#and awaaaay we go!!!!!!

[thedevotionaltour]

Daredevil #18 - "There Shall Come a Gladiator!" (May 1966)

Written by Stan Lee and Dennis O'Neil Art by John Romita Sr. (pencils), Frank Giacoia (inks)

[autisticshadowthehedgehog]

sonic the hedgehog tumblr dashboard simulator

0 notes

💠 extremegayr Follow

got held up in traffic today cause some noob couldnt drive the fucking loop-de-loop. lmfao fucking coward

15 notes

🎛 420zone Follow

ok but robotnik's kind of a dilf tho

🌫 wispgender Follow

he's literally a war criminal can we NOT do this tumblr

🎛 420zone Follow

📰 its-no-use Follow

@wispgender dont u literally simp for nominatus like who is one to talk

🌫 wispgender Follow

NOMINATUS ISN'T REAL????

🛜 viralsensation-destructorofworlds Follow

that you know of

🌫 wispgender Follow

what

10,672 notes

🔷 sonicinthewild

43,834 notes

☣️ lineinthesand Follow

saw sonic the hedgehog irl once. he showed up at my village, released 30 feral pickys in the town hall, paid the ice cream vendor roughly a thousand rings for a single chili dog, told me not to waste my life worrying about the little things, and then caused a fucking tornado

🧿 spiralhillspindash Follow

ok and??? you're not special

☣️ lineinthesand Follow

THIS WAS A PERSONAL POST GO AWAAAAY

173 notes

🌠 chaoinspace2electricboogaloo

sucks that sticks the badger hates all technology you know she would do NUMBERS on here

568 notes

☸️ r0u3e Follow

being an islander be like "are those the kind of eggsplosions i should worry about or the kind of eggsplosions that are gonna repair our crops, fix the economy, and bring my dead grandma back to life"

🌁 eggpawnkindathicctho Follow

being a continenter be like "oh great what primordial diety has risen from the grave to block traffic and fight a 15yo today"

🥭 chao-official

being a chao be like "chao chao chao chao chao"

🌁 eggpawnkindathicctho Follow

you said it my mans

579,056 notes

🏵 sprinkles-the-chao Follow

hold on if sonic the hedgehog is jewish then how is he santa claus

🤖 e123-omegaverse Follow

dont question him

85,628 notes

☣️ sparkygoboom Follow

hey guys real question are human/mobian relationships problematic

💠 extremegayr Follow

op is about to start the anthro church schism of the fifteenth year all over again

🛞 mobotropolis Follow

ok but in all seriousness did your mom never teach you that part of history

🎢 marxiobros Follow

someone doesn't know about the united federations public school system

🛞 mobotropolis Follow

what the fuck is a public school

⏭️ drowningmusic Follow

⚄ paradoxprism Follow

are we gonna talk about op's chaos radiation fetish

💠 extremegayr Follow

OP'S WHAT NOW

🏞 mobiancrossing Follow

ok but am i the only one who thinks that the public school system would be a good idea if handled right? like i know it's traditional to learn from your parents and then experience the world on our own from the ages of 7-13 but like combining all our knowledge and learning together doesnt seem like a bad idea

☠️ fabian-vane-number-1-hater Follow

bitch that's what the internet is for

🌅 s0leanna-apple-barrell

yeah where else am i gonna learn to make infinite chaos emeralds

❇️ freesurge Follow

"infinite chaos emeralds" that's called the phantom ruby

🏳️‍🌈 rainbowwispforgayrights Follow

everybody on this site has brain damage

❇️ freesurge Follow

yeah. from the radiation

603,573 notes

🐸 froggysfriend

caught this today

🏝 digginginthegroundfortubers

if anything happens to this blog i genuinely hope eggman blows us all up as punishment

950,420 notes

🐊 teamchaotixofficial

Hey guys! Sorry to do this again but rent's a little tight this month :( If we've ever solved a case for you guys or made you guys smile, please consider sending a ko-fi our way! we just need a few rings to get through the month <3

6 notes

🖼 give-the-koco-a-gun Follow

do we ever talk about that time the sky turned blood-red and shadow the hedgehog's demon dad descended from on high to murder us all and we only barely survived

❤️‍🔥 songoose4evr Follow

shadow fixed it it's fine

🎮 n0cturnity

yeah that was like twelve apocalypses ago move on

🎆 robotniksbignaturals Follow

kinda wanted to bang black doom tbh

🖼 give-the-koco-a-gun Follow

THE DEVIL???? FROM THE BIBLE????

🎆 robotniksbignaturals Follow

yeah. move over gayboy i'm boutta be shadow's new dad

856,301 notes

🗑️ berrybarry

starting a conspiracy that time hasnt moved since 2006

🗑️ berrybarry

why the fuck was i shadowbanned after posting this

8 notes

🤡 clownfinite Follow

tfw you finally save up enough rings for ice cream and you go outside and get hit by swatbot pieces and the rings just go fuckin everywhere

587 notes

🔷 sonicinthewild

34,452 notes

🌌 h-o-l-o-l-y-n-x

so did y'all see that genesis wave or was it just me

0 notes

🆙 planetsgiantcrack Follow

the virgin tweeter "if you use a bad word in the same tweet as the word 'cream' you get obliterated off the site" vs this chad site of "i want to put knuckles back in a microwave"

💟 presidentyaoi Follow

BACK????

69,849 notes

⬜️ chao-and-wisps-4-ever-so-cute-2 Follow

ok posting my first fanart to this site pls be nice! <3

2 notes

🌔 emeraldfwuitgummy Follow

why does tails look like he's always about to say "it fucken WIMDY"

🦊 miles-prower-official

Hello, @emeraldfwuitgummy!

I actually quote that image on a constant basis! Sonic thinks it's hilarious every time. He's quite the fan of memes, and it's nice to get a laugh out of him!

Formally,

Dr. Miles "Tails" Prower, PHD

🌔 emeraldfwuitgummy Follow

SO WAS ANYONE GOING TO TELL ME THAT TAILS WAS ON THIS FUCKING SITE OR--

🏅 iwishhumanswerereal Follow

do. do you not know he created tailblr. dude it's in the name lmao

🌔 emeraldfwuitgummy Follow

he

WHAT

🍭 milfwisp Follow

didn't eggman invent this site???

🪫 veganswatbot

THE EGG ABANDONED SCRAMBLR IN ITS TIME OF NEED AND THE FOX RAISED US FROM THE ASHES. YOU WILL NOT DISRESPECT HIM

🦊 miles-prower-official

Hello, @milfwisp and @veganswatbot!

Very good question! This site was Eggman's until I ate his bones. Thank you for engaging! :D

Formally,

Dr. Miles "Tails" Prower, PHD

🌔 emeraldfwuitgummy Follow

YOU

WHAT

🌭 sonicsays

what's not clicking

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

ANOTHER CHAPTER ALREADY?!

I mean

I dunno what happened

It kinda wrote itself, I had no real hand in this

Please consult with my muses on the subject, I didn't know they were this cracked out tonight

Anyway awaaaay we gggoooooooooo

Flight Risk

Young!Mihawk x AFAB!Marine!Reader

Ch. 7 of something there's gonna be at least two more chapters

First Chapter link Previous Chapter link

Brief summary of The Story So Far: Your mission, as a Marine and Zoan type devil fruit user (gray parrot), is to gather intel on Dracule Mihawk, a pirate on the Grand Line who has become a thorn in the Marines' side over a relatively short period of time. He's discovered your secret, and your life hangs in the balance of his mercy.

Possible !!Trigger Warnings!! in this chapter!! Largely for imprisonment and psychological turmoil, though not necessarily psychological torture yet. I will say, for readers who are used to my writing characters with a relatively gentle depiction, I likely won't be taking quite as gentle of an approach here. There is some Yandere possessiveness prevalent here that I haven't written much before.

Tags: Enemies to lovers, eventually NSFW, idk maybe more later

Word Count: 3,095

Taglist: @i-am-vita @browneyedhufflepuff @h0n3y-l3m0n05 @littleleelee @nerium-lil @schanwow @dragon-bubs @animefreak818

I'm happy to add anyone that asks. Still flabbergasted that the list is this long.

I forgot to do a music thing last time bc I was so sleepy but I'mma do one this time but IT'S NOT FRATELLIS?? WHO IS EVEN RUNNING THIS BLOG?? SHOULD YOU CALL THE AUTHORITIES??

♫♬The Game- Disturbed♬♫

Tell me, exactly what am I supposed to do, now that I've allowed you to beat me?

Do you think that we could play another game? Maybe I could win this time

Dead, you were dead, he was going to kill you, and all he would have to do to get the job done would be to leave your right there in the shallows and let the tide slowly wash in until you were submerged, drained of strength and helpless.

