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#The assassin and the Pirate Lord
lavendarneverlands · 3 days
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readtilyoudie · 5 months
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Reveling in the mayhem, she was halfway down the street, headed toward the meet-up point with Sam, when Rolfe’s voice boomed out from behind her. “ENOUGH!”
Everyone lifted whatever they had in their hands—a mug, a sword, a clump of hair—and saluted. And then promptly resumed fighting. What did Rolfe expect?
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass, #0.1) by Sarah J. Maas
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criticalrolo · 2 years
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why are so many stories nowadays about the end of things. the fall of civilizations. the end of eras. the sad slow death of the past into a grimmer future. this sense of living in the End Times has permeated sooo many genres for a literal Century and it just makes me sad that the change is. always towards the world getting smaller and darker and less magical
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valeovalairs · 3 months
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Guys look it’s Gillion Tidestrider, Champion of the Undersea-
-Hero of the Deep, Pigeon Lord, The One, Warrior of Rock and Roll, Singer/Songwriter of Gillion and the Tidestriders' hit single "The Hole in Your Heart", Moisture Master, Horse Tamer, Defenestrator of the Adulterous, Friend of Dugon, Dugon's Best Friend, Dugon's Pal, Walking Fish, Fish, Dirt Eater, Chum of Chibo and Chums, Co-Captain Gill of the Riptide Pirates, Co-captain of the Albatross, Companion of Pretzel, Paramount Champion, Knighter of Julian That One Time, Pretzel Carrier, Leviathan Tamer, Serpent Rider, Brother of Dugon, Healer of the Sick, Friend of Duke D Dukem Duke of Dooke, Eater of Grass, Beater of Ass, Grandma's Good Boy, Dismantler of Evil, Eater of Shit, Capitalism Hater, Royalty Assassinator, Sufferer of the Spice, Weed Eater, Slayer of Evil, Loffinlot Liberator, Fruitninja, Eater of Sand, Juice Enjoyer, Rescuer of John, Fishy. Bitcoin Miner, NFT Purchaser, Driplord, Grandmillion, The One Who Will Change The World, Roller of Tens, Grimm Slayer. In Need of a Dad, Goblin Gobbler, Lime Lord, Tuber, Chip's Nightmare Fuel, Monsoon And Moon Son, Eater of Ass, Pretzel Seeker, Vibe Master, Pussy Slayer, Murderer of Vice Admiral Kuba Kenta, Gillion Motherfucking Titty-sucking Tidestrider, Egg Hater, Bong Obliterator, Baby signer, Babygirl, The Red One, Skillion Liedsneaker, Fishy Boy, Tidestrizzer, Rizz Reverent, Jorts Storm, Hero of the Hour, Popper of Sacks, Tree Hugger, Summoner Rider, Brother of Lucy and Gilly-
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one without the background effects
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amjustgoose · 6 months
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Big fan of those fanarts of all of Charlie's characters where it's just
- Charlie Slimecicle
- Charlie Slimecicle
- Charlie Slimecicle
- dnd character that vaguely looks like Charlie Slimecicle
- dnd character that really looks like Charlie Slimecicle
- SIR GILLION TIDESTRIDER, CHAMPION OF THE UNDERSEA, HERO OF THE DEEP, PIGEON LORD, THE ONE, WARRIOR OF ROCK AND ROLL, SINGER/SONGWRITER OF GILLION AND THE TIDESTRIDERS' HIT SINGLE "THE HOLE IN YOUR HEART", MOISTURE MASTER, HORSE TAMER, DEFENESTRATOR OF THE ADULTEROUS, FRIEND OF DUGON, DUGON'S BEST FRIEND, DUGON'S PAL, WALKING FISH, FISH, DIRT EATER, CHUM OF CHIBO AND CHUMS, CO-CAPTAIN GILL OF THE RIPTIDE PIRATES, CO-CAPTAIN OF THE ALBATROSS, COMPANION OF PRETZEL, PARAMOUNT CHAMPION, KNIGHTER OF JULIAN THAT ONE TIME, PRETZEL CARRIER, LEVIATHAN TAMER, SERPENT RIDER, BROTHER OF DUGON, HEALER OF THE SICK, FRIEND OF DUKE D DUKEM DUKE OF DOOKE, EATER OF GRASS, BEATER OF ASS, GRANDMA'S GOOD BOY, DISMANTLER OF EVIL, EATER OF SHIT, CAPITALISM HATER, ROYALTY ASSASSINATOR, SUFFERER OF THE SPICE, WEED EATER, SLAYER OF EVIL, LOFFINLOT LIBERATOR, FRUITNINJA, EATER OF SAND, JUICE ENJOYER, RESCUER OF JOHN, FISHY, BITCOIN MINER, NFT PURCHASER, DRIPLORD, GRANDMILLION, THE ONE WHO WILL CHANGE THE WORLD, ROLLER OF TENS, GRIMM SLAYER, IN NEED OF A DAD, GOBLIN GOBBLER, LIME LORD, TUBER, CHIP'S NIGHTMARE FUEL, MONSOON AND MOON SON, EATER OF ASS, PRETZEL SEEKER, VIBE MASTER, PUSSY SLAYER, MURDERER OF VICE ADMIRAL KUBA KENTA, GILLION MOTHER-FUCKING TITTY-SUCKING TIDESTRIDER, EGG HATER, BONG OBLITERATOR, BABY SIGNER, BABYGIRL, THE RED ONE, SKILLION LIEDSNEAKER, FISHY BOY, TIDESTRIZZER, RIZZ REVERENT, JORTS STORM, HERO OF THE HOUR, POPPER OF SACKS, TREE HUGGER, SUMMONER RIDER AND BROTHER OF LUCY.
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cursedslimecicle · 4 months
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Day 35: Sir Gillion Tidestrider, Champion of the Undersea, Hero of the Deep, Pigeon Lord, The One, Warrior of Rock and Roll, Singer/Songwriter of Gillion and the Tidestriders' hit single "The Hole in Your Heart", Moisture Master, Horse Tamer, Defenestrator of the Adulterous, Friend of Dugon, Dugon's Best Friend, Dugon's Pal, Walking Fish, Fish, Dirt Eater, Chum of Chibo and Chums, Co-Captain Gill of the Riptide Pirates, Co-captain of the Albatross, Companion of Pretzel, Paramount Champion, Knighter of Julian That One Time, Pretzel Carrier, Leviathan Tamer, Serpent Rider, Brother of Dugon, Healer of the Sick, Friend of Duke D Dukem Duke of Dooke, Eater of Grass, Beater of Ass, Grandma's Good Boy, Dismantler of Evil, Eater of Shit, Capitalism Hater, Royalty Assassinator, Sufferer of the Spice, Weed Eater, Slayer of Evil, Loffinlot Liberator, Fruitninja, Eater of Sand, Juice Enjoyer, Rescuer of John, Fishy, Bitcoin Miner, NFT Purchaser, Driplord, Grandmillion, The One Who Will Change The World, Roller of Tens, Grimm Slayer, In Need of a Dad, Goblin Gobbler, Lime Lord, Tuber, Chip's Nightmare Fuel, Monsoon And Moon Son, Eater of Ass, Pretzel Seeker, Vibe Master, Pussy Slayer, Murderer of Vice Admiral Kuba Kenta, Gillion Mother-fucking Titty-sucking Tidestrider, Egg Hater, Bong Obliterator, Baby signer, Babygirl, The Red One, Skillion Liedsneaker, Fishy Boy, Tidestrizzer, Rizz Reverent, Jorts Storm, Hero of the Hour, Popper of Sacks, Tree Hugger, Summoner Rider, Brother of Lucy and Gilly.
