#why do i always write so damn much to say i like a ship

[beanghostprincess]

zolu or frobin for the ship thing!!

YAY I THOUGHT NOBODY WOULD ASK ME ANYTHING NGL AUIBFJKASFDFBFASBFJK

zolu: they make me mentally, physically, and spiritually ill. they're one of my favorite ships if not my favorite ship of all one piece. actually heavily surprised they aren't more popular, but i'm glad opla is kind of changing that. anyway- i've been shipping them since day 1. zoro's devotion to luffy is something i will never get tired of. the fact that he does not believe in any god canonically but the way he follows luffy is so easy to compare to religious imagery makes me weak in the knees and wanting to curl up and cry. zoro is luffy's anchor and the one that guides him when he's lost, and luffy is the one that saved zoro from a life of loneliness and gave him the chance to follow a dream he would have never fulfilled if he had continued on his own. luffy is, kind of literally, his sun. and i'm not even talking about moon/sun dynamics. i don't even consider them to be that specific trope. luffy is literally his sun and god and best friend and boyfriend and captain and everything. if you ask zoro what is luffy for him? his everything. that silly rubber guy? his captain. his sun. his moon. his stars. his dream. also!!! people never talk about luffy's pov when it comes to zolu, and it makes me so so so mad!!!! because his perception of zoro is so beautiful. luffy trusts him with his whole soul and would leave the crew on his bare hands if he needed to. zoro's his first mate. that's a captain's heart, man. luffy might be the captain but he's emotional and irrational, and he listens to what zoro has to say. their silent communication makes me want to bang my head against the concrete floor. luffy relies on him and zoro lets his guard down when it comes to luffy. they're so in love, whether you see it romantically or platonically... i love that they're so clingy and silly and so so so powerful together. if something happened to the other their worlds would literally be completely ruined. their love literally goes beyond romantic and platonic. they're the perfect definition of queer platonic. honestly, i'm not fond of luffy in sexual situations but when it comes to zolu it's just so easy to picture them being so so intimate... i'm gonna cry writing this they're so dear to me.

frobin: i want them to adopt me so damn much. my parents. mom and dad. i usually hate it when people use family labels when it comes to found family, because the point of found family is that they're not a conventional family but they love each other even more deeply than a blood related one does. however, this is my exception because i really really really think they give married vibes and i want them as my parents. their dynamic is so good!! perhaps it's just the fact that their arcs are basically the same one and they're the main characters of water 7/enies lobby (along with our dear god usopp. shout out to my boyfriend out there!!) but their backstories and dynamic are sooooo satisfactory and angsty and domestic to watch (yes, all at the same time). robin's personality is gentle and sweet but also kind of dark and satiric, with a lot of pain behind from her past. franky, on the other hand, is a big, funny, eccentric and extremely adorable guy with an emotional touch and a lot of energy. at first it's just "big funny guy x sweet gentle girl" but in reality is "big funny guy that always takes care of everyone with a smile on his face and is extremely protective of the one he loves x sweet gentle girl that is learning how to enjoy life and will protect her new family at all costs". it's not just the angst and hurt/comfort of it all, though! i love the fact that she's satiric and dark and he's just- he's just fucking scared of her sometimes. and tbh if you're not scared of your hot, goth, intelligent wife, what's the point? you know that meme of will smith showing off his wife? that's literally them. robin does anything and he's there supporting her. franky does anything and she's there saying "that idiot right there is my husband *tiny giggle*". anyway, basically they're very gentle and domestic and i wish my parents loved me the way they would please please franky and robin kiss get married and then adopt me plea-

TL;TR: i love both ships a lot! 10/10 <3

#i'm a fucking menace to society #why do i always write so damn much to say i like a ship #I'M SORRY SDKJFBSJDKB #i'm so dramatic and for what i could've just said i liked both ships a lot but noooooooo #anyway zolu and frobin supremacy #roronoa zoro #monkey d. luffy #nico robin #franky #zolu #frobin #one piece

[hysteria-things]

SNEAK AWAY (part two)

read part one here

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: nate x sls!reader

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: you and nate are still going strong, but a lot of fans notice a few things in the new video…

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: FLUFF, swearing

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 539

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: short and sweet!

chris fic tomorrow😌 (or tonight it depends when i start writing it)

y/nsturniolo

liked by madifilipowicz and 23,492 others

y/nsturniolo hawaii dump with my favorite people ever😌🌺☀️🏝️🩷

4,940 comments

nicolassturniolo yup yup yup

user you’re so pretty

↳ y/nsturniolo i love you🥹

↳ user HOLY SHIT HI QUEEN

nathandoe8 hey (with rizz)

↳ matthew.sturniolo what the hell

↳ user YIKES LMAOOO

↳ user praying for you nate🙏

madifilipowicz 🎉💕🌊

user what’s with all the nate pics🤨

↳ y/nsturniolo idk :/

user why do i ship her and nate🫣

↳ user THIS

↳ christophersturniolo no lol

“boys, please leave your sister alone.“ you hear your mother scold from outside of the bedroom door.

you guys got back from hawaii two days ago, but the triplets are staying in boston for an extra week before going back to LA.

“do not barge in there—” she scolds again, but it’s too late when the door swings open.

the three of them stand there panting, while marylou looks at them with her hands on her hips. it doesn’t end there; trevor comes running in and jumps on your bed.

his tail wags as he climbs onto your lap, leaving kisses on your face.

nick turns to her. “she’ll survive, mom.”

she sighs, walking out of your vision. your brothers stare at you like you’re in trouble. “we need to talk.” chris says, crossing his arms.

oh boy.

“about?”

they side eye each other. “you and nate.” matt says.

oh boy.

you clear your throat, trying not to barf everywhere. “w-what do you mean?”

“have you not seen the clips or comments?” chris asks, them now walking over to your bed and sitting. at this point, trevor has fallen asleep on your legs.

“no,” you answer, playing with the dog’s ears.

“girl.” nick tuts, pulling out his phone and tapping buttons before turning it to you. “look at this.”

you take his phone, scrolling through the comments on a tiktok.

thank GOD i’m not the only one who thought this

they HAVE to be hiding something they seem a little too close in this video😭

damn y’all detectives or something💀

imagine this is how nick, matt, and chris find out LMAOOOO

i always shipped them they seem so cute together :(

you stop scrolling the comments and watch the video. it’s a compilation of you and nate in the background.

one of the clips is when you guys were in the restaurant, and your chin rests on nate’s shoulder as the both of you look over something on his phone.

another clip is when you guys are walking, you and nate in the back of the group with his hand brushing against yours.

a few others show the way you two look at each other, eyes full of love and lust.

maybe you guys weren’t being as slick as you thought.

you hand nick’s phone back, nuzzling more into your blanket. “why didn’t you tell us?!” chris exclaims.

you shrug. “‘cause you’ll kill him.”

they roll their eyes. “we won’t kill him. we’ll threaten him.” nick clarifies.

as if that’s any better.

walking hand in hand, you and nate make way through the local park that's bare at this hour of the night. “so you’re telling me i should look out for threats?”

“yeah.” you smile, looking up at him before he gives you a sneak-attack kiss.

he sighs. “i’m kind of glad we don’t need to sneak away anymore. it got so depressing.”

you laugh, followed by an exhale. words cannot explain how much you love this kid. even though it was a hard launch to the public, you’re happy that you can show him off now. to make sure people know he’s yours and you’re his.

hopefully, no threats or killings take place by your overprotective siblings.

𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭!

@bunbunbl0gs @lexisecretaccx @thy-mission @angelic-sturniolos111 @sophssturn @mattsneezing @janiellasblog @blahbel668 @meg-sturniolo @hearts4chris @mattslolita @sturnbaby @imwetforyourmom @tillies33ssss @sturnifyed @mayhem-72 @ripmattitude @p1xieswrld @alorsxsturn @txssvx @sttzee @multiluvr @delilahprentiss @matthewsspecial @sturnolio-luvs @sturniolho @suga-daddy-69 @tworosesblackthorn @luckistar-posts @gnxosblog @junnniiieee07 @sturnioloslurps @tylerthecreatorsrealwife @flowerxbunnie @imaslut4kehlani @sturniolosandmoree @hertvgirl @whoreforchrissturniolo @r4iyaa @sturniolotriplettoplover @mattybswife @freshsturns @loverrsposts @saturncanyon @elliesturniolo1

#nate doe #chris sturniolo #matt sturniolo #nick sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #nathan doe #sturniolo x reader #sturniolo imagine #sturniolo smut #sturniolo fluff #sturniolo fanfic #chris sturniolo fanfic #chris sturniolo smut #matt sturniolo fanfic #matt sturniolo smut #matt sturniolo fluff #chris sturniolo fluff #nate doe smut #nate doe fanfic #nate doe fluff

[writingoddess1125]

Modern AU Buggy X Reader

Buggy x GnReader

Just fluffy Headcanon!

• Buggy is the leader of a budget theater group that he spends nights writing or getting his people to practice for local shows- during the day however he has his own Boat Charter company and a second business of a delivery company.

• Has Rhinophyma and Roseaca which is why his nose is so large and red. Hates it and has been to so many dermatologist to get it fixed- but due to blood flow and other things will have it for life.

• Has a deep anger towards his half brother Shanks- He feels like their mentor Gol D Roger's who owned a large shipping company when he died it should have been Shanks who owned the shop to keep the legacy alive. Buggy would have been willing to follow Shanks if he did this since he knew he cohldnt- But Shanks ended up just leaving town and Buggy trying to keep it together before it finally went belly up.

• Secretly wanted to be an actor but never got the chops for it due to his nose-

• When you first meet Buggy its at one of the plays, it's a fun improve night. While not many people are there you go with some friends since you found the tickets online.

• You're one of the few people that actually play along with the act and seem to be enjoying themselves. Instead of half drunk college students that got the tickets off groupon-

• He has you come down to the stage and does a whole improve act with you, Being such a good sport you end up helping him get the crowd more engaged.

• Buggy invites you to do shows with him which you agree to. Hum giving you his number in exchange

• Showing up every Thursday to the improv nights and you start becoming friends with his theater group. Noticing how Buggy seemed much happier as you got along with everyone-

• After a few months he works up the courage to ask you out on a date, which you gladly accept.

• At first he tries to take you to the most expensive places but when you express he doesn't have to spend money to show he lives you- He gets more creative and thoughtful.

• Walks through the beach, coffee dates, going to musicals together.

• His favorite are movie nights, He will show off his limited cooking skills aka Hot Dogs and a assortment of junk food while the two of you watch mostly terrible F Tier movies together.

- "Which one did you find?" You call out from the kitchen getting some soda for yourself and Buggy.

"It's called Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter {OP note: This is a real movie- absolutely awful}" Buggy yelled out, laughing at just the name as you jump onto the big couch and hand him his drink as he eats some chips.

"That sounds absolutely awful" You say, looking at the cheap movie cover and reading the back with a snort. Buggy nods, patting himself on the back for finding such garbage.

"It truly is, I've outdone myself" He says proudly before the two of you start the terrible adventure. Having to pause the movie at times for laughing so damn hard-

"This is so bad!" You say as you laugh and roll on the floor- Buggy no better. However he wiped the tears from his eyes as he caught his breath.

"While we can laugh at least he made a movie-" He pointed out with a shrug, you sitting next to him and raising a eyebrow at the oddly kind words from Buggy.

"What do you mean?"

"I always wanted to make a movie- But I doubt anyone would watch them.. they barely watch my shows" He muttered, his insecurities getting to him as he subconsciously touched his nose. You reaching over and grabbing his hand quickly, kissing his lips to snap him from his terrible thoughts.

"What are you talking about?! I think your shows are great and I know you'd do a fantastic job making a movie!" You proclaimed loudly with a smile, your Boyfriend turning and staring hard at you.

He stares at you- like youd said the craziest thing ever. You feeling a creep of worry going up your back at how he was looking at you

"What is your ring size?" He finally ask and gestures to your ring finger making you blush deeply red.

#x reader #one peice x reader #one piece #one peice live action #buggy one piece #buggy the clown x reader #buggy x reader #modern buggy #buggy thoughts #op buggy #buggy headcanons

[licorice-tea]

You Feel Right; Stay A Sec

Pairing: Trafalgar Law x reader

Content: pining, yearning, wanting, and needing <3 no smut just fluff! kissing and smooching, just one mention of “going further”! reader is a heart pirate and likes reading :)

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: it’s been a while since i wrote something for my man (Law <3) so i had fun with this😇☝️inspired by lyrics from the song “Hostage” by billie eilish… i love writing based on songs, it’s probably bc i have music playing 24/7 in either my headphones or on a speaker, and i just love music! so it’s easy to get inspo or create scenarios while listening to it, yk? anyway, hope you enjoy! <3

I wanna be alone

Danger around every corner, piles of work, tasks demanding his attention, and crew members in need of their captain’s opinion are all sources of constant stress for one Trafalgar Law. It’s not that he doesn’t love being a surgeon; it’s his passion, nor his crew; they’re the closest thing he has to a family now. It's just that his battery in all aspects- social, mental, physical- is constantly drained.

The only things keeping him going are steaming cups of black coffee and the rare moments of quiet before he passes out on top of his comforter. And, no matter what form the momentarily relief from life takes, it most always comes when Law is alone. He prefers it that way, anyway.

Alone with you, does that make sense?

He prefers being alone, really. Which is why nothing about you makes sense. Right off the bat, Law has felt differently around you than others. He made an effort not to show that difference in opinion no matter how strong it came to be at times.

Times like now, where sleep eludes Law despite how damn tired he is. For whatever reason, all he wants is to hold something- no, someone… you. Law wants to hold you. Or maybe you could hold him, who cares about the specifics?

Law flips on his stomach and groans into his pillow. This is new territory. He’s never wanted someone the way he wants you. A partner to hold close on nights like these, or to simply be alone with.

I wanna steal your soul

He has considered, on multiple occasions, telling you how he feels. But Law would never actually do such a thing. It would be a complicated and messy affair, surely, thanks to your positions. (His as your captain and yours as his subordinate.) And he wouldn’t want you to feel like you had to accept his confession, either.

Still… he wishes you were his, in every way a person could give themself to another.

And hide you in my treasure chest

At least you’re on his crew. You’re always nearby, should he need you, which he often does. Sometimes, Law likes to call you into his office for a made up reason. “Y/n-ya,” he’d say, “give me a rundown on tomorrow’s conditions at sea.” Though you’re not the navigator of the ship, you still know plenty about seafaring, so you’d comply. Then he’d find some other trivial matter to discuss, or offer you a new book so you could later exchange thoughts on it. Just something- anything to keep you around as long as possible. It’s so much more peaceful with you.

I don't know what to do

But how to make your role in his life a more permanent one? Law hasn’t a clue. Tonight, like many others, you sit on a couch in Law’s office. Neither of you speak, but the atmosphere is calm and comfortable.

Or it should be. Law discreetly looks your way every few minutes, then every few seconds. His eyes follow the way yours scan side to side over a page of your book. From the lines of your jaw and neck, to stray hairs falling over the curve of your cheek.

The usually undetectable tension seems to be coming to a point tonight, and Law doesn’t know how to resolve it. But he wants to, almost as much as he wants you.

So, for once in his life, he moves without much planning. Law rises from his desk and crosses the room to sit beside you. He (stiffly) puts his arm around the back of the couch. Naturally, you give him a perplexed look- it’s not like Law to suddenly reach out like this, physically or otherwise.

“Good book?”

“Yeah, thanks for recommending it.”

“For sure.”

“…Is that all?”

He nods, then pulls his hat lower over his eyes. Silently, he makes a plan to abort this failed mission.

Luckily, you stop him and take the initiative.

To do with your kiss on my neck

Law lifts his arm back off the couch and over you. But, you gently grab his wrist before he can go any farther. “Law, is there… You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Again, he simply nods. A moment of silently staring into each other’s eyes passes, and he leans forwards extremely hesitantly. Your hand moves from his wrist and tentatively rests on his shoulder. Still, Law doesn’t break eye contact (for once in his life), continuing to lean forward at a painfully slow pace. So you allow your hand to travel up to the side of his neck.

“You can kiss me.”

He nods again slightly, “I know. I- I will.”

I don't know what feels true

At long last, Law places a featherlight kiss on the corner of your lips. It’s an unsure, awkward action, but welcome nonetheless. His lips linger on yours, not quite aligned for a moment. Despite your breath being held, you allow your eyes to close and savor the feeling. You want more than this chaste kiss from him, of course, but you’d take your time with it. Law isn’t the kind of man you’d want to have a touch and go experience with. No, he’s the kind the one that you want to savor. The one that you want to take your relationship slow and steady with as he wants, and as a result get to spend even longer in his company.

When he pulls away, you can’t help but smile. Law’s parted lips close into the gentle curve of a smile as well, his usual smirk appearing much more bashful. The two of you lean back into each other. Your noses are nudged and warm breaths mingle before your lips can meet again.

But this feels right, so stay a sec

Law realizes he’s never done this before; kissing. But now, he’s hooked. He still doesn’t really know if he’s doing it correctly; if you’re enjoying the experience as much as he is, but it feels good. Therefore, he must be doing something right. Plus you only pull away from him to take breaths before immediately returning your lips to where they belong (on his), which confirms his hopes.

What started as a sweet and slow kiss ends up becoming a much hotter make out session. Months of pent up attraction and feelings for each other spill over, out of your mouth into his (and vice versa.) He’s the first to swipe his tongue across your bottom lip and get you to open up, and proceeds to groan into your mouth in a way that’s surprisingly communicative of how strongly he feels. It gets to the point where, besides your hands roaming over each others backs, you feel that your saliva must also be permanently entangled.

But all good things must come to an end. You pull back completely so that you and Law are properly facing each other, rather than within kissing range. “Law, I… We should talk about this. Before we go any farther.”

His face heats up at the implication; he hadn’t even thought that far ahead, too lost in your sweet taste, warm skin, and soft lips to do so. He nods and just murmurs, “Okay, let’s just keep doing this.”

You agree and kiss him without another word.

Yeah, you feel right, so stay a sec

When you do both finally wind down, and are left as nothing but half-sleep puddles in each other’s arms, Law murmurs something unintelligible into your hair.

Silence passes, though you can practically hear the gears in Law’s head turning. Finally, he speaks his mind. “Don’t go.”

A smile graces your features. How pleasantly surprising it is to have your captain- possibly the most closed off man you’d ever known- asking for you to stay. Of course, you hum in negation. “Wasn’t planning on it.”

His arms seem to tighten around you- though whether it’s reflexively or to keep you close, you’re unsure. “Good.” Then, Law murmurs something unintelligible against you.

“Hm?” He can feel the vibration on your lips against the side of his face more than he can hear it. That’s how closely you’re pressed into him.

Law clears his throat. “You feel right.”

“So do you.”

#fanfic #one piece x reader #one piece #one piece x you #x reader #law x reader #law x you #law fluff #law x y/n #trafalgar d law x reader #trafalgar law

[nikosama13]

"Confess Properly!" (Law x Reader)

Description: Law was puzzled about something… you. He can’t place his finger on whether it’s that you pay close attention to him or that you are an easy-going person. On top of all of that you were in fact, beautiful and you always had everyone’s back. You were like an angel in Law’s eyes, but it’s not like he’d tell you that. But one day that all changes when the rest of the crew speaks about your traits and personality.

