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beanghostprincess · 5 months

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also thoughts on yamace now that you've seen them

Stabbing me in the esophagus would have hurt way less than watching these two interact. I want to give you a proper answer like I always do instead of incoherent screaming, but I watched the flashback so recently that I'm still fucking sobbing. I can't stand gay people and their daddy issues. They make me insane. But since I'm an annoying writer, I will try and explain why Yamace has suddenly made his way to my top 5 ships in only three episodes. I'm pretty sure everybody knows all of this already because I'm late to the boom of episode 1015, but damn, I really need to talk about this or I'll die.

Okay, first of all, their personalities are so good together. They're both silly and fun to watch and impulsive and they want to be free from the chains their fathers put them in (metaphorically and, well, also literally). Perhaps the animation and direction of the show (especially on episode 1015 because oh my fucking goodness) helped a little in setting the romantic mood, but the interactions were all them. These two are literally something else.

To me, it's the angst of falling in love in the span of a night with a stranger with whom you have a lot in common and then watching them go, hoping to see them again- Like, basically being the only thing you look forward to because you don't have anything else except them and the freedom they promised you. And then watching them drift away between your fingers without being able to do anything. It's the frustration and helplessness and the way Yamato's life was the best it could've been and then crumbled down to the point where he had to place his faith in a man who he only knows because Ace talked about him constantly without shutting the fuck up because he's the most annoying brother ever (I love him).

And- I don't know, man. The chemistry is unmatched. Like, I actually felt I was interrupting their romantic moment watching that shit. If I hadn't known anything about them I would have genuinely thought they would kiss.

The whole "You can't choose your parents" and "What do you really want to do?" left me crying and sobbing on the floor. I literally had to sit down on the floor and cry because I couldn't take the parallelisms between them, both being children of important pirates and feeling (a very valid) resentment towards them. It's so good. The way they bond and talk to each other,,, The way they look at each other? This is the type of thing you only see in a romcom. Because quite literally: What the fuck.

And it's not only the obvious parallelisms or the fact that their personalities match perfectly (and also that, aesthetically, they look amazing together. But I think that's what happens when both boyfriends are hot af) but the fact that in the span of a night... Their feelings were so genuine. Ace wanted to come back, he just wasn't strong enough at the time and he was so positive and determined to become stronger so he would go back to Tama and Yamato,,, And Yamato? Waiting for Ace? Yamato waiting for his only friend to come back but knowing he will never do it? Yamato was so cute and excited to meet Ace, and seeing him hurt but it hurt less knowing that he would come back. The fact that he's dead takes that away from him. It just makes him have more faith in Luffy because he carries Ace with him.

How can a ship be so fucking good in only three episodes???? Going fucking wild. Ace taught him the meaning of living freely. Ace made him want to fight to be free. Ace changed his life and, honestly, Yamato changed his life too because it was the second biggest promise (first one being with Luffy, about not dying) he made and he had to actually train and fight to fulfill it. And he wasn't able to do it, but the whole "Luffy carrying Ace's promise" thing makes me go fucking wild.

Well, basically, to finish this: Expect a lot of posts from me about Yamace from now on and also a lot of edits to Taylor Swift songs.

This is so,,, God. It's so romantic. The lightning. The smiles. The fact that they're literally two intersecting lines that will never meet again. It makes me sick.

#they make me go wild #i swear i woke up and i quickly started writing this #they make my heart go ERDFCGVNJKMÑOEFLSKJDNHFGFJDKWBKEFNWLENFL #you know?#one piece #yamace #yamato #portgas d. ace

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kaizokuou-ni-naru · 3 years

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The Voyage So Far: Enies Lobby

east blue (1 | 2) || alabasta (1 | 2) || skypiea || water 7 || enies lobby || thriller bark || paramount war (1 | 2) || fishman island || punk hazard || dressrosa (1 | 2) || whole cake island || wano (1 | 2)

this is still one of my very favorite nami panels. i think she’s really great through all of water 7 and enies lobby in general, actually, even though she isn’t really one of the characters in focus for a lot of it- like zoro and sanji, she stays pretty steadfast and very badass even though everything that happens, and never gives up on robin for a moment despite being one of the ‘weaker’ members of the crew. and it’s always fun to see her playing with lightning.

one of my favorite jokes from the first half or so of enies lobby is the strawhats both being completely unsurprised that luffy charges in ahead of them as soon as they arrive AND being able to find him immediately by following the explosions. they know him so well.

luffy’s never been scared of dying, going all the way back to when he told coby he was fine with dying for his dream back in chapter two or three. that conversation is what his exchange with blueno here reminds me of- blueno asks him how long he intends to keep fighting, and luffy says until he dies, like there’s nothing to it.

it’s always been a trait of his to face death unflinching with a grin, so long as it’s for the sake of something he cares about, be it his crew or his brother or his dream, and i just really like that about him.

i’ll go into it in the dressrosa post too, but i think it’s really impressive just how long oda held off on giving luffy any sort of significant power-up. he gets his first big power boost in the whole series here, forty volumes in. i’ve always liked that oda is very conservative with power boosts like this, because it both keeps the series’ powerscaling in check and makes the times it does happen much weightier. this is a monumental moment, and it feels like it.

also, i love the way gear two is drawn pre-timeskip, especially with the steam. it looks very cool and atmospheric.

i really like how united the strawhat crew feels throughout enies lobby, after all the internal turmoil and discord of water seven. even though the matter of usopp leaving the crew is still unresolved, they’ll all together once more, on the same page, and fully united in the goal of saving robin, whatever consequences it might bring.

the tree of knowledge has such a cool design- it looks massive, and even more than that, it looks old. you look at that tree and you know its been there for easily thousands of years. its seen entire eras of history, and it would be priceless even without the countless books stored inside it.

and then it burns.

i’m so endlessly sad about the tragedy that is robin’s relationship with her mother. they never even got to see each other until their world was ending, and even then only for a couple minutes.

olvia is a very interesting character, because she’s someone who chose her dream over the people she loved. that’s not an inherently good or bad choice, but it is a choice she made, and it’s what led to the ending she and robin had to have. i’ve wondered a lot what might have happened if she chose the other way, if she never left or if she came back sooner or if she chose to flee the buster call with robin, and how different (and almost certainly better) robin’s life would have been if she had.

in a way, olvia reminds me a lot of kouzuki toki. they both die in order to fling a light of knowledge and hope into the future, and they both send their children away and choose to stay behind to choke on ash for the sake of a better tomorrow.

i didn’t really notice until putting these panels together, but a lot of things burn in enies lobby. ohara burns, and the pluton plans and the world government flag, and enies lobby itself, and at the end, the going merry burns, too. if you extend it back to water seven, there’s the galley-la headquarters, too. in an arc that deals so much with the preservation and destruction of history and knowledge, it’s a fitting motif.

the world government flag burning is still to this day one of the most striking panels out of a series full of them, in my opinion. in one act, the strawhats proclaim their absolute defiance against the world government, and their willingness to make enemies of the greatest power in the world for the sake of their friend.

it’s also another one of those moments that’s interesting to think about in the context of luffy’s past. it was a ship flying that same flag that shot sabo down, and while luffy wasn’t there to see it, i don’t think he’s oblivious to that fact, especially given how he says just before this he understands robin’s enemies perfectly.

dadan told him and ace that there was nothing they could do against the whole world, and luffy went and did it anyways.

sometimes i just think about how scary it must have been for robin, someone who’s been weighed down by the shackles of her past with no escape in sight for so very long, to open herself up and let herself hope, for life and freedom and a dream that’s always been out of reach.

franky has a lot of really great moments between this arc and water seven- his conversation with usopp as usopp is working on merry and his talk with robin on the sea train are two others. it’s almost impressive how quickly he becomes an immensely likable character once we start getting to know him, given how he’s first introduced as an absolute piece of shit.

his burning of the pluton plans is a favorite of mine, and i think it might be because, like so many people before and after him, he’s choosing here to stake all his hopes on the strawhats, on luffy’s ability to pull off the impossible and on robin’s goodness. when robin’s only ever been chased and hated and called a demon by the world, franky chooses to trust her and luffy with the legacy his dad died for, and neither of them let him down.

monster point looks SO FUCKING TERRIFYING in enies lobby, and i LOVE it. look at that. franky is seven and half feet tall, and in front of monster point he’s tiny. monster point is huge, and dead-eyed, and a force of absolute destruction. i do kind of wish we got to see chopper go completely feral like this more often. he deserves to be terrifying!

i love how much FAITH all the rest of the strawhats continue to have in usopp throughout enies lobby. he left the crew and they really would have a right to be angry at him if they chose to, but it doesn’t even seem to cross any of their minds. they’re just happy he’s okay, and they include him again without missing a beat, because he’s still their friend and they know down to their bones they can trust him, even after everything.

i’ve always really loved zoro and kaku’s little moment of post-battle banter here- zoro relays paulie’s message about cp9 being fired, kaku says he’s out of a job, zoro tells him to try the zoo, and kaku cracks up.

it feels very real to me for whatever reason, and i think part of it ties back into how well one piece handles morality with its characters- zoro and kaku are genuinely pretty similar people who get along decently, it just happens that they wound up on opposite sides. there are series where you’d never see moments like this due to the lines between good and bad being so firmly drawn, and i love how one piece blurs those lines so much they may as well not exist a lot of the time.

this is the other sequence, along with luffy climbing the drum rockies barehanded, that always makes me physically cringe to look at. it looks so painful. robin is so nearly powerless here, but not quite- she can still buy time for her crew to catch up, even if it’s only seconds, even if she risks shattering her teeth or even her jaw in the process. she’s spent so long giving up and has only just started daring to hope- she’s not about to go gentle.

there aren’t many panels that give me catharsis like this one. there really aren’t.

oda’s villains are usually complicated and awful and often a little admirable, if only for how clever or how terrifyingly powerful they are, but every now and then he comes up with someone who’s just pathetic and cowardly and pointlessly cruel. spandam is like this, obviously, and so is orochi, and the celestial dragons, and i’d argue flampe from whole cake island as well. and there’s nothing like seeing characters like them- weak, cruel people so assured in their own power and rightness- get obliterated.

one of the things i really like about enies lobby is that nobody really gets sidelined- everybody gets multiple chances to shine. luffy, usopp, and obviously robin are the most in focus, obviously, but zoro, sanji, nami, chopper, and even franky all get a bunch of individual awesome moments. oda’s ability to handle his cast satisfyingly is consistently really impressive (if sometimes strained in huge ensemble arcs like dressrosa or wano) and it really shows here, i think.

i just really love the entire climax of enies lobby. much like the arc as a whole, it just feels triumphant, even though the situation is extremely dire. luffy unlocking gear three, robin’s cuffs getting unlocked, usopp shooting spandam and the marines all the way from the tower of justice- it’s all just good, a long chain of much-needed victories and catharses, and it feels very good to read.

i’ll always be impressed by just how much characterization oda manages to give merry, a boat. she’s only really a character in water seven and the end of enies lobby, only about two chapters of which she actually speaks in. and yet i don’t think you’d find a single one piece fan who disagrees that merry’s death is easily one of the most heartwrenching in the entire series.

i love the reactions of the strawhats to robin’s thanks. they’ve just gone through hell to save her, most of them are beat to shit and they all risked their lives, and yet they all just smile, or brush it off, because to them there’s nothing else they could have done. it’s all worth it, so long as they got her back, so long as she’s safe and happy.

merry’s funeral just hits me in the chest every single time i read it. it’s tragic, of course, but there’s also something almost lovely about it, something peaceful about her getting to go out on her own terms, carrying her crew to safety one last time, defying every rule of the universe to do it. just like a strawhat pirate.

oda’s ability to communicate emotion through expressions really comes through here, too. merry has the only lines in this scene, fitting for her death in the limelight, but the shots of every other crewmate’s face let us know at a glance just what they’re all feeling and just how strongly they’re feeling it.

you know, i’d forgotten we only learn the name of the new world after enies lobby. we only get proper exposition about the revolutionary army and the yonkou here, too, despite them being set up since loguetown and jaya (or alabasta, or even chapter one if you count from shanks’s introduction) respectively. oda’s ability to parse out exposition and explanation so we always have just the right amount of information is really impressive- we always have more questions, but we also always have the feeling that those questions have answers, and that sooner or later they’ll be revealed.

points at shanks. i just think he’s neat.

it’s my opinion that one of the great joys of one piece is seeing luffy and the crew rise up in the world, and seeing them gain more and more notoriety. i love nothing they do ever happens in a vacuum- everything has impacts, and there are always outside eyes watching, and often those impacts are things that they never could have predicted.

ace and blackbeard is still, i think, definitely one of the coolest looking fights in the whole series. it’s not all that often we get to see two people with extremely flashy and showy abilities go all-out against each other, and the resulting fireworks are still really something to behold, despite how badly it all ends.

#the voyage so far #one piece #opmeta #long post #arc: enies lobby #arc: post enies lobby #not japanese

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thebibliosphere · 4 years

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My Heart’s In The Highlands by Amy Hoff (Book Review)

Hey fam, we ready to talk about a Scottish lesbian time traveling romance?

Also, just an upfront disclaimer on this one: I received an ARC (advance review copy) copy of this book from the Publisher and am writing this review voluntarily.

A Quick Summary:

My Heart’s in the Highlands by Amy Hoff is a sapphic time travel romance set in Scotland, starting in the late 1880s. Lady Jane Crichton is a learned woman of science (based on the historic ‘Edinburgh Seven’), who has spent her lifetime railing against the restraints of Scottish Victorian life and the expectations placed upon her. Fortunately for Jane, she finds herself in a marriage of convenience (he’s gay and needed a beard to protect his political career, and she needed the financial freedom and support of a wealthy patron. They’re buds about it.) and with the help of her husband, Jane is able to fund her own research and builds a functioning time machine.

Unfortunately for Jane her time machine malfunctions during one of its voyages, and she finds herself thrown back in time, crash landing into the 13th century. And also into Ainslie nic Dòmhnaill, who is next in line to inherit the great Clan Donald. Which is one hell of a way to find out your a lesbian, but also 10/10 would willingly fall back in time and into the arms of a buff Scottish warrior woman. But Jane also holds a secret. She knows what will become of these lands, and to the people that live on them, and she must choose between her fairy tale romance, or the harsh reality of history that lies ahead. Can her and Ainslie’s love survive? Or will they be torn apart by time?

Review:

Okay, so for some perspective going into this review, I am a Scottish editor, and I have worked extensively in the realms of Scottish Historical Romance. Most of you have probably heard of the term ‘Britpacker,’ so if it helps, think of me as a ‘Scots Sifter’—I catch chunks of inaccuracy and gently nudge the phonetic (mis)spellings toward the realms of the accurate. And as a Scottish person who reads romance for both fun and work, it’s a breath of fresh air to read someone who knows what they are doing in this regard. The historical details many readers crave are there in spades, lovingly rendered through beautiful and flowing prose. The (accurate!!!) use of Scots and Gaelic are also masterfully included in the dialect without feeling contrived, and overall enriches the narrative. Hoff is someone who loves Scottish culture and knows it well, and it shows.