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sam24 · 4 months
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Metal Arm Cupid
Summary: Bucky didn't know what to expect in the 21st century. But he definitely didn't expect cute girls to barge into meeting rooms and beat people up.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!reader
*****
Bucky made no attempt to stifle his yawn as he pretended to listen to the debrief (that was looking more like an argument to him) that was going on way too long for his liking, earning a sharp glare from Steve, but Bucky could tell that deep down, Steve wanted to hightail outta there too.
“Stop taking all the credit, Josh. I was the one who stabbed him. You just sat there and watched like an obese cow.”
Josh (Bucky thought his name was Jack until now) scoffed. “That’s Agent 16 to you, Avery.”
“It’s actually Avril, you little-”
“Agents, you better stop this instantly.” Fury narrowed his eyes at the bickering partners.
“Stop embarrassing me in front of the Avengers, Evelyn, and let me do the talking. Clearly you can’t because of those oversized donkey teeth of yours.” Josh paid no heed to Fury.
The girl (Avril?) gasped and her hand instinctively flew to cover her mouth. “Why you-”
“Okay, that’s enough.” A dangerously calm voice rang through the room.
All eyes flew towards Natasha, you looked like she was going to murder the next person who opened their mouth.
“This is why I don’t go on missions with sensitive baby agents.” She muttered in Russian.
Bucky cracked a smile.
“How come no one listens to me?” Fury grumbled.
“Probably because you aren’t a trained assassin with 20 different weapons hidden on your body, and I bet you also don’t know 5 different ways to kill someone with an oven mitt.” Clint whispered in Fury’s ear.
“It doesn’t matter who stabbed who, it matters what happened in the end. And in the end, I was the one you saved your ungrateful asses, so you can stop arguing like toddlers now.” Natasha growled.
Her eyes narrowed specifically at Josh.
Nobody spoke. Probably because no sane person wanted a bullet from Natasha’s gun in their head.
“You seriously couldn’t have done that 20 minutes ago?”
Of course, though, Tony Stark was far from sane.
“Shut up, Tony.” At least 5 different people said at the same time.
Josh cleared his throat, recovering from his mini paralysis stroke.
“No offense, but-”
Before Josh could get himself killed, loud voices outside of the door made everyone turn.
Honestly, they all probably would’ve turned even to watch a fly so they could ignore Josh’s excuses.
“Miss, I can’t let you-”
“I really don’t care, so move. Now.”
Bruce immediately sat up. “Is that Ace?”
“Oh, thank god.” Tony let out a dramatic sigh of relief. “I’m so bored right now, maybe she’ll make this actually interesting.”
Even though Bucky’s stay at the compound started recently, he had heard plenty of stories about you, the infamous ‘Ace’. To what he’d heard, you worked at the lab with Bruce and Tony, like a daughter to them both. You were an ‘intellectual sage’ (described by Barton), hence the nickname, Ace.
“I said, MOVE!”
“Banner, what is the meaning of this?” Fury ordered.
Bruce furrowed his eyebrows and completely ignored him. “What in the world is she doing?”
“Banner!”
“I SAID MOVE, DAMNIT.” A loud thud followed closely and the door was flung open so hard it practically ripped off of its hinges.
“Lord have mercy.” Bruce buried his face into his hands as you barged into the room, pulling along a terrified looking girl behind you.
Bucky’s eyebrows raised with interest as he took in your purple highlights, Converse High-Tops, and Gravity Falls shirt peeking out from under your lab coat.
“Look, missy, in case you haven’t noticed, this is a private meeting. I’m going to give you 5 seconds to leave before I have you escorted out instantly.” Fury demanded.
“Yeah, that’s cool, Patchy the Pirate, just give me a minute.” You weren’t even looking at Fury as you scanned the room.
“Ha! Patchy the Pirate! Laura’s gonna love this!” Clint smacked his hand on the table and leaned his chair back (and almost fell backwards if Steve didn’t catch it, but that’s not the point).
Fury looked like he was seriously contemplating life as you still didn’t spare him a glance, and your narrowed hawk eyes landed on someone behind Bucky.
He followed your gaze to meet Josh, who had raised two fingers in the air cockily to greet you and the girl behind you.
“Josh, you mother fucker.”
And before Steve could say ‘language!’ (yes, Bucky had caught on pretty quickly after Tony would say it every other sentence), you had crossed the room in what felt like just two strides and socked Josh right in the jaw.
The room erupted in chaos.
“Whoa whoa whoa!” Steve was up on his feet in a millisecond, his Captain America side taking over.
“That’s it, honey! Do it again!” Tony cheered.
“Is this some kind of Midgardian greeting that I have not yet been informed of?”
“Someone tell me what the hell is going on in my own meeting!”
“That was the best thing I’ve seen in my whole life.” Avril grinned.
Natasha didn’t say anything, but her face clearly said ‘girl, me too’.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.” Sam chuckled from next to Bucky.
“Same.” Bucky muttered under his breath.
“Whoa hold up, did you just agree with me??”
“Shut up, pigeon brain.”
“Excu-”
The only thing that stopped Sam and Bucky’s cat fight was another punch to Josh’s precious face, this time right in the nose.
Bruce tried to reason with you from across the whole ass room, practically shouting over all the commotion as Steve tried to pull you away from Josh.
“Ace, sweetheart, why don’t you talk it out instead of going straight to violence? Doesn’t that sound like a better idea?”
“Sounds great, Bruce, but that’s not an option anymore!” You shouted back over your shoulder.
“Look, champ, it’s not right to randomly punch people like that!” Steve was still trying to pry you away from Josh.
“Look, Pops,” You mocked. “It’s also not right to cheat on your girlfriend with some random chick you ran into at a bar!”
Everything stopped.
