Omg this is so so cute I love it đđđ
I saw you write for sword and shield so I require likeâŠatleast ONE lil fluffy fic for Piers perhaps with cuddles?
(I apologize if this is incoherent, I rushed here as fast as I could)
Don't worry, it's fine! Here's a lil Piers fluff for you (plus a clingy Obstagoon)
..........
'The audacity....' The dark gym leader frowned in dismay at his Obstagoon, who teasingly stuck its tongue out before closing its eyes. It was currently curled up against you, head resting on your chest as you gave the top of it gentle scritches.
You were just watching the latest match between Leon and Raihan on television, asking your boyfriend's ace who it wanted to see win this time.
But...it didn't seem to care much about the battle nor the outcome, as it ended up dozing off during the opening whilst snuggled comfortably in your arms.
Not long afterwards, Piers returned home to your shared apartment after hosting a fan meetup--one that was particularly exhausting as he was trying to put rumors that he's dating someone to rest. Neither of you were ready to tell the media just yet.
Alongside signing so much merch and taking seemingly endless selfies with his fans....it was all extremely draining. He didn't think he'd get this amount of attention when Spikemuth reopened, so it got overwhelming fast.
All he wanted to do now was cuddle with the person he loved most as thanks for watching his Pokemon while he was out..yet even after coming back into the living room in comfier clothes, Obstagoon still didn't release its hold on you, much to his ire.
It sure retained the same old habits it had as a little Zigzagoon. Piers remembered how it was always running around his heels, only to do a complete 180 in personality and become unusually calm and clingy in your presence.
There was just a certain aura to you that made it feel at ease. As it evolved, it continued remembering that it didn't need to put up some loud and tough persona whenever you were around.
You made it feel safe, and so it could lower its guard.
Piers didn't mind that at all.
What he did mind was the fact that it was being a little shit right at this very moment, knowing damn well he wanted to spend the rest of the night with you.
He was half a second away from giving his ace another earful, only to pause as you muttered something to the Blocking Pokémon. You were so quiet he didn't hear a word you said, and he quirked an eyebrow in confusion.
Moments later, Obstagoon just...let go of you and got up from the couch, crossing its arms and huffing. But it stuck its tongue back into its mouth as it shuffled over to one of the lounge chairs, sitting there and staring at the TV.
And just like that..you were free. No objections.
"Thanks, Obstagoon. 'ppreciate it."
Looking up, you smiled innocently at Piers as he sat beside you, still a bit annoyed. "Welcome home, love. How were your fans today?"
"Alright, I suppose." He sighed, shoulders eventually slumping with newfound exhaustion. "Had to tell them to cool it on the camera flashes...gave me a bloody migraine.."
"Awh..you poor, poor thing." You put your arms out to him. "C'mere, unless you want Obstagoon to-"
"No." Almost immediately he cuddled up to you, burying his head into your shoulder as his arms snaked their way around your torso. "He's gotten enough tlc from you tonight. It's my turn."
His gaze landed on the huffy Obstagoon sitting nearby, who gave him the old "stink eye" in return before focusing back on the television.
You just chuckled, stroking his hair as he eventually shut his eyes, slowly but surely forgetting about the stresses of the fan meetup and every other responsibility he had.
It's obvious you've stoked some kind of rivalry between a Pokémon and its trainer, though you weren't going to tease him about it anymore tonight.
He deserved to relax.
Mina in fashionable outfits ayyeee
Todayâs izutsumi: chill
Japes and Jubilations, Pt 3
The Sanctity of Sacred Spaces Masterlist
The various antics of the crews and the various ways youâre involved in it.
(Part 1) | (Part 2) | YOU ARE HERE | (Part 4)
Part 3: Haunted
The senior members (Penguin) decide to pull some pranks on the newcomers. Of course you're pulled along.
The Polar Tangâs halls could be scary, if you werenât used to her.
That wasnât an exaggeration, but an undisputable fact. Every single crew member whom youâve talked to about it, admitted that they were initially put off at being in the Tangâs hall when they first joined the crew.
(Save for Ikkaku and Law, but the former was a whole different beast in her own category and the latter never let slip a single peep when you asked.)
Hell, even Bepo admitted that he and the Swallow Island duo were terrified the first few weeks they took ownership of the submarine, though Penguin and Shachi would deny it to the best of their abilities.
Though Law was no-nonsense with stuff like this, he wasnât always around to curb the rumors the senior members liked to tell the newer recruits.