To tighten his powerful grip around your neck until you ceased gasping for air.

To pull the golden cross from around his neck and plunge the small knife hidden within it into your torso, drag the sharp blade across your neck, watch the light leave your eyes.

So many ways he could kill you, in this very moment.

And yet his hand moved up your neck slowly, his grip unwavering as his fingers wrapped around your jaw instead. He tilted his head the slightest bit as he turned your head to one side, taking in your features with an air of both amusement and vague interest.

“And you were doing so well,” he said lightly, letting out a small sigh as he shook his head. You flinched as the rough pad of his thumb brushed across your cheek. “If you could have just refrained from making that silly little call to your boss last night—aw,” he added, an edge of mockery in his quiet words. “Did you think I was sound asleep the whole time? Poor thing.”

It hadn’t appeared as if he had done more than shift from his back to his side in the time you were gone last night—there had been absolutely no sign that he had gotten out of bed, not a single sound outside the cracked door of the study.

You should have known better.

“Though I must say, I do appreciate the vote of confidence.” Mihawk stood in a swift motion, tightening his grip around your jaw to pull you up with him, drawing a sharp gasp of alarm from you as your feet lifted a few inches from the ground. Still drenched in seawater, you didn’t even have the strength to lift your arms, held up only by his grasp, limp as a ragdoll. “‘No weaknesses.’ I’m almost flattered.”

You swallowed as he brought you closer, lifting his eyebrows a bit, the corner of his mouth curving the smallest bit into an almost imperceptible smirk.

“Provided it wasn’t a lie. You have quite the penchant for fooling others, it seems.” He quirked his brow a bit higher, his eyes darting up and down your limp form before settling back on yours. “Well? Was it a lie?”

“Mm—n-no,” you managed to choke out weakly, your eyes wincing and beginning to burn as his fingertips dug harder into your jaw and cheeks. “No…”

“No?” he repeated lightly. “Now, I’m sure you can do better than that, considering how polite you were with your employer last night. And I’m afraid it’s not them you’re answering to anymore. Try again.”

You swallowed dryly, your eyes flickering down toward his hand. “N—no, sir,” you whimpered.

“Ah, much better. Now, then….” The spark of amusement remained present in his yellow eyes as he rubbed his thumb against your cheek once again. “I suppose we should get you back inside and dried off, yes? I’d hate to see you get sick, pet.”

Your stomach felt as if it had dropped out of your body when he lifted you abruptly and flung you over his shoulder, your consciousness wavering between the complete sapping of your strength from the seawater still drenching your clothes and the state of shock you were left in. You drifted in and out during the trek back to the castle, your muscles limp and useless. You didn’t jolt back to a remotely aware state until he heaved you off and dropped you onto the cold stone floor of an unfamiliar part of the castle.

“I do just hate to have to cage you after all this time,” he said as you gazed around, your eyes squinted against the darkness. Judging from the lack of windows, you were below the ground level—and this was confirmed when he lit a torch along the wall opposite the one you were leaning against. “Nearly two months, it’s been, hasn’t it? Hmm. How the time flies.”

The dim orange light of the flame expanded as he lit another, and you realized he had deposited you in a small, square cell. The stone walls and floor were the same as the rest of the castle, if a great deal dustier, but the heavy iron bars and door made it clear that you were in the dungeon beneath the fortress.

“But, you’ve really left me no choice,” he went on with a soft, disappointed sigh. You could just make out his silhouette against the flickering firelight, the rattle of chains as he dug around in the drawer of a heavy desk just within your line of sight. “At least for now. I can’t have you escaping before we have a proper discussion about…” He lifted a heavy pair of iron shackles, examining them before giving a short nod. “About several things, really.”

He stepped slowly into the cell, his pace one of leisure, and stopped a few feet away from you, looking down at your pitiful form as you leaned back against the stone wall of the cell, struggling to steady your breathing, shivering in your damp clothes. He frowned as he looked you up and down, and gave a nod toward you.

“Off,” he said, his voice low but commanding enough that you jumped slightly, your brow furrowing as you tried to discern his meaning. “Off,” he repeated. “Can’t have you getting sick. We have a great deal to talk about.”

Your clothes. You glanced down at the wet fabric clinging to your skin, your stomach turning—he was telling you to get out of your clothes.

“Oh, modest, are we?” he said dryly, lifting an eyebrow. He took another step forward, crouching in front of you. You flinched back a bit when he reached a hand out and tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear. “Two months you’ve spent constantly at my side. I’m certain I’ve changed clothes in your presence more than a handful of times.”

“I...I didn’t...look,” you whimpered out, swallowing, closing your eyes as your face flared with heat.

“No, you didn’t,” he agreed. “I did find that curious, but you were quite the curious little bird.” You opened your eyes when you heard the chains of the shackles clink lightly, and watched as he stood, rolling his eyes as he turned around, his back to you. “Fine,” he said. “You may keep your undergarments. They’ll dry quickly enough.”

You almost wished that he had just killed you out by the shore. The embarrassment, the utter humiliation of pulling your tank top over your head and letting it fall to the floor with the towering form of the swordsman only a few feet away was enough to make you wish you could drop dead on the spot. You fumbled with your belt buckle, the buttons at the fly of your pants, before kicking them off along with your boots, wrapping your arms around your knees and clenching your eyes shut, trembling from more than just the cold, damp air of the dungeon now.

You heard a rustle of fabric in front of you, and before you could open your eyes you felt the material land in a heap at your feet. You cracked an eye open and frowned at the white heap.

Glanced up at him, your eyes widening as you realized he had removed his flowy, ruffled shirt, his back and shoulders bare as he crossed his arms, still facing the door of the cell.

“Put it on,” he commanded, stepping out of the cell. “And quickly. I pride myself on many things, my dear pet, but patience is not among them.”

You were already picking up the shirt and shrugging it around your shoulders before he finished, fumbling with the buttons with unsteady hands. The shirt was large enough on your much smaller form that it covered you from your shoulders to more than halfway down your thighs, the hem brushing your knees as you tugged it down, staring down at the floor, listening to the chair at the desk scrape across the stone. He set it down in front of you and tossed the shackles down at your feet, taking a seat and crossing an ankle over his knee.

“Those as well,” he said.

The moment your hand touched the shackles, you felt what little strength you had managed to regain begin to drift away from your body all over again. He chuckled when you drew your hand back as if you had been shocked.

“Seastone,” he said. “I salvaged them from the wreckage of a Marine vessel a handful of years ago. Thought they might prove useful one day. Go on.” He nodded down at them as you briefly met his eyes. “Around your ankles. So long as you remain compliant, I will allow you the continued use of your hands. You may need them at some point.”

You didn’t dare ask what that might mean.

You did, however, do as he told you. The seastone shackles felt as if they weighed fifty or more pounds, and it took some effort for you to drag them up even to the height of your ankles and clamp them shut.

“Very good,” he commended, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms, his eyes never leaving you as you slumped back weakly against the walls. “Still such an obedient pet, aren’t you?” Every breath you drew in took a herculean effort, felt as if it might be the last you managed to draw before you passed out from sheer physical exhaustion. “Now, this is a first on my part. I’ve never been one to waste time taking prisoners. You ought to consider yourself privileged. Grateful for my continued hospitality despite your blatant betrayal.”

You swallowed, unable to do anything but give a weak nod.

He gave another small chuckle. “You’ve been trained to handle being the victim of a potential hostage situation,” he commented—it wasn’t a question. He cocked his head slightly to the side. “You’re quite small for a Marine. What rank are you, little bird?”

“Cadet,” you forced out—and, when he lifted an eyebrow, you quickly added, “s—sir.”

“Cadet,” he repeated, leaning back a bit further. “Hm.” He lifted a hand to his chin, his expression thoughtful as he brushed his thumb across his short goatee. “And they saw fit to send you after me.” You nodded again. “Your commanding officers either have a great amount of faith in your potential or they were trying to get rid of you. Which do you think it was?”

“T...they offered me the mission,” you said quietly. “I could have turned it down.”

“Faith in your potential, then,” he said lightly. “What a pity for them Of course, they weren’t wrong,” he went on, lowering his hand down to his knee, strumming his fingers there slowly. “You did play your role well. Well enough to fool that charming pet shop owner in Acacia, even. A veritable expert on the subject. You must have done your homework. Breezed through all your tests with flying colors. I did my own homework, as you know. Amid my reading, I recall mention that wounded or sick pets might show signs of decreased appetite. Interruption of sleep. In extreme cases, potentially isolating themselves from their owners. You see…” He tilted his head once more to meet your eyes, his gaze holding your own with an intensity that made it impossible for you to break the contact. “Had I not woken last night we might not even be having this conversation. Had I not noticed your absence and worried enough to go looking for you.”