Except Josh’s struggling from your grasp.
“He cheated on you?” Tony broke the silence, looking like he was going to blast Josh into outer space. “Wait, when were you guys even together? And why in the goddamn world would you date that guy?”
“Not me, dimwit, her.” You point your free hand that was not gripped on Josh’s collar at the girl behind you, looking ready to sprint out of there when all eyes landed on her.
“Just leave it, ma moitié, it’s not worth it.” She said quietly, her words coated in a thick french accent.
Bucky recognized her as the nice agent who gave him a coffee last week after Sam ‘accidentally’ knocked over Bucky’s.
“Just leave it? Absolutely not, hun!”
“Listen to her, Ace.” Bruce pleaded.
“No! This sleazy bastard cheated on my best friend! No fucking way! Literally, who the hell would cheat on a cute french girl?”
“Ace, violence isn’t the right way to-”
“Excuse me?” Josh’s voice rang out, sounding like someone was holding his nose closed shut. “Can someone get me an ice pack?”
You whipped around towards him.
“You. Want. An. Ice pack.” You restated, shooting daggers- no, 7 inch sharp kitchen knives at him.
“My nose hurts.” Josh rolled his eyes. “Y’know, after you turned all Crazy Psycho Lady on me and broke it.”
“You know what?” Your smile dripped with bitterness and sarcasm. “How about I punch it again so it’ll go numb and it won’t hurt anymore?”
You reached your arm backwards to land another punch, but Steve rushed to grab you again, and the chaos resumed.
Tony was instructing you to “kick Steve in the balls and resume beating the shit out of Josh”, while Bruce was very strongly vetoing the idea.
Sam and Clint, meanwhile, were placing bets on how much the medical bill was gonna be.
Suddenly, Bruce rushed over to Bucky.
“Look, man, you gotta help me.”
Bucky looked at Bruce with wide eyes. “Me?”
“Yeah! If you tell her to stop, she would in a heartbeat!”
“Why?” Bucky knew where this was going.
“Because of your metal arm!”
Bucky’s heart sank. Of course you were scared of it. Everyone was. They thought it made him a monster.
So did he.
Even though he was so, so grateful to Shuri for trying to help him feel like a new person with a new arm that wasn’t associated with HYDRA, that bloody ruthless murderer that they made him into never seemed to leave.
He would always be him.
No matter how hard he tried, the memories followed him like a lost puppy, attacking at night when he was trying to sleep.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never shake off the imprint HYDRA had left on him.
No matter how hard he tried or how much Steve told him otherwise, Bucky was still a monster.
A cruel, cold-hearted, evil monster who killed the innocent.
Who killed innocent men, women, and children who didn’t deserve to be killed.
He was the one who deserved to be killed.
“She’s absolutely obsessed with it!”
Bucky choked on his spit.
“Wha-w-what?”
“She adores it.” Bruce rushed. “She says it’s, and I quote, the most beautiful and extraordinary thing to ever be made in history.”
Okay, so apparently Bucky did not know where that was going.
“Still not convinced?” Bruce groaned. “She thinks it’s the most amazing thing in the galaxy. She says it’s the ‘peak of engineering’. You can ask Tony if you still don’t believe me.”
Tony wasn’t extremely fond of Bucky, and neither was Bucky of him, so he decided to take Bruce’s word for it, no matter how much it shocked him.
She likes my arm?
Just because she likes your arm doesn’t mean she likes you, idiot.
“Uh, okay? So, um, what do I do?”
“Tell her to stop!” Bruce lightly shoved Bucky forward when he slowly got up out of his seat.
Bucky hesitantly took a step forward, his mind still trying to process everything.
Bucky maneuvered around Steve, tapping you - who was still out to get it for Josh- on the shoulder after a moment of hesitation.
“Bruce, I already told you, it’s too late-” You spun out of Steve’s grip, but your mouth dropped open when you realized it was not Bruce.
You stared at Bucky with wide eyes. But not out of fear.
Out of adoration.
He was struck with a sudden flash of nostalgia of how his mom looked at him when he gave her a card for Mother’s Day when he was 6.
"Oh, Jamie, I love it.” She had said as she read it with a soft smile.
And that same smile was on your face. “Um, hi there.”
He smiled back.
But not one of those fake smiles he put on to make Steve happy. An actual genuine smile.
And it felt good.
You smoothed out your coat, taking in a breath. “Can I help you?”
Steve stared at the two of you, a grin spreading onto his face.
“I’m not surprised. Those psychos are perfect for each other.” Josh rolled his eyes.
Neither of you heard him.
“Hi, I’m Bucky.”
“She knows.” Tony groaned.
“Shut up, Tony.” Your eyes never left Bucky’s. “Hi Bucky.”
He saw your eyes light up as they made their way to look at his metal arm.
Bruce cleared his throat loudly.
“So, um, Ace. The arm has been giving me a bit of trouble recently. I was wondering if you could maybe take a look at it?” Bucky glanced at Bruce before looking back at you.
“He means now.” Bruce added.
You looked like you were going to faint out of excitement.
“Y-yeah, of course.”
Bruce let out a loud sigh of relief.
“Um, actually.” Bucky started.
Bruce’s head shot up and started mouthing something to Bucky - probably something along the lines of ‘No! Get her out of here before she kills him!’- but he was busy looking at you.
“Maybe you wanna grab a coffee first?”
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evilminji · 1 month
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*Distant sound of frantic running growing closer*
*I throw open the door with manic eyes, breathing heavily*
Hatsume Mei! The Fenton's! Oh DEAR LORD. The Couple, the Doctors Fenton... would think she's A Lovely Young Lady ™! Normal even! Charming! I bet the Hatsume Adults would find to be a Charming And Upstanding Young Lad!
JAPAN ISNT READY.
If the GIW got out of hand? And Amity, as a town? Said "fuck ya'll we taken our ball and going home"? All they'd NEED to do? Is shut down the portal, get the skilled portal makers stationed at side A of town to open it up, rip the whole thing up, have the mover ghosts push it IN, aaaaaand? Everyone in? Good! We close it from the inside!
Fuck those guys.
Okay, so, I'm Jerry. You're real estate officer, we got some GREAT options for you this season! How do feel about ninjas? No? Pirates? Not feeling it? Superheroes? Seeing some interest! We got a- *continues their pitch as Amity is moved*
Amity get phased into the Japanese countryside.
What do you MEAN "there wasn't a town here?" Of course there way! We have roads and everything! Why are we all Americans? What're you a cop? Mind your business, spandex man.
.....yeah, they're gonna call this one a "Quirk accident".
Pay your taxes, folks, and we promise not to care!
Fenton's? Back in business, baby! Well, never STOPPED being in business. But details! They're now a "support company"! And yes! The quotation marks ARE on all their documents AND signs! They think it's stupid!
