#and this is gonna be basically adding on the research work i had to do my sophomore yr

[kuiinncedes]

:|

[exercise-of-trust]

seemingly cool fiber arts person i followed a little bit ago just put radfem shit on the dash, anyway the blanket statement that the only contributions of men to textile production are capitalist/exploitative and the only contributions of women are household-centric/victimized is patently untrue. while less of a documented presence, women in medieval europe [1] absolutely participated in weaver's guilds and commercial cloth production [2], and men have been participating in household knitting in all parts of europe for as long as knitting has been a thing there [3]. like i'm not trying to say women haven't been deeply excluded from economic opportunities in the textile trade for centuries but you cannot be making sweeping statements like that about everyone in every part of the world through all of history and expect them to be true. do, like, a basic level of research and have a basic understanding of nuance, i beg of you [4]

footnotes/sources/etc under the cut, sources are a bit basic because i just grabbed whatever was nearest to hand but they should suffice to prove my point:

[1] i'm only referring to western europe here because that's the only region i feel comfortable talking about in any detail without embarrassing myself. systems of medieval cloth production in european guilds are not gonna look anything like the systems of hundreds of servants employed to do textile production for a household in china. don't make categorical statements about everyone everywhere all at once, you will end up with egg on your face.

[2] quotes from "when did weaving become a male profession," ingvild øye, danish journal of archaeology, p.45 in particular.

england: "in norwich, a certain elizabeth baret was enrolled as freeman of the city in 1445/6 because she was a worsted weaver, and in 1511, a riot occurred when the weavers here complained that women were taking over their work" + "another ordinance from bristol [in 1461] forbade master weavers to engage wives, daughters, and maids who wove on their own looms as weavers but made an exception for wives already active before this act" germany: "in bremen, several professional male weavers are recorded in the early fourteenth century, but evidently alongside female weavers, who are documented even later, in 1440" -> the whole "even later" thing is because the original article is disputing the idea that men as weavers/clothiers in medieval europe entirely replaced women over time. also: "in 1432-36, a female weaver, mette weuersk, is referred to as a member of the gertrud's guild in flensburg, presently germany" scandanavia: "the guild of weavers that was established in copenhagen in 1500 also accepted female weavers as independent members and the rules were recorded in the guild's statutes"

[3] quotes from folk socks: the history and techniques of handknitted footwear by nancy bush, interweave press, 2011, don't roast me it was literally within arm's reach and i didn't feel like looking up more stuff

uk/yorkshire dales: "...handknitting had been a daily employment for three centuries [leading up to 1900]. practiced by women, children, and men, the craft added much to the economy of the dales people." (p.21) uk/wales: re the knitting night (noson weu/noswaith weu) as a social custom practiced in the 18th/19th c.: "all the ladies would work on their knitting; some of the men would knit garters" (p.22) uk/channel islands: "by the early seventeenth century, so many of the islands' men, women, and children had taken up the trade of knitting that laws were necessary to keep them from knitting during harvest" (p.24) -> this one is deeply funny to me, in addition to proving my point uk/aberdeen: "the knitters, known as shankers, were usually women, but sometimes included old men and boys" (p.26) denmark: "with iron and brass needles, they made stockings called stunthoser, stomper, or stockings without feet, as well as stockings with feet. the men knit the legs and the women and girls made the heels" (p.32) iceland & faroe islands: "people of all ages and both sexes knit at home not only for their own use but for exportation of their goods as well" (p.35)

[4] actually? no. i'm not begging for shit from radfems. fuck all'a'y'all.

[littleoneamanda]

GF: Stanford Pines

Well, probably one of the fastest drawings I have been drawing xD

The original art style is pretty easy to work with, but I think I will keep doing it in mine after Fidds. Unless you want to see me draw more in the original style. Let me know! :D

Now to my thoughts on the book of bill and Stanford as a character. (SPOILERS)

The missing Journal Pages in this book are probably the ones that I found the most interesting and disturbing. We learn more about Ford as a person and what kind of friendship he had with Bill.

I just wanna say this, I really don't see how so many people saw them as "lovers" which I (imo) found very problematic and disturbing.

I think it is pretty clear Bill only uses Ford for his own gain. His property. Ford was the perfect human for his plans.

Take everything Bill says in the book with a whole spoon of salt.

"Even his lies are lies"

-Code from TBOB

"The ego of a king. The insecurity of a circus freak. And totally isolated from anyone who might steer him clear of my plans "

-Bill, TBOB

Ford has very low self esteem, isolates himself, bad at social interactions and even had a shotgun pointed at him. He describes himself "six fingerd freak".

So when a god like figure shows up in a dream one day, tells you how great you are, you will change the world, ect, You would buy it. Especially when others around you have made you feel like an outcast through your whole life (except for Stanley and Fidds).

Bill is basically love bombing Ford. Making Ford feel very special and reminding him of the project that will change everything.

Now there is a difference between self esteem and self confidence. (I'm adding the links if you wanna know more :) ) Ford absolutely have a strong self confidence. He believes strongly in his research. He belives he CAN achive and complete his research. This is also something Bill takes advantage of. He knows Ford is desperate. This is where is self confidence turns a little bit more to narcissism (again caused by Bill by manipulation). Bill does everything to make sure Ford continues the work.

As soon Ford realizes the betrayal, Bill shows his true colors.

He takes over Fords body multiple times. Takes his body on top of the roof in the middle of the winter, taped a rattlesnake into his journal, recorded a video of him being in Fords body "Puppet Hour with Bill" and will cut to something more disturbing scene. Left a lot of polaroids of him humiliating and torture his body in different ways.

Scaring Ford with one scene where he pretended to call Stan that he was gonna kill himself. This part of the book was probably the one that made me actually shiver. Think about it, You see video and pictures of yourself doing all of this, knowing that this is not you doing all of these things. And having no memory of it at. Too scared to fall asleep because you have no idea were your body is going to be next. That would make any person as paranoid Ford was at the end.

Fidds and Ford.

There is a lot of things that I wanna talk about when it comes to these two, but I will save most of it to the Fidds drawing.

Fidleford is Fords only true friend during this time. He is very supportive but also honest with Ford.

Ford haven't had any other friends during his early life. Stanley was his only friend, and the one who protected him until that one mistake that separates them. When Fiddleford comes in to the picture, (a person who also seemed to have problems making friends) he's probably the first person who doesn't even notice at first that Ford has six fingers. I really wish here we had some more backstory of their college years to know what their friendship looked like, but it seems they were very close.

"I am overcome with emotion. The sight of my old classmate upon my doorstep this morning filled my heart with such joy and gratitude."

-Stanford, Journal 3

Ford was obviously very happy to not be alone anymore in his home. To have his best friend (who also left his family behind) to work with him on this massive project. Now comes the question, what does Ford see Fidds as? I think Fidds shows some kind of feelings towards Ford escpecially when it comes to giving presents (Not only in TBOB but also in Journal 3). I think Ford does deeply care about Fidds, but his mind at this point is so focused on the project (and Bill making sure he is) that he pushes away a lot of feelings. Probably a lot of feelings that are necessary to have as well.

Something I do notice tho is when Bill isn't present, Ford becomes more like himself. Decorating the portal to make make Fidds happy after the failed family reunion (which I don't think he normally would have done if Bill was present during the holidays).

After Bill torture and threatening Ford in the nightmare, the only man he could think of in that moment who could help him was Fiddleford. When he went through Fidds notes for any hints of where he was now, he finds the 5 failed knitted 6-fingered gloves and the ripped photo of them. I can't imagine what that must have felt...

The closest person he had in his life at that point, who has tried to warn him. Tried to give Ford another option for success in his research instead of the portal. The regret of not listening to his warnings.

