Sometimes it's good to toot your own horn a bit. So I'm going to share some lines I'm particularly proud of each of my current active titles.

Some of these might be <3 <3 <3 moments, some of this might just be a bit of description I was proud of. It'll probably be all over the bloody place xD

In no particular order, here we go!

-:- Devilish Denial -:- (This was the first fanfic I wrote after nearly a decade of not writing anything. This story takes place after TopButtMunch 's Denying the Devil (( https://www.wattpad.com/story/226990280-denying-the-devil-doflamingo-x-reader ))

You should read it if you enjoy hot angsty Doflamingo stories. There's no fluff in this stuff.

<< The pictures of her face were upsetting, and the heat of my rage subsided. Her blank expression and lifeless eyes squeezed my heart, and the progression of emotion – from nothing to tears to screaming to exhaustion and back to nothing – were all I needed to know what I was going to do.>>

There's just a lot of emotion bottled up in that. His emotions, her emotions. It feels raw and exposed and I really like how it hits – especially since I personally disdain having my picture taken

-:- Unseen -:-

<<"Better a pirate than dead, and better dead than caught." The red head mused. The metal around him shifted and he sat down on a makeshift metal throne.>>

The visual of Eustass making himself a throne and lounging in the midst of a fight is so freakin' fitting.

The setup in chapter 2:
<< You would've been shoved back into the deck awkwardly, but fortunately Killer caught you. "Was that haki in your stick?"

"Quarterstaff," you corrected for the 100th time, "and yes.">>

The pay off in chapter 11!
<<"It might be mean of me to say, but I'm suddenly glad you normally wear the mask." You admit, your voice and face taking on a bit of a pout as you lean back and look at him with a sheepish expression. "I'd rather not deal with beating away other ladies with my stick."
"I thought you said it was your quarterstaff." He teased, causing you to laugh.>>

I do enjoy throwing back to lines. Every couple has in-jokes and quips and to me it just adds to the depth of things going on between folks.

<<"I'm part of the Kid Pirates," you answer. "What do I have to fear when I'm not alone?">>

Nakama REPRESENT \o/

-:- Some Direction -:- (This was deeply inspired by lyndsyh and her Reader x Marco One Shot and subsequent Reader x Law series Closure. You need to read to read her stuff cause it's just that good, but you don't need to read Closure to understand Some Direction. They're set in the same AU, but they're not connected (I mean, not deliberately).)

<<"Ah, Mr. Roronoa?" You called out, causing him to turn around. You smiled and pointed to the right. "Unless you're running errands, the dojo's that way." You didn't stay around to see if he needed the help or not, stepping back into the library quickly.>>

Despite titling the story "Some Direction", I wasn't sure how much I wanted to lean into Zoro's terrible sense of direction. I can relate though, my green-hair god, I got lost in my hometown at least 5 times a year.

<<"I should head back."
You nod and stand up to show him out.
"Make sure you lock the door."
"Of course."
"Call me if something happens."
"Uh, sure."
"And, uh..." Zoro rubs the back of his neck. "Thanks for the tea."
"You're welcome." You reply, smiling happily. "I'll see you tomorrow.">>

There's a lot of exchanges between the Reader and Zoro in this where I don't get into a lot of detail during their talks. Zoro isn't an active speaker, he doesn't move or pantomime, and he gets down to business and moves on. I think I've done a decent job of capturing that.

<< He doesn't hug you back, but his head sinks into your shoulder and you both stay there quietly for a few long moments before you hear Mihawk coming up behind you. He takes a step back from you and you turn toward Mihawk. Zoro puts a hand on your shoulder as he walks by, stopping briefly and bowing slightly toward Mihawk before continuing into the house.>>

I worried and poked at this paragraph for what felt like ages. It almost felt too simple, but the emotions themselves are complicated, and so it kind of had to just get right to the point. Also, the dynamic between Zoro and the Reader is simple. Their interactions are simple, their dialogue is simple, the steady growth of their relationship is simple. The world is complicated, but they're not – at least, and most importantly, between the two of them.

<< A promise from the sun, in the light of the moon.>>

It's a line that gets most of it's context from the Dream Route Chapter, but it's been interesting comparing Zoro to the sun, of all things. He's not all "sunshine and rainbows" as the saying is normally used, but I think in the context of the story it's more that he's the kind of sun that melts wax wings and protects against the darkness.