But you want lazers?
Oh ho hoooo~ DO WE HAVE LAZERS!!!
Maddie n Jack start hitting the scene. Conventions. Conferences. Fancy parties. Weirdly? They "unnerve" people. Cowards.
Until? Gasp? They meet just the LOVELIEST couple! Who are so FUN! Who ALSO has a daughter? Danny's age no less! Oh she is just PRECIOUS? Is that her first bomb? Aaaaaw~♡.
Danny feels a disturbance in the force.
Like... like his folks are... are about to try and introduce him to a Nice Young Girl again. The last time this happened was at mom's fighting competitions. She ended up being some sort of assassin royalty. Thankfully, she accepted he could commit to a life of murder, since he wanted to be an astronaut, but it was like this whole THING and- you know what? Not important!
Where are his parents!?
(Planning his wedding! Gotta incorporate BOTH the family's completely batshit Family Traditions!)
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Guys I’m actually so normal about Gillion Tidestrider Champion of the Undersea, Hero of the Deep, The One, Singer/Songwriter of Gillion and the Tidestriders' hit single "The Hole in Your Heart", Moisture Master, Horse Tamer, Defenestrator of the Adulterous, Friend of Dugon, Walking Fish, Fish, Dirt Eater, Chum of Chibo and Chums, Co-Captain Gill of the Riptide Pirates, Paramount Champion, Knighter of Julian That One Time, Pretzel Carrier, Leviathan Tamer, Serpent Rider, Healer of the Sick, Friend of Duke D Dukem Duke of Dooke, Eater of Grass, Beater of Ass, Grandma's Good Boy, Dismantler of Evil, Eater of Shit, Capitalism Hater, Royalty Assassinator, Sufferer of the Spice, Weed Eater, Slayer of Evil, Loffinlot Liberator, Fruitninja, Eater of Sand, Juice Enjoyer, Rescuer of John, Fishy, Driplord, The One Who Will Change The World, Roller of Tens, Grimm Slayer, In Need of a Dad, Goblin Gobbler, Lime Lord, Tuber, Chip's Nightmare Fuel, Monsoon And Moon Son, Eater of Ass, Pretzel Seeker, Vibe Master, Pussy Slayer, Murderer of Vice Admiral Kuba Kenta, Gillion Mother-fucking Titty-sucking Tidestrider, Egg Hater, Bong Obliterator, Baby signer, Babygirl, The Red One, Skillion Liedsneaker, Fishy Boy, Tidestrizzer, Rizz Reverent, Jorts Storm, Hero of the Hour, Popper of Sacks, Tree Hugger, Summoner Rider, Brother of Lucy and Gilly.
Really normal
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Love when MtG characters go to a different plane and play dress up.
Like, they didn't have to wear cowboy clothes on Thunder Junction, but everyone did.
Very cool of the necromancers (2), assassin, demon lord, witch, pirates (2), and little skeleton guy to get all gussied up even on a plane that has only know extraplanar beings
The plane was uninhabited not that long ago, there's no need to hide that you're from somewhere else, it's all for the fashion and flavor and it's great
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andrea-lyn · 1 year
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atla rec post the third! this round basically all zukka recs!
atla recs - part 3
noble blood by lupus (khaleeseas)
The Southern Water Tribe was no place for a firebender...or even a Fire Prince for that matter. And yet here Zuko was, not only in the South Pole’s capital itself but in the Royal Palace, protecting the tribe’s Chief after a failed assassination attempt. Chief Sokka, his old friend and a man who was intelligent and witty, yet kind of a dumbass. A man who was brave and strong and kind. A man who Zuko was utterly failing not to develop...personal feelings for. __
aka: a kind of roleswap AU with Southern Water Tribe Chief Sokka and bodyguard/mercenary Zuko.
it's more about the things that you take with by winterfire22
it’s been a few years since zuko took the throne, and he's doing his best. but there are some things missing.
enter his new ambassador program, and an opportunity to reconnect with an old friend.
before we jump ship, let me teach you how to stay afloat by eurydicees
He doesn't remember when his feelings changed, just that, somewhere between the fires of his homeland and the ocean of Sokka's pirate ship, he fell in love.
In which Zuko learns to swim, Sokka falls in love, and the sun and ocean remain as steady as ever.
in silence; ripen, fall and cease by aiyah
Zuko reaches out with trembling hands and tucks it behind Sokka’s ear.
“A pretty flower for a pretty boy,” he whispers.
- - -
[or: this is the story of an ikebana artist and the man who visits him.]
zing by meteor-sword (vaenire)
“I’ll just put away the rest of the treats for them. Toph, hold this will you?” He hefts Zuko’s bag over to her before Toph can protest, and she has a mind to drop the bag at her feet before she feels something interesting inside the bag. As her seismic sense ran passively through the bag, she sensed something small; it was heavier than the parchment but lighter than the bag of coins-- giving a feedback of vibration somewhere between glass and limestone.
//
Like usual, Toph sees this coming when no one else does.
gold in the air of summer by leopardfringe
Sometimes, Toph likes to ask about colors. Not often—people generally aren't great at explaining them to her, but her newfound metalbending abilities have left her curious.
(This, of course, has nothing at all to do with how she doesn’t even need her feet to know who's crushing on who in this group. Nope, this is just purely for research, and definitely not because she's sick of them dragging their feet.)
the stars go waltzing out in blue and red by tristanyvaine
Zuko falls in love with Sokka in the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka falls in love with Zuko in the Fire Nation. It spirals from there.
or: (Zuko thinks a lot about blue, words, love, and Sokka // Sokka thinks a lot about red, touch, love, and Zuko)
To Be Named, To Be Known (To Be Loved) by Erisenyo
Zuko needs tomorrow to be perfect, but when one person is so many things to so many people--My Lord, Fire Lord, Nephew, Zuzu, Sifu Hotman--how is he going to find the time to make sure everything goes exactly right?
Or,
Five titles Zuko has earned himself + One more to add to the list. If he can just get through this Very Important International Celebration first...
this ultraviolet morning light by GallifreyanFairytale
“Sokka?” Zuko’s voice is quiet and raspy as he shifts just enough that Sokka lifts his head up from Zuko’s shoulder. The confession Sokka had ready to go dies on his lips at Zuko’s expression - at the red he can just barely make out in Zuko’s eyes. “Sokka, I… need to tell you something.”
Sokka swallows and nods silently, not trusting his own admission to not slip out if he dares to open his mouth. Zuko must be confessing the same thing Sokka wants to. Which, admittedly, Sokka hadn’t actually planned for, but it’s fine. He can adapt to this. He just needs to shift a few words around in his brain, and--
“You’re my best friend, you know that right?”