When they reunited after Weirdmaggedon, seeing how Fiddleford lived now and what the aftermath of the portal incident did to him, must have been a punch in the gut.

"...but when I saw that he was living at the dump, it became clear how deeply I had hurt this man that I had once held so dear."

-Stanford Journal 3

So...Is Ford a jerk? The question and discussions that I've seen so many times here xD

Honestly, this man is complicated. Especially when it comes to understand his thoughts and feelings. However, Stanford is a type person that I personally have encountered irl. Sometimes too smart for his own good, sometimes not understanding how others may feel about certain things/topics and a person who constantly try to prove to themself and to others. A man lost in his own insecurities and very isolated. He his the main character in his life. Now that doesn't exscuse his negative actions at all. But more like a explanation to what might had led to the certain events.

Alright, this took way longer to write than actually make the drawing xD But did wanna share somethings that has been on my mind. When trying to search for analyses of the characters, it has been difficult to find one that is a middle ground. It's either: Stanford is a jerk and doesn't deserve anything good or Here is why everyone is wrong type of stuff. I'm not here to tell how we should think about certain characters. This is just how I look at all of this. The only problem I have with all of this is the thing between Ford and Bill. Maybe it's just me, but I really don't see any type of romance there. I know a lot of people went off on the "one thing led to another" part. I do not know what to say to that honestly. That page was super hard for my eyes to read for some reason lol. And i know, Yes, I did a video of Fidds being cucked by a triangle. I don't mind some of the jokes around it...I mean i did myself xD

I think the reason Bill is a bit obsessed over Ford is because after so many attempts with making deals with other humans to help Bill build a portal, this one was sooo close to success and ALMOST succeeded. He had all the tools and the right human to make it, but failed. He must feel so bitter.

Anyway, that's it for now! Next is Fiddleford :D

[bigmammallama5]

idk if your "what is happening" tag on the fanfic post was a genuine question, or if it was more of a "wtf is happening??" reaction, so i'm sorry if it was the second

basically a bunch of people on tiktok from those fandom spaces decided it was a good idea to take people's work (not even their own fic) and bind it and start selling it. one of the "big ones" was a fic titled "all the young dudes" ... iirc... which was/is a harry potter snape delulu fic

it's gone far enough to where some fics have been found to have been published on amazon and it's fucking it up for authors everywhere :(

It was a little of both confusion and reaction tbh so thank you for the (unfortunately frustrating) clarification!

I've heard recently about some fanfics getting published on amazon... somehow. I can't quite remember how or which ones they were, just that I know it's also really hard to get books taken off amazon and that was also adding to the problem. I have a good friend pretty dialed in to what booktok is doing and every once in a while she'll tell me some drama and I get six more white hairs.

Tbh i. That is, just to beat a dead horse for a moment, an incredibly stupid and selfish thing to do with a high chance of salting the earth for everyone. I hope they can get it figured out, I know Ao3 has a legal team but that reach only goes so far to protect us. I can't tell you how much back-bending we had to do with the supercorp zine to keep it safe for not just us (mods and contributors AND fandom at large) and the charities, but also Ao3. Once you bring money into an IP that you don't legally own (art OR fic OR merchandise) and start pocketing money from it... that's risky. Most companies won't go past a cease and desist if it's getting really big, but I did grow up in the time of Anne Rice.

As for anyone who may be selling their fanfic through personal publishing or commissions: be careful. If you want to do that, do it, but do your research and don't take it near Ao3 either (it's against ToS for one, and you risk the entire platform by even mentioning a kofi or paypal or patreon so don't do it). I know everybody has to eat and I'm not gonna preach to you how you should do it-but don't betray your own community no matter which fandom or ship you're in.

[stusbunker]

Spotless: Eco

Chapter Eleven

Featuring: Dean Winchester/Reader, Dean/Bela

Other characters: Bobby, Bela, Dick Roman and Kobe Bryant mentioned (look, he wasn't supposed to be here but I did my research and well, he had to be), Anael, faceless paps

Word Count: 1683 with pictures

Warnings, etc: Mutual pining, tour planning, brunch and shopping with Bela, unbeta'd

Series Masterlist

“Okay, well the official schedule from the touring company arrived, so I have maybe a week to set up the promo interviews before they announce it publicly,” you said over the phone.

“Yeah, with Crowley it’s probably gonna be sooner. Annie’s gotta find someone to step in for the whole year with this so she’s already interviewing. Let me know if you need anything, because I’m just sitting on my hands until we’re actually rolling out,” Bobby replied solemnly.

The give me something to do, please, was implied.

“Check with Benny and his boys, I know the label is supplying some guys too, but I trust you to secure the crew and security schedules,” you said as you made another note on your ever increasing list of to do’s.

Two months may have seemed like a long time, but it was the shortest turn around you’d had for a tour since taking over as publicist for Phantom Traveler and you’d be damned if you fucked it up.

“With the holidays coming up, we’ll be in a pinch to get everything nailed down. But all the commotion with Bela and everything, people will be chomping at the bit to get actual news,” you added, staring unfocused at your computer monitor.

“And he’s got that interview coming up you said, just Dean for that one?” Bobby asked.

“Yeah,” you sighed. “I really hope Meg doesn’t eat him alive. But it’s his chance to give his side of things and for people to see where his head is at now.”

“The sassy little brunette, right?”

“The very one.”

“Is it going to be a tit-for-tat thing? Is Cas gonna be next for a tell-all?”

“Bobby, I don’t think Cas would do an interview and talk bad about Dean even if they paid him. He’s moved on.”

“If you say so, Dean didn’t exactly play nice.”

“He must have had hundreds of offers for the dirt since leaving the band. And everything I hear about him now is just about the kid he’s working with and how they’re creating something unique.”

“I just know how that reporter liked him— the last time.”

“I’m sure she’s going in with the bias against Dean here. Time will tell if she can be swayed,” you admitted. “Plus, Dean won't be alone. We made sure there'll be a few of us there to make it easier.”

“To keep him from making a damned fool of himself you mean.”

“Basically.”

Bobby sat on the other end of the line with his gruff silence before continuing, “you going home for Christmas?”

“Yeah, got the usual stuff with my folks for Christmas Eve then I’m helping Ellen on Christmas day. I’m flying so I won’t be gone more than a few days. Probably end up spending half of it at airports with my luck.”

“Okay, just checkin’.”

“You guys have any plans?”

“Just service on the night before and maybe something with Annie’s cousins. Might just be a train of open houses.”

“Wow, I’m impressed.”

“Hey, I didn’t say I’d enjoy myself.”

You laughed and wrapped it up with a promise to touch base before you left town. The next two days were a whirlwind of emails and phone calls. You put off confirming brunch with Bela for Sunday, but relented from guilt, as she now had regular visits from paparazzi outside her townhouse due to her and Dean’s night club-hopping. You finished up your Saturday errands and plopped yourself onto your stationary bike in a last ditch effort to fend off your restlessness until it was a reasonable enough time to crash.

God, your life was so exciting.

Bela poured you another glass from the endless pitcher of mimosas. “Anyway, I guess Dean got us tickets to the Lakers’ game tomorrow night, like I actually care about baseball.”

“Basketball,” you corrected, taking a sip.

“Exactly,” Bela smirked.

“How good are the tickets? He doesn’t really follow it either,” you continued, worried they’d be in an embarrassing section.

“I think he said something about getting the label’s box for the game?” She tried to play innocent.

You almost spit out your drink. “The entire box?”

“It’s not floor seats’ exposure, but it will be worth it at least. I think he said he called in a favor with Dick?”

