2015 elections – the first free and fair elections in the country since the de jure dissolution of the previous military junta in 2011 (one of two successive military governments that had ruled Burma since 1962).

However, as it often goes, the election of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy had not immediately fixed all of Burma’s persistent issues. Under the new government, Burma’s long-time persecution of minority groups within its border persisted – including actions that the United Nations has called crimes against humanity and even genocide against the Rohingya people. Despite elections, the military still maintained significant influence over politics and wished to maintain it. When the party they backed failed to regain control of the government in the 2020 elections, military denounced the election as illegitimate due to fraud – a claim that was rejected by the country’s electoral commission on January 29th, 2021.

It was only a few days after the military’s claims were rejected in the courts that it decided to change the situation by force, launching a coup de tat and deposing the government. It arrested Suu Kyi and other members of her government and inner circle, initially charging her under trumped-up offenses of violating the country’s COVID-19 emergency regulations before unveiling more serious charges weeks and months later, including violating the country’s official secrets act and bribery. The coup and arrests almost immediately resulted in mass protests against the military that are still ongoing at the time of writing this essay. The natural inclination of the military has been to respond with violence, which has predictably only toughened resistance to them. As of July 19th, the activist group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners estimated that at least 914 people had been killed by security forces since the coup.

As the military continues to crack down on protests and the possibility of non-violently rolling back the coup fades, many protestors and activists have resorted to taking up arms to defend themselves, or even with the intent of removing the military from power by force. There’s already been reports of attacks by newly organized opposition groups on military and security forces in recent months. This is in addition to the already existing, long-running internal armed conflicts within Burma between the military and rebel forces associated with multiple different minority groups, which the military has reportedly stepped up its attacks against following the February coup. Some of the existing ethnic rebel forces have reportedly offered their assistance and support to newer anti-coup forces, which raises the possibility of a more expansive armed front against the military and a wider war should one break out.

Six months on from the coup, neither the military nor opposition forces show any signs of wavering. The conflict has even taken on an international dimension, with a alleged plot to assassinate Myanmar’s UN Ambassador who is one of multiple officials and diplomats who have opposed the coup and the junta (the junta denies all involvement in the plot). The longer this struggle goes on, the greater the likelihood of more open and intense conflict going forward – a possibility that neighboring regional powers like India, China and others will almost certainly take an interest in when it comes to their own interests as well as regional stability.

2. Ethiopia

It was only in 2019 that Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize after successfully negotiating a peace with long-time adversary and former internal-subject Eritrea. Just a year later, Abiy was going to war against his own people.

The origins of this conflict come from actions Abiy took the same year as his Nobel Prize win, consolidating several regional and ethnic-based political parties into a new political party under his leadership. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front – which has a checkered authoritarian past, its old coalition having previously dominated Ethiopian politics for some thirty years – refused to join the new party after having been ousted by Abiy from its role as leader of the previous governing coalition a year prior. The TPLF accused Abiy and his government of being illegitimate after postponing August 2020 elections due to COVID-19, and went on to hold its own regional elections in September in defiance of the federal government.

The federal government initially responded by declaring these elections illegal, following that up with a build-up of military forces – along with regional paramilitary forces from the Ethiopian region of Amhara – on the Tigray border. The political conflict suddenly escalated to a military one on November 4th, 2020, when the TPLF launched a series of coordinated surprise attacks on multiple Ethiopian National Defense Force bases throughout the region, overrunning several units, capturing weapons and equipment, and even taking thousands of ENDF troops prisoner.

In the weeks that followed, the ENDF appeared to regroup and retake the initiative. On November 28th, the ENDF entered the Tigray capital of Mekelle as the TPLF withdrew. Riding high on this apparent victory, Abiy declared that Ethiopia had “completed and ceased the military operations in the Tigray region” (a statement that did not remind me of anything else I had ever seen in that context before). He then proceeded to impose a large-scale communications and media blackout on the restive region. Information on what was happening in Tigray became hard to come by for the next eight months as a result, with little activity being seen.

The communications blackout – along with Abiy’s claim of the war being over – was shattered when the TPLF launched a counter-offensive in June, retaking the regional capital of Mekelle. The dramatic reversal of fortune was one of several factors that no doubt influenced the Abiy’s government into declaring a unilateral ceasefire following the ENDF’s withdrawal from Mekelle.

What the TPLF’s June counter-offensive has made clear is that any hopes the federal government had of this conflict being short and decisive are now long gone. The unilateral cease fire appears to be unravelling, with the TPLF occupying parts of fellow Ethiopian regions Afar and Amhara and both the federal government and Amhara’s regional government threatening counter-offensives of their own against the TPLF. Abiy has called upon “all capable Ethiopians” to join the war effort against the TPLF, accusing foreign powers of supporting them. Blames and recrimination for various offenses have gone back and forth between the factions. This bodes ill for a conflict that, less than a year in, has already exacted a heavy toll. The war has reportedly displaced some two million people and placing thousands under famine conditions as the conflict keeps them from being able to plant new crops. The death toll is hard to pin down with competing claims from both sides but is likely in the thousands – many of those civilians, including children, as well as aid workers.

The fresh TPLF incursions and the reactions to them threaten to widen the war beyond Tigray itself and engulf more of Ethiopia into violent conflict. As the federal government relies increasingly on regional paramilitary forces in an effort to regain the initiative in the conflict, it may only further entrench and even worsen the regional and ethnic politics that Abiy intended to extinguish when he undertook the political initiative that contributed to the outbreak of war in the first place. Meanwhile, the TPLF is not without allies of its own apparently, for just today as I post this essay the Oromo Liberation Army – another armed force in Ethiopia based around the Oromo, the largest single ethnic group in the country – has apparently allied with the TPLF with the stated aim of overthrowing Abiy’s government by force, despite past differences between the two. Any hopes of de-escalation now appear to be solidly in the rear-view mirror as the regions and ethnic groups of Ethiopia stake sides in this growing conflict.