<<"It's okay," he says, after a long silence. "I'll find you.">>

The last line of Chapter 11 – The last four paragraphs of this chapter saw more rewriting inside of an hour than I think I've ever done in my life. It was dialogue heavy at one point, it was practically exposition about feelings and fears and concerns, and it was just too much. I had a lot to convey, but I didn't want to open flood gates and make these two loquacious. There's a LOT of details tied up in the short conversation. Fears, concerns, relief – the reader promises to survive, Zoro promises to find them, again and again, every time, without getting lost.

-:- Isn't Enough -:- (This was supposed to be a one-shot... I've got like 10 chapters planned...)

<<"Kiss me." You blurt it out. His eyes widened just a little, but you didn't avert your gaze. "Kiss me or kick me out." You said, and this time you did look away. Your heart was pounding in your chest, and you could feel the heat practically setting your ears on fire.>>

I've used a variant of this in Unseen, but sometimes you just have to rip the band-aid off or things aren't going to move. In Unseen the reader has time to say something else, but here, the intent was to cut Marco off. I'll try not to over-use the scenario XD but it's nice to be BOLD sometimes. My favorite part is that a few lines later Marco repeats the reader's demand, and it's the same words, but the vibe is just so different.

<< Realization lights up in Marco's eyes and a sly smile spreads across his face. He licks his lips, leaning down as his hand slips under your shirt, and whispers in your ear. "Itadakimasu.">>

I try not to use too many Japanese phrases in my stories, only cause I worry I'll dive into endless usage of them xD not because I think it's a bad choice. But in this particular case, there's just something better about the intent behind Itadakimasu and 'thank you for this meal we are about to receive'. And the former was entirely too clunky.

<<"Now, shall we see if I can pry my name from those beautiful lips of yours, mmm (y/n)?" >>

HNGH. Writing Marco's fun because the guy just radiates smooth.

<< He pointed to his heart. "That emotion we're both feeling, yoi. Say it." >>

Marco's sharp, and, imo, a great communicator. There just really wasn't any way to drag out the whole "Here's how we feel" conversation, especially not when they're alone in a room and just realized both has liked the other for years.

Isn't Enough has taken kind of a backseat lately, but there's a LOT planned out. There's just been other, louder, more demanding characters beating against my brain, but I haven't forgotten this title. <3

-:- Royal Pains -:-

I have a ton planned for this, but it's tricky to write. Controlling Doflamingo is actually pretty hard, and trying to slowburn the first few chapters is a challenge, but I'm excited for this story since it's the first Multi-ending piece I've attempted.

<< "You don't seem pleased to see us, Lady Sarie." He mused.
You're decidedly not pleased to see him, either of them.>>

My Favorite Thing about this story is the duality to the Reader. Polite AF on the outside, irritated and cheeky as hell on the inside. Banter is fun to write, but there's an extra layer in this setup and I will continue to take full advantage of it.

<< You handed the letter over to your father, who scanned it before reading the line that had made you grin out loud. "Upon your return home, it is requested you rest a day before returning to the palace with as much haste as you can muster, Lady Sarie." He sighed. "Please actually rest a day (y/n).">>

I don't write the reader with parental units often. Usually just because it's easier to not have to juggle those connections along with the story itself. But the relationship between father and daughter is one of understanding and long-suffering XD I hope the story lets me utilize Baron Sarie Bronte fully, he's a good dude.

<< "Indeed, I promised I would return for a cup of tea." Your smile took on a mischievous edge you didn't care to hide. "I have had a cup of tea.">>

Banter, gimme more baaaaaaaanter xD

<< "My patience is dangerously thin, Miss Sarie." He was practically grinding his teeth as he spoke, and you had learned he dropped the 'Lady' and changed it to 'Miss' when he meant to remind you of your position within society,>>

And there you go, that's actually the first line I wrote for this story idea, and then went back and wrote 5,113 words to set it up.

<< "What do you think of my brother, Lady Sarie?"
You raise an eyebrow. "Candidly, or am I to mind my manners?"
"Brutally, if you are so inclined." He replied.
"He's a silver-tongued devil. A manipulative god walking amongst lesser men. He's terrifying, and his charismatic manner is augmented by his disgustingly perfect good looks." You answered swiftly and flatly, watching Rosinante's eyes go wide as you continued. "He never doubts for a moment that his desires will win out, and the only time he loses his calculated calm is when that theory dares to be tested, and yet, Prince Rosinante, I am completely certain that he would set the world to flames in order to protect what he deems precious.">>

If I never do a Doflamingo Head Canon post, let me just say this exchange captures it well.