“Dick Roman is giving Dean access to his exclusive luxury box at the Staples Center?” You were floored, you opened your phone and googled who they were playing. “Holy fuck, they’re retiring Kobe’s number tomorrow. It’s going to be insane. There’s no way that box isn’t gonna be packed, but at least you can bump elbows with the uppity ups.”

“Kobe Bryant, yeah? He was quite prolific,” Bela seemed pleased. 

“Uh, yeah, played his whole career here,” you added, but put your phone away. Unwilling to text Dean a ‘wtf’ text while you still had another hour of drinks and foodstuffs to get through. “What are you going to wear?”

Bela slid her most compelling face on. “I was hoping we could find something together. It’s been ages since we drunk shopped. Plus, it’s the holidays so I will need to be a bit tipsy if I want to deal with the crowds.”

You had literally nothing left to buy for Christmas, but drunk shopping was a time-honored tradition between the two of you. Plus, it was fun watching Bela work her magic and pull a stunning outfit together out of seemingly discordant pieces.

“Three stores and I’m getting my own ride home, missy,” you warned with a firm pointer finger.

“Of course!” Bela chuckled and tucked into her eggs, eyes flitting back to you with conspiratorial delight.

You finished off your mimosa and finally saw to your french toast.

Bela’s driver took you to all of her favorite haunts and naturally she weaseled her way in to see the best stylists, at least those who were actually on hand on the Sunday afternoon before Christmas. At Sister Jo’s boutique, the owner herself greeted Bela with a double cheek kiss and hug. 

“What are you doing here? Wait, don’t tell me, you need an outfit asap because your little rocker boy toy needs arm candy,” the woman, who was actually named Anael, teased.

“You know me too well,” Bela replied. “This is my dear friend, Y/N, and we’re a bit on the tilt from brunch, but I simply had to come see you. I need something casual and sexy. It’s for a basketball game.”

You waved as she nodded in your direction, not wanting to break the momentum.

Anael frowned and looked Bela over, with much consideration. Then she hummed before asking, “how do you feel about hats?”

Nearly two hours and a top off on champagne later (to keep your buzzes going), you and Bela walked out of the shop with a bag each and a receipt ensuring Bela would be back in the morning for the alterations on the remaining garments.  

“Well, I’d say that was a successful outing,” Bela said with pride, the pink in her cheeks the only hint of her lingering inebriation.

“I’d say,” you agreed, opening the back door of her pre-ordered ride. “I still can’t believe they had something that would work for me for New Year’s.”

Bela waited on the curb until she could slide in the other side, but continued your trail of thought. “Anael is good people, if she likes something, she carries it. Doesn’t matter the size or price, she is all about how an outfit makes you feel,” Bela explained.

“Well, it worked, because I just spent more on myself than I have the entire year because of how good it felt on, so I get it,” you said, patting the bag at your feet.

Bela confirmed your address with the driver and then hers, thanking them for going out of their way in a way that she wasn’t actually apologizing for being a burden.

“You got eyes on you lady,” the driver warned, pointing towards the corner where a camera lens was trained on the car.

“Ignore them, they’ll find someone else before they follow us very far,” Bela promised and you could see her almost glaring at the rearview mirror for the driver to get the lead out.

You sat on the couch in your robe and sleep pants, hair still wet and wrapped on top of your head. You had crashed for a late afternoon nap after shopping and had rebounded with a blissfully long shower and skincare treatment. Now you watched mind numbing television and plotted out your schedule for the coming week. Even though it was cut short with holiday travels, it was full-to-bursting with things to get done.

You sighed and dragged out your suitcase from under your bed, dropped it on the couch and unzipped it to start packing. At least you could watch something while you organized. 

Just after ten your phone buzzed with a text message. You ignored it for a minute until you could find the remote beneath your pile of socks and paused your Lord of the Rings rewatch.

You stared at the conversation with the movie still paused, dumbfounded. One, that Dean sent you a goodnight text of all things and secondly that he was going to willingly give Bela his phone to post on social media about them. Because it’s not official until they’re both posting each other, or so they say. This was going to be big for the fan girls. You already knew Becky would be emailing you the second she saw it. But as far as fanclub presidents went, she wasn’t the worst. Then again, she would be more than a little bitter if Sam and Madison were the ones flaunting their relationship.

You put a reminder in your calendar to cover an extra sweep of SM while you were waiting out Dean’s interview Tuesday morning and then you tossed your phone back amongst your clothes. You were done for the night and so you shoved your half-packed suitcase on the floor and restarted the movie.

Tagging:

@deans-spinster-witch

@mrswhozeewhatsis

@cosicas-cuquis

@fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like

@suckitands33

@ladysparkles78

@deans-baby-momma

@stoneyggirl2

@sassy-pelican

@leigh70

@globetrotter28

@winharry

@lastactiontricia

@rockhoochie

Chapter Twelve: Hook

[ask-missparker]

—Mockingbird -> Looking Too Closely

- In the universes where she never got her powers and needed to do something to make herself stronger, she didn’t just become The Tempest…but underwent her mentorship of aunt Bobbi Morse—Mockingbird…

-> Amelia ‘Mia’ Morse (Parker)

~~

Instead of facing up to the bad she seen—the betrayal, heartbreak and humiliation—she ran away from them and drowned herself in other water. Drinking, driving and other activities to avoid the storm she was experiencing.

~~~

She reached a point where she realized the booze and heat wasn’t enough. She wanted to do better and fight back, hurting the criminals in the city and fire growing to guard the flames, protecting people from harmful circumstances.

~~~~

And when Bobbi decided to step back for a while, she decided to take the plunge and start a new path.

She did not just being The Tempest.

Becoming a half-time student and working as Mockingbird now.

~~~

“You have a light inside of you, similar to your aunt and a ranging nature that I always had..but at the end of the day, just be yourself.” Arron replied holding her in place.

~~~~~

“If you’re gonna stand there and tell me that I’m not strong enough or tough enough, then please don’t.” Mia added pausing in front of the punching bag.

~~~~~~~

“I was swinging around in the back and saw the spirt you have, this kindness—you use against your foes.” She said looking at Luna as she sat on the couch drinking a cold beer.

~~~~~~~~

Dressed in a skin tight suit and mask if needed on the field. However, black jeans, boots and a gray tight shirt while wearing her classic rings. That’s her go-to outfit of choice. Of course, her earrings and necklaces are a must.

~~~~

This toughness, kindness and compassion behind the facade she built upon her journey. A fierce sweetness and determination towards her loved ones no matters what the outcome.

~~~

“It doesn’t matter how many time you fall on the mat, it matters whether you get up.” Mia replies to Liane with an encouraging gentle smile.

~~~~~

“Sometimes you have to learn to control that anger and suspicion towards a certain point…instead surrender to letting others helping you or them taking the lead…weather you like it or not.” She says to Rick during a group conversation.

~~~

“Look, baby, you convinced yourself that everything you been through took away your humanity.” Mia said looking at Nikolai softly, “But I think because of humanity you made it through.”

Nikolai shook his head gently, “Love, not right now…I already feel bad about myself…”

“You wouldn’t have survived, much less come out the other end a good man, somebody who wants to do good…if you didn’t have a light inside of you.” She replied continuing her words kindly.

He paused hearing that as his expression softened. His light.

~~~~~

Research, weaponry and acrobatics. The basics, as she argues in using her smarts and voice before ever using her fists.

~~~~

When it comes down to it, her family and friends always come first. No matter the cost, she will try and make do with what she’s got to offer a better deal. As long as they’re okay at the end of the day, she’s fine.

~~~~~~~

She’s not afraid to admit when someone is better at something than her and more than willing to allow them to take the lead.

