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starleska · 1 year

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i think ‘Big’ Jack Horner is Disney, and here’s why

many of us have had the pleasure of seeing the incredible Puss in Boots: The Last Wish by now, and were blown away by its clever writing, enchanting animation and emotional character arcs. yet there is one character who booted the trend of having a reason for his behaviour, and outright refused to experience any growth whatsoever.

let’s talk about ‘Big’ Jack Horner, and why i think he’s supposed to represent Disney:

‘Big’ Jack Horner isn’t just an antagonist in The Last Wish - he’s a villain. a self-obsessed, exploitative, murderous, petty, cruel bastard of a man whose awful behaviour isn’t just motivated by personal slights or childhood trauma: he sincerely enjoys hurting other people. whether it’s cheating his goons (’The Serpent Sisters’) out of a fair payment for their services or being excited about shooting a puppy in the face, there’s no denying that Jack delights in causing others pain and suffering. but what does he have to do with Disney?

let’s answer that question with another question: do you think that Jack, when placed next to the other antagonists - Goldi, The Three Bears, even Death - sticks out like a sore, plum-coloured thumb?

of course he does! but why? well, let’s look at Jack on a surface level. Jack is a monolith of a human being. not only is he physically huge and intimidating, he is the inheritor of an enormous pastry fortune and operates in the manner of a mob boss, with countless resources and a whole variety of powerful magical items at his disposal. indeed, Jack employs a crack team of bakers/assassins called ‘The Baker’s Dozen’ to carry out many of his tasks. although Jack does harm others himself, it is because of these resources - including the people who work for him - that he is able to bypass many of the obstacles faced by our protagonists in an honest and character-developing way (e.g., the Pocket Full O’Posies in The Dark Forest). Jack doesn’t need to have a character arc the way the other characters do, because he is so wealthy and owns so much.

but Jack’s reason for owning so much and being obsessed with magic and magical items isn’t through intellectual curiosity, or a traumatic backstory where he needed to learn how to wield magic. do you know what Jack’s covert motivation for owning all of the magic in the world is?

it’s money.

when we get the flashback of Jack’s childhood, dancing for the entertainment of an audience using his nursery rhyme, we see him becoming jealous of Pinocchio - and we see Gepetto in the back, absolutely raking in the cash. if we consider this flashback as that crucial moment within which Jack decided to become what he is today - and the presence of our off-brand Jiminy Cricket inclines us to think so - then we can understand that Jack decided that from that moment forward, he would own all of the magic.

let’s go back to The Baker’s Dozen for a moment. this team of highly-competent, multidisciplinary artisans do everything for Jack, whether it’s baking the pies which make him rich, or laying down their lives at his service. we aren’t given an in-universe reason for why they do this. yes, Jack is feared, but he is still the subject of mockery due to his humble beginnings as a nursery rhyme character. it certainly isn’t due to being treated or paid well. however, if we view the Baker’s Dozen as a metaphor for overworked, exploited artists whose views are routinely dismissed by the money-hungry, powerful corporation who owns their craft...things start to add up, don’t they? considering historic allegations of worker abuse at the hands of Disney, having Jack Horner literally step on their spines and encourage them to flex takes on a whole different meaning.

it doesn’t end there. do you recognise the items that Jack pulls out of his Mary Poppins bag when his Baker’s Dozen are being destroyed by the Pocket Full O’Posies - the items that he calls ‘the big guns’? it’s the broomstick from Fantasia, the spinning wheel from Sleeping Beauty, the size snacks from Alice in Wonderland, and a knock-off Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio - all references to some of Disney’s earliest and most famous films.

still don’t believe me? well, let’s recap more of the items Jack has in his repertoire:

a hook-hand (referencing Captain Hook in Peter Pan)

a trident (referencing King Triton in The Little Mermaid)

poison apple bombs (referencing The Evil Queen in Snow White)

a glass slipper (again referencing Cinderella)

remember what happens when the knock-off Jiminy Cricket (interesting that there are so many Pinocchio references specifically, huh?) is horrified that Jack is losing so many men? Jack says he isn’t worried about losing the manpower, because he has a bottomless bag full of magical weapons. Jack literally gets his power off of the backs of his workers. sounds a lot like a big company justifying worker layoffs and exploitation because they have so many properties and are too big to fail, doesn’t it?

hell, Jack doesn’t even know what half of these items do! when he’s using the unicorn horns as ammo, he is surprised that they cause people to explode in a shower of confetti. viewing Jack through this lens, it’s difficult not to think about enormous corporations gobbling up properties and churning out content with little to no regard for their artists (looking back at The Baker’s Dozen - some of whom do perish in the fight with the unicorn horns) or what the properties are about. we haven’t even touched on Jack coveting the Wishing Star, a recurring motif in countless Disney movies as representing magic, dreams, and boundless creativity.

now, i hear you saying, ‘but Star! why would DreamWorks bother writing their bad guy as a metaphor for Disney?’ believe it or not, this isn’t the first time that DreamWorks have done this. in case you didn’t know, Lord Farquaad is a caricature of Michael Eisner, former chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. the production of Shrek was actually quite troubled; animators who were perceived as having failed on other projects were ‘Shreked’, or sent to work on Shrek, instead of working on other (presumed to be more lucrative) films. of course, DreamWorks was co-founded by previous Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, hence the animosity towards Disney and its works evident in the Shrek franchise. this is what formed the story of Shrek: an ugly, crude outsider character taking on the clean-cut moralising of a dictator hell-bent on a so-called ‘perfect’ world, all created against the creative backdrop of a painful separation from Disney and a great deal of pent-up rage.

the irreverent, crass and sometimes adult humour of Shrek was a middle finger to Disney’s high-censorship control on animation. this is why Lord Farquaad (which you may have noticed sounds a bit like ‘Fuckwad’) is so obsessed with Duloc being ‘perfect’, and why he couldn’t stand the freedom of the fairy tale creatures who are the heroes of the first Shrek movie.

in fact, this kind of meta-commentary permeates the Shrek franchise:

The Fairy Godmother from Shrek 2, despite being a fairy tale creature herself, is highly prejudiced against characters who break out of their perceived social norms: i.e., Shrek marrying Princess Fiona and getting his Happily Ever After. she is an expansion of the control left over by Lord Farquaad, and rich because of her monopolisation of fairy tale creatures and their stories.

Prince Charming in Shrek the Third fails miserably to capitalise on these themes, but we’ll get back to him!

