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#the angle is hilarious though because
todayisafridaynight · 11 months
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As someone who has been putting Mine and Jo (well, specifically RGGJo, but the premises still apply) in Situations since 2020… It is exceptionally hard to get them in the same room but with the power of mental illness we can make it happen.
Mine started out by poaching more profitable families from under their umbrella organizations, right? The Arakawa Family has always been fairly well-off for a third-tier family (if Masato's allowance is any indication), particularly compared to the Nishikiyama Family who weren't bringing in any profit at all, and Mine has pretty good instincts in terms of sussing out potential.
So it would be worth dropping by the office (probably to get turned away with Yet Another Lecture about codes of honor, Arakawa's pretty old-school). But. You know. Jo Would Be There. I feel like Jo may have considered it a missed opportunity in terms of the family's prosperity (though it's not like he can speak over Arakawa), since Mine's terms are insanely good from a business point of view, although it ultimately proves to be for the best when the Nishikiyama Family and Hakuho Clan dissolve.
On the other hand, very fun to think about what Mine would be in for if he attempted to blackmail them into submission As Per Usual, or what he'd even be able to dig up if he pulled out all stops and looked into them.
Mine does have a tendency to make way more enemies than friends, too, so maybe someone puts a hit on him and the Arakawa Family (i.e. Jo) is assigned to it. The Only Thing That Can Kill Mine Is Himself (Allegedly) so it wouldn't work out, obviously, but it would be epic… Mine could take him…
Or say Mine recovers from Dying and wants to disappear. The whole homeless quarter thing's a "secret," but the Arakawa Family must have some kind of reputation if people specifically go to them to start their new lives. They could be the ones to ship him off to Yokohama. I've always said that plot point makes it so pretty much any dead character could be brought back if it's believable enough that they could know about the Arakawas.
Hell, Mine didn't HAVE to join the Nishikiyama Family, they were just the first "in" he could find and he stumbled upon them basically by accident. It could've been any family. And perhaps if he joined the Arakawa Family instead, his quest for bonds could've had a bit less heartbreak… one or two new dads who're soft on him because he reminds them of their son… Jo wouldn't have anything to complain about either, Mine'd be the top earner for sure…
Or they just happen to be the two guys at the Poppo who happen to be tall enough to look over the shelves and they spend the whole time avoiding eye contact and then never meet again.
Many such scenarios…
with the power of mental illness literally anything is possible and i know now without a doubt this is SO TRUE
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muwapsturniolo · 4 months
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✯FreshLove for the Fit✯
pt1
Summary: Y/N decides to DM Chris after receiving threats and things start to escalate between the two.
Warnings: NSFW content, swearing, mentions of jerking off, titties are mentioned, dildos, masturbation.
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Y/N was dying of laughter.
Two days ago, one of her favorite content creators decided to go on a spam spree and like all of her posts. She was confused, to say the least, then she became flattered.
Now here she is, full-on cackling as she reads the hate comments she's receiving.
12-year-old girls' calling her all types of names and sending death threats, all because Chris Sturniolo was most likely jerking off to her?
It's hilarious.
She starts laughing even harder when she realizes Chris unfollowed her and unliked all of her posts.
She decides to mess with him a little bit and sends a DM on Instagram
Y/I/N
yo, your fans are cray asf. you need to tell them to leave me tf alone.
Chris's heart dropped when he saw the notification. Y/N was DM'ing him? He hesitantly clicks on the notification and his mouth runs dry when he sees what she said.
He felt like shit.
He isn't dumb, he saw what some of the fans were saying to her online. He thought it was crazy they were sending death threats to her because he was horny and dumb. He decides to respond back.
Christophersturniolo
i feel like shit for the stuff they are saying to and about you. it's not fair at all and I'm sorry.
Y/I/N
LMAO, im playing with you. ion care about these little ass girls. they mad at me because you were horny and jerked your shit to me. shit is funny.
Chris can't help but sigh, and laugh in relief. He really didn't want Y/N to be mad at him.
Christophersturniolo
fuck you had me scared. I'm glad you're handling this well though.
Y/I/N
lmao, i can handle myself very well thank you
Chris finds himself being bold behind a screen.
Christophersturniolo
i like the way you handle yourself.
Y/N smiles and turns onto her stomach, kicking her feet as if she's a schoolgirl texting her crush.
Y/I/N
so i take it you like my content?
She knows he likes it, but she wants to see him admit it. Y/N was a bit cocky, she knows she's pretty as fuck, has a nice body, and that her content is one of the best.
She just likes hearing people say it.
Christophersturniolo
love it actually
Y/I/N
tell me what you love about it.
Christophersturniolo
i love that you wear my brand as your getting off. the way you tweak your nipples through the shirts as you shove the dildo into yourself, chasing an orgasm. i love the way your moans are soft yet so loud at the same time. Don't get me started on your thighs, id love to be in between them all day.
Both of them are staring at their phones, bodies shaking as they take deep breaths. this conversation took a turn none of them were expecting.
Chris can't believe he's talking to a CamGirl who could actually expose this whole conversation.
Y/N can't believe she's even talking to Chris. Hell, she barely has wrapped her head around the fact he enjoys her content.
Christophersturniolo
what would you say if i wanted you to call me
Y/I/N
i would tell you to check my stories tab for prices.
Not even five minutes later, Y/N gets a cash app notification for $200 with the message
"FT me and wear FreshLove."
There's a phone number attached and Y/N is shocked. Her FT prices are only $130 but he sent $200.
She copies the number before pasting it into the Facetime log and pressing the call button.
It rings three times before Chris picks up.
"They look good," both of them think to themselves.
Chris is wearing a pink hoodie that makes Y/N go feral on the inside. Pink is one of her many favorite colors and to see him looking so good laid out in it, she's clenching her legs. It doesn't help that his camera angle is low. She wonders if that's what he would like while his dick is in her throat.
Y/N is in fact wearing FreshLove just like Chris asked (it was more so a demand but that's not the point), and he's trying to contain himself. It was obvious the pink shirt may be a size too small considering it was hugging her chest tightly, allowing her pierced nipples to peak through. His mind is running wild as he imagines fucking her while she's decked out in his brand.
"Hi,"
Chris is shocked when he hears the tone of her voice. He doesn't know what he was expecting, but he didn't expect something so soft and dainty. No wonder her moans sound the way they do.
"Hey..." Chris responds.
"What did you want to call for?" for some reason, Chris is too shy to admit the real reason he wanted to call. How do you tell a girl you only wanted to Facetime, in hopes she fucks herself on her pink dildo so he can jerk off.
"I don't know."
Y/N tilts her head to the side as she looks at him, "I think you know you're just too scared to say it." Her words are taunting,
Chris doesn't like it.
"Not scared to admit anything. I just figured you wouldn't like me telling you to go ahead and grab that pink dildo and fuck yourself for me. I was raised to be a gentleman after all." Chris smirks seeing Y/N get shy. Although her skin is brown, he can tell there's a faint reddish tint to them.
He keeps going, "Don't act all shy, like you don't post yourself online doing the same thing. After all that is how I found you."
Y/N likes being degraded. It's one of the many kinks she has.
"But I won't have you do that, I want to get to know you first."
Y/N is shocked. usually, when she does these calls, the guys automatically demand that she strip and start playing with herself. Although this whole interaction will be transactional, it's a breath of fresh air for her.
The call continues, both of them laughing and talking for more than an hour. The conversations jump from topic to topic. One minute they are talking about music (Y/N was shocked when Chris hadn't heard of Jorja Smith), favorite foods, and movies.
Suddenly Y/N asks a question that's been on her mind, " Why did you send $200 when the price was $130?"
"Because I wanted to" he answers so quick and nonchalantly, it surprises Y/N.
"But you didn't have to, especially if we didn't do anything sexual." When Y/N looks back at her phone, she sees a smirk made its way across Chris's face.
"I have a proposition for you."
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i actually hate this so much but i did want to put out a second chapter 😭 let me know if yall like it or what you want to happen. im very open to suggestions!!!
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lackadaisycats · 1 year
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I tried to answer this succinctly, but it turned into an essay. (Sorry.)
The Princess and the Frog was not accurate, strictly speaking, but dinging it for that would be like criticizing the Lion King for not being a realistic wildlife documentary. Accuracy wasn't really the point. Given the fantastical elements and fictional nations like “Maldonia”, I suppose we're meant to understand this as a bit removed from the real New Orleans. It's more a a jazz-flavored fairy tale than a historical fiction.
But for discussion's sake....
Is it fashion-accurate to its 1926 timeframe? Ehhh, sort of. It pays homage to 20s fashion trends with cloche hats, furs and feathery headpieces, but without fully committing to it. The waistline on almost all of Tiana's clothing is too high for the 20s, and the the shapes of her fancier costumes take a lot of liberties, or deviate wildly from the style of the period.
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In the 20s, dresses (including workaday stuff) tended to have a straight up-and-down shape to it - kind of a low-waisted rectangle that de-emphasized curves instead of highlighting them. There are valid reasons to play fast and loose with that, though (something I’m definitely guilty of as well). One of those reasons is communication. 
For instance, speculatively, the filmmakers wrote Tiana as a hard-working waitress and wanted her to look the part, so they made the choice to clothe her in something familiar - that gingham dress of mid-century shape that we broadly associate with diner waitresses. Actual waitress uniforms of the 20s had a fair bit of overlap with maid uniforms at the time too, and I can see why they wouldn't want to risk the confusion. It's more important to communicate clearly with the larger audience than to appease a small faction of fashion nerds who'd notice or care about the precision.
I don't think it's a case of the designers failing to do their research - I'm sure they had piles of references, and maybe even consultants - but they also had to have priorities.
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With her hat and coat on, she looks a lot more 1920s-shaped.
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Pretty consistently, the indication of the characteristic 1920s drop waist is there, but the approach otherwise ignores the 20s silhouette. The clothes hug the body too much. This may be about appealing to a 2000s audience, visually speaking, but also could be an animation thing. Maybe both. For practical reasons, clothes in 2d animation are usually more a sort of second skin than something that wears or behaves like realistic fabric.
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These are not in the 1920s ballpark at all. Tiana's blue gown looks like your basic Disney brand invention. Strapless things would have been extremely unusual and the overall shape is far out of step. Excusable, I guess, because it's a costume in context. Charlotte looks like she’s heading for a mimosa brunch in a modern maxi dress.
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Charlotte's princess dress did seem to be calling back to the ultra-wide pannier side hoops of the 18th century - something that made a reappearance for part of the 20s, albeit in much milder form called robe de style. I'm not sure if the filmmakers were alluding to that at all, really, but either way, her dress is hilarious.
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They only went about halfway with the cloche hats. The 1920s cloche really encapsulated the cranium, almost entirely covered bobbed hair, and obscured much of the face from certain angles, so it's easy to see why they've been somewhat reined in for the film. Still, it ends up looking more 1930s, where the hats started to recede away from the face, evolving in the direction of the pillbox.