Penguin leaned closer to one of the new recruits, tanned and his brown-hair in soft spikes. âYou know, youâve had quite a few night shifts already. How do you feel?â
âItâs kind of eerie at night,â Boost admitted. âNot that Iâm complaining! Itâs just very⊠different from what Iâm used toâŠâ
âYou donât have to lie to make us feel better,â the other man said. âEveryone knows itâs scary in the halls at night. Especially down the area where the Tailorâs workshop is.â
Clione joined in, ever the shit stirrer. âYeah! If youâre by yourself there, sometimes you can feel a presence following behind you!â
You sighed as expectant gazes turned to you, raising your hands up. âI donât know, donât look at me. Iâm usually not in the halls late. Iâm either in my bunk early or I stay in my workshop the whole night.â
Another voice scoffed, and you scooted over to let the lanky figure of the other recruit sit down next to you on the bench. âYeah, right! Whatâs gonna be with us? Ghosts? Spirits? What are you five?â
âHey!â Penguin yelled. âItâs true!â
Slick chuckled, glancing at the senior members over his meal. âSure, sure.â
 ***
Much later on that day, as the hours were turning into night, you were visited by two men who really had too much time on their hands despite being first mates.
âTailorrrrr!â Penguin whined dramatically. The couch creaked as he draped himself over it, partially laying in Shachiâs lap, who sat on one end. âThe new recruits donât believe us! They think weâre idiots!â
âProbably because youâre acting like it,â you responded dryly, adjusting the measurements on your template as you calculated the changes youâd have to make for the new boiler suits.
âWell, how am I supposed to earn their respect as their superior if they treat me like that?â
âAct like the full-grown man you are,â you suggested.
âOrrrr you can scare them,â Shachi suggested, shark-like smirk on his face. âMake them eat their words.â
You shot the redhead a scathing look that warned him not to go any further. But all too late, as the damage was already done, and the seed planted as the moping man was revitalized.
âWe should totally use your workshop to scare the newbies,â Penguin said, a fit of determination making him jerk up and nearly nailing Shachi in the gut.
âNo, the fuck weâre not,â you said immediately.
Shachi didnât say anything, only grinning wider when you looked at him for help. He opened his mouth, and you immediately knew that nothing good would come out of it. âYou know, we should spook them first. Mess around with them a little bit.â
âYeah! And we wonât mess with anything! Weâll just need a space to hide at most.â
You sighed in exasperation, not even bothering to ask for an elaboration at the twoâs jumps in conversations, as they would eventually tell you. You had higher expectations for Penguin, as he was usually the more responsible one who reigned in Shachi and the more mischievous members of the crew when Law was not around, but when it was him who got an idea, there was no hope of deterring him as he had Shachi to egg him on.
âI have some old scare masks from the festivals on my old island if you want to use it,â you grumbled, giving in far too easily. As much as you tried to deny it, you did have a soft spot and a tendency for chaos that led you to lend your services too often to them.
Penguin perked up. âReally?!? Are you sure?â
âIf you can find it and put everything back the way it was after, then go ahead. But,â You stopped and raised the pencil in your hand threateningly at them like a blade, âif you guys leave my shelves messy, Iâll kill you.â
He sweated nervously. âGot it.â
 ***
It started off normally, for the most part. The days passing by without you noticing anything much. Though that could have been because you were holed up in your workshop when not out doing your assigned duties. But you did notice that out of the pair of newbies, Boost looked increasingly nervous as the time passed. Once or twice, passing by the sleeping quartersâ hall, you did spy Penguin skulking around, sometimes by himself, sometimes with either Clione or Shachi or any other person he managed to rope into. You always made sure to look straight ahead and walk a little faster to pass it.
(Supplying them with a few items didnât mean that you wanted to participateâand, more importantly, be caught up when Law came through and cracked down upon the antics.)
(You did not want to spend another day finding bits of your body scattered around the Tang by Lawâs fruit, thank you very much. You were perfectly content to sit back and watch the chaos that was your nakama unfold around you.)
Tonightâs night shift included the daily navigation lookout duties, and additional maintenance things in the engines that you couldnât get to while the Tangâs machinery was hot and active during the day. It was you, Uni, and Penguin, alongside the pair of newbies. One senior officer to a junior to show them the ropes, plus an extra pair of eyes on the ocean. Penguin was there to fetch you from your workshop, and the little smirk on his face was the only warning you got to prepare yourself for a night of mess as you met up with Slick and Boost
You were glad, though, that even though the first mate was mischievous, he still took his duties seriously. The first half of the time spent in the engines room passed by dutifully, with the two younger members learning what they needed to manage any emergency issues that might pop up. If they got assigned to a specific role, then theyâd have more in-depth training later. But tonight was just a quick rundown for them to prepare for night shifts.