(A note for history foodie buffs: I caught one slip-up in the form of potatoes being mentioned in the 13th century when they didn’t arrive in Scotland until 1739. I am, however, willing to concede that perhaps our heroine Lady Jane is perhaps not the first time traveler to have crash-landed into the Highlands. The others were merely better supplied. EDIT: I’ve been informed this error will be corrected in the next print.) As a heroine, Lady Jane is charmingly out of time and place even before she sets foot in her time machine. A woman in her later thirties (a novelty I’ll never tire of in Romance), she holds many convictions and beliefs, both about history and herself. All of which are proven wrong the moment she is flung back in time and meets the charming (and I cannot stress this enough) incredibly buff warrior woman, Ainslie nic Dòmhnaill. Setting aside my more analytical interests in this text, allow me to just say, I would die for Ainslie; something which I feel secure in saying would not happen, as Ainslie would murder anyone that tried. (And I would hold her golden torque and flower all starry-eyed while she did it.) However, there were one or two things that jumped out at me, both as a reader and an editor. While some scenes are concisely eloquent, there are a areas where pacing (and grammar) fall down, and the book feels like it could use with tightening up with another pass at editing. There was very little build up to the romance itself, which is fine, the instant true love trope is a well-loved trope for a reason. But it felt out of character for Jane, who presents initially as either on the demi or ace spectrum, but then falls immediately, if not in love, then certainly in lust with Ainslie. If this was intentional, I cannot say, but her sudden switch in dynamic is jarring and could have used a little gentler development.

Once the romance begins, it is sweet and enjoyable for the most part, but also again not without issue. There’s a distinct lack of verbal consent which modern readers might find discomfiting, especially in the LGBTQ+ spheres which paved the way for better consent and relationship dynamics in modern romance, and if I were asked to tag this book, I’d likely opt to tag it as “dubious consent” just to cover any potential triggers for people who would be unsettled by that sort of thing. (“Tell me no” being met with silence is not the same as consent. It might have worked 20 years ago in publishing, but it wouldn’t/shouldn’t fly now.) I like the characters dearly. Ainslie is smitten with Jane the moment she sets eyes on her, even if Jane is initially very awkward and prickly. Jane is also taken with her glorious redheaded warrior, and frankly, who could blame her? The book also has several of my favorite romantic tropes in it, including the all-time favorite “There’s Only One Bed”, though I wish more had been made of them. The sex scenes are hot and also sweetly endearing at times, though again I would like to see more explicit consent. Overall, it’s not a bad debut novel into the forays of Romance for a first-time Romance author. It’s enjoyable, but I am left with nagging the feeling that it could have been so much more. To my mind, where this book truly excels is Hoff’s love affair with history and Scotland itself. Their narrative shines in moments of reflection, and the subtle and nuanced injections of historical detail, which in my experience, are rarely done so well in this genre. But this is however a Romance novel, and the time-traveling scientist lesbian and her buff redhead warrior girlfriend felt second fiddle to the history at times, which was disappointing because how often do you get to say those words together? Not enough, in my opinion. Overall, I’d rate this as 3.5 out of 5, though it would have been a solid four were it not for the issues surrounding pacing and consent. If Hoff chose to continue the series, however, I’d absolutely be down for more of it. I want to see the characters grow and thrive. I just think a little more experience with the genre (and better editing) is needed first. My Heart’s In the Highlands is available now on Kindle, Paperback, and most other online retail stores. You can also buy directly from the Publisher.

#my heart's in the highlands #amy hoff #book review #arc copy #links #sapphic romance #lesbian romance #time travel romance #highland romance

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19-bellwether · 3 years

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let's say hypothetically rwby is still enjoyable, still a good show, but the v8 finale could have been written better. With everything in that season leading up the final episode, what would be 3 things, no more no less, that you would have changed while letting everything else stay the same? Remember that Winter needed the Maiden Powers to win against ironwood, Atlas was still falling as a result of the staff being used to save Penny from the virus, and Winter used the maiden powers to protect mantle from vacuo grimm. I am curious, because you seem a decent fair critic.

Just want to say that I don't think RWBY has become unenoyable or bad just because of a bad finale. My enjoyment of the previous volumes haven't been erased, it's just that my investment going forward isn't there. I've got nothing against people who are still excited.

My issues with the finale began with the build up to it, but I'll stick to it for the sake of your question. Three things I'd change:

If we must have Penny die, I'd completely rewrite it. First would be to replace Jaune with Nora. She had a small arc with Penny and is the only character that carries narrative weight for this (besides Ruby who would never do it). This 1) lets Nora go to the island with Team RWBY since she's supposed to be finding out who she is without Ren, and 2) makes the whole 'choose this one thing' moment stronger by making the audience think there's a risk the powers will transfer to Nora, only for Penny to be so sure in her decision that they go to Winter. Additionally, I'd hint that Penny isn't permanently dead and that Ambrosius's magic did something unexpected to her soul to make it resilient. I disagree with killing her off at all, but that's how I'd write it if we go that route.

Cinder falls instead of Neo. I'd have much rather seen her fail than succeed and return to Salem yet again. It's just more of the same and felt like backwards development after a volume that gave her so much focus. If doubling down didn't work, then Cinder would have been forced to question why villainy isn't moving her closer to the freedom she craves. By being on the island, she'd be in a unique position to be herself without Salem's influence. She could even take care of the grimm arm with Ruby's help. Imagine what it'd be like if she and Team RWBYN had to become uneasy allies to escape the island? Delicious tension.

Change the fall order. Taking out Yang first was fine, but the rest of Team RWBY's plummets were sudden. They needed the same level of gravitas as they were taken out one by one. Ruby should have been the last one standing. Imagine the drama as she stands alone against Cinder and thinks she's lost her friends, her sister, and Penny again. This volume has pushed Ruby further and further into questioning if she's doing the right thing, and this would perfectly set up the aftermath for Volume 9. (This doesn't give us the moment where Winter sees Weiss fall... but oh well. It's worth it imo.)

Honorable mention goes to letting Vine survive so all four Ace Ops live on. Those are what I'd change.

#asks #canonseeker #rwby crit

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blake-belladonna-defence-force · 4 years

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42-Saviour. I'll go first. {Blake was cornered, and with seven highly trained assassins facing her, there'd be no hope of escape. That is, until her partner came crashing down from the rooftops, forcing the assailants back a few paces. B:"Yang! I'm glad you made it bef-" Y:"SAVIOUR breath Blake," she grinned back cheekily. The look she received from her partner rivalled the one Summer used to give her as a child. B:"Could you kill her instead?" The assassins nodded.} Your turn 🤪

Pfft. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that one, mate 😆

Anyway, have some Future High Leader Blake doing her inspiring speech thing.

I’m a simple person. I love Blake’s badass moments. So I wrote one 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not sure how good it turned out since sparring and fight scenes aren’t my thing and I’m so used to writing the bees 😅

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Blake stepped forward, locking eyes Marrow as they levelled their weapons at each other. He was their best chance at getting out of this. Blake had to try.

“This will a lot easier on you if you stand down, Blake!” Marrow let out a grunt as their swords met. “We have a responsibility to Atla-“

“And what about your responsibility to Mantle? The people that you’ve promised to protect?” Blake retorted, ducking under his swing and darting away, keeping out of reach. “What about your duty to the faunus; our people, Marrow?! If we don’t do something, they are all going to die!”

“The General-“

“Is not the saviour he thinks he is!” Blake interjected, gritting her teeth as she blocked another strike. “He’s not in his right mind. He’s sending thousands of innocent lives to the slaughter! Where’s the nobility in that?! What kind of hero sacrifices the people that he promised to protect?!”

“I-“ Marrow hesitated. Blake could see the struggle in his eyes. The choice of duty versus what’s right.

“I know what you’re going through.” Blake said calmly, keeping her weapon up as she and Marrow circled one another. “A leader I once followed and trusted soon gave way to madness because of the trauma he endured as a boy. But that doesn’t excuse the innocents that he slaughtered. It doesn’t excuse the pain and suffering he inflicted upon others. Just like the General’s pain and fear doesn’t excuse what he’s doing to Mantle.”

“I can’t just-“

“Yes. You can.” Blake persisted, parrying a blow. “There’s a difference between doing your duty as a soldier and choosing to do the right thing as a person. You’re so much smarter, stronger and braver than anyone gives you credit for, Marrow. So stop letting others think for you and make your own choice. If not for you, then for the people that you care about.”

Marrow paused, his eyes darting between team RWBY and the Ace-Ops. He shook his and growled, gripping his hair with his hand.

And oh, how Blake sympathised. To realise that the man you followed and believed in couldn’t be trusted. That he who promised safety and honour and freedom was not fit to lead. It hurt. And Gods, did Blake understand that.

“Marrow… we don’t have much time.” Blake said, lifting her chin defiantly. “Make your choice; the people you swore to protect or the man who has doomed them to death.”

“I-“

“Blake!”

Blake gasped as one of the other Ace-Ops fired their weapon at her… only to watch as Marrow diverted it with his own.

“I made a promise to the people of Mantle. I’m going to keep it.” Marrow said shakily, his tail twitching nervously. He was standing up against his team. Going against everything that they stood for. This wasn’t going to be easy for him. “Even if it means breaking my vow as an Ace-Op.”

“Then you join the rest of them.” Elm growled, betrayal clear in her eyes.

“I guess I do.”

Blake looked around her. Her team stood tall, weapons drawn as they looked at each other. When she met Yang’s eyes, she saw pride and admiration and something else that she couldn’t process right now.

“Please.” Ruby tried one last time, her silver eyes wide and pleading. “It’s not too late to do the right thing.”

But when the remaining Ace-Ops shifted and readied their weapons, they all knew the answer. And so, team RWBY and Marrow lifted their weapons and fought.

Mantle deserved to be fought for. And so, they would fight until their last breath if that’s what it took.

Because a saviour doesn’t sacrifice the innocent. A saviour isn’t to be lionised. Instead, a saviour will fight and stand their ground. And that’s exactly what they would do.

#blake belladonna #marrow amin #rwby #fanfic #rwby volume 7 #ruby rose #rwby vol 7 spoilers #yang xiao long

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softyoongiionly · 5 years

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🍬Sour Skittles: Part Two 🍬

Sour Skittles

WELCOME TO GLASSCLAW! The only city where you can get a homecooked meal and a hitman all on the same street! You moved to GlassClaw for a fresh start after a group of raiders invaded your previous compound. Unbeknownst to you, the city has its own collection of riff raff and, at the head of it all is your neighbor Min Yoongi. The mischevious merchant with one hell of a sailor mouth is known for swindling the rich and, serving the poor. The world has become convoluted and chaotic since the apocalypse but, two things were certain: You were so much more than pretty face and, Yoongi was so much more than just a thief.

Pairing: Min Yoongi x Reader

Word Count: 1.8k

A/N: I got really inspired to do a little update for this after watching a ton of videos about the French Revolution lmao. I hope you guys like it!

Genre: Dystopian Au, RobinHood! Yoongi, smut, fluff, minor angst, post apocalyptic au

The heat is unbearable.

It sticks to you like a thick and intrusive warm cloak.

You’re spread eagle on your mattress, completely naked except for a pair of underwear and, a loose fitting t shirt. The idea of fabric clinging to you is revolting enough to make you wretch and, you’re now seriously considering taking another cold shower.

This would be your third one today.

Fuck AstroLex honestly.

The hegemonic superpower that runs Glassclaw shut off everyone’s AC as punishment for the recent raid of one of their many storage places.

The Underground is clearly responsible but, AstroLex lacks the evidence to bindict anyone. This was usually the case, the raiders who worked for The Underground are too good and, they usually commit their robberies without a trace.

This isn’t the first time AstroLex has implemented a city-wide punishment, last winter they turned off the heating for 6 days which led to a dozen people nearly dying of hypothermia.

They didn’t care though. Their message had been received, their debts had been collected and, they could continue in their world.

Unapologetically unbothered.

AstroLex made an announcement earlier this morning that the AC would be turned off until further notice and, you assumed this meant until the raiders were turned in.

You audibly groan as you feel more sweat forming on the back of your neck, the feeling nearly vomit-inducing. The only way you knew to alleviate your suffering would be to live in your freezer and, given that it’s much too small, you concede that your only option is a slow and painful death.

A knock at your door interrupts you both in it’s volume and it’s intensity. Another pained groan passes your lips as you drag yourself off of your bed. The knocking gets more persistent as you make your way to the door.

“I’m coming!” You call, annoyed at the intrusion.

Swinging the door open, you are met with the one person who could make your day more difficult: Min Yoongi.

“Took you long enough…” He smirks, leaning against your door frame. His minty green hair is dripping wet and, he’s dressed in only a gray pair of torn jeans, black boxers peeking over the band of them.

“Don’t you own a shirt?”

He snickers, “It’s a thousand degrees outside, do you want me to die of heat exhaustion?”

“Definitely not, I’d loose out on my reward, they raised it again today…$40,000…” You cross your arms, fighting the smile that’s trying to take over your lips.

Turns out, your suspicions regarding your neighbor had been correct. Yoongi was forced to out himself as an Underground worker when the AstroLex police had launched a full on investigation in your environ. In a desperate attempt to maintain his freedom, Yoongi came banging on your door at 3am, begging you not to turn him into the authorities. Yoongi belonged to a particularly stealthy and ruthless group of raiders known appropriately as “Robin Hoods.” So far, the Robin Hoods had been responsible for nearly 60% of all successful raids done on AstroLex’s resources and, given that their operations were so seamless, the police hadn’t been able to bring a single member in for questioning. However, AstroLex did announce a citywide call for intel which promised a hefty reward to anyone who had information regarding the group.

“I’m certainly worth more than $40,000, those bastards…” His eyes scan over you briefly, glinting with mischief, “You look like a drowned rat…”

You scoff, pushing against his bare chest, “Fuck you…”

He snickers again, nimble fingers clutching at your wrists, holding them against his chest, “I’m kidding, c’mon, I missed you…”

He’s so full of shit…

You roll your eyes at him, playfully tugging your hands away, “You missed me so much you came pounding on my door only to call me a drowned rat?”

“I’ve undergone a lot of childhood trauma, sweetheart, forgive me, I have hard time expressing my emotions…” He explains with a dramatic flair to his voice, slowly starting to lean in towards your lips.

“You’re shameless. “ You open your door wider, silently inviting him inside, “Did you bring what I asked for?”

Yoongi purses his lips through his smirk before shuffling into your apartment, “Are you referring to the stupid salt that I nearly died for? Yes, I brought what you asked for…”

He reaches into his canvas bag, pulling out a plastic box containing your requested item: Rock salt.

Eagerly, you take the box from his hands, already excited to utilize the stolen good which left Yoongi feeling very confused.

“The fuck do you need rock salt for anyway? Can’t you just use the stuff in a bottle?” He shuffles his bag back over his bare shoulder and, you shamelessly allow your eyes to ogle at the movements of Yoongi’s sinewy chest muscles.

“I use that salt for cooking but,” You move around him to make you’re way over to your fridge before pulling out a bottle of fresh cream, you’d bought from the a local dairy farm not far from your apartment. “I’m using this one for homemade ice cream…the store bought stuff just isn’t the same.”

Yoongi wants to scoff at your response because; quite frankly he finds it a little ridiculous but, he doesn’t scoff, instead, he feels rather enamored. The modern world leaves very little room for a luxury like nostalgia but, for whatever reason, he feels a lot of it when he’s around you, you remind of him his past life….before everything went to shit.