3. Lebanon

Lebanon – like the other countries on the list – is no stranger to conflict. Its brutal, 15-year long, multi-sided civil war was both a hotspot for intervention and competition between regional powers, as well as in the wider Cold War between East and West. Even with the official end of that civil war in 1990, Lebanon has still been subjected to recurring violence of all stripes – from both outside and within its own borders – as well economic instability, political corruption and deadlock, and a whole host of other adverse conditions.

However, all of these stressors have been intensified over the last year, starting with a massive explosion that occurred around a year ago on August 4th, 2020, when hundreds of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrite exploded in the capital city of Beirut’s port, causing mass destruction and the death of over 200 people. Since that explosion, things only seemed to have worsened in Lebanon. The country is in the midst of one of the world’s worst economic collapses, with the costs of essential supplies rising dramatically while the country’s money simultaneously drops in value almost as quickly. Not that there’s many essentials to buy, with things like food, fuel, and medicine all in short supply. Blackouts and power cuts can last so long that you may only get one hour of power a day if you can’t afford a generator and fuel for it. Many have left the country in search of relief and better opportunities, while those forced to stay find day to day life more and more difficult.

It appears now that things may be coming to a head with Lebanon’s current crisis, with the frustration and anger over Lebanon’s ills naturally finding form as violence. On August 9th, three people were killed in disputes over fuel supplies. Police and protestors clashed on the one-year anniversary of the Beirut explosion, when protestors attempted to storm the main building of Lebanon’s parliament. Just three days prior to that anniversary, five people were killed at a funeral procession for a Hezbollah member – who had himself been killed only the night before. Violence, never far from the fore in Lebanon’s tumultuous political environment, appears to be returning as the situation in the country continues to deteriorate.

Hezbollah itself is another point of contention that could lead to additional violence. The Shia Islamist paramilitary organization which is closely aligned to Iran has been a powerful force in Lebanese politics since its founding during the Lebanese Civil War, and in many ways is a state and a military unto itself within Lebanon. It has clashed multiple times with Israel since its creation, most recently in the last few days, launching fresh rocket attacks across the border between Lebanon and Israel after Israel declared it would respond against Iran for a fatal drone strike against an Israeli owned tanker (the latest in an ongoing, shadowy tanker war between the two countries). This has brought the predictable Israeli military response in the form of large scale artillery barrages, with muscular threats of further escalation by newly-minted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett – as well as promises of further retaliation by Hezbollah on their part.

Ruther rifts and conflict between Hezbollah and the rest of Lebanon may also be a concern amidst the specter of renewed war with Israel. On August 10th, the country’s President condemned criticism of the patriarch of Lebanon’s Maronite Christian community after he made comments encouraging the military to confront Hezbollah and halt its rocket attacks against Israel. Between Israel, Hezbollah, a corrupt, ineffectual, and entrenched political and security establishment, an economy in free fall, and many other ails, Lebanon isn’t lacking in potential sparks to set alight the tinder of a fresh conflict. If a new war does break out, the bigger question may be whether the new war would be as chaotic, bloody, and long-lasting as the previous civil war was, and whether it would be as much of a hotspot for competition and proxy fighting among both regional and great powers on an increasingly tense global stage.

And many, many more… As I said before, this list is by no means all-inclusive. I have other conflicts in mind that I could talk about after these three and I almost certainly will cover them in the future. Likewise, I know with everything else going on in the world, these may be the last things in the world anyone wants to think about.

But, part of the reason I started writing here is because I wanted to make sure folks in my political neck of the woods (as it were) are a bit more aware when it came to international relations and war and things of that nature, so I offer this initial list of three conflicts to keep an eye on with the intent of arming you with knowledge and being more aware of a shifting international landscape that can and will touch your life somehow at some point – and that actions that you or your government take could also affect them. My intent isn’t to bum you out at the state of the world and the fact it could get much worse quickly, but to keep you in the know and better equip you for what may happen and the potential impacts that could have. Ok, that came more self-important and lecture-y than I intended it too but I’m not sure how to word it any better. Just know my heart and brain are in the right place here. Promise. Lacking any better way to wrap this up: thanks for reading and see you again for next month’s essay.

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aurhia · 1 year

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Starting to see the arguments about the pagan origins of Christmas going around again. So let me just give you a very modern, less religious example of how traditions that the people hold to and refuse to give up become part of the power of whatever organization is trying to become the new status quo:

Life Day, the hokey holiday made up decades ago in an ill-advised Star Wars Christmas special, falls on November 17, because that’s the original air date of the special. But it was bad, BAD, and Lucasfilm and later Disney acted like it didn’t exist.

It picked up a cult following among Star Wars fans, however, who began celebrating it as a day to get together and do holiday stuff with fellow nerds. It became a popular activity because it was fun and everyone was in on the joke.

But Disney was like, this is not canon. This doesn’t exist.

But people kept doing it, and after Galaxy’s Edge opened, it became a popular meet-up day there. The migration into “canon” was gradual and the most powerful central authority still disavowed it. Slowly, it showed up in video games, then comics. Eventually, within the last couple years, Disney went “fine, fine, if they’re going to do it, we better capitalize on it instead of ignoring it.” Now they embrace it, there’s new specials, all kinds of merch.