(You pretended not to notice the way Boost had a queasy look on his face and that Slickâs shoulders twitched every time something creaked or clanked. Law should give you an award for the best actor on the crew.)
âNow that you twoâve got the hang of it,â Penguin announced with a grin on his face. âTailorâll will watch over for a little bit. Iâve gotta go to the shitter!âÂ
You groaned, sending him a nasty look. âYouâre filthy, Peng.â
He stuck his thumb on his nose and waggled his fingers at you before turning and leaving.
âFeel free to ask me anything if you need,â you said before wandering over to your area and opening the borrowed maintenance kit and extracted a screwdriver. âRemember, donât overtighten anything, or you might crack the casing. Check for rust or leaks or any missing screws. This area tends to rattle a lot.â
âGot it!â
While Boost and Slick settled down in their quadrant. You unscrewed the panel of one of the deactivated filter tubes and stuck your head in, checking for clogs or debris. Not many others liked doing this particular task, especially after that one time Uni found a whole horde of spiders that stowed away from a previous docking, and the next month was spent battling eight-legged terrors. It took you hours to dust out and clear your workshop once you surfaced.
You shuddered and pulled yourself out, replacing the panels and making sure they were screwed on tight. There was a clank and a curse from the corner the newbies were working.
âYou alright?â
âWhere did my wrench go?!â Slick stuck his head out from behind the pipes, an aggravated look on his face. âTailor, do you have an extra?â
âLet me seeâŠâ You rummaged through the mechanic's toolbox by your leg, grimacing as you pulled out an old, rusty one that Ikkaku swore up and down to have thrown away already. âUgh⊠This is the only oneâŠâ
âItâs fine, Iâll take it.â Slick accepted it with a valiant grimace on his face and returned to his work.
Your attention was piqued after that, half-focused on the newbies in case anything else happened, and the other half keeping an eye out for the missing wrench. The lights flickered, and you frowned, casting a look overhead. You were halfway through putting a mental pin into notifying Ikkaku of the malfunction when the room plunged into darkness. There was a split second of surprise before your instincts kicked in, as you stilled, listening to the noises of the Tang around you. Electricity still hummed through the floors, and there was the very distant thrum of gears in action. That meant that the lights werenât broken. Someone turned it off.
Steady footsteps approached you and through a weak trace of your Observation Haki you identified the familiar presence before you socked them.
Penguin tapped the back of your hand teasingly as he brushed by, aimed towards where the cursing newbies were, before his steps fell silent. Wise enough to expect the upcoming trouble, all the tools were packed up before they could become a tripping hazard in the dark.
Then it began.Â
Due to its nature, sound tended to echo in the Tang, the metal walls and features bouncing and warping noises until it was night incomprehensible. Within the confines of the mechanical rooms, that fact doubled tenfold as a veritable din rang in your ears.
You were calm in the chaos as their footsteps and screaming approached you, chased along by ominous clanking and the frankly ridiculously scary laughter Penguin could produce. Hands grabbed onto either side of your shoulders, jostling you a bit, but you didnât move even as the noises got nearer. Just when it sounded like it was right in front of you, everything cut off. The three of you were left in silence for a few moments, fingers digging into your shoulders and two forms that were too tall trying to huddle behind you. When the lights turned back on, you had two oversized males clinging to your back and a pair of wrenches sitting innocuously in front of your boots.
âIâm gonna piss my pants,â Slick muttered. He shook your shoulders a little bit. âH-Hey you didn't say that the subâs got electrical problems at night. Isnât that dangerous?â
âIâll let the head mechanic know,â you drawled, nudging the wrenches with a boot. Raising your hands, you patted the hands on your shoulders conformtingly. âAnyway, your wrenchâs back, Slick. Get back to work, you two. The faster we finish, the more time we can spend with Uni in navs. Donât you worry, Iâll kick the ass of any other ghosts here.â
It was a blessing that you finished up the mechanical work easily, so that you could let Slick and Boost run back to the navigation room to huddle with Uni. Though, as punishment for letting you shoulder most of the work, you forced Penguin to stay back and double check everything.
 ***
âHow do I look?â Penguin asked, turning to you, the borrowed mask secured on his face. It looked a little silly with his hat poking up behind it, but you were more focused on your work table.
You gave a long-suffering sigh as you rubbed the bridge of your nose, eyes not straying to him as you doubled checked the two boiler suits for any last-minute errors. âYou asked me that already.â
âBut you didnât answer before!â
And you didnât bother to answer this time, either. Huffing, you folded up the suits neatly, making crisp lines even though you knew that they would be unfolded soon. With that ready for Slick and Boost, you turned to drag out an old bedsheet from the infirmary that laid in your reuse bin.