“Are you making enough to share?” He smirks, hopping on your counter, his dirty combat boots scuffing against the wood.

“I’m not sharing anything with you if you don’t get off my counter…” You grumble, pushing against his jean clad leg, causing Yoongi to snicker as he obliges, choosing to lean back against the granite. “But yeah, I’ll make enough to share—you have to take some to Namjoon too though.”

“He’s lactose intolerant…”

You stop what you’re doing to throw a deadpan Yoongi’s way which only causes his mouth to twitch, a smirk threatening to break through, “I literally saw him shoving cheese pizza down his throat the other night. Share with him or you get nothing…”

Yoongi chuckles again, holding his hands up to concede with you, “Fine, I’ll share but, don’t expect it to be an even split. Namjoon’s job isn’t nearly as demanding as mine, I need my strength…”

With a roll of your eyes, you assemble some of the ice cubes into a large ceramic bowl, eyeing the dish rack for a spoon, “Do you even a day job or, are you a full time renegade?”

With a nod of his head he responds, his hand musing through his hair again, “I work at Electric Eel’s on the weekends…”

The fact that Yoongi works at a strip club shouldn’t affect you but, an odd sensation rolls through your stomach as you think of all of the beautiful women he must work with.

“The strip club right? How’s that going for you?”

Yoongi smirks again because, apparently, that’s the only facial expression he’s capable of, “It goes ok. I literally only wear a leather vest and leather pants so, the tips are pretty fucking good. Plus…I get to work with a bunch of hot people so, it’s a good gig.”

You swallow around a dry throat, trying very hard not to picture bartender Yoongi in an all leather outfit but, obviously you fail.

“Sounds like it…” You affirm casually, dumping a sizeable portion of ice cubes into a metal cylinder. “Do you know Jungkook?”

Yoongi tilts his head for a moment before nodding, “Yeah yeah, young kid right? He’s a dancer there…wait how do you know him?”

It’s your turn to smirk now, memories of Jungkook currently running an assault on your brain, “Uh…he’s an old friend of mine. Last I heard he got a job there so, I figured you would know him…”

Yoongi’s stomach tightens now, the smirk on your face telling him everything he didn’t want to know, “Just a friend?”

A flurry of butterflies courses through your gut as you think of all the fun you and Jungkook used to have, “Just friends yeah…”

There’s a bit of silence that moves between the two of you as Yoongi admires the way you lie to him.

He kind of wants to be a secret of yours too…

“Don’t worry…I hooked up with him too. He’s a hell of a lay…” Yoongi chuckles, his eyes alit with mischief and memories of his own.

The feel in your stomach drops lower now, towards the place between your legs. The bit of information Yoongi just shared certainly isn’t what you’re expecting but, you’d be lying if you said that thoughts of Yoongi and Jungkook together didn’t do a number on your resolve.

“He sure is…stamina for days…” You giggle, trying to center your thinking towards more appropriate topics, “Do you think they’ll turn the air on this week?”

Yoongi notices your hasty subject change but, he decides not to pester you, at least not for the moment, “Probably not. There was an uprising in Ricketts yesterday --I think Astro is worried we’re going to do the same. Gotta keep the leash tight…”

The news surprises you, there hadn’t been an uprising in your area of the world in quite some time. The last one, occurred four years ago in the nearby compound of Amex and, ended in a bloody battle that took the lives of nearly 2,000 people; the compound’s government executed the resistance leaders during a public broadcast.

Rebellion seemed less appealing after that but clearly, the fear of retaliation is quickly wearing off…

“Really? I had no idea…I didn’t hear anything about it, were they successful?”

An honest smile actually presents itself across Yoongi’s lips as he nods, knowing full well what Rickett’s victory could mean, “They overthrew their council. AstroLex sent in reinforcement but, their resistance held em off, they retreated this morning…”

This causes your eyes to widen, “Are you serious? That’s unbelievable, how did you hear about this? There’s no way they would have put this in the broadcast…”

Yoongi leans in, his eyes darting around your kitchen, lowering his voice significantly, “Don’t you find it strange that AstroLex is offering 40,000 for a bunch of petty thieves?”

He has a point.

AstroLex is worth millions.

But if he’s not just a thief…then what is he?

“Do you know something the public doesn’t?” You offer, trying to conceal your intense curiosity.

Yoongi grins, his brown eyes glimmering with something you haven’t seen in over a decade: hope, “Let’s just say…the Ricketts rebellion is the first of many. Sooner or later, AstroLex will meet the same fate…”

His words fuel your bleeding heart but, you have to be careful. You can’t get wrapped up in promises, you’ve made that mistake before.

“Resistance...” You breathe and, Yoongi doesn’t allow his grin to fade, “Do you really think it’s possible?”

“Would you join if it was?”

Looking up at your neighbor, you muster all of the sincerity and passion you can manage, holding the depth of his gaze as you respond,

“I’d join regardless…”

199 notes · View notes

recentanimenews · 4 years

Text

The 42 Greatest Anime Moments of Monkey D. Luffy

May 5 is the birthday of One Piece's main character Monkey D. Luffy, and over the past couple of decades of his existence, he's given us some moments that will stay in our minds forever. And so I've decided to chronicle 42 of his best ones, antics that will hopefully remind you how much you love the free-spirited, determined, ridiculous Birthday Best Boy. One note, though — while this list does contain some of those sweet, sweet fight scenes, I've already written a list that ranked his 20 greatest knockouts against bad guys. So, in order to not repeat that list entirely, I've tried to mix it up a little bit.

1. Luffy Wakes Up From A Great Nap

I can't think of a better anime debut for Monkey D. Luffy than "wakes up in the barrel that he miraculously survived a whirlpool in and immediately knocks out some pirates by accident." It's everything fun about the dude rolled into one.

2. Luffy Gets Coby To Hit Him

One thing that doesn't get mentioned enough about Luffy is his haphazard, yet skillful ingenuity. He knows that Koby will never get to join the Marines if he's associated with pirates, so Luffy, his one brain cell working overtime, gets Koby to punch him in order to prove that they're not friends because would friends brawl on the floor of a restaurant?

3. Luffy Gets The Straw Hat

A moment from the first chapter of the manga that was delayed until Episode 4 of the anime, Luffy getting the straw hat from Shanks is iconic. It sets in motion his entire journey and creates a symbol that represents freedom, adventure, and destiny.

4. Luffy Gives Nami The Straw Hat

Luffy giving Nami his straw hat is more than just a simple, comforting gesture. It's Luffy telling Nami that if she wants, she'll be a Straw Hat now and for the rest of her life. Nami may have problems, but she'll never have to deal with them alone ever again.

5. Luffy Gets His First Bounty

By gaining a bounty when he takes down Arlong, Luffy is introduced to the wider world of pirating, the World Government, and eventually the Grand Line. Though Buggy's reveal that he knew Shanks and Mihawk's appearance hinted at a wider world, this is Luffy's first real step into it.

6. Luffy Smiles At Death

Luffy obviously doesn't want to die. But as he smiles at the crowd and his crew while Buggy brings a sword down onto his neck, he grins. Because he didn't die in vain. He never became Pirate King and he never found the One Piece, but he did live his life exactly the way that he wanted to. And that's more important than any title or treasure. I'm glad he didn't die, though. They never would've found the Grand Line if Zoro had ascended to the role of Captain. They'd probably still be arguing in the Loguetown harbor.

7. Luffy Holds Up Hiriluk's Flag

Wapol wanted to destroy Hiriluk's flag and thus eliminate his legacy. But Luffy — smoking due to being recently shot by a cannon and holding up the flag — proved that's not something you can just do. As long as someone is there to fight for it, a flag is forever.

8. Luffy Disagrees With Vivi

Vivi, frustrated, enraged, and embarrassed about the treatment of her country, was more than ready to sacrifice herself for it ... and only herself. But Luffy wasn't hearing it. If she was going down, they were all going down. It wasn't just Vivi's fight anymore. The Straw Hats had reached Ride or Die status.

9. Luffy Beats Crocodile

I did a list of Luffy's best knockouts so I'm not gonna list every major punch here. However, the ones that are especially meaningful deserve recognition. And this one, where, after two defeats, Luffy battered Crocodile up through the streets of Alubarna, is inarguably one of the most memorable. It's a triumph that's a long time coming, equal parts brutal and satisfying.

10. Luffy Lets Himself Get Beat Up And Meets Blackbeard

Mirroring Shanks' restraint when he let himself get harassed by the Mountain Bandits, here we see Luffy decide not to fight Bellamy and instead he listens to Bellamy's foolish proclamations about why dreams suck and why you shouldn't have them and why Mylo Xyloto is the best Coldplay album, probably. However, even if he didn't need the pick-me-up, Blackbeard meets him outside to reaffirm that dreams never die. It would be a super nice remark ... if anyone but Blackbeard was saying it.

11. Luffy Is Immune To Enel

Until this point, Enel is borderline unstoppable, able to strike down anyone in his path and — with the help of his "mantra" — barely takes any damage in the process. And it's made him pretty cocky. But to see Enel's face distort in cartoonish disbelief when he realizes that Luffy is a Rubber Type Pokemon and that he's impervious to Electric Types is so joyously satisfying.

12. Luffy Decides To Get Rid Of The Going Merry

With the Going Merry slowly becoming unusable and actually becoming a handicap to the crew, Luffy figures that it's time to find a new ship. It's a sad moment, but you can't help but see Luffy's side. A good pirate crew needs a good pirate ship. And if the Going Merry suddenly sinks, Luffy is dead. Like very, very dead.

13. Luffy Faces Usopp

Usopp relates to the Going Merry, fearing that its "weakness" and "inadequacy" represents his own. And so when Luffy decides to get rid of the ship, Usopp lashes out, causing Luffy to have to "put down" Usopp. It's a difficult decision, but it shows that Luffy isn't all laughs and "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" declarations.

14. Luffy Does Not Recognize Sogeking

And then, after the most heartfelt showdown in the series, Luffy doesn't even recognize Usopp's Sogeking disguise, despite the fact that he has most of Usopp's traits, most of Usopp's weapons, and showed up only a little while after Usopp left. Oh, Luffy. Never stop being you.

15. Luffy Goes Second Gear

Power-ups are pretty common in anime. But Luffy saying that he needs to take his skills up another level so that he won't lose his friends still feels pretty special. And then the music kicks in and Luffy beats Blueno to a pulp and it's one of the most hype scenes in the entire series.

16. Luffy Declares War On The World

He'll always have a target on his back, he'll never be able to rest easy again, and the World Government will pursue him as long as he draws breath. Luffy knows this, but when the time comes to save Robin from CP9 in Enies Lobby, he doesn't hesitate to take on the whole world. It's just what friends do.

17. Luffy Refuses To Fall

When Luffy and Lucci fight, it isn't a quick contest. They go to absolute war on one another. And when Lucci thinks he's won, having left Luffy spitting up blood on the floor, we see that ... no. Luffy will not leave his feet. He has too much pride, too much grit, and too much determination. Defeat is not an option here. He will stop fighting to retrieve Robin when he's dead.

18. Luffy Is Reunited With Garp

For a long time, Luffy's actual flesh and blood family was a mystery. Shanks is kind of a cool uncle and Ace is someone that Luffy considers his brother, but where did Luffy, ya know, come from? As it turns out, his grandpa is the cannonball-throwing Marine Vice Admiral Garp, who is not only just as goofy as Luffy, but also really, really, really strong for being 76. What's his secret? Low carbs? Eiichiro Oda, please let me know.

19. Luffy Punches The Celestial Dragon

Luffy can't stand bullies or anyone that relishes the misery of others. So when a Celestial Dragon shoots Hatchan in the auctioneering house, Luffy walks right up to him and turns his face into a catcher's mitt.

20. Luffy Loses His Crew

Luffy's darkest hour (so far) comes when, in a fight with Kuma, Kizaru and the Pacifistas, his whole crew eventually gets wiped out and spread across the world. All the while, Luffy is powerless to stop it — his Gum Gum skills no match for Kuma's abilities. It's a truly pitiable thing to see Luffy beat his fists on the ground in futility, something entirely unlike any scene in the series before.

21. Luffy Covers Sandersonia

Back in Little Garden, Luffy agreed it wasn't necessary to actually have a reason for the fight between the giants. They were having an honorable contest between warriors. That was enough. Later when Sandersonia's scars were about to be revealed after a battle, Luffy covered them up. He had no interest in killing them or exposing their secrets. That is not what the battle was for. The contest was simply one that he wanted to win so he'd eventually get back to his crew.

22. Luffy Decides To Save His Brother Before Reuniting With His Crew

When Luffy learns that Ace is to be put to death, he must make a choice: Get the gang back together or dive into the depths of Impel Down and try to rescue his brother. He ends up choosing the latter, which shows a great deal of trust and respect for his crewmates. He knows they're strong enough to be OK without him for now.

23. Luffy Embraces Mr. 2

This is just plain wholesome. Luffy's love for his friends is might be the best thing about him.

24.Luffy Falls From The Sky

Luffy's story isn't just about his quest to find the One Piece, but the formation of a legend. And when Luffy and the other Impel Down escapees plummet from the sky into the Marineford war, you can practically see that legend being written.

25. Luffy Faces The Admirals

Yes, Luffy's attempts to kick a frozen log at them goes nowhere. And yes, Luffy is almost immediately knocked down by Kizaru when he tries to rush past him. But the guts in that kid! Facing down three of the most powerful men in the One Piece universe and demanding they give Ace back to him. That is moxie, my dudes.

26. Luffy Goes Comatose

Ace is dead. The mission has failed. A brother is lost. And all Luffy can do is go numb and lifeless. He has no words or actions to explain or react. A chunk of his soul has been ripped away.

27. Luffy Realizes He Still Has His Friends

Yes, his attempt to save Ace was a bust. But in the most hopeless of times, Jimbei asks him what he still has. And Luffy remembers he still has his friends — friends he has been there for in the past and who will most certainly be there for him later. They are still there. And because they are still there, Luffy's existence has worth.

28. Luffy Gets An Upgrade

Reuniting with his crew in Sabaody, it doesn't take too long for Luffy to find a way to show off the results of two years of training. He's been doing some grinding, so his skill tree has some new branches. He's unlocked some new abilities, and he's reached his evolved form. When a Pacifista comes at the Monster Trio (Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji,) they beat the bear out of it.

29. Luffy Decides To Make Fish-Man Island His Territory

For the most part, Luffy doesn't really care about the dominance sought by other powerful characters. But after he's gotten to know the citizens of Fish-Man Island and he sees the terror caused by Big Mom, he tells her straight-up he's gonna defeat her and take Fish-Man Island under his protection. It's the closest that Luffy has ever gotten to being a character in Goodfellas.

30. Luffy Allies With Law

And then, shortly after talking trash to Big Mom, Luffy teams up with Trafalgar Law in a plot to overthrow Kaido, another Emperor of the Sea. It's a real leap forward for Luffy. One day, you're just a kid from East Blue punching everyone that seems mean. The next, you're taking an active role in changing the power structure of the entire world. That's just how it is sometimes, though. As Logic once said, "Who can relate?"

31. Luffy Has Been "Picking Fights All Along"

Luffy knows he doesn't just tumble from one situation to another. He isn't just a poor guy caught up in the gambits of powerful evil forces. No, Luffy has definitely chosen to live a life where he will interfere with your best-laid plans if he feels inclined to. And if that includes a lot of fighting, well, so be it.