~~~~~

“I’m a hot mess..” She said looking at herself in the mirror.

~~~

Mia will make mistakes, misjudgments, misfires and other things along the way. So you can scream, yell at her and or fight the girl all you want—she will take it with a grain of salt.

Even manipulated into thinking she is making the right decision here.

But do note that she is kicking herself for it, even if it wasn’t her fault.

~~~

At the end of the day she will always be there.

~~

~~~

~~~~

Let me know what you think! Maybe our universe that she doesn’t have her powers or maybe she does? Your choice! 🫵

- @gcthvile @meiramel l l @aidanxsophxoxo @blueboirick @wizzzardofoz z z @finlayholmes @ethan-lensherr @elzabeth-stark k @marvelsfavoriteuncle @sci-fi-lexcon @ask-starrk @therealdaydreamstark @luna-d-marsh @rickb-chaos @the-x-ladiesofnyc @trulysummersprivate @missstrawbs2001 @purpleprincessonfyre

[duskkodesh]

I've had rats for years at this point now and finally want to put down the best tips I've learned. This won't work for everyone, some are very conditional to me, but maybe some of these will help someone. Fleece hammocks: Boo. Microplastics and too warming. Canvas hammocks: Yes, please. Highly washable. Far more tough. I wish they were easier to find. Coiled rope baskets are also a godsend. I hang them by the handles in the cage, they love them way more than anything marketed to rats. Bottles are nice but some rats wanna splash and have a place to wash their little hands. Fresh in pod peas are by the pound at my supermarket. I usually spend 70 cents on the amount for several treat sessions. All my frozen peas end up getting freezer burnt by the time I get halfway through the bag. Antibiotics will be needed if you keep rats. Do not give antibiotics with dairy, many classes of antibiotics bond to calcium thereby making them far less effective. Speaking of, antibiotics seem to have the hardest taste to cover up. Ground meat baby food, Hershey simply five syrup (Just a little), peanut powder (No added sugar, oils), fruit compote/jam/jelly, small absorbent bread snacks/cereal, smushed pasta, cream of wheat, are all options to get meds into rats. You can call exotic vets and ask for an estimate on a basic rat exam. Do it, the prices vary WILDLY. We had a vet who charged us 35$ to see three rats at once and one who quoted us 200$ to look at one. You're gonna notice a trend if you call vets in higher class/rich areas. Fuck em'. Also ask your vet if you can keep a supply of meds on hand just in case. If they last at room temp you can buy some preemptively. Things like doxycycline you can get from human pharmacies.

Zip ties are god. All hail zip ties. Same with swivel clasps. Between them both you can cage mount anything your heart desires.

Leave bedding in a hot car or freezing conditions for a night. Warehouses get mites. Mites are a dick to deal with. Kill em' all.

Give them a variety of fresh things while they're young. Not always but sometimes I'd get an older gent rescue who had no idea what to do with berries or tomatoes and would refuse them. They learn better what is safe when young. At some point you will have an emergency. Make sure you know where an emergency vet is and that they keep night/weekend hours. Keep funds on hand for that day.

Rats hide pain well. When they age you may need to start pain management if you notice them moving differently even if they don't show their pain blatantly. Just start with low doses and see if they act like their old selves again. Research your breeders. Get recommendations from other rat people. Check and see if there are rat rescues in your area. Also the Humane Society sometimes takes in rodents.

Controversial take: You will encounter people in ratkeeping who say buying feeders is a sin. It's not. Feeder supply will exist whether or not every rat fancier boycotts them. We are far far fewer in number than snake/lizard people. Wherever you got your rats it's valid so long as you give them healthcare, good nutritious food, love, and mental stimulation. A lot of the 'foods to avoid, foods to include' lists are not researched. I've seen lists that ban chocolate. Rats freaking love chocolate they just need to take it easy on fats and sugars but cocoa powder can be a good mix in and can help ratty blood flow. I've seen people ban mango. if you read the study that led to this they gave rats an obscene amount of D-limonene to trigger cancer and small amounts had no side effects at all. Read the studies, look for sources.

[imagionationstation]

random idea I had.

so y’know those role swap aus? Where like…Mikey’s the serious leader, Raph’s the tech guy, etc etc.

what would it be like if we added April and Casey?

like…swap Donnie and Casey? Or something like that? Idk bro. It’s a random idea I had lol

Role swap AU: An AU where characters swap their roles for a period of time with the subsequent story exploring how plot events alter, diverge, or stay the same because of this swap.

So…

I’ve never been one for role swap au’s tbh. I think there was only one that ever caught my attention, but the characters were so insanely on point that I could envision the show in my head. In all the body swaps that I’ve read, it’s Splinter being like “ya’ll could benefit from being in someone else’s shoes. Here’s what we gonna do”

I prefer a character being forced to manage in another’s brain/body for some time. There’s so much potential in those 🤩

What are April and Casey’s roles?

I suppose Casey is more muscle, but April seems to tilt between brains/muscle as it pleases her. She absolutely wants to be seen as a warrior, but she works with Donnie in his lab during research and making connections and whatnot.

“Added April and Casey” implies that the role swap includes everyone, so just swapping Donnie&Casey feels shortsighted. (I don’t mean that to be offensive in any way. I’m thinking outloud.) We could give Casey’s role to Donnie, but with the wide group of people, I feel like Donnie’s role should go elsewhere. If that makes sense?

Yk what April’s taking Leo’s role, I’ve decided. Not because “haha she’d probably be bad at it” but because I think she’d find a potential to be a leader when given the chance and that would be neat.

Mikey can take April’s place bc it would give him the chance to be more involved in things. “You never question April when she says she has a feeling about stuff! “You always let April help out in the lab!” “You let April check out leads solo!” He wouldn’t care that she’s a human or that she has psychic powers. She got to when it came to helping the team so that’s what he gets to do.

Raph can take Mikey’s role because he deserves to know what it’s like for his main role on the team to be bait. He can’t always fight mutants head on because he has to keep them busy so his brothers can take the baddy down. He can’t protect his brothers because he’s meant to headed in another direction. That would drive him nuts. (I’d think it’d be cute if he demanded to know how Mikey could stand it and Mikey’s all chill like “I just trust that my big bros have it covered like they always do” and then he’s utterly humbled.) He’d also be put in the position of having to be the “face man” (of sorts) and make friends with optional allies. Stop being grumbly and glaring for five minutes to hold a conversation. It’ll be his ultimate struggle.

Casey can take Raph’s role because it’s basically his role except he’s not able to play the loner game anymore. The fam always kind of lets Casey do his own vigilante thing during the series, but now that’s not allowed. And Raph makes it very clear on day one. His job is to be by their side when something big is going down. And if being the leader’s second is the way to accomplish that then he has to deal. He can complain, he can whine, he can make the leader’s life impossible- but he has to be there when they need him. PERIODT.

Donnie can take Casey’s role because he deserves to not have to be a big part of the game for five minutes. There’s no monumental role, no impossible task, the fate of everything is no longer on his shoulders- he can just, fight. And when not on the field, he can do as he pleases. He’s not expect in the lab, in the dojo, in any kind of strategy planning- he can pick one or he can hang out. He can snack, he can videogames/shows, he can read comics, he can run away the surface- he has essentially free range when he’s not actively on a mission. (The only downside is that he actually does like having people rely on him and look to him for answers. He likes keeping his hands busy with purpose. And punching baddies 24/7 gets kinda old.)

Leo can take Donnie’s place. He’d be the most capable of taking on the role of genius since there have been scenes where he pays attention to his brother because the mission depends on it. He admits to helping out in the lab on occasion, or he’s seen with Donnie discussing blueprints, and he’s probably the most likely to be able to actually listen to Donnie’s written instructions or notes and not blow up the lab because he got frustrated or decided to wing it. (Plus, Leo should see the kind of stuff Donnie has to deal with on a daily basis.)