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Similarly, Tiana's hair is not very reminiscent of the bobbed, close-to-the-cranium style of the period, but I think that could legitimately be written off as characterization. She's not at all the type of person who'd fuss about going à la mode. Not everyone bobbed and finger-waved their hair.
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The clothes Prince Naveen is introduced in are very 1920s collegiate in spirit - the wide-leg oxford bags, the sleeveless pullover sweater, the flat cap, and high, stiff collar. The ukulele and banjolele were pretty trendy instruments at the time too.
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Definitely some Josephine Baker vibes here. Also, the look of this whole fantasy sequence was reportedly inspired by the works of Aaron Douglas, a luminary painter of the Harlem Renaissance known for his depictions of the lives of African-Americans. (The mural is in Topeka, Kansas.)
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They pretty much nailed the Art Deco. It's gorgeous. Looks somewhat inspired by the interiors of some of the Ralph Walker-designed NYC architecture, plus some French Quarter balcony flair for the final manifestation of Tiana's Place. Her dress here does resemble some gauzy mid-1920s looks, too.
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Culturally speaking...
New Orleans is an unusual place. Because some of the colonial Spanish and French laws and conventions that New Orleans evolved under persisted even after its inception into the United States; because it was such a heterogeneous hub of indigenous and immigrant peoples; and because it had a considerable population of free people of color (mostly Creole), it did not function quite like the rest of the South leading up to the Civil War, nor for a while after. Its particular coalescence of cultures made it its own unique sort of culture within the country, within the region, within the state of Louisiana even. By the early 20th century, though, regardless of the not-very-binary nature of New Orleans, Jim Crow laws were enforcing a literal black-and-white distinction, and not an evenhanded one, by far. In that aspect, the city had begun to resemble the rest of the South.
The film nods at the wealth disparity, but goes on to paint a pretty rosy picture of race and class relations at the time. Still it's not unbelievable that some people were exceptions to the rules. You could probably find a few compartments of old New Orleans society that resisted segregation or certain prejudicial norms, preferring to do things their own way. That aside, the film wasn't trying to confront these topics. Not every piece of media should have to. Sometimes breaking away from miserable period piece stereotypes is refreshing. I'm not sure it could have handled that meaningfully given the running time, narrow story focus, and intended audience, anyhow. (But you could perhaps also make a case that family films habitually underestimate younger audiences in this way.)
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Raymond the firefly I guess is the film's Cajun representation. There's not much to say about it, except perhaps to note that Evangeline is a reference to the heroine of a Longfellow poem of the same name. The poem is an epic romance set during the expulsion of the Acadians from the eastern provinces of Canada and the northernmost reaches of the American colonies (now Maine) by the British in the mid-1700s. Many exiled Acadians gradually migrated south to francophone-friendly Louisiana, settling into the prairies and bayous, where 'Acadian' truncated into the pronunciation 'Cajun'. Evangeline - who is only finally reunited with her love when he’s on his deathbed - has become an emblem of the heartbreak, separation and faithful hope of that cultural history, and there are parishes, statues and other landmarks named after the her throughout Louisiana.
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Voodoo does have a very historical presence in New Orleans, having arrived both directly from West Africa and by way of the Haitian diaspora (where it would more properly be called Vodou). While I don't think Disney's treatment of it was especially sensitive or serious, it also wasn't the grotesquely off-base sort of thing that media of the past has been known to do. It was largely whittled down to a magical plot component, but it wasn't so fully repurposed that it didn't resemble Voodoo at all either - and that's mostly owing to the characters, because it does appear the writers pulled from history there.
It’s apparently widely held that Dr. Facilier is a Baron Samedi caricature - and likely that's true, in part - but I have the impression he's also influenced by Doctor John. Not the 20th century funk musician, but the antebellum “Voodoo King” of New Orleans. Doctor John (also called Bayou John, Jean La Ficelle, and other aliases) claimed to be a Senegalese prince. He became well known as a potion man and romance-focused prognosticator to people from all corners of society. Though highly celebrated and financially successful at his peak, he seems ultimately remembered as an exploitative villain.
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To my recollection, the film sort of gingerly avoids referring to Facilier as a Voodoo practitioner directly (I think he's more generically called a witch doctor in the script?) but it does seem to imply his 'friends on the other side' are a consortium of loa. It's mostly abbreviated into nebulously evil-seeming special FX, glazing over any specificity or dimensionality, but it does also loop back around as a vehicle of moral justice. Loa are all very individualistic and multi-faceted, but they do have reciprocal rules for asking favors of them.
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There's also the benevolent counterpart in Mama Odie's character. Her wearing ritual whites has a definite basis in Voodoo/Vodou practice, and her depiction as a fairy godmother-like figure isn't entirely out of step with how a mambo may have been perceived...in a very general sense. They were/are ceremonial leaders and community bastions who people would seek out for help, advice and spiritual guidance. More than just emanating matronly good vibes, though, some have wielded considerable political and economic power.
(Just my opinions here. I've done a lot of reading on the subject for research but I'm no authority with any special insider understanding of Voodoo, and I really shouldn't be relied upon as an arbiter of who has or hasn't done it justice in fiction.)
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In summary--
Culturally, I think the film is respectably informed but paints a superficially genteel picture. The set pieces are gorgeous, but the story mostly delivers a sort of veneer of New Orleanishness. And as for fashion, well, it’s the 1920s run through a Disney filter. It’s very pretty, but it’s only as proximally accurate as seemed practical.
I don’t know that any of that really matters so much as whether or not it achieved what it intended, though. As a charming yarn and as a tribute to New Orleans and the Jazz age, I think it’s mostly successful. It’s also really beautifully animated!
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shiggybrainr0t · 4 months
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i was going through @willowser writing tag and reading all their stuff, as one does, and found their response to how bakugo would react whenever you tell him about a creepy guy and it got me thinking….yall know that tiktok trend about the fake Dimitri voicemail 💀 this turned out to be 90% domestic katsuki and only 10% him responding to a creepy guy so I’m sorry 😞
divider made by @cafekitsune 🖤
warnings: one fake creepy guy, comment about abuse and anxiety (not from bakugo)
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Whenever you walk inside your shared apartment, you make sure to school your face into one of neutrality. You feel like you should know better than to do something like this, but Denki got this little prank into your mind and said he would give you 3,000 yen if you actually did it and well- who are you to turn that down.
Katsuki is sprawled shirtless on your couch, sweatpants hanging dangerously low on his hips as he snoozes with his arms behind his head. He makes the couch look hilariously tiny, with the way one leg is hanging off the edge and the other is bent just so his torso will fit. You can tell he has just taken a shower by the way his hair is a couple shades darker than normal and sticking about in odd ways. Seeing him there makes you forget about what you were set on doing, and you gaze at his golden form for a minute until you shifting has the floor creaking and one of his eyes opening lazily.
You know that he knew you were here the moment your keys jingled outside the door, but it was you not coming over and immediately plopping on top of him like usual that prompts him to make a grabby hand in your direction, a soft scowl on his face as you continue to stand there.
“Why’re you just standing there?”
His rumbling, sleepy voice breaks you out of your stupor and you continue on your journey towards your boyfriend. Unceremoniously, you drape yourself over his form, making him grunt at the impact even though he was expecting it. It’s muscle memory the way your legs tangle with his, and the way one strong arm wraps around you to grip at the squishy part of your side, all insecurities long lost in the safety of his arms.
His scent surrounds you, the smell of caramelized sugar and his body wash filling your senses, making you wiggle up to place your nose into the crook of his neck. You sniff loudly, giggling when he palms your face to push you away.
“Fuckin’ weirdo.”
After settling, you both bask in each other’s presence for a little while. You’re content to end the evening like this, until Denki’s stupid face flashes through your mind. Nonchalantly, you start to trace little patterns on Katsuki’s smooth chest, saying his name softly. At his responding hum, you start telling your tale.
“You know we have a new neighbor downstairs….” He doesn’t reply, only adjusting his grip on you slightly and raising one blonde eyebrow whenever you look up at him.
“Well, his name is Dimitri and he isn’t from here. He seemed a little lost, and he doesn’t really know anybody yet, so I gave him my number in case he needed help.”
“…..I don’t like where this is going.” Katsuki looks down at you, giving himself a double chin because of the angle. Annoyingly, he’s still gorgeous.
Put on, you sigh and trace “I love you” lightly into his skin. You know he got it, because he buries his nose into your hair and kisses your forehead in response.
“He started calling me a lot, even after I told him I had a boyfriend who could snap him in half-“
“Fuck yeah I could.”
“-and he left me this voicemail that was weird.”
You trail off, and at his raised eyebrows and slight shake of his head saying “well?” grab your phone and pull up the video Denki sent you, making sure the screen isn’t visible and press play.
The grainy sound of a voicemail fills the space, “Dimitri’s” voice starting up quickly.
“It’s Dimitri again. I left you a message a couple days ago. Now here’s the way I work: I don’t like leaving second messages.”
Your boyfriend’s jaw drops slightly at the sudden change of tone in Dimitri’s voice.
As “Dimitri” begins to tell you all his attributes, Katsuki’s face begins to screw up. The list of why “Dimitri” is an amazing guy and why he should be your boyfriend is a long one, and you can see Katsuki becoming more and more irritated as the voicemail continues.
“I’m giving you until 3 o’clock to return my call. I can understand if you’ve got some other issues…like maybe you were abused or you have an anxiety disorder and you’re on medicine for that-“
A warm and calloused hand engulfs yours to turn your phone off. Katsuki gently shoves you off of him, standing up and stretching lightly before turning to you.
“What apartment is he in again?” Your shocked face makes him turn around, quickly putting on some slippers and forgoing a shirt to step out of your apartment and into the hallway.
“I’ll find it.”
He’s already down the hall, bare back tense and cocking his head to the side as he jabs at the elevator buttons whenever you make it off the couch and out the door.
An apartment down, your neighbor perks up when she hears your voice, and goes to peek out her door. Where you are, your hunk of a boyfriend isn’t far behind.
“Kat-Katsuki it was a prank!”
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impishjesters · 6 months
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Hello it's me again 🤞🏻 do ya think you can do Jax with a so who is like demon/angel who depending on what their doing they change into demon/angel or a mix of both?
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Jax with a demon/angel s/o
warning(s): insults (affectionately?), insults (not affectionately) note(s): The non-affectionate insult is someone else, it's not intended to be anyone in specific, though it's not really an insult in my opinion I figured it was fair warning. (I kind of just wanted the situation itself that came with it.) A/N: Ooo nice, its giving Sun/Moon from FNAF, I like that ;D
Jax thinks both appearances are cute (which isn’t saying much, he claims a lot of stuff is cute but at least this sounds more genuine)
It also gives him twice the ammo for pet/nicknames.