Side Notes: Hey loves! I’m new to writing fanfic’s so please go easy on me. (I'm also running off of 2 energy drinks and One Piece) ⚆ _ ⚆ (Most likely spelling mistakes)

~~~

Law had always been fond of you ever since he saw you and even before he had formed an alliance with Straw Hat Luffy. But there’s one thing that puzzles him.. he doesn't know why, but he much preferred you over anyone else in the crew. Probably because you made him onigiris when you paid close attention to his dislikes such as bread or the fact that you were peaceful and it didn't take much to please you.

However one day things change.. His hold on his glass mug tightened, seeing as Bartolomeo swoons and fanboys over you. He gritted his teeth as jealousy ran through his veins, it took all of him not to use his devil fruit.

"Tch. Damn Rooster-ya."

~~~

The ocean air had a cool yet refreshing breeze. The sun shined bright as birds chirped happily above, the waters being surprisingly calm as the smell of salty water filled the air. It was a nice break from all the chaos and action on the ship.

Law was still in a bad mood as he leaned against the wooden railing of the deck.

You were out on the same small deck looking out at the view in the distance, with a plastic old chair you took from your room.

“Oh hi Law..” you said tiredly.

He glanced up at you, seeing your innocent smile that had the chance to make anyone's day better, made him soften just a little bit.

The doctor sighed as he leaned back on the railing, crossing his arms to keep himself from doing something he'd regret. He had to keep a poker face.

"Ah, uh, hey."

“What's with the grumpy mood..?” you said peacefully.

"..nothing."

He replied in a monotone voice, trying to not look at you. He wasn’t trying to be rude but definitely came off as he was. He was just jealous that those other guys were drooling all over you.

“Well it seems like something..”

Law scoffed, and leaned on the railing again, he hated it when you saw through his facade. He clenched his fists as he looked down at the waters below. Why did he feel this way about you? What was it about you..

"..forget about it. It's nothing important."

Law crossed his arms a little tighter as he glared out into the ocean, trying to suppress his emotions. It seemed pretty clear you knew something was wrong, it seemed his face told a lot more than he wanted it to.

"..it's nothing, just a little irritated from all that.. Attention…"

���What attention..?”

"You know what attention."

He grumbled as he clenched his fists tighter. This was exactly why he hated Bartolomeo and hated how much he loved you.

"The way he keeps going on and on, those other guys- it's just so annoying. All they do is drool and worship you."

“Oh.. I dont care much about them..”

"…r-really?"

Law's gaze snapped towards you as you casually mentioned not caring about them. He couldn't help but feel a small bit of jealousy rise up again from that. He hated this feeling.

"I know…it's just annoying, all of it. They keep saying how you're ‘perfect’ and everything else.. they're right though.." He muttered under his breath.

“Wait did you just-”

"…did I do what?"

He glanced back at you, he was trying to keep a stiff upper lip with the way his cheeks were burning. He didn't want to admit it, he didn't want to say what he really meant.

“Did you just agree with them..?”

He sighed as he leaned on the railing once more. If this was a different situation he would give an answer in a snarky tone but with that small amount of jealousy he couldn't manage it.

"..yes."

“So that means..”

"It means what?!"

He grumbled as he felt his cheeks getting a little bit hot. He didn't want to admit anything, but his emotions were betraying him.

“You know..”

Law couldn't help but feel a little bit red from how obvious it was getting. He sighed as his gaze went back towards the waters below, the sun setting in the distance made everything a little more romantic and pleasant.

"…yeah. I do."

“Then confess to me properly.”

"…are you serious?"

He raised an eyebrow at you, maybe he wasn't hearing this properly. He was already surprised you had a pretty good clue on how he felt about you, so he didn't think you'd actually want him to say it.

“Come on, there is no point in hiding it.”

"I…"

He had to clear his throat, he had always been a very stoic and calm one so he didn't like how much you were making him stutter. But you were right, it was pretty obvious how he felt about you. He didn't need to hide anything.

"I like you." He muttered quickly, waiting for you to say something to his confession.

“..and I like you back.”

Law was taken aback by you saying those words back to him. He had been expecting a "Sorry" or a "no" but not an "I like you back" he was stunned into silence for a minute, trying to gather his thoughts.

"You…you feel the same way about me?" He asked as he looked at you, surprised and hopeful that you did.