In this parable, Disney is the church. They’re trying to control what is or isn’t canon, trying to control the brand presence of Star Wars. But Life Day is a thing they couldn’t get people to stop, so their choices were, continue to ignore it, or embrace it and pretend like they were pushing it the whole time, like it was always there. And embracing it lets them reshape it into something they control. The whole process only took a few years.

This example may be silly, but it’s a good illustration of the processes by which old traditions get assimilated into new systems. Christians didn’t go “I’M GOING TO STEAL YOUR TREE!” It was more like, the populace was doing something festive they wouldn’t give up, and the church could go hard on the persecution, they could ignore it, or they could throw their hands in the air and go “fine, fine, I had a vision of Mother Mary, who said she loves the trees but she wants you to know the star on top is really about the star of Bethlehem not whatever thing you called it before.” The adults nod and play along to keep the peace (and their lives, depending on where and when) but that’s what the kids learn, and then when they are grown with their own children, they don’t know the old folklore, they only know what the priests told them. So now that very old tradition has a totally new symbolism and meaning. It only takes a generation or two for the whole thing to happen.

And this is what we mean when we say that Christians stole earlier pagan traditions. They didn’t walk in and ransack a closet, they reshaped what the people were doing anyway so that they could take control of it.

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musicallisto · 2 years

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➴ musicallisto’s 1.2k sleepover

"☄️ comet: bringing back the fandom ID cards, only in written form this time - send me a fandom + any relevant information about you like you would for any ship & get your profile in said fandom (e.g. your backstory, powers, best friend, what role you’d play in that universe...). basically the same as my fandom id cards except you’ll get a written paragraph and not a picture (suggested by the lovely @blazogirlsoneshots)"

Fandom: @playchoices

About me: I'm a 20 year old (soon to be 21) college student with the pronouns She/Her from Germany, Europe. My birthday is on January 23rd and my Zodiac Sign is Aquarius (Element: Air). I'm a softie who likes cute stuff and cares about others. I try to spread positivity and joy. But sometimes I overthink too much and begin making up scenarios in my mind. I can be a little clumsy too. Plus, according to all my friends I'm a nerd. Which I'm not! Subjects I liked at school are Biology (I love Health topics!!), Chemistry and English. Literature and IT were also good. I need to learn French again (I don't need it but I want to). My favorite color is purple, but I also like light-blue, pink and turqouise (depends on the shade). My hobbies are reading (Fantasy & Fairytale), daydreaming, hanging out with friends. I'm also a Disney Fan (especially Disney Princess) and my fave is Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. I can't decide what suits better to me: Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw? And my favorite animals are horses, cats and bunnies. I don't have any pets, just an Aloe Vera plant. Should I name my plant "Aloe"? Or should I name my plant "Vera"? Just joking.

Congrats on 1.2K followers, you deserve it!! Your events and fandom celebrations sound fun. I'm really excited for this fandom ID card because I never heard of this before. I hope the info is enough. Again, congrats!!!

☄️ comet

Life in the Fae realm is peaceful, far removed from all the struggles of the human world. You've never been to that horrendous place, where misery befalls the kind and hatred plague the streets, but you've heard harrowing tales from your grandmother, who fled the persecution of her species—and from those stories you were convinced there was no better place in the universe than your safe haven, and nothing good could ever come out of the human world.

Well, that was before you met Nik Ryder.

Technically, it was before you met Nik Ryder, and also a little bit after, too. It certainly didn't help the redemption of humans that immediately following his arrival, a bloodwraith flew through the magical barrier and killed the king.

but you had seen Nik Ryder a few times around, accompanied by a young human (or so you thought—you would learn later they were actually the King's child) and though you forced yourself to stop, you couldn't help the crimson bud of jealousy from spreading inside your chest at the proximity they shared. after all, who were you to compete with the heir to the Fae realm — you, a florist girl who lived in a simple gabled house on the marketplace!

but even through your heartache, you didn't need to force any smile when one very disoriented-looking Nik Ryder showed up at your flower stall, early one morning, constantly looking over his shoulder as if he were being tailed by something - or someone. he was handsome and charming, so different from all the other Fae men, in an intoxicating way, and you somewhat zoned out as he spoke, but returned to your body at once when he mentioned wanting a bouquet to "apologize to a friend". because he screwed up big time, you know? and he needed to make it right, because they were pissed at him, and normally he would've ignored it, but not this time. so if you have any flowers that say, "I'm sorry", or the like? please. And you guess pretty easily that these flowers are intended to his friend, and you keep the professional tone as you ask him what colors he had in mind, but you can feel your heart rupture. He's a bit awkward, and asks what your favorite color is — and before you know it the focus of the conversation has shifted to you, your likes and dislikes and if you'll be, perhaps, attending the ball thrown by their majesties (is it how you should refer to them?) at the end of the week? You laugh at the idea, because why would you be attending a royal ball! and he laughs, too, and excuses himself for being so thoughtless.

The next morning, he drops by your stall, once again. "You won't believe this, but I've pissed off another friend," he jokes, and you laugh, wondering who this curious character really is. And the following morning he comes again. And the next. And every morning until the ball, just to chat with you and spend time together. One time you even catch his half-human friend eyeing you from a distance, a teasing smile resting on their lips, and you wonder if you did not invent the nature of their relationship entirely. because he prefers spending time with you, that much is clear. for an obscure reason, but you don't question it...

but then the ball happened, and all hells broke lose. And Nik disappeared, back to his world as quickly as he had come. You were shattered—you believed wholeheartedly that this was the start of a beautiful story, that you were finally getting the love you dreamed of. To be ripped of it so suddenly? It was torture.

