I mentioned in the author’s note of The Peculiar Perils of Straw Hat Parties that I was working on a design for the Polar Tang for that fic (and any subsequent fics involving Law’s submarine), and as I get ready to publish chapter 3 here it is, as promised! Click to enlarge/view higher res versions.
(well, at least here are the decks relevant to chapter 3: decks 0, 1, and 2. Decks 3 and 4 will come with later chapters, once I’ve had a chance to complete them)
Please let me know if there are any problems. Thoughts/comments appreciated!
I forget how cool this was. I am making a public statement to hold myself accountable that I want to get the rest of this layout up and posted! It’s technically already roughly drawn I just gotta… clean it up. No ETA or anything but… yeah. Wanna get this done.
After thoroughly cleaning my office from top to bottom and digging through every cabinet… I found the rest of the layout!! It’s super rough and hand drawn. I’ll scan and digitize it later. But for the time being…
I mentioned in the author’s note of The Peculiar Perils of Straw Hat Parties that I was working on a design for the Polar Tang for that fic (and any subsequent fics involving Law’s submarine), and as I get ready to publish chapter 3 here it is, as promised! Click to enlarge/view higher res versions.
(well, at least here are the decks relevant to chapter 3: decks 0, 1, and 2. Decks 3 and 4 will come with later chapters, once I’ve had a chance to complete them)
Please let me know if there are any problems. Thoughts/comments appreciated!
Summary: You have a cute ice skating date with OP men!
Word Count: ~150 each
Notes: Did you know telling yourself you aren't allowed to write anything other than your one big WIP is terrible for your creative spirit? Crazy! So I'm decided to take a little break from Ties That Bind to write some cute smaller stuff and get my inspiration back 😊
Sanji
He’s dreamt of this moment for years. He plans every single moment: when to hold your hand, the cafe he’s going to casually suggest stopping at (where he’s memorized the menu and exactly what he thinks you’ll want to order), and which ice skating rink he thinks will give you the most privacy while still providing the comfort of a crowd. When you finally get there, he guides you every step of the way. If you’ve never done it before, he’s holding your hand the entire time, slowly helping you gain your footing and keep your balance. If you’re already skilled, he tries to keep pace with you, cheering you on whenever you do something impressive (which, fortunately or unfortunately, is nearly everything you do to him). By the end of the night, whether you’re nursing bruises from a couple falls or a little winded from pushing yourselves, you’re both beaming, and Sanji is thrilled to have brought you so much joy.
Zoro
Sorry, this is a competition, and he’s winning. It doesn’t matter your skill level, whether you’re a complete beginner or an Olympic-level athlete, he is determined to beat you. Unfortunately for him, he has maybe skated once in his life, and he keeps falling over, slipping, tripping directly into oncoming skaters. It’s only after his tenth magnificent failure that he lets you talk him into holding onto something. He’s far more willing to hold your hands than he is the rail, and even more so if you pretend you just want the contact and don’t mention how much he looks like a baby deer when he falls. Though he’s initially reluctant, he finds learning from or with you is a lot more fun than falling face first and nearly knocking out a tooth. Once you convince him to slow down and relax, he’s actually having…fun? By the end of the night, once he’s started following your lead, he’s gotten the hang of it enough to make it around on his own. You pretend not to see how red his ears are when he insists on holding your hands anyway. So you don’t fall, of course. No other reason.
Law
Law won’t admit it, but he’s trying to impress you. He used to skate with his family as a kid, and he’s able to replicate the silly tricks he used to do for his sister pretty soon after he reacclimates to the ice. He’ll only do them when nobody’s watching, because god forbid people know that he has fun, but he’s doing spins and jumps and landing far more gracefully than you expect. Once you’re sufficiently awed, he slows down, skating by your side as you get your bearings. If you’re a beginner, he’s ready to catch you at a moment’s notice, his hands flying to your hips the minute you lose your balance. If you’re a little more skilled, he’s content to simply enjoy the moment with you, letting you talk to your heart’s content or enjoying the quiet rumble of the crowd around you and the sound of your skates cutting through the ice. He’s always happy when he’s with you.