His cheeks heated up as he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was overjoyed to hear you say such things to him. He had liked you for so long and it had been obvious to everyone else how much he was into you. Hearing you liked him back was something he had always dreamed out.

~~~

The End~

(This took soo long to make and I’m super happy with it.) ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ Consider Following..?

Thank you for reading.

#fluff? #trafalgar law #one piece #cute #slight angst #law x reader #short story #fem reader #one piece ships #fanfic

[mywitchcultblr]

I'm done with your purity

I'm fucking done with all of you westerners fucks who take your freedom for granted. AO3 was banned in china because pissy fans reporting RPF TO THE GOVERNMENT UNDER FALSE REPORT OF PEDO OR WHATEVER thus making life a living hell for Chinese writers and fans. ALSO LET ME TELL YOU that fanfic and AO3 is a safe space for many oppressed LGBT people outside of the west

I can't fucking say that I'm trans and bi without having people beating the shit out of me, but I can fuckin' write that I'm gay as fuck in fanfic or writing gay shit about my fave with fanfic

Imagine some people defending state wide censorship over fanfic, because they don't like icky fanfic, that's a sign that either you are brainwashed or fucking privileged and taking your freedom for granted. You know why Asian and other non western USA-European are more chill with fanfic and fandom?

Why we are less prone to make some stupid callout over fanworks?

Because most of us doesn't have the same information and expression privilege like the west, we take any freedom that we can have

That's in 2017... There's probably more than one million websites being censored rn. I cannot even buy pride pin here because NO ONE outside of internet selling it! The censorship always begin from "banning information to protect children and moral from nsfw" down to censoring Spongebob Squarepants

You don't like something? Just don't fucking read it, it wouldn't stop the author to write and when they do stop writing usually after they are harassed so bad to the point of mental break down or suicide. What the actual fuck...

Defending and supporting state wide censorship because you want to feel superior on the internet is beyond stupid and it showing your privilege... Also yah fuck you who defend china aggressive state wide censorship because adult x adult RPF icky or whatever, I like reading Tom Hiddleston x Reader, because I'm lonely and it's fun. Don't lie that you never thinking of marrying your favorite celebrities or dreaming about dating Gerard Way.

What the fuck you gonna do about it? Crucify my ass? So long you are not shoving it to the person's face, who give a fuck? It's not a justifiable ground to cheer for government mandated national wide censorship. A lot of westerners are so privileged and terminally online to the point their mind revolve around online discourse 24/7 I'm not saying discourse has no damn merits but you get what I said...

Some people particularly white westerners are so privileged they have the chance to goes back 180° and agreeing with conservative mindset they claim to hate so much... Also your kink critical bullshit and your bullshit crusading over dark stories? Yeah. Heavily influenced by TERF and conservatism. Newsflash...

I'm not a person who agree with all ship or stories, i don't claim any moral high ground. I was so scared of getting cancelled due to the hostile neo puritan fandom culture, but seeing people defending China great firewall and aggressive censorship finally broke something inside of me and I cannot stay quiet

I don't give a fuck about your fanfic discourse, If i don't like something i just wouldn't fucking engage with it and wouldn't read...

I'm done, I'm tired. Fucking tagging this shit as anti vs pro because i need to get the message out there and LET THE CHAOS begin

( When you want to escape your country censorship to the internet but then you see the supposed liberated westerners people wanting censorship because they want to feel moral. Yes there are even westerners who don't want to see anything even remotely 'problematic' example: they will attack Zutara or fuckin' Reylo shipper whatever. See? You are terminally online and so privileged... Congratulations... Here's your fucking medal and gold star)

#ao3 #fanfic #shipping #shipping discourse #terminally online #puriteens #puritan #china #censorship #SEA #Indonesia #fandom #fandom wank #purity wank #fandom discourse #fandom critical #rpf #archives of our own #lgbt #politics #antis #vs #pro ship #asia

[ithebookhoarder]

A Work in Progress (Din Djarin x Mechanic!Reader)

Summary: Working at Peli’s repair shop, you’d never expected to find yourself growing close to a customer - let alone a Mandalorian, of all people. Yet, somehow, with every visit you seem to be getting just a little closer to the mysterious man behind the Beskar...

A/N: First of all, I love my Mando baby, and have been dying to write for him. So, thanks to the anon who sent me the message about Din being Demi-sexual. You really gave me the inspiration for this one. Also, I have to say, I totally agree with your head canon. Personally, I know what it feels like to have to have a close connection before you can even feel remotely attracted to someone. With Din’s beliefs and practises I feel he would need to feel connected before he could consider entering a relationship with you, let alone a physical one - but that’s just my opinion...

Warnings: N/A - but let me know if you think I missed any

Masterlist

------

You’ve grown to know the Mandalorian quite well in the last couple of years; he’s a frequent customer at the junk yard and repair shop you work at, having returned multiple times since he’d first been forced to ask you for repairs. 

The Razor Crest was now a familiar ship and a smile always slid into place as soon as you saw it entering the atmosphere. Sure, you were instantly rewarded with Peli’s teasing, but you knew she meant no harm - if anything, she seemed to have a soft spot for the Mandalorian and the tiny green child he now towed about with him. 

Why else did she give him such a big discount? 

Why else did she always insist you prioritise him over any customers you already had waiting? 

Why else did she make sure you were the one to do the work - her ’best damn mechanic in the whole galaxy’ - when she could have done it herself? 

He would only get the best… which was probably why he always tipped the best too.

In fact, more than once, you’d been surprised by the purse of credits he’d place in your hand just before leaving, refusing to take it back no matter how much you protested. 

“Mando… This… this is too much.” 

“No,” he’d chuckle, “it’s the least you deserve.”

“But, it was a simple job-”

“Simple? Yes, but you did it well. You earned it, so keep the money. Please.” 

What else could you do but accept? It was just part of your odd relationship and the steady routine you’d fallen in to as time had gone by. 

Just like how he’d always make sure to talk to you when he was around, letting you ask questions about what he’d been up to since you’d last saw one another. 

Just like how he’d let you tend to his wounds, once or twice, after a hunt had gone a little awry and he was unable to do so for himself. 

Just like how he’d started bringing you little things from his trips to different planets, including the beaded necklace you never took off.  

It was all of these things that made him your favourite customer… that made you consider him more as a friend and a good one, at that. You were also pretty sure he felt the same. Otherwise, there were plenty other places he could have chosen to spend his time, but he chose to spend it with you. 

Today was one of those days. 

For some reason, Mando had managed to secure his bounty much earlier than expected and cashed in the reward he’d been chasing. As such, you weren’t quite finished with making sure his ship was safe to fly again. You’d thought you’d have a couple more days at least. 

He assured you there was no rush - he wasn’t desperate to leave the planet anytime soon - which was a relief. You hadn’t been ready to say goodbye just yet, nor had you had the ship ready for him either. 

Still, you were also kind of happy at the change in schedule, especially when it meant that Mando had decided to loiter next to you, watching as you finished your work. And, Maker above, did you love to having him there… even if it made butterflies erupt in your stomach. 

It didn’t matter that you couldn’t see his face, concealed as it was behind that helmet of his. You’d learned his mannerisms well enough to understand him through his body language and modulated voice-box. 

Like now, for example, the way his head tilted and seemed to track you as you dithered about the place told you he was studying you with great interest. You could even swear you heard the odd hum of approval… but that could also have been from the child, who was also watching you eagerly from his perch next to Peli’s office.  

“You know you can rewire this so it doesn’t blow so often.”

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah,” you chuckle, turning to stare at the Mandalorian, surprising him with your suggestion. You knew he was a capable mechanic in his own right, having made enough patch jobs over the years to see him through his travels. Still, you could tell he enjoyed listening to you and sharing your expertise. “Come here and I’ll show you. That way you won’t have to come in the next time it starts acting up… or force that sweet baby to climb inside the engine.”  

“O… ok - but I would argue it was only once.”

“Still! He’s a baby!”

The Mandalorian chuckled under his breath, and held his hands up in surrender. He knew better than to fight with you on something like this. “Alright, I get your point. It was a bad idea. You better show me how to do it myself then.”  

If you didn’t know better, you’d have said he almost sounded disappointed at the prospect of not needing to visit so often. However, he dutifully slotted into place next to you and began handing you tools when you asked for them, like you’d been working together your whole lives. 

You spent the rest of the day like that; passing tools between you and talking, feeling the tension grow every time yours hands brushed one another. Every time your gazes met. Every time you’d laugh at something the other said. 

It felt good… it felt, easy… it felt right - like something between you had clicked into place as easily as the machinery you’d been working on. 

If only you could understand it so well. 

Instead, your heart was in your mouth as darkness fell over the planet. For the first time since you’d met the Mandalorian, you actually felt nervous. You didn’t know why considering how well you knew one another by this point in your lives, but perhaps it was because you were supposed to be closing up the repair shop soon. 

It was now past closing time, if you were being honest, but you’d been having too much fun with Mando to even consider dismissing him for the night. Besides, Peli wasn’t even back yet to lock up and Mando was making no effort to try and leave. If he was still around it was because he wanted to be. 

Or so you told yourself as you tried not to blush for the hundredth time that day. It was just hard when his hand kept brushing against yours, and he was always somehow stood right next to you, despite having the whole garage to yourselves. The amount of times you kept turning around and bumping into him was getting comical now. 

“So,” he started, surprising you as he tore you from your frantic thoughts. “Don’t you have someone back at home to rush off to? I’m sure they’re probably wondering where you are.” 

“I uh… it’s still just me,” you answered quietly, surprised by the somewhat personal question. Sure, you often talked about personal things, things you never talked about with other customers, but his curious tone still caught you off guard. “No one to worry about me, thankfully. Means I can put in the extra hours here, given how busy we’ve been lately.” 

The Mandalorian hummed to himself. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes after, which was enough to make your nerves fray even more. Your hands were shaking so badly you practically dropped your tools as you tried to put them away neatly, back in their boxes. 

It was the heat of his eyes on you that made you feel light headed. What you wouldn’t give to know what was going on inside that helmet of his… 

“What about you? I know you have the kid now,” you replied hastily. “No one else in your crew to keep you two out of trouble?” 

“Uh, no. Just us two, still.” 

“Oh.”

Now it was your turn to fall silent as you tried not to read into the answer. Of course he didn’t have anyone given his private nature and slightly nomadic lifestyle. He’d only even taken Grogu on thanks to the failed bounty, rather than simply because he’d wanted company… even if you knew he was grateful for it nonetheless. 

“Can… can I ask you a question?”

You nodded. “Of course. Shoot.” 

“Do you … that is… dank ferrik, do you like me?” 

You blinked in surprise. You hadn’t expected that question. “Uh… of course, I do. Don’t you like me too?”

“Yes… but… I mean, not just as friends? or as a customer?” 

A small laugh escaped you as you realised he sounded every bit as nervous as you did. 

“Mando, you stopped being just a customer a long time ago. Ever since you brought me back those cookies from the market because you simply thought I looked hungry.” 

His warm laughter made your heart flutter. “I’m still sorry you only got to eat a few.”

“Who knew the little tyke had got so clever, huh?”

“That’s one word for it.” 

You couldn’t help but feel the paternal pride radiating off of the Mandalorian at the mention of his adopted son and his ever growing abilities. 

You could also feel the tension, building with every second his original question went unanswered. 

If you didn’t know better, you’d have sworn the bounty hunter was blushing, even beneath the beskar helmet that concealed the face you’d often dreamed about. 

As it was, he flexed his hands by his sides, as if trying to rid himself of his anxiety. 

“So, if I’m not just a customer then can I ask what that makes me?” 

He’d taken the words right from your mouth. 

Well, maybe you didn’t need words after all to communicate how you really felt about the man who had slowly stolen your heart piece by piece, with every visit... 

So, you took a deep breath. 

You stepped forward. 

To your relief, he didn’t flinch or step back from your advance - or shoot you point blank. 

No. Instead, his head titled and you heard him begin to try and ask you what was happening. 

“Y/n-“

He never got to finish the sentence. 

He was rendered speechless as you gently reached your oil stained hands up and rested them on either side of his helmet, holding him as if there wasn’t the layer between you both. 

You then rose swiftly on to your tiptoes, before pressing a kiss against where his forehead would be. 

The metal was cold under your lips. Yet, before you could worry that you’d somehow made an ass of yourself, his hands rose to rest delicately on your hips and pull you closer. 

His touch sent shivers through you, the feel of him holding you electric - even through the gloves. 

His head then tilted forward, so that the helmet was resting against your forehead instead, the gesture meaningful enough to make your heart skip a beat. 

“That uh… that answer your question for you?” 

A soft chuckle escaped him, causing you to release one of your own; it was all too surreal. 

Here you were, in your garage, blushing like some school kid with their first crush, after kissing the customer you’d never even seen without his armour disguising him… yet you knew him. 

Or, at least you knew what was important to know about him - enough to know he was a good person. A kind person. And a lonely one… 

“I think that clears most of it up, yes,” the Mandalorian murmured. “And there was me thinking I was imagining things.”

“Imagining things?”

“Yes, like that you weren’t just being nice because you were working on my ship, for example. Or because Peli asked you to be.”

“Peli asks me to do a lot of things, Mando, and I don’t know how you haven’t noticed by now that I don’t always do them.” 

Your laughter was unanimous, and loud enough that you both almost missed the sound of footsteps echoing from beyond the doorway - followed by a broken cough.  

“So this is what you call working?” 

You froze. 

Both you and the Mandalorian suddenly leapt apart as if you’d been burned. 

Thankfully, the owner of the voice waited a few more seconds before entering the room, giving you ample time to act as if nothing out of the ordinary had been happening only seconds ago. 

"You're… you’re early, Peli,” you choke, trying not to die of embarrassment as your boss sauntered into the garage. The smile on her face was a smug one, as if she knew exactly what had been happening. “I thought you wouldn’t be back until later.” 

"Good thing I decided to swing by early or I might have walked in on you two doing something entirely different," she teased, raising an eyebrow at the sight. “I’m just glad - by the sounds of it - you finally got your heads out of your asses and made a move. The tension was getting unbearable.“

"Oh… right.” 

"Be gentle with them, alright? They're a gentle soul,” Peli stated simply, gesturing to you. “And my best mechanic. Just remember that, Mando. You break it, you buy it.” 

You and Din were in unison without even trying as you both suddenly turned. 

“Shut up, Peli.”

#the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian #din x reader #din djarin #din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #masterlist #the Mandalorion #grogu #grogu x reader #star wars #Star Wars x reader #ithebookhoarder #thesilentmage #demisexual #Pedro Pascal #pedro pascal character #the mandalorian headcanons

[mgnifique-tion]

— december 31st.

summary || ``out in the cold with a god, the historian never expected how great the next year would turn out to be.``

pairing: tva!loki x fem!historian!reader song recommendations: where the sea sleeps (day 6 – even of day) lowercase is intended…

— themes and warning/s: fluff, friendly bickering, friends (allies)-to-lovers, cozy, very minimal swearing (literally just one), this is very soft pls my heart–

— a/n: somebody got into loki again (me) and it’s been a while since i’ve written a marvel au (like probably 6 years ago HELP) and just for some backstory, my writer buddy (@yourstrulyksm) got me into this because she wanted me to write a christmas special but uh, the idea came in late……. and also, brainrot for loki……….. so here’s a short, teeny tiny winter special to end the year with! let’s welcome 2024 with a warm embrace (and perhaps a kiss…? maybe ship yourself with the upcoming year??? i’m def going insane)

[ total words: 1.2k ]

support me on ko-fi! ☕

───── ❝ ❞ ─────

“are you alright?”

oh, you were pissed off, and not in a healthy amount. you were unhealthily pissed off. him asking you that question while you both stood in the middle of the wilderness clearly was not a great way to have a brand new conversation that opened with him doubting your mental state in some way. a loose nightdress was the only thing keeping you warm and as much as it looked so good on you, you were now beginning to hate it with all of your soul. 

that and the god who dragged you out of your home to fulfill a mission, loki.

“it’s almost twelve o'clock and you’re expecting me to be okay out here, in the cold, outside of my damn apartment, dressed in this sleeveless, thin cotton dress– are you that dense!?” anger was just inching closer with each second that passed as the god looked you from top to bottom, keeping his lower lip under his front teeth as he tilted his head.

‘right, he was a front giant. i forgot,’ you thought, huffing as you crossed your arms in both the burning annoyance and in the cold. to your surprise, that ticking bomb inside your head wasn’t really going to do much to keep you warm. 

“why didn’t you bring a jacket, then?” he questioned again. “you showed up at my doorstep panicking! i didn’t have time to get one!” you complained.

and then, there was silence, a moment of clarity which was later interrupted by the god once again. this time, he laughed, shaking his head at the supposed funny moment that took place earlier. “... oh, my friend, i do apologize–”

“you should,” you quickly snapped back, walking next to him as you followed his directions as if you weren’t familiar with the location. “now, i’m freezing like shit here– what are you doing?”

without thinking twice, the thick, dark blazer he wore was slipping off of his shoulders and arms as he gave you a state, later offering it to you by nudging your arm with his knuckles. “come on, wear it. the cold never bothered me anyway,” he said, both of his eyebrows raised as his eyes glimmered, hoping that you’d just take the blazer from him.

“... thanks a lot, elsa.” you still spoke in that grumbling tone you always had when it came to him but deep down, it was all for the humor… and the never-ending stage of denial. 

yes.

it’s been a while since those feelings for him bloomed like a flower on a spring’s day.

and now, you’re stuck with him like a pine tree on a winter’s night. “what are you even doing here? didn’t you tell me that we’re just supposed to see each other throughout time like… periodical visits?” you questioned, still wondering why he was now standing next to you. 

although he and mobius did need the help of a licensed historian, it was clear that you weren’t like the two of them. you had an entirely different role and just like what they both would say, you should play your role in the timeline. 

“why? isn’t this just like one of those periodical visits as well?” his shoulders slowly rose throughout the question as you sighed. 

3 days ago. it’s been 3 days since loki and mobius left…  and now, one of them is back again and it didn’t seem like he’s in trouble as you assumed.

“yeah, but like, i thought you’d come see me a few months after the last visit,” you muttered, taking steps with him slower this time, clearly diving deep into the talk. “you know? like the last time… for you, only a week passed but for me, it took six and a half months. is there another problem we have to fix or is this gonna be your thing?”

in return, he chuckled and asked back, “can’t i just pay my favourite historian a visit?”

“... but i’m the only historian you know–” “shut up.”

though it sounded bitter, both of you still smiled over the friendly banter and somehow, it was nice to know that loki traveled through time again just to meet up with you.

as a busy historian constantly checking if the two tva employees or sylvie herself made any of those rewrites in the many pages of history, you never really had a chance to go out with friends… you weren’t even sure if you still had contact with those old friends of yours.

in some way, you were lonely. 

you’d never admit it to yourself or to anyone around you but it was undeniable that you still were. “so, what you’re telling me is that you probably got bored and thought to yourself that you should seek me out just so you could take me here in the middle of the night? for fun? is this your brilliant idea of fun?” you questioned, syncing your pace with him as leaves and snow rustled beneath your boots. 

again, he chuckled. “well… it’s not exactly boredom,” the god answered, taking a deep breath right after. “... i did have plans to see you tonight.”

‘... what?’ that one word danced around your mind in circles because not once did you think of that possibility.

he just said he wanted to see you exactly tonight, how could that happen?

“and it’s getting late, i know. i’m sorry for dragging you out here but this one…” he trailed off, taking another deep breath as he suddenly stopped walking… and of course you did the same, choosing to face the trees instead of him. 

“this one’s important.”

then, he raised his hand mid-air, just above his own shoulder as his fingers fluttered, emitting vibrant sparks in every color you could think of. he had a genuine smile on his face, his emerald eyes staring back at you while you focused on how the sparks flew and twirled around his palm. once you looked at him, you held in your breath, absolutely overwhelmed by the situation. “... loki.”

“i’m in love with you,” he said softly, his eyes turning glossy, admitting to it all wholeheartedly. no more secrets now. “and it’s killing me to keep these words to myself for longer so nothing’s stopping me from saying them now. i am so in love with you, y/n… i can’t imagine not seeing you every single minute.”

with the sparks from his own palm flying into the air, syncing with the fireworks that blasted into the dawn skies, he pulled you close, the lips you’ve dreamed of every night brushing against yours soothingly as you started forgetting about how cold it was… the kiss he was giving you was enough to keep you warm.

even too warm, perhaps…

“whoa– hey, wait a second.” you pulled away from him, your palms touching his chest, grazing a little bit against the fabric of his ironed as if it was to restrict you from letting the kiss get deeper than expected. “... we just kissed? is this for real? or are you enchanting me? loki, i swear–,” you were then cut-off by quick peck on your cheek, his hands touching the back of yours so delicately as he looked at you with relief, shaking his head.

“this is for real, trust me.” he smirked, smothering his lips against yours once again as your eyelids closed shut, indulging everything he’s been giving you right at that moment.

well, isn’t this such a great way to start the year?

#tva!loki #loki #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #mcu loki #marvel loki #loki series #loki headcanons #marvel headcanons #loki imagine #loki imagines #loki laufeyson imagines #loki god of stories #loki oneshot #loki fluff #loki x reader #loki laufeyson x reader #fem!reader #loki x fem!reader #loki laufeyson x fem!reader #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston #marvel cinematic universe #mcu imagine #mcu fluff #loki x you #happy new year #new years eve #mgnifique-tion

[beanghostprincess]