And why does Zuko’s tone make this sound like a break up?
OR
sokka and zuko break up, make up, go undercover, thwart a rebellion, watch the sunrise, and change the course of fire nation history. not necessarily in that order.
the stars sighed in unison by spellboundrose
For some reason, Zuko can't stop looking at Sokka out of the corner of his eye. It must be something about the way the moonlight reflects off his skin—or maybe how his eyes, such a vibrant shade of blue, glimmer like the stars above them—
Oh.
Oh, no.
(Or, five moments under the night sky and one beneath the sun.)
everything and nothing at once by tristanyvaine
See, everything would be fine if Sokka was here, because if Sokka was here then Zuko wouldn't be thinking about him over and over and over again while he misses him from the stupid ponytail to his weird Water Tribe shoes.
signs of light by beachytablecloth
And now, out of breath from running, Sokka can feel the anxiety beginning to overwhelm him, stitching his sides and pounding in his ears.
“It’s Zuko,” he finally gets out, panting. “He’s missing.”
or,
Zuko gets kidnapped; Sokka falls apart.
A Predictable Story by mindbending
"On this night, you shall share a kiss with a great love of your life!”
That lying, scummy Aunt Wu predicts a grand romance for Sokka. To disprove her "fortunetelling" once and for all, Sokka decides to spend the night with least romantic person he knows.
Zuko.
Boomerangs and Rainbows by mindbending
At Sokka’s behest, the Gaang skips rescuing Zuko during the Siege at the North Pole. Instead they leave him, unconscious, buried in the snow.
In completely unrelated news, Sokka’s haunted by a ghost now.
little taste of heaven by loserlesbian
"His mom had given him a diary.
No, not a diary–– a journal, she had specified. He knows it’s a diary. Zuko thinks she only called it a journal because she thought that Zuko wouldn’t use it if she said otherwise. A diary is for feelings and angst, but a journal was for working through your problems without all that mushy, gushy stuff. It was for writing out simply what was in your head, nothing more, nothing less."
or, zuko through the years, struggling with himself and his sexuality.
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readtilyoudie · 3 months
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Her beauty was a weapon—one she kept honed—but it could also be a vulnerability.
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass, #0.1) by Sarah J. Maas
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zoppzoop · 2 months
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Yelo! Could you, by chance, draw a little gillion tidestrider, Champion of the Undersea, Hero of the Deep, Pigeon Lord, The One, Warrior of Rock and Roll, Singer/Songwriter of Gillion and the Tidestriders' hit single "The Hole in Your Heart", Moisture Master, Horse Tamer, Defenestrator of the Adulterous, Friend of Dugon, Dugon's Best Friend, Dugon's Pal, Walking Fish, Fish, Dirt Eater, Chum of Chibo and Chums, Co-Captain Gill of the Riptide Pirates, Co-captain of the Albatross, Companion of Pretzel, Paramount Champion, Knighter of Julian That One Time, Pretzel Carrier, Leviathan Tamer, Serpent Rider, Brother of Dugon, Healer of the Sick, Friend of Duke D Dukem Duke of Dooke, Eater of Grass, Beater of Ass, Grandma's Good Boy, Dismantler of Evil, Eater of Shit, Capitalism Hater, Royalty Assassinator, Sufferer of the Spice, Weed Eater, Slayer of Evil, Loffinlot Liberator, Fruitninja, Eater of Sand, Juice Enjoyer, Rescuer of John, Fishy, Bitcoin Miner, NFT Purchaser, Driplord, Grandmillion, The One Who Will Change The World, Roller of Tens, Grimm Slayer, In Need of a Dad, Goblin Gobbler, Lime Lord, Tuber, Chip's Nightmare Fuel, Monsoon And Moon Son, Eater of Ass, Pretzel Seeker, Vibe Master, Pussy Slayer, Murderer of Vice Admiral Kuba Kenta, Gillion Mother-fucking Titty-sucking Tidestrider, Egg Hater, Bong Obliterator, Baby signer, Babygirl, The Red One, Skillion Liedsneaker, Fishy Boy, Tidestrizzer, Rizz Reverent, Jorts Storm, Hero of the Hour, Popper of Sacks, Tree Hugger, Summoner Rider, Brother of Lucy and Gilly.
:]
Posability, if you reallllly want to, draw him being afraid of a cat
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day 10 of drawing jrwi characters daily till riptide is back
here is the dearly beloved gillion tidestrider, Champion of the Undersea, Hero of the Deep, Pigeon Lord, The One, Warrior of Rock and Roll, Singer/Songwriter of Gillion and the Tidestriders' hit single "The Hole in Your Heart", Moisture Master, Horse Tamer, Defenestrator of the Adulterous, Friend of Dugon, Dugon's Best Friend, Dugon's Pal, Walking Fish, Fish, Dirt Eater, Chum of Chibo and Chums, Co-Captain Gill of the Riptide Pirates, Co-captain of the Albatross, Companion of Pretzel, Paramount Champion, Knighter of Julian That One Time, Pretzel Carrier, Leviathan Tamer, Serpent Rider, Brother of Dugon, Healer of the Sick, Friend of Duke D Dukem Duke of Dooke, Eater of Grass, Beater of Ass, Grandma's Good Boy, Dismantler of Evil, Eater of Shit, Capitalism Hater, Royalty Assassinator, Sufferer of the Spice, Weed Eater, Slayer of Evil, Loffinlot Liberator, Fruitninja, Eater of Sand, Juice Enjoyer, Rescuer of John, Fishy, Bitcoin Miner, NFT Purchaser, Driplord, Grandmillion, The One Who Will Change The World, Roller of Tens, Grimm Slayer, In Need of a Dad, Goblin Gobbler, Lime Lord, Tuber, Chip's Nightmare Fuel, Monsoon And Moon Son, Eater of Ass, Pretzel Seeker, Vibe Master, Pussy Slayer, Murderer of Vice Admiral Kuba Kenta, Gillion Mother-fucking Titty-sucking Tidestrider, Egg Hater, Bong Obliterator, Baby signer, Babygirl, The Red One, Skillion Liedsneaker, Fishy Boy, Tidestrizzer, Rizz Reverent, Jorts Storm, Hero of the Hour, Popper of Sacks, Tree Hugger, Summoner Rider, Brother of Lucy and Gilly scared of a cat <3
ko-fi || commissions
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Shooting my shot asking for a Kaku x adult Lucky fic rather than headcannons this time (you don’t have to if you don’t want to)
Oh trust me, I want to!
I decided to make this a little what if scenario for if Kaku had been successful in running off with her after Enies Lobby
Not So Bad
3.4k words
warnings for yandere content and pregancy mentions (not for Lucky)
Life had taken many turns that you hadn’t been prepared for. 