But anyway. That’s just my thoughts on the matter.

[zizzlekwum]

Stranger In A Not-So-Strange Land

Masterlist

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The BAU goes to New Orleans to solve a series of murders. Follows the events of Criminal Minds Season 2 Episode 18 "Jones."

Trigger Warnings: mentions of and mild descriptions of sexual assault

Word Count: 6,396

Tag List: @leftoverenvy @itsmeanobody @ctrljuls @theclassicgaycousin @fatherfigured [if you want to be added to the tag list, please comment or send me an ask]

NOTE: Sorry it took so long. I was sick for a week, and then I was almost finished last night (I had one more scene to write) and then my bunny, Pippa, unexpectedly died, so that ruined the rest of the night and I basically stayed in bed crying.

You arrive at work early, yawning as you sit down at your desk. You’re not surprised to see Hotch already at work. He gives you a nod as you sit down at your desk and start researching crime statistics.

“Morning, Y/L/N.”

You look up to see Prentiss sitting down at her desk across from you, giving you a small smile. “Hey, Emily,” you greet before yawning again.

“Rough night?” she asks.

You shrug. “I’m bipolar,” you explain. “I’m medicated, but about once a month, like clockwork, I go three days without sleeping.”

She frowns, eyebrows furrowing in sympathy. “That sucks. What do you do all night?”

“I lay in bed and pretend I’m sleeping,” you tell her. “I read a study once that found that pretending to sleep is actually more beneficial than just saying ‘fuck it’ and not trying. Basically, laying down and trying to sleep will help you feel more rested, even if you don’t actually sleep.”

“That’s really interesting,” Emily says.

“I thought so, too,” you say. “I would try to find the study for you, but it was back in my own universe, so I’m not sure it exists yet.”

“You should tell Reid about it,” she says. “I’m sure he would be interested.”

“What would I be interested in?” Reid asks from behind her, walking through the doorway.

“Just a study I read years ago,” you tell him. You’re filling him in when Hotch comes out of his office.

“We have a case,” he says. “Conference room, please.” You all nod and follow him into the room, where JJ is standing in front of the TV.

“We’ve got a serial killer in New Orleans who killed at least three men pre-Katrina,” JJ informs you. “Until now, the New Orleans police department believed that the serial killer died in the storm.”

“What’s happened to tell them otherwise?” Morgan asks, taking a sip of his coffee.

“A fourth body was found in the French Quarter last night.” JJ pulls up an image of the victim. “Same MO. Another male. Throat slashed, eviscerated.”

Prentiss frowns. “A year and a half? That’s a long cooling-off period. Are we sure this is the same unsub?”

“Well, he was probably displaced by the storm,” you point out. “Maybe he kept committing murders in another jurisdiction?”

“Possible,” JJ says, nodding at you. “He send a letter to William LaMontagne, the head detective on the case, claiming to be the same unsub.”

Gideon crossed his arms in front of him. “LaMontagne have any leads?”

“He died in Katrina,” JJ says. “His son is actually heading the case now.” You fight back a smile at her unknowingly mentioning her future husband.

“That can’t be easy,” Morgan says, frowning.

“Well, we need to pour over the evidence from the first three murders and determine the pattern,” Hotch says.

JJ shakes her head. “Katrina washed everything away. The three victims we know of, their autopsy reports, witness statements, DNA test results.”

“So basically, all we have to go on is the latest victim?” Reid says.

“Until he kills again,” Hotch adds.

“Fun,” you say, sarcasm dripping from your voice.

*   *   *   *   *

On the jet, you’re playing Pokemon Diamond on your DS, since there aren’t any files to go over.

“Hey Reid,” Morgan says. “What’s going on up there?”

Reid shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts. “I was just thinking of this old friend of mine from Las Vegas— Ethan. I’m pretty sure he lives in New Orleans now.”

“Really? Gonna give him a call?” Morgan asks.

Reid shrugs. “We grew up competing against each other in absolutely everything. Spelling bees, science fairs. We also both had our hearts set on joining the Bureau, but… first day at Quantico, he backed out.”

“He probably just couldn’t take the heat,” Prentiss jokes with a smile.

“It’s not really for us to judge, is it?” Reid frowns.

Prentiss’ smile fades. “Right. My bad.”

JJ clears her throat. “These are copies of the newspaper articles on the murders, dating back to early August, 2005.” She hands you a stack of papers as you close your DS and put it back in your bag. “It’s all we have to go on.”

“He killed three times, he stopped for eighteen months, then he started killing again,” Hotch says.

“We should have Garcia run a list of any offenders in the area,” Gideon says. “Anyone who spent the last year and a half doing time, and like Y/L/N suggested, anyone who was forced to relocate after the storm and recently moved back.” He nods at you.

“What is the victimology in killing a mechanic, a real estate broker, and a cook, with ages ranging from twenty-two to forty-five?” Prentiss asks.

JJ nods. “And this latest is a thirty-three year old taxi driver. They just don’t seem to have very much in common.”

“Apart from being men,” you say.

“And walking the French Quarter at night,” Morgan adds.

“Which is notorious for muggings off the main drag,” JJ says.

Prentiss frowns. “Yeah, but this guy isn’t in a rush to flee the scene. A slaughter like this takes time.”

“Andrei Chikatilo fantasized that the men he killed were his captives,” Reid chimes in, “and that torturing and mutilating them somehow made him a hero.”

“The city’s barely back to life,” Gideon says. “Something like this could cripple its psyche.”

“So where do we start?” JJ asks.

“We don’t have any case files or anything,” you remind her. “We really only have one place to start.”

Hotch nods. “Square one.”

*   *   *   *   *

When the plane lands, the team splits up. You go with Reid and Prentiss to the ME to examine the body.

“Four layers of fatty tissue sliced through like butter,” the ME says, uncovering the body. “I only seen that three other times.”

“You work this case initially?” Reid asks.

The ME nods as you slip on a pair of latex gloves. “You don’t forget victims like this. It’s like they were dissected.”

“I can still smell the alcohol on him,” Prentiss notes, also putting on gloves.

The ME shrugs. “This is New Orleans. Dead or alive, it’s a smell you get used to.”

“No defensive wounds,” you note, carefully lifting up the victim’s arm.

“Most likely a blitz attack,” Reid adds. He examines the stab wounds. “No hesitation marks or rapid thrusts. Cuts were methodical. Almost procedural.”

“My guess?” the ME chimes in. “Whoever gutted this guy was taught to.”

“You’re thinking he might have some medical training?” Prentiss asks.

The ME nods. “How else could he carve around every organ and leave each one intact?”

“Has anyone come to claim the body yet?” you ask.

“Anyone we could speak with?” Prentiss says.

“No,” the ME says, shaking his head. “I’ll end up boxing up the poor bastard’s ashes, left to collect dust in storage. All the bodies I’ve been through in the last year and a half, it’s a wonder I still have room.”

*   *   *   *   *

When the three of you get back to the station, Hotch is looking at a projection on the wall.

“Is that the letter from the unsub?” Prentiss asks.

“Yeah,” Hotch says. He reads it aloud. “‘I’m back with a vengeance. I wanted you to know… the last guy made it easy, being out so late, stumbling home drunk. I enjoyed slicing around the organs, thought about sending you one. He was asking to be ripped. Don’t you think, Boss? Yours Truly.’”

“To say that the victims were asking to be killed denies all culpability,” Reid says. “Most sexual sadists rationalize their own behavior by blaming the victims like that.”

Prentiss shakes her head. “But there was no evidence of sexual assault in the autopsy. He could be a homosexual male stabbing because he needs violence for arousal.”

“Every kill he’s acting out a fantasy of revenge,” Hotch says.