I don’t have many Op friends I can talk about this with but one of my top ship tropes is when it’s established that Luffy is slow on the uptake regarding people’s relationships and even HE knows someone is in love and pining. Like, to make a point at how utterly obvious it is. Sanji cuts food for Usopp into little bite sized pieces? Luffy just asks him something that indicates Sanji and Usopp are in a relationship and the cook almost chokes. Nami tries to write a letter and is getting visibly frustrated at not finding the right words and he just looks over her shoulder like „Say Vivi I said hi!“. He witnessed Shank and Buggy finally meeting at laughtale and there is just a bunch of „I WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED YOU!“ „I never wanted you to leave!“ „YOU WERE A COWARD!“ „Why does that matter now?!“ „BECAUSE I ALMOST GAVE UP MY DREAM FOR YOU!“ and Luffy just looks at this insane display in front of him while his idol does a homoerotic sword vs dagger fight with a clown and just „Are you seeing this shit Zoro?“ like… congrats . You’re being such a lovesick idiot even Luffy is like „Damn bitch you got it bad“

Honestly, this is extremely in character and pretty much not far from the truth. Luffy, despite being a dumbass, is a very perceptive person when it comes to people's feelings. One of his best traits as a main character is that he's empathetic to the point of knowing how people feel or what they want without needing to know the background or the rest of the story. I actually hate when the fanon perception of Luffy gets simplified to "he's an idiot" because yeah, he might be reckless and stupid and he's very silly, but he's emotionally mature to a sickening extent. Savior complex much? (Not that he wants to be a hero, god forbid, he would hate that. I just mean that his constant need to save everyone so nobody he cares about dies on him or gets hurt again has made him really aware of his surroundings and people's feelings). And, well, tbh he has always been like that. Very honest and perceptive, I mean. He might be a bit slow when catching up to some things and he might not know why people feel what they feel sometimes, but he knows what they're feeling. Get me? Like he might be aware of Nami being mad at him, for example, and not knowing why, but being aware that he has to do something to change that.

What I want to say with all of this is that Luffy noticing romance within the crew is extremely canon because he knows how his friends act, and if he notices changes in a person towards someone else, he might be stupid but he's not that oblivious. Like, he knows something's up. And to him the whole concept of pining is so stupid because if you feel something, just let the other person know! But then again, his relationship with Zoro is just different from that, and not everyone can have a devoted long-term marriage without saying a word.

And his reaction towards people pining would be hilarious because the guy would be exhausted from the crew having crushes and not doing anything. A Sanuso trope I love is Luffy going to Usopp like "Hey, confess already because Sanji has been distracted lately, and if he stops cooking because he is sad and pining for you I will be very mad" and he says shit like this and goes away and leaves Usopp alone with that information as if it was the most obvious and normal thing to do. But, you know, Luffy gets things done around here, at least.

#he's so pookie honestly #and he's so sassy sometimes give me more sassy luffy #he's just like 'why can't everyone be like me and zoro' #and nami is like 'BECAUSE YOU TWO ARE BUILT DIFFERENT FROM HEAD TO TOE YOU TWO ARE NOT NORMAL' #one piece #monkey d luffy #sanuso #namivivi #zolu #shuggy

[bazzybelle]

Good Omens 2 and Wayward Son - A Fan's Commentary on Fandom Reactions

I’m going to start off by saying apologies for any obvious grammatical errors. I am writing purely from the heart here. 

Also, apologies to my Sandman friends. If you haven’t read The Simon Snow Trilogy, this will go over your heads. However, I have been going back and forth on writing this meta since the release of Good Omens 2, and I just finished reading a spectacular meta on queer ships becoming canon by @avelera, which you can find here (read it, it’s brilliant). Anyway, I feel now’s a good time to let out all of my feelings when it comes to Good Omens 2 and how similar it was to reading Wayward Son. 

Simon Snow friends, you all know that Wayward Son is my favourite book out of the trilogy. You also know that this can be considered a controversial take within the fandom. And I don’t mean that in a toxic way, this fandom is one of the more wholesome fandoms I’ve seen; But in the way of like… Wayward Son is itself a polarizing book. 

I say this, knowing full well what went down when Wayward Son was released. Perhaps I had the advantage of not being completely embroiled within the Simon Snow  fandom until after I’d finished reading the book, but I lived on the periphery. I followed Rainbow on Twitter (fuck you, I am not calling it X), I had saved some artwork on Pinterest (before I found out those were stolen, wherein I immediately unpinned them and deleted my fandom folders), and I was excited to get Wayward Son as soon as it came out. So much so that I asked my husband to go to the Indigo near his office and buy it because I wanted to read it right away. 

Friends, I demolished that book within a DAY. 

Then I read it again. And again. And again. 

Then I wrote my first fanfiction in eight years. 

This book changed me. But you all know that. I’ve talked about it often, and that’s not what this meta (Editorial? Opinion piece? Shouting into the void?) is about. 

What I am going to talk about is the amount of pure vitriol this book got once it was released. There was SO MUCH complaining about the book. It was too short! There was no point to it! Why aren’t Simon and Baz having sexy vampire sex? Why aren’t they living together (never mind that this was briefly discussed at the end of Carry On, but go off I guess)? 

And you know what’s even funnier? Within a couple of weeks (it might have even been days, I’m a little fuzzy on timelines) Rainbow announced the third book. We knew, right away, that Wayward Son was meant to be an in-between book! Rainbow, being a fandom person herself, has said time and time again that she had always considered Wayward Son as an in-between book, structured like The Empire Strikes Back within the Star Wars original trilogy. Like think of the in-between books of any series, they are ALWAYS the darkest ones. In order to fully appreciate the win in the end, you need to go through the tough shit. 

What I loved about Wayward Son was it took that idea and spun it. It went all “ok, yeah we dealt with the win, now let’s deal with the aftermath. Only then can we have the makeouts and sexy times these guys deserved.”  (and damn, did Any Way The Wind Blows deliver on that promise).

But I am getting away from myself again. Point is, it was always meant to be an in-between book. There was always meant to be a resolution at the end of the trilogy. But that sure as hell didn’t stop people from outright demanding Rainbow give them the happy ending NOW. Pestering her on Twitter, (not so much on Tumblr) demanding she do this, or do that, or “you better not kill Baz” (even though she has ALWAYS SAID SHE NEVER WOULD) or “they better not break up” (even though, narratively, it was heading in that direction). The closer the book got to release date, the more people complained about how awful Wayward Son was. 

It was really disheartening to see. 

Which is why I got really upset when the SAME THING happened after the release of Good Omens 2. 

(For clarification purposes, because several of my friends have spoken to me about their own personal issues with Good Omens 2. And you are all super fucking valid. I am strictly referring to the amount of anger I saw online because although Aziraphale and Crowley kissed, they didn’t have an immediate happily ever after. I am also speaking of the anger expressed because the season wasn’t wrapped up in a neat little bow.)

Like with the release of Wayward Son, people seemed to have forgotten that season 2 of Good Omens was meant to be an inbetween season. Neil Gaiman has not been shy to talk about that. He has said over and over again that Season 2 was always meant to be a bridge between the Good Omens he and Terry Pratchett wrote together, and the sequel they had been planning. 

What… did you all just forget about that? Do you not know how narrative writing works? 

It’s like people refused to take a step back and breathe for a second and appreciate the season for what it was. A beautiful romantic story (because, IT WAS! Just like Neil said it would be), as well as a lead up into what will be the epic, dramatic conclusion. No, instead people started demanding the happy ending NOW, and getting angry when Neil wouldn’t budge and offer more information (even though he never has before) (funny how people just… forgot that).

It was Wayward Son all over again.

Yeah, I’m not going to lie, I was crushed with the way Good Omens 2 left off. Just like I was so confused when Wayward Son ended out of the blue. You know what I did about that? I wrote fic, I read the book again, and I happily anticipated the upcoming final part that would tie up all the loose ends.

Know what I’m doing to heal after Good Omens 2? I’m looking at gifs, rewatching episodes, laughing at memes and crack, and hoping to all the gods of story writing that Amazon approves of a third season, so that Neil Gaiman can be allowed to finish the story he and Terry Pratchett built together.

It’s become sad to watch this feral hunger from fans demanding immediate gratification, and getting upset when it isn’t the ending or gratification they were expecting. Wayward Son came out after years of Carry On fans having nothing else but the one book. Like I said, I wasn’t part of the fandom then, so I don’t know how fans from 2015 felt upon learning they’d get more Simon and Baz. Same with Good Omens. I only really got into the fandom a few months before season 2 came out. So I don’t know how OG fans felt waiting and waiting and waiting. So maybe I have that going for me as an advantage, that my hunger wasn’t growing more and more feral. 

Then again, I’m now a part of The Sandman fandom, and we’re essentially waiting on Season 2 to start development. And while I’m hoping a few things are tweaked (like Dream and Hob’s relationship), I’d be more than fine if it stays the same as in the comics. And if they decide to go about that in an entirely different way, I’d be fine with that too. You know why? Because I’ve learned to trust the writers of the stories I love not to lead me astray. 

And if I’m unhappy with something –because nothing is ever 100% perfect, and even my favourite stories end up coming short– there are always fanfictions to write, gifs to laugh at, and fandom friends to discuss plots and meta with. 

I may have lost the point of this meta. I tend to do that, following a train of thought that doesn’t always make sense in the end. 

Fandom friends, can we all just agree to take a breath and be thankful of the stories given to us? Can we learn to appreciate the entire picture, and not just a tiny section of it? And for the love of all that is holy, can we learn to be patient and to listen when our story tellers remind us to wait and see? To trust them when they assure us that our characters will have a happy ending, even if they need to traverse a little in the dark to get there?

I sure as hell am, and I hope you will too. 

Gonna tag @carryonsimoncarryonbaz because she was instrumental in encouraging me to write this.

#belle babbles #more like belle shouts into the fandom void #GO2 just reminded me A LOT of Wayward Son #both with the fan reaction #and with the overall vibes #I may write another longer better thought out meta comparing the two #but for now I just wanted to get my initial feelings out #as a fan who loved both WS and GO2 #who was very sad to experience this nonsense twice #simon snow #baz pitch #the simon snow trilogy #snowbaz #wayward son #anthony j crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #good omens #good omens 2 #neil gaiman #rainbow rowell

[sabo-has-my-heart]

Hello :) just want to say I love your fictions especially your law ones :) Might I ask you to write a fluff about law x crush!reader, where the reader is very bubbly and kind hearted and literally forced herself on laws ship because it was her only option to explore the world. Like she annoys the hell out of law with her bubblyness and boldness but somewhen he realized he has a big fat crush on reader :) I know its very specific but I always saw law with a bubbly flower girl, I think the contrast is cute and somehow law always end up with bold and bubbly characters like luffy and corazon. I think he attracts those kind of people :)

Warnings: none, just fluff

Word Count: 1110

     Eye twitching, Law watched you skip down the streets. They were in town to let the log pose reset and gather supplies and you were being your usual annoyingly upbeat self. You’d joined the crew relatively recently, but you were a good enough fighter that he’d allowed you to join, despite how peppy and bubbly you were. Still, your constantly upbeat attitude and and bubbly personality seemed to get on his every damned last nerve! He didn’t mind how kind you were. He was a doctor, doctors helped people, even if they weren’t always pleasant. Seeing you be so kind and giving was something he appreciated in a person. What he didn’t like was how you’d actually joined his crew, how bold you were, how peppy you were. Sure, he kept you on the ship and kept you as part of the crew because of your skills, but when you’d originally joined, he’d wanted to use his room to cut you into pieces. You’d started by stowing away onto his ship, only revealing yourself once they were far enough out to sea that they couldn’t sail back and would have to let you stay until the next island. After while, you’d quickly and easily befriended each and every crewmate… to an annoying degree. Once they’d reached the next island, you’d given the saddest, biggest puppy dog eyes as you pleaded with him to stay, when he’d said no, you’d started giving the crew the most tearful goodbyes, telling them how much you’d miss them and how you’d never forget them and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah! He wasn’t sure who’d given him the next biggest puppy dog eyes after you, Bepo, Shachi, or Penguin. After much begging on the crew’s part, he’d finally agreed to let you stay, giving you crew duties, rules, and other things you’d need to know. It didn’t take long for him to figure out that you’d wanted to see the world, to experience new things, to do something other than stay on your peaceful little island. Watching you twirl around in the middle of the street, he couldn’t help but sigh, how were you always so happy? Always so cheery and positive? You hadn’t had the traumatic childhood that some people had, sure, but he’d only ever met 1 other person as bright and sunny as you, and that was Luffy. Though to be honest, he didn’t understand why Luffy was so cheery either, but for entirely different reasons. 

     Looking back at Law, you couldn’t help but give him a bright smile as you tucked a lock of hair behind your ear, the wind blowing past you. You’d enjoyed being a part of the crew, seeing the world, traveling from place to place. It was a refreshing change of pace and it let you see and experience new things you’d never had the chance to before. Moreover, the crew was kind, sweet, and enjoyable to be around, quickly befriending them. It was somewhat amazing, to be honest, that someone as serious and stoic as Law had a crew as cheery and lively as the Heart Pirates. Though it benefited you, fitting right in with the others and easily getting along with them. While befriending them so you could stay hadn’t been your intention, it had helped a great deal when you’d been trying to convince him to let you join, the crew begging him as well. He seemed to have a soft spot for 3 crewmates in particular, you could only guess that they had a long history together. Dancing down the streets, you couldn’t help but laugh and smile, stopping by the occasional store to buy supplies or look at various clothes or goodies for yourself. You had a few days before the log pose reset, so you’d spend today getting supplies and the next couple of days exploring the island, enjoying the greenery, and doing some personal shopping. Sadly, you knew Law wouldn’t accompany you on such excursions, finding them to be rather frivolous. It was too bad, really, you wished he’d join you, wished you could spend more time with him, despite the personality differences, you really liked him. Yes, you knew you had a crush on him, but you also knew that he didn’t feel the same way about you, so you kept your feelings to yourself.

     The next day surprised you, Law following you as you headed for the outskirts of town. You’d heard of a wonderful field of flowers and wanted to check them out, telling your captain where you’d be in case he needed to find you. He’d sighed, stood up, grabbed his coat, and followed you out. It made no sense! Why had he followed you? Why had he come with you? Not that you were complaining, you enjoyed being around him, but it confused you greatly. Picking a few flowers, you quickly wove 2 flower crowns, placing one on your own head before placing the other over Law’s signature hat, surprising the young man. Had you really just placed a flower crown on him? Why? Why make a flower crown for him? Did he look like the kind of guy who cared about flowers? Why was he happy that you’d given him a flower crown? Why did he suddenly feel so flustered? Why had he accompanied you in the first place?!

     These thoughts bothered him for days, even as they set sail once more, leaving him baffled as to his own feelings for you. You annoyed the ever loving hell out of him! Ever the doctor, Law started looking for a medical reason for his ‘symptoms’, anything to explain away his feelings in an attempt to avoid the reality of what was happening. Still, even his medical textbooks were starting to point towards the obvious, towards the one thing he didn’t want to admit. No disease explained all of his symptoms and there was no way he could have everything that would explain the symptoms. No! No he didn’t have feelings for you! Except he knew he couldn’t deny it anymore. He cared for you. You made his heart race, his stomach flip, his cheeks turn bright red, his breath would catch in his throat, his brain would get fuzzy when you smiled at him and laughed. He… he cared for you, he had a crush on you. Now, he could only hope that these feeling of longing would go away.

     They didn’t. They never went away. His feelings for you only got deeper as he fell hard and harder for you with each passing day until he was hopelessly in love.

#one piece #one piece law #op law #one piece trafalgar law #trafalgar law x reader #trafalgar one piece #trafalgar law #trafalgar d law #trafalgar d water law x reader #trafalgar d law x reader #trafalgar d water law #law x reader

[distort-opia]

you know i often see people throwing around the claim "joker r*ped/sa'd barbara in tkj" (mainly to shame people for liking the joker or batjokes) even though alan moore has dedunked it at some point. like the only piece of media i can think of with joker as a rapist is the azzarello graphic novel which is shit and doesn't need to be accepted as canon. i know it's kinda of a touchy subject but i'd be interested to hear your thoughts

Well. You've pretty much said it, to be honest.

Even a cursory Google search will reveal that Azzarello's Joker (2008) is a one-off, non-canon story. The just as much stand-alone sequel, Batman: Damned has a grieving Harley Quinn almost force herself on Bruce, and yet I haven't heard people say Harley is a rapist. Hell, didn't Batman and Harley Quinn (2017) have Harley and Nightwing sleep together... with pretty dubious consent on Dick's side? And yet fans are able to acknowledge that these are not canon storylines and that the writer matters a lot-- in the case of the latter, it's co-written by Bruce Timm, who is infamous for his shitty portrayal of female characters (also see the animation Batman: The Killing Joke, in which Barbara very assertively has sex with Batman, because that's of course the only way a woman can exercise power). Actually, Barbara's character has suffered so much... there's even Batman Beyond 2.0 #28, in which Bruce apparently got Barbara pregnant, Dick's girlfriend at the time.

But we all dismiss these storytelling choices because we know they're idiotic. They go against the core of the characters, simple as that. Why is Joker not allowed the same? While what he canonically did to Barbara in TKJ was horrible, rape did not happen, and that's a fact. Any other implications of sexual assault can only be connected to Frank Miller's writing in the TDKR series (not canon), or that horrible (and again, not canon) book adaptation of TKJ by Christa Faust and Gary Phillips. Unfortunately, there are always some writers who think that it's just darker and grittier and cooler, more shocking to have Joker attempt rape or resort to sexual means of intimidation; though it's funny how it happens that these are also generally controversial writers for their sexist depictions of women.

But we do know why Joker is not afforded the same kind of treatment as other characters who got butchered by out-of-character stories, canon or otherwise. He's become the punching bag of the DC fandom; it's so easy to proclaim loud and proud these days how much you hate the Joker and want him dead. If you're an anti and looking to feel morally righteous and signal to your echo chamber how good and pure you are, it's a low hanging fruit to latch onto Joker and criticize him for all he's done. The problem, of course, is when these people start attacking actual, real-life fans over their fictional preferences, shipping or otherwise.

But to give a more general conclusion, and my actual opinion on the matter: Joker is a master manipulator. His main schtick is literally getting Batman to kill him by orchestrating all manner of situations; he manipulates his doctors, his henchmen, he manipulates Gotham itself through the media on countless occasions. The very reason why he did what he did to Barbara in TKJ was to manipulate her father into having a mental breakdown. Joker picks people to break and then breaks them psychologically, that is his MO. What he wants is to expose the people around him, he wants to show that deep down, everyone is rotten.

It probably becomes obvious why rape is inconsistent with this mindset. Joker isn't the kind of monster to make things happen by brute force, he's the kind of monster to manipulate people into the worst versions of themselves and then laugh at them as they hate themselves for it. He'll murder and torture and imply any manner of atrocity to make that happen, but the source of his glee is seeing people fall into the same dark pit, devoid of humanity, he's chosen to live in. (And don't even get me started on the fact that Joker was canonically shown to have been a victim of sexual assault himself as a child, in Batman: Streets of Gotham. As an adult, he's depicted as gruesomely taking revenge on the man who did it. Something tells me there's more than one reason why Joker would not resort to rape, and it goes beyond MOs or agendas.)

#I got a bit long but alas #this was prompted by whatever twitter meltdown is currently happening wasn't it #heard about it and heaved a long sigh. this is why I stay away from that hell hole #asks #long post #joker #rape mention #discussion of rape #fandom negativity

[rjmhereunderprotest]

Crossed Paths & Tangled Webs: Why I Ship SpiderCat

This is gonna be a controversial one through no fault of my own... but also it's all my own damn fault. A confusing contradicting statement to be sure, but when you're talking about Peter Parker and Felicia Hardy, that statement seems to ring the most true. Two people who are as perfect for each other as they are imperfect. In love through no fault of their own... and completely at fault for being so.

My poll for another ship to cover picked this... I'm more than happy to talk about it but we're dealing with volatile stuff right now. As I write this, Spider-Man and Black Cat actually ARE in a relationship with each other. Peter has recently stated that he no longer feels romantically for his long-time love-interest, Mary Jane, calling her more akin to a sister. MJ was apparently stuck in some post-apocalyptic Narnia situation where enough time passed for her to have kids with another guy. And if that wasn't enough... Mary Jane may be about to join Gwen Stacey in the fridge, if you get my meaning. As Zeb Wells is teasing the most shocking Spider-Man story since Gwen Stacey's death and the solicits for the story afterwards say Spider-Man is about to suffer a terrible loss. Felicia is on the covers of at least one of those issues. So unless it's a complete fake out and Wells is going to kill off a relationship he has stated he both prefers and spent a ton of time setting up at the expense of the preferred romance among fans... yeah it's not looking good for MJ. I mean he might kill off Aunt May again, but... well there's no guarantees in comics... ever.

This is a strange time period to be a long suffering SpiderCat shipper. I have held a torch for these two for such a long time it feels like almost second nature. I see Felicia, I want to see her with Peter. No one else, man or woman, will do. (Yes she's Bi, shut up, it's canon) Yet right now, a SpiderCat shipper is now writing the Spider-Man books and everyone seems to absolutely hate Zeb Wells' execution of it all. I've gotten what I wanted, at last, but fans are outright rejecting it. Not so much for Felicia and Peter being together mind you, as much as they're annoyed MJ is being thrown under the bus.

Which I get actually, I may have wanted this ship over Peter/MJ, but not at her expense. I don't want her DEAD or badly written. And given how Marvel has basically treated MJ and Peter over the years, it's hard to argue that these reactions are anything but justified. Even decades later, One More Day's shadow still looms large. Marvel has constantly teased and poked and prodded and snickered about the possibility of Mary Jane and Peter Parker becoming an item again. If not married, at the very least dating. But Marvel seems insistent on this point. "The Marriage was a mistake, we're never going back to it. And anything that is even remotely similar to that status quo is not allowed. Ever." The inability of Marvel's Spidey writers to craft a compelling happy marriage between Peter and MJ has been an albatross around the neck of the ship forever! Even when they did it in an ongoing, it had to be a different universe! One where the Civil War comics event wasn't a thing, so that was also a plus. And MJ had to get Spider Powers too in order to smooth over the whole thing for writers.