Maybe it was the time you challenged all your beliefs, and paid the human realm a visit... if Nik was in danger, and your Fae powers could help him, you would sacrifice it all in a heartbeat. Maybe it was time to face off a bloodwraith.

#ladylamrian #1.2ksleepover

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gwemmieee · 4 months

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So some of us have been part of a trend during young adulthood.

For those of us who were too marginalized to have a good time in high school, we have this moment of clarity. We look back on it all and we realize, wow, high school sucks!

It just sucks. Every time. For anyone like me. Because kids at that age are typically set up to perpetuate all the harm that destroys the lives of anyone like me.

I think a lot of us have grown up and looked back and had this realization--high school was just never going to be our time to feel comfortable and accepted and able to actually find ourselves in relation to others in most of society.

Well, I'm reaching a new realization now:

College sucks too!

You ever notice that neurodivergent transfems keep not coming out, often not even fully hatching, or at least not ever feeling safe and able to properly find ourselves, until our mid 20s?

It's because society right now still sets up most of its kids, even other trans kids who are not both neurodivergent and transfem, to completely ostracized and alienate us until around that age--until a couple years or so *after* graduating college.

How many times have you worried about being thought of as a creep? Or openly been called one? Or been gradually ostracized by a friend group who gave you every reason to think they had accepted you, because they thought you were creepy and never had the guts to say it to your face (that one happened to me)?

I think, and this is speculation, but I think it's because we're at the cross section of 2 common forms of marginalization.

Transfems in general are often ostracized, especially as eggs but even after coming out, specifically because a lot of people just instinctively are mistrusting and/or hateful of anyone who they perceive as either male or partly subconsciously male because of transphobia, acting very feminine.

Neurodivergent people are often ostracized because their behavior is perceived as antisocial or weird. I hope we all know this story well at this point. You can do some research if you don't.

Additionally, neurodivergent trans fems are very early on put into this extremely isolating box by most of society that is far away from the feminine, from women, etc. We're taught very early on that the only pathway we have to be accepted by society, to be loved and to feel pride in ourselves, is to embrace male nerd culture. And male nerd culture is very sexist, and otherwise toxic. There's a very good reason that most women who have the privilege to be perceived as women don't spend much time in those circles. We'd rather be around better friends who don't objectify us or ignore our agency or question our identities and presentations (like being accused of fake as a girl gamer).

AMABs (regardless of gender identity) who grow up obviously neurodivergent, though, are raised so far out of any healthy feminine circles that we struggle to find or relate to any role models we can truly look up to. Sometimes, out of desperation, we can even look up to role models who help us mask and lock up our closet door tighter, because what else do we have to turn to?

I've said something like this before on here, but I truly believe this intersection of neurodivergent and transfem, and the treatment we're often cordoned off into for who we are, is perhaps the most cruel and most deadly form of marginalization in the modern world, out of forms of marginalization that aren't so oppressive that some semblance of a community can't still find each other and find pride. We're thrust into one of the most likely groups to completely dehumanize us and ostracize us if they ever knew who we really are, and told, "These are your friends and allies. Nobody else is going to understand you. This is the best you'll ever get." And then that sentiment is reinforced by the fact that other men bully us (which we transfems take much more personally than a cis boy ever would, often developing lasting persecution complexes), and other women just look at our physical presentation and conclude that we're another one of those creepy nerds. We're pushed further into our clique, because they at least don't avoid us or deliberately harm us, even though they would be just as terrible to us if we ever stopped hiding. So we don't. We just try to get along with the "friends" we have access to, and try to find some common ground over shared interests, like gaming, computers, comics, etc. This is probably also why so many transfems are programmers and engineers.

This marginalization continues throughout college. Adults aged 18-22 aren't equipped to fully accept anyone who's too different from them. A lot of them are just there to experiment with who they are, up to and including trying stuff out with someone they'll ultimately throw away because they don't understand how to communicate effectively, open up during intimacy, and finally treat someone like a human being with feelings when they breakup (for example, college is when many gay and bi folks are dumped after being someone's "experiment").

Many of them, especially marginalized folks like women and POC and other members of the LGBTQIA community, are at least at a point where they've got a bit of a handle on who they are, but they're still processing trauma. Often trauma that came from actual predators who've harmed them.

But neurodivergent trans fems, we have no idea who we are that early in life. Up until that point, most of us have started to suspect that we could perhaps escape capitalism and maybe start to find ourselves if we enlist in the unhealthy crunch ethic of STEM, and that's a whole other can of worms. Many of us are there to get those degrees and start trying to make enough money to avoid a rat race that, as underdeveloped children in many ways, we are not ready to face.

And the marginalization continues. As we don't know who we are and desperately cling to our "smart" or "nerdy" identities that serve as our first perceived ticket to safety, our fellow women look at us and see a male nerd. A creep. A predator. And they do whatever it takes to minimize interaction and conflict with us, and minimizing conflict sometimes means engaging in a friendly but fake sort of interaction. Which we don't have the social skills to pick up on. So to us it's deceptive and heartbreaking, as we think we're starting to find friends more like us, but they've already painted us as likely abusers to throw away. And it's simply because our society is trained to see feminine behavior, or social ineptitude, especially both at once, in perceived male people, and equate that with predators who would harm them. And most people aren't mature enough to break out of that pattern until much later in life, mid 20s at the earliest. And so after having spent high school alone, isolated, and sad, when everyone tells us, "don't worry, [just like any male nerd] you'll hit your stride and have a great time in college," we don't, and we remain alone and isolated, and sad. And that's when those of us with access to generational wealth or career connections or a real caretaker start to finally find a way out. But those of us without any of those things, we go back home to our parents' basements to spend the rest of our unnaturally short lives in isolated depression. And most of us do. I just got lucky.