32. Luffy Reunites With Sabo

It's been pretty much non-stop action since the beginning of the Post Time Skip era, and that hasn't really allowed for a ton of emotional moments for Luffy. But when he reunites with Sabo in the coliseum and his scream comes out as a mix of happiness, confusion, and surprise, he finally gets one. Cry it out, buddy. We love ya.

33. Luffy And His Allies Head For Doflamingo

From orchestrating a breakout in Impel Down to creating a charge toward Doflamingo with all the allies he met in the tournament to win the Flame-Flame Fruit, Luffy has slowly gone from being the captain of a small crew on a ship with an animal head on the front to being the full-on leader of a Pirate Alliance. Luffy 2020 is what I say.

34. Luffy Goes Fourth Gear

Years after the reveal of Second and Third Gear, we get Fourth Gear, a power-up that even more freakishly transforms Luffy's body. It's not graceful, nor is it particularly beautiful to behold, but it gets the job done.

35. Luffy Beats Doflamingo

Doflamingo — a man that's been a thorn in the side of nearly everyone in the world for about 15 years of anime history — finally gets taken down. And still, it's only a stepping stone to Wano. Somehow, Eiichiro Oda creates these moments that seem like the biggest events in history, and yet, they're only just the beginning.

36. Luffy Refuses To Fight Sanji

Luffy knows Sanji is conflicted and not really a bad guy. And he's also aware of the fact that he'll be creating an even bigger issue if he fights back against his chef. So he just takes the kicks, hoping Sanji sees there's another way out of this. Sadly, it'll be a few episodes before he realizes that.

37. Luffy Waits For Sanji — And Then Punches — Sanji

Sanji finding Luffy because his captain's stomach is grumbling super loud is so cartoonish and lovely — because what is Sanji's role if not to feed his captain? Of course, Luffy enjoys Sanji's rain-soaked cookin' and then he punches Sanji for still being a twerp that won't admit what he really feels.

38. Luffy Clashes With Big Mom

Luffy stood beside Whitebeard, but this is his first real showdown with a Yonko. And it doesn't go very well. Big Mom is easily able to block him, which shows that, while Luffy has come a long way, he's still got a bit farther to go.

39. Luffy Places The Hat On Katakuri

Much like the previous covering of Sandersonia's shame, Luffy covers Katakuri's mouth with his hat after their duel. The two combatants fought and earned each other's respect. And so Luffy leaves Katakuri with his pride.

40. Luffy Knows He's Arrived In Wano Due To The Swords

That giant baboon is using a sword? Obviously this must be Wano, the land of samurai. That's Luffy logic at its most pure.

41. Luffy Promises Tama She Will Not Be Hungry Again

For the most part, heading to Wano seemed like a pretty impersonal act. The only reason he thought about going there in the first place was because Law seemed pretty confident it was a solid idea. But then he meets Tama and learns that she — along with most of the country — is starving. So his journey to take down Kaido gets some personal stakes. He's now shouldering the hopes of an entire group of people.

42. Luffy Is Beaten By Kaido

OK, so Round 1 didn't go so well. Luffy pummeled Kaido with everything he had and Kaido one-shotted him with a melee weapon attack. Luffy has to rethink his strategy and expand his move-set and maybe, with some luck, Round 2 will be a tad more even. I can't wait to see what Luffy moments we have in store when One Piece returns!

What is your favorite Luffy moment? Do any on this list stand out to you? Let me know in the comments!

Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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villlainarc · 4 years

Text

To Fall in Love

Remember My Embrace

Summary: In which Logan has a realization, makes a decision, and says goodbye.

Pairing: Logince

Warnings: one (1) vaguely described kiss, Even More Angst Than Usual, unhappy ending (coming soon)

Word Count: 1850

A/N: the song in this chapter is the one (1) musical song, i will be there from the count of monte cristo

More A/N: this is a secret santa gift for @ari-the-anxious-ace and as such, is already completed (and can be found at this very moment on ao3). but so as not to spam you, chapters will be posted every three days.

special thanks to @cringeless for beta reading :)

masterpost || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6

read on ao3 or below the cut

find other stuff i’ve written under #writingxofink

Logan has been a fool. He’s been a fool for thinking that he, a siren, could fall in love without it ending in disaster. He’s been a fool for getting so attached to Roman when he knows how this has to end. He’s been a fool for staying in this grotto and waiting for Roman to come back time and time again. He’s been a fool for waiting so long before draining his victim, for feeling his power grow weaker by the day and still putting off the inevitable.

Because this is inevitable. He can’t continue waiting for a different option; he’s not going to survive until then. No one else is coming. Logan can barely lure Roman out to the grotto, much less someone possibly oceans away.

If he doesn’t do this, he’s going to die.

But at the same time, he can’t do this. He knows instinctively that he will not, under any circumstances, be able to drain Roman.

Logan doesn’t have any other choice though. Not besides death.

Sure, he could abandon Roman, leave him here on the island and use what little energy he has left to swim to somewhere less secluded in the hope that maybe then, someone would hear him. It’s the best choice he has, in all honesty. Even then though, that’s a lot to hope for. That could still very well end in death.

And, though he will never admit it out loud, the sentimental part of himself that grows with every moment spent alongside Roman wants to stay with the man he’s fallen in love with for just a little while longer.

Because this is love. It had taken Logan forever to admit, but what he feels for Roman is love. That’s why he won’t—can’t—drain Roman. That’s why he doesn’t want to leave, even if it would be the best choice for both of them.

Even if it’s likely that Roman doesn’t love him in return.

Even on the off chance that he does, it will never amount to anything, no matter how many hours they’ve spent talking beneath the stars.

Even though Roman is sweet and understanding and kind, even though Roman listens to and cares about him in a way that no one else in his life ever has, even if he’s going to miss Roman more than he can possibly imagine… that won’t change a thing.

Their love will be one that’s doomed from the start. And Logan may be selfish, but he will never allow Roman to be hurt at his hands.

So no matter how much he doesn’t want to, Logan is going to leave. Tonight.

Because he can’t keep luring Roman back, keep singing to him of a dream that will never come true, not if Roman had been right about it. Logan refuses to bring pain to the one person he’s ever truly cared for.

Even if it means returning to a life of loneliness, even if it means breaking his own heart, he has to.

It’s not as though Roman will miss him anyway. Really, this is for the best.

Logan knows this. It’s the only option he has that doesn’t end in his, Roman’s, or both of their deaths. Therefore, logically, he shouldn’t have any doubts about following through with it.

But with love, Logan has found, logic rarely ever has a place. As Roman had said, sometimes you have to “follow your heart” in order to find happiness.

It’s too bad, then, that Logan can’t do that this time. This time, he has to do what’s right.

So, as he’s done every night for the past month, two weeks, and five days, Logan calls out to Roman with the song that has become theirs. “Ah-ah, ah-ah.”

By this point, surely Roman knows that if he wanted to ignore the song, he could. Surely he’s felt its pull growing weaker as Logan’s power dwindles.

But for whatever reason, Roman’s still coming tonight. Logan can feel him and his dream traveling closer, though he genuinely doesn’t know why. Roman could easily leave, so why hasn’t he?

There’s one explanation that Logan can think up off the top of his head, but the idea seems so impossible to him that he denies it the ability to take up any space in his mind. He doesn’t so much as think the words.

🌊

Roman’s journey, as per usual, takes a few minutes. This gives Logan more than enough time to rethink his idea and back out of something that will only bring him pain. He won’t, though. He refuses to allow Roman to be hurt by dragging this out for longer than he ever should have. This is something he should have done long ago if he’s being honest, but this is also the sort of thing that’s done better late than never.

When he hears Roman’s footsteps drawing nearer, Logan begins to sing without preamble, without waiting for Roman to be able to say anything at all. If he starts to talk, Logan will undoubtedly rethink a decision that has to be made. So he sings, losing himself in this final song.

“In the light that falls at moonrise,

In the rhythm of the rain,

In the miracle of ordinary days.

In the hush of night,

I will be in the whispers of lovers

Everywhere

You will find me there.”

Roman silently picks his way over the remain rocks before him, his feet navigating the path deftly in a testament to how often he’s been here. He sits down quietly in front of Logan, listening to the song spun just for him with everything Logan has left to give woven into it.

“In the rustle of a curtain,

In the bustle of the world,

In a thousand little unexpected ways.

When you lift your gaze,

I will be like the shimmer of one small star

Out there

Shining everywhere.”

As of this moment, Roman is enraptured by Logan’s voice, unable to fully comprehend the lyrics and their meaning. One day though, he will realize what they mean and hopefully, he will understand. By then though, Logan will be long gone. So perhaps that doesn’t matter at all.

“I will be there,

Beside you

Through the lonely nights that fall.

So close your eyes,

Remember my embrace.

I will be there,

Like mercy

I will find you through it all.

This do I swear:

I will be there.”

Just as he had with the very first song he’d sung for Roman, Logan allows him the knowledge of the lyrics to reply with, if he so chooses. Since the song is curated by the sirens’ magic for one person and one person alone, Roman would not know the lyrics on his own. And since Logan has grown to know Roman as an incredibly dramatic person, he knows that he will seize any chance to sing and show off. Tonight is no different.

“In a language never spoken

Lived the promises we made,

In the endless love that owns me, heart and soul.

In the certainty I will always be true

And as near as my next prayer,

You will find me there.”

Logan has to remind himself then that he’s still the siren, not Roman. If he were to be asked though, Logan would have claimed without hesitation that Roman’s voice is the more beautiful one, the most beautiful one he’s ever heard. Truly, it’s no wonder that he’d fallen for this man so easily.

“In the echo of the ocean,

In the haunting of the wind,

In mysterious, extraordinary ways.

Through the darkest sky,

I will be like the shimmer of one small star

Out there,

Shining everywhere.

“I will be there,

Beside you

Through the lonely nights that fall.

So close your eyes,

Remember my embrace.

I will be there,

Like freedom

I will find you through it all.

This do I swear:

I will be there.”

After Roman’s chorus, there’s the bridge of the song, a bridge that requires the two of them to alternate lines and shape this into an even more lovely duet. The chorus after it follows the same format, and Logan nearly swoons as he realizes how much he’s going to be able to hear Roman’s voice.

“In the harbor quarter.”

“In the stone and mortar.”

Just as he had in Roman’s chosen duet the second time they’d met, Logan allows Roman’s voice to overpower his as they sing together, “In the star that we both share.”

Roman again takes the lead in the next line, “In the sound of laughter.”

“Now and ever after.”

The final part of the song allows their voices to intertwine again, overlapping and harmonizing. Logan is intensely grateful to his magic for choosing such a perfect final song.

“Look for me, I will be there.

I will be there,

Beside you

Through the lonely nights that fall.

So close your eyes.”

“Remember my embrace.”

“I will be there.”

“I’ll be there.” Roman’s line is shortened slightly so he can catch up to Logan and they are able to sing in unison again.

“Like justice,

I will find you through it all.”

“This do I swear.”

“I will be there.”

“This do I swear,

I will be there.”

For one final time, Logan and Roman’s voices are lifted in ethereal harmony.

“This do I swear,

I will be there.”

As the last note hangs in the air, Logan smiles softly, nearly forgetting why he’d brought Roman here in the first place. But he doesn’t forget when he sees Roman’s eyes on him, glittering in the light of the moon. He remembers why he has to leave, no matter how much his heart may break. So Logan leans forward, resting his forehead against Roman’s in an action that’s as feather-light and loving as a siren’s touch could possibly be.

”Goodbye,” Logan whispers, the word barely a breath on the wind as he leans infinitesimally closer to Roman. For the first time, he connects their lips.

There are no sparks, and the world hasn’t become suddenly perfect. It just feels right. There’s no heat behind the action, just a gentle expression of everything Logan could never possibly say himself. The kiss is soft and short and given time, it could become so much more.

But there’s no time left for them. The only thing Logan can do is whisper another goodbye before sealing his words in place with a second, final kiss. He leans back, and the smile he gives Roman is a sad one.

Wishing he could do anything but this, Logan turns from the man he’s fallen in love with and vanishes into the water with a flick of his tail. Then he’s gone.

---

taglist: @thewhiteraven73

#ts sides #roman sanders #logan sanders #logince #sanders sides au #siren au #fantasy au #roman angst #logan angst #sanders sides secret santa 2019 #kissing #unhappy ending #angst #fanfic #song of a siren au #fic.txt

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vildsen09-blog · 5 years

Text

Threads~~~

Do you believe in fate, destiny, serendipitous meetings, butterfly feelings, zing, spark or whatever they call it? You know I never believed in any of them.

Ever since I was a kid, my Mom and Dad have told me. When I am old enough, to take my time when it comes to dating because when the right one comes, you'll know, you'll feel it. Not to rush things. They've fed me all that crap ever since.

I believed on threads of fate though. You know the red threads that gets depicted on movies that connects two people no matter how far they are from around the world. Yes those threads..

Okay now, this might not seem interesting but it is, once you keep on reading dummy(wink).

I think were born with the threads or we get it the same time our better half is born as well. Neither one of us knows how it works, nor how one can see those threads and who they are destined to be with for the rest of their lives, no one knows.

There might be a chance that you've already crossed paths with them but neither one of you knew that you guys were meant for each other. Because that's how it was meant to be, divine beings and gods made it that way so who are we to complain right?

Destiny. What is it with this word? A lot of people get giddy when they hear this from couples who said they were meant or destined for each other.

Stop and think for a second because, destiny is associated with alot of things aside from love, like death for an instance. Yep, death. Morbid as it sounds, if it is your destiny to die right at this very moment, you'll die because it is already written.

That same goes with love actually, if you guys were destined to be with each other? It doesn't matter if you have broken up or have been separated for months or years. There will come a time when destiny will work it's magic and connect the two of you over and over again.

If you don't give up easily like me, then why not grab that opportunity, make a path, build a bridge, swim, heck fly a thousand miles if you have to just to connect with the one you love. Remember that if you can cheat death, then you can probably cheat your destiny too.

Serendipity. It all goes within the choices that you have made or about to make. You might have already found the one but then in a twist of fate, they suddenly give up on you or they never felt the connection between the two of you in the first place.

If you feel that you just had a serendipitous moment then go for it, because the last thing that you'd want is to lose your someone in a sea full of fishes then lose them forever, and end up with the wrong one.

Spark. This is actually one of the most common things that we have all experienced. That spark that we feel whenever a person that we just met literally rocked our world in an instant.

It's unfathomable, awkward, gives you anxiety even if you don't have one. Makes you sweat like a guy who's been in the gym for a couple of hours, that kind of feeling.

I got to tell you, this is where we make our first mistake. The assuming stage. Okay so you see her/him, but then you and only you were thinking that there was a spark right when your eyes met, that's totally one sided. Stupid.

Whatever you feel, that could be something else like infatuation. Not unless if the eye contact goes on and off for hours. Then and only then that you can assure yourself that you've found someone who fancies you.

Love is unpredictable, it's lethal in an emotional kind of way when you get the wrong side of the coin.

It doesn't matter. Plan or no plan, we are just humans and it's only natural for us not to follow the plan that has been set for us sometimes. It's what you call the will to make your own choice or freedom to decide. I'm talking about you guys, yep you who can't make up their minds when it comes to you know, making up their minds.