Your worry over your mission. Your inability to eat or sleep regularly. Of course he had noticed. You were an idiot to think he wouldn’t have noticed.

“Had I not heard a voice coming from the study below my chambers,” he went on, lowering his voice, “you might have been able to complete your mission without a single hitch. I would have been forced to assume when you left that you had flown off somewhere to die.”

You flinched at that, closing your eyes and lowering your head.

“Oh, now what is this?” He chuckled. “Are we feeling guilty?”

“Yes.” You spoke through gritted teeth—there was no point in lying. You were already compromised, already at his mercy. “I…made the call last night because I…I couldn’t leave with nothing to show for it. Or without…” You swallowed once more, lowering your head to your knees. “I only had four days left. I was expected to slip away unnoticed and rendezvous with my commanding officers at a designated location before returning to Marineford to report on any potential weaknesses of yours I might have discovered.”

“And you claimed you found none,” he continued for you.

You nodded. “But...caring for another living creature is always a potential weakness,” you said quietly.

“Aaah.” You swallowed dryly, clenching your eyes shut tighter as you heard him push the chair back. The whisper of his boots on the stone floor as he took a step forward, the quiet rustle as he crouched down in front of you. “And you were unwilling to list your own presence as a potential weakness. Is that it?” You nodded again, and tensed as he caught your chin in his hand. “And here I’ve already admitted to having worried for the well-being of my pet. You certainly did do a stellar job, didn’t you, my little bird?”

His tone, his touch was almost gentle, despite that edge of persisting amusement at your predicament.

“Open your eyes.”

You obeyed his command once again—though your eyelids fluttered in your growing state of exhaustion brought on by the effects of the seastone shackles wrapped around your ankles, you did your best to maintain eye contact, only vaguely aware of his thumb brushing across your bottom lip as you gazed into his yellow irises.

“I may yet have use for you,” he murmured, his voice still light and amused. “I suppose you are a pretty little thing, if nothing else. And your abilities...well, you managed to fool me, now, didn’t you? Don’t,” he added, his tone sharpening as your eyes began to drift shut, and they shot back open. “There’s one more matter. You spoke of some offer while you were making your call last night. What is it?”

“W...warlord,” you forced out. “The World Government wants to offer pirates they consider too dangerous to combat status as ‘Warlords.’ No more than seven. Bounties expunged in exchange for an agreement to cease hostility against Marines and other World Government officials, and potentially being called upon to assist with other threats.”

“Warlords,” he repeated, letting out a quiet chuckle. “And you’ve been granted permission to extend me this offer?” You gave a small nod, blinking slowly, fighting to keep your eyes open. “Since you’ve reported to your commanding officers that I have no weaknesses they can exploit.” Another nod, and a quiet affirmative hum. “Mm-hmm,” he repeated, smirking. “I suppose it’s worth thinking over. At least until you’ve regained the ability to discuss the subject coherently.”

“Four days.” He lifted his eyebrows at your mumbling, waiting for you to continue. “Need to make contact in four days or they could send a Buster Call.”

“Ah.” His thumb brushed across your cheek, and you found yourself leaning unconsciously toward the warmth of his palm. “So they would sink this entire island into the depths of the ocean with you still on it, would they?” The hum you gave this time was neither affirmative nor dissenting—it was simply in acknowledgment that he had spoken at all, as your lessening coherency made it increasingly difficult to follow his words. “That does sound quite like the Marines. Heaven forbid they should have any loose ends to worry about.”

He expelled a slow sigh, one that might have been of resignation or annoyance, or perhaps some melding of both. Either way, the warmth of his breath across your face made your eyes drift shut, made you fall fully limp against the wall behind you.

You barely registered anything beyond that. Not his light shake at your shoulder in attempt to rouse you, his exasperated sigh as he caught you before you could fall sideways and hit your head against the stone floor.

Not his irritated grumble of, “Troublesome woman,” as he drew one of your hands up to cushion your head against the hard stone floor before he pulled himself to his feet to frown down at you.

To wonder why he hadn’t shoved his way through the door of his study the moment he heard your voice last night and throttled you in that moment.

To wonder why the hell he still had any concern at all for your continued safety and well-being.

You had spent two months, two months deceiving him, abusing his good will, masquerading as a loyal companion when you were nothing more than a dirty little spy.

His hands twitched into fists for a moment as he stared down at you, gritting his teeth. He could end your life right now. It would be only too easy. Crush your throat beneath the heel of his boot. Wrap a hand around your delicate neck until the labored rise and fall of your chest ceased entirely. You had already warned him of the Marines’ potential intent to destroy this island. He could dispose of you and leave on his own before that ever came to pass.

You shifted in your sleep on the cold stone floor, shivering slightly and laying a hand over the toe of one of his boots.

Mihawk swore under his breath, reaching behind him to drag the chair back into place and sit down heavily, crossing his arms over his chest as he surveyed your slight form below him on the floor covered only by his own shirt.

“What exactly am I supposed to do with you?” he grumbled under his breath, shaking his head, not completely aware himself of how his own gaze softened as he looked down at you. “Useless thing….”

His prisoner.

His pet.

His pretty little bird.

He would be damned if anyone but him were allowed to decide your fate.

First chapter and Previous chapter links again for your convenience

[lotusarchon]

been rereading svsss soooo combining my current hyperfixations here

everytime there's a reader isekai au it's always them loving the universe they've transmigrated into but what about a reader who's a borderline HATER (me) of black myth wukong or lego monkie kid

(tdlr: this does not represent how i feel about either video game and show, because i like them both, the fandoms are just...eh...but i do think it'll be funny lmfao)

i'm talking a full time hater. they've read jttw and fssy and of COURSE they love those books, they're a huge myth nerd.

then they take one fucking look at the adaptions inspired by them and immediately go "oh fuck no"

a reader who DESPISES lmk's portrayal of sun wukong because what the fuck do you mean he's not a buddhist after his journey? what do you mean he didn't kick the jade emperor's ass and fucking isn't badass and cool? what the fuck do you mean the six eared macaque is his 'best friend' and people SHIP them?? what do you mean no one likes tripitaka and apparently the three other pilgrims were reincarnated when that isn't factually correct??

a reader who positively despises the plot line in lmk because WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN NEZHA'S DEMOTED TO SOME CANON FODDER WHEN HE SHOULD BE BADASS?? or...or AZURE LION BEATING THE JADE EMPEROR?? WHO THE FUCK EVEN IS THE BROTHERHOOD EWWW!? what do you mean this dragon girl has the samadhi fire ew ew ewww what is this plot...

reader who fights with fans because of their (barf) mindset and also shut?? up?? about nezha being a 12 year old?? gross ass??

reader who watches the show religiously but only to find every flaw in it and when people argue about the show being a children's only audience they fight back with "idgaf if it's for kids they should teach it properly dumb fucking cunts gtfo my dms before i doxx you"

same thing with black myth wukong tbh. reader who hates black myth wukong because...no...no, sun wukong most certainly wouldn't do that. graphics are fine whatever but but this is?? inaccurate??

reader who's tearing into fanboys too because shut the fuck up about this character pingping bring sexy and also why the fuck does she exist?? why is red son not actually pif's son?? why is there some fucking random monkey tryna collect those whatchamacallit (relics) NO THIS IS WRONG

reader who's gagging cause...sun wukong wasn't in love with nobody and why is there a brief fucking romance plotline with the monkey 2.0 wasn't this a fighting game ewew get it AWAAAAY

reader who hates and then...uh oh. too much dumplings is making them choke....guys...guys i think they're dying??

reader who wakes up in bmw or lmk as some... rabbit spirit? (so weird) but absolutely SEETHING at being here because oh fuck this bitch ass god awful plot suck my cock we are NOT DOING THIS

reader deciding that avoiding the obnoxious characters would definitely be better for their sanity....only for some blasted loud ass obnoxious stupid cunt fucking google translated voice pings in their head... telling them if they don't participate in the plot they'll be executed

reader thinking they'd rather die but then the system goes "oh, you thought we were joking?" and gives them the worst experience ever that by the end of it they have to swallow their pride and participate in the plot....☹️ Unfortunately

reader who accidentally wifes up the characters and has to deal with everyone forgetting their roles...and the system threatening them about the plot too like bro how is this my fault these bitches are dumb? fuck you mean you're gonna kill me ag- no, no, you're right uh i'll fix it i'll fix it.

Anyways I'm gonna write a fanfic with an OC like this cause it's too funny to pass up and also I'm 100% gonna die with my wipes hahahaha fuck..

[mimicry-works]

"And awaaaay we go~"

Wanted to have a go at my on design for Powerglide where I had this "flying ace" look in mind with the goggles, scarf, puffy pants, wool lined bomber jacket.