âTheyâll be here soon to pick up their boiler suits,â you informed the first-mate in a tired tone, handing him the fabric.Â
âThanks!â Penguin chirped, grabbing it. The dark cloth finally covered his hat when he threw it on, concealing his identity completely with the mask. The man then shuffled behind your couch, tucking himself behind there just in time as knocking announced the arrival of your guests.
Making sure that there wasnât an errant corner of the sheet showing, you went to open the door to let the two newest members in.
âNo ghosts outside!â Slick announced, chest puffed up. âSo you donât have to worry! If youâre still scared, I can walk you at night.â
After the night shift where you bore witness to them getting scared, Slick seemed to try and double down on his previous statement denouncing his fears, hiding his increasing nervousness behind false bravado.
âRight,â you said simply, a small smile on your face as you stepped aside to reveal the new uniforms on your desk. âWell, if you want to stop talking about ghosts and start looking at your boiler suits, theyâre ready.â
Both males eagerly went for their uniforms.
âDamn, you made these?!?â Slick marvelled, picking up the suit and unfolded it.
âW-Wow itâs perfect,â Boost said.
You grinned at the pairâs awe, pride puffing out your chest a little. âIâm responsible for the crewâs uniforms. Or anything clothes related. If you need something, come to me.â
Caught up in the ego of praise, your spirits were high enough that you only smirked as you saw Clione and Uni peeking into the open doorway of your workshop, the former with a smirk and a wrench in his hands and the latter reaching for the lights. Your workshop was plunged into darkness at the same time that Clione slammed his wrench into something, creating a reverberating crash in the small space that elicited shrieks from the two in front of you. It got even more chaotic as your couch screeched, moving from its spot as Penguin crawled over the back of it. In the dimness, the mask and sheet truly did look ghastly, like an eerie apparition. Coupled with the shrieking noise you had no idea he could produce, you had to say that it was quite a good act.
Slick and Boost ran screaming out the door. Penguin turned around to give you a jaunty little salute before shooting out after them. âSee ya!â
Sticking your head out the door, you yelled after them, âYou better bring that back clean!â
Behind you, the drawl of your captain brought heat to your ears and cheeks. âTailor-ya. Quite lively here.â
Stepping aside, you let Law into your workshop as you turned on the lights.
âCaptain,â you greeted him. âHere to tell me off? Or Penguin to stop?â
âAs long as it doesnât interfere with your work, I donât care what you do,â he drawled. âAnd isnât this âgood for raising team moraleâ?â
âThe only thing itâs raising is my blood pressure,â you sighed.
âSounds serious,â he deadpanned. âYou know that too much salt in your diet tends to lead to hypertension.â
Your expression flattened as a distant scream echoed down the hall.
Though it was all in jest, none of you realized how close to home the story of a roaming spirit hit. In the corner of the ceiling, above the din and noise of all your antics, a transparent, ephemeral apparition looked on, the Polar Tang quietly rejoicing as her nakama expanding in numbers.
Pickled Plums
Adashino x reader x Ginko (can be read as platonic or romantic)
You loved the noise of cicadas in the ripe summer air.
Gravel crunched beneath your sandals as dappled sunlight filtered down from the canopy of green. It was the apex of summer and the forest was ripe and heavy with life and heat. From your peripherals, you could see the glowing forms of the familiar mushi dancing through the air. They were the same types that often frequented the village, a sure sign that your journey was coming to an end. You wondered if Ginko had yet to see them from wherever he was behind you.
The satchel sitting on your hip alongside the pack on your back was a reminder of the gifts wrapped lovingly in twine and leaves. Gifts for Adashino and Ginko both, picked specifically with them in mind as well as the food carefully preserved by a bit of yokai magic and plenty of salt. The thought of rice and Adashinoâs pickled radish made you drool, and you had no doubts that Ginkoâs endless stomach would appreciate some food as well.
 Cries of seabirds and waves crashing against the shore slowly began to replace cicadas as the forest opened up to show a fishing village in the distance. Your speed picked up, eagerly scattering pebbles at the sight of the clay-shingle roofs. As you passed through the dirt streets, villagers caught sight of you and an excited wind began to catch the sleepy adobes.
Calls of your name began to echo through the air as those living there went out to greet you.