So, yeah, MJ's been blamed for making Spider-Books dull and kept at arms length from Peter as much as possible. Because if Spider-Man is EVER TOO HAPPY that can only spell DOOM for the character. His world must always revolve around misery. Linkara of AT4W has said it time and again, in the eyes of Marvel, Spider-Man can never be allowed to be happy.

And yet, despite all that, I still hold true to this maxim, Peter Parker and Felicia Hardy are made for each other. If I ever had an OTP, if I ever had a ship I'd die for, if there was ever any romance I was forever evergreen invested in... it was SpiderCat. Despite whatever the world says, that it can't work, that it's a bad idea, that they don't need each other, that it will never be the way Peter/MJ were once... I don't care. I reject all of that and state proudly, without shame, every time that Spider-Man and the Black Cat are and always shall be perfect for each other.

So Let's Talk about Why that is...

Usually I'm inclined to give brief synopsis points about both characters in separate sections. But Spider-Man is so well known and Black Cat so simply explained in their initial set ups it feels almost... pointless. When you can describe at least one half of the shipping dynamic with a theme song from a sixties cartoon it's hard to honestly come up with anything new or original.

So yeah, Peter Parker, nerdy wimp who gets bitten by a radioactive spider, doesn't get cancer from this, but super powers. Thinks about using these great powers to enrich his life, but after letting a criminal get away because it's "not his problem" he learns a harsh lesson about responsibility. His uncle dies at the hands of said criminal, it's all his fault, and Peter proclaims that as long as he has these powers he will use them to help people.

And as a result, Spider-Man is the hero that always gets up because he has to, he needs to. Because people, strangers and loved ones, depend on him. This comes at the cost of a great deal of things that would make him personally happy. Because if Spider-Man is about anything, it's about personal sacrifice and responsibility. It has been a running theme since his first comic and will continue until the heat death of the universe. If you know nothing else of Spider-Man, this is the most important fact about him going forward for the rest of this essay. Spider-Man is Responsibility and Self-Sacrifice Personified. Whenever he doesn't live up to either aspect of himself, bad things happen, to him, to the people he cares about and New York City at large.

On the other side of that coin, Felicia Hardy, aka the Black Cat. Infamous thief. While her origins are more fluid throughout her incarnations, her general story is pretty much the same. Felicia is a thrill seeking thief, who lives for the daredevil rush only a well-executed heist can accomplish. The Black Cat persona is that of a femme fatale thief of the highest order. There's no question that she shares more than a few similarities to Catwoman of Batman fame. Save for the fact she might possess a slight passive power that causes bad luck to her opponents.

Different character of course, but that's just to establish that it is a superpower. Felicia uses it mainly to steal whatever she wants and get away scot-free. She, in general, tries to avoid personal consequences for these actions. While her motives may vary from one story or universe to the next, ultimately her purpose in life is the same. To live for herself, for her needs and how she wants. The Black Cat persona is just that, a means to indulge in her wants and desires to the fullest extent. She is, inherently, self-serving and selfish whereas Spider-Man is selfless.

On the surface this presents a dynamic akin to oil and water. Spider-Man is an avatar of personal responsibility. The Black Cat is the personification of independent self-interest. They are such opposites, such contradictions, that they should just not work. They should be enemies... and that is how they started.

Amazing Spider-Man #194, Black Cat's first appearance where she and Spidey come to blows over her illicit activities. Felicia has contracted a crew for a job to spring her terminally ill father from prison. Spider-Man tries to stop her, only to end up buried under the rubble of the exploding prison wall. Black Cat flees the scene with a quip about crossing her path and Spidey with a bad arm post-fight. The next issue sees Spidey deduce Felicia's real identity and that Felicia only broke her father out so he could spend his dying hours with his wife and her mother. Spidey and Cat come to blows outside arguing over the merits of what she's done. However in the struggle Black Cat starts to fall off a roof into a surging river below. Spidey catches her with his bad arm, trying to stop her fall... but can't hold on as Felicia seemingly falls to her death. He tries to return to the Hardy residence, only to see Felicia's mother in grief over the death of her husband. Not wanting to add to it... Spidey leaves.

Of course, this isn't the end for Felicia, issue #204 sees the Black Cat return. She's actually been watching him it seems, taking photos of him swinging around town. They get reacquainted at the museum where Cat manages to slip away again after another fight with Spider-Man. Felicia is annoyed though that he keeps fighting her, not understanding why she's doing this. And by the next issue it's revealed, the art pieces Felicia stole were meant to symbolize what she thinks of Spidey. Namely, that she has developed a crush on him. No doubt because, despite trouncing him almost every time they've fought, she's clearly enjoyed all of it. And Spidey hasn't exactly helped in that regard as he has routinely flirted with her. He can't help it, she is hot. Felicia claims she wants to leave thieving behind, at the behest of her mother and she would like Spider-Man to help her reform. Seeing a similarity to a current situation with a girl he's instructing, and that Felicia might be suffering a bit of a mental break as a result of her father's death, he promises to get her help.

These introductory stories set the stage for Felicia and Peter's on again off again relationship for years to come. Felicia is self-servingly selfish, desiring things that aren't hers. Yet her motives are more complicated than pure greed, it is always based somewhat around her emotional state. Her need to give her father and mother some closure before she passes, her desire for Spider-Man to lead her out of a life of crime, as per her mother's wishes. She isn't evil, she has noble intent, she just goes about it in very self-centered ways. Spidey, in the meantime, is selfless to a fault. He'll keep chasing her down, he'll keep trying to set her straight, keep trying to stop her crime sprees. He is drawn to her by his selflessness and sense of responsibility to prevent her from just getting away with whatever she wants. But he does genuinely want to help her and he will not take advantage of her fragile emotional state, even if he himself is somewhat into her. Hell, the first thing he thinks about when he first sees her is that he hopes she isn't a criminal because he'd like to ask her out. He is clearly drawn to Felicia, even if it only starts out as pure infatuation, but he will not take advantage of her interest in him because he knows better than to try to exploit that for his own self-interest.

Of course it's a lie, well partially. Felicia faked being crazy to more easily escape a psychiatric hospital than a prison. But she is indeed in love with him. After her escape, she invites Spidey to a masquerade ball via a sky writer. Ultimately revealing that she lied to him about her mental breakdown in a selfish bid to escape consequences for her actions. But she wants to make up for it now, because this masquerade ball is being hosted by mafioso she stole from and says Spidey can now arrest them all! Crime is too easy she thinks, superheroing is her next thrill seeking adventure and she wants to do it with him. And despite being tricked and more than a little bribed into this, Spider-Man decides ultimately why not give it a try? If she really does want to go straight for him... isn't the responsible thing to do with her to help her out even if her motives are a tiny bit selfish?

This is how their romance starts and sets up the ultimate tug of war dynamic. Spider-Man does want Black Cat, but is wary of her desire to push him into a more selfish mindset. Black Cat actually desires Spider-Man, but can't get over her compulsive selfishness. In this story alone she has to sort of trick Spider-Man into coming to a date that's actually a mafioso party that he can break up. It's a highly manipulative plan that appeals to her selfish infatuation and Spider-Man's selfless heroism. It is a constant push and pull between them at multiple points. By all accounts, they should not work and a good deal of comics past this point go on and on about why they can't work.

I could cover the lengthy relationship between both characters throughout the 80s, Spidey was actually dating Felicia for a long time during the Black Suit days, even after he gave up the Symbiote. And for the most part this dynamic does not entirely change. Peter wants to help Black Cat be a better person before he can truly commit to her. Felicia wants to be a better person and make things work with Spider-Man, but she has a hard time wrapping her head around selfless action over selfish indulgence. It's the roadblock between them truly working as a couple. And there are a ton of moments during this time period I could talk about, but frankly, they are ALL before my time.

None of them really prove my point either, all I've done is just explain why their dynamic as a couple is riveting. It's not exactly like Batman and Catwoman's, but its of a similar vein. The key difference is Spider-Man, being who he is, isn't as opposed to the idea at first as Bruce is with Selina. Catwoman plays a lot harder to get for a lot longer than Black Cat, she also doesn't become Batman's superhero partner. Felicia and Peter by contrast are much younger though, so their reasoning is frankly more in line with their age demographic. They're just quicker to jump in than most people. The only thing holding them back is Black Cat and Spidey's diametrically opposed ideologies, even though we'll see those two viewpoints somewhat crisscross soon enough.

If you want to know however where I actually came in on this, we need to hop over to another universe. The one firmly positioned in the decade that defines the pop cultural wasteland... the 90s.

In an effort to compete with DC's Batman cartoon, Marvel fast tracked a Spider-Man show into production. While not on the same technical/narrative level as the landmark Batman: The Animated Series, Spider-Man: The Animated Series still did a tremendous job at capturing the essence of the character and is still a good series in its own. Even on a recent rewatch, I was surprised to see how well-thought out and true to form the series was. Yes, it's overuse of repeated animation and various other shortcuts was annoying, it certainly wasn't perfect, even by 90s standards, but it deserves recognition where it counts. Part of that was, in my opinion, the dynamic between Felicia and Peter Parker/Black Cat and Spider-Man. It certainly wasn't a slamdunk, I'm going to talk about where the writers fumbled it, but when it worked it worked and I think those parts where it worked so well were what cemented the idea in my head that this relationship, fraught as it was, COULD become something everlasting.

There's no hiding that Felicia's story is completely different from the comics. She actually knows Peter to begin with before she even becomes the Black Cat. They actually date for a while and despite the fact Peter is poorer than dirt, she is clearly interested in him and remains so for a good portion of season one. Peter's first kiss in the series is Felicia in fact. Even when MJ is in the picture, Peter is still torn between her and Felicia.

You might think we're dealing with a Betty and Veronica situation, but it never really materializes as such. Felicia and MJ never really meet this early and Felicia herself isn't really the rich girl stereotype. She's not particularly girlish or whinny. She doesn't really look down on anyone for their status. In fact she more often than not tries to rebel against the stereotype. She does a lot of charity work, she shows concern for the good of New York's citizens and she gives credit to those who deserve it, not just because they flatter her. She also gives Peter a lot of chances despite seemingly screwing up with her. She is reluctant at first to go out with him, but is not embarassed to be seen with him. The issue that arises is, from her perspective, Peter is never around when she gets in major trouble... but Spider-Man is. This become important later, but the thing to note is she is still close friends with Peter for a good amount of time and shows an interest in hm.

The only reason Felicia doesn't get with Peter is, again, Peter's terrible luck as a result of his responsibilities as Spider-Man. He accidentally stands Felicia up one too many times and she... ugh... ends up falling for Michael Morbius. Yes... that Morbius. No, we're not doing the meme. I only bring it up here because its one of the flaws in the show, Morbius as Felicia's love interest feels so incredibly out of place. It exists purely to prevent Felicia and Peter from getting together because nothing about it works. Morbius is hardly charming, he's somewhat of a creep, he's rude, abrasive and his petty rivalry with Peter just makes him unlikable. Its this petty bullshit rivalry, in fact, that causes Morbius' transformation into a Vampire monster in this continuity. Peter tries to claim responsibility for it because it was caused with his radioactive blood, but Morbius was an asshole and did it to himself. He's at fault and he sucks... pun not intended, not entirely. But because he's doing all this to stop a plague in his home country, and he saves Felicia this one time when Peter doesn't show, we're supposed to buy that she's smitten with him. And I do not buy it. In fact, I'd argue the show's writers didn't even buy it and were somewhat forced to do this so they wouldn't step on the iconic romance with Peter and MJ.

Morbius' subsequent flight into exile, as he basically becomes a mutant bat monster, starts an ongoing subplot with Felicia, the fact she has seemingly terrible luck with men. Early on, after Morbius has left her life, Felicia begins to develop a crush on Spider-Man, as at this point he's been there for her more than most other men in her life, saving her or her mother. Spider-Man, as a result, has become a very huge constant staple in her life, more so than any other man as far she can see. Peter, despite his messy love life, does care for Felicia, and is very quick to jump in to help her whenever she is in trouble. Partially because of his connection to her, partly because he still blames himself for Morbius' transformation. So Peter is spending a lot of time as Spider-Man with Felicia at this point, more so than MJ even who is dating Harry Osborn for a while. As far as Felicia is concerned, Spider-Man has become something akin to a knight in shining armor who is always there for her. She can't help but fall for him.

She reveals this by suddenly kissing him on the balcony, pulling up the mask half-way and everything. Peter, however, says he can't reciprocate, as much as he probably still has feelings for Felicia. He says he can't have a girlfriend though because it would put her in danger. It's bunk of course, he's still trying to be with MJ even though she's currently with Harry, but I imagine it plants an idea in Felicia's head. Regardless, for now she's crestfallen and this leads her into the arms of another man, Jason Phillips Macendale, a rich well to do playboy-type. Even still, she retains her feelings Spider-Man throughout their relationship. There is a scene at a carnival where Jason wins a stuffed Spider for her, which she remarks she finds spiders cute while he acts rather annoyed and jealous over it. Despite the fact she very clearly still wants Spidey to be with her, Felicia does agree to marry Jason when he proposes.

At the engagement party, which Peter attends with MJ as she has dumped Harry at this point, he changes into Spider-Man to spy on the Kingpin and Osborn over some business with the Hobgoblin. Annoyed he has to leave MJ to deal with this problem, he's interrupted by Felicia.

She asks if he's here to wish her good luck and Peter fumbles his words in saying as much. Which leads to this exchange:

Spidey: Do you really love this Jason Phillips guy?

Felicia: And why should you care about that? Unless you got a better offer?

Spidey: (Thoughts) This is crazy, I can't have one girlfriend as Peter Parker and another as Spider-Man! (Speaking) No, I don't... I just want you to be happy.

As Spidey swings away, Felicia mournfully says "So do I." It's a very clear statement, she's settling. Jason is rich and powerful and the person she's expected to marry due to who she is, but she's not really sure about it, or happy. Because the man she wants is currently swinging away. It's obvious that, in Felicia's eyes, she's missing something in her life that makes her happy and Spider-Man seems to be that something. Likewise, Peter, the paragon of self-responsibility, knows he can't abuse his secret identity to cheat on MJ, even though he seems very tempted to admit that he still has feelings for Felicia. But in the end, all he cares about is her happiness and if she can find it in this Jason dude, who is he to ruin that?

Well, he doesn't have to ruin it. Because we find out, shock of all shocks, Jason is the Hobgoblin and the revelation shakes Felicia to her core. The fact that this person she was dating, this man who she decided on because she couldn't have Spider-Man was a fraud, a criminal, a liar... it's a terrible thing to realize how poor your judgment is. Almost reaffirming that this was the wrong choice from the start.

Spidey of course once again comes swinging to her rescue and defeats the Hobgoblin. But Felicia has questions for her former fiancé. Jason relents that he used crime to create everything he is and get everything he has, including her. She's just another possession to him. What she deep down probably feared going into this, why her heart wasn't in this, why she wanted Spider-Man to give her a way out and save her again.

Felicia: I have to know, did you ever really love me?

Jason: I don't know. I love things about you. Your wealth, your beauty, your refinement.

Felicia: That's not love! I've experienced true love... and it's nothing like that.

And we don't get a flashback to Morbius, as this show constantly does because it's very not subtle, we don't see her talk about bat boy at all. She looks directly at Spider-Man as she says this and the camera zooms in on him as she speaks those words. This overtly informs the audience what love means in Felicia's mind. Love in Felicia's mind is being there for someone, who Spider-Man has been for a long time now. And more importantly, it's about wanting that person to be happy, which was all Spider-Man said he ever wanted. Spidey never asked anything of Felicia, he was just there for her and perhaps, in Felicia's mind, the reason he can't return it is because she can't be there in the same way. She is after all a damsel who he needs to keep saving and Spider-Man made it an issue that they can't be together because she'd be in danger.

In fact, this incident has given Felicia a complex that alludes to her future. "Every time I give my heart to someone, disaster strikes!" She sobs to Spider-Man. "I'm like a Black Cat spreading bad luck to everyone who crosses my path! Including my own."

By the next season things have taken a turn for the tragic, Mary Jane has vanished into realms unknown after mirroring Gwen Stacey's fall from a bridge into an interdimensional portal. As far as Peter knows though she's just gone, maybe forever. They can't say dead on this show, you know how it is.

This would probably leave the door back open for Felicia, but Peter is in no mental condition for another relationship right now and Felicia is smitten with Spider-Man, not Peter. Although he does wonder if she could help him with his grief as he swings over to her apartment. Not to say she doesn't care for Peter, but her heart belongs to his masked vigilante persona. In fact, so much so that she proclaims that Spider-Man is the only good thing in her life during that same visit. (Granted this is after an attack by Doctor Octopus, but the point stands) It's obvious that Felicia is now clinging to Spider-Man as one of the few constants in her life at this point, what with repeatedly being placed in danger by monsters and maniacs. The lack of control and helplessness is eating at her terribly.

However, this does lead into what we've all been waiting for, Felicia's transformation into the Black Cat and the start of the multi-episode season storyline, "Partners in Danger."

Felicia's father isn't just a cat burglar anymore. It turns out he got a peek at the formula for the Super Soldier serum back in WW2. He was almost tricked into giving it to the Nazis but managed to evade them. He was a kid at the time and was on the run for several decades. He's been in SHIELD custody for the past few years, until now when the Chameleon breaks him out only to hand him over to the Kingpin. Soon after, Doctor Octopus kidnaps Felicia and brings him to Fisk to reunite her with her father. And basically blackmail her into performing crimes for Fisk to test out the Super Soldier formula.

Yes, the Black Cat in the 90s Animated Series is basically a super soldier thief. It is suggested its not a complete process, but it grants Felicia more capability than she used to have. As the Black Cat she's now stronger, faster, more agile, versatile and has heightened senses. She's basically a mini-Captain America sans shield and a less patriotic aesthetic. Also, the Serum allows her to completely alter herself, her hair turns white and grows longer, while she also becomes more ripped and taller. This is so people won't really recognize her, an important detail for later.

While it's obvious Felicia hates being forced to go along with this to protect her father, she doesn't hate the new powers she's been granted and seeks to use them to eventually turn the tables on Fisk and save her dad. However, for the time being she gets in more than a few scrapes with Spider-Man, one of which leaves him knocked out in front of her. She considers pulling off his mask, but decides against it, preferring him to do it for her himself. She does plant a kiss though, the first of many as the Black Cat. The sequence is clear, Felicia is no longer the damsel but Spider-Man's equal and she hopes that this means things can change.

True, Felicia still gets into trouble and Spider-Man has to save her before the episode is out, but they actually do come together as partners by the end and effectively work together to defeat Fisk and save her father. Sadly, he has to return to SHIELD custody, of his own free will, to prevent the secrets he knows from ever getting out. I'd kinda like to to think they would give him a more witness protection situation than imprisonment for the guy, even if he did become a thief. It's SHIELD though, it's kinda expected they don't always do the sensible thing.

However this sets up the dynamic for the next few episodes as Black Cat and Spider-Man work together more and more. Spider-Man is reluctant at first, still mourning Mary Jane, but Black Cat manages to shake him out of that stupor. Reminding him not to close himself off in his grief. And Spidey himself remarks, as he and Black Cat work together, that he's actually having fun for once as Spider-Man. This is something to keep in mind, Black Cat actually challenges Spider-Man more often than not throughout their time together. Pushing him to remember why he does this job, stopping his pity parties cold, reminding him to not see his power as a burden that he so often does and as a gift he uses to help people. Even if she's not the same self-serving Felicia from the comics, as the Black Cat she embraces the liberated self her persona grants her. She's finally being able to do the things that her position as a rich socialite kept from her. Her stance is that Spider-Man can afford to think about what he wants and what makes him happy as much as his own responsibilities.

Frankly, it gets through to Peter. As time goes on, Spider-Man becomes more receptive to the idea that he should move on from MJ and be with Black Cat, a fellow crime fighter, on his level who can look after herself as much as him. This has been the problem Spider-Man has faced for a while, being able to protect the people he cares about despite his powers seemingly always getting in the way. In the same vein, Felicia's newfound abilities enable her to be Spidey's equal. Allowing her the opportunity to see him as a person and not just the superhero who saves her. This gives her the ability to challenge, as well as compliment him, as pointed out.

Their dynamic frankly rings more true and honest as a relationship. Even MJ never pushed Peter in the same way Black Cat pushes Spidey to be better. That's not to say MJ was a bad girlfriend, but on the show... she frankly resembled the comics version of Gwen Stacey personality wise. Black Cat may have been in love with Spider-Man, but that never stopped her from telling him off when he got something wrong. She had her own opinions and views on how this relationship worked and despite clashing with Spidey, they always seemed to be getting closer and more intimate every time she crossed his path.

That is until the goddamn Vampire comes back and ruins it all, because Felicia still has feelings for Morbius, I guess. In fact, he comes back so soon and suddenly, just as Peter is thinking of committing to Black Cat as Spider-Man, that it again feels like a mandate from on high. They're getting too close to each other, we can't have that, break them up by making Morbius a thing again. And quite frankly it feels forced because the only thing that seemingly prevents Spidey and Cat from sealing the deal is that neither of them have guessed at who the other is.