“What if he’s trying to act out something else?” Reid says.

“Like what?” Hotch asks.

Reid glances at the projection of the unsub’s letter. “With the exception of the victims being men, it’s the same MO.”

“What are you talking about?” Prentiss asks.

“Oh!” you exclaim. “Jack the Ripper?”

Reid nods. “Exactly. All four victims were found with their throats slashed, eviscerated, and the murders perpetrated in semi-public places after dark. Investigators taunted with letters addressed to ‘Boss.’ The only difference is that case was a hundred years ago and the murders took place in London.”

“And the unsub wants us to think that he’s the modern-day version loose in New Orleans,” Hotch says.

*   *   *   *   *

The next day, you find yourself at the scene of another murder. You, Morgan, and Reid are questioning the victim’s friends.

“So the three of you were out together last night?” Reid asks.

The man to your left nods. “Mark had just paid his tab at one bar and was on his way to meet us at another.”

“You guys get in any trouble?” Morgan asks. “Drunken brawl? Anybody get out of hand?”

The other man shakes his head. “We were just out to have fun, you know? Minded our own business.”

You adjust your glasses on your nose. “Could Mark have met a girl? Maybe upset her boyfriend?”

“No, ma’am.” The man on the right shakes his head again. “He struck out like we all did.”

Morgan nods. “Thanks guys.” You, Morgan, and Reid turn back to the body, where Prentiss, Gideon, and Detective Will LaMontagne are standing around the victim.

Will crosses his arms. “I can hardly keep up with this guy.”

“Well, if he’s mimicking Jack the Ripper, that might be precisely the point,” Prentiss says. “He terrorized London for months without ever getting caught.”

Gideon looks at Will. “I’d appreciate it if you’d gather your men. We’d like to give you a profile of who you’re up against.”

*   *   *   *   *

Back at the precinct, the team stands in front of the New Orleans cops, ready to tell them the profile. Hotch stands in the middle, while Emily is leaning against the wall next to you.

“The offender we’re looking for is friendly, agile, somewhere between thirty and thirty-five,” Hotch starts.

“He’ll lure with charm, kill with rage,” Gideon continues.

“We believe he’s murdering men to reclaim his power,” Emily says. “This unsub suffers from low self-esteem, but he probably covers it well. He dresses impeccably to feed the facade. Jack the Ripper himself was an impetuous lust murderer, whereas this offender is organized, calculating. He might even stalk his victims for days before the actual kill.”

“We believe this killer identifies with Jack the Ripper because he’s lost his own identity,” Gideon says. “Maybe through years of child abuse or some catastrophic event.”

Hotch continues the profile. “Because he overcompensates to hide his insecurities, we believe he may hold a position of authority at work.”

“We also believe the unsub has had medical training,” you add. “Consider EMTs, doctors, and veterinarians, people who may have an advanced understanding of the human body.”

“Please be careful,” Gideon says. “For this unsub, the French Quarter is a hunting ground. He’s certainly already proven he knows the terrain.”

The cops disperse and you and Emily return to the conference room to look over the evidence when Emily’s phone rings.

“Prentiss,” she answers, putting the phone on speaker.

“What was the thing Jack the Ripper took from one of his victims?” Garcia asks. “Besides. Well, you know. Her life.”

“Oh, uh….” Prentiss trails off.

“Tick, tock,” Garcia says.

You think for a moment. “Kidney?”

“Ding ding ding! Y/N’s right,” Garcia exclaims. “How horrifyingly fantastic is that?”

Emily nods at you, making you smile. “Garcia, are you going anywhere with this?” she asks.

“Just that I found an unsolved murder that happened four months ago in Galveston, Texas, with the same MO, the victim missing that very organ. I amaze myself.”

“Hey, I did wonder if the unsub was displaced by the hurricane,” you point out.

“Y/N, you are also amazing,” Garcia says.

Emily laughs. “I agree,” she says, causing your cheeks to heat up. “Great work, Garcia,” she says.

“Who was that?” Gideon asks, walking into the room.

“I may have been right,” you tell him. “Garcia found a case in Texas that fits the Ripper’s MO, four months ago.”

Gideon nods. “A lot of Katrina refugees relocated there after the storm.”

“It could definitely be our unsub,” Prentiss agrees. “He removes the kidney, just like Jack the Ripper.”

Gideon gestures to you. “Call Reid and Morgan. I want the four of you on a plane to Texas tonight.”

You nod, biting your lip. “Will do,” you tell him quietly.

*   *   *   *   *

Emily glances back at you as you follow her up the stairs into the jet. “Are you okay? I know you had a hard time in Texas during the last case.”

You sigh, fiddling with your hands. “I’m treating it as exposure therapy,” you tell her with a shrug. “It’s how I got myself used to the grocery store during the weekend days when it was wicked crowded. Besides,” you say, shooting her a smile, “I know you wouldn’t let anything happen to me, even if my asshole ex somehow did show up.”

She chuckles, throwing an arm around you. “You got that right. We have your back.”

The two of you settle in and wait for Reid and Morgan to get there, chatting about the case as you wait. After a few minutes, Morgan walks onto the jet.

You nod at him. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he says, putting his bag down. “Where’s Reid?”

“He’s not with you?” you ask. Morgan shakes his head.

Next to you, Emily frowns. “We were hoping he was.”

“Thought you said you called him?” Morgan asks her.

She nods. “I did! Four times, nothing.” She glances at her watch. “The victim’s fiancée is expecting us.”

“What do we do?” you ask.

Morgan shakes his head. “We got one option. Wheels up.” He goes to tell the pilot to take off.

*   *   *   *   *

When you get to the fiancée’s house, it’s dark out. She invites you in and you take a seat next to Prentiss on the couch, Morgan on her other side.

“Everyone kept saying crime’s gonna skyrocket after the relocation,” the victim’s fiancée says. “You just never think it’s gonna happen to you.”

“The report said that your fiancé was bar-hopping for his bachelor party on the night he was killed,” Prentiss says.

“We were supposed to be married in October,” the fiancée says. She takes a deep breath. “He was just out celebrating that with friends.”

“Was there anyone at Leonard’s bachelor party you didn’t know?” Morgan asks.

She shakes her head. “We all grew up together. They’re like family to me. Whether they met somebody out, you know, that’s a different story.” She laughs humorlessly. “They’re a rowdy bunch. They’d party with anybody.”

You finish up the interview and leave the house. You hop in the back seat, giving Emily the passenger seat while Morgan drives. Emily sighs. “Each of the last two victims was traveling with a group. Both were drinking, both in public arenas, bar-hopping. So how could their friends not see anything?”

“It’s like when the lion preys upon an antelope,” Morgan says.

Emily frowns. “You lost me.”

Morgan laughs. “Well that’s because you, Emily Prentiss, have never been one of the antelope.”

“Oh, scratch that,” Emily says. “You totally lost me.”

“Me too,” you say, frowning.

“Okay, check this out,” Morgan says. “The antelope travel in packs. So the lion just sits and waits. Waits for just one of the antelope to break away from its herd, so when he’s alone, vulnerable, and completely unprotected, that’s when the lioness strikes. That’s when she makes her move.”

“Wait a minute, ‘her’ move,” Emily repeats.

Morgan nods. “There’s only one thing that’s gonna make a straight man leave his friends on a guys night out. And it’ll make him leave every time. One of the victims was out for his bachelor party. Another one out with just the guys. What’s the only temptation that’s gonna lure these men away from each other.” He takes out his phone and dials.

“The unsub’s a woman,” you finish.

*   *   *   *   *

Back at the precinct, you, Morgan, and Prentiss are looking through the case files again when Reid walks in.