-:- Family Ties -:-

I cannot possibly list all my favorite lines in this story. I just let myself have fun, and as such there's a lot of lines and little set ups I adore. I'm glad others have enjoyed it, but this was 100% my selfish little My Precious Project XD (one of probably many, tbh). Though, there's certainly one line that wrote itself and set the tone of the Entire Story:

<<"Do you know who I am?"
"Trouble." You answered and earned another smooth rumbly chuckle. You cleaned the wound on his back, just barely to the side of his spine, and were getting ready to stitch it. "And Trouble, I don't want to know any other name you have, and there's no reason to give you mine.">>

Also, this was just fun to imagine:

<< Composing yourself, you laced your fingers together, and put on the best customer service smile you had, before it turned into a deep scowl.
"What in the actual fuck are you doing here, Trouble?" You yelled, smacking your hands on the desk as his smile only got bigger.>>

-:- Quicksand -:-

This is another "I really wrote this for myself" precious child kind of project. Which implies I'm not writing the other titles for myself, but I don't mean it that way. xD I just mean, there was no other real outside motivation.

Crocodile and Doflamingo have a LOT of similarities, but there's also a lot of differences in their characterizations, backgrounds, upbringings, etc.

I can't seem to pick a single line, or a single set of lines, but I will say this: There's an Easter egg in the numbers of the Users in the System Message from chapter 2. The first set of numbers are Crocodile's and the second set are the reader's. ( 42 and 13 are just personal favorite numbers of mine, and 28 is the age the reader is in my head, but it doesn't get set in stone during the story, so there's a lot of wiggle room, dear readers.)

-:- A Light Touch -:-

Ah, Kid, m'boy, I've tried three times to write a Kid-centric fic, and this one Finally won through. I haven't started on trying for one with Trafalgar Law, if anyone needed to know who my favorite character in One Piece is (I love so many of the characters, but whew, those tattoos... )

<< You look into Eustass Kid's golden eyes. "Why can't I feel my left hand?"
The look on his face tells you all you really need, but he puts it into terrible, undeniable words for you.
"Sorry, (Y/N), it's gone.">>

What a way to end a chapter and setup a story, eh?

Also, full disclosure, I 100% LOVE using Vander Decken as secondary or primary antagonist. The guy creeps me out to no end and that makes him really easy to use as the evil villain scape-goat. He's so greasy, and so delusional, and honestly I think he's the only character in One Piece I legitimately hate. His creepiness is just too reality-based-creepy!

<<"I come in peace?" He offered.>>

I love that line just because it's KILLER of all people saying it.

<<"I think that's a 1957 Chevy Bel Air!" You tried to keep your voice down, but the excitement was spilling out into your voice. "Haa, it looks like a sedan model, those're rare. The collectors snap up all the convertibles and coupes and the sedans get forgotten, but for a sedan it's just so nice. Oh man, I wish I could see the interior. The original leather seats are nice, but some people have done suede instead and I'd almost be afraid to sit on that, but it's gotta be so comfortable. I wonder if it's inline 6-cylinder or the original turbo V8. I mean, it's been so many years an original stock engine would be insane, and a modern V8 would have a lot more power and fuel efficiency.>>

My apologies to anyone who isn't a car enthusiast, neither am I. but I NEEDED to do Victoria proper justice, so I researched. Google a 1957 Chevy Bel Air and just imagine that the front emblem is a fiery skull, it fits so well. (I should commission a drawing of it, or do it myself at some point.)

<<"I swear to the gods, Mouse, if you tell me you're friends with the Straw Hats I'm going to throw you out of my car."
You wrap your arm around the seatbelt and consider things for a moment. "Can I answer after you drop me off at home?">>

The first real testament to the relationship between the reader and Kid, imo. Fun fact I may or may not reveal through the course of the story, Kid's mad after this exchange because he was already catching feelings for the reader and he doesn't deal with his emotions well, and certainly didn't want to admit to himself he was having those kinds of feelings.

<<"(Y/N)?" He questioned.
You shook your head. "Nope, sorry." You answer flatly. There's something about this man that makes you wildly uncomfortable, and you don't know why. >>

I mean, as the author I have already covered the why xD

<<"Hydraulic powered, cold rolled steel armor," Kid corrected, purposefully smacking his prosthetic fingers together one after another, the force sending shudders up his arm.>>

It's three chapters before there's a callback to this, but admittedly, the last half of Chapter 8 was the First Thing I wrote for this story, and then, well, wrote 7.5 chapters to just get to that part.

<< "Mouse says you get to live." >>

That was just such a fun sentence to write.

\o/ yay!

Alright, as of 12/12/2022 those are some of my favorite lines I've written so far, including some insight into how I write and what's going on in my brain spaces. Let me know if you enjoyed this, and maybe I'll do it again a few months from now.

Also, what are your favorite lines, and why? If you wanna let me know in the comments I'm all ears =D