So aptly I will dub it Flying ace Powerglide

Oh and because I think it looks neat, here's the pre line colours.

[gwensparlour]

Moments from Paris The Musical that live rent free in my head in no particular order

Achilles' evil laugh at the beginning of Leader

Hector's "yesssss" in No turning back

"There's no need to rant and shout" "WHO'S SHOUTING?"

Helen's "I need a fucking break" for all Anyone can see

Hector's first reaction upon seeing Paris with Helen be like "Daaamn, bro"

"I had enough of omens and warnings. Why is everybody talking in riddles this morning?"

Paris going berserker in Two Titans and the way his voice drop an octave when singing "Guide my arm, aid my aim"

"Their price for a friend. My only friend"

Love has power chorus in the finale

"Not some mad messiah , of destruction and fire. Just a lovestruck youth who longs to be free"

"I vote for Patroclus" "I STILL SAY WE WAIT FOR ACHILLES!"

Nooohing short of death will keeep me awaaaay"

"Well, it's better than two!"

"Patroclus go and fetch your friend. He can't mean what he said" "No, he means it!" (Said with the most deadpan voice ever)

[danganronpama]

The Ultimate Soldier Becomes... an NPC?

Junko Enoshima never really gave Mukuro “missions” before—at least, not in the way normal people would understand them. Everything was always about Despair, plans, destruction, and ruining the world.

But this time?

This time, the order was simple.

"Go away."

Mukuro had blinked. “…What?”

Junko sighed dramatically. “Go. Awaaaay~” she repeated, slower, exaggerated, like she was speaking to an idiot. "Like, get outta here. Shoo. Go be a normie. Get a boring job, do boring things, and just—do absolutely nothing."

Mukuro stared at her. This was a joke, right?

But no.

Junko was completely serious.

She leaned back, twirling a strand of her strawberry blonde hair around one manicured finger. "I mean, let’s be real, Muku~ You’re, like, too dull to even be interesting to me anymore. If you’re gonna be all boring and lame throughout my masterplan, then ugh, just go become an NPC or something."

She waved dismissively. "Like, idk, become a cashier. Or a janitor. Or—OH! A middle school teacher!" (She burst into laughter at her own joke.) "Could you imagine?! The Ultimate Soldier stuck grading little brats’ math quizzes! PFFFFT—"

Mukuro said nothing.

She just stood there, completely frozen.

“…You don’t want me around anymore,” she said, slowly.

Junko rolled her eyes. "Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Oh my GOD, it took you this long to figure that out?! Why do you think I keep trying to kill you?!

Mukuro’s shoulders trembled.

“…I thought that’s how you showed affection,” she muttered, her voice quiet and unsteady.

Junko leans forward, gripping Mukuro’s face between her hands.

"Ohhhh, Muku, that’s—HAHAHAHAHAHA!—that’s SO FUCKED UP."

Her nails dig in.

"You thought that’s how I showed affection?! That’s fucking hysterical!"

Mukuro felt something cold in her chest.

This was worse than any battlefield. Worse than any mission she had ever taken. Worse than dying.

Junko was discarding her.

She wasn’t being sent to kill. She wasn’t being given a role in some new grand scheme of despair.

She was being told to… fade into the background.

To leave.

To disappear.

To become something Junko would never think about again.

And for the first time in her entire life—Mukuro Ikusaba didn’t know what to do.

Scenario 1: Mukuro Actually Becomes a Cashier

(Because she has no idea what else to do.)

A few months later, somewhere in a tiny convenience store in the middle of nowhere, a tired, slightly miserable Mukuro Ikusaba scans groceries behind the register.

Customer: (smiling) "Oh wow, you’re so fast at bagging! Have you worked here long?"

Mukuro: (dead inside) "...Yes."

Customer: (cheerfully) "That’s so cool! You must be super dedicated!"

Mukuro hands them their receipt.

Mukuro: (monotone) "Thank you for your purchase. Please leave."

She stares blankly at the automatic doors as they slide shut.

This is her life now.

Scenario 2: Mukuro Ignores Junko’s Order & Comes Back Anyway

(Because she refuses to be thrown away like this.)

Months pass.

Junko doesn’t hear from Mukuro. Doesn’t think about Mukuro. Doesn’t even wonder where she went.

Until—

One day—

She wakes up in her luxurious hideout, stretches, and—

Mukuro Ikusaba is standing at the foot of her bed.

Watching her.

Silently.

Junko blinks.

“…Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

Mukuro tilts her head slightly.

"I’m not an NPC," she says, voice quiet, steady.

Junko groans. "UGH, GOD, why?! Why are you like this?!"

Mukuro doesn’t move.

She doesn’t blink.

And for the first time ever—

Junko feels uneasy.

Alternate Ending: What If Mukuro Just… Liked Being a Cashier?

(Bonus crack ending where Mukuro just vibes in retail and actually enjoys it.)

Mukuro, now a full-time cashier, genuinely enjoys her life.

She loves the structure of scanning items.

She becomes a legend among cashiers for never needing to call a manager.

She scares Karen customers with her deadpan stare.

She defuses robberies just by staring at them until they leave.

One day, Junko accidentally walks into her store and freezes.

Mukuro casually scans her snacks.

Mukuro: (deadpan) "That’ll be $9.75."

Junko stares.

Junko blinks.

Junko walks out without paying.

Mukuro watches her leave. Then sighs, grabbing the store mic.

Mukuro: (monotone) "Manager, we have another shoplifter."

The end.

[dashawns-world]

Escaflowne the Movie (2000)

I’m probably dating myself immediately by choosing this movie, but it’s what came to mind after a joint last night. I recommend watching (at least) the opening scene of this film up until the title comes on at around 5:20. You can watch it here. I will spoil the movie, though, so here’s your warning. Also, this movie deals with heavy themes such as depression and nihilism. If that isn’t your thing, run awaaaay!

Where was I? Oh, right- 

So, why this movie? Well, let me paint a lil’ picture for you. (With words, I don’t wanna paint rn, sorry.) 

I was 10 or 11 when Escaflowne came on TV one night, I think. (This painting sucks, leave me alone.)  I remember it being faaairly late, and I was fiending for anything with the vibe of Dragon Ball or Cowboy Bebop. Though I didn’t know it at the time, it was anime that I wanted to watch. I felt like a cool grown-up watching them because they had violence and adults smoking. Simpler times.

Escaflowne started much slower than I would’ve liked as a kid. Now, I can appreciate the time given to showing shots of the sky and the massive airship that dwarfs a damn mountain. But as a kid, I wanted something to happen.

I got my wish when this anime boy fell from the clouds. I’m like, where’d this guy come from? I’m locked in now. Suddenly he lands on the airship, and a guard is rightfully like, “Bro, who tf-“ SLICE! The guard is dead, and my lil developing brain decides, “Yup, here’s a core memory.” What proceeds is the most intense opening of a movie I’d seen up until that point. The drums kick in, and this anime boy runs into a hull full of soldiers and sprays everybody. The animation, choreography, music, and cinematography are outstanding. Truly unmatched stuff. I won’t go into detail here because I want to break this scene down later, but yeah, the anime boy’s lone assault on this airship is incredible.

I NEVER got that opening scene out of my head. It started my obsession with anime guys and their samurai swords before Samurai Champloo, and solidified my appreciation for airships/sky battles. Maybe it’s because I recently beat “Tears of the Kingdom,” but I’ve been thinking more and more about how I like fighting in the sky. (Not irl, though.)

Now the thing is, the opening scene is ALL I ever remembered from the movie. I could recall elements of the rest of the film, like the fact that there were giant robots, but the story and characters never stuck. And that’s why I decided to rewatch this as an adult and figure out why. 

Here we go!

I won’t dissect the entire movie beat for beat. It’s tempting, but I want to discuss the story and its themes today. I’ll need to let you in on another small fact to do that. This movie is an adaptation of an anime TV series called “The Vision of Escaflowne.” I didn’t know that until last night because while watching it, I could see the story introducing many elements and dropping them just as quickly, so I googled it. At this point in my life, I’ve watched many films based on books. You can just tell after a while. What’s interesting, though, is that this adaptation took a lot of liberties with the source material. I only knew this version, so I’m judging it on its merits. 

I’m also ghetto, so here’s Wikipedia’s summary. 

“Hitomi Kanzaki is in crisis. Her life has lost its meaning, and she is plagued by unusual dreams. She is depressed and wants nothing more than to disappear. After falling out with her only friend, she is mysteriously summoned to another world, Gaea, where she finds herself inside Escaflowne, a doomsday weapon destined to come to life at the appearance of a prophesied "wing goddess". The world of Gaea is facing its own crisis: relentless conquest by the Black Dragon Clan, the rebels against which become convinced that Hitomi is the prophesied goddess who will revive Escaflowne. Never certain of her identity in Gaea, Hitomi finds her destiny as she becomes closer to the rebel leader, Lord Van, and helps to bring about the fall of his vengeful brother Lord Folken, the master of the Black Dragon Clan.”