“Hey, you guys are back from Galveston?” he asks, sitting down next to you.

“First light this morning,” Morgan replies. “Where were you?”

“I was out with a friend, I already told you,” Reid says casually.

“I called you four times,” Prentiss says.

“I didn’t have any cell phone reception, so I didn’t get your message until late,” Reid says.

Prentiss rolls her eyes. “Right.”

Reid looks to you. “What’s going on?”

“Unsub’s a woman,” you tell him. “We’re looking through the evidence again with that in mind.” He opens his mouth to respond when Hotch walks up behind him.

“We just found another body in the Quarter,” Hotch says. “Let’s go.”

*   *   *   *   *

At the scene of the newest murder, Morgan is examining the body as you, Prentiss, Gideon, and Reid watch him.

“Throat’s been cut,” Morgan says. “He’s been disemboweled, too.”

Gideon crouches down next to the body. “Reeks of booze,” he says. “It’s more than a pattern.”

“Only this time, she cut off the earlobe,” Morgan adds.

You nod. “Like Jack the Ripper.”

Prentiss looks at you. “What do you mean?”

“In one letter or correspondence, Jack the Ripper promised to cut the earlobe off his next victim, and he did,” Reid says.

“Wasn’t that the only day he killed twice?” you ask. Reid nods.

“So she’s gonna kill again by the end of the day,” Gideon says.

“Most likely,” you say. “Unless we can stop her by then.”

“Okay,” Prentiss starts, “what do we know about female serial killers?”

Gideon nods. “Basically, you have two types.”

“The Sante Kimes model,” Morgan says. “Cold, calculated. Preys on men for money. Takes her time building relationships.”

“Doesn’t sound like this unsub,” you say.

“It’s more likely we’re dealing with the Aileen Wuornos archetype,” Reid agrees, nodding at you. “Motivated by paranoia and fear, luring men with sex.”

“This unsub’s organized,” Gideon says. “She follows a routine. She meets men in a bar, flirts with them over drinks, and suggests they consummate the evening in an alley.”

“We should patrol the streets tonight,” you say. “Especially knowing we can expect another body by the end of the day.”

“Office just brought me this,” Detective LaMontagne says from behind you. You turn and see him holding out an evidence bag with what appears to be another letter from the unsub inside.

Emily takes it from him and reads. “Dear boss, by now I have rid the world of one more. So many men, so little time. I hope you don’t mind the mess. They make it so easy, I just can’t help myself. Yours truly.”

*   *   *   *   *

Later that night, you and Emily are patrolling the alleys together.

“Most of the women are in groups,” you note, looking around.

Emily nods from beside you. “We should be looking for someone on her own.”

You frown, thinking of the latest letter. “So many men, so little time,” you repeat. “She’s dead set on killing men. I wonder why?”

“She might be misplacing the rage from a father who molested her,” Emily suggests. “Some people think Jack the Ripper mutilated women after his mother sexually abused him for years.”

“She seems apologetic, weirdly enough,” you add. “At least for leaving a messy scene. I don’t understand why.”

Emily shrugs. “That might be what the detective’s father figured out before he died.”

You sigh. “Okay, I’m going to preface this with the fact that I’m not victim blaming, simply curious, but why are these men just fine with following a stranger into a random alley alone? I would never.”

Emily chuckles. “They’re not thinking with their head.”

“At least, not the correct one,” you respond. She laughs.

“Exactly.” The two of you continue looking around for anything that stands out, conversation lulling for a bit.

“Do you know what’s going on with Reid?” Emily asks after a little while.

You let out a long breath. “He… I mean, he hasn’t been the same since Tobias Hankel, and understandably so,” you tell her. “But I wish he’d let us in.”

She looks out at the crowd around you. “Not to change the subject, but I feel like we’re missing something. Let’s go meet up with the others, see if they’ve had any luck.”

You nod, following her through groups of people, fighting the urge to reach out and grab her hand so you don’t lose her. You find Morgan and Reid first.

“Hey,” Morgan says, shaking his head. “We got nothing.”

You frown. “Well, we’re running out of time. Day’s almost over.”

Emily sighs. “Hopefully Hotch and Gideon or JJ and the detective had better luck. Otherwise….” Her voice trails off, but you all know what she means.

Otherwise, you’re going to find another body.

*   *   *   *   *

The next morning, you arrive at the scene of the newest murder. Detective LaMontagne is kneeling next to the body, shaking his head.

“She’s mocking us,” he says, standing as you, Emily, JJ, Gideon, and Reid duck under the crime scene tape.

“And she’s true to her word,” Emily notes.

Reid crouches down next to the body. “Does anyone have any tweezers?” he asks. One of the crime scene techs hands him a pair. “Thank you.” He uses them to extract something white from the victim’s mouth.

“What is that?” JJ asks.

“I have no idea,” Reid says.

You look closer as Reid stands. “A note, maybe?”

Reid unfolds the paper and nods. “Y/L/N is right.” He looks over at the detective. “It’s addressed to your father.”

“Let’s see it,” Gideon says. Reid hands him the paper. “‘Dear boss,’” Gideon reads, “‘he wanted it, with that sharp tongue and vulgar hand. Thought you’d like to know, another will soon get what he deserves. Yours truly.’”

“It’s weird,” Reid notes.

You frown. “How so?”

“Typically offenders write letters to be heard,” he explains. “Jack the Ripper bragged about not being caught, but this unsub isn’t using correspondence to flaunt her latest kill, only to explain why she did it.”

“It’s possible that she considers herself a vigilante,” Prentiss suggests. “That the men she’s killing deserve to die.”

“Or maybe she’s contacting your father, not because he was the lead detective on the case, but… because she believes he’d understand,” Gideon tells the detective.

“You think he knew her somehow?” Detective LaMontagne asks.

“Can you think of a woman in your dad’s life he helped through a tough time?” JJ asks. “Might be another police officer, I don’t know, a prostitute he helped get off the street?”

The detective shakes his head. “Nah, he hasn’t dealt with prostitutes since he worked sex crimes.”

“The unsub wrote, ‘he was asking to be ripped,’ ‘I just couldn’t help myself,’ and ‘he wanted it,’” Reid says.

“Wait, that sounds a lot like what rapists say to excuse their behavior,” you say. You turn to the detective. “You said your dad worked sex crimes? Maybe she was one of his victims.”

Reid nods at you. “Exactly. She may be mirroring the man who raped her.”

“Detective, where are the files stored from your sex crimes division?” Gideon asks.

Detective LaMontagne shakes his head. “They were housed in the same place as homicide. Most of them washed away.”

“Did your dad have a partner?” JJ asks.

“Yeah, J.R. Smith,” the detective says. “Smitty, they called him.”

“Maybe he remembers something,” you suggest.

“Yeah, but they had a falling out,” Detective LaMontagne says.

Emily frowns. “What about?”

The detective shrugs. “I don’t know. They stopped talking when he left sex crimes. That was nine years ago. The guy didn’t even come to my daddy’s funeral, so….”

“Do you have a problem calling him?” Gideon asks.

“Not if it means breaking this case,” Detective LaMontagne says. He looks down at the body, frowning. “Honey, may I borrow your hand for a minute?” he asks JJ. She nods. The detective uses her to look at the victim’s hand, where there’s a stamp. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“What?” you ask.

He gestures to the hand. “That stamp? It’s admittance into the Mon Cherie. It’s a bar in the French Quarter.” He stands. “Nine years ago? It was called Jones.”

“Bingo,” Gideon says. He turns to JJ. “Get Garcia on the phone.”

*   *   *   *   *

At the Mon Cherie, Detective LaMontagne leads you all towards a man sitting alone at a table. “Smitty, how are you?” he says, holding out a hand to shake.