“Well, would you look at that? Angels do exist, unfortunate that they look like you though.” (relationship or not, you are not spared, but it’s got less venom than his usual cracks)
“You look like you crawled right outta hell, rough night?” (how flattering Jaxy)
He likes to see what causes you to switch between the two.
So far, being grossly nice to everyone (including him), and kind acts like helping the gang of idiots (yes, including him) usually result in the more angelic-like form.
Partaking in pranks with him or other nefarious things usually results in a more demonic-like form.
However, he is curious if that’s unintentional or something you are willing to choose to do.
Like was that just some weird part of your character in here, or something you consciously could change and it just so happened to be very on-brand?
What does throw him off is that weird hybrid of the two that has popped up on occasion. It’s a little weird to look at but it’s… cool, he guesses.
Jax has stated that if the two of you could dress up for Halloween, he’d wanna be the angel. Which is hilarious because that is the absolute last fuckin thing he is.
If you say that he’ll give you a shit-eating grin and say something like “What are you talking about? I’m as innocent as an angel.”
“If an angel crawled out of hell, sure.”
Out of curiosity, he’s definitely tried to remove your halo from your person to see if it’s permanently attached or not.
If it is he’ll only slightly flinch at the yelp you let out, but if it’s not attached you bet your sweet ass he’ll be plucking it away at random times and probably wearing it like a bracelet.
Which honestly is kind of cute if you think about it, he’s got a little piece of you with him if you’re actually able to part with it.
On top of that, you can definitely annoy him by playing ring toss with his ears. He’ll make it more difficult by moving them at angles that make it harder for the halo to catch.
One time he forgot all about the halo dangling on his ear and someone thought it’d be funny to ask him “what that stupid thing on his ear” was.
He’s annoyed because he was damn well sure he threw the thing back at you. But now he’s also more annoyed that someone brought you into this and called your halo dumb. (they didn’t call it dumb he’s overreacting)
Though realistically he doesn’t care about your halo, he’s just annoyed someone called any part of you dumb (again, nobody said that sweetie), even if it was true—ahem, said affectionately, he’s the only one allowed to call you dumb (affectionately)
In retaliation to subjecting him to the ring toss games, if you have a tail or something as a demon he’ll intentionally step on it. (not often though)
On the topic of tails, he’ll occasionally play with it, though if you have full control of it you’ve definitely tripped him up a couple of times.
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halfvalid · 7 months
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kitten
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ABOUT
alternate title: the pet name 'kitten' is gross when used by men but it's cute when a woman nami says it
rating: general audiences
characters: live action!nami | fem!reader | live action!roronoa zoro
pairing: live action!nami x fem!reader
word count: 4.4k
description: nami is aware you've got a crush on one of the straw hats, and she's determined to find out who—but she's completely oblivious to the fact that you actually like her.
tags: strawhat!reader, female reader, fluff, kissing, confessions, no use of “y/n”, pet name "kitten", banter, absolutely tooth rotting amounts of fluff, a little bit of (affectionate) zoro slander
author’s note: i interrupt your regularly scheduled zoro fic posts to provide you with a sapphic nami oneshot instead because she is my wife and i love her dearly.
zoro accidentally popped up a bit too much in this because he's always on my mind. my apologies <3
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You’d always liked astronomy. The current-world navigation had nothing to do with the stars, really; at least not when it came to the Grand Line. Unnatural magnetic fields and the odd weather was reason enough for that—but celestial navigation wasn’t even often used in any of the four quadrants. Too finicky, people would say; you know the practice had stopped being in use in the Marines years ago. 
Nami knew it all, though. She was the only one of the Straw Hats who could read the stars, the sky spreading out as a map that only her eyes could read. 
Your interest in it had always been more… artistic. While Nami babbled on about angles and reference points and sextants, you liked to talk about the planets and heavenly bodies blanketing the sky. It was dusk, and the sun was kissing the horizon good night, dull hues of pink and orange spreading alongside the sea with a golden shimmer as it tucked safely away. 
You’d been lying out on the main deck for a good few hours, stretched like a cat along a hammock you’d strung up forever ago, when you heard footsteps. 
“There you are, kitten,” Nami said with a laugh, and you sat up to appraise her. The evening glow cast fire to her orange hair, a blazing halo surrounding her head and painting her skin over in gold dust. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” 
“Hi,” you said with a soft smile. “What for?” 
“Well, for one, you missed supper.” Nami gingerly took a seat on the side of your hammock, the canvas cloth rocking from side to side with the motion. “Avoiding your crush again?” 
You let out a sigh, half-exasperated as your bottom lip sucked in between your teeth. You nibbled at the flesh there, not responding. Nami had figured out a few weeks ago that you had a crush on one of the other Straw Hats, and she brought it up every so often, although all it did was cause a crease in your brow bone and a flicker of annoyance on your face. 
“What, am I not supposed to bring that up?” Nami teased. The light shone in her crystal blue eyes, clear like the sky during midday, not a cloud in sight. “You still haven’t told me who it is.” 
“Because you’ll pull something if I do!” you protested. “Don’t try to deny it, you conniving little witch.” 
Nami gasped in mock-offense, a hand plastered to her chest. “And destroy your dignity like that? I would never.” 
“I don’t trust you,” you answered, and Nami clicked her tongue. “What did Sanji make?” 
“Fish. Soup. Rice.” 
“You’re so undescriptive,” you said with a wrinkle of your nose. Nami just laughed. 
“Not everyone can be as artistic as you, kitten. Come on, everyone left the kitchen already. You don’t have to worry about running into your mystery man.” She winked at the last sentence, and your breath caught. Nami seemed to notice, because she laughed, stepping up from the hammock and grabbing your hand to help you off. “You’re hilarious.” 
“I didn’t say anything!” you protested. Nami just gave you a look, and you rolled your eyes, but let her drag you along the ship until you reached the kitchen. “You’re so mean to me,” you said, slumping into the nearest chair available. 
“Mhm. Here.” Nami started serving up a plate, loading it full of food before passing it over to you. It was quickly joined by a bowl of soup. “Eat. We’re docking tomorrow, so you should get your energy up. We’re going shopping.” 
“Shopping for what?” you asked, bringing the bowl of soup to your lips. Seaweed. “If you say rope and boat parts I’m going to scream.” As much as you liked the pirate life, there was only so much of the technicalities you could take. You weren’t very much a practical soul, lumped in very much with Luffy when it came to your general attitude of your job description. Pirating consisted of adventure and art, in your opinion. 
“Rope and boat parts,” Nami said with a straight face. She’d always been the exact opposite, all focused on maps and making sure everything was running smoothly. “Well, only partly. I’ve been sent to go clothes shopping too. And to pick up a few other supplies.” Her eyes sparkled. “You’re coming with me, right? Well, unless you want to join your…” 
“Shut up,” you said, making a face at her as you set your bowl down. Nami just laughed. 
“Just putting it out there, kitten. I’m sure you might be more interested in going with Usopp to talk to the stevedores. Or Zoro to the local tavern. Or Sanji for the—” 
“Nope, nope, and nope. I’m going with you,” you said firmly. There was a whisper of a smile at your lips, but Nami didn’t seem to notice it. “And I still don’t get why I’m a kitten.” 
“Because,” Nami answered, propping her elbows on the table as she gazed over at you. “I’m the cat burglar. You’re the kitten.”
“Why isn’t Luffy the kitten?” 
“Luffy’s the captain, and I don’t like him as much.” Nami straightened, starting to clean up around the kitchen and load the abandoned dishes from when everyone else had eaten into the sink. You smiled at that. “You don’t like him, do you? I feel like you could do so much better.” 
“My lips are sealed,” you answered. Nami gave you a sidelong look.
“That better not be a yes.” 
You just shrugged, raising the bowl of soup again and finishing the rest of it before turning to the rice and fish. “Let’s not talk about it. What about you? Any romantic prospects—” 
Nami turned so abruptly you almost choked while eating. “I just barely started learning how to make friends. Maybe we wait a few months before we get to that,” she said. You coughed, palm pressed to your lips as you cleared out your airways.
“Okay. Aggressive.”
Nami scowled. “That was not aggressive.” 
You pulled a face. “Kinda sounds like you have something to hide, Nami,” you teased, and although you didn’t actually expect her to react, she did. To your surprise, Nami turned away again, the very edges of her face pinkening. You stared at her, heartbeat slowing to a steady thud in your chest. There was a faint taste of panic at the back of your throat, slightly sour and acidic like blood or rust. “Um, what was that?” 
“What was what?” Nami asked evenly. Too evenly. You gaped at her back, organs wobbling precariously inside of your chest. 
“That—thing.” 
“Kitten, if you want me to understand what you’re talking about, you’re going to have to be a little clearer than that,” Nami said smoothly. “Now it’s getting dark. You should get to bed. Last chance to shove yourself with your crewmate of choice.” 
“I’m still going with you,” you said stubbornly, shoveling the last of your rice in your mouth before slipping off your chair. You moved around the table, setting your bowl and chopsticks into the sink. “You want me to do them?” you asked, nodding at the dirty dishes that’d piled up. Nami shook her head.
“Go sleep,” she said gently. “I’ll get you in the morning.” 
You watched her for a moment, lips twisting before you finally relented. “Night, Nami,” you said, and she turned away. You were safe there for a moment, admiring how the soft backlit glow from the windows etched shadows along her face. She really was beautiful, and your heart thudded fast in your chest. 
Nami was the strongest person you knew. The smartest person you knew. The Straw Hats wouldn’t be the same without her, and sometimes you found it funny how she seemed so convinced you had a crush on one of the other members of the crew when it was so obvious that she was your north star. 
Ah, well. She’d just have to keep on guessing. 
Nami woke you at the crack of dawn, where the hazy rays of the sun just started rising up from the sea shore. You’d traveled to shore while asleep, and everyone was already up and running. 
“Luffy left already,” Nami was saying, tying a bandana around her head as you gathered up the rest of the supplies you needed. “And we’ll probably spend the whole day out, so we can get lunch in the village.” She eyed you. “I packed breakfast. Come on.” 
You followed her off the ship, savoring the early morning wind along the harbor. The dock men were all already hard at work, milling around the dozens of boats with tools and equipment propped on their shoulders. “Where to first?” you asked. 
“Boat parts,” she said, casting you a sympathetic smile. “Some rope, extra sails, some other stuff. After that I’m thinking groceries—I put Sanji in charge of bulk stock this time, so just stuff like soap and necessities—and then clothes.” She grinned. “And some fun stuff.” 
“Sounds good to me,” you said. Nami did most of the talking, but you were content to watch her barter, leaning back on your heels as she argued with sellers and eventually left with a satisfied smirk on your face. She hired some of the dock men to carry the ropes and items to the Going Merry, looking her arm in yours and going off to your next stop. 