Stupidity. This is the worst stage that I have ever come acrossed. You do stupid shit when they are around, you get clumsy right? You're not yourself and you don't even know what you're doing around them. You make a fool out of yourself subconsciously and yeah I'm actually kinda guilty of that.

You know they always said that, you should use your head instead of your heart. That's total crap. Believe me when I say this, your head doesn't have a say when your heart has already settled on something or someone. No say at all. We literally become stupid on another level.

Butterfly. I totally love this. This is when you get nervous on your first date, or if your getting ready to fess up then have to wait for the answer. Or did something wrong and your just waiting what'll happen next. I fucking love it.

Adrenaline junkies probably have this alot before they do something stupid. The sad part is, it does go away after some time and it won't feel the same way as the first next time that it happens.

Memories. We all build this from ground up. Strong relationships have bad and good memories because couples that have stayed together probably grew up together collecting both and have made a foundation out it.

This is one of the reasons why it's hard to break up as well because of the memories or now you might call it the history between the two of you. I've had a seven year relationship and I gotta tell you, breaking up with someone you've been with for that long is hard and it leaves a big dent on who you are.

Okay this is about my seven year ex girlfriend. We've had arguments before but being in a long distance relationship for a couple of years has taken it's toll on us.

Small arguments escalated to hours of unnerving, senseless, heated discussions. Small things became subjects for arguments and that went on every night for almost two years.

One day when things got pretty ugly between us, I asked God to give me a sign because I knew we're both hurting and we can't go on any longer. The day after that? I got a sign from him and went on with his plan.

It was one of the saddest day of my life for I had to let go of someone I've loved for a long time, but that's how the game goes ya' know? You win some, you lose some. It's a fucking circus if you ask me, and if you don't know how to play it? You'll lose a lot.

Lust. Have you ever thought or asked yourself, if what you're feeling is love or just lust? There's a fine line between the two. You might feel lust for now, but after some time it might develop into love.

A lot of relationships start with lust. One night stands may be as well the most unethical foundation of relationships today if you ask me.

I remember a friend who told me that it doesn't matter if a guy is good, have class, respectful. Because at the end of the day, the first thing that you'll notice about a person is their face, then you'll just have to find out what or who they really are afterwards.

That's how you get into those infamous one night stands, smh..

Tango. You can learn to love someone and that's the basic principle of it.

Don't like someone who likes you? Ask yourself again, why? Why not give them a chance, you'll never find out if you're gon be happy with them or not if you don't even try. If you're just gonna go with your preferences everytime someone gives their heart and asks for yours, then chances are you've already shoved away 70% of your candidates. The remaining 30%? Either they're gon love you or break you. Do the math dude.

Take a chance, risk it all, because if all else fails and it doesn't work out? Then stop. Don't be afraid to try, because the saddest part of not trying is regretting it at the end. If you tried, then you can tell yourself, I atleast danced together with them.

Denial. Is an ugly thing. I just quoted Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura. This is probably were all of us have our hopes up or down. Not everyone have the courage to confess their feelings, and it takes a lot of guts to do it.

If someone that likes you confessed their feelings for you, then tell them what you're feeling right away. Otherwise that poor soul might assume that you're on the same page.

So if you feel the same way? Then tell them the truth damn it, don't deny your feelings, they've told you the truth and it's common courtesy to do the same.

Forever. This one. How should I say it. It's almost not possible anymore, because nowadays it is all about who gets the hot one or the rich and the famous one kind of game. The only time you'll be together forever is if you have a stable life, career and especially stable income and that is the stereotypical norm of our dating society nowadays.

If you were born before Y2K you'll probably be confused on how courting and dating works today. It's a one way street, and if your not careful, you could end up the wrong way or worse, in a ditch. If the word forever couldn't keep up with today's generation then how can you?

The point I'm making is, you don't have to believe in any of them. Well for your fantasyland atleast, but in reality? You need to work hard to get what you want and what you need.

Before coming to CA, I knew that it would mean that I'm gon be living a new life, meet new people, experience different culture, etc. That's exactly what happened, and in an unexpected side story, I found the one. I could've told her that the Lord told me to fly a thousand miles to meet you. It wasn't that simple.

Everything was going well, thought we were on the same page because of what she has been showing me but when I confessed my feelings for her, she backed off. So I just thought to myself, she's probably not the one. Just to numb down the disappointment and hurting that I was feeling.

I would've given her all of me. My heart, my lifetime, my soul... All of it, but she choose to hurt me(Hi Popoy!).

Well who knows, maybe she's still out there, I don't know how much longer do I need to wait but as for now, I'm meeting other people to widen my circle, and she could be inside that circle this time.

We might be able to break our thread and create a new one with the one that we have right now. It doesn't make sense but when you feel that the person you're in love with makes you feel all those that I've mentioned above? Then keep them, never let your desire for destiny hinder you this time, it's as simple as that.

Follow your heart, don't give in to your preferences or your fantasies and be open. Believe me, you'll be happier when you do.

-VJF

#emotions #love #love quotes #self love #story #life #inspiration #heartbreak

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tiya-s · 6 years

Text

Card suits as a characteristic of the heroes Overwatch

Traditionally I apologize for maybe clumsy English.

Preface

On the "Overwatch Anniversary" for each character added sprays in the form of a playing card. And if the choice of a rank of a card for this or that character is more or less clear, then the distribution by suit seems somehow random. For example, it was very difficult for me to relate Zenyatta to Spades. In many respects, stereotypes are guilty, such as: Hearts are feelings, love; Spades are the opposite of the Heart, that is a quarrel, a war. What are Clubs and Diamonds usually do not even think about... However, recently I came across one interesting article and it turned out that every suit has a much more interesting and complicated meaning.

Naturally, the system comes from mysticism, and more precisely from fortune telling on playing cards. Despite the fact that many of the heroes of the same suit are very different in character, there is something that unites them. The suit, in our case, reveals the main character trait of the character, which determines the basis on which the character will act one way or another. However, the difficulty was that in different systems the values differ. The best explanation I found in the so-called "The Cards of Life." But the meaning cannot simply be copied. It turned out that in some suits the main thing is not the first meaning, but the next. For example, Spades are people whose wisdom is based on experience, but also they are "workaholics." The second in our case is of greater importance, although it flows from the first. But first things first.

Value of the card

Before we go directly to the analysis of the suit, a couple of words about ranks.

From the point of view of rank, only high cards have value. In pip cards, rank does not matter at all. That is, it does not matter a dozen or eight - the value of the card is not related to the significance of the character in the lore. Pip cards will simply be filled as new characters come out.

Aces are the most important characters of lore. Jack, Ana, Gabriel - commanders and founders of Overwatch. They are the core of history. Lena is not so important, but she is the "face of the game".

Kings are the most significant and held male characters. Reinhardt and Torbjörn - have held high positions in Overwatch and their role in history is very significant. Zenyatta is a teacher and mentor of Genji. Hanzo is the head of Shimada's home, regardless of his current state.

Queens are like kings, only these are female characters. Sombra, Widow, Mercy - they are all especially important for the main story and constitute the backbone of the recognizable female collective. Pharah, in addition to what was said, the "Rocket Queen" - it would be strange to give her another card.

Jacks are young men who have chosen their path, but have not yet reached the heights of kings (yes, Winston is also a young man).

Jokers are quite specific cards. Since they are depicted as buffoons, they are perfect for our Australian couple. They also are a little outside the main story, so they can be taken out of brackets.

♥ Hearts

Hearts are costumes that are most easily explained. These are people who live emotions. It's the feelings that affect their decisions.

Ana is a mother, but not just for her daughter. She cares for all who are around. She is the embodiment of maternal love and care. Moreover, based on feelings she decided to "die", and then return.

Reinhardt in the shower is always like a child. He has a rich imagination, he is passionate and dreamy. “Honor! Justice! Reinhardt, Reinhardt, REINHARDT!”

The location in this suit of Widowmaker is quite curious. Amélie is the one who lost her senses. On the one hand it looks like the irony of developers. On the other hand, there are many hints that feelings for her come back... Unfortunately, we know very little about it.

Despite the fact that Winston is a scientist, he relies heavily on his feelings. He is an idealist and a dreamer. He uses knowledge to please his desires. For him, science is only a means to an end, not an end in itself. "Primal Rage" - the extreme form of his emotionality.

D.va is a gamer. She does what she likes and fearlessly rushes into battle. For her, a new task is another game.

♣ Clubs

Clubs represents the mind and mental activities. To a Clubs person, education of some sort is a prerequisite. They are very attentive to the details and will definitely notice what others will miss. Knowledge is power. Logic is their tool.

Despite the widespread opinion, Reaper is far from emotionally unbalanced psychopath. On the contrary, he is very patient and discreet. In the comic "Uprising," he approaches the problem of Omnics with Kings Row more thoroughly than the emotional Ana. Gabriel carefully plans every action. He also always tries to control his anger, although sometimes it is hard for him. His motto is "keep calm and reap on", which should be read as: do not let the feelings takeover of you and then you will succeed.

Torbjörn is the chief engineer of Overwatch and the inventor. His far-sightedness helped him to anticipate the Omnic crisis. He thinks constructively and thoroughly.

Mercy is MD. Ph. D. - Doctorate of Medicine and of Philosophy. She is a scientist and, in contrast to Winston, sets the goal of helping people through science. Science is both a means and a goal.

Genji is a pretty interesting character. In order to overcome himself, he had to make an effort of will. He rethought his life and started it from scratch. But it was not an emotional outburst and not a coincidence of circumstances (circumstances just "destroyed" him and only hopelessness was ahead). It was a conscious action, to which he resolved, watching Zenyatta. Genji accepted Zen's teachings with his mind, he likes to learn and he opens up new opportunities for himself.

The original program put into Bastion failed. Now his main feature is curiosity. He is interested in how this world works. He is open to knowledge and is hungry for new information.

♦ Diamonds

To comprehend this suit was not easy, because diamonds are values and accumulation of value, material or otherwise. Where people of the Clubs suit accumulate knowledge, Diamonds people prefer money and things. However, people and relations between them are also a value for them. Therefore, in this case, we are not talking about the material, but that each hero has something that they value above all and seek to enlarge. Their values determine their desires and approach to their implementation. So it's people who do not tolerate when they are told what to do. They seek either equality or superiority.

The main value of Tracer is love. It seeks to punish evil and bring hope, thereby multiplying the good in the world. "Cheers, love!"

The value of Hanzo is his honor, which he lost at the time of the murder of his brother. And now he is looking for a way to restore it.

Pharah comes from a long line of highly decorated soldiers and burns with the desire to serve with honor. She is dreamed of serving in Overwatch and become equal to her mother. Despite the fact that Overwatch dissolved, the desire to become a military did not leave her. In a sense, her value is the honor of a military man.

The main value of Lúcio is freedom and cheerfulness. This he wants to share with people.

Mei saves the ecology of the planet. It accumulates and multiplies data that can change the course of events. It would seem that Mei looks like Clubs, but her "knowledge" is material and literally stored on a flash drive. Separately, the value of this knowledge is small and is not educational in nature. But the more data, the higher the probability of finding a solution. Therefore, she collects it’s wherever possible.

The value of Symmetra is order. She wants to build an ideal world and seeks to organize everything around. "The true enemy of humanity is disorder."

♠ Spades

Perhaps, it was the most difficult for the interpretation of the suit. Spades is a symbol and misfortunes, and wisdom, and wars, and much more... It was difficult to understand this mess, but the answer was very simple.

Spades are people who love to do. They are not interested in deep thinking about how to act. They just do it. They rely less on their feelings than Hearts, because they have experience. And they do not adjust their actions to values dear to their heart, like Diamonds. Spades are stubborn, but at the same time flexible in choosing ways to achieve goals. The main thing is not to stop.

Soldier 76 is always on the move. He has a purpose, and he will move towards her with the persistence of a buffalo. When Ana asked him what he would do after his war ended, Jack replied: “I’m a soldier, Ana. Our war’s never over.”

Zenyatta is a monk, striving to bring harmony between people and omniks. But unlike his "colleagues" he believed that the way to repair the problems between humans and omnics was not through dogmatic teaching but through interpersonal connection and engagement. At the same time, he does not accumulate knowledge like Clubs and relies more on experience.

Sombra is a pragmatist. She plans her actions, but her plans are changeable. She prefers to navigate the situation. This trait is often the cause of the annoyance of the reaper who is considering everything in advance. Mutual criticism we can hear in the in-game dialogue: “Try to stick to the plan, Sombra.” – “Look, someone has to be ready when all your careful planning doesn't pan out.”

McCree does not linger on a debt in one place. He came to believe that he could make amends for his past sins by right of the injustices of the world. He does not bother himself with extra thinking and solves problems as they come. “I tried being reasonable, didn't take to it.”

Zarya is an athlete. But at the moment of danger, she did not hesitate to sacrifice her career in order to protect her country and her people close to her.

The main task, laid in Orisa: protect. Unlike Bastion, whose program "broke down", does not show interest in the world as such. It concentrates on the events taking place around it and self-learning through the experience gained in the process of fulfilling its direct duties.

Epilogue.

Summarizing, you can reduce everything to the following:

♥ - those who make decisions based on their feelings;

♣ - people of mind and logic;

♦ - their decisions are influenced by their specific values;

♠ - people who love to do.

If my theory is correct, then the next "Anniversary" Moira should get 9♣, as she is a scientist, and her task is to promote science.

Brigitte and Doomfist should get 9♥ and 8♦ respectively (although I admit the probability of the layout of 8♣ and 9♥). Here it is worth considering that until the next "Anniversary" the release of new heroes is not expected. So, the 9♥ card should definitely get to one of the existing ones. Brigitte looks more suitable for this card, as she is close to Reinhardt and shares his views. Yes, she is a talented engineer, like Torbjörn. But judging by what we have already seen, she perceives her knowledge as an instrument, like Winston.

Doomfist, as a contender for 9♥, looks a bit strange. With a desire, of course, it can be attributed to this suit ... but he is much better suited Diamonds. The main motivator of his actions is his ideals. However, unlike the idealist Winston, he is prudent and thinks out his actions in advance (nevertheless, he does not give his actions such a value as would give them Clubs).

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xesoteric-extraterrestrialx · 6 years

Text

Sorry to everyone for not having a chance to post lately.. Been dealing with harassment and abuse... I wrote this the other day when venting after my dad went psycho on me for taking a shower. I'll probably end up deleting this cause it's really personal and I quote other people to express and try to explain what I'm going through, just need to vent, sorry for being a burden.. 😔

Does anyone else's dad get a hard on from harassing you? Like, you don't even do ANYTHING and they just try to find any reason to try and harass you? Or your sibling does shit that pisses them off so instead they take it out on you? It's like he gets some sort of sick satisfaction from abusing me. Did I mention he stands and listens outside my door like a creep? (Caught him standing outside under my window just creeping too) I can't even take a shower when my dad's home cause he tries to find any reason to try and fight with me so he can turn the water off and fight // see me in a towel, it's REALLLY disturbing...