College sucks too!

That bare minimum degree of human acceptance that we all need to connect with other people, without which we spiral into isolation and early graves, comes to most of us eventually. If we can stick it out long enough. In more accepting regions, these days it can often even reach trans people by the time they're in college. But not for neurodivergent transfems. The earliest we ever see it, in any part of this world, is our mid 20s. Far too late for most any human being to have stuck it out and survived on their own.

#trans experience #trans history #transfem #transfemme #neurodivergent #neurodivergence #vent post #college #personal growth #marginalization #intersectionality #hang in there cuz it gets so much better

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flowers-and-fichte · 1 year

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On the stereotypes of WW2 buffs

Hello!

Novalis here again. Just something I've noticed not just on Tumblr but all around as a whole.

Many people stereotype WW2 buffs as those nerds who know every type of 1940s tank and aircraft known to man. Others may lump in neo-fascists, who are not real WW2 buffs, just assholes who want some of the worst parts of history to repeat.

There are different aspects to WW2 history, as with other parts of military history. While I do follow everything done by the militaries involved, especially that of my home country, the U.S., I also take a close look at the civilian and political perspectives, but especially the former. For me, WW2 history is more about the people than the weapons, but if you're interested in the weapons and vehicles that's perfectly okay; I have nothing against it.

Personally, some civilian actions I find interesting are how English citizens coped with the effects of the Blitz, French and German anti-Nazi resistance, the many efforts to save Jews from persecution, and intelligence groups like SOE and OSS. I have also read several accounts by Holocaust survivors. So many of these stories are harrowing and filled with emotion, which I believe have helped me get a good understanding of these times. Some good books I have found are really interesting; you can check them out if you want.

The Unwomanly Face of War (Svetlana Alexievich)

The Splendid and the Vile (Erik Larson)

The Zookeeper's Wife (Diane Ackerman)

The Only Woman in the Room (Marie Benedict)

Lilac Girls (Martha Hall Kelly)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford)

The Correspondents (Judith Mackrell)

The Night Train to Berlin (Melanie Hudson)

Night (Elie Wiesel) -> this one is really sad, just a heads-up

As for movies and shows...

Band of Brothers -> literally the best military series ever

The Zookeeper's Wife (based on the book)

Operation Mincemeat (Netflix Original)

The Monuments Men

Darkest Hour

WWII in Color (multiple series on Netflix)

Churchill's Secret Agents: The New Recruits (Netflix Original)

The list is much bigger, but here are my tops. Feel free to give me some recommendations; I'd love to see what you like!

#wwii history #novalis speaks

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archived-kin · 3 years

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late with lucifer

note from kin: i just realised that the title sounds like a talk show ffs

anyway get ready to get SAPPY (and also get ready for a low-key out of character lucifer)

fandom: obey me!

character(s): gn! reader, lucifer, satan, beelzebub, belphie

pairing(s): lucifer/reader

warning(s): brief existential dread right at the end but i think it’s relatively light

genre: fluff all the way (with maybe a teensy bit of angst???? i accidentally got kinda deep towards the end)

Deciding to commit yourself to a bona fide workaholic music nerd who would sooner chop his own hand off than skip a single working day for potentially the rest of eternity has been... a choice and a half, to say the least. Yes, he’s a sweetheart most of the time, and you love him more than possibly any being in the known universe (though jury’s still out on cats and the dragon you met a couple of months ago who brings you giant mouthfuls of leaves every weekend), but you’d be lying if he didn’t have qualities that make you want to drop kick some sense into him sometimes. And one of those qualities happens to be his absolute refusal to just take a damn break.

“Just one more hour,” He keeps telling you whenever you ask him if he’s finally finished with his mountain load of paperwork. “One more hour, and then we can spend some time together.”

It has been five hours since Lucifer went to his study to ‘get a bit of work done’. Five hours of attempting to finish the mountain of books Satan has recommended you in the corner of the library, probably irritating the poor guy to no end with your constant restless shifting. You're surprised that he hasn’t up and left to go read in his room in peace - then again, it’d be hypocritical of him to tell you off for moving about. You’d think a bookworm like him would be so absorbed by his beloved books that he wouldn’t be able to move at all, but he fidgets about so much when he’s reading that you’re surprised he hasn’t somehow worn a hole through his favourite armchair yet. At any rate, you’re pretty sure you can see him getting ready to flip himself upside down for the seventh time this evening in the corner of your eye.

You try once again to focus on the lucrative business deal happening in Chapter 52 for the fourth time in the last ten minutes, but your brain just doesn’t seem to be listening to you right now; no matter how hard you try to register what’s going on, the words just don’t want to be processed. Finally, checking the clock on the wall for what feels like the hundredth time this evening, you decide that you might as well go bother your busy bee upstairs. It’s been at least a fortnight since you’ve been able to spend a full evening or night with him, and, if you’re honest, it’s beginning to get a little on your nerves.

Satan barely looks up from his book as you hop to your feet and begin making your way out, though he does lift a hand to wave a brief goodbye. Contrary to your prediction, he has not flipped himself upside down, but is now sitting the wrong way around on his armchair instead, facing the seat’s back, with his book carefully balanced on its head. Unconventional, but you’ll give him credit for the creativity.