âItâs you!â
âWelcome back!â
âOho going to see the doctor arenât we?â
The last one was met with a delighted laugh, your eyes twinkling with mirth at the old man. âOf course! Is he home right now?â
âHe should be!â Another woman called, her child waving at you from behind her. âHe just finished treating Aoiâs son a little bit ago.â
âThank you,â you called back gratefully. Turning around to the villagers, you put a finger to your lips and winked. âI think Ginko is arriving soon, donât tell any of them that Iâm here, alright?â
âCheeky!â
âWe wonât,â The old man chuckled. âGood to know all three of you are back in town for a while. We were beginning to wonder when weâd see you two wanderers again.â
You shrugged as your eyes caught sight of a minuscule movement from the alleyway.
âWe can never stay for long,â you said. âBut weâll always come back, of course. If you don't mindâŠâ Your head tilted towards the alleyway, indicating your wish to leave.
âOf course!â He guffawed, stepping aside.Â
âHere, here!â A man said, shoving an earthenware jar into your arms. âFor you all. A thank you to the doctor for treating my little Tsumiki last month.â
âO-Oh thank you so much.â You bowed your head, clutching the clay pot in your arms. âI'll be on my way then.â
âEager huh? I know how it was when I was your age. Ah, youngunsâŠAlways have one place or another to be.â
You brushed past them with a smile and a parting promise. âIâll come back down to visit later.â
âYou better!â
âWeâll be waiting, young lady.â
You threw back a wave, attention focused on the alleyway where you saw it. Stepping into the shade, you stopped to listen for the quiet noise of something moving. Your sharp ears finally picked up something.
There. To your left.
âHere you are, little one,â you murmured crouching down and setting the jar down next to you with a soft âthumpâ. Reaching forward, you cupped the spirit in your palms. There was an offended squeak and the flower yokai opened a bulbous, yellow eye in the middle of its petals. Upon seeing your face, its petals snapped back close with a quiver and another squeak. A nature yokai then.
âSssh, itâs okay,â you soothed, stroking a finger down its body. It was smooth and lumpy, like one of those sea anemones Ginko showed you on the coast that you both went to once. After a moment, the petals crept back open and the yokai peeked back out, its big watery eye staring back at you.Â
You gave it a soft smile and it quivered before wiggling back and forth before unfurling completely.
âThere you areâŠYou shouldnât be here,â you told it. âItâs not safe for you to be here. Come with me and Iâll bring you somewhere safer, alright?â
You put the yokai on your shoulder, where it snuggled into the shoulder of your traveling yukata. You smiled and picked up the jar before setting off again for Adashinoâs house at the other edge of the village. There would be nature there, where it could thrive and survive better than the streets of mankind. Yokais like these ones never survived for long in human settlements, dependent on green life to draw their energy source. Without it, they would wither and fade away. You were glad that you came across it when you did.
Slowly, the slope of the road increased as you reached the edge of the village. Yet your speed picked up all the same. Home was so close, you could almost taste it, that house upon the hill with its shelves of artifacts and rosewood-scented halls.Â
Brown shingles peeked over the crest of the hill and you grinned, shifting the jar to one arm and placing your free one on the bag at your hip.
âHang on,â you told the yokai on your shoulder.
An affirmative squeak was given and you broke into a full sprint over the ground, kicking up dust behind your sandals. At the new pace, it took no more than a few minutes to finally reach Adashinoâs house. A jump cleared the stones at the foot of his house and you clattered onto the engawa, kicking your sandals off noisily.
âAdashino!!!!!â You yelled, letting your voice echo through the halls.
There was a clatter and someone yelping before Adashino stumbled out from an adjoining hallway, fixing his monocle. âHuh?â
He squinted at you, vision adjusting to the stark sunlight after being inside for so long. After a moment, his eyes widened as it clicked. He said your name sharply.
âYouâre back!â
You nodded, shifting the earthenware jar to both your arms and showing it to him as well as the satchel to your side. âAnd I brought gifts too!â
Adashino tilted his head and moved forward, reaching out to take the vase away from you. âWhat's all this?âÂ
Shrugging, you relinquished it to the dark-haired manâs grasp. âHavenât looked yet. Tsumikiâs father gave it to me just earlier as thanks for you treating her.â
He hummed, lifting the lid and you stuck your head over the opening to peer into it with him. Seeing the sight of green in pickling sauce made you gasp.