Say thank you to Wikipedia! ...I’m sorry if this is annoying to read.

Anyway, I’ll say that’s a reasonably exciting story! Maybe not now when tons of Isekai have done it arguably better in all these years, but It’s interesting. A depressed person with the power to make or break a world? What a concept! Indeed it’s enough to make you curious. I’m gonna stop talking like this now.

Nihilism is the name of the game in this film. Each major player (Hitomi, Van, and Folken) represents different stages of it. Whereas Hitomi deals with how much modern-day living sucks, Van and Folken’s conflict involves war and their entire world. That said, Hitomi was ready to self-destruct in her introductory scene due to her depression. VERY HEAVY. After the opening scene's thrill, this was like whiplash. None of this stuck with my childish brain; I was very dumb. Thankfully, the imagery was not disturbing (otherwise, it probably would have), but the stuff she said resonates with me now. 

Ultimately, she finds she’s not alone in feeling this way, as Van is similarly alone in his world as the sole heir to his kingdom. He has only known struggle thanks to his dickhole older brother, who is coo-coo-crazy with his nihilism, and is hell-bent on taking the whole world out with him. Hitomi and Van only defeat Folken thanks to finding and understanding each other. …Except they don’t defeat him… in fact, the story and many of the themes get kinda screwy.

I’ve buried the lead, but in my opinion, this movie starts off strong and then drops the ball. I will say I liked what the story was doing. The theme, learning that you’re not alone when you’re depressed, is beautiful. Sure, one can argue that it oversimplifies a real issue, but stories can do that. I see stories as extensions of their creators. The writing is genuine here. Hitomi’s dialogue in the intro was legit and also beautifully directed. I’m definitely assuming here, but if this is how the writers chose to tell the story of someone struggling with depression, I won’t dismiss it because they didn’t match how I feel you should write about it.

The problems I had were more on the missed potential side. And letting dialogue take the place of visual storytelling. The first act had me completely engrossed. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The troubles started to arise when they started introducing maaaaany characters. I started to lose track of them. I love ensemble casts, but in a 90-minute movie, they’re not all going to get to shine. This is only a problem for me when I actually LIKE the characters. (which I did, the freakin goobs) So if they were to… suddenly eject from the plot, I’d be sad. This is where the film, initially being a show, reared its ugly head. Van is part of a resistance group, but he’s not even the leader. I don’t know why the Wikipedia synopsis said that.

Thanks, Wikipedia.

You find this out after his and Hitomi’s introductory scenes. They throw this lovable gang of misfits at you, and they do it well. I was on board and was even starting to worry for them because I knew a dark fantasy story had the potential to kill off mains. None of them die, though. In fact, around the halfway point of the movie, they all become completely irrelevant. The actual leader? Diet-Sephiroth? He can keep UP with Van, who is, on all accounts, a killing machine. They seemed to think showing us this was important. Too bad he’s useless by the movie's midpoint, too, because he never has to show that strength again. They don’t even get a scene at the end where they tell Hitomi goodbye. Why the hell were they even there? Why did we spend any time learning about them? I’m sure they get more relevancy in the show, but this isn’t the show; it’s a movie. A movie that purposefully isn’t anything like the show, either. From what I read, this movie cut a lot of the fat from the show, but I guess this couldn’t be helped. That said, there’s a scene where a VERY detestable character gets a farewell scene. Why him and not Van’s crew? I’m very upset, lol.

So what happens when the crew is gone halfway through the movie? Well, Hitomi and Van bond. But… not in any way that’s immediately noticeable. This is my major, major issue. Too many characters tell Hitomi things about Van before we see them bond. I really wish she’d SEEN that he wasn’t such a bad guy instead of people telling her. They also tell her the whole point of the movie, which is a no-no for me. The lion dude is straight up like, “Yeah, Van wants to die.” He may as well have said, “Just like you did earlier in the movie because he’s depressed too.” I was hoping she’d learn this from her interactions with Van himself, but up until this point in the movie, they don’t interact much. This is where my tastes come in, as I want to grow attached to the main characters in a story. Hitomi and Van, despite being very profoundly written in this film, are only their sorrow, it seems. Hitomi, at least in the beginning, is less so. But Van is about as interesting as a wall in this movie. (A wall that can fight good, mind you, but fight good is not a personality trait.) 

Stories about emotionally stunted, stoic-lite dudes that need a woman to show them how to care make me cringe. I can’t help it; it’s just not my thing! “Man strong, he need woman to lie head on.” I personally think that’s weak irl, so stories like that don’t resonate with me. To each their own. I think it could’ve at least been done a bit more tastefully. But heeey, this movie is a 2000’s movie, baybee, and hindsight is, of course, 20/20. In the movie’s defense, though, Hitomi and Van don’t seem to develop feelings or intimacy beyond understanding one another, so that’s why I could keep going! One could even say the stoic dude thing wasn’t their intention! But that’s the problem when you don’t give HIM (Van) any agency, and everyone talks about him like they did. I forgot he wasn’t a machine until ⅔ into the film.

I gave it some thought, and the only reason this bothered me was that Van’s humanity was all there, but AFTER these scenes with Hitomi being told about it. Van DOES open up and IS a good guy in a bad position. There’s a scene where he sculpts a figurine for one of the crew members. I actually love how the scene was directed because you couldn’t tell he was doing it. It was a reveal. And a very good reveal, to me. I enjoyed that! If they had put that scene earlier than it was placed, that could’ve been the visual moment to know that he’s not all “kill, kill, destroy.” But it wasn’t new information where it was placed. The movie said, “Sorry, I know Van seemed a lil coo-coo-crazy initially, but we promise you he’s a protagonist.” And I’m like, “I knoooow, you told me so many times that this seems redundant now.” Okay, I’m done with my lil rant.

The intention to make Hitomi and Van two peas in a pod was great, but it felt like Hitomi didn’t think he was tight until he saved her and was told multiple times Van’s cool... After that, she becomes a “Van’s the Man fan girl.” So if you look past all that, they bond, and it’s nice. But the rest becomes kind of a slog. Characters are introduced and given nothing; Before I end this, lemme talk about Folken real quick. His motivations were weird. Basically, he hated the world? And wanted it destroyed by the apocalyptic arrival of Hitomi. The head-scratching came from the fact that he didn’t need her to fuck up the world. He was doing a pretty good job being evil and ruining everyone’s lives without her. His misinformation about their lil prophecy was his own undoing. In fact, he knew he was going to die and welcomed it. The prophecy said he’d die, but it didn’t say how it would happen. I guess he wanted it to be Hitomi, but she was like a school girl so that didn’t happen. Lol, sorry, bro. I skim over stuff all the time; these are the results. The plot was “Folken was wrong about everything.”

So, due to being wrong about everything, Folken is betrayed by one of his own soldiers and KILLED lol. If you didn’t watch, you’re probably like wow that’s underwhelming. But if you SAW how impossibly powerful they made Folken seem, this is even more of a wet slap on your cheek. His climactic battle with Van and Hitomi is underwhelming because they don’t fight. It seems like, through Hitomi’s influence, Van no longer wants to be a fighter ANYWAY. He just wants peace. But the movie definitely made it seem like they were all going to fight more. I guess I like climactic fights if you give me too powerful badasses. Theme be damned, lol. That’s not a fair critique, but it’s what I wanted. Not a single clash of a sword between Van and Folken. The ending just had me scratching my head. After the lack of character stuff, all I was looking forward to was a sick animated fight, and I didn’t get it. There are more things I could nitpick, but ultimately it was the lack of believability in Van and Hitomi’s relationship that kept this from being a classic in my eyes. I’m fairly lax about plot shit when the characters are hitting, but if I’m bored of your mains, I don’t care, yo; I’m going to sleep. So much potential, though! 

There are a few scenes I’d like to go over in detail because, despite the movie’s lack of a satisfying whole, there were some REAL TASTY parts. But I’ll do that in another post, as this one is too long now. I’d say at the end of it all, I did learn something about my own tastes. And now you did too. Thanks for reading if you got this far!

-Dashawn

[therapardalis]

"Hit me with your best plot - fire awaaaay!"

So here's me posting this at a time when lots of my not-Australian peeps have already gone to bed! Go me XD!

But yeah - plotting call!

Come jump into IMs or like this post and I'll come up with some ideas.

Or we can talk about where to go with threads/plots we already have :).

[captainsparklefingers]

GO AWAY DELILAH. GO. AWAAAAY.

God damn why does she not take a fuckin HINT.