The House of Lamentation is oddly quiet for a Friday night, but you’d guess that’s because Asmo and Mammon, the two loudest members of the house, have taken it upon themselves to celebrate the arrival of the weekend by going out for the night and probably blowing their savings in the process. Well, Asmo will be blowing his savings - Mammon will most likely find a way to put his spendings on one of his other brother’s tabs, or worse, yours. Then again, you don’t buy things often, so you suppose you can spare a bit of cash. (Knowing Mammon, though, he’ll probably buy enough to put you in debt for the rest of your life.)

On your way through the corridor, you’re struck by a sudden idea. Lucifer’s been shut in his study ever since he got home from the R.A.D., which means he most likely won't have eaten anything. At any rate, you know for a fact he wasn’t there for dinner with everyone else, which means you now have a much better excuse for going to see him other than just wanting to. Lucifer may be a stubborn demon, but he's never been able to resist a mug of tea and some biscuits on long nights when it's you offering them.

Beel is rustling about in the snack cupboard when you slip into the kitchen - no surprises there, but it is a little odd that he’s going for the lighter foods rather than something more filling. You'd comment on why he's down here so late into the night - he should really be in bed - but then again, it's Beel. He'd listen to his stomach over his brain any day of the week.

“Oh, hey,” He greets as he retreats from the cupboard with an armful of what look like several cookie boxes stacked on top of each other. “Did you get hungry as well?”

You shake your head and pull two mugs out of the crockery cabinet. “Nope. Just thought I’d bring Lucifer some tea and biscuits, you know?”

“He’s been in his office for ages,” Beel agrees with an earnest nod. He glances down at the heap of cookies in his arms, then pauses. “Ah… here.”

You look up as you fill the kettle with water to see him holding one of the boxes in his arms out to you. “...what’s this for?”

“There aren’t any biscuits left in the cupboard,” He says by way of explanation, shaking the box he’s offering to indicate that you should take it. “So you can have these.”

“Aw, you don’t have to do that, Beel!” You gently push the box back towards him and give his arm a fond pat. “I’ll just bring him something else. Go ahead and eat the cookies, okay?”

On any other occasion, Beel would most likely have accepted your offer without hesitation (the day that Beel rejects food will probably never come, but you have a sneaking suspicion that a black hole would rip this reality apart if it does), but it must have been a really good day for him in terms of being fed, because he actually continues to try to give you the box. You’re tempted to coo at the big softie’s uncharacteristic generosity, but you’re not particularly sure how that would go over with him. If being in a relationship with Mr Pridey McPrideface upstairs has taught you anything, it’s that you can never take a reaction for granted.

“No, you have it,” Beel insists, shifting so that he doesn’t drop the rest of his biscuits and stubbornly attempting to shove the box into your hands. “I’ve got plenty right here.”

Your surprise must show on your face, because a moment later he smiles a little sheepishly and adds, “I promise I’m not sick or anything. I’ve still got lots right here. One box won’t make that much of a difference.”

You think it over for a moment as the kettle begins to bubble aggressively behind you. You’re a staunch believer in the fact that one should never deprive Beel of his food, partially because he’s an absolute sweetheart who deserves the food he eats, and partially because something bad could and probably would happen if said food is taken from him. Then again, you’re not taking the food from him, strictly speaking - he’s the one offering it to you. That exempts you, right? At the very least, you have a counter-argument if Belphie tries to persecute you for taking his beloved twin brother’s biscuits. (He probably wouldn’t - the kid adores you - but it’s good to be prepared for possible trials.)

“Ah, fine...” You eventually relent and allow Beel to press the box into your hands. Your compliance is well worth it - the beam on his face and the little pat he gives the box in your hands in satisfaction could probably cure multiple strains of cancer. “You’re the sweetest, you know that?”

He flushes slightly. “I-it’s not that big of a deal…”

“Oh, that’s nonsense,” You tell him firmly over your shoulder, beginning to busy yourself with the teabags and sugar as the kettle hisses to a halt. “Personally, I think I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life.”

You smile to yourself as Beel laughs a little bashfully behind you. “Thanks…”

“No problem, bub,” You reply, pausing in your work to turn around and shoot him a wink. “Hey, chuck me a spoon, would you?”

He nods and does just that - literally. He throws the spoon across the kitchen with such precision that it lands perfectly in your outstretched hand.

You thank him and begin to pour the hot water into Lucifer’s mug. He says that he likes his tea as is, without any bells or whistles or fancy additions, but you’ve been doing this thing for long enough that you know that he actually prefers his tea with a teaspoon of honey and just a splash of lemon. He just refuses to actually say it out loud.

(To be honest, you’re not sure why he does that - does he think tea with honey and lemon is a wimpy drink or something just because you told him it’s often drunk as a remedy for a sore throat in the human world? Knowing the way his mind works, it’s probably something along those lines, but still, it’s a weird conclusion to make.)

You finish preparing Lucifer’s tea quickly - you’ve done this so many times that the movements have become second nature to you at this point - and start making your own. The drinks are finished a minute or so later, and with that you begin setting up your little snack tray.

After a moment’s debate, you decide that today is worth going the extra mile, and start to carefully arrange the biscuits on a pretty plate. It’s a bit of a hassle to get them into the right formation, but it’ll be well worth it once you get them to their intended receiver - Lucifer always gets the fondest little smile on his face when you bring him his biscuits in patterns, and that man doesn’t smile nearly enough for your taste. Personally, you’d quite like it if he smiled like that all the time, but then again, their rarity is what makes them so precious to you.