âKyurizuke!â
âAh⊠It is cucumber season, after all.â
âThis could go really well with some of the stuff you have, Adashino!â You turned to him excitedly. âWe should make some food! I also brought back some things too! Ginko should be arriving at the end of the day so maybe we can all eat together.â
âAre you sure this isnât just a ploy to get into my cabbage stock?â The doctor asked you, raising one eyebrow. He startled as he made eye contact with the yokai on your shoulder, jolting back. âAhââ
âOh right!â You chirped. âI saw this yokai on the streets heading here. Iâm going to release it near the treeline so it can go back to the forest.â
Adashino sighed, stepping aside and flapping a hand towards the back entrance of the home. âGo on do that then. Leave your bags here. I can get started on lunch.â
You grinned gratefully, carefully singing the bags of your shoulders. âSounds good!â
âOh, and stop bringing strays back to my house! I keep on having to redirect them away when youâre not here.â
You laughed and departed for the clearing, bare feet slapping against the warm ground, humming a jaunty tune. The yokai on your shoulder swayed along to your movement as you stepped into the shadows of the trees and kneeled down at the base of one. Your hands came up to move the spirit off your shoulders and it was brought to the front of your face.
It chirped and you smiled, letting out an animal-like coo in return. âBe safe, alright? Donât wander into the human settlements like today, itâs not good for you.â
Your hand lowered and allowed the yokai to hop off, stubby limbs wiggling happily and it hopped into the underbrush. Just before it completely ducked under the leaves, it turned around to wave at you. You waved back and with a final cry, it turned around and vanished into greenery like it was never there. A moment passed as you stared at that spot with a bittersweet smile. Your job was done, fulfilling your duty as the bridge between yokai and humans once more. Like the others, you would never see it again, but there was solace in the knowledge that it was able to live its existence. With that, you quietly got to your feet and padded away.
***
âCome here help me get all of this onto the tray,â Adashino instructed, jerking his head to the various bowls as he picked up his own wooden board. âYou wanted to have all these side dishes so youâre carrying them all. Come on, weâll set stuff out on the engawa in the front.â
You hefted the plate up in one hand, pilling the dishes onto it easily. âOn it.â
Adashino gawked and grumbled as you swept past him easily.
The pair of you made a few more trips before settling down at the edge of the doorway, midway between the engawa and the house. Adashino tugged the rag under the miso soup, moving the whole pot into the middle between you two and you rearranged the rest of the pickle bowls around that, the rice, and the cooked fish.
âAh, hold onâŠâ You said, leaning over to grab your satchel. You flipped the woven lid up and reached in to withdraw several wrapped packages and set them alongside the food. âI got us some stuff from one of the towns I was at.â
âHow long ago was that?â
âOh donât worry. You should know that Iâm well-versed enough in magic to preserve a little bit of food.â
âWhatâs this about food without me?â
The both of you perked up at that voice, attention snapping to the edge of the yard where a white-haired man stood.
âGinko!â Adashino called. âHey!â
You shot to your feet with another cry of his name, ditching your sandals where they were and launching yourself at him. Ginko grunted as you crashed into him, staggering at the force of your collision.
âGeez,â he grumbled, wheezing as you squeezed him in a hug. âMissed me much?â
The smoke of his mushi warding cigarette tickled your nose and you pulled back, sneezing heavily. However, despite the warding affecting you to some extent, it didnât stop your face from splitting into a wide grin. âDuh. Come on, put your pack down, and letâs eat. No matter what you think, we were waiting for you.â
Adashino made a sound. âMaybe you should be quicker next time.â
âHmph.â Ginko took his cigarette out, snubbing it and tossing the butt into the shrubbery to the dark-haired manâs dismay. As you pranced back to where Adashino was sitting, Ginko slung off his traveling case and set it down next to your own bags. He settled down with a groan, relieved to be off his feet after a long day.
As Adashino began to portion out the soup and rice, your deft fingers unknotted the twine trying up your first bundle of food. There was an electric crackle in the air that made both men pause, and a snap as verdant leaves opened to reveal pristine triangles of plump rice.
âYour magic?â Ginko asked as you reached to undo the other bundle.
You nodded. âJust a simple one for these to keep as I traveled back.â
There was a second snap and this time it revealed wrinkly dried fruits, the sour smell of pickled plums wafting up to join the other food odors in the air. Both of them immediately knew what those were and Adashino winced.
âIâm not touching those,â Ginko declared, reaching for one of the rice balls from the first bundle. He took a bite from it, not seeing Adashino trying to stop him. âI know that whatever you brought home, those are not normal umeboshi andââ
His expression deadpanned, lips thinning and eye twitching as the flavor finally hit him. Seeing that, you cracked.
âI tried to stop youâŠâ Adashino sighed while you cackled. âBut you werenât paying attention.â
âI was going to sayâŠâ You began, trying to find air between your laughter as you scooped up your own rice ball. âI visited the Valley of the Plums. There was a seasonal shop there known for its intensely sour plums, so I got some to take home.â
A massive bite was taken out of yours, you humming in delight as you finally indulged in the treats after so long. Though you favored the sour flavors the same couldnât be said for either of the men, who stared at you warily as you ate your rice ball with no reaction.