This is despite the fact that the Black Cat is obviously Felicia, given her very close relationship with Felicia's father that she doesn't even try to hide at all during her introductory episode. But Spidey has been consistently dense when it comes to secret identities, he couldn't even figure out Matt Murdock and Daredevil were the same person under similar circumstances. Using excuses THAT HE HIMSELF USES to cover his ass as Spider-Man. For being so smart, Peter is incredibly slow on the uptake when it comes to guessing Black Cat's identity despite how damn obvious it is. Not that Felicia is honestly much better, as both before and after this there are a number of clues to Spidey's true identity. Like... she kissed Peter AS Peter, she should know that mouth!

But the fact is, and this is where the forced editorial mandate thing comes in, that if they ever found out who the other was... that would be the end for any possible Peter and MJ relationship at this point. Felicia would finally realize why Peter seemed to never be around when she was in trouble, it's because he was Spider-Man. And given that Felicia's reasoning for being in love with Spider-Man is, again, the fact she feels he's always been there for her, she'd realize her most long standing intimate REAL relationship was with Peter all along! Peter in turn would realize that Felicia, the girl he first had a crush on, the one he was most conflicted about getting with before MJ vanished, a person he still has strong feelings for, is also the person who taught him to love again after MJ vanished. A friend he cares about who is now on his level and has also been there for him! There would be no way they couldn't get together at that point, or at the very least it would be very hard for Peter to decide between her and MJ from then on.

But no, the adventure with the returned Morbius leads to Felicia deciding to go with the creep Mutant Vampire and Blade to hunt other vampires and leave Spider-Man behind, just as he was about to be with her. Of course, Peter doesn't put two and two together that Cat is leaving with Morbius because as established he's an idiot when it comes to this stuff. If he was smarter, he'd have figured it out right now and probably revealed himself to her, and that would create a conflict and probably make her question this frankly boneheaded and nonsensical decision. So no, Felicia and Peter never find out each other's secret identities and she goes off with Morbius leaving Peter alone for no really good reason other than this felt like the fastest way to break them up so MJ could slide back in.

And MJ does slide back in, not long after this episode in fact and Spider-Man quickly fast tracks to proposing to her, revealing his secret identity, the works. However, Felicia isn't out of his life as MJ still keeps getting into trouble, constantly. At the wedding, Black Cat returns to make sure Peter's big day doesn't get ruined, because she does care about Peter even if she isn't with him. She does this again when MJ is seemingly kidnapped, first comforting Peter as Felicia reassuring him during a moment of hopelessness and then becoming Black Cat again to track down MJ for Peter.

And she admits aloud that she's doing this because she doesn't think she made the right call to follow Morbius and Blade, she still has feelings for Spidey, even though he's loyal and committed to MJ. Again, Felicia does not put two and two together given how gung-ho Spidey is for finding MJ. This also marks the only time MJ and the Black Cat meet, it's very quick, Peter has to answer a few obvious questions. After all that, Felicia decides to head back to Transylvania and once again Peter doesn't put two and two together that Felicia and Black Cat are back in town right at the same time. Because he's stupid like that.

What's important to note is that Felicia will drop everything for Peter, which suggests to me, on some subconscious level, she knows who Spider-Man is. And the fact she's still playing mental support coach to Peter, even outside of their secret identities, speaks volumes for their bond and connection. Even outside of the Black Cat persona and without directly knowing it, Felicia is there for Spider-Man when he needs her, just as much as he was for her.

But of course, all of this is for naught concerning Mary Jane's fate. Because... this is not Mary Jane. This hasn't been Mary Jane since she returned at the end of last season and conclusion of "Partners in Danger." Because we've been doing a random ass Clone Saga deal this whole time! This MJ, the one Peter married, shared his secrets with, probably most likely banged... wasn't his MJ. She was a clone created by Miles Warren who can use frickin water powers like Hydro Man because Hydro Man is an asshole ex who is obsessed with MJ and wanted his own version of her. But she wandered off, blah blah blah, point is her clone stability is breaking down and she's gonna evaporate. Cue one of the most gut wrenching screams in animation history.

So yeah, Peter never got the real Mary Jane back, only to be set up for heartache all over again. One could argue he probably loved this Mary Jane more. Sure he thought she was the original, but everything he experienced with her were steps he was unwilling to take with the real one. Similar to how Felicia has been feeling conflicted, one has to imagine Peter is even more so at this point on several other levels. Not that he has much time to mourn though. Madame Web has returned after a long absence from the series and she has war for him to fight, a Secret War.

In a very loose adaptation of the original Marvel Comics Event, Spider-Man is tasked by the Beyonder to lead a team of superheroes to liberate a planet that has fallen to villains he's plucked from Earth. This becomes a bit of a crossover between pretty much every Fox Entertainment Marvel Cartoon running at the time. From X-Men to Iron Man to the Fantastic Four, not Hulk though, Hulk rights are always a problem. But even after he's picked all the heroes he can afford to recruit, like any Gamer he can't resist modding shit to give him more stuff. And of all the heroes and allies he could pick to increase his ranks... he chooses the Black Cat.

It's a fairly odd choice honestly. Spidey has worked with a lot of heroes, maybe not as extensively as the Black Cat, but he's fought beside Doctor Strange, he knows other X-Men who are on Storm's level or at least just as capable. But he picks Black Cat. He picks her despite knowing that Madame Web knows the Real Mary Jane's location and promises it as a reward if he helps her. He picks Black Cat, despite knowing she is currently with Morbius and Blade. Makes one wonder... why?

Felicia isn't happy with this herself, because she just got pulled away in the middle of a vampire slaying fight. Don't worry, they're fine. It's Blade he'll manage without her.

...

What? Oh Morbius, yeah I guess he'll survive too just by being in close proximity to Blade. Have I mentioned I hate Morbius?

Anyway, the point is Black Cat is none too happy get pulled into Spidey's adventures against her will, like he can just do that on a whim. She's kinda right to be angry at him and she is for a good portion of the episode. When Spidey explains he picked her because he needs her support and they work good as a team, Felicia rightly says that he can't just rip her away from things because he needs to hold her hand. She'll be more than willing to do so on her own, he doesn't need to ask, he just shouldn't force her. It's a surprising role reversal, with Spider-Man being a bit more selfish than usual and Black Cat outwardly demanding to know when Spider-Man is gonna grow up. A question many comics fans wonder themselves to this day.

Spider-Man's ultimate ulterior motives are a bit more obvious though when he gets pretty jealous over Captain America and Black Cat bonding over her having the super soldier serum. And it doesn't help that Cap keeps kinda outshining him constantly when he saves Felicia a few times. But to be fair, Steve Rogers does that with everyone.

After the mission that topples the Red Skull ends, Spidey does apologize for taking Felicia against her will into this war. But she's no longer angry. Taking part in a mission bigger than even vampire slaying is important, a big deal, and if there is one thing Felicia has wanted its to not be left out of a fight for something bigger than herself. Plus, she get's to do it beside the greatest hero of all time. Spidey thinks she means Cap, but she corrects him, she's talking about the Web Head. Despite not being as perfect as Captain America, Spider-Man did prove himself out there as a leader to her and she admits she wouldn't want to miss this action with him for anything. Despite not wanting to be here initially, Felicia ultimately can't get over the fact Spider-Man wanted HER here with him. And given their last meeting had him coldly rejecting her advances, it says to Felicia that Spidey still feels for her and she clearly does too. Black Cat then kisses Spider-Man... and it's the last kiss he'll ever receive in the series. That's right, Peter's first and last kisses on this show come from Felicia. How do you not expect anyone to read into that?

No matter what lame line Morbius tries to give at the end of the episode, Felicia's heart doesn't really belong to him. It is very evident, crystal clear, painfully obvious, to anyone paying attention, that Felicia and Peter, on this series at the very least, were specially connected. Maybe not at first, but Felicia became someone who could match Spider-Man, physically and mentally, in many ways. And it's undeniable that, regardless of anything else, Peter held feelings for both Felicia and her Super Thief persona. Their banter was perfect, their partnership was top notch, the chemistry was amazing. The only thing keeping them apart was a story writing mandate from on high that they could not be endgame. Even though the writers took every chance they could nab to put them together. To shove Felicia back into Peter's life, even after she went off Slaying it up with Morbius. When I rewatched the series, it became painfully obvious who the writers seemed to prefer Peter with. None of this is to knock MJ as a character, on this show or in the comics, but it's hard for me to buy that there wasn't some kind of bias towards Felicia given everything that happens in this show.

Or maybe they just wanted an excuse to keep bringing Jennifer Hale back, I don't know! But I still choose to think that someone on that writing staff wanted a different endgame. It's been known to happen, creative teams aren't immune to shipping. Avatar the Last Airbender apparently had an ongoing tug of war between the executive producers and some of the writers over whether Katara would pick Zuko or Aang. It honestly feels like something similar happened here and as a result it comes across as the best evidence in my mind that this relationship could work. And the insane reality that less than a decade after Spider-Man TAS concluded, a show that did everything to ensure Spider-Man never got with the Black Cat because Peter/MJ were too iconic to not happen... One More Day drops and Peter has barely been with MJ for more than a single run out of several writers since. Said single writer being Nick Spencer, the Hydra Cap guy! Possibly in an effort to redeem himself from being the Hydra Cap Guy.

But I digress, as one can plainly see concerning this short retrospective of the series above, the 90s Cartoon has been over for a long time. Next year, it will be thirty years old. I can point out how it could've worked in that show, but that does nothing to prove Felicia and Peter ever have a chance now. All it shows is that I have a nostalgic attachment to this pairing because of an animated series. One with a highly different set of canonical circumstances between Spidey and the Black Cat that were crafted uniquely for this show alone. Circumstances that are worlds apart from the comics.

And that's because, as loathe as I am to admit it, Peter and Felicia's relationship has always had roadblocks in every piece of media involving them before and since. And I would be remiss if I didn't address any of those before I can start proving its viability now. If I don't I'll just have to do it later anyway. We'll look at how SpiderCat appears in other works as we go through this, but we need to head back to comic book land if we're really going to lay down what's actually keeping these two apart, and it's not the very weak contrivances preventing them from figuring out the obvious like in the 90s cartoon. No, it goes deeper than that. As you can see here.

90s Felicia wanted Spidey to unmask for her, but Comics!Felicia has had a hang up about that for a long while. This is the crux, the problem, with their relationship. The thing that always comes up when SpiderCat shippers argue for it. Comics!Black Cat loves Spider-Man... not Peter Parker. And mixing the two is too much for her to bare. This is what put strain on their relationship, Felicia didn't want her fantasy ruined by knowing the man behind the mask. Peter being an ordinary guy shatters her illusions about his prowess and ability. The phrase "Anyone can wear the mask" comes to mind and as long as Peter wears it for the Black Cat that is true. Take it off and Peter's normality leaks into things.

As a result, the main problem is Felicia can't love a man like Peter, who has a normal life outside of his superheroing. Felicia doesn't want normal, she likes what she is, who she is, doesn't want to go back to it. She wants to be the Black Cat because as the Cat she can do and get whatever she wants. Peter is, again, weighed down by responsibilities. While Felicia, once again, desires her independence from everything, including responsibility. Felicia would rather Spider-Man give up being Peter and just be the hero who swept her off her feet full time. To forever chase her across the rooftops and do what they want whenever they want. She's fine if that means fighting bad guys... so long as they're not tied down to normality. But Peter can't do that, he can never do that, not as long as he has ties to his life as Peter. And that's probably why Wells is considering severing a pretty big tie to that in order to make sure SpiderCat can't be reversed so easily. Can't really blame him for that though, given how comics are in constant flux. (Remember This)

This sort of issue is constantly reinforced. In the Spider-Man 2 video game, based off the Sam Raimi sequel, The "Spidey's loss of his powers" sub-plot is replaced by Black Cat trying to seduce him away into forever crime-fighting as his relationship with Mary Jane becomes strained due to her upcoming marriage to Jonah Jameson's son. Their dynamic matches the comics pretty well... and that means Spidey eventually breaks it off with her, saying he can't abandon his real life to forever play superhero with her. He needs a balance and that means he can't see her anymore. She leaves amicably, but it's sad to see happen.

In the Spider-Man: Web of Shadows game, Black Cat is revealed to still have feelings for Spider-Man and wants to be back together with him. This is pretty bad timing given the symbiote invasion going on. As the game is using the then popular trend of multiple choice endings there is one where you can have Black Cat be with Spider-Man at the end. It requires you basically healing her after a fight with your black suit, turning her into a Venomized version of herself. You can still pick the good ending after this where you defeat the Symbiotes, but all you know for sure is that MJ and him are on quits. You only see Felicia again if you pick the bad ending where Spider-Man breaks bad fully and decides to lead a symbiote army with Felicia by his side. Further emphasizing the idea that Peter can't pick being with Felicia without abandoning everything that makes him who he is.

There's also Spectacular Spider-Man, the other beloved Spider-Man animated series. Shorter-lived, but just as impactful. Where Spidey and Black Cat seem to hit it off during the start of Peter's whole symbiote storyline. Their banter is great, the chemistry fits, Felicia and Pete seem destined to be star-crossed opposite sides of the law lovers. However, when they meet up again Felicia is breaking her father out as she usually does... but the twist this time is Felicia's father is the one who shot Uncle Ben.

Naturally this completely wrecks any goodwill concerning Black Cat and Spidey's second meeting. As from here on out he's adamant Felicia's dad is not getting out. While it turns out Dad doesn't want to leave either and he decides to sacrifice his chance at freedom to stop a mass jailbreak of supervillains, that changes little. Spider-Man does not forgive Felicia's father and Felicia blames Spider-Man for infecting her dad with sentimentality. Even knowing he took an innocent life, all Felicia sees is her dad rotting away in jail. She declares she'll never forgive Spider-Man for this and rushes off in anger. The series ended shortly thereafter and this was never resolved. Greg Weisman, the show's creator, says if it had continued the relationship would've been "fraught." And once again this is the typical line concerning the fact Felicia's selfish desires run up against Spider-Man's heroic responsibility. And letting a criminal get away, especially one that killed his Uncle, is just something he can't do.

And I could go on, there are a ton of examples of this very problematic element of the relationship. It's the thing Marvel has consistently used to explain why Peter and Felicia aren't the right fit. Any romance would require either character to make sacrifices they are incapable of. Namely Felicia's independence and Peter's Responsibilities. Marvel itself decided to set this in stone to a degree with the usual question they ask... "What If?"

"What if... Spider-Man Married the Black Cat?" is the second part of a longer What If storyline answering what would happen if Peter and MJ did not get married. (HA! After OMD, one cannot help but laugh!) And as much as that cover paints wedded bliss... it's anything but. Felicia and Peter come to blows repeatedly, unable to reconcile their differences. Their goals are far too distant from each other overall and they just can't find common ground. By the end of the issue, Felicia lies dead, Spider-Man heart broken and the grim reality that this romance could never work is cemented in stone it seems. "What Ifs" aren't definitive statements about the only possible outcomes for the Marvel universe. But they are definitive statements from Marvel itself, a decree from on high that the current continuity, for all its faults, could be so much worse and we should be happy for what we have. And while the issue is loaded with nice panels that any SpiderCat fan would adore, the end result is still plain as day. Felicia and Peter are too oil and water to ever mix. And the end result would be the destruction of one or both.

How do you overcome the dreadful reality that your ship is declared doomed forever by the very company that in some sense set it in motion? Not just because Spider-Man can never be happy, but because the Black Cat is just too toxic a girlfriend to ever truly make him happy. Everyone argued that MJ and Peter's marriage was boring but they didn't want him to get with the next best option either because they think it's non-compatible, that they're just too different and of opposing thoughts to ever reach common ground.

And Marvel has tried to permanently set that in stone in canon once. To forever place SpiderCat as beyond possible, to sever their connection as decades long allies... and all because of an octopus in the brain.

The image above is not that of Peter Parker fighting the Black Cat. This is Doctor Otto Octavius, piloting Peter's body after jacking his mind. This is the Superior Spider-Man, and he does not care about Peter's past infatuations. He's here to prove he's the better Spider-Man and that means apprehending all criminals. In an otherwise re-affirming storyline that proves Peter Parker is the true Superior Spider-Man, Otto failing to live up to his lofty ambitious boasts, this scene... this one bloody scene, leads to the absolute low point period for all SpiderCat Fans. I call it the "Bitch Be Crazy" Era, an offensive title for a frankly offensively disgusting sub-plot in the Spider Run post-Superior.

Peter Parker informs all his Superhero buddies that Doc Ock had taken over his body for a long time, explaining his shitty behavior for the past year or so. Most everyone's response is "Oh, yeah, that's obvious in hindsight." Not Felicia.

The tables have turned, now Felicia has broke bad, but for real. And there is no way to describe what she becomes but extremely out of character. She doesn't accept Spider-Man's explanation, she doesn't even care. She is now obsessed with becoming the next Kingpin of Crime, a murderous, merciless mob boss who pulls the strings of supervillains, all in a bid to destroy Spider-Man and all he holds dear and it's absolutely, completely, stupidly, idiotically terrible. No matter how selfish Felicia can be, this is NOT her. Felicia has never shown any desire to be a crime boss, to be feared. Her desires have always been thrill seeking, shiny things and not being told what she can and can't do. She might be violent, but she is not a cold-blooded killer. She might be cynical, but she is not this petty. Every element of this terrible subplot makes no sense unless she's absolutely lost her mind or been replaced by a Skrull.

The only fun thing in this whole mess, was that Gwenpool's first in-universe story took place during this sub-plot and she crossed paths with her. And then did this.

I guess that justifies putting a Gwenpool tag below somewhere. Win for me!

Suffice to say, no one liked this change. Everyone hated it, even more than Superior Spider-Man. People came around on that, no one liked Felicia the Big Black Cat of Crime. Dan Slott could never justify it because it made no sense that Felicia would care this much about street cred because Spider-Man beat her up. As if there isn't a single crook in New York at this point who can claim Spider-Man hasn't knocked out one of their teeth. Others tried to explain it, to give it a more sensible face. There was an explanation in the Silk comic, but it didn't really stick as something that would drive her to this extreme. Regardless, it was a dark time for SpiderCat Shipping Fandom. And it took way longer than it should've to fix it all.

But it did get fixed and that brings me the counter to ALL of this stuff that stands in Peter and Felicia's way. And that is that no matter how much things stay the same, comics always inevitably change and so do the characters in them. We like to pretend that the way we see a lot of the characters in comics now has just always been them. But no, they're not. Batman used to carry a gun in his early days, Superman didn't always fly, Captain America, a WW2 Veteran, claimed he never killed anyone for a short time, Deadpool didn't always break the 4th Wall and Starlord used to be a lot more of a straight edged serious space hero and not a rock music lovin' dancin' fool of a rogue Han Solo. Tastes change, writers change, people change... and so has Felicia.

Felicia hasn't always been honest with Peter, she's tricked him into chasing her, played him to get away with a score, gotten superpowers from Kingpin in an effort to keep up with him which led to their first break up, she even dated Flash Thompson trying to make him jealous. But if one thing has been consistent, it's that Felicia can't help but cross back into Peter's life. And in the process, because she cares, even loves him, there are things she's had to accept, to admit to. And chief among them is Peter Parker is Spider-Man and Peter Parker's life is as if not more important to him than just being Spider-Man. She hasn't only loved Spider-Man for years at this point, for a long time. She loves both. and she is willing to accept both. If there is any problem, it's Peter accepting Felicia for who she is... which is a better person than even she gives herself credit for.

Spider-Man wouldn't be partnering up with Felicia so often if he didn't believe there was more to her than just a shallow thief. And the influence has affected Felicia, she's admitted as much. Maybe her shift to doing good was set off by a crush, but she owned that change and she kept pushing herself. She'll never have a strict moral compass, but she does know what the right choice is at the end of the day, what feels right. And when Spider-Man needs an ally, he can call on her as much as anyone. Spider-Man being in her life has only been a net positive for Felicia, Peter being with her has only been a net positive. And that brings us back to her time as a lame crime boss and how they fixed her. Because there's a better, deeper, actually meaningful reason for their schism besides Felicia's loss of street cred.

She forgot the man she loved and changed for.

Yep, we're factoring One More Day into this thing proper like. After an adventure with Venom and Spidey, dealing with some symbiote nonsense, Felicia is convinced to hash it out with the Wall Crawler. And she admits to him that she lost something, his face. When Spider-Man made the world forget who he was under the mask it affected Felicia too. All her memories, all the time spent with Peter post reveal, everything that she knew about the man behind the mask... it was either gone or in a fog. She can't remember all those times that Peter trusted her with who he was and it has been eating her up inside for years! And Spider-Man never thought about how that would affect her, a person he's loved, been intimate with, and at least now cares about. That was an important time in her life and it's just gone now. And it may be selfish to want all of it back and even demand it back... but she's right. Those memories were hers and Spidey took them away. And Spider-Man, being selfless as he is, can't just let that stand anymore.

Everyone says Felicia only loves Spider-Man, but that's not true. She may love the Spider... but she changed for the Man. She cherishes that time she had with that Man. And it's hard to believe that she doesn't love the Man as much as the Spider because, ultimately, they are the same person. That's the other difference between this and Bruce/Selina. Bruce Wayne is the mask for the boy who died in that alleyway, Batman is who he's been since that day. Peter and Spider-Man are the same person, it's why he can't leave either persona behind. And Felicia has long since accepted that, and that has never changed how she feels about him until she lost who he was beneath the mask. Now it's all back, the highs and lows of that tumultuous time in her life when she fell for a Spider and came to love the Man. It doesn't heal everything, but it repairs the bond that was broken so long ago and so unintentionally.