It started with more tame things such as your parents throwing you out when you dropped out of college and the absolutely unhinged shit customers put you through at work. Then you went and got yourself sent to a whole different world, as one does, and after that your life appeared to be speedrunning batshit insane events.
This ultimately culminated in your current situation: Being abducted and forcibly married to one of the many people who had become obsessed with you since entering this bizarre world.
Waves crashed against the ship from outside, lightly jostling you and everyone else on board. Kaku’s arms instinctively tightened around you. The small bed you were both crammed into left no room for personal space, every inch of your body was squeezed against his so as to prevent either of you from falling off the bed at the slightest movement of the ship.
The soft fabric of his nightshirt pressed into your face, likely leaving an imprint in its wake. The steady rise and fall of his chest stuttered slightly from the disturbance of the particularly large wave hitting seconds before, but it evened out again. He’s such a light sleeper that you’re honestly surprised that wasn’t enough to wake him.
Quiet grumbling could be heard behind you as one of the other people you were bunking with complained about how rough the sea was. You could understand why she would be irritated by this. Her morning sickness had been bad enough already, the motion of the ship rocking as much as it was definitely didn’t help.
This particular situation was hardly anything new for you. Ever since Kaku had “eloped” with you after you failed to fight him off at Enies Lobby thanks to your clammy hands dropping your impact dial, you’d been on the run. It made sense, you suppose. You were a wanted pirate after taking part in the attack on Enies Lobby, and he was a former CP9 agent who not only ran but was also being blamed for the situation. It was rare for you two to stay on an island for more than a few weeks. If you stayed any longer you ran the risk of being tracked down by other assassins.
While Kaku’s distinct features made hiding a little more difficult than it needed to be, you lucked out by not having a photograph on your bounty poster. No one had been able to get a picture of you, so they had to settle for a drawing instead. It wasn’t very accurate, though you had to admit it looked much better than Sanji’s. You damn near pissed yourself from how hard you’d laughed after seeing his.
Kaku was outwardly optimistic about your circumstances, assuring you that the manhunt would calm down as the years went by. You’re not sure if he actually believed that or if he was just saying as much to try and comfort you. That was admittedly something he was good at. Lord knows he’d needed to do this more than a few times in your time together.
At first you had resented that tendency of his because he had been the primary cause of your stress. The audacity of him to try and get you to calm down after kidnapping you made you want to scream. Or when he would wildly misconstrue why you were upset. Like the time he thought you were having “pre-wedding jitters” because you’d been fighting him tooth and nail on the way to an extremely shady chapel, and didn’t ONCE consider that maybe you just didn’t want to marry him.
Your kicking and screaming had done nothing to stop it. The officiant didn’t care about your willingness, and Kaku was delusional enough to excuse your behavior as just being nerves or whatever. He’d gotten what he wanted, insisting that he wanted to “do this right”, and now he was your husband whether you liked it or not.
As time went on, your disdain for him was becoming less and less, and you didn’t know how to feel about it.
Sure, at first it was easy to dig your heels in and resist. The Straw Hats would be here any second to save you, you were sure of it. But they never showed. You tried to rationalize it. They didn’t know where you were. With Robin they knew exactly where she went and how to get there, it was easy to chase after her. With you, you had up and vanished without a trace. You’re not even sure they had enough to go off of to know that you’re with Kaku.
Jealousy was an ugly emotion, but that didn’t keep it from brewing within you. You hadn’t seen so much as a hint of the Straw Hats, and that led to you questioning if they were even trying to find you. Were you just deadweight that they were glad to be rid of? You tried to tell yourself that wasn’t true, but it became harder to convince yourself of that as you saw reports of the Straw Hats gaining new members.
Had they replaced you? That easily?
Surprisingly, Kaku had been the one to assure you that likely wasn’t the case. He pointed out how hard they fought to get you back when you were still in Water 7. While he definitely wasn’t a fan of theirs by any means, even he could admit that they cared for you. It was… confusing to hear him of all people defend the Straw Hats. 
The real tipping point came after you saw the paper announcing Ace’s death. That broke you.
For a solid month after that, you were inconsolable. There was nothing that anyone could do or say to ease the pain. After the crying had gone from a constant to only happening in random bursts, you had fallen into a deep depression. You wondered if there was something that you could have done to prevent this. Would you have been able to save Ace if you’d been there? The idea that his death was avoidable made you feel sick to your stomach.
All throughout this depressive episode, Kaku had been nothing but kind and patient. He’d been a shoulder to cry on, someone to ramble to about your time spent with Ace in Alabasta and how he was like the brother you never had. Kaku didn’t once get irritated with you over being upset, and he never criticized you for being useless when you were too depressed to get out of bed in the morning. It made him very hard to hate.
Then one night he brought home a kitten he’d found at the construction site he was working on temporarily, one of his many odd jobs he’d picked up. The poor thing was underweight and so filthy that you couldn’t even tell what color it was supposed to be. A rather lengthy bath in the sink had revealed him to be orange, which reminded you of Ace and made you cry again.
Kaku had encouraged you to keep him saying that having the little guy around might help you to feel better, and you saw no reason to argue. You’d always wanted a cat. The kitten was a total sweetheart. Very mischievous and dumb as a brick in true orange cat fashion, but undeniably loving. The idea to name him Ace came to you easily.
Having cat Ace around did wind up being a turning point in your mood. You couldn’t sulk in bed all day when a tiny kitten was raising hell in your room and demanding attention. It was nice having something to take care of.
Ace was presently snuggled up in the crook of your neck, thoroughly worn out from Ellie playing with him for hours on end during the day. Ellie was the daughter of the couple you were sharing a cabin with. The six year old had been ecstatic to see she was rooming with a kitty and had all but begged you to play with him, which you were fine with. Her mother, Clara, had simply been grateful to have her daughter occupied while she struggled with a combination of morning and motion sickness.
Due to both you and Kaku having a wanted status, you typically chose to stay in the cabin of whatever passenger ship you happened to be traveling on so as to minimize the chances of being recognized. This led to you getting to know Clara and Ellie quite well. Not her husband though, who you’re not sure you ever caught the name of.
Kaku had butted heads with him a couple of times over his behavior, starting with when you were boarding the ship and saw that he’d left Clara to haul on all of the luggage herself despite being very noticeably pregnant. Both of you were quick to help her, while Kaku made a jab at him for being a “ninnyhammer”. Honestly you think he was more mad about not knowing what that meant than being insulted.
None of you saw much of him after that. He’d spent the day socializing and drinking, only coming back to the cabin after everyone else had already gone to bed.