Rumpelstiltskin from Shrek Forever After tackles the gluttony of franchise reboots, and how soulless and rooted in corporate greed attempts to reboot often are. whilst not necessarily Disney-specific, Shrek Forever After follows the box office bomb that was Shrek the Third: a movie which noticeably fails to write a compelling narrative approaching any of the themes of the previous two films. the writers learned from their mistakes and wrote a movie which satirised their own selling-out of the franchise, becoming hollow and unnecessary and ‘perfect’ - the very thing they were making fun of in the earlier Shrek films.

there is one more area i’d like to touch on: Jack Horner’s source material. we know that Little Jack Horner is quite obscure: an 18th-century English nursery rhyme involving a boy who pulls a plum out of a pie with his thumb, and congratulates himself for his fortitude. but did you know that from its earliest conception, Little Jack Horner was associated with foolishness and dishonesty?

it’s true: the simple yet inexplicable nature of the poem was lambasted for being infantile, and quickly became the subject of revision, moralisation, and even political satire. it is no mistake that to ‘be under one’s thumb’ (as many of the characters in The Last Wish are to Jack, both literally and figuratively) means to be under one’s decisive control. the choice of Jack Horner for the villain of The Last Wish is a clever one, because we could easily have ended up with a sympathetic Jack, whose ostracisation as ‘not even a fairy tale’ may have led to a justifiable motive, even for his specific brand of cruelty. but instead, the writers of The Last Wish have gone one step further; they’ve transformed a source affiliated with idiocy and deception into a metaphor for a global multimedia conglomerate...all while portraying him as simultaneously terrifying, powerful, and ridiculous.

it has been over a decade since Shrek Forever After was released, and Disney has changed dramatically in that time. a global giant, Disney now owns more enormous money-making properties than ever thought possible, and consistently capitalises on nostalgia for its early properties to make more money and accumulate power. since breaking out of its exclusive licensing agreement with Disney in 2016, DreamWorks has had no official connection to Disney, making the ground for mockery and satirisation of the company which spawned the studio all the more fertile. ‘Big’ Jack Horner is not just a glamorous return to form for the dreadful, unapologetically evil villain which Disney has eschewed in modern times - he’s a hulking, egocentric monster whose avarice rivals that only of the corporation he’s inspired by.

and those are my thoughts on ‘Big’ Jack Horner! of course this is by no means the definitive interpretation - we should all just have fun with the movie and come up with whatever theories we like 🥰💖 i’d love to hear your thoughts on him and The Last Wish in general - he’s definitely one of my favourite bad guys to be released in the past few years!

thanks so much for reading, and have yourselves a wonderful day 🥰

#big jack horner #jack horner #puss in boots: the last wish #puss in boots #shrek #disney #puss in boots: the last wish spoilers #starleskatalks

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coinexpansionblog · 2 years

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Read Lottabet Review – Casino, Sportsbook, Bonuses, Features, Is Lottabet Legit?

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verahella · 20 days

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✧˖°. THE SUMMER OF 2007

“are we in heaven?”

you would have agreed with shoko. with the white sun glaring into your retina and the chirping of crickets, it definitely seemed like it.

but then you remember that your friend group consisted of a cigarette addicted alcoholic, a handsome guy who wanted to committed genocide a year ago and the worst of all, gojo satoru.

so, no. you doubt you had access to heaven.

you shift on the field in a futile attempt to get away from the sun, “if i die, tell them that i haven’t decided what poetic thing to put on my grave yet.”

shoko hums in acknowledgment, closing her eyes. orange spots still dance around her vision and she sighs as she hears the footsteps rushing closer.

“no need to worry, your saviour is here!” you jerk awake when ice touches your forehead.

gojo hovers over you, peering at you from over his glasses. “oh, my poor baby.” he pulls you in for a hug, patting your head with an aggressiveness you didn’t need, “i should be the only one who makes you flush red like that.”

“remember it’s out of embarrassment, not infatuation.” suguru drawls, drawing snickers from you both. he tosses a can to shoko before taking a seat next to her, the grass tickling his palms when he leans back on his hands.

the sun’s glares have reduced you all to nothing but a melting pool of sweat and it’s all too hot to be hugging right now but when has mere weather ever stopped gojo satoru from indulging in his desires? still, he reluctantly pulls away when your clawing at his arms starts to hurt a little.

“i got you this.” you practically see his tail wagging as he grins, eager for appreciation. you reach to take the can of soda he offers but gojo clicks his tongue, pulling it away. he taps his cheek, “i need payment first.”

you roll your eyes and his grin widens when you lean forward. he shifts at the last minute, leaving the red shine of your lipgloss to imprint on his lips.

the way your face heats up is always endearing. “you’re the worst.” you snatch the soda can from him and he lets you, leaning back with a smug little smirk on his face.

“can you believe we’ve only got three more months left?” shoko pipes up to distract herself before she vomits at you both. she’s right though.

the year seems to be so long yet went by so fast. you won’t realise it now but maybe a few years later, when you’re older and have settled down, you’ll reminisce about those good old days in high school. maybe, despite going your separate ways, you and shoko will meet up every weekend and gossip about those days and suguru will squint behind his glasses as he tries to recollects this exact moment and capture that joy onto a painting and—

your gaze flits to gojo. it’s a dangerous thought but maybe, just maybe, gojo will be there, criticising suguru about how he couldn’t capture satoru’s handsomeness on the canvas. and you both will get an apartment and you’ll feel the warmth of his hand (and the metal of his ring) around yours every morning.

but that’s too optimistic of a future for jujutsu sorcerers and you know it.

it’s weird, mourning a life you’ve never lived.

your eyes stray to satoru again unconsciously and you find him looking at suguru. you squeeze his hand, like you do every night as he spills all his worries about the past and mostly the future.

gojo meets your eyes and he pushes his glasses up higher, moving closer to you.

shoko clears her throat, if only to stop herself from spiralling as well, “we’ve only got three more months left and i still don’t understand how gojo graduated kindergarten.”

geto smiles faintly at gojo’s indignant huff. there he goes, slipping into character again, so seamlessly. “suguru, tell her that some of us have both beauty and brains.”

geto shakes his head yet the smile doesn’t disappear just yet, “well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. but maybe if you dig through that ego, you can find some semblance of a brain.”

satoru’s face morphs into betrayal, “how could you? after everything we’ve been through?”

geto simply shrugs and you laugh. gojo sighs, standing up slowly and nudging his glasses back up. he stares at suguru with his arms crossed menacingly for about three seconds and you think he might actually tackle him (because that’s definitely not the first time he’s done it) before he shoots off in the direction of the beach, a blur in the distance.

the three of you share looks of confusion before satoru’s faint cry is heard.

“first one there can cut suguru’s bangs!”

#gojo x reader #gojo satoru x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen #gojo satoru #jjk gojo #gojo x you #smthing old i found in my drafts #vera’s.jjk.library.✎

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nanistar · 7 months

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Desert Adopts Batch 2 - Creature Feature!

did another batch of adoptables, all based on animals native to the Mojave and/or Sonoran desert. they're all unique and interesting creatures, so you should take some time to look them up and learn about them :> They're $20 each, payment thru PP only. To claim, just DM me and after money is exchanged I will send you the unwatermarked png :) youre free to do with them what you like afterwards and if you post it on toyhouse please give me the initial design credit (mobiusreach) TARANTULA HAWK WASP: OPEN ARIZONA BLONDE TARANTULA: OPEN GILA MONSTER: OPEN JERUSALEM CRICKET: OPEN yucca moth: sold! mojave fringe-toed lizard: sold!

#warrior cats #adoptables #design adopts #adopts #character adopt #design sale #character sale #warriors oc #warriors adopts #the jerusalem cricket is technically just the regular one common to everywhere but there IS a j cricket that is only native to-#-the kelso dunes but its really tan and not as richly colored so i went with the normal one #can you believe to learn that most animals native to the desert art tan and brown? wow

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betweenujb · 3 months

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cherry wine

nayeon x gn reader

warnings: straight up fluff, a little bit of wine

The way the breeze passes through the leaves and the warm air brushing against Nayeon’s skin makes it feel like a dream. Dating an idol was nothing short of busy and with your 40-50 hour a week schedule, you rarely had time off to spend with Nayeon. Your schedules finally lined up, so you decided to take Jihyo’s advice and go to Bali for a week away.