“You know, you’re basically stealing from them like this,” you told her, a smile evident in your voice. “Forty-five thousand berry to thirty thousand. That’s actually terrifying.” 
“I said take it or leave it and he took it.” Nami shrugged, but you could see a beam of pride shine through her face. “But enough of that. The market’s up ahead.” 
The entire village seemed to have been brought out, because true to Nami’s words, there was a fair going on. Stalls boasting all kinds of wares lined the streets, and you peeked through all of them, even at Nami’s urges to hurry up and focus only on your shopping list. She watched you with a soft smile on her lips, the expressions interlaced with ones of exasperation. 
“I should’ve just picked a random man and carted you off with him,” she said with a click of her tongue as you spent far too much time glancing through a stand of knick-knacks and jewelry. “Currently either Zoro or Sanji are my top contenders.” 
You barely suppressed a snort, fingers carefully combing through a bowl of baubles. There were various items inside, from earrings missing a sister to pins and little statuettes. “How come?” 
“Usopp has Kaya, so I would hope you don’t like him,” Nami said. You raised an eyebrow, glancing up to meet her gaze. 
“Kaya’s all the way back in Syrup Village, Nami. She can’t do anything, and who knows when we’ll return there?”
Nami gave you a horrified look. “Kitten, that’s a terrible thing to say.” 
You just laughed, dropping your gaze again and picking at the bowl. There was a dull gleam of something at the bottom; it wasn’t gold or brass like anything else there, and was instead a shining, milky white. You dug through the pile, trying to get to it. “You’re such a romantic.” 
“Does that mean it is Usopp?” 
“I do not confirm nor deny a thing,” you said, finally plucking out what had captured your attention. It was a necklace, the pendant a glittering star on a gold chain. “And I want reasoning.”  
“You’re not buying that,” Nami said, gaze flickering down to it before meeting your eyes again. “Zoro because he’s conventionally attractive and Sanji because he can cook.” 
You scoffed, studying the necklace. “Those are terrible reasons.” 
“I can’t think of any good ones,” Nami protested. “The only thing I can think of are reasons you wouldn’t like any of them. Because they’re all kind of losers and you could do much, much better.” She tilted her head imperceptibly upwards, and you saw a little glimmer in her eye, a reaction that bore uncanny similarity to the one she’d worn the day before. You swallowed, throat suddenly dry. 
“You think Zoro’s conventionally attractive?” You turned towards the stand seller, motioning at the necklace. “How much?”
“You’re not buying that,” Nami repeated, shooting you a look. “It’s a waste of perfectly good berry.” 
“It’s five hundred at most,” you scoffed, fishing a wad of bills out from your pocket. Nami sighed, but she didn’t argue. “Barely anything. Do you think Zoro’s conventionally attractive?”
Nami looked distracted. “Hm?” 
“You said Zoro was conventionally attractive,” you repeated, voice firmer this time. You tried to suppress the little tremble in your cadence as you passed the money to the seller. He counted it and gave you a firm nod. Carefully, you dropped the necklace in your pocket. “Do you think he is?” 
“Well—from an objective standpoint—” 
You pushed past the swarm of patrons milling around the stands, Nami having to quicken her pace to keep up with you. “Attraction isn’t objective.” 
“Kitten.” Nami grabbed your wrist, forcing you to slow down, and you flinched. She tugged you in the direction of another stand, probably something off her list. “Why do you care so much? Am I right? Is he the one you like?” 
You wiggled your wrist out of Nami’s grip. “I don’t care, I’m just curious. Because you’ve been blushing for the past half hour and you mentioned Zoro was conventionally attractive. And if you say he’s conventionally attractive that means you think he’s conventionally attractive. So assumedly you are blushing because of—” 
It clearly took Nami a moment to unscramble your honestly entirely nonsensical words. “Kitten, I’m trying to figure out whether or not you have a crush on Zoro. You’re not supposed to be trying to figure out if I do. And I have not been blushing.” 
You relented, but still couldn’t suppress the pout that threatened your mouth. Your teeth pressed against the flesh of your lower lip, running alongside the skin but not fully biting. “You said Zoro was conven—” 
“If I have to hear you say the words conventionally attractive one more time, I swear I will lock you in the hold,” Nami said sharply, and you had to choke back your laugh. “And the reason I said that is because every single time we go out, at least five people turn to stare at his stupid face. Do you not remember that time on Mirror Ball Island? We practically had to fight women off of him.”
“Okay, fine,” you said, a glimpse at her features seemed to support her words. She was as guarded as ever, and clearly irritated, though her vexation didn’t seem as bad as the annoyances she’d hold over the rest of the crew. They never did, really; Luffy always liked to say that you were Nami’s favorite. “I’m hungry. Can we eat?” 
“You didn’t answer my question.” 
“I neither confirm nor deny anything,” you repeated for what seemed like the thousandth time in the past week. “Restaurant. Please.” 
Nami didn’t look away from you, but relented, and the two of you went to the nearest restaurant to have lunch. You were mainly silent during the meal, replaying the conversation from before over and over again in your head. There was a buzz of uncertainty in the pit of your stomach, one that you entirely disliked. 
Before you’d been fine with keeping quiet about your crush—you never felt too threatened or upset, under the impression that your feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated and that Nami wouldn’t fall for anyone in the near future anyway. And you didn’t mind her guessing between your four male comrades to find the one who’d stolen your heart. 
But the reactions and the blushes were a development. And you were starting to think that Nami herself had a mystery beau. 
Nami talked about work during the meal, going down her grocery list and checking off the things she’d gotten. You watched her as she glared down at her notebook, pencil caught between two fingers as she scribbled down notes to herself. “You’re not eating,” you said gently. 
“Sorry. Distracted,” Nami answered. She shot you a smile, but it quickly fell as she turned back to her notebook. “What about Sanji?” 
You suppressed a sigh. “Are you still on about this?” 
“Yes,” Nami insisted. She finally shut her notebook, slipping it into the bag hanging off her waist and picking up her chopsticks to return to her soup noodles. “You’d never go hungry with him around, at least.” 
“I think you need to raise your standards. I already don’t go hungry with him around, I don’t need to date him for that.” 
Nami clicked her tongue, but it was good-natured. “You’re making this so hard for me.” 
“I don’t want to talk about myself anymore,” you insisted, setting down your chopsticks. You’d basically finished your bowl already; there were only the final remnants of broth and rice noodles at the bottom, the soup seasoning darker in color; more pungent. 
You fiddled with your hands, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in your stomach that persisted even as you thought back to what Nami had said about Zoro. Her reasoning had been sound enough, but you still felt vaguely sick, that bitter taste of sour iron at the back of your throat again. 
“Are you okay?” Nami’s eyes met yours, and you flinched away. “You’re acting weird.” 
“I’m fine,” you muttered. “I think I’m going to head back to the ship and take a nap. I’m kind of tired.” Before Nami could say anything, you got up, chair scraping along the restaurant floor. “See you later?” 
“What? Kitten, wait—” Nami called, but you just swallowed, glancing over your shoulder to shoot her an apologetic look. 
The Going Merry was a breath of fresh air as you stepped foot back onto her deck. There were some dockmen milling about, setting material along the deck as Usopp directed them as to where everything went. 
You brushed past them to veer towards your hammock, slipping onto it and kicking your legs up along the cloth without pause. Your eyes closed, and you let the sun melt down on your face, the tension in your chest easing as you embraced the beam of the sky. 
You stayed there for a while, knowing you were safe as Nami wouldn’t come find you until she’d finished with all her actual tasks. Although this was occasionally irritating if you were in real desire for attention, you appreciated the responsible side of her now. You didn’t have to confront her for a few hours yet, so you spent the time on your hammock, watching the clouds drifting in the sky and picking out the dull stars that shimmered as the sky got darker. 
It was just before suppertime when you remembered the necklace you’d bought. Stars were just beginning to materialize, dark blues and purples replacing the cerulean hues that previously blanketed the Earth. You fished the star necklace out of your pocket, peering at the pendant again. It was made of some sort of shimmering stone you didn’t recognize—perhaps opal—that made it glow like an actual star, iridescent when light hit it. 
“Hey, kitten.” 
You looked up, watching as Nami made her way across the ship deck to where you lay. She looked tired, but still bore a soft smile on her face as she met your gaze. “Hi,” you said, tucking the necklace back into your pocket. Behind her you could see the last of the hired work carrying barrels down to the hold. “Get everything done?” 
“Mhm,” Nami said. “Wanna talk about earlier?” 
“Not really,” you muttered, the sharp tang of rust dancing at the back of your tongue again. “Sorry about storming out. I felt unwell.” 
Nami studied you carefully, arms folding unconsciously over her chest. “I can stop bothering you about your crush, if you want,” she said finally, a gust of a sigh leaving her lips. “I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” 
“No, it’s okay,” you said, getting up and climbing your legs over the edge so you were sitting on the hammock. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable, Nami, I swear.” 
“You walked out in the middle of a meal, kitten,” Nami said, and you could hear her voice starting to get upset, even as she tried to level her tone. “Clearly I did. Was it because I kept trying to figure it out? Was I right with Zoro? What—”
“It’s not because of that,” you interrupted, trying to keep your voice gentle even as your chest squeezed inward. You were powerless to your muscles; to your heart as it did a pathetic little thump-thump thing inside of you. 
“Then why?” Nami leaned forward on her heels, and the setting sun caught her eyes, kaleidoscope blue glittering a thousand different shades like the opal of your necklace. “Just tell me, kitten. So I won’t do it again.” 
“It was because of you,” you mumbled, shying away from her gaze. Nami sighed. 
“Yes, we established that I did something to upset you already. I’m trying to find out what—”
“You called Zoro attractive and I was jealous,” you blurted, before you could even think to stop the words from falling out of your mouth. Nami froze, and you lifted your eyes up hesitantly to see her reaction. 
Her shoulders were all tense, face guarded, eyes blank from their usual expression. “Oh,” she said evenly. There was an ugly purse tightening at her lips, and she fought to keep them in an even line. “So it is Zoro, then. Thank you for telling me.”  
She turned away then, her movements abrupt as she started walking. A pulse of panic captured your heart, and you called desperately out to her, volume far too loud in the late hour. You didn’t find yourself caring. “I wasn’t jealous of you!” you cried, and Nami’s entire body went still. 
She turned back towards you, so slowly that you found yourself capturing your breath in your throat waiting for her. 
“I wasn’t jealous of you,” you repeated once her eyes met yours. “I was jealous of Zoro. Of you thinking he was attractive.” Your fingers fumbled together, trying to find something to occupy themselves with as you choked out the final sentence. “My mystery man is you, Nami. I like you.” 
It took a long while for Nami to respond, and the Going Merry rocked as you waited, a soft sway of delay and building panic. There was a shimmer of something in Nami’s eyes, and her lips tugged downwards. 
Her voice was hollow when she spoke. “What?” 