You’ve been awake since he came back. Partially because you’ve had a lot on your mind as of late, but mostly because you really needed to pee. You thought that it could wait until morning at first, but it had become clear that wasn’t going to be the case.
There was no use in trying to sneak out of the bed without waking up Kaku. With how closely pressed you two were, even a heavy sleeper would be awoken from the movement. The second you shifted yourself up onto one elbow, his eyes shot open.
“Is something wrong?” His voice was thick with sleep, but his eyes were alert.
“I need to go to the bathroom. Hold Ace so he doesn’t run out after me,” you pulled the kitten away from your neck and handed him over. Ace mewled in protest.
“Alright, will do,” Kaku murmured while holding the feline gently.
After slipping on your shoes and a housecoat over your pajamas, you quietly snuck out of the room. 
One of the downsides to being sent to a world that was in a time period before your own was that things were less advanced than you were used to. Unfortunately that applied to the bathrooms. In the absence of plumbing, the “toilets” were in cramped rooms at the front of the ship that essentially just had a hole in the floor hanging over the ocean below.
Admittedly, this ship’s toilets were bougie in comparison to some of the others you’ve been on. At least these afforded you some privacy, unlike a few of the others that simply had you out in the elements for anyone and everyone to see your bare ass.
You’re not sure you made it ten feet from the room when you could hear the door open and close again. Your eye twitched in annoyance. Where could Kaku possibly think you would go while on a ship in the middle of the ocean? You hadn’t tried to run in months after learning quickly that you had no hope of being able to get away from him, not with how athletic he was.
With a huff, you stop and look over your shoulder. Instead of seeing your paranoid husband, your eyes fell upon Ellie. She jogged over, nightgown bouncing with each step, “Are you going to the toilets? Can I come with you?”
“Oh, yeah of course,” you waited for her to close the gap before continuing.
Ellie reached up to grab your hand as you made your way down the dimly lit hall, “Thank you! I really needed to go but was too scared to go by myself, it’s so spooky in here at night.” That it was. The sparsely placed oil lamps did little to illuminate the halls, the moonlight shining in through the windows was doing more than they were. “And I didn’t want to ask mama since she doesn’t feel so good.”
“Aww, that was very considerate of you,” sadly she appeared to be more concerned for her mother’s well being than the woman’s husband was. It wasn’t surprising that she hadn’t even considered asking her father to go with her, you don’t think you’ve seen them speak to each other once.
She tugged on your hand and looked up at you expectantly, “Hey, can I play with Ace again tomorrow?”
“I don’t see why not, he seems to be quite fond of you,” you couldn’t help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. Ellie squealed and walked with a skip in her step. 
Distantly, you wondered how Ace would feel about you naming a cat after him. He might be a little indignant about it at first, especially if you talked about how dumb the kitten was, but you think he would come around. Cat Ace is charming in his own right, he’d be able to win over human Ace. If… If he’d had the chance to. You shook your head. No, you weren’t going to let yourself spiral again tonight, and certainly not when you were escorting a child to the bathroom. 
After a somewhat long trek, the head finally came into view. Ellie let go of your hand and ran into one of the private rooms. She must have really had to go. You entered your room of choice with a decidedly calmer gait. It was very dark in there, with the only light coming from the slits in the wall letting in both fresh air and moonlight. 
Wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible, you got down to business. The choppy waters did not make balancing yourself particularly easy, but you managed. After washing your hands in a bowl of water that you were trying your hardest not to think too hard about the cleanliness of, you took a moment to look at yourself in the mirror.
Pushing back the partial bangs Kaku had given you to hide your scar- that he swore up and down he wasn’t bothered by, this was purely to hide your identity- you traced over the scar. It had long since healed over, but the memories associated with it felt fresh.
Again, your thoughts drifted to the Straw Hats. A few months ago, they had disappeared. No one knew where they were and there was talk of them having disbanded. You didn’t buy it, Luffy was far too determined to give up on his dream, and his crew was too loyal to leave him, but where did that leave you?
When they first left the public eye, you had thought it was done intentionally so they could come rescue you. It would be harder for Kaku to avoid them if he had no idea where they were. That never happened. It was really starting to feel like they had abandoned you. Makes sense, you suppose, you were quite the handful for them. What with all the people chasing after you and fighting them to get to you. It was probably nice to not have to worry about that anymore.
It hurt. A lot.
But not as much as you thought it would. Kaku has told you time and time again how much he loved you, and you did believe him. At first you thought he was just obsessed and nothing more, but as time went on and he went out of his way to try and make you happy, you found yourself doubting him less and less.
You wouldn’t say that you loved him, but you’re not sure how much longer that will be the case. He’d been successful in making you at least a little fond of him. You would willingly engage in conversations with him and honestly didn’t mind him holding you at night anymore. There have also been a few instances of you getting… carried away, but you didn’t want to think about that right now.
Were a few kind words and gentle touches really all it took to make you overlook the extremely dubious beginning of your relationship with him? Were you really that easy to win over? How pathetic.
Another rough jolt of the ship snapped you out of your thoughts. A dingy bathroom was hardly the kind of place you should be staying in any longer than necessary. The wooden door creaked loudly as you forced it open, making you wince. 
Ellie was standing on a bench beneath a large window, taking in the sight of the ocean at night. She flashed you a large grin and hopped down when you approached. The walk back to your shared room was filled with speculations about what the island you were heading to would be like. It was a welcomed distraction from your previous train of thought.
As you rounded the corner of the hallway your cabin resided in, you spotted a figure stationed outside of your room. Your pulse quickened, briefly panicking as you wondered who it was, but then he turned and his side profile gave away his identity immediately. Ah, it was just Kaku. Though you couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing out here.
He likely spotted both of you the second you entered the hall, and he spoke up once you got close enough to hear him. His eyes were focused on Ellie, “Your mother’s fretting over you, you should go in and let her know you’re alright.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you for walking with me, Lucky!” Ellie gave you a quick hug before scurrying into the room
It wasn’t until then that you noticed a disgruntled Ace in Kaku’s arms who was all but clawing at him to get to you. Naturally, you scooped him up and brought your dear pet to your chest, causing him to purr.
“Did something happen? Why was Clara so worked up?” You lightly stroked the kitten’s face, making him purr even harder.
“She didn’t realize her little ankle biter had slipped out of the room after you and got into a tizzy over where she had gone. She settled a bit after I said I saw her leave with you, but I figured she’d prefer to see Ellie in the room again.” Kaku sidled up to you, one of his hands found purchase on your shoulder and his head rested against your own. You allowed it, even leaning into him.
A comfortable silence blanketed you two as you lingered in the hall, swaying lightly with the current of the ocean.
“You do so well with children. Ellie adores you.” Was murmured into your ear.