The view from the mountain villa you had rented was breathtaking. Nayeon stepped out to watch the sunset while you took a moment to rest. Days filled with the most beautiful scenic hikes and walking around the surrounding villages was fun, but still tiring.

Over the past four days, Nayeon wished she could paint every sunset as she looked out from the balcony over and through the dense forest. Tropical birds passed through the orange glow of the sunset, giving Nayeon the opportunity to take pictures in the hopeless effort to capture the peace she felt.

Time ticked by as Nayeon leaned against the wooded railing. The sun had gone down at least half an hour ago and the mountain was lit up by the stars. A few crickets chirp to harmonize with the rustling of the leaves. The sticky heat of the day mellowed out with the cool breeze, making Nayeon never want to leave her spot on the balcony.

Once you adequately rest your sore legs, you push yourself off the plush mattress. You shuffle over to the cart in the room that held a few bottles of wine and other spirits. Pouring yourself a glass of red wine, you turn the lights off before you step out onto the balcony and quietly slide the door open and shut behind you.

“The stars are out.” You make the obvious comment just to break the silence of the night as you slip a hand around Nayeon’s waist to pull her close to you. She jumps and playfully smacks your arm but immediately settles into your embrace.

“You scared me.” She whispers and even though there are no other people around you, it feels right. It’s so quiet except for the sounds of nature filling the night.

You chuckle and lean down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead before sipping your wine. A comfortable silence falls around you as you look up into the sky. The stars and the moon are just bright enough to highlight every beautiful feature on your girlfriend’s face.

As you stare up at the sky, you feel your wine glass being carefully pulled from your hand. Without looking down, you smile and rub small, soothing circles with your thumb into Nayeon’s hip. “Sure, go ahead. I didn’t bring that out for myself or anything.”

Nayeon just thanks you by placing the wine glass back in your hands and leaning up to kiss your cheek. “Think of it as payment for scaring me.”

You shake your head with a fond smile drawn across your lips, your focus still on the night sky above. It’s like a black blanket, well decorated with twinkling diamonds.

After a few minutes, you look down at Nayeon. She has a content look on her face as she stares out into the forest below and the peaks of the mountains on the horizon just past the tree line. “You’ve been out here for a while. Everything okay?”

Nayeon looks up at you with that look in her eyes you fell in love with almost two years ago. She places a gentle hand on the side of your face and gently strokes your cheek with her thumb before looking back out. She nods and relaxes even further into your embrace. “I don’t think I’ve felt this happy in a long time.”

A hum of agreement leaves your lips as you take another sip of your wine. Your grip tightens a little around Nayeon’s delicate waist to better support her as she sinks further into you. “Bali was the perfect choice.”

“Even though it’s blazing hot out during the day?” Nayeon asks through a small laugh and glances up at you.

“Sure, it may be boiling hot during the day. But at night… it’s perfect.” You smile down at Nayeon before looking out at the mountain peaks, taking a deep breath. The earthy smell of the forest and the slightest hint of the salty ocean that’s been carried over by the breeze fills your senses.

“The second you start to feel just a little too hot, that breeze passes through to cool you down again. It smells like the Earth and carries with it just a hint of the ocean.”

Nayeon looks up at you, her eyebrow raised in disbelief. “You’re getting all of that from the breeze, huh?”

You give her a small nod and take another sip of your wine. Another comfortable silence falls over you before you set your glass down on the small table set up on the balcony. You scoot the table back to a far corner and pull your phone out.

Soon, a slow song fills the air, and you extend your hand before you put your phone down beside your wine. “Care to dance with me, Miss Im?”

“You certainly are a charmer.” Nayeon laughs, the sound filling your heart with love as she takes hold of your hand.

The space on the balcony is large enough for you to sway with Nayeon along to the gentle beat of the music. It reminds you of the first time you asked her to dance. When your hands were so sweaty that you had to keep wiping them on your pants so Nayeon wouldn’t be able to tell you were that nervous.

“You have such a nice speaker that you brought, yet you’re using the tinny speakers on your phone?”

Twirling Nayeon around, you let out a soft chuckle. “If I go get my speaker now, then I miss out on time that I could have spent dancing with the most beautiful girl in the world.”

A soft blush makes its way up to Nayeon’s cheeks. She rests her head against your chest and notices your heart’s beating a little faster than usual. “Is your heart beating faster from the oh so strenuous dancing, or are you suddenly getting all shy on me again?”

You keep Nayeon close to you as the song changes to something even slower. It gives you a moment to gently rock back and forth with her in your embrace. “Neither. My heart always beats this fast when I think about you.”

Nayeon pauses for a second as she looks up at you. She keeps the gentle motion you have with her and asks you in a soft and teasing voice, “What are you thinking about if I’m right here with you?”

The sudden but very welcome feeling of your lips against her forehead causes Nayeon’s eyes to flutter closed. “Well,” you say as you slowly pull back, “I’m thinking about you.” The slow song playing from your phone fills the momentary silence between you.

“I’m thinking about how lucky I am to be here with you.” You press another kiss to Nayeon’s forehead.

“I’m thinking about all the ways I wish I could make time go slower right now.” You press a gentle kiss to her cheek.

“I’m thinking about how you took a chance on a goofball like me.” This earns a small chuckle from Nayeon as you press a kiss to the tip of her nose.

“And I’m thinking about how you shine brighter than the moon itself.”

Nayeon’s eyes twinkle like the stars. She takes a second to find her voice before she speaks. “You think I shine brighter than the moon?”

Your answer is a small nod and a soft kiss against her lips. The song plays out, leaving you to listen to nature’s music. The lingering taste of your wine on Nayeon’s lips makes you smile as you listen to the night serenading you once again.

#twice fluff #twice #twice imagines #nayeon #kpop fluff #girl group fluff #nayeon x reader #im nayeon #gn reader

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procric · 1 year

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blacklegsanjiii · 3 months

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North Blue Language CH. 7

“We got company!” He yells pointing up.

“They’re just bugs! Why the hell are you scared of them!” Zoro demands of him and Sanji can't say anything about the iron mask and how Sanji couldn't fit his tiny, bony, malnourished hands into it to get the bugs to stop eating him. His mother cried looking at him during their escape or how his dad had found him in a panic attack because he got bit while outside once.

“They're a cook's worst enemy.” He says because that is also true.

“So you act like a little girl?” Zoro laughs at him. “Pathetic.”

“Stop pissing me off, asshole! At least I don't get lost!” Sanji yells as he lands a solid kick against the green haired man. He wishes he could be honest but he can't, he can't it will kill them if he is. The crew only just found out he's from the North Blue talking to a descendant of Noland the Liar, Cricket, and he's not sure people believe him.

Sanji fights a man who claims to be God in order to protect Nami and Usopp. He's electrocuted several times and he doesn't die. Sanji wonders if his death would be payment for the suffering his mother went through, especially if it was for protecting his crew. Would it be worth enough?