It's funny 'cause he'll yell at me and tell me he's going to kick me out (When he's the one who told me to move back in after I had already moved into my own apartment; long story the people upstairs wouldn't stop partying, which was a problem for me since I was working full time. I vented to my sister who told him and he offered to do the basement so I could "save up for collage and save up for my own place again" but I was a fool to actually believe him, really a fool. When has he ever helped me, ever? When has he ever been JUST nice to me? Can't even think of ONE time.. I should have never moved back into this abusive household...) for JUST TAKING A SHOWER. Literally, I just got kicked out of the shower that was only 15mins long and his reasoning "You're in there an hour!" Really? 'Cause I have to time my showers since this isn't the first time he has done this and I was rushing to be out before 20mins but nope, water is cut off. My brother can take a literal 30-an hour shower and his girlfriend someone who doesn't even live here can take a separate shower whenever but I try to take a shower once or twice a week (while he's home) and EVERY TIME, I'm harassed. (This is why I have to take showers when no one is home but I worked out late and wanted to take a quick one, thought I'd be safe but I can never feel safe around that sociopath.. Needed to get some more footage of his harassment so at least I have that for my lawyer...)

It's kind of like how during this past summer when it was hot as fuck outside, I wasn't allowed to use the AC BUT when my brother was home HE was allowed to use it. My dad would go crazy on me if I put it down just so the fan's on just to be able to breathe in the heat but wouldn't even bother my brother about it and then when the weather became cooler and cold enough outside where you don't need AC on, my brother was still using it and received no harassment! But oh no, if Janine puts it on the world has to end. Sexist. Another example: I used to work for his business and would try to go above and beyond with customer service and do what was needed so his company would sound professional and maybe if I did well enough he wouldn't treat me like shit for once for actually doing a good job but no, just a burden to let me work for our family business so he let me go and instead HIRED RANDOM OLD LADIES WHO DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING!! Lmao, let's not trust your own daughter who has experience in the field and has been employee of the month at past jobs but trust these people who don't even know how to work a computer. He let's my brothers work for him and gives them money even though he KNOWS he's enabling their drug problems right now and he gets pissed when they're on drugs at work but instead of confronting them about it and actually being a parent he comes and harass's ME, WHAT DID I DO?! YOU'RE MAD CAUSE YOU'RE GIVING THEM MONEY AND THEN THEY GO OUT PARTYING AND CAN'T WORK THE NEXT DAY BUT YOU YELL AT ME INSTEAD, WHERE IS THE LOGIC??!!?! WHERE??!?! MADNESS!!! INSANITY!!! I don't even want to talk about my brothers with this situation but it needs to be said not to call them out but to show how he mistreats me cause he's so sexist and harrass's me EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

"I didn’t grow up in a stable home. My childhood wasn’t filled with catching fireflies outside nor did it involve chasing down the ice cream man. It involved self induced paranoia and sleepless nights where I had to become my own vigilante- keeping an eye out for the monster that did not live in my closet nor underneath my bed. This monster didn’t have razor sharp claws or scaly skin, this monster was much scarier. This monster was a human being and he slept right across the hallway from me."

I wish my mom never met this piece of shit, to think I could not even be born right now and not have to be dealing with this constant abuse, I don't even know anyone else who deals with constant harassment from their father like this, he's OBSESSED with trying to destroy me. To think my mom could have been in a normal relationship and actually been able to enjoy her life instead of dealing with this psychopath's obsession to tear down and destroy other's, including his own family. No wonder we weren't allowed to get close to his side of the family, he was afraid we'd find out the truth of how disgustingly cruel of a person he is, too bad ended up figuring it out the hard way.. "No child asks to be born. There is no excuse to treat them like a burden when their existence was YOUR decision.."

"I will not regret venting about this on going harassment, he's not sorry for harming me so I don't feel guilty for venting about his abuse. I have the right to protect myself and document what this toxic person puts me through even though they're "family." They already had their chance to be a decent human being but choose to continue to show their true colors over and over."

"I should have learnt the definition of abuse from a dictionary. You didn’t have to teach me what it meant."

"Why do I get outcasted from society and not my abusers? Why is society happily willing to aid and accept and adore abusers? Why do abusers easily get all and any resources, support, validation, acceptance and love? And victims are denied all of it and backed into corner and forced to pay for abuser’s crimes? Do I really need to deal with being rejected and unwanted by society on top of being abused? Do I have to watch the entire world side with my abusers? Is it never enough?"

"Enough excuses for parents who abused their kids but “meant the best”. They “meant the best” for themselves, not for the kids. It’s fucking easy to just rely on emotional abuse, threats, humiliation, shame, guilt and violence to get your way and to force your kid to stay in control and to sabotage and fuck up the child’s life so you would feel good about it, and then to just remind yourself “i meant the best” to feel no guilt about doing so whatsoever. Just repeating to yourself “it doesn’t hurt them” and “they deserved it” while actively forcing your child to keep all the obvious trauma symptoms out of sight or ensuring the child believes it’s their own damn fault for feeling the way they do.

You know what’s not easy? Having your parent force control of your life via emotional abuse, threats, shame, humiliation, violence. Your parent getting into your own head and gas-lighting your senses until you feel worthless and insane and like a monster, until you don’t dare to feel your own feelings, until you’re ashamed of the pain you feel and can’t see yourself as anything other than a horrible burden and nothing you do can ever change that or make you good enough. You know what’s even harder? Still believing that your parent “meant the best” and not even daring to blame them and still being forced to draw the conclusion that it was after all, all your fault, for existing as you do, for being who you are, for not ever being good enough! And then, on top of all of it, hearing the rest of the world agree with the parent’s view, pressuring you to never blame them, to forgive them, to never hold them responsible, to “be better” and understand them, to not ever try to place blame on anyone but yourself because then you’re the monster.

Just. How. Is. One. Supposed. To. Heal. From. That.

Healing can’t even begin until the blame is placed on the parent! This person literally benefited from their child’s suffering! They did not get affected negatively from it at all, they didn’t even care, they walked away satisfied and getting what they wanted while the child now has a lifetime of traumatic consequences and mental illness problems! Their freedom is taken away, their quality of life reduced, their relationships and friendships sabotaged, their confidence crushed! They’re placed at extra risk for addictions and obsessions because they keep falling into the black pit of trauma no matter how hard they try to distract and their life is heavy and painful no matter how well they do afterwards! Their brain can’t regulate stress properly anymore! Abuse causes literal brain damage and all this is just so the parents would get their way! And you all still insist they shouldn’t feel guilty about it or be faced with consequences of their abuse? They shouldn’t fucking admit to themselves and to their children what they’ve done? If the truth will kill them, let them die. Abused children’s right to heal comes way before the abusers feeling good about themselves."

"Living in the same place as a toxic person, especially toxic family member, is exhausting and damaging full time, not only while they’re abusing you directly, but at every moment because you just know they want to hurt you and even while they’re not doing it, you know they’re planning to, and you have no idea what to expect and when it will happen and how big the damage is going to be, being kept in uncertainty and constant expectation of abuse can drive you insane. It’s actually worse when they’re temporarily nice because you don’t even know what to make of it, it gets harder and harder to call them out or confront them, especially if they use fake niceness to manipulate others’ general opinion of them and to invalidate your claims of abuse. So even if the abuse is rare and the rest of the time they somewhat leave you alone or play nice, stress and anxiety is full time, incapability to stop or even voice their actions gets worse and piles up until you feel helpless and like you’re somehow in the wrong and accusing the abuser wont get you anywhere but makes you look bad instead.

Living in these conditions long term will fundamentally change your own perception of yourself, and the sense of your own importance and value, often it will result in trauma as well. Just knowing that you’re in environment that continually allows someone to hurt you, and even supports it, forces you to accept that the world considers hurting you something that is natural and normal and should be done. How wouldn’t that cause anxiety and feelings of unsafely and abandonment and of low self worth? It’s fucking terrifying you mean so little to this world they would have you destroyed just because someone felt like destroying you."

This quote always helps me through times like these..

"You don’t owe your family affection if they are being abusive and treating you poorly. I know that it’s so difficult not to feel guilty for holding back that love. I know that there are people who will tell you that you should just grin and bear it because they’re family. People who will shame you for the way you feel. People who will try to convince you that wanting to take care of yourself in this way is selfish and unjustified. But the truth is that it’s not your responsibility to be kind or loving to people who have consistently hurt and mistreated you – especially when these people continue to disregard your feelings, ignore your boundaries, and refuse to take responsibility for their behavior. Just because the person hurting you is family doesn’t make them an exception.

Choosing not to be affectionate with family who have abused or mistreated you doesn’t make you a bad person. It isn’t selfish or disrespectful. It’s a form of self-care. It’s about you honoring your feelings and holding people accountable for their abuse. It’s about you standing up for yourself and your needs. It’s about you making your mental health a priority. So if getting distance from certain family members is what you need right now, or permanently, then you have every right to withhold your love and leave. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself for the sake of maintaining a relationship. And you don’t ever have to apologize for creating a safer space for yourself."

The harrasment and abuse just doesn't end, he just went psycho on me again for brushing my damn teeth, I'm not even doing anything wrong!!!

#Abusive Father #Harrassment #Abuse #Abusive Dad #Depression #Ptsd #Sad #Anxiety #Depressive #Depressed #Toxic Family #If You Like The Quotes Go Support The Original Writers Please #Original Quotes Are At The Top Of My Likes Section

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gadgetgirl71 · 4 years

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Top Ten Tuesday 15 September 2020

Welcome to this weeks Top Ten Tuesday. Originally created by The Broke & The Bookish, which is now hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week it features a book or literary themed category. This weeks prompt is:

Cover Freebie:

(choose your own topic, centred on book covers or cover art)

So I have chosen to list my favourite MC (Motorcycle Club) Covers.

Baker (The Devil’s Disciples MC #1) by Scott Hildreth

ANDY: I got a job next door to a tattooed biker named Baker. He was an outlaw, a criminal, a biker, a bad boy, and a thief. I should have run as far and fast as I could. Instead, on the day we met, I let him have his way with me. I couldn’t help myself. His intensity and swagger lured me, but it was the crazy sex that kept me coming back, day after day.

His sordid ways scared me, but I simply couldn’t stay away…

BAKER: When she moved in next door, I knew I was in trouble. She was sexy. She was irresistible. She had spunk. She was also the manager of a bank my MC robbed six months prior. She didn’t recognize me, because we wore masks during the robbery. If she ever found out who I really was, there would be hell to pay.

It would be nothing like the hell I’d be living in if my MC found out I was fucking her.

We’d issued an order to kill her on sight. She was off-limits if anyone ever was.

So far, the men in the MC hadn’t seen her. But, I couldn’t keep her hidden forever.

Beyond Reckless (Lost kings MC #8) by Autumn Jones Lake

Marcel “Teller” Whelan, Treasurer of the Lost Kings MC, has always been two things—honest and responsible. At ten years old, he was already taking care of his baby sister. At eighteen, he patched into the Lost Kings MC and took a major role in shaping the club’s future. Three years ago, he thought he’d met the perfect woman, only to have her reject everything he is—a Lost King. One bullet is a lifetime supply. Now, after an accident that left a girl dead and Teller almost crippled, he’s struggling through the darkest time in his life. His niece, sister, and Lost Kings MC family are the only things holding him together, but his reckless actions are bound to drive everyone away. Then, in the most unlikely place, he crosses paths with her again. The woman he once thought might be his perfect match. Love soothes our inner demons. Sparks fly for both of them. She’s the ride-or-die woman he needs, able to calm his many demons and bring the light back into his life. But she has a secret—one that forces him to lie to his brothers. In chaos we trust. When Teller’s brothers find out who he’s falling in love with, it will create a storm of chaos for the Lost Kings MC. But if there’s one thing Teller’s turbulent life has taught him, it’s that sometimes love is worth the chaos. Beyond Reckless is the 8th book in the popular Lost Kings MC series, but can be read as a standalone.

Big (Satan’ Fury MC #6) by L Wilder

How much would you risk to save the one you love? From NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author L. Wilder comes book six in the Satan’s Fury Series, a standalone MC romance.

Big: I don’t use a knife or a gun to get the guy I’m after. I find that my weapon of choice has a much longer, more crippling effect. With just a few keystrokes, I can have him scrambling for his life. I’ll take everything he’s ever worked for, everything he’s ever loved, and I’ll destroy it. That’s what I do.

My brothers don’t ask questions. They don’t want to know what I do behind the closed door. They know I bring results, and that’s all that matters. It’s my job to protect the club, and nothing is going to stand in my way–not even Josie Carmichael.

The girl with the tantalizing curves and emerald green eyes is an unexpected threat, but a threat nonetheless. It’s my job to take her down, but there’s just one hitch. I can’t get the smart-mouthed beauty out of my head. She’s trouble. The kind of trouble that would turn my whole world upside down, but I don’t give a damn. I want her.

Josie Carmichael will be mine, even if that means I’ve got to break her first.

Big is book six of the Satan’s Fury MC series. This book is a full-length standalone novel that’s intended for mature audiences due to the explicit language and violence. Reader discretion is advised.

Bull (Kings of Mayhem MC #6) by Penny Dee

She could be the end of me BULL: I lost my wife on a rainy night almost two decades ago. Since then, my heart has been a barren wasteland. It only knows love for family and the club. And for revenge. Then I meet Taylor and I know I’m doomed. Because she’s everything I didn’t know I wanted. Everything I’ve denied myself for years. But my club is about to storm headfirst into a war and I can’t afford the distraction. Yet I can’t get her out of my head. We both say we’re not interested. But we are both liars. TAYLOR: For years we’ve been running from my past. My kid brother and me. Hiding in the shadows. Now we have a chance for a new life in a new town … far, far away from trouble. I crave freedom and a quiet, simple life for us both. The last thing I expect is to fall for the enigmatic biker king, Michael “Bull” Western. He is magnificent. White-hot and scorching. With the touch of an angel and eyes of the devil. He could be the love of my life. But I have a secret. A very big secret indeed … Bull is book six in the Kings of Mayhem MC series. For mature readers 18+.

Claiming Mine (Unforgiven Riders MC #1) by Amy Davies

Sex, secrets and motorbikes.

When Ana starts working in a small but quaint café, after running from her old life, she never expects to be surrounded by sexy as sin men… Little does she realise they belong to the local motorcycle club. She’s had more than enough of controlling alphas in her life, but can she keep away from them?

Ace is the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Unforgiven Riders and yet another controlling alpha. He sees Ana’s reluctance to him, but Ace always gets his own way, and he wants Ana. Will Ace be able to prove his feelings for her and break down the walls of protection Ana has built around her heart? Can she let him in?

When secrets of Ana’s past are revealed and her life is threatened, it’s Ace’s job to save her. But will he be too late? Will Ace still want her when he finds out about her past?

Compass (Valiant MC #1) by Mary B Moore

Piper: When Hunter left, he cut me out of his life with no explanation. I sent him letters, but each time they were returned back to me. I had no choice but to raise my son alone and move on with life. I love being a mother, but every day I miss the other half of my soul.

Hunter: Four years ago, I joined the Marines. What I did for my country changed me. I saw my buddies, men that I’d fought alongside return home and set up their lives. Seeing them settling down, I took a risk and returned home to the woman that I’d left behind.

War changes a man. A majority of our military come home scarred inside and struggle to return to the civilian world. Learning from my friends in Piersville, I’ve established an MC called Valiant. Our training and military contacts will help assist the government with tackling the ongoing issues of human, drug, and arms trafficking along North and South America. Those responsible are like the mythical Hydra – cut off one head and two replace it.