“I don’t like Zoro or Usopp or Sanji or Luffy, Nami,” you said, hands tightening around each other with every word spilt out from between your lips. “I like you. I like you when you call me kitten. I like you when you complain about me buying things but let me do it anyway. I like you even when you’re teasing me about my crush.” Your voice dropped to a low mumble. “And I was jealous because you thought Zoro was attractive.” 
“Oh, kitten,” Nami said, and you glanced up to see her right in front of you, bent over to meet your level sitting down. She reached for your hands, and you let her take them, exhaling as her tender grasp clasped around your palms.
“Nami,” you whispered, horrified to hear how wet your voice sounded. You blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay. “Nami, you may be the ship’s navigator, but you’re my north star. I like you.” 
Kitten, I do not think Zoro is attractive,” Nami said, and you had to choke back startled laughter at that being what she was focusing on. “That is the least of your worries.” 
“But—you seemed so annoyed when you thought it was Zoro—don’t you like—” 
“You’ve got it all wrong,” Nami said, a soft laugh leaving her lips. They were trembling. Her entire body was trembling, even her hands as she cocooned yours in them. “I was annoyed because I thought you liked Zoro. Because—I like you too.” 
You swallowed, surprise forcing your jaw to fall slack as you met her gaze. “Really?” you whispered. Nami nodded; she coaxed soft circles into the skin of your hands, a supportive smile edging up her lips. 
“I really thought you liked someone else, kitten, I would’ve said something before if—” Nami let out another gentle laugh. “If I knew. It wasn’t until you told me about the crush did I realize. I got a little… too overprotective, and then… well, it wasn’t very platonic at that point.” She ducked her head, hiding her smile, but you slipped one of your hands out of her grasp to push it back up. “God, you’re too good for any of them.” 
“I don’t want to talk about how the rest of them suck,” you murmured. “I want to talk about how amazing you are. Oh—and—” You dug your hand in your pocket, pulling out the necklace. “This reminded me of you. I got it for you.” 
“Kitten,” Nami breathed, as you unclasped the necklace and carefully put it on her. It swung around her neck before you adjusted it, golden yellow bright against the white of her pale skin. The opal glittered, catching the moonlight that’d steadily glowed brighter from behind you. “Thank you. It’s still a waste of money though.” 
“Not for you,” you said, grabbing her hands to squeeze her fingers. “Never for you.” You took in a nervous breath, your chest tightening inside—but it wasn’t all bitter and sour, nothing like the taste of panic. 
Nami met you in the middle when you finally leaned up to kiss her, your hand slipping up the side of her face, fingers curling in her orange hair. She smiled when she kissed, soft and carefree for once, that serious facade she always took on melting away in the moment. She kissed softly; tenderly; like the moon shining gentle waves on the East Blue below or the sun in the hazy morning sky casting light across the world. 
There were footsteps approaching from behind Nami. You opened your eyes, tilting your gaze up to see Zoro staring down at you both. Nami broke apart from you, glancing over her shoulder. None of you said anything. 
“Okay,” Zoro decided, and then walked off. You barely managed to stifle your giggles until he was out of earshot. 
“God, he’s such a loser,” Nami said, and then kissed you again. 
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© halfvalid 2023
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morganbritton132 · 10 months
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IDK if it’s actually a trend or just one couple’s hilarious communication style but I keep seeing reels/shorts of this one couple having “arguments” by pressing their faces/cheeks/noses against each other (like kissing but not) and whisper-shouting at each other and neither can keep a straight face and it always resolves hilariously.
Sort of piggy-backing off of your previous posts about Eddie and Steve being mid-tiff and ridiculous, I just imagine Steve coming in after the other teachers leave, sitting on Eddie’s lap and literally getting in Eddie’s face with his face like “hey, asshole, what gives?” Bonus point if Eddie had been live.
I am picturing this whole event happening a little after Eddie started using Tiktok.
So, Eddie (and Steve by extension) is nowhere near as popular on the app as he’s going to get. He has his following of metalheads and D&D nerds, but he hasn’t even explicitly said that he’s married yet.
After he said his hellos and goodbyes to Steve and the other teachers, he went down to the studio, picked up his guitar, and started a live-stream because sometimes it’s better to work out your creative process with an audience. He’s not great with the camera set up yet so the way it’s angled, you get the guitar, his hands, and his torn jeans, but it’s cut off at his mouth.
He’s in the middle of working the kinks out of an angsty guitar riff when the door to the studio opens and closes, and you can hear footsteps. A hand reaches into frame, pulls the guitar out of Eddie’s hands and replaces it with the hand’s owner.
Steve climbs into Eddie’s lap and straddles him, but all you see on camera is Steve’s nice jeans and his Christmas themed grippy socks. You also get to watch Eddie’s hands rest on Steve’s hips for just a second before sliding into his back pockets. Eddie’s voice sounds real fucking casual when he hums, “What do I owe this pleasure?”
Steve sounds anything but casual when he replies with, “What gives, asshole? You embarrassed me.”
“I embarrassed you?” Eddie said in a voice that sounds like he is about to go on a monologue across cafeteria tables. He ignores Steve’s pouty little ‘don’t’ start’ to instead slide a hand up to the back of Steve’s neck and pull him in closer. “Did the freak embarrass you, Ste-“
“Don’t call me that,” Steve huffs, a laugh in his voice. “What are you, my father? Call my what you always call me.”
“And what is that?”
“I’m not embarrassed of you,” Steve says instead of answering. “I never have been.”
“You won’t see a movie with me.”
“I want to see the movie!” Steve exclaims, shifting so their foreheads are pressed together. He looks Eddie in the eyes even though it makes him feel cross-eyed when he does that. “I didn’t say I didn’t want to go. I just – I don’t want to do the carpet.”
You can tell from the sound of Eddie’s voice that he’s pouting when he says, “I wanna show you off.”
“Next time,” Steve promises like he promised the last time and the time before that. He kisses Eddie on the tip of the nose and then pulls back, “You’re fogging up my glasses.”
Steve says that he’s hungry and wants to go get dinner, so Eddie reluctantly lets him out of his lap after one last squeeze of his ass. Steve pulls Eddie to his feet and they leave his live-stream audience with an image of the studio’s ugly orange couch as they go upstairs.
‘Eddie Munson gay’ trends on Twitter for the next week which is amazing to Eddie because, “Seriously, guys? It’s insane how many times I’ve had to publicly come out as queer when everybody in my high school seemed to know instantly.” 
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skyenish · 5 days
Text
Twst mlp AU | thoughts behind the designs
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I made Leona an earth pony with a thicker build. Hes a square with sharp angles! Hes one of the first drawings I made for this ‘series’ so its a bit lackluster, but I wanted him to be nice and hairy. I gave him a more lion-like tail, and some jewelry from his culture. His ears are nicked and he has long, slightly tangled hair. He also has a lot of hair around his neck becuase he’s a lion! I gave him a color scheme vaguely resembling a lion as well. Also nice and hairy legs, i love to draw those on horses. His cutie mark is three claw marks over clouds of dust. There are multiple different meanings to this cutie mark.
Vil covers up his cutie mark for personal reasons, but its a spotlight shining behidn some curtains. I tried to give him a more ‘feminine’ look while also keeping sharper angles. I love his color scheme, and i made him a unicorn because I thought it fit perfectly. I considered making him an earth pony to really show how he works hard for everything and doesn’t take shortcuts, but in the end unicorn won. I might change it later though! I had to give him some elegant white spots too, because aesthetically it just clicked in my head. He has a purple bow and has his unique hair accessory in his bun. I gave him longer eyelashes, and instead of making his hair a blonde-purple gradient I made some locks purple.
Jamil!!! He’s one of my favorite designs. I know the obvious choice seems to make him a unicorn, but HEAR ME OUT ON PEGASUS JAMIL! It adds a lot of symbolism and extra layers I think, it’s very tragic. Plus, he looks pretty with wings. I gave him darker and greyer colors to portray his darker and jaded nature, and it’s a nice contrast to Kalim’s design. I tried to vaguely design him off of Arabian horses but it didn’t come through very well. Did you know that MLP has a race of horses called ‘Saddle Arabians’? I didnt and i think its absolutely hilarious. Jamil is also supposed to have bags attached to the thing around his waist, but I’m too lazy to draw them.. His cutie mark is an eye with the world as its pupil, and a snake curling behind it. I put a lot of thought into his cutie mark and I’m really happy with what I came up with! To me it has 4 different meanings! I kinda want to redraw Jamil because he looks so small compared to the others!
Kalim is a unicorn for even more delicious angst. His whole family is unicorns. He’d much rather be a pegasus, but at least he has the magic carpet! Jamil thinks it’s bullshit that Kalim can use magic AND can fly. I made Kalim’s colors more vibrant and yellow and lively. He wears lots of jewlery, has tattoos and is my favorite design of these four! He also took me the longest. His cutiemark is a sun or a coin with gems on it, and it has wings. This too has multiple meanings. I think in the Scalding Sands culture the snake jewelry was something the sorcerer of the sands, an alicorn, wore around his horn. Maybe the original was a magical artifact? Well, Kalim, and other people from the scalding sands, wear fakes to honor the sorcerer. Anyways, I made Kalim slightly hairier then Jamil to show how he’s softer and wilder.
———
I’d love to do more with this AU, because my mind is already full with so many cool ideas! Thanks for reading my rambles and have a nice day :)
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thyme-in-a-bubble · 1 year
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Can I get more of the Angle and devil on the shoulder AU with Steve and Eddie oneshot but a little smutty like maybe y/n gets embarrassed that they’re probably seen her getting off(and if this could be a series that would be amazing but you don’t have too you’re the writer)
A/N: ah yes! the devil and the ANGLE ♡ (sorry, I had to tease. we've all made that spelling error and it's always hilarious)
and I realise this one is more of just some lore and warm up, hardcore smut is yet to come, though a thing I am DROOLING to write. if anyone has any ideas (they can be kinda darkish because I'm honestly feeling that vibe for this au) then please send them my way!
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“Can you just like go away?”
“That’s not really how it works, sweetheart,” Steve explained to you, “if we go, then you won’t notice it at all. When we aren’t on the job, when we go back, it’s on a different dimension than this one, and time there, um, it works differently, it’s kinda weird and isn’t connected to here where you are at all. Does that make sense?” he cocked his head slightly and gazed upon you as if you were the most adorable child he had ever seen. 
“But you can’t even just turn around?” you kept on asking, your brows still stubbornly furrowed, “just for a bit? Just like while I’m in the shower or something? Or even stand on the other side of the door?”
“Why?” Eddie chimed in from his leisurely position at the foot of your bed, “is it really so bad having an audience? Because it’s nothing new, you’ve had it all your life…” propping himself up onto his elbows and caught your eye as he spoke, “every moment, every second, we’ve seen everything…” smirking at your flustered reaction. Eddie’s eyes then flickered down over your form, taking in even the tiniest little twitch your body made under his observation. Keeping his voice low, he asked teasingly, “you wanna be alone right now, honey?”