Luffy wins against God, he's Luffy. Of course he won. Enel, God’s name is Enel. The golden bell is ringing and it's gorgeous. He can't help but sing to the dead god under his breath as they leave Skypiea. The hymnal to a god of slaves as they leave. It's comforting as they head to Water 7.

The Foxy pirates are an interesting group and Sanji is made to be the ball in the final game. He's getting his ass kicked with Zoro. All the illegal moves are legal for them and Sanji can feel his ribs break. They win luckily. Luckily. They make it to Water 7.

The Merry is no longer seaworthy unfortunately and Usopp doesn't believe the builders as he starts to work on the Merry. The crew is fighting about it and Usopp leaves and Sanji, regrettably because it's Zoro making a good point, he agrees with the Mosshead that he'll have to make gracious apologies to come back to the crew.

They just don't expect Robin to leave either. They save her with the help of Franky. And Sanji takes on the Sea Train mostly by himself. He finds Usopp and they watch Robin and Franky be saved by Luffy and as they head back to give Merry back to the sea Nami catches it.

“Sanji! You're bleeding! What happened?” She yells at him as she rips the sleeves of his shirt up and sees the scabbed over cuts up both his arms.

“They're not that deep, they've already stopped bleeding too, don't worry!” He says, deflecting easily. “It's not my hands, I'll be fine! Promise!”

“I'm sorry you went through all that trouble for me, Cook-san.” Robin apologises.

“Nonsense, I would have done it for anyone on our crew.” He smiles at her as he fends Chopper off. He wouldn't expect the crew to do it for him because a cook is more easily replaced. Maybe they could find one Zoro got along with. Franky, Paulie, and Iceberg promise to have a ship ready for them in three days. The fourth day the ship is revealed and it's magnificent. Sanji loves the galley, it's for them and their ever growing crew, like Franky. They hang everything up from before.

Nami's trees are back on deck, Luffy and Chopper have a swing, Zoro can lift weights in the crows nest. There's more room in the bunk rooms. Nami's navigation room is huge and she's in love, the aquarium has the bar and library and Sanji finds more books from his childhood than he thought possible.

When they sail and find a skeleton named Brook and a ship island called Thriller Bark. Usopp, Nami, and Chopper are terrified and for good reason. Of course they go investigate the island despite Brook telling them not to. Luffy has to get this skeleton’s shadow back. Sanji will follow his captain to the end but he knows a warning when he gets one, a real one anyway.

After he saves Nami, because she got kidnapped and almost married off to the guy who had the clear-clear fruit and Sanji. Sanji has issues okay and he's so glad his crew isn't around or conscious enough to hear it. His shadow gets stolen and he sees his zombie fight Zoro and maybe they're meant to be enemies after all.

“Okay but we need to get our shadows back because the fog is gone and it's almost dawn!” Sanji yells at Zoro.

“And what do you take me for, Shit-Cook?” Zoro yells back as they fight Luffy's zombie until all the shadows are free. Luffy is passed out from exhaustion and Moria is gone. Somewhere. Sanji can't feel him or that pink haired girl anymore but there's someone new.

“We got company!” He yells pointing up.

“Who the hell is that?” Zoro demands and Sanji could tell him it's Kuma, he could tell him about the paw-paw fruit but he stills in fear because he needs to protect his crew, his captain. Sanji gets thrown away when he attempts to attack as do most of the crew. “Leave my captain alone!” Zoro demands of the Warlord.

“If you take your captain’s pain I will spare him. I will not take his head.” Kuma says.

“You got a deal.” Zoro says and then Kuma gives him a taste and it's awful. Sanji can hear his haki scream in agony and pain. Sanji wishes he would never hear something like that again.

“Tell the crew to find another, Zoro.” He demands as he lights a cigarette and stands in front of Kuma. Except Zoro knocks him out and when he wakes he follows the searing pain until he finds Zoro. “Zoro? What happened?” He asks gently as goes and holds the man upright and starts leading him back. There's so much blood. Too much to be outside a normal human body and live and Sanji feels anger that Zoro, the one Luffy needs most, did something like this.

“What happened?” Zoro breathes raggedly as he lets himself be dragged. “Nothing, nothing at all.”

“Stay with me Moss, we’re almost to Chopper, okay?” Sanji says as he tries to go faster. Faster and faster because the crew needs them back and for Zoro to live. He lives and Chopper is thanking Sanji for finding him.

“You have as much resolve as he does, it was quite beautiful.” Brook says as he plays the piano.

“I thought you were a violinist.” Sanji says instead.

“I know a good amount of instruments.” Brook answers. “Do you have a request?”

“No, it's alright. Thank you, Brook. I'm happy you're joining the crew.” Sanji smiles at him as he goes and sits next to Zoro. “Fucking idiot Mosshead.” He sighs. He watches the crowd sing Bink’s Sake with Brook and wishes he was in Zoro's place. The nicotine steadies his shaking hands as he sings the lullaby about moon softly to Zoro. He sings again when Luffy climbs into his bunk shaking and clinging to him.

“Captain?” He asks at one point, clearly concerned because Luffy hasn't climbed out or fallen asleep. “How about some hot cocoa then? That's what I do-” he cuts himself off but Luffy is nodding and rubber arming himself around the cook so he gets up and makes his way to the galley.

“Luffy, I need you to get off me and free my arms, okay? You can still hold on if you want but I need my arms and hands.” Sanji explains and Luffy nods and his haki is scared and frightened. Sanji makes it and sits with Luffy at the table.

“What happened? I'm his captain, I'm supposed to protect us.” Luffy asks as he burrows into Sanji's side as the elder lights a cigarette.

“He's the first mate, Captain, his job is to protect you.” Sanji explains and Luffy buries himself into Sanji's side.

“Can you sing the song about the moon again?” Luffy asks and Sanji obliges, petting his captain’s hair. If it was him Luffy wouldn't be as sad because a cook is as replaceable as an oil lantern. Eventually he and Luffy both fall asleep and there's a photo of it on the wall the next day.

~*~

The next one comes out two weeks later and Sanji looks both less ridiculous and more ridiculous. Mihawk and Sora stare at it perplexed because this one is an actual photo at least but his heart eyes are sickening.

“I hope it was a cat.” Sora murmurs.

“It was definitely a type of cat.” Mihawk sighed and took a light slap to his shoulder as penance.

They do not get another bounty poster, instead a wailing pink haired teenager, younger than Sanji floats into the parlour. The look Mihawk gives Sora as she observes the girl and flicks her hair.

“Well, she's not Reiju.” Sora says after going to sit on Mihawk's lap. The girl huffs indignantly at them as Mihawk wraps an arm around her and gives Pink Hair a look of anger.

“Ew, what an ugly name. So not cute.” Pink Hair sneers as she looks around. Sora stiffens and Mihawk is furious. He knows Sora didn't have much of a hand in anything involving her kids until her and Sanji's escape. The names were numbers and codes for experiments.

“I suggest you apologise and leave or I will make you leave.” Mihawk snarls.

“I would love to leave but I have no idea where my captain is! Where the hell am I?” Pink Hair snaps.