Ah - you’re starting to get sappy again. That’s a surefire sign that you haven’t spent enough time with your beloved demon lately. Well, it’s a good thing you’re going to see him now, isn’t it?

The door to Lucifer’s study is still as tightly shut as it was five hours ago when you approach it, but you doubt he’s actually locked it. He’s stopped doing that ever since your visits while he works became a regular thing - he hasn’t said it out loud yet, but you know that it’s his way of showing you that you’re always welcome to come in.

Unlocked as it is, though, you can’t exactly turn the doorknob to let yourself in. You’re a human of many talents, but being able to balance a heavy tray in one hand is not one of them. Lucifer’s tea wouldn’t make into his study - it’d just end up all over the floor.

“Lucifer!” You call softly through the door, mindful that he might be having another one of his work-induced headaches, “I’ve brought you some tea! Open up!”

For a while, the only reply is silence. You know there shouldn’t be any reason for him to be, but you can’t help but worry briefly if Lucifer’s somehow angry at you. Then again, Lucifer’s always liked to play the fashionably late card against you - whether to tease you or to disguise something, you’ll never know.

It turns out that your little worry was unfounded - a few moments later, the door swings open to reveal your favourite demon in all his exhausted-looking glory. Lucifer, who looks like the physical manifestation of work burnout, offers you a tired smile, and stands back to let you enter.

(Here’s a little secret - Lucifer would never tell you this, but he’d perked up like a kid when candy is offered the moment he heard your voice. Still, gotta put up the cool front, right? Even if that means waiting restlessly right next to the door for a minute so that you don’t think he’s over-eager…)

“Thank you.” He murmurs as you bring the tray over to his desk and set it down on one of the few patches of wood that aren’t covered by papers.

You dramatically pretend to swipe sweat from your forehead as if you’ve just finished a ten-mile run and shoot a smile up at him. “All in a day’s work, love.”

He smiles softly and leans in to gently press a kiss to the crown of your head. His pale cheeks have darkened slightly - Lucifer’s always been a softie when it comes to the host of sappy nicknames you’ve given him. One gentle ‘sweetheart’ and he’s melting like an ice cube on a hot day. It’s the sort of thing that people like Mammon and Levi would probably call gross or something, but you honestly couldn’t really care less about that. It’s not harming anyone else and it makes both of you happy, so why shouldn’t you give your lover as many endearing pet names as you can come up with?

“What even is all this?” You ask, peering at the papers scattered across the desk as Lucifer moves over to have a look at the plate of biscuits. You look up just in time to spot the way his eyes light up slightly when he sees the flower you've arranged them into.

“This and that,” He replies vaguely, hovering a single gloved hand uncertainly over the plate, as if trying to decide which biscuit he can take without spoiling the pattern.

“That’s hardly an answer at all,” You complain, plucking three broken quills from among the documents and waving them at him. “Why do you keep using these? A pen would be way more efficient.”

“Official documents should be written in the traditional way,” Lucifer tells you. He takes his time chewing the biscuit he’s finally chosen before continuing. “And Diavolo prefers quill and ink calligraphy to look at.”

“Honestly…” You round the edge of the desk and reach up to brush some powdered sugar from the corner of his mouth. “You don’t have to do absolutely everything according to him.”

Lucifer blinks down at you, lips parting slightly in half awe and half surprise as you smile at him. “Ah…”

His smile widens slightly, and he gazes at you with so much fondness in his eyes that you almost feel a little weak at the knees at the very sight. Lucifer really is a dangerous demon - in more ways than one.

“Well, c-come on, then,” You prompt him abruptly, not wanting him to realise how much his gaze has affected you, because you just know it’s going to give him an ego boost. He pauses in surprise as you start tugging him over to the big armchair beside the fire - the one that the both of you can fit snugly into together. “Let’s have a drink together.”

“I still have papers to fill out—” He attempts to say, but cuts himself off as you shake your head and stubbornly attempt to push him down into the seat. It doesn’t work - Lucifer’s much stronger than you, after all - but he does at least seem to appreciate the effort.

“You’re taking a break whether you like it or not,” You insist, starting to smack lightly at his arms in an bid to get him to listen to you. “Papers can wait. I’m more important.”

That does get a little chuckle out of him, and he finally relents, sitting down with a subtle sigh. “That goes without saying.”

You laugh, suddenly a little more hot around the collar than you’d have liked. “You said it!”

Pausing to retrieve the tray with the tea and biscuits and set it on the table beside the armchair, you quickly join Lucifer in front of the fire, snuggling in at his side and letting out a blissful sigh as you feel him start to draw circles on your arm with his fingers. It’s a sort of habit that he’s developed over the last few months - you’re not sure if he even realises that he’s doing it.

The two of you stay like that in comfortable silence for several minutes. Lucifer’s tense shoulders relax more and more with each passing moment, and soon enough, he’s sprawled out against you, pressing his cheek lovingly into the crown of your head.

It’s only at moments like this that you get to see this softer version of him, so you always cherish it when it happens. Lucifer may be a slightly passive-aggressive panther who could kill most beings with a swipe of his hand if he sees fit, but, every now and then, he’s a sleepy panther who’ll roll over and let you scratch behind his ears.

Conversation is usually sparse at times like this - the two of you are content enough in each other’s presence that you don’t really need to make small talk. Today, however, Lucifer seems to have something he wants to vent about.

“Belphie has been missing a lot of his homework again lately,” He murmurs. You make a noise of affirmation to indicate that you’re listening, staring at the mugs of tea sitting on the table and pondering whether the two of you will actually manage to part for long enough to drink them.