....you know what, let Predathos eat Vecna. That's fine. Sure we may lose Laudna but also we get rid of Delilah and that's gotta be worth something, right? And hey, Delilah could be full of crap, Laudna might not be tethered in a 'if I go you go' way!

[despair-to-future-arcs]

Hi Nagi's Mama.

*carries what looks to be a tray with a bowl and a syringe along with a cord* Alright, I'm back and Akane here's your first meal.

Sweet, finally I'm starving and-!

Huh? Is... is this what I'll be eating?

Well yes, this is what you'll be eating from here on out; the soup is going into this syringe here which the cord will be attached to your feeding tube and down your esophagus to your stomach.

It's a long progress but that is the only way to re-introduce food to you, sorry. *as she attaches the tube and starts filling the syringe, she attaches it to the tube which the soup goes into Akane's nose*

...

GAH, WH-WHAT THE HELL!

*tosses the soup which lands on Kazuichi* GET AWAAAAY!!!

Wait don't spill it!

AAAAAAAAGGGHH!! IT BUUURRRNS!

Holy shit! Kazuichi you alright?!

Huh what?! Wait, no it doesn't! Why's this so cold?!

*Sonia puts her finger where the soup landed and put it in her mouth to taste it* ...

Oh hey, it is cold! Why are you giving Akane cold soup?

The reason for it's that cold is because it's going up her nose, it can't be too hot.

Yeah and now you spill it, Hiroko? Can you go bring Kazuichi to get a shower... again while I get this clean up and get another bowl of soup which good thing I made extra.

No worries Rumi, got it - c'mon kid let's go.

*walks out of the room with Hiroko, drenched in soup while staring at Akane* ...

...So it's suppose to be that cold?

Yes, it is... excuse me for a moment. *Leaves the room then later comes back with a mop and bucket as she begins to clean up the mess*

So-Sorry, my bad; I won't do it again.

...baby steps, yeah let's hope we work on this.

Yeah... baby steps, seems I got quite a bit to write down...

We've got a long way to go…

[spoonyglitteraunt]

Had to take a break for a day because body got in the way, but we're back off the road (because I can't stick to those to save Link's life) and the travels continue with some ill-advised traipsing through underground tunnels.

I have a feeling this goes all the way up to the castle and I’m not sure whether I’m supposed to go there yet, but there is clothing to be found down here so facing dangers beyond my ability it is.

You may say a lot of things about Link as played by me, but never that he's not impeccably dressed at all times.

So, tiny stint in what’s left of the castle and I’m doubly not sure I’m supposed to be here yet, but also. Good grief that man wasn’t lying about it being maze in here. I had sort of forgotten how bad it was and in BotW you at least had somewhat of a map. Right now it’s nearly impossible for my spatial awareness challenged brain. Orientation what now?

I know they said the cooking guy had snuck over to the castle to find recipes, but you absolute madman how did you get to the dining hall in one piece and why are you still here with monsters roaming about??? I don’t know if you’re insanely brave or if I need to add you to the list of people with zero self-protective instincts around here.

Honestly at this point I think we can put Hyrule down as one of those adaptive radiation evolution cases where everyone just grew to have no proper danger sense. Which may have been needed what with an apocalypse happening every century or so. Like special little kamikaze finches.

Look my man. If you fed me whole pinecones I’d run too.

Ever have that feeling of I know I’m running headfirst into danger and yet I’m doing it anyway because curiosity? Kamikaze finches for sure.

Ok yeah, no. I know when not to engage a big scary monster ten times my size with its own personal flamethrower. This is future Link’s problem.

Chanting as you sneak past: Fall asleep monster monster, stay awaaaay monster monster.

Yeah sorry korok buddy, but if you want to be BBQ that’s your choice, I like my elfboy to be non-crispy, thanks.

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

I did another chapter!!

Ooooh this whole productivity thing is so wonderful. sighhh

And awaaaay we goo—

OPLA!Mihawk x OC

Previous Chapter Link

Next Chapter Link

Chapter 1 Link

Chapter 5: Eavesdropping

Word Count: 3.7k

Tags: Slow-burn, Enemies to Lovers, eventually NSFW, uh, if I think of more I'll add them or something

After having her sloop sunk by the Buggy Pirates and losing most of her worldly possessions in the process, the normally solitary mercenary Karimi Lionne finds herself teaming up with the rag-tag little crew that is the Strawhat Pirates to defeat them. She bonds with them far more quickly than she bargained for, and that quickly turns into a problem for the Kiku Kiku no Mi devil fruit user when she learns of Nami's plans to leave them high and dry, and Zoro issues a challenge at Baratie that he very likely won't live long enough to regret.

All remained still and silent aboard the small vessel for a long, tense moment—and then Mihawk heard the girl sigh, heard a shift in the fabric of her clothing as she stood, the heavy footfalls of her boots as she set to undocking the boat. That was decidedly better, even if she was making a show of it. He listened in silence for several seconds, and she worked without saying a word, though clearly being aggressive in her movements and actions with the intention of conveying her agitation.

He only spoke up when he heard her raise the sail.

“I suppose you must have a name?”

She gave a snort from somewhere behind him as she steered the vessel slowly away from the dock. “How gentlemanly,” she said coolly. “Order me around and then ask if I have a name.”

“I do think it appropriate that I know the name of my servant.”

“Oh, servant,” she said, clearly taking offense. “I personally prefer ‘employee.’ Unpaid or not, I am essentially working off a debt.”

“Indentured servant, then.” He found himself smirking the slightest bit at the noise of disgust she made at that.

“Because that sounds so much better,” she grumbled under her breath. Then, with a resigned sigh, she spoke up, her voice still laced with sarcasm. “Well then, Karimi Lionne, at your service, sir.” Lionne. Something about that name struck him familiar for a moment—but it was fleeting enough for him to let it go for the time. “Shall we draw up a formal contract? It is a business arrangement.”

Mihawk gave a quiet hum, his mouth turning down in a thoughtful from. Sarcasm aside, that wasn’t the worst idea. It would ensure that she couldn’t find some loophole that would allow her to bolt before her time was up. “Fine,” he said finally. He shifted in his seat, looking over his shoulder at her, around the back of his seat, as she peered down at a compass and adjusted the position of the sails. “We will. Once I’ve concluded my business with Vice Admiral Garp, we will make port at Syrup Village. I’m sure there’s a tavern with a private parlor or inn that could be made use of for the task.”

“There is,” she said. “Saw one or two while I was there with…” She jerked her head toward the ship she had just left. “There we are…” she added, glancing from her compass to the horizon ahead, toward the haze of heavy fog spread out across the ocean before them. “Due north-east.” And with that, she took a seat on the deck once more and leaned back against the railing, laying her head back and tilting her hat down over her green eyes. “Only took us a few hours to get from Syrup Village to Baratie. As long as the wind holds we should be nearing the docks around noon.”

It was clearly no lie that she had some degree of experience sailing. That was somewhat reassuring. Though she claimed to have been working as a mercenary for six years, Mihawk had certainly never heard of her; though perhaps that wasn’t too great a surprise, if she had spent that stretch of time operating solely in the East Blue. It had been quite some time since the warlord had left the Grand Line. Still, she appeared quite young to be as seasoned as she claimed, even if her work had been solely in the calmest of the four Blue seas. His eyes scanned over her briefly.

“Exactly how old are you?”

“Twenty-four,” she said shortly, clearly intent on not being disturbed—though that wasn’t exactly her choice.

“Twenty-four,” he repeated slowly, his eyes scanning over her. He scoffed a little. She looked younger, but he would give her the benefit of the doubt for now; a great deal of that had simply to do with her small stature alone. “You’ve been working as a mercenary since you were eighteen and haven’t acquired a bounty?”

“I don’t take jobs that involve Marines or the World Government,” she said, her tone just as short, not bothering to lift her tattered tricorne from over her eyes. “I don’t bother them, they don’t bother me.”

“And yet you planned to steal a map of the Grand Line from the base in Shell’s Town.” Karimi gave a short sigh at that accusation, and didn’t bother asking how he was aware of it—she didn’t even bother using her devil fruit powers. There was no doubt that Usopp had blabbed the vast majority of what he knew of the entire crew’s personal business amid his drunken ramblings at Baratie. “That’s quite the abrupt change of heart.”

“It is,” she agreed. She hadn’t even really wanted to accept the job, but the offer had been too great to refuse—Buggy had claimed to have information on her father, information that he wasn’t calling to the forefront of his mind because he had heard about her devil fruit powers from other crews she had worked with. She had been able to ascertain one thing from the clown captain’s passing thoughts—that he had, at one point in time or other, known both her father and Red-Haired Shanks personally. She shook her head a little. “Special circumstances. Some things are worth more than money.”