I’m willing to fight that war, but more importantly, I’m going to fight the battle to get Piper back and become a father to my son.

Link’d Up (Dead Presidents MC #1) by Harley Stone

President Tyler “Link” Lincoln of the Dead Presidents MC, runs a club dedicated to helping military vets readjust to society. When his sergeant at arms is arrested for the attempted murder of a prominent Seattle figure, Link’s search for a lawyer brave enough to fight for justice leads him to an alluring defence attorney with a bleeding heart and a steel backbone.

This isn’t the first time Emily Stafford’s commitment to defending the falsely accused has put her in harm’s way. Smart, cautious, and independent, she knows how to defend herself. At least, she did until she joined forces with one sexy, overbearing, tattooed MC president.

Flames run hot as Link and Emily seek shelter in the club’s converted fire station, working against the clock to uncover the truth and save a somewhat innocent man.

18+ for language and sexual situations…

Primal Howl (Primal Howlers MC #1) by Piper Davenport

Orion: I’m the oldest son of MC royalty. My father founded the Primal Howlers and he expects me to wear his patch one day. The problem is, I don’t know if that’s what I want. Lately, I couldn’t give two sh*ts about anything.

Until her.

Raquel: I moved to Monument, Colorado to write my thesis and get some much-needed distance from my overbearing family. What I didn’t expect was to find is myself hung up on a biker who appears to have nothing to lose.

I, however, have everything to lose and I’m worried Orion just might be my downfall.

Stitch (Satan’s Fury MC #2) by L Wilder

From New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author L Wilder

Stitch: As the club Enforcer, Stitch is the man chosen to protect the club. There are no limits to his brutality, no lines drawn in the sand. The club is his life, and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his brothers safe.

He’s a man who keeps to himself, guarding the walls that he secured so long ago. Then, one moment, one chance meeting, changes everything.

Wren: Life for Wren and her son, Wyatt, isn’t exactly easy. Yet, Wren faces each day with determination and courage. Wyatt is her joy and motivation; for him, she will find a way to make their lives better, even when obstacles are continually thrown in her path. The last thing she needs is another complication, but what is life without complications?

Stitch appears when they need him the most, protecting them when no one else can. Wren can’t understand it. She should feel threatened by his bulging muscles and menacing tattoos, but she’s somehow able to see past the mysterious biker to the man inside. She is drawn to him for reasons she can’t even begin to comprehend. All she knows is that her body craves his touch.

Can Stitch let his guard down and allow these two strangers into his heart? Can Wren see beyond the scars of her past long enough to let him in, or will her fear drive him away?

** This book is intended for readers 18 years or older due to bad language, violence, and explicit sex scenes.

Stitch is a standalone romance, but you may also be interested in reading Maverick: Satan’s Fury MC #1.

The Diary of Bink Cummings Vol #2 by Bink Cummings

Note: Must Read The Diary of Bink Cummings Vol 1, previously.

When changing life’s course you never consider what twisted curve-ball fate might dump in your lap. Growing up in the MC, then gaining my own personal independence was not only a curse, it was a blessing. So when I decided to say fu*k my past and embraced my future, away from the only place I called home, I tried to re-invent myself, by becoming the woman I am today. Until one day, fate reared its ugly head, forcing me to return to the place I ran from. The place where I had no choice but to face HIM. And hide the biggest secret of my life as I wallowed in silent fear, of the insurmountable repercussions it would evoke when anyone found out the truth.

Steamy Adult romance Warning: Contains Mature scenarios, and mass quantities of profanity. For Ages 18+

-This is not a Standalone.

I’m sure that some of the men on these covers are the same person! What do you think?

*** This majority of these books are intended for readers 18 years or older due to bad language, violence, and explicit sex scenes. ***

Until next Tuesday

#BikerErotica, #BikerRomance, #Bikers, #JustForFun, #MC, #MC-Erotica, #MCRomance, #Top Ten Tuesday, #TopTenTuesday, #TTT

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independentartistbuzz · 5 years

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7 From The Women is a new segment here on Independent Artist Buzz where we ask some of the industries finest seven questions. During this time of accusations and the lack thereof, we think it’s important to give women a voice. We chose to ask seven questions to honor the seven Wiccan clans.

Lo Marie’s aesthetic encompasses jazz harmonic constructs, urban grooves, soulful guitar passages, and the expressivity of the jazz and neo-soul vocal traditions. Her debut EP, Beyond the Age of Reason(2012), produced by ace Nashville session man Jerry Kimbrough. We had the pleasure of asking her a couple questions this week.

What have you been working to promote lately?

I have been working to promote a series of 7 singles (what a coincidence that you are honoring 7!). Each song will come out approximately a month apart, and will eventually be bundled as the album Le Rêve, which means “The Dream.”

The whole album is a celebration of freedom of creativity and expression. “The Dream” is represented by the phrase “I wanna dance on the moon.” Obviously, that is something that will not happen for me - it is simply embracing the notion of limitless dreaming and having wandering, free-thinking ideas.

Another theme throughout the seven singles is bravery. This idea is best seen through the image of an African Daisy. Every night African Daisies close up, a gesture interpreted as being protective of their vulnerably beautiful pedal display. In the morning, these flowers burst open and share with the world their bold essence. The notion of having to re-open oneself every day seems like such a brave and admirable act.

Sea Monster, which comes out March 8th, is about embracing all aspects of yourself, even the “ugly” parts that you shove down to the bottom of a lake. In the song, those ugly parts grow into a sea monster that rises from the depths to meet you, but instead of being threatening or scary, simply wants to dance with the other half of you in the light of day. It’s a sigh of relief to finally find peace with yourself.

Please tell us about your favorite song written, recorded or produced by another woman and why it’s meaningful to you

Oh man. That’s a tough one. I’d have to say pretty much all of Carole King’s songbook. “You’ve Got a Friend” is such a great song. It’s pure and honest and compassionate. “You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)” is another great one. It really addresses relationships from both sides - how each person affects the other - and shows how that can be such a positive thing.

What does it mean to you to be a woman making music today and do you feel a responsibility to other women to create messages and themes in your music?

I love who I am, and being a woman is part of that. I also love what I do, which is make music. To me, those two things are very separate. Being able to differentiate yourself from your work is a very important part of living a full life. While I think it would be great to gain more equality in my field, I don’t feel compelled to use my work to promote that idea. Part of equality is freedom. I’d like to be free to write whatever I want to write about it. If that happens to be women’s rights, so be it. If it happens to be something else, that’s great too. I will continue to speak up for women’s rights in the field, but I’m most concerned about making great music.

A lot of what I’ve been writing about lately is about self-acceptance, unconditional love, and bravery. Those are beautiful things, and apply to everyone, not just women. However, I would also argue that those ideas, essentially boiling down to identity development, IS feminism, as well as humanism. So many women need to work on identity development - myself absolutely included. Just yesterday, a guy left a note for me with his number in a very creepy way. My sister and I were talking about how to handle it. We thought maybe I should lie and tell him that I’m seeing someone else. Then it hit us - why on earth do I need to make him feel better about rejection, when it comes at the cost of my own feelings? I hate lying; it makes me feel terrible. Plus, it doesn’t do anything to correct the underlying problem of how he approaches women. That’s just one small everyday example of how I could stand to re-evaluate how I view myself in comparison to a male acquaintance. In any case, I firmly believe that self-acceptance and identity development, the themes I often choose to write about, are a big part of feminism. But make no mistake - it is a choice to write about these things, not a responsibility. By the time I didn’t have a choice, then it would become a responsibility.

What is the most personal thing you have shared in your music or in your artist brand as it relates to being female?

Dirty Fools is about a college professor who crossed the line. I honestly thought it only happened in the movies. It was a clear abuse of power.

It started really innocently. He was my big band director and I was also in his Jazz Chord Extensions class, and I also played in his professional big band. He would take the college big band rhythm section out for pizza every Tuesday before our sectional rehearsal. One by one the other members got too busy for dinner AND rehearsal, and for a week or two, it was just the two of us. He was a southern gentleman, so he would kiss me on the cheek to say goodbye. He would also waive me into his office when I had free time and show me cool old jazz videos, which was awesome, but it established that it was ok to be alone together in a non-professional manner. After that, he invited me out to one of his gigs, brought me backstage to hang with the band and drink beer. While it was still harmless, it once again established that our relationship was not strictly professional. The following week, he called me up on Friday and asked if I had dinner plans because he knew a really cool spot. I knew that going to dinner alone on a Friday night was not something I was comfortable with, but I didn’t know how to say no. After all, he controlled my grades in 2 classes, and my scholarship depended upon a certain GPA. Additionally, he was well respected in the music community, and he really could be detrimental to my career in the long run if he wanted to be. So I went. It turns out that this “cool spot” was actually an hour away and quite fancy. Then the change was visible. Monday in the hallway at school, instead of kissing my cheek to say goodbye, it was on the lips. In public. It totally took me by surprise. The fact that it was in public meant that I really couldn’t react to it. Then it happened again. After talking to my roommate and crying for a week, I decided to talk to him about it. I went in to his office and immediately the tears came. He kept saying, “This can’t all be from me. What’s going on? You can talk to me.” Instead of hearing me, he used it as an opportunity to be my shoulder to cry on and try to get closer. I knew then that talking to him wasn’t going to change anything.

I should also take a moment to say that he had cancer. It had come back for a third time, and things were not looking good. If I went to the Dean, would he lose his job and therefore his healthcare? There’s absolutely no way that I wanted to condemn this man to death. In so many ways he was an excellent mentor and there was a vast amount I could learn from him. People are very complex - not all good, and not all bad. But he shouldn’t die for making me feel uncomfortable.

I should also say that this behavior of being inappropriately close to female students had happened to at least 2 other girls that I knew of, and I could see it starting to happen with a new Freshman too. Nobody else wanted to say anything.

After a month of being really unhappy and seeing my grades start to slip, I decided to talk to the Dean. I told her that I didn’t want any repercussions for him - I simply wanted her to know what was going on so that she could keep and eye on it, and for me to withdraw from his classes. One of his classes was actually required for me to graduate, but he very kindly decided to give me an A in the course rather than have a W on my record (I had already audited the course the previous year and taken the exams, so he gave me the A retroactively).

Things went the absolute best they could have. It felt like a huge weight had been taken off my shoulders. I had successfully made myself happier without hurting another person and while keeping future students safe too. Dirty Fools is a complete celebration of speaking up! I couldn’t be happier that I did. I hope it inspires other women to speak up as well. Even more than that, I hope it encourages everyone to speak up about what they need. Communication is such an essential part of coexistence.

A year later, we were able to make up. When I first started playing guitar for him, he had given me his Fender Stratocaster from his high school rock band. I gave it back when everything went down. Instead of making up with words, he told me that the guitar was still mine, and that any time I wanted to come back to his professional big band, there was a spot for me. I’m so glad that I was able to forgive him. He passed away about two years after that.

What female artists have inspired you and influenced you?

Alicia Keys is such an inspiration to me. She is a promoter of both feminism and humanism. She delivers her message in a beautiful and uplifting way that seems like it comes from a place of honesty and purity. I fell in love with her as a musician right off the bat with Songs in A Minor, and she’s kept me as an avid fan by making me feel like a comrade on a shared journey. I love how she chooses to use her platform, and I love that she chooses to be more than a musician (even though I believe that being a musician should be enough - but that’s another story).

What was the most challenging thing you have had to face as a female artist?

Gaining base-line respect from others in the industry. Whenever I’m working with new musicians, I always have to be on the top of my game. Granted, I always want to be on the top of my game, and working hard is important to me; however, there is simply no room to slack. If I don’t show up to a rehearsal with everything ready to spoon feed the musicians, they won’t put in the effort to make great music with me. One small example was just a little comment in passing after we’d finished our first rehearsal together. He said, “You really have your stuff together for a chick singer.” He immediately backpedaled, but the fact of the matter is: that’s what he was actually thinking. He came into the rehearsal thinking that I would suck, be uneducated, or somehow less of a musician than he is. Once I’ve broken through the first impression barrier, things generally flow pretty smoothly. But extrapolate that to how many cold emails I send out weekly for booking, press, etc. If that is everyone’s first assumption, I’m constantly fighting a pretty steep uphill battle.

If you could collaborate with any other female artists who would you choose?

Nai Palm - she has such a gift for music making. Lyrics, chord progressions, meter changes - she’s just fantastic. One of my favorite lyrics of hers is “I could call your demons inside, soak them in Chamomile.” It’s simple, but it’s such a unique thought.

Susan Tedeschi - both as a singer and guitarist

Bonnie Raitt - I love her slide style

Joni Mitchell - what a beautiful songwriter. And I love her guitar playing too. She knew exactly what tone she wanted for each song.

Connect with Lo Marie online:

www.lomariemusic.com

https://open.spotify.com/artist/22CZx5oZBRtU7XFHpnlDeq?si=znekMmgRSrCC7O3nf5MzjA

https://www.instagram.com/lomariemusic/

https://www.facebook.com/LoMarieMusic/

https://twitter.com/LoMarieMusic

https://www.youtube.com/LoMarieMusic

#lo marie #7 from the women #international womens day #lomarie #indie music #indie artist #independent music #indie artist buzz #IAB #female empowerment #feminist #feminism

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spearywritesstuff · 7 years

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Mix Tape Fic

I’m reblogging this old thing bc of the mix tape feels.

On Ao3 here.

The adrenaline rush of a hunt gone right still filled the air in the car. The electric charge of the moment would spark out around them for a few more miles. They sat in near silence. The only sound to punctuate the moment came from the asphalt under the tires, the low grumble of the engine, and the drum of Dean's heartbeat in his ears. Dean's fingers drummed at the steering wheel as they roared down the road. There was no music to accompany the motion, it was all just him letting the energy out.

Cas looked at him as they drove. It was a familiar moment, the two of them together like this. Soon, there would be sound, and song. Soon there would be the familiar sight of a town that they had rolled through before. As if sensing that the moment was right, Cas reached out to the stereo and switched it on. The crackle of static filled the space. He twisted the dial, coming to a country station which elicited a grimace from Dean. He kept turning the dial, coming to a talk radio station, the speaker angry at something. Cas turned the dial, more static.

Dean knew what would come next, so he reached under the seat and pulled out the box of cassette tapes, setting them on the seat between them. Cas reached out to it and pretended to consider the many options present there. He wasn't really considering anything. He already knew what tape he would choose. It was a mix tape of songs that he and Dean had made for their hunting trips.

They had sat in Dean's room on the floor shuffling through his records. Dean would pop an album on and they would listen. Each of them would get to vote on each addition, no questions asked. All of the songs on the tape had to get a unanimous vote. They didn't let Sam have a vote; this was not his tape. This was their tape. These were their songs.

Now, Dean did not have some of the songs that were on this tape in his collection. On the second night that they were making the tape, Cas brought in four more albums that he had picked up from the thrift store in downtown Lebanon. One of the albums was old school hip hop. In fact, it may have been more aptly called ancient hip hop. Dean grimaced at first when the music played, and Cas made a face that said, I let you have "Appetite for Destruction." Dean gave him a begrudging thumbs up, and Cas smiled.

The next album was chosen for a piece by a composer named Shostakovich. Cas had said that they needed something in the mix that was much more classical than AC/DC or Iron Maiden. Dean accepted it without question. The piece had an epic quality to it and it appealed to his hard rock sensibilities. They let a few more pieces play out, but in the end, only the piece by Shostakovich made the cut.