“Kuraigana.” Mihawk snaps back, grabbing Yoru’s hilt. Pink Hair follows his hand and her eyes widen in shock.

“Oh shit, you're Dracule Mihawk.” She whispers in horror.

“Yes, I am. You just so happened to insult my wife. Who the hell are you?” He demands.

“Dracule, she's a child.” Sora chides quietly.

“She's a pirate.” He says, fixing Pink Hair with a look. “And not a very bright one.”

“Gecko Moria is my captain, he's a warlord as well! I'm Perona!” She squeals out in terror.

“Moria? I haven't heard about him in ages.” Sora says. “You don't know where he is?”

“No, some stupid rubber kid wrecked everything.” Perona groaned. “I haven't heard anything in like a week.”

Sora fixed Mihawk with a look that made him frown at her. They both knew if Sora said the word Perona could stay. They both knew that she held so much power over him that if she told him he would die for her. It didn't take much as he released Yoru.

“She can stay as long as she's polite to you.” Mihawk relented. Sora nodded as she stood once again. She led Perona away to a spare bedroom he assumed. Perona and Sora appeared to be about the same size so she could wear Sora's dresses until he went on a supply run.

#black leg sanji #monkey d. luffy #roronoa zoro #cat burglar nami #op franky #nico robin #tony tony chopper #soul king brook #dracule mihawk x sora #dracule mihawk #vinsmoke sora #mihawk x sora #vinsmoke sanji #strawhat pirates #north blue language

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billtopup · 5 months

Text

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#Cricket Wireless online payment #bill top up

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vapolis · 5 months

Note

honestly w/ how orla and jax sort of keep the merc at arms length........it makes me even MORE excited for their poly route. what happens when you catch feelings for the dog you trained to guard you? guard you house? what happens when you watch them conflate trained loyalty with love and you can't help but hope that the love stays? what happens when they start to care about you? so much so that it stops you doing the job youre MEANT to do for them? what happens when a guard dog turns into someone you love? and to top it all off, putting them in a city where its eat or be eaten, and how their seats at the top could be snatched from under them at any second, especially if they have someone they care about that much, so they cant protect the merc anymore? oh that dynamic is gonna be GOOD. Wanting to stay at arms length but falling face first into the merc. They are gonna be putting on that clown wig at the end of it all and I will CACKLE like a fucking WITCH when they do cause not only is it a tragedy but its FUNNY!!! and honestly? they did that 2 themselves by taking in the very hot sexy murderer and making them work for orla! karma got its kiss 4 yall in the most painful way possible, even if u come outta it w/ a lover who would kill 4 u without the promise of payment LORD i got rambley, my bad lmao! this is all just inferring about things uve said n shit so i could be DEAD wrong so take my shit w/ a pile of salt lol u know who I dont see anyone talking about? Echo. oh my g-d ECHO!!! UR TELLING ME MERC HAS THIS HOT SEXY WEAPONSMITH THEY GO TOO ALL THE TIME AND THE MERC FUMBLES THE BAG WITH A GRENADE??? merc.....honey.....ur rizz.......its only there when ur pathetic or unhinged bb girl.....but like entirely not the point, I love Echo! they seem so interesting, I hope the merc can do more jobs for them past the ones we already did/will do! merc kinda needs more work outside of orla if they plan 2 be even more messy than usual and get all up in ppls business lmao! Id luv some fun facts about Echo! Especially about what kinda weapons they like 2 make

reading all that... u GET me !!!! 🫂🫂

and this part especially: what happens when a guard dog turns into someone you love? and to top it all off, putting them in a city where its eat or be eaten, and how their seats at the top could be snatched from under them at any second, especially if they have someone they care about that much, so they cant protect the merc anymore?

LET ME !!! LOOK INTO YOUR HEAD!!!

as for echo... yeah frankly I'm disturbed that it's CRICKETS on that front from everyone 😔 they called you sweetheart!! and merc has 0 game!!

you will however see them around some more, since they're the only person merc can trust w some things to do w the jobs and the entire sword business.

as for some facts... they have cats, 3 of them, and they treat them like royalty. they ride a motorcycle, and they don't really respect jax and orla for... reasons.

their fave weapons to make are swords/katanas, but they're also a big fan of turning random objects like pens or shoes or even a lipstick into weapons. it's very fun to pull those out in a fight

#asks #c: echo #to rmr #kisses to the sky for this anons big brain

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the-avengers-ate-my-tongue · 2 years

Text

Transpassing

Summary: You're a cradle witch, and there hasn't been one of your kind in centuries. But even the most powerful creatures must know the rules of the universe.

Pairing: Morpheus x Witch!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of sexual assault and abortion. I wrote this as a prequel of must be the season of the witch, but it can be read regardless.

English is not my first language, if you see any mistake, let me know!

Word count: 3092

Craydon, USA, 1698

The forest was strangely quiet that evening. You could hear nor crickets, bats, owls or any other animals, only the cold wind rocking the leaves of the tall trees of Mudwood. The moon shone bright like a silver coin on the dark, cloudless sky, lighting the path to your cottage.

Odd. Odd evening. Something was in the way, you could sense it. The air was different, somehow; thicker, heavier, with a suffocating sweetness, like snake venom.

You sighed, crossing your arms with a slight frown. Great day for Sonja to go to town and leave you all alone. You remembered her orders; "there's someone coming to make a request. If I don't get home till then, you must offer your aid". It wasn't the first time you took over a client, but never without her supervision. Not that you were insecure or anything, just… That damn sensation that something was off was getting on your nerves. Shivers have been afflicting your spine for the last hour and, for a brief moment, you wished for Sonja to come back sooner.

Steps agitated the grass, moist with the night dew. You raised your head quickly, seeing the small figure of a girl that looked no older than eighteen coming to your cottage. Must be the one Sonja told me about, you thought, letting your arms loose and trying to look more welcoming. She seemed distressed; dark shadows under her weary dark eyes that avoided yours, arms tightly holding her own body. With a better look on her face under the pale light of the candles, you recognized her. Nancy Plath. Daughter of the magistrate, the youngest of her sisters. She was fifteen, if you remembered correctly; it was rare for such a young girl to look for yours and Sonja's services. That could only mean one thing.

"I greet you, Nancy Plath. Come inside" you opened the wooden door behind you, letting her through. If she seemed surprised you knew her name, she had not shown.

She gave you the basket she held, probably containing the required by Sonja as payment. It was often hard for the both of you to travel far to buy provisions, so sometimes you demanded groceries as a token of gratitude.

"Would you like some tea? Biscuits? Please, have a seat. I don't bite."

She looked at you with an uneasy stare, but sat on the stiff sofa, accepting a cup of tea.

"What’s in this?" She asked timidly, raising her eyes slightly.

"Just plain lavender. For your nerves" you replied with a chuckle. You were used to the mistrust of the locals, even if they were in desperate need of your services. When she seemed embarrassed, you assured her it was all right. "You won't be the first nor the last to be suspicious. And, truth be told, you're not wrong. One can never be too careful."

She nodded, sipping the tea, still seeming uneasy. You waited patiently until she felt safe enough to share the reason for her visit, not rushing her in any way. Clearly, it was something very serious and possibly traumatic. In any case, you weren't in a hurry.