“And what is it you’re seeking, then?” The warlord’s tone remained a bit bored, and particularly haughty…but she could hear some degree of genuine interest dawning in it. “Six years avoiding Marines and then you’re willing to dive headlong into one of their bases? Sounds like the reward must have been quite valuable.”

“Yes, well, it turned out he was lying, anyway,” she said, dodging the first half of the question; that was her business and her business alone. She stretched out her legs across the deck, tucking her hands behind her neck. “I’d probably have killed him if Luffy hadn’t insisted on taking pity. Just toss the bastard one piece at a time into the ocean and watch him sink.” She sighed slowly. “Might have done anyway if I hadn’t needed transportation.”

He was quiet for a long moment at that, before giving a thoughtful hum. “You at least sound the part of a hired gun—or blade,” he commented —and left it at that, leaving Karimi for the time in peace and silence, broken only by the sound of the sails fluttering and the waves rolling around the sides of the small craft.

Karimi lifted her hat every now and again to check her compass; stood once or twice to make small adjustments to their direction. There were no visible landmarks amid the thick fogbank, and for them to veer off course for any amount of time could double the length what should have been a relatively brief journey. She was well aware of Mihawk keeping watch on her from the corner of his sharp gaze, no doubt silently assessing her abilities. There hadn’t yet been any formal contract written or signed. Until it was in writing, the man could go back on his word at his whim and either finish what he had started with Zoro, or simply do away with her if she didn’t seem she would be of any use to him. She had to be careful in that respect, to ensure that he could see she knew what she was doing.

At worst, he could leave her with the Marines aboard the ship they were heading toward, and the thought of that made her stomach churn and a chill creep through her whole body.

Time seemed to drag on in the seemingly endless expanse of fog—when they finally emerged, the sun was nearly at high noon, and Vice Admiral Garp’s ship was clear as day against the backdrop of Syrup village, anchored not far from the islands. The closer they drew Hitsugibune to the much larger vessel, the more tense Karimi seemed to grow. As much as Mihawk would have loved to see how the girl would react to being made to board the ship, to see if she could keep her wits and resolve about her, now wasn’t the time. It wouldn’t do for any Marines, much less a vice admiral, to know he was even considering taking any sort of associate.

So as he tethered the craft off to the Marine ship himself, he glanced down at the girl where she leaned against the side of the deck, staring out toward Syrup Village.

“You will remain here.” She lifted her eyebrows at that, glancing toward him and meeting his eyes. “You will remain silent. I would also like you to utilize your…unique abilities for the purpose of reconnaissance. I wish to know what the hell was going through the vice admiral’s head when he saw fit to send me on this farce of a mission.”

“I’ll be able to hear your thoughts, too,” she said, eyebrows still raised, and he lifted his own.

“Is that a threat?” he said slowly—and you scoffed.

“No, it’s how it works,” she said, resting her hands at the railing behind her, pulling herself up to sit upon it. “I can’t just turn it on and off for individual people. It’s either everyone or no one.”

Mihawk observed her for a moment, trying to decide whether she was being truthful or not. Finally he rolled his eyes. “Fine. Then keep it off. But that will be something I expect you to work on. Any ability can be honed and sharpened. Yours are no exception.”

She gave a lazy sort of salute. “Can do.”

For as smart as her mouth was, she at least seemed compliant at taking instruction. That, if nothing else, went in her favor.

“Remain here, remain silent,” he repeated once more, before boarding the Marine vessel.

Karimi did as she was told, taking a seat on the deck at the opposite side of the craft against the side of the throne at its center, obscuring her from anyone that might glance over the edge of the Marines’ ship and notice Hitsugibune. Still, silent, out of sight; she was sure that stealth had played a great deal in her avoiding accruing a bounty over the past half a decade, as it went hand in hand with the set of abilities she was typically sought after for.

But she did do one thing she had been told not to—she closed her eyes, expelling a deep sigh, and released the barrier of her haki.

She clenched her eyes shut a bit tighter; the chatter of the more than fifty Marines aboard the massive ship was almost deafening at first. There were only two voices that she would recognize among them, and she quickly found Mihawk’s. They were moored as close as they could be to the Vice Admiral’s own cabin, and he was able to enter without any notice. Lay his sword across the desk and sink back into the chair there, propping his feet up.

Waiting, eyes glued to the door, sure that Garp would be around before long.

And Karimi found Garp’s voice relatively nearby, on the quarterdeck with a young cadet named Koby that he seemed to have taken under his wing—the cadet Luffy had saved from servitude aboard a pirate ship and accompanied to Marine Town.

And Garp was aware of it. Now that was interesting.

Garp’s mind briefly went silent as he and Koby stopped just inside the double doors of his cabin and caught sight of Mihawk.

“Mihawk,” he said after a moment. He paused a moment, his thoughts a bit of a jumbled swirl, before choosing to respond to the surprise with sarcasm. “Nice of you to announce yourself.”

 “I thought this was a conversation we might have privately.”

Garp didn’t take his eyes off of Mihawk for a single moment, even as he addressed Koby behind him.

“Dismissed, cadet.”

“Aye, sir.”

And Koby did leave, pulling the double doors shut behind them…but in his curiosity, he lingered, crouched behind the door. Listening—terrified, but resolute in his intent on learning more, on learning exactly why a Vice Admiral, a man with Garp’s standing and authority, was so bent on bringing someone like Luffy to justice. Karimi found herself distracted by the young cadet’s thoughts for a moment, his torn opinions over Luffy; a pirate, yes, and therefore his enemy…but at the same time, his friend, who had saved him from a life under the thumb of Captain Alvida’s cruelty.

“So where is he? Where’s Luffy?” asked Garp after a brief pause.

“At the moment, I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“I decided to let him go.” Karimi did her best to keep her attention trained on Garp—little as she liked the warlord, Mihawk had expressed clear disapproval at the idea of having her listen in on his thoughts. It was an invasion of privacy that she wouldn’t have wanted directed on her, and she preferred to extend the courtesy to anyone who found the idea of it uncomfortable.

Garp definitely wasn’t pleased with the audacity of the warlord, showing up in his cabin unannounced, sitting behind his desk as if he owned the place.

“I specifically told you to bring him to me.”

“Come now, Vice Admiral. I don’t take orders.” And Mihawk’s condescending tone was doing nothing to stay the growing anger of the Marine. “Not even from the likes of you.”

“As one of the Seven Warlords, you serve at the pleasure of the World Government. Without our immunity—”

“I would still do precisely what I want. No more and no less. And what I want is to see what becomes of that young man when he enters the Grand Line.”

Hardly able to believe what he was hearing, Garp just gave a scoff, shaking his head as Mihawk pulled his boots down from the desk and stood. He knew damned well that Mihawk wasn’t wrong. He knew that had there been any possibility of bringing the dangerous swordsman to justice, he would never have been offered a position among the seven warlords in the first place. Infuriating as it was, he was right.

“I won’t let that happen,” said Garp finally.

And yet there was a small voice, buried deep, that said he might let it happen. He might just let Luffy sail right by and head for the Grand Line. Karimi’s lips tugged down into a thoughtful frown at that.

“Then you have your work cut out for you, Vice-Admiral, because that boy is interesting.” Garp watched Mihawk lift his sword from the desk, securing it to his back again as he slowly approached the older man. “Who knows? Maybe your grandson will be the one to find the One Piece after all.”

The men exchanged a glare—though Garp was immediately wondering to himself how Mihawk had come to learn of his familial ties to Luffy.

And a thought struck him.

One single word—no, one single name.

One that had Karimi immediately focusing her haki again, her eyes flying open.

Her name. Her name had passed through Garp’s mind.

“Nope,” she said under her breath, swallowing, her heart suddenly racing a great deal faster. She had no doubt that Garp had seen her aboard the Merry during his attack. Little doubt that he might have recognized her as the fourteen year old girl he and his men had found amid the ruined wreckage of a small village on the Grand Line ten years ago, in the aftermath of a vicious attack by one of his own deeply unhinged comrades—

“No,” she said again, through her teeth, pushing the thought away before it could form, shoving the memory down somewhere dark and deep, somewhere that she intended for it to stay.

She had hoped that perhaps she might find something, might hear something that would increase her value in the eyes of her surly employer, but that was too much. Garp could let his thoughts return to that travesty, to the massacre of her home, her friends, her family, but she wouldn’t. She couldn’t, not even for a moment.

She remained still and silent as she heard Mihawk drop back down onto the deck of Hitsugibune. Remained hidden around the other side of the throne-like seat situated beneath the mast as he set the sails and sat down heavily again, crossing one of his ankles across his opposite leg. He leaned his elbow into the arm of the seat, glancing down at her.

“I take it no one noticed you?” Karimi shook her head. “Good.”