Adashino, fooled by your lack of response, tentatively reached for one of his own. âIt canât be that bad rightâŠ?â He picked it up and brought it closer to inspect it. Like he would one of his mushi items,
âDo it,â Ginko demanded.
The man, fool as he was, gave into his temptations and bit into it. His face puckered up, such a comical expression that sent you into another round of raucous laughter and even sparked Ginko to chuckle too.
âBy the gods!â Adashino exclaimed once he got his mouthful down. âPeople eat this? This should belong on the shelves of my collectibles. Ginko why did you tell me to eat it?â
The said man forced himself to take another bite. âIf I have to go through it, so do you. Someone has to go through this with me since this oneââ he jerked a thumb to you, innocently sipping your miso soup to wash down your finished rice ball, ââis completely immune to everything.â
You smiled peacefully. âThere are just the plain plums too if any of you want to eat them with the rest of the food."
âNo way!!â
can you imagine how stressful it is to be natsume's friend?
you know about the spirits? yeah okay so he's carrying around what is quite possibly the most powerful and dangerous artifact on the planet. yeah he can't distinguish spirits from real life. no he doesn't know what a "ward" or any other kind of special technique is. he fights spirits (when he has to) by punching them. it works. he's making friends with the spirits. he's getting approached and attacked by spirits basically every day. he's protected by a Quite Powerful spirit who tried to eat him. no he doesn't really want to get involved with exorcists. yeah he's involved in basically every single thing that's happened in this country recently.
you don't know about the spirits? lucky you! here's natsume takashi your friend who will sometimes get lost in the forest alone and also pass out :). he's always sick and tired. he's traumatised. sometimes you'll get woken up in the middle night because he... yeah he ran into the forest. sometimes you go into the forest with him and he disappears on you. sometimes he jumps off from bridges. he WILL try to help you solve any problem you have. he will run into the forest if you try to help him with a problem he's having. sometimes he smiles and it's the best thing you will ever see.
Natsume has 3 types of outfits :
1 : soft aesthetic pinterest photoshoot
2 : bruh city dude
3 : middle aged mom working at the administration
Come Back to Bed with Me
Nicolas Brown x Reader X Worick Arcangelo
Sleeping with Nicolas and Worick is like sleeping between two ovens.
It was muggy again tonight.
In the corner of the room, the old electric fan wheezed away, blowing tepid air across the space and into your cramped, sweltering bed. Its buzzing accompanied the distant sound of nightlife filtering in from your open window and the sounds of the two souls sleeping on either side of you. Worickâs snores to your right almost covered the gentle rasping of Nicolasâs breaths, both of them completely out for the count despite the heat. But considering that both of them were responsible for the excess swelter pressing in on you, you werenât surprised that theyâd be immune to it.
Bastards. How dare they come into your bed, take up your space, and ramp up the temperature with their in-built, biological furnace system? It was your turn with the bed, so it was unfair that you couldnât even get it to yourself tonight.
âIt was too loud!â Worick had insisted.
Nicolas had simply hovered behind the blond, too sleepy to even attempt signing anything. A mistake on your end by looking at Worickâs puppy eyes ultimately led you to open the door wider and allow the two of them in.
Though, you guess it was your fault for allowing them to squeeze into bed with you in the first place. There was a perfectly good couch and plenty of floor space you couldâve gone to or made them sleep on if you really had minded. But you didnât, the weight of their bodies beside you so deeply familiar that sometimes you struggled to fall asleep without them. Though sometimes the heat that you so coveted on colder days turned against you.
You laid still for a few moments, calculating how youâd escape without either Nicolas waking up or Worick latching onto you. After a moment of consideration, you slowly sat up, wiggling to the foot of the bed before slipping off there. The blonde mumbled something and rolled over, arms latching on the pillow you placed there as a victim as you vacated. Sighing in relief, you gave them one last look before tiptoeing out of the room.
It was cooler in the kitchen, but not by much as you fanned yourself with the collar of your oversized shirt (okay, Worickâs shirt, but he couldnât fit in it anyway). Droplets of water splashed over the rim of your cup as you filled it, soon abandoning the whole thing as it took too long and sticking your hands under it. Cool water filled up your cupped palms, and you ducked down to sip from them before splashing the rest over your face and washing the sweat off.
Cooled down to a satisfying degree, you switched the water off but remained drowsily hunched over the sink, yawning occasionally. Water dripped down your features, but you were too tired to wipe it away. The thought of going back didnât appeal to you, shuddering at the idea of sweaty skin and sticky sheets.