There is, however, another argument being floated around these days I have to address. That even if Felicia can accept the man beneath the mask, do either really NEED each other? I'd point to all the stuff above that shows how that's simply not true, but there's more to it than that. Love isn't always about what you need, it's just as much about what you want. And I'm not talking about a person or thing, not something material. What does Felicia want? What does Peter want?

Felicia wants to be more than what she is, always has been. She wants thrills, she wants to be her true self and I feel Spider-Man brings out those qualities more than any of her other boy or girlfriends, especially since he started her path to change and growth. She stops being selfish and reacts more selfless. His influence on her is undeniable and she knows as much as anyone. She'll never be a good girl, but she'll at least be a better one than she is without him in her life.

Peter wants to be at peace, to be happy with who he is, to not always feel burdened. Felicia has always been one of the ways he's released that burden, he's been happy with her. Sure he's been happy with others, but Felicia has met him on a level that none of them could, she's been able to be in the thick of it with him. She's been able to share the burden. She's been able to be an active participant. With her around, Peter's world as a superhero doesn't feel so lonely. And maybe, if Felicia could accept the man as much as it seems she has, so too could she accept Peter's regular life.

In Taylor Swift's song, Anti-Hero, she reflects on how exhausting for her it's been that she hasn't seemed to learn anything and keeps making the same mistakes over and over. And if you pay attention to the lyics enough, they start describing Felicia Hardy pretty well.

I should not be left to my own devices They come with prices and vices I end up in crisis (tale as old as time) I wake up screaming from dreaming One day I'll watch as you're leaving 'Cause you got tired of my scheming (For the last time)

However, just as much of it can sorta apply to Spider-Man as well. His heroic selflessness is frankly a very long depressing slog of him being unable to forgive himself for letting down Uncle Ben, placing all the blame on his shoulders and then repeating that process whenever his great power can never live up to his great responsibility.

Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism Like some kind of congressman? (Tale as old as time) I wake up screaming from dreaming One day I'll watch as you're leaving And life will lose all its meaning (For the last time)

When it comes to Spider-Man and the Black Cat, a lot of the things that make them unhappy are self-inflicted. Lewis Lovhaug of "Atop the Fourth Wall" Fame has argued that the problem with Spider-Man in a lot of modern stories is that he never learns from anything. He hasn't done enough to improve himself as Spider-Man or as Peter Parker, he just keeps feeling sorry for himself that one gets in the way of the other. And frankly, the same curse has affected Felicia. Because a lot of what has prevented her from being with Spider-Man has been herself. Ultimately both will, as the song says, always look towards the bright sun of what they think they want, but never in the mirror. They'll hurt themselves, never realizing that they're the source of their own dissatisfaction with how their lives are. It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero, especially when its yourself.

Maybe Peter and Felicia don't need each other, but they do need someone to set them straight and get them to stop believing their own bullshit. To make them stare away from the sun and into the mirror. Because they are each exactly the kind of person who would do that for the other, in fact they've been doing it for as long as they've been together. Their bond is stronger than people give it credit for.

Early on in their relationship, Black Cat was badly injured and has to be rushed to a hospital. Helpless to really do anything, Peter could only stand by her bedside and hope she'd be okay again. For all his power, once more, he can't do anything but just stay with her. And actually, that's enough.

But come now, would Felicia ever do the same for Peter you ask? Well... during a recent story event, Spider-Man was badly injured and slips into a coma. But there was one person constantly by his side throughout it.

This isn't derogatory, Felicia is clearly lamenting the fact that someone so good who does everything so selflessly despite no thanks or praise, is so constantly placed into situations like this. It's unfair to her. It's why she's here now, like he was for her. And just like before...

It's Felicia who gets the first response out of him. Claim all you want that Felicia doesn't need Peter, that she's moved past him, that Peter and MJ are too perfect for each other, that the Black Cat can't ever settle down like Peter probably wants or that Peter can never really be there for Felicia in the way she wants. But I don't buy it. And stuff like this is why.

No matter how much bad luck she is, Spider-Man wants and in some ways needs the Black Cat is in his life. And no matter how much she can try and say she's over it, The Black Cat will always find a way to cross paths with her Spider.

In the recent PS4 Spider-Man game, Felicia came back after a stint of going straight to prepare for a major strike back against Hammerhead and the Maggia families. She coerces Spider-Man into another of her games where she steals $50 Million worth of stuff and forces him to chase her around the city to find it all. She leaves the loot behind though, because it was all trick to break into the police evidence lockup and snag her old gear. But she did leave Peter a cool new suit, a reference to the time when Felicia made a new black suit for Peter after giving up his symbiote. You know, so they match.

Felicia's little game comes to fruition when "The Heist" DLC comes out. Felicia strings Spidey along, pretending Hammerhead has her son, strongly implying its his. Ultimately this is revealed to have been a lie of course, another game. Because this, to Felicia, is basically the perfect date night. Spider-Man chases her, they team up, she gets what she wants and runs off into the night. In this case the entire wealth of the Maggia after double crossing Hammerhead. This gets a target on her back instantly. Spider calls her to warn her, leaving Felicia more than a little surprised.

Felicia: I just conned you and here you are trying to save me. How can you be so damn nice all the time?

Spidey: It's not about being nice, it's about doing the right thing! You have so many talents, I wish you'd use them to help someone other than yourself.

Felicia: Yeah well, you should know by now that's not how I roll.

Spidey: People can change, Felicia.

Felicia: Love you, Spider. I'll miss you.

Felicia's penthouse explodes and she appears to die. But eagle eyed players would notice the puff smoke just before the bomb goes off. The Black Cat fakes her death more than Doctor Doom uses robots. Felicia got away, scot-free, with all the money she could ever need or want. She conned Spider-Man, Hammerhead and everyone. She won hands down and can do whatever she wants from now on. No one will be looking for her. Hammerhead's plans to utilize weapons of war to take over the city isn't her problem.

And yet...

Felicia comes back to help Spider-Man, knowing it will basically put her on the radar again given everything she's stolen. She doesn't stay, but she saves him and gives him the means to take Hammerhead down. No matter what anyone thinks of Felicia, especially herself, she is not nearly as incapable of being selfless as one thinks. And this is true of most of her incarnations. Perhaps because the Black Cat will do anything to get what she wants, even if it means turning over a new leaf for her Spider. It's how this all started after all. Selfish Selflessness, it's probably the best middle ground Peter can hope for. But at least it means he can count on her, to be selfish. And that's why she'll always be there for him. Felicia doesn't like to lose the things she has.

I think it also says a lot that many players felt that Peter and Felicia's chemistry was loads more interesting and compelling than his relationship with the estranged version of MJ Spidey has to deal with. And frankly, Felicia being in those stealth sequences would've made a million times more sense. There are some who have even speculated, with no real proof mind you, that Felicia was lying about lying about having a son. That she DOES have one, he just wasn't in danger. But of course, that's unlikely. For the same reason Peter remains hung up on Mary Jane in this game despite the fact most players seem apathetic to them getting back together. Spider-Man being a father out of wedlock is something that Marvel is not really prepared to sign off on. Just as much as they resist him being with someone other than MJ in other media, despite not wanting him to be with her in the comics.

It all seems so arbitrary to me, that they just can't be together because of the iconography of Peter and MJ. Or because she can't love the man the Spider is, which isn't true. Or Spider-Man can't change her or trust her, which also isn't true. If there has ever been a more consistent, sustainable, supportive and bonded character to Peter Parker it has been Felicia Hardy. Romantically or platonically, Felicia has dropped things to be there for Peter. And the idea that they are toxic for each other has never rung true. People can change, and this romance proves it. They just need to be given the chance to do so, and have the right person along for the ride. And the forced separation feels more arbitrary when you take into consideration, that Marvel has kept MJ and Peter apart for over a decades worth of comics and has never bit the bullet on simply just letting Felicia and Peter be together until now.

Some have claimed the new romance is out of the blue, that Spencer was setting things up to undo OMD, and that Wells just pulled this off out of nowhere. Well... no. Because those scenes where Felicia brought Peter out of his coma, the re-unmasking, the re-entry into his life through a number of adventures... Spencer either wrote those himself or they were written in conjunction with his run. People have confirmation bias, I'm no different, I don't claim to be. However, everyone has wanted OMD to be undone since the storyline first concluded. Marvel has played with fans' heartstrings that it will do so and it has prevented Peter from moving on because if he's not in a committed sustainable relationship, there's always hope that Mephisto's deal will be undone! And it has not helped anyone in the slightest to keep buying that horse crap.

The fact is I'm honestly sick of this "will they won't they" garbage from Marvel on undoing One More Day and I think more people should be by this point. Let me make this perfectly clear, even if they undo the deal... they're not getting remarried. Marvel simply is not interested in going down that road for Spider-Man again. Even with the new Spider-Verse movie showing Peter B. with a kid. Because the problem has never been they won't let Peter be married to MJ. The problem is they won't let Peter grow. The problem is they won't let him move on and change. They stick him in a misery spin cycle and just never let him out.

Why not just end the charade? Let Peter grow. Let Felicia grow. They both already want to. They both already desire to. And they both have already done so for the other. Felicia has been there to challenge and push him, while also protecting and supporting him. And Peter has undeniably changed Felicia as a person. She may never have the same moral compass, but she's no longer as lost as she once was. Her selfish cynicism is kept in check when it comes to Peter. And his selfless self-destruction is held back thanks to Felicia. Why deny them the chance to both be truly happy? Especially when they make each other better people. Why deny chemistry that is so perfectly balanced in its contradiction?

I don't begrudge people for preferring Mary Jane being with Spider-Man. I'm more or less at peace with the reality that some pairings are just thought of as the default and nothing is really gonna change that. I prefer Rogue with Deadpool, that doesn't change the fact she'll always be with Gambit. What I wanted to stress with this isn't so much an argument to ship it so much as the ultimate reason I simply can't let these two go.

For me, SpiderCat speaks on some primal level, more than wish fulfillment, but the idea of growth. That love can hold you up in your worst moments, or change you for the better. That it can make you look in the mirror and ask, who do you want to be? What do you want? What is worth changing for? Felicia found her answer, a nerdy, selfless, eternally tormented wall-crawler, who should know better than to go chasing her trying to save her from herself... but does it anyway. How could she not return the favor and be there for him? It's hard to say whether he caught her in his web, or if she just loves walking across his path. What is certain is they are bonded to each other, in one way or another. And that's the only thing about either character that I don't think can ever truly change.

Well this was a long one, and probably a lot more introspective and personally relatable than I thought. I think now have a better understanding of what has always drawn me to these two. And also now think I have discovered the song that describes them both so... thanks Taylor Swift! Whatever future this rekindled romance holds in the comics, we'll see how it shakes out. But I can enjoy the ride even if some of it has been rocky. Not the first time I've had to deal with that.

If you're still here, congrats, you've made it to the end. And I hope I didn't completely bore you all with this fairly overly comprehensive look at a pairing spanning various mediums and continuities. But I like to be thorough. So I hope you can appreciate the amount of work I put into this whole thing for you all. If I ever do this again I can only hope it won't be so... all encompassing. But I make no promises.

One thing I know though, I'm probably gonna be riding and dying these two forever. The Cat and her Spider, the Self and Selfless. Beautiful in the mess they are apart and the whole they are together.

#Marvel #Spider-Man #Peter Parker #Black Cat #Felicia Hardy #SpiderCat #PeterFel #Spider-Man x Black Cat #Shipping #Comics #Video Games #Animation #spider man: the animated series #90s cartoons #Gwenpool #Taylor Swift #Anti-Hero #PS4 #Zeb Wells #Dan Slott #Nick Spencer #Damn that's a lot of Tags!

[pengychan]

[Our Flag Means Death] Izzy's Gravy Basket

Summary: Nothing is life is certain but death and taxes - but pirates do not, as a general rule, pay taxes. And when a sea witch is involved, death is not always all that certain either. Characters: Izzy Hands, Calico Jack, Ed Teach, Stede Bonnet. Rating: T  

A/N: Did I hate how Izzy's story ended? Not necessarily. Did I still start writing this from the second I got off work and didn't stop until it was done? You bet.

***

Perched on the makeshift cross marking a freshly-dug grave, a seagull screams and screams and screams.  

It’s been chased away a couple of times, but it keeps coming back to call out. It knows patience, and it knows what needs to be done. The sunset turns to darkness, and then back to morning light; shadows grow longer, heading back to sunset, and yet it remains. Yet it screams and it calls, it calls, it calls.

And usually, when you call out enough times, something will eventually answer.

***

The first thing on Izzy’s mind as it swims in the dark is something along the lines of ‘fucking seagulls’. The second thought is something slightly more complex, but ‘Buttons, shut the fuck up’ makes no sense, because Buttons is not there and he’s just listening to a screaming fucking gull. The third realization is that he has no idea where here is. 

With a groan and far more effort than is reasonable, he opens his eyes. He sees boards above him, sunlight filtering through, and hears the groans of the rolling ship, the soft sound of the waves. And the fucking seagull, of course. He hears nothing else, though. It’s as though the ship is empty.

The fuck are those twats at, and why is he in the damn hidden room again?

With a groan, Izzy sits up from the bed and reaches to press a hand over his side, where the wound… isn’t. He looks down to see undamaged clothing, over undamaged flesh. 

“What the fuck,” he says, but then his gaze falls on his left leg, and it’s the only answer he needs. He stares a few moments before he stands on two feet, his own two feet, and heads out on deck to find out what his own gravy basket looks like.

***

“... And we need to set some money aside for the knives.”

“The knives?”

“For the kids.”

“What kids?”

“There are always kids around inns. They could use knives.”

“We should probably not be giving children knives, Ed.”

“They’re small. How else do they protect themselves?”

“Well, I suppose we could step in for them, don’t you think?”

“Small knives.”

“... We can discuss it further once the inn is up and running, surely.”

To be honest, it’s probably going to be a while before anything is up and running: they have been here just over a day. Enough time to get a good idea of the amount of work needed to fix the shack - it is a lot - and get themselves some dinner in the form of a wild pig they found wandering nearby. They also caught a rabbit, but as Ed has promptly named it Stede Bunnet, Stede - the human one - has reason to suspect it’s not going to turn into food anytime soon. 

Ah, well. The dinner at Mary and Anne’s rather put him off rabbit meat for a while, anyway.

“Right, yes. I’ll just make a note of it so we don’t forget--” Ed trails off when yet more squawking reaches their ears. Sure enough, it’s that seagull again. It seems to have taken a liking to the cross marking Izzy’s grave, and it’s been making enough ruckus to wake the dead.

Well… unfortunately, not really enough to raise the dead. But it is an awful lot of noise, and Ed hates it. He refused to shoot it - “any seagull could be Buttons now,” he said - but he still very much wants it off the grave. He resorts to firing a shot in the air and yell at the bird to have some fucking respect, and that gets it to fly off, at least. 

For a short time.

***

The thirty-gun sloop is empty, sailing without wind beneath a gray sky, cutting a wound through senselessly choppy water with no effort. It’s been a long time since Izzy laid eyes on this ship, but he recognizes it all the same. It is not the Revenge. It’s--

“Welcome back on the Ranger, Izzy. Betcha didn’t miss it.”

Ah. Him. 

“... I sure fucking didn’t.”

“Missed me, though, didya?”

“No. You’re still a cunt, Rackham.”

“Rude thing to say to the guy you got killed. Brits got you too, huh? Shoulda moved out of the way, both of us.”

Izzy looks up, and Calico Jack grins down at him, leaning on the wheel. He would do that long ago, too, when they were much younger and still sailed under Hornigold. Little more than kids, him and Edward, and himself barely any older. 

“But admit it, better me than old Ben, who’s gotta be roasting in Hell somewhere for turning pirate hunter.” Jack grins, and holds up his burnt arm. The punishment for grabbing more rations than he should have once, and it had taken forever to heal. It never did, not entirely, because the skin pulled like a too tight sleeve and Jack could never quite use that arm the way he once did. 

“That’s a fucking low bar to step over,” Izzy comments, and Jack shrugs. 

“Yeah, it is. Old bastard. You took the brunt of it a lot, too. Never complained. Word was you were into it.”

“Fuck off.”

“Yeah, I can’t. This ain’t my gravy basket, mate. It’s yours.”

“Then why are you here, Rackham?”

“Hell do I know? It’s your gravy basket. I’m as confused as you are. Didn’t think ya liked me that much.”

Izzy chooses to ignore that last statement. “So, I’m dead.”

“Oh, fuck off, right back at ya. You know what the gravy basket is.”

“Old wives’ tales,” Izzy mutters. He leans against the railing, looking down at the sea. Somewhere, a seagull is still screaming. “... Always did hate this fucking ship.”

“Oh? I liked it well enough.” There was no time for Rackham to come down the steps to stand next to him, nor any noise to indicate he did, but now he’s standing next to him, leaning on the same railing. “Taught me all I know,” he adds, and Izzy’s gaze falls on the scarred arm. “I named my own brigantine after it, ya know? After swiping it from Charlie Vane. Man was a coward, anyway.”

“Not rushing to fight a fully armed man-of-war is common sense.”

“Aw, what a wet blanket you are. We’d have won, there were just a bunch of frog eaters on board,” Rackham says, and shrugs. “And what the hell do we need common sense for? Good old Bart had it right. A merry life, and a short one. Though I’m not sure yours was all that merry, Izzy.”

Above, all around, the seagull screams. Not a single bird to be seen anywhere, yet the cries keep coming and coming and coming. Izzy ceases his useless search of the sky, and turns to Rackham. “Was yours?”

“Short, or merry?”

“You’re too stupid to play coy. Just fucking answer.”

A pause, and the ever-present grin fades beneath the mustache. For a moment Izzy sees it again, a boy struggling to keep his lips locked in a smile as he dipped a red and raw arm into saltwater to try disinfecting it. 

“A man’s got to lie to himself sometimes. Ya know.”

“... Yeah. I know.”

“Speakin’ of lies. You really wanna go, or were you tryin’ to make Eddie feel better?”

“What does it matter?”

“In the gravy basket? Fucking everything.” A pause, then Rackham shrugs. “Well, maybe going is the right call, and you dodged a bullet.”

“Oh, fuck of--”

“Hah!” A pat on his back, far too powerful to be really friendly, and then a vise-like grip around his shoulders. “Not the literal one, dumbass. I mean, you can avoid turnin’ into one of… whatever kind of sissies Eddie runs with these days.”

Since opening his eyes again from the darkness, Izzy has felt somewhat numb; now, suddenly, something is awake again, gnashing teeth and sharpened knives. “It’s a good crew.”

“Good for what, target practice? Oh, I betcha the British are not done with them. Won’t last a week without you or Eddie.”

“Fuck off,” Izzy snarls, and breaks away. “You don’t know them.”

“Whoa, whoa, little guy!” Rackham laughs, holding up his hands. “Holy shit, don’t tell me they already rubbed off ya!”

Izzy opens his mouth, but before the perhaps not incredibly original ‘fuck off’ leaves his mouth, Calico Jack has grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close. He grins again, wide, with clenched teeth. 

“Ooh shit, they did. I can smell perfume on you. Got all dolled up, didn’t you?”

“I--” Izzy tries to answer, but insults die in his throat and his tongue is heavy as lead. Something squirms in his stomach, shame black as coal. Rackham’s finger flicks at the ring tied around his neck. 

“Turned ya into their songbird, huh? Little Izzy, listenin’ in to his momma’s songs but never daring to join in. Cozy up to them to listen to bedtime stories, too, didya?”

A flash of anger, burning away some of the coal, and he slaps Rackham’s hand off the ring. “You don’t know a thing, you fucking cunt.”

“I know you’re better off dead than-- that. Lettin’ the whiny brat kill you was the best call. You know that. Said so yourself, no? You wanna go.”

“Shut up.”

“Not that they’ll outlive you by much. Maybe they’ll ask you to sing some more while you feed the fish all togeth--”

Izzy’s sword is out the next moment, cutting through the air with swift, deadly ease. But Calico Jack is fast, too - you don’t become a feared captain by just fucking around with a whip - and his own sword rises up to meet it. They clang, and the seagull screams again. 

The man before him laughs, and looks him in the eye. Izzy meets his gaze, and it’s both very familiar and very, very wrong. He clenches his jaw, staring into his own eyes. 

“You’re not John Rackham.”

Not-John-Rackham’s grin widens. “Of course I’m not fucking Calico Jack, dumbass. It’s your gravy basket. He’s feedin’ the crabs at the bottom of the ocean and so will you. ”

He moves fast, disengaging and then feinting to the left, before swinging his sword the other way. But it’s a move Izzy knows well because he fucking practiced it and used it time and time again. The way he holds his sword, the way he moves, down to the fucking footwork, it’s all his. He’s always been really damn good - and this version of him fights like he used to in his fucking prime.

The swords clang, he’s pushed further and further to the end of the deck towards the railing, and the seagull screams. His opponent laughs.

“You scared, Izzy? Didn’t ya say you wanna go? It’s for the best. You know it, so just let go.”

“Fuck off!”

He brings up the sword to strike, he sees a good chance, but something is suddenly opening up in his side and it’s bleeding agony. He screams, the sword falling from his hand, and he stumbles back. He tries to regain his footing and he cannot, because his leg is gone and there’s nothing beneath his left knee. His back hits the railing, and he almost goes over; a hand catches his collar before he can, and the part of him behind Calico Jack’s face sneers. 

“You’re outta time, Izzy boy. So answer me a simple question, will ya?”

“F-fuck o--”

“If they were so great, wouldn't they be worth stayin’ alive for?”

Israel Hands opens his mouth, but he has no time to say a thing. A push and he’s falling through the air, into the water, and it’s so so cold. Suddenly there is nothing but that, cold and silence, the sun above and sharks below, his blood tinging the water red.

No. No. Not like this. 

He swims up, or tries to. His left side is unending pain, he’s missing a leg and air is running out, but still he swims. He hears it again, distorted by water but unmistakable - the insistent screaming of a seagull. 

Izzy screams, too, and his hand breaks through the surface just one moment before he blacks out.