"All I say here shall never be heard by others, right?" She finally inquired after a few minutes, still avoiding your gaze.

You smiled assuredly, nodding.

"Of course not. Your troubles are your own. It concerns no other." You studied her with anticipation.

She sighed, covering her face in her hands, surrendering to violent sobs that made her entire body tremble. Your heart ached a bit, and you couldn't avoid feeling sorry for her.

"Allow me to help you, Nancy. What can I do to ease your pain?"

"Are you… are you acquainted with Jonathan Gray?"

You sighed. The Gray lad again, of course. He aimed high this time though, the daughter of the magistrate? What a scandal that would be.

"Many girls that come here have been bringing him up, lately. You seem to be the youngest one yet. Do you wish to tell me what happened?" Even if I already know the answer to that question, you completed mentally.

"My father threw a dinner party a few months ago, to celebrate my engagement with Peter Marcher. Jonathan Gray is one of his closest friends so, naturally, he was invited. My father and him happened to become close with the share of some values in common, so he started to frequent my house a lot more."

She stopped to gather her breath, cleaning her tears with a brisk wipe of her hand.

"One night, last month, my father invited him to stay for the night, since it was already rather late. He came to my chambers in the middle of the night, and… he forced himself onto me. Since then, I haven't got my blood. I'm ruined!" She covered her face again, her voice raising a few tones. "If it was only the… the act, that could be handled. But a child! He ruined me completely. I cannot have this baby, so one of the maids told me about you. I'll pay as much as you require. And the nightmares…” She grasped her head with both hands. “I'm begging you, just help me."

You instinctively held one of her hands, caressing her with tenderness and bringing her comfort. That poor child. Anger boiled in your chest, as an ocean in your veins. Something ought to be done about the Gray lad. You would take care of it.

"Fear not, my sister. You shall not be ruined. We will take care of that. As for Jonathan Gray, he will not be a problem for much longer."

Your tone went darker as you mentioned the lad, turning your back to Nancy as you started to gather some herbs to make her a tea to get rid of her problem.

"Do you have someone you trust to brew these herbs for you? I can deliver you the finished tea, but you would have to come here again to fetch it."

"I can handle it. Coming here once was already difficult. Just tell me what to do."

"Very well." You put the herbs on a glass pot, sealing it tightly. As you gave her the instructions to the tea, she already seemed more hopeful, nodding attentively.

After thanking you profusely, she turned to leave, but stopped on her tracks, avoiding facing you.

"What… What will you do to him? To Jonathan?"

You couldn't help but smile darkly, raising your chin with a dangerous look.

"Do not concern yourself with this matter anymore. All shall be dealt with. Blessed be, sister. Go home safe and in peace." You wished, stepping forward to shut the door, alone once more. A wicked little smile decorated your lips. You knew exactly what to do, even though it was one of the deeds that had been strictly forbidden by Sonja.

You would enter the domains of his dreams and make the nasty man pay for his doings.

***********************************

You felt your body light as a feather as you laid on the bed, closing your eyes and concentrating.

"In regna somniorum intrao, Jonathan Gray, somnia tua mea sunt." You repeated the Latin words for in the dream domain I enter, Jonathan Gray, your dreams are mine until you felt your conscience disconnected from your body, a dim image floating on the back of your brain.

You opened your eyes. The smell of wet dirt filled your nostrils, the warm sunlight bathing your skin. You breathed the clean air of the field, listening to the birds chirping happily. Again, rage made your blood boil. That poor girl was getting nightmares every night, and this foul creature was getting the sweetest of dreams. How was that fair?

You turned around to see Jonathan Gray laying down under a tree, no worries at all, staring at the horizon with a pensive look. You came closer, catching his attention with a seductive smile on your face, stopping right in front of him.

"Well, hello there. What is a pretty thing like you doing all alone here? These are dangerous fields, you know" he cooed, a foul, maleficent smile deforming his already unpleasant features.

You swallowed your own disgust, smiling wider.

"I've always bathed in this lake, so you're invading my safe place. But… if you wish so…" you began to untie your vestments, walking towards the water. "You may join me."

His eyes widened and, with a large smile, he started to get undressed.

Once both of you were completely bare, you pulled him by the hand to the warm waters of the dark lake, enjoying how already seduced and under your spell he was. It was perfect. How easy it would be to make sure Jonathan Gray never hurt anyone else.

"What is your name, my beauty?" He inquired, his hands traveling through your torso.

"You may call me that, in fact. My beauty."

"It certainly suits you." He moaned lightly when you licked his earlobe, biting it. "I simply must have you".

You chuckle slightly, holding his shoulders, your nails scratching the light skin.

"Yes? What would you do to make this happen?"

"Anything. Everything. Whatever you wish, my lady, it shall be yours. I'm your man"

"Indeed you are. Alright then, Jonathan. There is something I want. Would you grant me that wish?

You leaned in to lick his earlobe again, but this time, a snake tongue came out of your lips, the hissing noise startling him.

"My lady?" He inquired, pushing you lightly to look at your face, gasping at the sight of your now crimson eyes and sharp teeth.

"Die, Jonathan Gray" you commanded, and his body was pulled underwater even before he could scream, his lungs filling with the now iced water of the lake.

You didn't have time to rejoice in your doing, though. Everything turned black, the cold void swallowing you whole. You gasped as you looked around, trying to control your nerves.

"You dare to enter my realm uninvited?" A voice echoed through your ears, so loud you frowned a bit, holding your head. The energy and power of the being that addressed you made you instantly be aware of your terrible mistake. "You dare to use the Dreaming to your own affairs?"

As a whiplash jolted your body backwards, you felt yourself fall abruptly in your bed, gasping for air. What the hell was that? What happened?

You were not alone. There was a presence in your cottage, something that made your blood freeze in your veins. You raised your head, sitting back on the bed quickly once you realized a tall, dark haired man stared at you a few feet away. There was a raven on his shoulder, and it cawed, paying attention to you.

"Who are you? I demand you tell me your name!" You tried to look less scared and more frightening than you really were, but your voice betrayed you, crackling slightly.

The raven haired man stepped closer, looking, if possible, even more pale and menacing with your question, his eyes glowing in the dark. You realized he had blown all your candles.

"I have an arrangement with your kind, witch" he spit the title as he would do with a curse. His voice was deep, raspy, and you felt as if you'd heard it before, somehow. "The Dreaming is never to be used as a tool for your services, nor should you enter without a proper invitation of its ruler."

A long time ago, Sonja had told you about The Endless, anthropomorphic beings that ruled the domains responsible for the pillars of mankind. She said you were unlikely to ever encounter one of them someday, but they existed, so the witches owed them proper respect.

Big mistake, Y/n. Huge. You've angered the Dream Lord, one of the most powerful of the Endless.

"I understand my infraction, my lord. However, it didn't seem fair that a creature such as Jonathan Gray should have such lovely dreams while six girls from the village suffer with memories and nightmares caused by him." You tried to humble yourself a bit, but failed miserably, your tone getting slightly arrogant.

The Endless' eyes glowed even more, his voice feeling like daggers in your skin. You tried to control your breathing, the waves of power flowing through your chest, tingling your spine.

"Know your place, or I shall remind it to you" he commanded, chin lifting menacingly. "Are you suggesting how I should rule my own realm?