Your breath hitched in your throat. You knew where he was going with that. Kaku had been open about his desire to have children since your encounter in Enies Lobby. Over the months that you’ve been together, he’d made several comments about it. From observations that you were good with kids when you did interact with them, to asking what kind of names you liked best. He wasn’t subtle, but he never pushed it when you changed the subject.
“I guess so? Ellie’s a good kid, it’s hard not to get along with her.” You honestly weren’t sure how you felt about the idea of having children of your own, you were hardly in the best state of mind to be thinking about such things.
Kaku hummed in agreement and held you to him just a little bit tighter. After a moment, he released you, “We should hit the hay, it’s late.” He didn’t wait for an answer before gently guiding you back to the room.
Slipping off your housecoat was slightly difficult to do while holding Ace, but he was too cute for you to want to put him down so you made it work. Kaku was already in the small bed and helped you climb in, keeping a firm grip on you so that you wouldn’t be thrown to the floor from a poorly timed wave. 
Yet again, you were squished against each other from the lack of space. A couple of months ago, you would have hated this. Now? It didn’t seem so awful.
Your face was buried in his chest as Ace squirmed around in an attempt to get himself comfortable. Kaku’s lips pressed against your forehead for a brief kiss and he mumbled out a quiet “sweet dreams” before fully settling into the bed.
Maybe loving him wouldn’t be so bad.
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headspace-hotel · 2 years
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Making this its own post because it really needs to be said:
Worldbuilding is not able to be freely mixed and matched with different plots and characters. YA books are often advertised like "A Cool Type of Story......In SPACE!" or "Some Neat Characters...in a Steampunk Alternate Version of 1809!" or "Basically The Hunger Games...with DRAGONS!" This type of pitch is not necessarily bad but over time its frequent use does create the impression that worldbuilding, character, and plot can be reshuffled and recombined in any way you want. That's not really how it works.
To explain what I mean by the above statement, try to imagine a story that's "The Lord of the Rings...but in the world of the Chronicles of Narnia." Do you see how it doesn't work? "Worldbuilding" and "setting" are not the same. The worldbuilding of LOTR is very deeply involved with the themes, characters, tone, plot, and even more abstract, Doylian things like "how the author's philosophy and beliefs affect his writing." If a story is set in space, but it could be set in a steampunk alternate version of 1809 in a pinch, the worldbuilding probably isn't very good, because apparently none of it is load-bearing.
I think this is a big reason why worldbuilding in YA books has gotten to be so fucking bad—books are blurbed and advertised as exotic re-shuffled combinations of character, plot and setting, which is good for selling books as products, but bad for, uhh...books.
A recent YA book pitch might be something like "A pair of lesbian pirates fight to survive...on a futuristic planet!" or "An art thief is hired to steal a priceless object...in a steampunk version of revolutionary-era France!"
This is good for creating books that SOUND interesting, but that's only because we, as readers, are used to the interplay between plot, character and setting...being actually explored.
In practice, any one of these books will consist of flat characters plunked into a formulaic plot in a world loosely decorated with "holo-screens," Futuristic Nutri-Meal blocks, and "transpo-cars," or fancy wigs, evening gowns, and dirigibles, whatever "aesthetic" the setting calls for.
Whether the characters are eating Dainties Served On a Platter By A Domestic Servant or Futuristic Nutri-Meal Blocks can be swapped out at your whim, just like whether they arm themselves with a sleek miniature photon holo-pistol or a derringer, or whether they ride in a coach drawn by four white horses or a transpo-pod, or whether they treat minor injuries with futuristic medi-gel or Monsieur Gigglewater's Most Excellent Ointment.
The unfortunate fact is, robust worldbuilding cannot be conjured from just vividness and detail, nor is it good based on its novelty alone.
A good book set on a futuristic planet is good in part because the story being told there could not be told the same in a steampunk version of France. There is something about this futuristic planet that makes this story inevitable, that raises the questions that lead us to this story. Fundamentally, good worldbuilding is about asking the questions that imply or require stories.
How is life different on an alien planet? How do people live and love differently? What would this be like? What would this mean?
How does a planet ruled by greedy corporate tech overlords lead to the story of a pirate? How does a pirate's story delve insightfully into the guts of this world in a way that anyone else's story wouldn't? What can a pirate show us about a world that an assassin, a wizard, or a priestess can't? Why is she a pirate? Why did this world make it necessary that she become one? What are the laws that designate her a pirate and punish her as one? What has driven her to place herself outside them? What is this society to which she is a perpetual outsider like? What does it mean to be an outsider here? What does it mean to break or obey the law? What is property? Who decides? Is she motivated by wealth or by independence or by something else? What has taught her how to value these things? What are the stakes, what does she risk? What does that imply about the systems that hold power in this world?
Just as you can't tell the story of LOTR in the world of Narnia without completely overhauling everything that story is, so it is with any story where the world is deeply related to the story being told and the ideas being explored.
A book about an assassin set in a sci-fi world of robots and androids should not be interchangeable with a book about an assassin set in a world of elitist wizard academia. The story of an assassin hired for killing androids with legal personhood is a fundamentally different story than that of an assassin hired to kill rich powerful wizards on the Wizard Board of Trustees at Wizard University. If you can interchange them, your worldbuilding is bad.
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yuriidoctor · 10 months
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gay people: im gay
society: okay
gillion tidestrider: my name is Gillion Tidestrider, Champion of the Undersea, Hero of the Deep, The One, Singer/Songwriter of Gillion and the Tidestriders' hit single "The Hole in Your Heart", Warrior of Rock and Roll, Pigeon Lord, Moisture Master, Horse Tamer, Defenestrator of the Adulterous, Friend of Dugon, Dugon's Best Friend, Walking Fish, Fish, Dirt Eater, Chum of Chibo and Chums, Co-Captain Gill of the Riptide Pirates, Co-captain of the Albatross, Companion of Pretzel, Paramount Champion, Knighter of Julian That One Time, Pretzel Carrier, Leviathan Tamer, Serpent Rider, Brother of Dugon, Friend of Duke D Dukem Duke of Dooke, Eater of Grass, Beater of Ass, Grandma's Good Boy, Dismantler of Evil, Eater of Shit, Capitalism Hater, Royalty Assassinator, Sufferer of the Spice, Weed Eater, Slayer of Evil, Loffinlot Liberator, Fruitninja, Eater of Sand, Juice Enjoyer, Rescuer of John, Fishy, Bitcoin Miner, NFT Purchaser, Driplord, Grandmillion, The One Who Will Change The World, Grimm Slayer, In Need of a Dad, Goblin Gobbler, Lime Lord, Tuber, Chip's Nightmare Fuel, Monsoon And Moon Son, Eater of Ass, Pretzel Seeker
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