Your head dipped, eyes slipping closed as you began to doze off right where you stood. The slight sounds of footsteps approached, but you didnât bother moving, knowing exactly who it was by the sound.
Fingers pinched the side of your cheeks, and you let out a groan as they tugged. âHey, weirdo.â
âMmmgrrghh.â
Worick chuckled affectionately, letting go of your face as your hand came up to swat at him. âWhatâre you doing out here?â
âWas thirsty,â you said. ââN hot.â
His singular sleep-filled eye scanned your features, seeing how the collar of your shirt and skin was dotted with water. âLooks like you got more water on yourself than anything.â
âWas hot.â
He shook his head in exasperation. âCâmon, itâs late. Letâs go back to bed.â
âDonâ wanna.â
âIâll open the window.â
ââS already opened. And the fanâs on.â
You didnât reply as your eye caught movements from behind Worick, leaning to the side to spy Nicolas stumbling into the room. âOh, Nickyâs awake.
He signed something, movements sloppy and dragging as you tried to see what he was saying, but couldnât due to the darkness.
Waving to catch his attention, you said and signed, âSorry, I canât really see what youâre saying. Itâs dark.â
Nicolas let out a few unintelligible grumbles, a warm hand coming up to grab your wrist and tug you with him. Worickâs arm settled over your shoulders, his weight comforting as he leaned drowsily into you.
âGuysâŠâ you whined, hand hitting Nicolasâs arm while following them back into the bedroom. âItâs too hot in there.â
âWe can sleep on the floor,â the blonde suggested, slightly kicking at Nicolasâs calf to get his attention. His arm did leave your shoulders, but hooked around and tugged you closer for him to sign and speak, âItâs cooler down there since our whiny baby canât handle this heat.â
âFuck you,â you replied without any heat. âYou two are a pair of furnaces.â
Nicolas stopped and let go of your wrist to sign, âWant us to leave?â
âNo,â you quickly said. âLetâs just sleep on the floor. I wanna do that.â
Worick nodded. âAlright. And, you, donât suggest something for somebody else!â
Nicolas blinked slowly, catlike as he moved forward and opened the bedroom door. You went ahead and tugged the blanket off the bed, Nicolas tossing the pillows down, while Worick unplugged the little fan on the table to relocate it on the floor where its wind could reach you. With the three of you working together, a comfortable area was quickly established, and you plopped down in the middle, settling into your spot with a satisfied sigh. Nicolas nudged you over, settling to your right as he set his katana down at the edge of the sleeping spot. Worick flopped down onto your other side, yawning loudly as he scratched the scruff on his chin. Before you could move, he rolled over to throw an arm over you, fingers latching onto Nicolasâs shirt.
âYouâre heavy as hell,â you muttered, hand coming up to tug at strands of his hair. You turned to Nicolas to make sure he saw your lips as you asked them. âWhat were you guys doing up, anyways?â
âYou werenât in bed,â Worick replied simply.
Nicolasâs eyes glinted as they caught the moonlight, the Twilight blinking slowly in a catlike manner.Â
You huffed and smiled, wiggling in your spot to find a more comfortable position. Your hand on his side sought out his and you curled your pinky over his. âI see. Sorry, I woke you guys up. Iâll make sure not to be gone for too long next time.â
Worick huffed. âYou better.â
On the floor it was slightly cooler, but still not by much. But you didnât complain as you felt their warmth press in on either side of you. Though none of you said it, it was always this way, the three of you so used to each otherâs presence at night that the absence of one was always felt.Â
The room fell back into its quiet nighttime ambiance as you all settled, three puzzle pieces clicking into each other.
My contribution to the silly thing going around twitter right now lmao
"We low-hardness Gems have nothing if not our courage."Â â Antarcticite, Houseki no Kuni
MASTERLIST
Come Back to Bed with Me
Hours in the Kitchen are Spent Warmer with You
Pickled Plums
Let's Go Fishing!
Parts of a Whole
Yearâs End Brings New Beginnings
Know It Like the Back of Your Hand
A Promise Made, A Person Met
Sanctity of Sacred Spaces (one shot series, Heart Pirates & Reader)
And Tonight, Weâll Be Warm (Whitebeard pirates x reader, Ace-centric)
You Don't Need to Try to Belong (Marco x Reader, hurt/comfort)
happy october! hereâs some seasonally appropriate goth family
Wing/Silver | 19 | she/they | I write and reblog fics || Reader-insert centric |Interacts from @elise-wing
291 posts