You hesitated, wanting badly to say yes, but aware of the possible consequences to your audacity.

"Lord Morpheus." A calm voice echoed through the cottage, and you saw Sonja cross the gateway, putting a large basket on the table and curtsying with elegance to the king of dreams. "Forgive my protégée. She's young and reckless, and only one of them I’m able to correct. As you know, a cradle witch might be a handful in early years."

"A cradle witch, you say?" He inquired, lifting one of his eyebrows, the most significant facial expression you've seen him display until that moment. "The first in many centuries."

"Indeed. So you understand how crucial she is to my kind, and how erratic they can be. I apologize profoundly for her misdemeanor, and I assure you that will not happen again."

You felt idiotic, as she was talking about a child throwing a tantrum. As if you weren't even there. You felt your temper begin to rise again and, before you could control yourself, you rambled once more.

"Jonathan Gray's been deflowering and violating women for the past months with no punishment, and you expect me to stand still and not defend my sisters in any way I can? Typical of a man, teaming up with your equals, Endless or not…"

You couldn't finish what you were saying, for a hard slap pushed you straight to the floor, blood flowing through your lips. You widen your eyes to Sonja, covering your mouth with your hand. She'd never hit you before.

"Silence, stupid child. Show Lord Morpheus some respect!" She hissed with fury, shocking you. That was the first time she'd ever been hostile.

A low hiss caught your attention, and your familiar, a black venomous snake called Kyrax, crawled up your body, resting on your neck, a silent warning to Sonja and anyone who dared to hurt you.

"It's okay, Kyrax. I'm fine" you assured, getting up with your legs trembling and shame making your cheeks flushed.

"I admire your passion." an unknown voice made you raise your ashamed gaze, staring at the raven. It spoke! It was a she! Her tone was kinder than anyone's there, and she seemed less likely to scold you and understand your side of the story. "However, there are rules that must be followed, Y/n."

You nodded once, raising your eyes only to her.

"I understand…"

"Jessamy."

"Jessamy. I understand, what I did wasn't right. And I apologize profoundly for it. Nevertheless, there's a young girl in pain and having terrible nightmares for the deeds of others, and I promised to help her. That 's all I want."

"I'll trust you to control your disciple in the future, McTavish." Lord Morpheus addressed to Sonja, nodding once to you. "And I hear your plea. Learn to be more humble on your requests, Y/L/N. I do not wish to come back to delegate you a punishment. As I said before, know your place."

You bit your tongue with so much strength so you wouldn't answer impolitely that you just curtsied with your head low, smiling to Jessamy only, receiving a soft caw in return. For a moment, however, you allowed yourself to take a proper look at the Endless face, parting your lips slightly with how beautiful he was. Now that you were staring at him without fear or your nerves striking in, he seemed to have a light of his own, the eyes that had the glow of a thousand stars, the dark, messy hair, the black attire, the albescent, almost marmoreal-like skin, the heart-shaped pink lips. Ethereal.

You realized you were staring for too long and lowered your eyes, a bold smirk in your lips. He seemed to fathom your cheekiness, but no expression ever showed. He simply nodded to you, but you could swear on your life you saw one of the corners of his lips slightly rise.

"Until we meet again, Y/L/N." He said in his deep voice and, before you could reply, he disappeared in a cloud of sand.

You turned to face Sonja, who still looked hopelessly mad.

"In my defense, she was fifteen, Sonja." Kyrax was still curled around your neck, eying Sonja with distrust. "Nancy Plath. You know her. She's a sweet girl."

"You were reckless, arrogant, selfish and childish. I'm very disappointed, Y/n."

"Wow, so many adjectives…"

"Hush now, girl! Do you have any idea of the danger we were in? One must never catch the attention of the Endless, have I not told you this many times?"

"You told me once, I must have forgotten." You replied with sarcasm, leaving the other witch paler with rage. "Sonja, I love you. You took care of me all those years, and I'm grateful. Truly."

You stepped in her direction with a menacing expression and a malicious little smirk.

"But touch me again and it will be the last time you'll have hands. Are we understood?"

Sonja raised her chin in an attempt of looking less preoccupied, but she was just a contract witch. You were a cradle one, much more powerful than she would ever be. You could wipe her from existence with a snap of your pretty fingers.

You turned around, going to your room, feeling very important with your threat.

"You should go out and harvest some chamomile, juniper, thyme… even some belladonna, if you must." She cooed in a condescending tone.

You faced her again, annoyed.

"Whatever for?"

"The nightmares you're about to have. The king of dreams and ruler of nightmares is rarely merciful." She smiled with irony.

You clenched your jaw, raising your chin with arrogance before leaving for your room. You wondered if she was right, though. For precaution, you made some spells for a nice night of sleep and drank some of the last remains of the lavender tea, laying down with expectations.

You didn't know about nightmares, but part of you were eager to see the dream lord again.

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breeofbree · 10 months

Text

You’re on

Temari x f!reader

Summary: friendly competition turns in to fluff.

She glared at me, eyes unblinking as her chopsticks scrape the bottom of her bowl of rice. I refuse to drop her gaze, quickly shoveling one last piece of meat and some rice in to my mouth as my eyebrows knit together. Temari only breaks our connection to lift the bowl unceremoniously to her face, allowing me to do the same.

“Done!” We shout in perfect unison as the bowls slam down against the table. Shikamaru groans, face against the table in boredom as Choji laughs,” it’s another tie. You guys are going to be at this all night.”

“My bowl hit the table first, you seen it… right Shikamaru?” Temari stammers out, slapping her hands against the table as she stands.

“Why are you asking me? I’m not even watching… such a drag.” Shikamaru huffs out, sliding his chair in place with his foot and quickly making his way to the exit of the barbecue restaurant.

“Choji is right, it was another perfect tie. Can we settle this with something other than food? This bill is starting to look like a house payment, and I can think of several places I’d rather be.” Ino mumbles out, scanning the receipt the waitress slipped at the end of the table. Mouth still full, I grab it to see the damage. I choke at the final price,” yeah. You’re right, I’ll grab the bill.”

“Please. It was my challenge so I’m paying.” Temari quips back, snatching it from my hands before her eyes bulge upon seeing the price.

“Temari, it’s fine. Just let me pay it since it was my stupid idea.” I answer, quickly pulling out cash from my side pouch. She rolls her eyes in reply, sliding the receipt back over before standing,” fine. But I choose the next challenge.”

“You’re only here for another night, why don’t you just relax and enjoy the hot springs or something?” Ino offers, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder while opening the door.

“Why don’t you join us Ino?” I pipe up, catching up to them on the street with Choji in tow.

“Honestly? No thanks. I don’t want to think of how you two will make it in to a challenge.” Ino chuckles out, already breaking from the group in front of the flower store before continuing,” besides, we have a wedding order we have to prepare for and looks like the shipment just came in.”

I look at the remaining two behind me after Ino quickly runs off in to the shop and locks the door,” Choji?”

“I wouldn’t be much company unless you care to talk across a wall the whole time we’re there. I’ll go see where Shikamaru is hiding.” Choji dryly excuses himself as he’s already walking away. As my eyes meet Temari’s, she quickly looks to the ground and takes a second to regain her cocky composure,” well don’t just stand there. Are you waiting for me to ask if we should race there or something?”