***

Stede truly, honestly, did not mean to scare Ed out of his wits. Nor he planned to almost die from a heart attack. All he wanted to do, when he spotted the seagull screaming frantically atop Izzy’s grave again, was to shoo it away. He worried that it might grab the ring and fly off with it, and Ed was having a hard enough time dealing with what happened without losing that keepsake, too. 

Maybe leaving it there, nice and sentimental as it was, was a bad idea. Maybe he should bring it inside, and then they could decide what to do. It was not a bad idea, he would insist later.

Only that right now, absolutely nothing goes as planned. He doesn’t even get to shoo away the seagull, who gives one last squawk before flying off on its own accord. Stede looks up at it, hands on his hips. 

“And don’t come back!” he yells, before looking down to see if the ring is still where they left it.

It is.

And beneath it there is also a gloved hand, emerging from the dirt, fingers clenching on air. This time the scream that rings out isn’t a seagull’s, and it’s loud enough to make Edward Teach, all the way down the beach, nearly jump out of his skin.

Stede Bonnet didn't mean to faint, either, but he does anyway.

***

“Really glad-- you twats-- don’t know how to dig six whole feet down.”

“Easy now, Izzy, don’t talk. No, come to think of it, keep talking. I like it. Say something else.”

“Fuck off.”

“That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear. Stede, help me…”

“Oh my God, we buried a man alive!”

“... Yeah, I think at least someone here should learn how to check for a pulse. I don’t think Roach has even been to medical school.”

That’s not what happened, I was dead, Izzy thinks, but he finds that’s not a conversation he wants to start right now. He’s taken inside a shack of some kind, laid on surprisingly clean bedding. When clothing is peeled off carefully to expose the wound, he doesn’t struggle. 

“We’ll give it a good clean, yes?” Stede Bonnet is saying, somewhere on his left. “Oh! And I’ll go fetch your leg. And the ring. But first the wound. I got some alcohol, it’s probably going to sting, but…”

He keeps fretting, with more concern than Izzy ever thought could possibly be warranted for his life, but his attention is taken quickly enough by Ed. He’s wiping his face with a cloth, looking more than a little choked up. “Indestructible little fucker,” he mutters. “There you are. What kind of fuckery was that?”

“The fuckery-- to end all fuckeries. How long…?”

“We buried you almost two days ago.”

“... Heh. Beat Jesus fucking Christ,” Izzy manages, and it takes the last of his strength. He closes his eyes and lets himself fall into unconsciousness, with the utmost certainty that he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. This time, everything is quiet. 

The seagull who’s not a seagull at all has taken its screaming elsewhere.

***

It takes five more days for the Revenge to appear at the horizon.

It’s a complete surprise, because they were supposed to be gone a lot longer; Stede was hoping they would find the inn all nice and done by the time they did, but he figures the surprise they have for them now was a lot better than just the brand new inn. They don’t tell them right away, as they meet them at the beach.

As it turns out, they have a pretty strange tale of their own. 

“So, we were sailing, right? Smooth sailing, mostly. And then this seagull shows up, perches on the ship, and refuses to leave.”

“Yeah, it just squawked, flew off in the opposite direction, turned back, caught up again, yelled some more…”

“Auntie kept saying it was a sea witch.”

“She insisted we followed it.”

“And you don’t say no to Auntie.”

“Oh fuck, no, you really don’t.”

“So, it took us right back here and then went off somewhere over land. We figured we’d--”

“... What happened to the grave?”

Jim’s voice rings out suddenly, incredulous, and causes everyone to stop on their tracks. Ed and Stede didn’t really have the time to tidy it up, so it looks pretty bad, the earth dug up and the cross gone. The crew turns to look at them, eyes wide and horrified, but the answer doesn’t come from either Ed or Stede. They let someone else do the honors.

“What didn’t happen, you mean. Next time you want me to stay down, put a fucking stone slab on top.”

They turn as one, several jaws drop, and then it’s absolute chaos of the best possible kind. Fang and Frenchie get to Izzy first and Fang physically lifts him, pulling him into a bear hug that is probably not great for his still healing wound, and bursts crying. Not the only one, but probably the loudest.

How, everyone asks, and Lucius is the only one to get some kind of answer. 

“I’m not done teaching you to be decent fucking pirates, Twatty,” he says, explaining absolutely nothing, but it ends the line of questioning. When something good happens, something really good, there’s no reason to ask too many questions.

You take it, and you’re happy for it, and you keep moving.

***

“Captain Hands. It has a nice ring to it.”

Standing at the beach as the crew finishes loading extra supplies before rowing back to the Revenge, Izzy hums. “Stupid sentimental of Frenchie, just giving away the job like that.”

“He put it up to vote.”

“And then voted for me.”

“True, a smashing victory. I wasn’t that popular when I came back from the dead,” Ed says, and shrugs. “He’ll make a great first mate. And don’t act like you’re surprised, I know you’re not. I saw you wiping your eye, too.”

“Fuck off,” Izzy huffs, but he’s smiling and Ed smiles back. 

“When you come back with some British heads, you’ll find a proper inn. We’ll give you all a discount. Do you think you can get us some knives, by the way?”

“Knives?”

“Small. For the children.”

Izzy looks at Ed, considers asking, and decides he probably shouldn’t. “... Yeah, I guess we can find some knives for children.”

“Thanks, mate. Take care.”

“You too. And Bonnet.”

Ed turns to look at Bonnet, who’s apparently saying something hilarious if Olu’s reaction is anything to go by, and smiles. 

“We will,” he says. “I reckon we’re gonna be just fine.”

***

When the Revenge sets sail again it’s on calm waters, with the crew working as a well-oiled machine. As a seagull flies over it, calling out just once, the captain looks up from the waves. 

“Fuck off,” he mutters, but he doesn’t mind, not really. He watches the bird turn into a small white dot and disappear, then he breathes in the morning air, and hums quietly in the wind.

Les ennuis, les chagrins, s'effacent  Heureux, heureux à mourir…

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd spoilers #izzy hands #calico jack #stede bonnet #edward teach #our flag means death spoilers #ofmd s2 #buttons ofmd

[cozage]

Hello dear writer.... can we get a flashback on what happened between Zoro and reader in Made for two? We would love a good angst

Made for Two: Prologue

A/N: I was up all night writing this and I don’t regret a thing. 

Characters: gn reader x Zoro

Cw: major angst, literally ONLY angst, this ends in a breakup and is a prequel to Made for Two PLEASE do not read this anticipating a wholesome Zoro fic (but if you want Zoro angst only ENJOY)

Total word count: 2.5k

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Masterlist

Sunset for One

“Good morning,” Zoro’s groggy voice is the first thing you hear as you drift into consciousness, and you snuggle closer to him.

“Five more minutes,” you groan, clutching his chest. You hear him chuckle, and his fingers ghost across your arm as he hums in response.

“Fine.” He concedes, but you can tell by his tone that he didn’t want to get up either.

You lay there, enjoying his company and the silence. Both of you seem to be hovering on the line between awake and asleep, and you’re certain more than five minutes have passed when you speak.

“We’re supposed to land on an island today,” you say, getting up to start the day. But Zoro’s strong arms pull you back into bed with him.

“Don’t get up yet.” His eyes are still closed, and you laugh as you settle yourself against him again.

“Maybe we can go shopping and explore the island some?” you ask, looking up at him.

He hums in response, and you can tell he’s not really listening to you or your request. Your fingers dance over his chest in places you know he’s ticklish, trying to get his attention, and his free hand flies up and grabs it.

“Brat,” he mutters. In retaliation, his hand that’s wrapped around your back reaches out and tickles your side, sending you into a fit of giggles.

“Zoro,” you breathe out in between bursts of laughter. “Stop, stop!”

You halfheartedly push him away, which doesn’t do much against his muscular form. He turns you over so your back is against the bed now and he props himself up by one hand so he is above you.

“Lesson learned?” he asked, his hands hovering over your ticklish spot.

“Lesson learned!” you squeal, and you pucker your lips out, silently asking for a kiss.

“Good,” he smirked. He bent down and met your lips for a quick peck before he pulled away and rolled out of bed.

“Zoro?”

“Yeah?” He’s digging through his drawer, trying to find a shirt to wear.

“The island. Can we spend the day together exploring it?”

You can see him frown at your question, and your heart sinks a little bit. You knew what he was going to say before the words left his lips.

“I think I’m going to watch the ship while everyone else goes ashore.” He threw a shirt over his exposed chest, and started searching for a towel to go shower. “You should go with Nami or someone else.”

“You always watch the ship,” you complain. You felt like a broken record. This conversation happened on every island.

“Y/N,” his voice was stern, and you felt your body tense. “Can we not do this right now?”

“I just want to spend time with you, Zoro.”

He shoots you a glare, and your eyes quickly avert his hostile look.

“Zoro-” you try again, but you’re quickly cut off.

“I said no!” He snaps, and you flinch at the sharpness in his voice.

“Why not?!” you shoot back, your voice starting to rise. You stand up from the bed so you don’t look so small against him.

“I told you,” his voice now rising above yours. “I’m watching the ship!”

“Let somebody else watch the damn ship for once!” You’re both close to yelling now, but you know the only way to get Zoro to listen to you was to be louder than him.

“Find somebody else to go explore the damn island with!” he shouts back.

“You’re so selfish!”

“And you’re so goddamn needy! I’m tired of holding your hand every day! Get a life already!”

He stunned you into silence at that insult, and you turn away from him to hide your face. You bite your lip and blink a few times, trying to keep your eyes dry.

You hear him walk across the room and strong arms wrap around your torso.

“I didn’t mean that,” he sighed in your ear. “I’m sorry.”

You nod once, too afraid to speak. You know your voice will betray you if you say anything.

His fingers trail across your midsection lightly, sending shivers down your body. “Dinner tonight?” he asks. “Just the two of us? I’ll make sure someone is back so we can go out.”

“Promise?” your voice cracks a tiny bit, and you pray he doesn’t hear it.

“Promise,” he purrs in your ear, bending forward to kiss your cheek quickly.

“Okay,” you whisper. Your heart still hurts, but it’s eased a bit with his compromise.

“And…” Zoro placed his hands on your hips and turned you around to face him. He had a mischievous grin, his eyes roaming over your body. “Shower now?”

He lifts you up without an answer and throws you over his shoulder, causing you to yelp out in surprise.

“Zoro!” You squirm in his arms as he carries you out onto the deck and up to the bath house. “Put me down!”

“Stop moving around,” he scolds. His fingers press into your side, causing you to erupt into further screams of glee.

You continue to try to break away from his grip, and his voice gets low so only you can hear him, “I’m gonna have to teach you a lesson on manners.”

“Oh yeah?” you challenge him, attempting to be somewhat seductive. But his fingers dig further into your side and you shriek with laughter.

“We’re docking in two hours,” Nami yells after you all when she sees you heading for the shower. “I know you two need to make up but don’t take forever!”

Your face burns slightly from her comment, but you hear Zoro chuckle under you and your stomach knots with excitement and anticipation, forgetting Nami completely.

--

The two of you emerge an hour later, with freshly clean clothes and flushed skin. Zoro breaks away from you almost immediately, heading for the crow’s nest.

“Zoro?” you hesitantly call after him.

“Hm?”

“Dinner tonight. Don’t forget.”

“I know.” You can hear the hint of irritation in his voice.

“And don’t be late.”

You can see him tense at that reminder. “I know.”

“And-”

“I know!” He storms off before you can say another word.

You walked over to where Nami stood, trying to shake off Zoro’s cold shoulder.

Nami eyed you and your slightly disheveled look. “Fight already today?”

You shrug. “He apologized.”

She scrunched her face like she had just eaten a sour fruit. “I heard.”

Your cheeks pink at that, and you try to change the subject. “How soon before we get to the island?”

“The wind’s been good, so only about 30 minutes,” she sighed, looking up at the crow’s nest, where music had begun. “You can do better than-”

“Nami,” you warn, shooting her a look.

“Fine!” She throws her hand up, resigning from the argument. “Usopp is coming with us today. And Sanji’s going to join us too, if he finishes up with grocery shopping.”

“Great.” You weren’t particularly thrilled that Sanji was joining. He was always smothering you, trying to annoy Zoro. But extra hands meant you could spend more berries.

“They can carry our stuff. I need some major retail therapy today.” You could always count on Nami to want to spend berries.

One thing you did learn to like about Sanji was that he never complained. Usopp began complaining about Nami’s bags an hour in, but once Sanji caught up with you, he took your bags without a word, and no matter how long he had to carry them or how many you added, you never heard him gripe about the situation.

He also had an opinion on everything you tried on. And that opinion was always that you looked perfect. You understood why Nami kept the cook around; he was a real ego booster. Sanji unknowingly helped you pick out the perfect outfit for your date with Zoro tonight, and helped you pick out several other things throughout the day - including a gift for Zoro - before you all made your way back to the ship.

When you arrive back at the Sunny, Sanji helps you put all of your things away, and you thank him for his help before heading up to the crow’s nest with a small present you had bought for the special occasion.

The first thing you noticed was the lack of bass filling the air. Zoro was almost always listening to some level of music, and the fact that you couldn’t hear anything was concerning. The second thing you noticed was how dark the crow’s nest is.

You open the hatch and peek in, and you see Zoro asleep on the couch. You cursed softly seeing him unprepared for dinner. You were already starving, and Zoro had a tendency to drag his feet while getting ready for this sort of thing.

“Hey,” you kneel down next to him and speak softly. “Zoro, you need to get up.”

He only mutters some indistinct words and flips away from you, still sound asleep.

“Zoro,” you say more forcefully, shaking him a bit. “Wake up.”

His hand swats at you, trying to get you to leave him alone.

“Zoro!” you shout, and finally his eye cracks open to look at you.

“What the hell do you want?” he hisses at you.

“You were supposed to be ready. For dinner.” You attempt to keep your voice as even as possible, but you can feel the rage creeping in.

“Too tired,” he moaned, turning back away from you. “Next time.”

“You promised,” you argued. He hasn’t even noticed the new outfit, or the gift in your hand for him. He’s barely looked at you since you woke him up.

“I’m not going out. I don’t want to.”

“Zoro! You promised!”

“I know,” he said. “I changed my mind.”

You can feel the rage inside you bubbling, ready to explode. You grab him and turn his body on the couch so he has to look at you.

“You don’t get to change your mind on a promise. Go get ready.”

“I’m not going,” he spat, shaking you off him and turning back into the cushions of the couch. “You’re interrupting my nap. Go away, and maybe I’ll be down to watch the sunset with you like we usually do.”

“If you’re not there I won’t forgive you, Zoro,” you cautioned him. “I’m serious.”

“Whatever.”

You let the trapdoor slam hard behind you as you left his workout room, hoping it jolted some sense into him.

--

“No mosshead tonight?” the cook asked innocently. He had brought you a tray of assorted appetizers as you sat in your normal spot to watch the sunset. Zoro was late, and the sun was just starting to dip below the waves.

“He’s coming,” you snap, pushing the tray away from you. “He’ll be here.”

“You look nice,” Sanji complimented.

“Leave me alone, cook. Your words are wasted. Zoro can’t hear you.”

Sanji looked like he wanted to say more, but he left without another word. As much as you wanted to, you refused to glance back at the crow’s nest to look for Zoro. You would never live it down if he saw you trying to find him.

The sun sank below the water, and the seat next to you remained empty. You waited until every last drop of color was drained from the sky, and then your hopelessness turned to rage.

You stormed into the swordsman’s workout room to see him lifting weights. When he saw you, he rolled his eyes and put his weights down.

“Roronoa Zoro, what the hell-” Your voice was cut off, drowned out by him turning his music up.

You stood there, dumbfounded. You watched with your mouth agape as he picked up his weights again and finished his set. When he was finished, he finally walked over and turned down the music.

“What?”

You blinked a few times trying to comprehend the audacity of his question. “What?” you echoed.

“What do you want?” he rushed you. “I’m busy.”

“You didn’t come for the sunset.”

“I never said I would.”

Your blood boiled. “Not that your word has any weight to it,” you spat back.

“My word has weight,” he growled. “When it matters.”

“Dinner did matter!” you cried. “It mattered to me!”

“This is still about dinner? Get over it! It was one tiny thing and I had a long day!”

“A long day?!” You wanted to slap him. He didn't even know, you were sure of it. “You didn’t even get off the ship! I can’t believe you and how absolutely lazy you are! How could you-”

“We’re done.”

“No, we’re not done!” you shouted. “I wanted to do one thing and you couldn’t even do that! You never want to do anything with me, and I have to-”

He turned away from you, refusing to acknowledge your pleas for attention. “I said we’re done, Y/N.”

“You don’t get to decide when this conversation is over, Zoro!” You could hear the desperation in your voice and you know he could too, but you didn’t care.

“Not the conversation,” he said, still facing away from you. “We. Are. Done.”

Your body felt like it was on fire. Your brain struggled to understand, not wanting to accept his words.

“What?” You’re afraid of the answer.

He turns around and strides over to tower above you, and you feel so small in front of him like this. You feel so vulnerable.

“I don’t want to be with you any more,” he spits out, every word stinging you. “You’re needy, you cry just so you can get your way, and you always expect me to sacrifice my time and my life to be with you, and I’m not doing it anymore, okay? Leave me alone. We’re through.”

You look up at him, waiting for him to tell you this was all some joke, but he only stares down at you with disdain. You can feel tears pricking the corner of your eyes, and he scoffs when he sees them. He turns away from you, and you can feel the disappointment and resentment rolling off him.

“Tears won’t work this time. It’s over.” He walked over to his weights and he picked them up again, starting a new set of reps.

You stare at him for a few moments, but he doesn’t turn back to you or acknowledge you in any sense. You place the gift you were going to give him for your 6 month anniversary next to the couch and climb down the ladder, softly closing the hatch behind you.

You’re not sure how you made it down without falling, because by the time you got to the bottom, you couldn’t keep your eyes open anymore from all the tears. You ran to your room, trying your best to hold back your sobs until you got behind your locked door. You muffled your screams and cries into a pillow that smelled like Zoro’s shampoo, which only made the pain worse. You cried until your whole body felt numb, and the only thing you knew for sure was that you would never love again.

#I really do love Zoro i promise #so suffer with me #i literally could not sleep until I wrote it #one piece #one piece scenario #one piece imagine #one piece x reader #zoro x reader #zoro x y/n #zoro x you #made for two #cozage #✧˚zoro✧˚

[crushedsweets]

Hello! I hope you are well!

Do you think it’s possible for you to go into Jeff and Nina’s relationship please? Like are they together or is like Jeff taking advantage of Nina liking him so much?

Sorry if you’ve already done this! I love your writing, you’re so talented 🕸️ x

its actually crazy to me that i havent actually written a thing about jeff and nina oh my god. thank you by the way you are so sweet. of course tw for manipulation, abuse, etc

OK BACKSTORY

nina is a year or two younger than jeff, and was only around 12-13 when she found out about jeffs murders and rampages. since she was like 7, she was always obsessed with horror movies, gore, eventually true crime and stuff . . just awful things that kids shouldnt have access to but thats what the internet does

she started behaving incredibly weird after her obsession with jeff began (though she was always odd). just really creepy true crime fan behavior in school, acted completely rebelious and eventually cut a shallow smile into her cheeks. her parents were livid and sent her to her to live with her grandparents in Mississippi.

eventually she realized jeffs brother moved to alabama, a state away. she was 18, at the lowest point in her life, and there was now speculation that jeff died after his most recent murder in the arkensaw household in tuscaloosa, alabama.

SO SHE MOVED. stole a ton of money and jewlery and stuff from her grandparents, barely managed to secure a dingy apartment in tuscaloosa, and she went On The Hunt.

she's constantly spamming fangirl rhetoric on creepy forums and catches jeffs eye. dunno exactly how, but he ends up meeting up with her, where he realizes she was just. perfect ? like, he found her annoying from the getgo and knew she was a weirdo, but he knew how easy she'd perfect to manipulate, how much shit he could get from her, and she immediately was like 'COME HOME WITH ME ILL MAKE U DINNER' . so he does. theyre about 19-20 here.

okACTUAL RELATIONSHIP

they never actually date in the traditional sense. neither of them asked the other out, jeff doesnt even touch her if he doesn't have to. he does not love her. but nina truly, fully, completely believes they're together. she swaps between calling him her boyfriend and fiance. she tells all her coworkers about how 'oh my boyfriend finally proposed! im engaged guys!' and 'ohh we're thinking about kids..!! he said he wants a girl:)' and all of that. which its all lies, she just lies and lies and lies all the damn time about how great jeff treats her and how in love they are. she does it to all the other creeps too for a period of time, telling toby and nat about how kind jeff is to her and they know shes lying.

jeffs not really mean to her most of the time. she'll make him food, do his laundry, she's lied to the police for him, she's probably been an accessory to murder ... definitely actually since she's cleaning and bleaching his bloody clothes... so he's Nice (?)

by nice i mean like. he'll let her sit and rest her head on his shoulder, let her hold his hand, let her say she loves him. he'll joke with her sometimes, play video games with her, bring her on walks or whatever. wore a bracelet she made for him once. (emphasis on once). he tells her she's pretty if she asks

but again, he's using her - just for a place to stay, some extra money, and he'll even send her on runs to go get weed or something from dealers that give discounts to pretty girls. he won't hug her, won't buy her things, won't help clean up, etc.

NONE OF THIS IS SHIPPING OR ROMANTIC LIKE ITS ALL REALLY SAD AND HORRIBLE. most of the creeps are inherently violent, half are murderers, almost none have any emotional regulation . . theyre just very . yeah.

which is why eventually, he kinda like, loses his shit - he starts screaming about how she's a dumbass who threw her life away for him, how he doesnt give a shit about her, he's shoving chairs around, knocking things off tables. eventually he stabs her, once in the side of her stomach, and leaves.

nina knows jane from the other creeps and calls her as she's frantically trying to fix her own wound, and jane swiftly gets her. jane doesnt like her but jane has morals and knows jeffs mistreating nina - but ninas losing her shit when jane mentions a hospital and refuses to go to the ER, so she ends up in jack's cabin getting stitched up.

theyre all kinda shocked that jeff didnt just kill her. its real weird for him to stab her once and leave, but jeff knew how far ninas devotion went and completely expected her to grovel at his feet and beg for forgiveness, and now he can continue using her just like before . but nina twisted it in her head and convinced herself 'oh its because he loves me! he didnt kill me because he loves me! BUT HE'S MAD AT ME AND I CAN'T FIND HIM AND WHAT IF HE'S WITH SOME OTHER GIRL I NEED TO FIX THIS' but literally nobody wants to help her 'get back' with him because like ...... why would they ?????

so she gets onto whitepages, finds liu, and ends up on his doorstep.

that's where my drawing of her crying on lius kitchen floor comes from

ive kinda hit a point in the story where like... this part is the 'current' plot ??? like this is where we are at in this very moment . so i have nothing concrete for the future...

but overall she does get over him, thats probably where ill put more emphasis on her friendship with nat/toby and her eventual little sister type relationship with liu... i just need to figure out how to do that without it coming off as like 'and she went to therapy and everything was fine !^_^'

i want jeff ... to be... vbery miserab;e....... basically.

#creeped #asks #tysm again anon #creepypasta #nina the killer #nina hopkins #🕸️ anon #idk if u wanted an anon tag but heyyy