His tone was short, clearly no less pleased with the outcome of the brief meeting than Garp, and didn’t speak up again as the boat sailed toward the docks of Syrup Village.

Karimi, however, did—after several minutes of silence, not moving from where she was sitting, her arms crossed over her knees as she leaned back against the side of the throne, she forced out two quiet words.

“I listened.”

More silence, for several long seconds—and then an irritated sigh.

“And?”

“The cadet was eavesdropping.”

“Obviously,” he said.

“Friend of Luffy’s,” she went on.

“Seems the boy has managed to make quite a few in his brief stint as a ‘pirate,’” he commented, and gave a small scoff. “And is Garp aware of this?” She nodded shortly. There was another brief pause, and he sounded just a bit more intrigued when he spoke again. “How likely is this cadet to defect and side with his friend over his employer?”

Karimi shrugged a shoulder. “I was listening to Garp more than him. I…can hone in on one person at a time. It doesn’t entirely mute everyone else in the vicinity, but it muffles them a bit. Like listening to one person speak in a crowded room. I can still hear everyone else, but I can focus on one at a time.” He gave a brief, thoughtful hum. “The cadet’s name is Koby. From what I gathered he was aboard the ship of a pirate called Alvida as a cabin boy, and not of his own choosing. Luffy saved him, encouraged him to follow his dreams and enlist as a Marine. He still considers Luffy a friend but he has a strong sense of duty, which has led Garp to take him under his wing.”

“And Garp?” he asked. “What of his relationship with his grandson?”

Karimi shook her head, and laughed a little. “I briefly caught that he…might just let Luffy enter the Grand Line. He pushed the thought away pretty quickly, but it definitely crossed his mind.” She laid her head back, gazing up toward the few fluffy white clouds trailing across the cyan expanse of the sky overhead. “He’s an interesting kid.” A small laugh escaped her. “Has his own ideas of what a pirate’s supposed to be. He’s not in it for money or glory, he just wants the adventure. Live it a day at a time and encourage everyone around him to do the same. Just let go and follow your dreams. It’s sort of hard not to root for him.”

Perhaps she was pushing her luck a bit, but she turned her head enough to look back at Mihawk, from the corner of her vision, watching as he frowned thoughtfully himself.

“You said you wanted to see what happens when he enters the Grand Line,” she said. His eyes shifted down to her. “Why?”

He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Were you not listening the entire time?” he said, a bit dryly.

She rolled her eyes away from his gaze. “You made clear you don’t want me listening to your thoughts. I did my best to tune them out and keep my focus on Garp.”

“Did you?” She hummed in affirmation. She tensed when she felt his hand brush her hair around behind her shoulder, drawing in a slow, deep breath as she steadied her nerves. “And why should I believe you, little bird?” he said, sounding amused at her claim.

Karimi swallowed, her gaze falling to her knees. “It’s your choice whether you do or not,” she said simply. “But if someone expresses that they prefer I not use my devil fruit power on them, I do my best not to. I appreciate my privacy and I respect the privacy of others. It’s why I trained in Armament Haki in the first place. I focus it here.” She lifted her hands and pressed the pads of her index fingers behind either of her ears, perhaps an inch above her earlobes. She then tilted her head, pulling her hat off and lifting her hair on one side to reveal the small, black circle there, barely a pinprick that could have been mistaken for a birthmark at a glance. “At two points, with a line drawn between them. Shuts it off entirely.”

“Hmm.” She swallowed again, closing her eyes as she felt his fingertip brush across the point, before shaking her hair back down over her shoulder and pulling her tricorne back onto her head. “And how exactly did you figure out that would work?”

“My grandmother did. Years ago.” She crossed her arms over her knees. “I just do what she did.”

Karimi’s tone was quickly becoming short again—it seemed her personal history might have been a source of discomfort for her. Mihawk frowned down at her, his brow furrowed thoughtfully. Perhaps she was telling the truth, and perhaps she wasn’t. Either way, the enigma of the young woman and her powers did have his interest piqued. She had garnered quite a bit of insight into Garp’s relationship with his grandson during an exchange that hadn’t lasted five minutes, and she was at least adept enough with haki to switch her own devil fruit abilities on and off at will.

At the least, she did have the makings of a useful tool—and at best, she could prove to be an incredibly powerful weapon. She had said it so herself only last night, when she laid out her offer of servitude.

There was no weapon more dangerous than information.

Next chapter link again, for your convenience

[d-dawgthechef89]

it sounded like a roc

Ahh, shit! There it is, there it is, boy Ahh, yeah! There it is, there it is, buddy Ahhh, yeah! Yeah, yeah, they seem to know the time but, um.. let's see.. (Ah-ha, swing it)

[Verse 1: Subroc] It's my thing! Yo, it's my thing! The way I swing, not even an orangutan can hang on my DING-DING Saved by the bell rang I talk, yell, whisper, mumble street slang With no doubt, you tumble if I flip Don't make me shout with my vulgar lip A hip-hugger, I'll mug ya, if fun to know Slow and steady wins a race, I keeps a steady pace In a chase, I'm bookin', cookin' feet don't fail me 5-0's can't see me, catch me to jail me Walk the plank, ya damn dime droppers Snitches get stitches, why, oh, why does my trigger finger itches? Corrupt! I follow my nose — it always knows it Open the draw bridge — close it! Close it! A doo doo lyric, I snuck in 'cause I chose it Long ding-a-ling dong there, big booties grows it Up! (Up!), up and awaaaay, we go across the border To Mexico, suck my toe Doo doo brown's my color No watered down, no cut A jewel to a fool is like pearls to big butt Ahh, swine, I strut on the sidewalk and don't touch the line Escalate, never decline I'm gonna get mine, don't try to take mine No, my kneecaps ain't blacker than my black behind The bush, I touch tush So beware of the grin of my evil eyeball glare I's a wiseguy, yeah, a smart alec Like it, or kiss me where the sun don't shine like metallic KA-BLAOW!

[Chorus] "It sounded like a rock" "It sounded like a rock" "It sounded like a rock" "It sounded like a rock"

(They thought I didn't know!)

[Verse 2: Subroc] One-double-nine-tre, dumbbells I lift it Just for the taste of it, coke I won't sniff it Ya party pooper, you'll never stop my frontings Like Jesse Owens, I’ll dust ya, I run tings! Popcorn mama, you can sniff my sock I's a hard headed nigga, my head is (Like a rock) So, so, leave me, B-boy, I'll be boppin' When I chug-a-lug alone, it ain't no stoppin' Hop in skin to skin, now I must stall Jim hats ain't even made like rubbermaid, at all If I be over stressed, over tryin' under arms Cookin' like onions, you'll be cryin' Boo-hoo-hoo! But I get the hoorays From sunrise, to sunset for days All in the Kool-Aid, don't know the flavor Taste buds are shot, waistlines duds I left the slammer on bad-ass behavior Call me Sub, I roll underground like C.H.U.D.'s Cease with the wack, I'm never ever booty over that I got my cootie shots for the cootie for the body The hottie, I might use Karate (Snap back!) 15 minutes I'll be off duty KA-BLAMM

[Chorus] "It sounded like a rock" "It sounded like a rock" "It sounded like a rock" "It sounded like a rock"

[Break: Zev Love X] It's a break, Zev Love X and Subroc for Ninety Tre Crew massive deep Constipated Monkeys deficatin' that old hard shit And ya don't quit!

[Verse 3: Subroc] It sounded like a what?! It sounded like a boulder It sounded like a Land, yo, slide up over I need my room, to huff and puff These bastards be soft like marshmallow fluff Step up, wrong move you catch a back smack Or a blackout, so be out, black! Let's play catch, a bad one ya caught it I'll take your thumpin' heart and smote it Then I grab my wood (my dick), I grab my rope Over there ya got that same ole shit, here ya don't Oh, no, you don't, gimme that, back Now you sing the blues while your eye's black Don't need to flaunt, no need to front I see right through, you very blunt Attitude nonchalant, I do what I want If I be ghost, expect me back to haunt KA -BLAWW

[Chorus] "It sounded like a rock" "It sounded like a rock" "It sounded like a rock" "It sounded like a rock"

[Outro: Zev Love X] Constipated Monkeys doo-doo! Droppin' shit like that

[a2zsportsnews]

Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 8/1/24

12:02 Dan Szymborski: And awaaaay we go! 12:02 Ryan: Do you think the Padres have a shot of running down the Dodgers? The offense is humming and that bullpen looks insanely filthy. 12:03 Dan Szymborski: A shot? Yes. But it’s an uphill fight. Dodgers are an excellent team. The Padres need to not just be really good, they have to have the Dodgers hit some of their swingy injury risk in their…

[southwestcollectionarchives]

It’s Western Wednesday, y’all! And awaaaaay we go!