Ace
Ace has never skated before, but you quickly find he loves it. He enjoys anything that gives him that wonderful feeling of freedom, especially if it’s something he can do with you. He’s unsteady on his feet, and has a few nasty falls, but he’s laughing all the way. It’s hard to worry about him for long when he’s instantly back on his feet, beaming at you, asking if he looked cool as he hit the ground. He didn’t, of course, but that’s alright. He’s not here to impress you, he’s here to have fun with you, to make you laugh, to find silly excuses to hold your hand or hold you close. If you trip, he makes sure you fall into his chest, even if it brings him to the ground with you. He might be black and blue by the end of the night, but he’s shining like the sun, and you can’t deny that you’ve had the time of your life with him.
Luffy
Much like Ace, this is Luffy’s first time, and he’s having a blast. He’s going as fast as he can as quickly as he can, leaving you in the dust no matter your skill level. The only thing that slows him down are his falls, of which there are many. Before he even learns to keep his balance, he’s trying to do axels and loops and anything else he can think of. You have to coax him back to your side using whatever bribe you’re willing to offer: a promise of food later, a hand to hold, a kiss, whatever works. Once you intertwine your fingers, he’s trying to excitedly drag you forward. He pulls you down with him a few times, but makes sure to shield your fall, your head smacking into whatever body part he finds easiest to throw in front of you. He only stops after the third time your foreheads smack together, leaving them an angry red. Once the night is over, you’re both a little worse for wear, but you can’t bring yourself to be upset when you hear his contagious laughter bouncing off of the walls.
“Never apologize for how you feel. No one can control how they feel. The sun doesn’t apologize for being the sun. The rain doesn’t say sorry for falling. Feelings just are.”
Free Falling Into You: Chapter Two: The First Draft Letter
Look, I don't know what's happening but it's confusing. This is the second dream I had about you. The first one was already weird enough and didn't make sense, and now this, that in some way, did.
In the first one, I had to walk down an aisle somewhere and you offered me your hand and I rejected it, babbling something about how we would seem like we're together and what not and you seemed really hurt by that. I kept thinking about it for days.
In this one, I was looking through my drive when I came across a picture that looked like someone had taken it from above. I was all dressed up in a red dress and you had me in your arms and we were spinning around and my dress was frilling around the both of us. I could even see the emotions and expressions on our faces.
You were so gentle and were staring so lovingly and you had a look that was so adoring and loving and mine was a mix of shock and adoration. I really don't know what this means. Maybe I'm just having those dreams because you're on my mind way too much. I am so shaken from it that I'm afraid I'll do something stupid. Again.
Free Falling Into You: Chapter One: The Times I Remember
I remember those days, between the 24th of January to the 2nd of February, four years ago when we used to sit on the roof, talking about anything and everything while looking at the stars.
I remember all the words you spoke, all the things you told me, all the times my heart beat as if it was gonna jump out of my chest, all the compliments you had given me and all the 'normal' conversations we had, all the times I thought of you as a friend. All the time I lied to myself that my feelings were gone, all the times you told me about your actual feelings, all the time I looked into your eyes and saw the sparkle of happiness and love and joy and hope that still remains imprinted in my mind even though it wasn't for me, all the times I thought you were the most beautiful soul, so innocent yet so... broken.
And I remember everything after that too. Helping you write that letter, you sending me pictures, videos, etc. You told me about what you felt about your future and how... similar our ideas were. I really thought that after five years, I'd finally moved on, because as long as you were happy, I was.
Now that I think back, I was pretty stupid to think that. Assuming that you'd always be that kindhearted guy who could read me like an open book, who would just take one look at me and figure out what I was thinking about. When, in fact, you changed the minute I got back. Maybe all of it was a facade, or maybe none of it was. I'll never be able to figure you out.
Free Falling Into You- A Short Story by BlackPhoenix
Falak never imagined that she'd fall in love at 13 years old. Of course, she didn't realise it was love until a few years later when everything changed.