“No, maybe we should just enjoy it. I have a mission tomorrow anyway, and you have a long trek back to the sand.” I shyly huff out, scratching at the back of my head and awkwardly adjusting my headband. She nods stiffly, robotically shuffling towards the springs. The short walk was silent, casually stealing glances and looking for a sign of competition. After checking in and getting in to towels, I let the evening air welcome me as the door slides open to the outside. Heavy steam floats lazily over the springs as the lights illuminate from underneath. The sun tinges orange as the night time hum of crickets settles in to replace bird song. I breathe deep, closing my eyes and tilting my head to take in the serenity that’s quickly interrupted.

“It’s peaceful.” Temari whispers sidling your beside me, motioning with her head to reveal the springs were empty except us. I nod back, sitting against the rock ledge to dip my legs in the hot water,” yeah. I guess that’s rare when the two of us are together. She giggles back and joins me on the ledge,” I guess so. But I enjoy us together- the competition part… friendly rivalry and all.”

Temari clears her throat as her face turns red before biting her lip. I could’ve mistook her blush for the rising heat of the springs, but we weren’t even fully in.

“Yeah, I enjoy us together too… I enjoy having a reasonable competitor I mean.” I stammer out, adjusting my hand and accidentally bumping hers. We awkwardly laugh together as our hands fly away at the touch,”s-sorry! I’m just- tired?”

She smiles, dropping her hand back between us and leaning towards me,” I’m not even close to tired. Guess that means I might be more of a challenge than you think.”

I instinctively lean closer towards her, replacing my own hand on top of hers,” it’s easier when I let you win all the time. I just enjoy the look of happiness when you win.”

She sucks in her breath, gasping slightly,” y-yeah right. You’re just trying to catch me off guard is all. But it won’t work on me.”

Temaris hand quickly slides from beneath mine, inching closer towards my waist line as her eyes narrow. It was my turn to blush as her finger darts up to trace the hem of my towel as she continues,” or maybe you do have an infatuation with me like you claim…”

I quickly grip her hand with both of mine to stop her motion, setting both our hands in my lap as my heads drops,” listen. I like you… a lot. But if you’re just going to use that as an advantage I can’t lie when I say it would honestly break my heart, Temari. That’s why I hide it, I like how we are.”

Tamari’s voice catches in her throat as her body stills,” I’m not one to play on someone’s emotions unless it was for the good of my village or my allies. I seen what it does first hand with Gaara.”

“So then, what are we even doing right now, Temari?” I utter out, squeezing her hand slightly.

She takes several moments of silence before replying,” enjoying a peaceful moment… together.”

Temari drops her head softly on my shoulder, sighing deeply before a soft chuckle vibrates against me,” I have to admit, you hide your emotions very well, Y/N. I thought you truly hated me and you were out to prove you were better than me.”

I slowly rest my head on top of hers, catching soft notes of lavender and a sweet scent from fresh cactus,” I could never begin to hate you.”

A yawn quickly escapes me as my eyes droop and Temari is quick to follow,” Y/N, I like you. Maybe more than I should with how far apart we are.”

“Listen, distance is nothing. I can apply for more aid missions in the sand village or whatever. If that’s truly all you’re worried about… it’s nothing.” I sigh, snaking a hand around her back and up to stroke the top of her head, admiring how her hair looked down. She hums in content,” or you could just transfer to the sand village completely… or I could come here.”

“Gaara needs you, he is Kazekage and he needs your support. Let’s take our time, okay? We don’t have to rush things.” I reply, wondering if distance would truly be our demise. Temari’s hand curls around my waist as she nuzzles closer and giggles,” so you are smart sometimes.”

“Hey! That’s a low blow. Plus it’s not easy for me, you can’t exactly just leave the ANBU.” I remind her, half of me hoping she isn’t upset, and the other half excited I only had three missions left.

“You don’t have many missions left, what will you do afterwards?” She asks, yawning again.

“Probably what most do, become a sensei to the Genin so I still have income and pester you when I can.” I giggle back as her head tilts.

I watch her face contort from argumentative, to a heavenly sight. Her eye’s drooped peacefully, blonde hair clinging to her misted face and pink tinged cheeks. Lips plump, almost begging to be kissed. They beckoned harshly, and I couldn’t resist. Quickly leaning down to break the distance and feeling as her body stills before leaning fully in to mine, coincidentally sending us both in to the springs. A yelp sounds from Temari as we both sink below the surface. I break through, gasping for air and wiping the steaming water from my eyes and laughing. Temari is quick to follow, slowly fishing our completely soaked towels from below.

“Well… there goes our modesty on the way in.” She laughs, tossing them against the edge with a loud smacking noise. I huff a laugh and splash a handful of water against her,” please, you of all people worried about your modesty? You dragged me under on purpose!”

“How else am I supposed to watch you walk out in front of me naked without asking bluntly?” She quips back. I shrug my shoulders as she splashed me back,” all you have to do is ask.”

As I wipe the fresh water once again from my eyes, my lips are quickly met with hers once again. She lingers for several seconds, taking in all my senses as her hands trace random patterns against my back,” well next time I’ll make sure to just steal your clothes from your locker so I can see you in my clothes.”

“Is that a promise?” I fire back, pushing her down in to the water. We splash each other a few times, quickly interrupted by a dramatic groan,” I knew you two would make this in to a competition.”

“Ino!” We both scream in unison, quickly covering ourselves.

“Please, it’s a hot spring. No need for modesty you weirdos.” Ino scoffs, dropping her towel above our soaked ones without noticing. Temari groans, quickly followed by myself,” and now all three of us will have to walk back naked.”

Ino looks to her now drenched towel, quickly grimacing,” what did you two idiots even do?”

I circle my arm around Temari and pull her close, receiving an eyebrow raise from Ino,” it’s a long story.”

“I’ve got time.” She feigns a yawn of boredom, examining her nails and pointing her sight to a now beet red Temari. Her eyes widen in realization,” I knew it! Oh no! Did I interrupt a love confession?”

“No, no. That parts already over. You missed it.” I laugh while quickly being pulled in to Temari’s body, one hand behind me and the other clamping over my mouth,” alright you two! Enough gossip for tonight. Don’t go running your mouth to anyone just yet, Ino.”

Temari throws a threatening glance as Ino just shrugs,” who do you expect me to tell anyways, Sakura? No thanks. Shikamaru and Choji are deaf ears regardless unless it’s about Shogi or food. It’s our little secret… for now.”

“So a more pressing matter… who wants to walk naked inside to grab more towels?” I giggle out, breaking the tense air Temari is giving off. Ino rises, letting the shifting water lap against her before she turns to us,” you two worry about covering your bodies but don’t bat an eye while making absolute fools of yourselves in the middle of the village… I just don’t get it.”

As she saunters inside, stark naked and hiding nothing, I turn to Temari and smile mischievously,” one last kiss before we part ways?”

She pecks my lips quickly, smiling back,” one for now, one for when I wake up in the morning next to you.”

Fighting for love was one thing, but a love for fighting is what drove us crazy for each other, and I loved the thought of fighting with her for years to come… playfully of course.

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