Breathing out a nervous chuckle, you averted your gaze, “what makes you think that?”
“You forget that we know you,” his tongue poked the side of his cheek and he slowly moved in closer to where you were seated, “your breathing pattern, your flushed cheeks, your bitten lip, how tightly you’re crossing your legs right now and, oh, your nipples poking through your shirt, saying hello,” you let out a small gasp as he grazed a hooked knuckle over one of them, his cold rings just shyly missing your goosebump ridden skin, “you wanna be alone right now or am I wrong?”
“I-…” you breathed as you looked back at his challenging gaze, “I don’t know what you’re talking about…” you tried to look away, but your vision never strayed for too long.
“Oh, I think you do,” he teased, leaning in closer, “it’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to be shy with us,” your breath got caught in your throat as he bowed down to be right by your neck, never truly touching, just grazing faintly against your skin like a ghost, “like I said, we’ve already seen everything…” 
Feeling his soft lips press against your skin, your eyes fluttered a moment, coming to a complete close, before focusing in on the man still leaning against your dresser, anticipating for him to interject, but he didn’t, Steve just stood there, arms casually crossed and watched with a gentle smile upon his lip as the sly devil in front of you slowly kissed his way up your neck. 
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© 2023 thyme-in-a-bubble
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bethanydelleman · 1 year
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Why you should read Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey frequently scores second on polls of least liked Austen novel, but I honestly don’t know why because it's awesome. So let me try to convince you to read it...
Northanger Abbey: Everything you could wish for in a novel!
The Most Attractive Leading Man in Austen: I know you think you want Darcy, but do you really want a man who can’t take a joke? How about instead of insulting you at the assembly, he dances with you and makes you laugh! Surveys reveal that “makes me laugh” is a consistently attractive trait in a future spouse. Besides being extraordinarily funny, he also will willingly take you dress shopping, loves his sister, and reads novels. Shall we agree that he is the perfect man?
Most Relatable Leading Lady: Despite having a good education, are you sometimes a little lost in a conversation? Are you reasonably good looking, passably intelligent, and only somewhat accomplished? Catherine Morland is just a normal, everyday girl who stands up against peer pressure and falls head-over-heels in love with a cute guy. If she could be born to be a heroine, than all of us can be!
Villains So Well Drawn You Will Swear you Met Them Yesterday: Have you met a guy who constantly brags about his vehicle, talks without actually saying anything, and who assumes that girls will go for him even though he has nothing to recommend him? I have, and so has Jane Austen, its John Thorpe! Isabella is a classic drama queen who is dating a really sweet nerd but angling for the football star. You knew her in high school, I guarantee it.
Highly quotable one liners:
“I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.”
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
“His departure gave Catherine the first experimental conviction that a loss may be sometimes a gain.”
Great life lessons: 
“No man is offended by another man’s admiration of the woman he loves; it is the woman only who can make it a torment.”
“Beware how you give your heart.”
“Our pleasures in this world are always to be paid for.”
and best of all, a passionate defence of reading novels from the Narrator, who continues to be sarcastic and hilarious throughout the novel.
Northanger Abbey, honestly, what’s not to love?
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luffyvace · 3 months
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〜☆〜Shigaraki and Touya (separate) x Scholarly reader with glasses 〜☆〜
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precisely what the title says~
Might post a lot lately because I’m trying to clear drafts :P
shigaraki with a intelligent reader is wonderful!
you can help him with his plans! 😋
your input is really valuable and whether the lov knows it or not you definitely play a big role in missions
your a mastermind who is very good at outsmarting the heroes
He feels like as long as he has you, no matter what you’ll always be one step ahead
your his Queen/King chess piece
together you’ll watch it all crumble
honestly I’m just assuming your in the lov because even if your not a official member you’ve certainly contributed a lot
to which he very much appreciates
He values your priorities and requests
as he said he always has room for his comrades wishes
you love him for that
never once has one of your plans completely failed
for example if all might destroys a bunch of your nomus even though they were supposed to terrorize the city
You don’t panic at all because it was all apart of your plan >:)
*rubs hands together like evil fly*
it was all a distraction so you could infiltration a hero base and steal some info and such….🥱
ez dub the heroes are walking L’s with skill issues 😂
WAIT IMAGINE READER DOES THE THING WHERE THEY PUSH UP THEY’RE GLASSES AND IT HAS THE GLOWING ANIME GLASSES EFFECT
HILARIOUS 😂💥💥
it’d be even better if your a tech savvy too
you can break into hero facilities better
plus screw with them if you want n all 💃
you and that emo long bob dude be competing (tomoyasu chikazoku)
you can first fr
READER BETTER>> READER ⬆️🔝
anyway shigaraki thinks reader with glasses is fiiiine 😍
fr like you look good!
he’ll probably ask questions like “did you make your own?”
“Where you born with bad vision or is it stigmatized?”
”when did you get glasses?”
”have your eyes gotten stronger or weaker?”
”do you keep them on 24/7 or do you take them off and take breaks?”
”do you get headaches from them?”
”is it annoying having to push them back up all the time?”
”are you farsighted? Nearsighted? Is it just for reading?”
now he’s not asking to annoy you, and these questions come with time he doesn’t trample you with them
he’s genuinely curious and is a pretty good listener
he’s not just asking just to ask it or anything
if you ever need a new pair he’ll find a way to pull through for you
he’s not always as resourceful as you but he does have some connections!
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Uhh with touya? Intelligence won’t matter as much
Not to say he’s not impress though!
he likes to hear all the random facts of knowledge you tell him and he does listen
it’s intriguing, especially when he’s bored
he’d love to learn about astronomy if you know anything about it
he never took the time to learn himself but if you were to mention it he’d recognize some stars because he watches them so often
which makes for good dates!
stargazing!
you go to all types of different angles to look at them together
another thing is Touya never really went to school if so not for long
so you probably end up teaching him and filling him in on a lot of what he doesn’t know
not stuff he doesn’t care about tho
only the important stuff
essentials
which I mean it’s probably not essential anymore the way you two are living outside of society but hey it might come in handy
if someone were to ask touya a question but they’re trying to trick him by using a complex word, If you taught him he won’t fall for it! :)
I mean don’t get me wrong he’s not stupid
but you certainly are a lot smarter 😁
If you brag about it he gets kinda annoyed LOL
like if you beat him in video/board games a lot
which you do, you win like 98% of the time
the 2% he wins is from all luck games
and even so if you learn how those games work it’s over for him 😂😂
Touya doesn’t mind that you wear glasses at all
he does see a difference when you occasionally take them off but he doesn’t think you look wonky so don’t worry
he might be a little curious tho
like he’ll ask how glasses work (especially since your so intelligent)
which might lead into a conversation about why not everyone has 20/20 vision
yeah your conversations never stay on track because all the follow up questions
although you don’t mind because at least you know he’s listening
you end up explaining to him how glasses are made and he asks if you could make your own since you know
which honestly isn’t a bad idea since you could customize it and add whatever you want to it
you definitely thank him for the idea
he feels so accomplished—like he gets to be the smart one for once 😅🤷‍♀️
a sweet thing he does for you if you get eye strains/headaches is like rub your temples/run you a hot bath 💝
it surprises you how caring he can be but of course he’s not completely heartless
another cute thing Touya does is coming to you randomly with questions
”what’s this??”
”what in the world does ___ do?!”
”why does ___ happen?”
”is this normal?”
”what do you do if ____ happens”
”what’s __ x __ again”
”what’s ______ + ______ (big number + big number)?”
oh and you probably have better memory than him so
“Do your remember my past code?”
is common too 😂💗
I started this a while ago but never finished it so I’m glad to finally get this off my chest.
enjoy! Let’s see if the shigaraki and Touya stans will show up🕺
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ilylovelyz · 10 months
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only in a dream.
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pair : levi x genneu!reader
warning(s) : none, just fluff (maybe casual nudity, levi watching reader while they sleep)
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levi secretly prides himself over the fact that you always seem to fall asleep when you're with him. your a sleepy person in general, but he's noticed that when your with him, you tend to become loopy and unfocused, trying to resist falling asleep at a random bench.
you told him because it's maybe because your so comfortable around him and he's so lulling that he makes you sleepy. boy, was that such a thing that made him feel so good about himself.
he unnaturally was unable to fall asleep though, with or without you. the constant scowl on his face said it all, and it used to cause you to worry. you would constantly try to find ways to make him have a peaceful nap, to no avail. he thought back to the times when you would try to stay up with him, because you thought he would get lonely.
you're so sweet. eventually, he began to become guilty over your lack of sleep and constant worry, so he would fake falling asleep when you would ask him if he was coming to bed (despite his many previous rejections, you would still ask him.) he would let you cuddle up with him, and close his eyes, for a very, very long time until he was sure you were asleep.
and asleep now you were. he, obviously, was wide awake. you used to wonder if he got bored when he stayed up all night. the true answer is that, yes, he would be bored. but now that he has you, he simply finds himself attentively focused on your sleeping form.
he takes in every detail. he noticed that you prefer sleeping on your side, usually your right. you like to angle your pillow so that way it's still under your head, but also laying on your right arm. you don't snore, but there have been a few hilarious times when you did snore, but it wasn't for long because your own snoring scared you awake. he noticed you usually sleep naked, the only piece of clothing is your underwear. he also noticed that you can somehow fall asleep in the uncomfortable, thick materials of your full uniform, boots 'n all.
he engraves the soft look of your sleeping, calm face in his mind. he's counted every single one of your long eyelashes, and your beauty marks. he finds it funny. you tend to be prettier when your mouth is closed and not "yapping" at him.
he softly smiles when you mutter something in your sleep. something about a blue bird. he brings his hand up to your cheek, lightly pulling away the stray strands of hair so he could get a fuller look of your face.
you look so peaceful, so content. he's happy that you don't get frequent nightmares like him whenever he does sleep. they aren't fun to have.
your soft breathing is like a lullaby to him. such a gentle and calming one. somehow, he feels his eyelids become heavy. huh, he shrugs. he wonders if he can stay awake a little longer, so he could observe your sleeping body more.
he thinks back to your concerns about his lack of sleep. maybe he should fall asleep for your sake. it would make you happy. with that, he gives in to the soft lullaby of yours, allowing to let his body finally relax.
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if you like my work, please leave a like and repost with tags :)
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lu-is-not-ok · 10 months
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This fucking guy.
Anyway have some of my incoherent ramblings about this man under the read more because I have a lot to say about him.
Alright, let me split this into three sections because otherwise this ramble will be even more of a mess than it already is.
I'm gonna discuss Yi Sang in the mirror, or Sang Yi, under a couple of different lights.
One, how he relates to the concept of being the opposite reflection to Yi Sang. Two, how he ties back to Yi Sang's wife from "The Wings". And three, some of my thoughts about how he might fit into the wider scope of the plot and world of Limbus Company.