Dean lifted the next album from the pile and walked up to the record player. He changed out the album to Diana Ross. Cas had picked up the album on a whim, not knowing what it would be. He liked her hair though, so she made it into the purchase pile. Dean looked at the cover while he stood next to the player and then at Cas, then back at the cover again. "Really, Cas?"

"No. I just liked her look."

"So, that's your type?"

"She is aesthetically pleasing, but she is not my type." Dean laughed at Cas' response.

"You have a funny way of saying things sometimes, Cas."

"I know. Let's listen to the next one." Dean got up and changed the album. Cas had purchased an album by John Lennon. Dean didn't own this one. He had a bunch of songs from the Beatles, but not Lennon's solo stuff. The Beatles he had because of his mom. He didn't have the same attachment to the individual singers.

He set the record on the player and set the needle. He came back to Cas' side and they looked at the cover together, leaning toward each other as they did so. "Why'd you pick this one?"

"For the irony." Dean laughed at this response too.

"Really? Explain." Dean flipped the jacket over and read through the song titles.

"'Imagine.' I thought that it would be a good post hunt song. You know, for the irony." Cas smiled at Dean's look of confusion. "Just listen to the lyrics and vote it into the rotation." They listened to the song and Dean's lips slowly curled up into a grin.

"Okay, that one is in, no questions." And like that they had their songs all selected.

Cas pushed the tape into the deck and hit the rewind button. Sometimes they would just let it play from where they left off, but today felt different. Today felt like a day of beginnings. They took care of the simple haunting, an old fashioned salt and burn. It was nice to have a simple case for once. Dean was proud of Cas' efforts. There was one moment of panic where Cas was tossed back through a window. His injuries were minor though, a few cuts, nothing a stitch or two wouldn't fix up once they got back to the motel.

Dean remembered how different it was before, when Cas could just heal them both. He gave up his grace, became human. It still puzzled him, all these years later that Cas had sacrificed so much for humanity, for Dean. Sometimes he thought that he understood it, and other times he felt that there were things that would only make sense in the mind of the former angel. He could ask, but instead he let that question sit in his mind collecting dust.

So much had changed in the years since the Mark and the almost apocalypse. He had grown more comfortable with his life, his feelings. Yes, he kept most of his thoughts to himself. He was not quick to initiate a chat on his inner demons. However, he was comfortable in his own skin. Consequently, he was also comfortable with Sam and Cas. He had grown so comfortable, in fact, that sometimes Sam would go off for weeks on his own, and Dean would not feel the strange crawling that use to take over his insides. He use to live in a constant state of worry, as if at any moment, being alone would lead to too much self-reflection and internal judgement. There was much to feel guilty over, and Sam's presence use to keep those demons at bay. There was also the desire to keep his brother safe, and safety only seemed to be attainable when said brother was easily locatable. It only took dying a few times to achieve this new found level of freedom.

Now, he could be on his own and not fall into a slow madness. He wasn't often alone, but he had tested the theory over a few times. Cas was usually there, just a few steps down the hall. They would change their routines when Sam was gone. Sometimes they would stay up late and marathon some movies together, and if they fell asleep like that, no one else had to be the wiser. They were comfortable enough with each other that they didn't even talk about it. It was not awkward or strange. It was just comfortable waking up in each other's company. Some days Dean would wake Cas up with a quick ruffling of his hair. Others, Cas would wake Dean up with intense staring.

It was more than friendship, but Dean did not dwell on it too much. He let the thoughts warm him like a toasty cabin on a cold winter's night. His world may be filled with darkness and a past best not revisited, but he had found something here that made it bearable, more than bearable, actually good. He glanced at Cas now as he reached back to the tape deck to push the play button. The rewinding had apparently finished. Cas looked back at him and smiled.

He took the box of tapes from between them and slid them back beneath the seat and scooted closer to Dean. "Imagine" began playing. The familiar notes from the piano whirled out around them as the dark road grumbled beneath them. The world was dark, but they cut through it, the Impala's bright moonlight beams made a path to rest. They would reach the motel by the end of the song if Dean had calculated correctly. Cas began singing in his low growl of a voice.

"Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try." Dean always smiled through that part for some reason, because seriously, a former angel was singing those lines.

Cas leaned into his shoulder a little to encourage him to join in. Dean sang the next line with him, "No Hell below us, above us only sky." He stopped singing along, for the next couple of lines because he liked how Cas' voice sounded as he increased his own volume.

"Imagine all the people, living for today." He looked at Dean in a way that seemed to say something. "Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do."

Dean joined him again. "Nothing to kill or die for." And this was where Cas always took a different lyrical path. Dean sang the new words with him.

"Already done enough of that for you." They laughed with the next words.

Cas seemed to be singing to him, his eyes locked onto Dean, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." Dean let him sing the chorus alone until he felt Cas' hand on his face. The stroke of a thumb running over a day's growth of stubble. He leaned into the touch a little. It was another thing that he was comfortable with. "Finish the song with me."

Dean complied. They pulled into the spot outside of the room that they had booked the night before. Dean did not shut off the engine. They had one more chorus to sing. "You may say I'm a dreamer…" Dean turned to Cas who had not released his cheek. He sang right back at him. Their voices blended up nicely together. Dean thought that his voice wasn't much on its own, but mixed up with Cas' it was something pleasant. The final notes of the piano played out, and Cas let his hand drop from Dean's cheek to his shoulder. He reached out with his other hand and stopped the tape. The next song was one of the harsh discordant ones that Dean had selected.

Dean shut the engine off, and silence reigned supreme again. They got out of the car and went directly into the room. Dean cast off his jacket, Cas picked it up off of the floor. "Oh, sorry." Dean looked back at him as Cas set it carefully on the back of the chair by the window.

"Imagine putting your clothes where they go, it's easy if you try." Cas sang as he walked over to Dean.

"No former angels sassing me, before me just some guy." Dean smirked and got a smile out of Cas with his quick lyrics, despite the fact that they made very little sense. Cas kept approaching him, and Dean wondered what was on his mind. His hand came out and rested on Dean's shoulder, moving up into the crook between that space and his neck. "Do you need me to stitch you up?"

"No. I'm good." Cas moved his other hand up to Dean's other shoulder a mirror of the first. Dean just stood there. Cas sang another altered lyric. "I hope someday you'll join me." He glanced over at the bed raising an eyebrow as he did so. "And the two of us can be as one." Dean pulled him closer, hands wrapped around his waist.

"I'm gonna pretend that wasn't cheesy and just kiss you now." Dean leaned into the kiss and Cas hummed out the tune of the song into his mouth. Dean let more of his clothing hit the floor. Cas did not pick any of it up.

The bed welcomed them, and Cas kept breaking free of Dean's lips to sing more altered lyrics. Some were sprinkled with terms of endearment. Some were directions, "Imagine if you put your hand there, it's not hard to do." They laughed at that one. Dean followed up with some lyrics of his own, but he felt that Cas was better at the game.

"You may say that I am in love, but I'm not the only one." Cas cupped Dean's face in his hands and sang this down at him, their bodies pressed against one another, skin slick with sweat.

"Imagine that I love you, because it's all true." Dean smiled through the words, they came out easy now. It was funny to think that something like this had ever been difficult. The melody swam about in his head as he tried to think of more new lyrics to add to the song, more words to convey to Cas all that he thought of him, all that he meant. But Cas already knew. He always knew deep down, Dean thought. And the night crawled on, and they carried on like this until the dawn.

#destiel #fanficton #spn #deancas

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askkav-archived · 7 years

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Give us a short explanation of Kav's story in one piece, to make it easier!

Basically a tl;dr on things I have with the main AU (It’s as short as I could make it ;; I am so sorry but also happy reading!)

Kaowotso de Kavandria comes from a family of World Nobles/Celestial dragons; literally seen as a miracle child among the regal clan because it was predicted that she nor her mother were fated to live through the birth - Though with the effects of a devil fruit, Veledia - Kav’s mother, was able to pull through and have a successful birth.

Kavandria is born; she has side effects from her mother’s devil fruit which would be of some use to her in the future.

She’s often seen as a gifted child among the world nobles, due to her strange powers and her powerful aura/will - she’s hailed to be god among them, hence her epithet of ‘Goddess’.

She grows up believing she is that - a god.

With a superiority complex and with very little punishments of her selfish and often times rash actions; she has no understanding of humanity nor the mortality of herself or those around her. She is the judge of this world and what she says is the law of this world.

(World Nobles don’t seem like they punish their children or themselves in general so there is that as well.)

Kavandria has seen and known death to be an act of kindness; especially from these hands of hers - she’s only ever known to give those she’s grown fond their freedom in one form.

She acts on her own whim in these moments.

Though she spends her days and afternoons looking out beyond her balcony or her door, something out there is calling for her and she isn’t quite sure - her curiosity would get the best of her and she takes up an offer the first chance of finding ‘freedom’ for themselves.

Luck isn’t on her side as she feels; finding herself on a ship - awakening in a empty chest that was roughly handled and she called out, demanding to know where she is.

She’s let out, they apologize and said, “You’re free, kid! I can’t believe we were able to save you from a life as a slave to the Celestial Dragons.”

A false story they believed but Kavandria was still reeling from the suddenness of all of this - all she remembered before blacking out was drinking away the fruit juice she had ordered.

She was given some items and sent on her way; Kavandria did so without another word as she was trying to adjust to this. Whatever this happened to be.

Stranded and alone; Kavandria wasn’t a fool especially with reading things easily - she stayed quiet, covering her looks with a cloak she was hidden and a message within a small little silk bag tied by a string.

“If you want to keep your life long enough; stay quiet.” It was a warning and she looked up, this was the choice she had made and she wasn’t going to turn back now. She couldn’t even do just that.

This is the quick part though - She meets Ace and soon enough Sabo, and as well as the others like Luffy, Dadan, etc. She grows up alongside both Luffy and Ace; as it was believed that Sabo had lost his life going out to sea.

Because of Ace and Luffy’s laziness - her name is shortened as Kav and from there, she discards her World Noble roots upon hearing the death of Sabo by the hands of them. She had the chance of going home then but decided against it.

They grow up, teenagers Kav and Ace falling more for one another and falling into a romantic relationship - they had planned to leave the island when Ace would turn 17.

But things don’t go as planned, Kav choosing to stay another year due to personal reasons she wouldn’t tell Ace just yet - it wasn’t something she would come clean with and said she would follow behind him. He agrees.

A year passes and just as promised, she leaves the island at the age of 18 - Luffy crying as she goes, she hadn’t been around long enough as it is and she’s already leaving. But he understands, her heart is out there on the seas, he can’t stop her from chasing after it and he promises they would meet each other once more.

She finds Ace once more; though I suppose by this time he’s become a member of the Whitebeards and he’s surprised to see her - elated though.

Time passes and there’s the death of Thatch; they go after Marshall D Teach/Blackbeard and things in canon happened as they do.

They meet Luffy and they’re all enjoying their time together, Luffy happy to see his brother and Kav together and doing well!

But before meeting with Teach; Ace would like to make sure that Kav is safe and she wouldn’t leave him or be without him. He did what he could only think of in a split second and that was to knock her out and leave her somewhere safe.

Kav only awakes to see Ace missing and she goes out to look for him but there isn’t word on him; her only means right now is to head back to the Whitebeards.

She finds out about Ace though. The war happens and Kav finds a way to the marineford, she couldn’t go through the help of Whitebeard as he wouldn’t allow a woman on his ship to go to war.

She does; she goes and only finds nothing but a battefield she wasn’t ready to see but she had a goal and she would die trying to see that would become a reality but again...

Luck, this time around, doesn’t play in her favor as she watched the love of her life and possibly her whole world have a fist through him and she lost all control; falling to her knees and finding it hard to keep it together.

She loses it - has a brief moment of a taste of death, weren’t it for her own powers brought on by her mother’s devil fruit. She lives though broken with the death of Ace.

Once on the island of Amazon Lily - Luffy and Kav part ways in a moment of hasty, emotionally-charged words that left both in a rough state. Kav leaves with Law.

Law had no means or reason to keep Kav around though, in some parts of his mind, he could see himself in Kav and let her remain on his ship. If she was ready to, she could jump ship if she ever wished to, but she had to wear the usual uniform and help around if she continued to stay.

She didn’t stay long - there may have been some sexual and romantic relations between though I would say more of the former. Law had no means of keeping a relationship with someone who didn’t see him but someone else.

Kav has met with bad luck and after leaving Law behind - she goes out on her own in the world, meeting a man whom would play her like one of his puppets. Because it was just too easy to manipulate a being who was running from the authorities and from her interesting past.

She’s tied down and bound to Dressrosa, for her own safety and to continue to keep her freedom - she had shown her face to the government and they know Kaowotso de Kavandria still breath because of who she claimed to be at the summit war.

Post-Time Skip - she’s still living alongside the Donquixote family in Dressrosa, where she is seen more as the ‘Queen’ of Dressrosa and the lovely wife of Donquixote Doflamingo. Though whether they are married or not is up in the air.

Doflamingo had his reasons to keep Kav around; besides her power - she too, also had political power through her World Noble title, if she ever decided to come forward and own up to her title. But convincing the young World noble isn’t too easy as he thought.

He also hoped that she would be a good bargaining chip whenever that would come up but it was just too interesting and enjoyable to see them squirm and come to terms who had the upperhand in this relationship.

Having power over another, especially over someone like Kav was just too good to lose.

Doflamingo in the future has also found out some things that, with a little digging, wasn’t very much a well kept secret and he would one day use

-(Still A Work in Progress After This)-

With how Dressrosa ended and Kav’s abilities by this time - she wouldn’t give up Dressrosa to the Riku name, nor would she would allow what happened in canon to come to light.

So canon-wise, all of that is thrown out the window.

Doflamingo isn’t punished of his crimes because Kav finally broke and came forward to take up her place as a World Noble and she stayed with Doflamingo because he threatened to break the bond she had with Ace for good.

So plot wise; Doflamingo finds out of the child between Kav and Ace - that she has tried to for so long, to keep a secret until her grave.

Taavi, the child between Ace and Kav is brought into the plot - though seeing the kid for himself only made Doflamingo irritated and angry, for reasons he doesn’t want to come to terms with

He’s jealous of Ace - even after all these years after his death, Kav still holds onto hope and her love for a dead man. How stupid and foolish, how naive! And he plucks this child from his happy life with his adoptive parents and brings him down to hell with Kav.

Doflamingo and Kav argue and fight - She saves Taavi from Doflamingo as he was acting rash and irate. The fight between them is long and the palace is in disarray.

Kav’s first choice is to run; she has a ship ready and somewhat of a plan to escape... though he warns her, if she leaves him she will always be running.Not from him and not for her either, but the young one in her arms right now and they’ll never stop.

She won’t die or be punished but she would one day have to once more, watch the only thing in her life that she holds onto that ties her to a man she’s loved. The bond that they shared.

He gives her an option - Stay with him, he would provide with the protection of his name and his relations to him or leave, and it would only lead Taavi to his doom.

Once again, she is tied to Donquixote Doflamingo and he has no reasons to let her go - knowing what powers she holds.

#kaowotso de kavandria #kav #one piece #one piece oc #op oc #{ opverse // main au }#anon

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