“Is it anything important?” You ask after a moment, playing absent-mindedly with his left hand. He doesn’t make any move to stop you as you mess about with his slender fingers, so you assume that he doesn’t mind.

“Mostly essays,” He replies, shifting slightly and letting out a quiet sigh. “He’s never liked writing them, but he hasn’t had so many missing before.”

You make a thoughtful sound. Now that you think about it, wasn’t Belphie confiding in you about this the other day?

“It’s just hard to sit down and concentrate sometimes, especially when I’m always so tired,” You remember him saying resignedly over hot chocolate and marshmallows. “It’s not like I don’t want to turn all my homework in on time. Sometimes I just can’t.”

“Well, you shouldn’t force yourself to do them, either,” You’d replied, giving his shoulders a sympathetic pat. “Needs over school of course. If you need to sleep more, then sleep more - if you feel like you can’t write the essay, then don’t write the essay. I’ll talk to Lucifer if he gets mad at you.”

He’d given you a grateful smile then, and turned back to his hot chocolate with a marginally brighter look on his face.

“Belphie’s been having a lot of nightmares lately, so he isn’t getting as much sleep,” You say slowly. “I told him to go ahead and take as many naps as he has to. His needs are more important than schoolwork, after all.”

Lucifer takes a long while to answer, but you don’t mind. It’s only fairly recently that he’s really come to terms with the idea that he doesn’t need to be so hard on his brothers - that it’s okay to put their comfort before whatever image of respectability he’s trying to keep up for Diavolo. The change has been somewhat jarring, according to Satan, but it’s not an unwelcome one, and you’ll gladly take responsibility for it with your constant reminders and careful explanations that Lucifer’s younger brothers have their own problems that he needs to give more leeway for.

“...did he come to talk to you about this?” He asks finally.

“Yeah.” You can’t see his face, but you can practically hear the frown beginning to pinch at his brows. “I know it might not seem like it sometimes, but he does want to make you proud. He’s never wanted to disappoint you.”

He takes a deep breath and releases it with a low hum. “...Belphie has never disappointed me.”

“Seems that he doesn’t realise that sometimes, though,” You sigh, tracing the seams of his glove with your index finger. “He’s a good kid, really.”

Lucifer doesn’t give a verbal reply, but he does hum again. You shift slightly and turn to look up at him; he looks back at you with sleepy, half-lidded crimson eyes. “Take it easy on him, okay?”

He gazes at you in contemplative silence for a long while, blinking slowly like an affectionate cat. Finally, he nods, and you beam proudly, dipping your head to rest on his chest, carefully positioning yourself so that his buttons don’t dig into your cheek.

“I’ll speak to his teachers,” He says quietly. “We should be able to arrange something.”

You smile against the fabric of his waistcoat, taking his hand in yours and giving it a squeeze. “That’s progress. I’m proud of you.”

He doesn’t respond, but you know full well that he loves it when you say that to him. He didn’t in the early days of your relationship, mostly because he’d thought you were patronising him, but now that the two of you are so much more familiar with each other, he’s learnt to recognise that you don’t mince words; you say what you mean, and you mean what you say. Which is exactly why, as the Avatar of Pride, he absolutely loves it when you tell him that you’re proud of him.

Lucifer himself is deep in thought. Struck by a sudden warmth spreading through him, quite independent of the crackling fire before him, he wraps his arms around you, resting his cheek against your head. It’s at moments like these, when you’re so close to him, that he realises just how fragile humans like you are.

It terrifies him sometimes, knowing that the unforgiving march of time means that you cannot be with him forever. One day you will leave, and you will grow old and fade away without him, because, no matter how much he wishes otherwise, you belong to a different realm. You are not a demon, and he is not a human; your worlds can collide briefly, for a single, beautiful moment, but then they will continue to move in their own orbit - and perhaps they will never meet again.

Some would say that, for this reason, he never should have fallen in love in the first place. Relationships like yours have always had a sort of taboo, even in the Devildom, because all beings are not created equal; humans have such short, meaningless lifespans compared to demons and angels, such little power, always depending on leaders and faith in a deity that they cannot prove the existence of. That is what demons tend to think of humanity, and until he’d met you, Lucifer had felt similarly.

But your life has been anything but meaningless, and the power you hold over him and his brothers is far stronger than any amount of potent magic that any being holds. The seven lords of the Devildom would lay waste to all three realms should anything happen to you.

Lucifer had never thought that he had the ability to love so deeply and so purely, but then again, he’d also never thought that a human like you could exist. It seems that he’s been wrong about a lot of things, and he can only pray that he will be wrong in his prediction of how this will end.

But you’re with him now, curled up against him with a content smile on your face. For now, you’re here, and while you are, Lucifer doesn’t want to waste time on worries.

Your story is yet to reach its ending, and if Lucifer knows anything, it’s that he will stay by your side until then. As long as your worlds are still connected, he will continue to love you, and he will love you long after your worlds separate again.

He’s sure of it.

#unedited #obey me #obey me x reader #obey me imagines #lucifer x reader #swd lucifer #swd satan #swd belphegor #swd beelzebub #fluff #lucifer is one of those characters that you can interpret in SO many ways and i love that for him #he's pretty fun to write as well #existential dread #we love a good big brother lucifer #for those of you reading these tags here is a hint for the next obey me piece #remember the simeon with a himbo bf piece?#we're getting a part two baby #(warning: the part two is likely not going to be anything remotely like what you're thinking of)#;)

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