Strap in lads.
Sang Yi as a "left-handed" reflection
Something that becomes increasingly clear as we're shown interactions between Yi Sang and Sang Yi, and what is directly spelled out by the latter at the end of Canto IV's dungeon, is that Sang Yi is effectively the antithesis of much that makes Yi Sang, well... Yi Sang.
Yi Sang, at the core of everything, is a very sentimental and kind man. He cares a lot about the people around him, even if he doesn't always show it outwardly, and struggles to move on from whatever losses he experiences. Though he may claim otherwise, he's also constantly thinking about everything he's going through, which is what eventually leads him to the Mirror as a form of escapism from his curel reality.
Sang Yi on the other hand... is none of that.
Most of the 'comforting' words or advice Sang Yi offers to Yi Sang can be boiled down to "Stop caring or thinking about every little thing.", a sentiment that's directly in opposition of who Yi Sang is as a person.
Sang Yi finds the idea of feeling joy or despair over the past pointless. He thinks Yi Sang shouldn't feel guilty about his technology being used to exploit others because he already knew what he was getting himself into. He doesn't understand why Yi Sang would have trouble moving on if he were to lose Sang Yi.
Whereas Yi Sang is caring and emotionally-driven, Sang Yi is... I don't want to say uncaring, since he does seem to care about Yi Sang to some degree, but at the very least he is rather distant and logically-driven.
I think the moment that exemplifies that the most is when Yi Sang tells him Gubo doesn't care about him beyond using him as an accessory to prop himself up in the limelight, to which Sang Yi responds that it doesn't matter, that Yi Sang should use this as an opportunity to be in that limelight as well.
And, actually, speaking about that. Sang Yi doesn't really seem to think things through nearly as much as Yi Sang does. Or, at the very least, he doesn't care to look deeper than the surface level.
Sang Yi sees Gubo's attempts at connecting with Yi Sang as genuinely caring about him, whereas Yi Sang is able to see through them and realize Gubo is being entirely selfish here. Sang Yi sees the new League of Nine as something worth joining, while Yi Sang notices that it is nothing but a mockery of the old League. When Sang Yi learns of the new League's plan to destroy mirror worlds, his only reaction is that of mild curiosity without even a sign of concern.
All that being said, the biggest example of this might just be the fact that Sang Yi did not even realize just how badly Yi Sang was feeling until Yi Sang straight up told him there was nothing left for him in this world outside of Sang Yi.
Though we can't know for sure what exactly Sang Yi was feeling at the time, as all that we know about him is colored by Yi Sang's own bias towards him, I think it's fair to say that was the moment where it finally hit Sang Yi just how badly he fucked up by keeping Yi Sang stuck there all to himself.
Which, now that I think about it, transitions nicely to the other angle I want to look at.
Sang Yi as Yeongsim / Yi Sang's wife
First of all, just to lay it out there in the open, as fucking hilarious out of context as it sounds to say Yi Sang was his own wife all along, it's... actually not all that far off.
Beyond the fact that the Mirror is directly named after his wife in "The Wings", there's some other obvious signs that point to it. If you were to take the letters Yi Sang was writing to Sang Yi out of context, you could absolutely mistake them for something one would write to a lover too far away to be easily reachable. Plus, the way Yi Sang's first reaction to seeing Sang Yi is to call him "beautiful" in his mind?
Yeah, there's something to that.
And, of course, there's something to be said about the similarities between Sang Yi's role in Yi Sang's life, and the role Yi Sang's wife played in "The Wings".
That being the way both of them end up isolating Yi Sang, how both of them actively withhold information from him, and how Yi Sang sees them as perfect and without a fault even as they're hurting him.
I don't feel like talking about "The Wings" in depth right now as it's almost 5 am and I want to actually finish writing this fucking post at some point, but if you want to know what I'm comparing Sang Yi to, it's a short read that's easy to find a free pdf online for.
The fact that Sang Yi was trying to keep Yi Sang inside is probably the most spelled out one out of everything I'm talking about in this post. Not only does Sang Yi directly tell Yi Sang to stay with him (mind you he doesn't even ask), but Ishmael, as an outside observer, notes how Sang Yi was trying to keep Yi Sang in the room by making him afraid of the outside.
Actually, looking at when he finally offers Yi Sang the choice to leave, it's in a... very interesting way, shall we say?
Not only does Sang Yi try to make the option of staying sound as appealing as possible by bringing up that Yi Sang will be able to continue doing what he loves (or at least what Sang Yi believes Yi Sang loves), like continue working on the Mirror and keep talking to him.
On the other hand, Sang Yi is reluctant to even bring up the option that Yi Sang can leave, and when Yi Sang shows interest (note that Yi Sang's immediate reaction isn't a "I don't want to leave", it's a "I don't think I can leave"), he continues to make the option sound as unappealing as possible, while still making it clear that it is possible.
How Yi Sang doesn't need to be able to fly to leave, but he will struggle endlessly if he does. How Yi Sang can eventually find somewhere to call his home, but he will have to walk until his feet hurt and will have to settle for wherever or whatever he ends up resting at.
I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem like the kind of encouragement or advice someone who had a person's best interest in mind would make.
Now, let's make some other facts clear while we're at it.
Sang Yi knew that Yi Sang had wings as well, after all, he calls that fact 'obvious' when he finally mentions it. However, he never directly told him he does, even as Yi Sang lamented to him about how (in his eyes) he himself had no wings. He only brings it up when Yi Sang is truly at his lowest.
Sang Yi knew what the effects of supplements Yi Sang was taking were, as he can tell exactly what will happen if Yi Sang stops taking them, or takes several at once. However, he never directly told him this until he gives Yi Sang a choice, even though he was clearly aware they were not beneficial.
Sang Yi knew that Yi Sang's room was always open, as he was confident that Yi Sang would be able to just leave on his own once the effects of the supplements cleared away. However, he never tells Yi Sang that, even when Yi Sang is making it clear he doesn't think he even can leave. It's actually one of the thing Yi Sang ends up finding out by himself.
Despite all of this... Yi Sang never stops to consider that Sang Yi might not have his best interests in mind. Sang Yi is his everything. He's perfect, flawless, the ideal self. He's the only thing Yi Sang has left.
Call me cynical, but it paints the ending of the Canto in a somewhat bittersweet light to me. After all, Sang Yi never has to apologize or even admit to anything, and Yi Sang still views him as positively as he always has.
I guess at the very least it's accurate to the book. After all, Yi Sang in "The Wings" ends up holding on to that perfect image of his wife to the very end.
Sang Yi as an entity
Okay I have no clever transition here like I did last time, but this is probably the thing about Sang Yi that's been bugging me the most.
Have you guys noticed just how much Sang Yi seems to know about Yi Sangs from different worlds? Those sweeping general statements about "All versions of Yi Sang" or "All Yi Sangs" that he makes with full confidence.
When Yi Sang assumes that Sang Yi can "be anywhere he wants" thanks to his wings, just how correct is he?
With the way Sang Yi talks about other Yi Sangs, it gives the impression that he's met a lot of them in the past. In fact, if that's true, it would recolor the meaning of Sang Yi's comment about his meeting with his particular Yi Sang "peculiar".
What's so peculiar about our Yi Sang specifically, if Sang Yi has met so many of them? Is it the method, the fact that it's through the mirror? Is it that Sang Yi finally found a Yi Sang that also had wings? Is it because our Yi Sang is the first one to contact him rather than the other way around?
And while we're on that topic, isn't the way Sang Yi talks about Yi Sangs kind of odd? It's always "All Yi Sangs" or "All versions of Yi Sang", as if he's not part of those Yi Sangs himself. It's like he's putting himself in the role of an outside observer, seperate from the concept of being a 'Yi Sang'.
Just what is Sang Yi, really? He implies he's the version of our Yi Sang that's inside the mirror, the one that "needs to be opposite, yet is quite alike" to the one outside, to explain why our Yi Sang would have wings if he saw them on Sang Yi, but like... He never directly says that's the case.
In fact, when Yi Sang asks Sang Yi about what the outside is like, Sang Yi weirdly dodges the question, saying it's all "the same tiring stuff". Another example of him withholding information aside, this all makes him seem rather fucking suspicious to me.
Just. What is he really?
God I hope we get to see him again, cause I really want to know what the fuck his actual deal is.
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noneorother · 2 months
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What do Shax and a 30-year-old Sandman comic have in common? Puns. The answer is always puns.
While I've recently revealed Shax does actually know how to spell, (she's just really old), the "angle" message Shax throws through the window to demand the "angel" one was a little trickier, because it's not Middle English, or even Old French, it's probably the oldest pun in Good Omens... it's latin.
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Good Omens Season 2, Episode 5, 2023
Fortunately, a time travelling Neil Gaiman left answers for us in his 1995 Sandman special "Sandman midnight theatre." See for yourself.
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Sandman Midnight Theatre, Neil Gaiman, Matt Wagner, Teddy Kristiansen, 1995
"Still, they have some illuminated manuscripts in their library which throw fascinating light on early church history. "Not angels, but angles" eh? I've been angling for permission to browse through their manuscript collection for yonks."
Appropriate for an English reverend to be curious about "Angels and not Angles". It's THE earliest christian pun, attributed to Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century CE.
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Oxford reference essential quotations
It comes from a historical account of the pope walking through a market in Rome, and seeing some exotic slave children (i.e. fair hair and blue eyes, and light skin) from what is now the England, and asking where they were from. The master replied that they were "Angles" (Angli in latin) and the pope declared them to be "Angels" (Angeli) instead, which, in latin at that time would have been a pun. This history from Bede actually influenced a lot of the christian world, so we could conceivably make the point that fair blonde and blue eyed angels comes from the idea that they looked liked the English (who were not christian, but pagan at the time of being newly conquered). Aziraphale's looks in the originsl Good Omens are probably a direct result of the lineage in art of this 1,500 year old pun.
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Depictions of angels, 1100 years apart Which raises the question: if Shax is asking for the Angel Gabriel with her note, the pun doesn't make any fucking sense.
Jon Hamm plays Gabriel as an "American", specifically not English like the rest of the cast. He does have blue eyes, but as far as Shax is concerned, Gabriel's eyes are violet, not really a human colour. Shax could just actually be stupid (I guess?) and not realize that in modern English that constitutes a mistake (boring), or that Americans succeeded in 1776 (hilarious). But here's a quirkier theory: Shax knows what she's talking about, and she's gunning for Maggie. If you look really closely, demons show up and start hanging around the street earlier in the ball than you would guess. Once a fair number have amassed, they stay waiting for Shax to lead them. However, even though she hasn't shown up yet, they eagerly chase Maggie down the street from her shop. They're only stopped by Crowley, and Maggie gets safely into the ball.
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Once inside, she has quite a stunning change of costume, highlighting her blonde hair and blue eyes:
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There's so much more evidence to suggest that Maggie isn't really a normal human, but this post is long enough. What I will say is that it's subtle, but once the demon attack really gets going (no thanks to Maggie), Shax and the other demons never look for Jim once, even when he leaves the mezzanine. They concentrate all their efforts on Aziraphale, Maggie and Nina, and never mention Gabriel again.
While Maggie is a Scottish name, and she clearly has some links to Scotland if a random pub in Edinburgh is buying records from her in Soho, she does have a distinctly English accent, and lest we forget...
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———————————————
thanks as always to @embracing-the-ineffable and @thebluestgreen for the tasty links and sounding board.
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ametrictonofaudacity · 3 months
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Okay so consider!!!
Yandere platonic Geralt!! Generally very cool!! Very nice!! But if you fuck up you have to deal with (what you have dubbed) the get along cuff. Which is literally him just making you sleep next to him and tying your leg to his with a bit of leather cord. It’s thin so he can easily snap it if there’s a danger, but he’ll wake up if you move it.
Also Jaskier being completely fine and okay with this would be hilarious, I would love to see you write a scenerio!! (Idk why but I picture a modern reader, like one who got dropped in the Witcher from the modern world)
I love this ask!! I also love the trope of a modern character in a medieval setting, I think it was all the ‘Modern Girl IN Middle Earth’ fanfics I read (an actual tag on ao3) so I have a weakness for it!! Also Jaskier just going ‘eh’ is so funny to me.
Warnings: forced proximity, captivity, kidnapping, some level of being infantalized, being tied to another person as a form of being restrained, future Stockholm syndrome. Jaskier is complicit, up to you whether he is also a yandere or not. Also the fact Geralt can smell emotions
“You know this could be like, an actual danger?”
You try and reason your way out of your situation, like reason has ever worked on Geralt before. He ignores you, mostly, concentrating on tying the knot around your wrist in a manner that you cannot undo the knot but it also didn’t cut off your circulation. He slips a finger under the cord, testing the knot and the cords strength, and you hear him make a satisfied rumble. You were still getting used to that, to the various sounds the Witcher made to express emotion.
“No it’s not. The cord’s thin, and if I have to fight I can snap it easily. Plus this area doesn’t normally have monsters, not this time of year.”
He stands, towering over you from you spot on the ground, near the fire, and you tilt your face up. The yellow light throws his features into a harsh countenance, makes his face all angles and scars, golden eyes reflecting the light the way a predators would as he glared down at you, scowling. You tighten your fingers in the wool cloak he had given you, so long ago, the fibers catching in your nails.
He must see something in your gaze, or maybe it’s the way you know you probably reek of anxiety right now, but his stance softens, the scowl melting away into something softer, not a smile because you knew he was still very, very upset with you, but not a harsh frown that made you feel small and stupid and like all the things he thought about you were true.
He crouches, making himself smaller next to you, and you feel your shoulders start to unwind. It was strange, being around someone who was so perceptive to your emotions, but seemingly had no clue how to address or handle them, beyond his own instincts as a Witcher and his limited interpersonal skills. His very limited interpersonal skills.
Seriously. You were pretty sure the guy only had two friends.
“You’re going to try and run again. Maybe not tonight, but I clearly can’t trust you to behave without me keeping my eye on you at all times. Since I can’t do that while I’m asleep, this is the solution.”
He motions to the thin leather cord, and you scowl, face twisting into something you know is ugly but doing it anyways. He wouldn’t be intimidated, you knew, he seemed to view you as some helpless kid, even though you were a fully grown adult who had been attending college.
“You wouldn’t have to watch me if you just let me go, Geralt. You can’t… you can’t just not let someone go home, that’s not right.”
You snap, fingers burying further into the cloak to stave off the chill that was only getting colder, creeping up your arms and legs to your torso and making you shiver. It had just gotten dark, the little fire Geralt built crackling away and too small to provide much warmth but rapidly gaining strength, and you shiver, leaning toward the fire and away from the Witcher.
“We’re not having this conversation again. You can’t survive out there on your own.”
Your face flushes, angry, and you bury your face further into the cloak. He had a point, to some extent. You weren’t used to the world of the Witcher, with its monsters and it’s hardships, weren’t used to the roughness of medieval life and all of its struggles. You were used to the modern world, where distances could be travelled by car, not horse, and you didn’t have to endure biting cold in the winter and blazing heat in the summer.
“That doesn’t mean I can’t at least try, Geralt. What kinda person would I be if I didn’t at least try to get home?” You protest, and there’s the sound of rustling, a muttered curse. Looks like Jaskier was back with wood.
“Ah. Seems I walked into a horribly tense situation.”
Jaskier remarks, but his voice is light, not taking your predicament seriously, even as his eyes land on the tether around your wrist and Geralt’s as he feeds wood into the fire, which licks up the logs and sticks eagerly, hungry for fuel. You scowl, face buried in the cloak to hide your sour mood as much as possible. Geralt didn’t care if you were pisses off or not, he cared when you were afraid not when you were mad, but Jaskier would do everything in his power to pull you out of your bad mood. From telling stories to playing little tavern songs, he would be relentless in making sure you cracked a smile at least once, and you didn’t feel like having to endure the bards attempts to cheer you up right now.
“Is tying them to you really necessary though, Geralt? They look like a kicked pup, can’t you be a bit more lenient?”
Jaskier wheedles, and wow, he might actually be your favorite person right now. You peek up from the fold of the cloak, and he’s got a hand on a hip, shifting his weight with a concerned frown. He looks entirely disapproving of the whole thing, which makes your heart soar. Maybe he would actually be able to get Geralt to listen to him.
“They’re lucky I don’t tie them on Roach all day.” Geralt grumbles, setting up the bed rolls. You could feel every small movement he made, the motion tugging gently on the thin tether.
“Oh you grump. Stop being so rude.” Jaskier huffs, sitting next to you, and you quietly despair how easily he gave in, how quickly he yielded to what Geralt wanted to do. You tuck your face back into the cloak, dejected.
“Hey now, it isn’t all bad. There are worse places to sleep. I can recall a few of them myself.”
Jaskier’s hand lands on your shoulder, and you glare, annoyed. You didn’t want company, or comfort, or any of it. You wanted one thing, and it was something that the both of them were denying you.
Jaskier, because he was Jaskier, seemingly didn’t notice. Which wasn’t the greatest.
“Yeah, sure, I guess. Never slept tied to somebody, though.” You say pointedly, and the annoyed rumble Geralt gives is almost worth it. Sharp gold eyes narrow at you slightly, before Geralt huffs, turning back to his task.
“I have! Well, it was more I had been knocked unconscious, but it still applies, I think! And those ropes were rather coarse, my wrists were aching for days!” Jaskier recalls. “Geralt had to rescue me, it was quite the adventure. I wrote a song about it, at some point, although I never published it. I really should rework that song, actually, come to think of it.”
He rambles, his voice filling the tense silence between you and Geralt, and you feel your shoulders start to relax. He was good at that, chattering to fill the silence that would drag on for hours between the two of you if it wasn’t for him. You sigh quietly, leaning into the warm hand clasped on your shoulders as the fire grows in strength, the bedrolls almost fully prepared.
“Alright. Jaskier, you take first watch, and I’ll take over in an hour or so.” There must not be many monsters around, you think, for Geralt to be so comfortable letting Jaskier take watch. Jaskier nods, slipping away your side as Geralt approaches.
“Not a problem! I was feeling wired tonight anyways, a few more hours though and I should be able to sleep well enough.” Jaskier agrees amicably. “Although I am a bit surprised, you normally insist on first watch.”
“Wanna get (Y/N) down.” Geralt huffs, and Jaskier nods.
“Fair enough, I suppose. They are criminally lacking in the sleep department, they’re beginning to get bags, poor thing.”
You scowl at Jaskier, annoyed.
“I’ve had these since middle school, first of all, not my fault I have insomnia.” You scowl, and jerk when Geralt all but drags you to the bed roll, barely waiting for you to finish talking.
“Hey!” You protests, annoyed, but he’s too busy ‘getting you settled’ as he liked to call it. Fussing over the blankets and the best roll, making sure your body was protected from the harsh winds that even the fire couldn’t stave off.
“Jaskier, stop keeping them up.” Geralt grumbles, sounding more tired than annoyed. He drags you closer, and it must be a Witcher thing to radiate heat like a furnace, because he was chasing off the cold without even trying, the same arm that you were tied to securing you against his chest.
“Pretty sure I can sleep on my own.”
You snark, and Geralt rolls his eyes.
“Not for the next week you aren’t, if that. Now go to bed.”
You scowl, glaring up at him. With the blanket over you, the fire, and the heat radiating off his body, you were tired, sure. But not tired enough not to say something, not when you were being treated like an idiot who couldn’t do anything for themselves.
“You can’t just- Geralt this isn’t right, and you know it. You can’t just- keep me here!”
You protest. Arguing with Geralt was much like arguing with a wall, honestly. Stubborn and just as likely to listen to you as the bricks that made up the walls of your old college.
But walls could come down. You just had to get through to him, make him realize that what was doing wasn’t going to work. You weren’t strong enough or fast enough to escape him, not without some clever plan or tricks up your sleeve, and you were pretty sure that an Olympic level athlete would still have issues trying to outpace him. So your only hope was getting him to listen.
It was a fragile hope, but it was the only hope you had.
“We’re not talking about this right now. Go to sleep.”
Geralt grumbles, and you open your mouth again. The warning rumble in his chest cuts you off, and you swallow.
The sound was exactly that. A warning. Geralt had never hurt you before, not really, but whenever he got mad things were miserable. Jaskier would be irritated with you for ‘putting Geralt in a mood’ as he put it, and you would be without the bard’s chattering to fill the heavy silent between you and Geralt. Not to mention the awkwardness of being forced to ride atop Roach with Geralt, the silence thick with tension between the two of you, or the way you would hope desperately for the day to end so you could go to sleep.
No, it was better to keep the Witcher happy. For all parties.
“Alright. Good night.” You finally mutter, and he sighs, the tension leaving his body. You feel his torso loosen, relaxing behind you, and you feel your hand shaking, just slightly. Or a little more than slightly. Your stomach twists, and Geralt sighs.
“I know you don’t understand. But you’ll realize this is what’s best for you.” He says it like it’s supposed to be an assurance, smoothing a hand over your hair like you’re a particularly fussy child, and you consider, for a second, twisting and biting that hand. Driving your teeth deep enough to draw blood and make him listen to you, for once.
You don’t, mainly because you know he would just move it fast enough your teeth would just snap at empty air.
You close your eyes. With the almost stifling heat behind you, and the too-heavy weight of the cord on your wrist that logically shouldn’t feel as heavy as it did, sleep does not come easy. Eventually, though, you feel your consciousness slip away into oblivion.
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