Smitty stares at him. “I hope you got a good reason for dredging this crap up,” he says coldly.

Detective LaMontagne lowers his hand. “Well I was hoping you might remember being called here with my daddy nine years ago.”

“Is that a joke?” Smitty asks, glaring at him.

The detective shakes his head. “No?”

Gideon steps forward. “My name’s Jason Gideon. We’re from the FBI. We’re investigating the series of murders in the French Quarter.”

Smitty shrugs. “What’s that got to do with me?”

“We need you to tell us what happened the night you and Detective LaMontagne answered the call in this bar,” Emily says. Smitty just stares at her.

“Am I missing something?” the detective asks.

Smitty smiles, and it makes you want to take a step back. “You really don’t know, do you? After that night, your daddy tried to bring me up on sanctions.”

“Why?” Detective LaMontagne asks.

“It was Mardi Gras. Some girl claimed she was raped,” Smitty tells him. You grit your teeth at his wording and flippant attitude. “I wasn’t buying it.” You fight the urge to cross your arms.

“What did she say happened to her?” JJ asks.

“Brass backed me up,” Smitty continues, ignoring JJ. “They ended up transferring your daddy out to shut him up.”

“What happened here?” Emily asks, glancing at you with a frown.

“It almost cost me my career.” Smitty ignores her.

“Do you mind telling us what happened?” Gideon asks the question this time.

Smitty stands, walking across the room. “My best recollection, she said she was sitting at the bar with two friends. One of the boys asked her if she wanted to play some pool. Witnesses claim she was up for anything.” You grit your teeth again but say nothing.

“She followed him up here?” Emily asks as he gets to the stairs.

Smitty nods. “His friend not far behind. She knew he was there.” You bite your lip. “That girl was a tease,” Smitty says. You want to punch the smug look off his face. “She was looking for a good time. Anyway, a couple guys were going along with that.”

“Did she yell out for help?” JJ asks.

“She said she did,” Smitty says, rolling his eyes. “But not a single person claimed that they heard her.”

“That’s what you registered as a disturbance?” you ask incredulously, your voice coming out louder than you mean for it to.

“It was Mardi Gras,” Smitty tells you. “Listen to me, that girl had enough beads hanging from her neck to jewel a small city. Anyone who exposes themself that much in one day isn’t a credible witness in my book.” You flex your fingers in an attempt to not curl them into a fist, a habit you formed as a child when you would get upset.

“But she wanted to press charges,” Detective LaMontagne says.

“I told her it was a waste of time,” Smitty says. “I knew one of the accused. He was a good kid.” He shakes his head. “He didn’t need the stink of that accusation.” You grab the bottom of your shirt into a fist.

Gideon sits down next to Smitty. “So you protected a rapist.”

Smitty scoffs. “Well, that right there was a bone of contention between his daddy and I. As far as I was concerned, no such rape ever took place. Now are you gonna tell me why you went and dragged this dirt back through my life?”

There’s a pause, and then Gideon speaks. “You know the serial killed who’s cutting up men in the French Quarter? She was your victim.”

“We’re trying to find a name,” Detective LaMontagne says. Smitty shakes his head.

“You don’t even remember her name?” Emily says.

Smitty rolls his eyes. “It was nine years ago.”

“Okay then, how about the name of the ‘good kid?’” you ask. “You know, the one who raped her.” Smitty takes another sip of his drink, not responding.

“Smitty,” Detective LaMontagne says. “You tell me right now or I’ll file a new sanction against you, and I guarantee you, this time it’ll stick.”

“Ronnie Thibideaux,” Smitty grumbles.

You turn and stalk outside, where you allow yourself to clench your hands into fists.

“You okay?” Emily asks from behind you.

You turn to face her. “I don’t like him.”

She smiles softly. “I can tell.”

“Was I that obvious?” you ask.

She shrugs. “Maybe not to a normal person, but I am a profiler, and it was written all over your face.”

You sigh. “I’ve watched enough SVU to know how common his mindset it, but I can’t fucking stand it.” You kick a pebble. “Like, he’s supposed to help protect people, not victimize them further! God, I fucking hate people.”

She puts an arm around your shoulders as the others exit the bar. “Caring so deeply about other people is a good thing,” she tells you. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Gideon gives you a questioning look, and you nod resolutely at him. “I’m good. Let’s go interview a rapist.”

*   *   *   *   *

Back at the station, you’re watching from the other side of the glass as Emily and JJ talk to the rapist, Ronnie.

“Mr. Thibideaux,” Emily starts, “we need you to answer a few questions about a disturbance you were involved with in 1998.”

Ronnie looks at her, a small smirk on his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“At a bar called Jones,” JJ adds. “It was Mardi Gras.”

“Well, then, I must’ve been drinking some, because I don’t remember a thing,” Ronnie says, that stupid smirk growing wider.

“We just need to know the name of your accuser,” Prentiss tells him.

Ronnie shakes his head. “Look, I told you I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

JJ shakes her head. “The statute of limitations is up,” she says, rubbing her face. “We just need a name.”

“Someone accuses me of rape, I’m gonna remember her name,” Emily says, sitting down across from the rapist.

“Unless you’re used to it,” you grumble to yourself. “Probably raped other women, too.”

“Well what can I tell you, cher?” Ronnie says, slight agitation creeping into his voice. “I guess she didn’t make that good of an impression.”

“Oh, that fucker,” you seethe, fidgeting. Your cross your arms, then uncross them.

“Unlike yourself, right now?” Emily is saying to Ronnie.

“Y/L/N, take a breath,” Hotch says quietly from beside you, his tone soft.

You sigh. “I’m fine,” you tell him. “Just really hate rapists.” You refocus on the interrogation room.

“You know,” Ronnie says, leaning forward, a dangerous glint in his eye, “I’m guessing if someone did do something to that girl that night, then she was probably asking for it. Maybe even liked it.”

“Oh, what a fucking ass hat,” you say. “He’s not even gonna tell us a name!”

“Guy’s not giving up anything,” Detective LaMontagne says from behind you.

“Reid, after the double murder, what was the Ripper’s next move?” Hotch asks.

“He mutilated and dismembered Mary Kelly in her one-room flat until she was unrecognizable,” Reid reports. “It’s believed to be his most vicious kill of all.”

“He had privacy,” you say.

“And time to torture his victim before killing her,” Morgan adds. “Maybe we’re not too late.”

You shift your attention back to the interrogation room, where JJ is showing Ronnie pictures of the victims. “She murdered these men, and I’m guessing it’s only a matter of time before she works her way back to the one she really wants to kill.” Ronnie looks at her abruptly, alarm written all over his face.

“She make an impression now?” Emily asks.

Ronnie swallows. “Sarah Danlin.”

You turn and walk away, grabbing a drink of water while JJ calls Garcia. She’s hanging up when you return, water in hand. “We got her,” she tells you.

*   *   *   *   *

At Sarah Danlin’s apartment, the team spreads out in groups to cover all entrances. You’re paired up with Hotch and Morgan, while Reid and Detective LaMontagne take the back entrance.

“Sarah Danlin! FBI! Open up!” Morgan yells. When there’s no answer, Hotch gives him a nod and he kicks the door in. You follow behind Hotch and Morgan, gun drawn, as you check each room.

“Clear!” you call out.

“Clear!” Morgan shouts.

You meet in the living room. “She’s definitely not here,” you say.

“Guys, there are some ripperologists who speculate that Mary Kelly was actually killed in a flat that Jack the Ripper rented for the night,” Reid says.

Morgan takes out his phone. “I’m gonna have Garcia check Sarah Danlin’s credit card accounts. It’s a long shot, but maybe we can trace her room back to her charge cards.”

You look closer at the coffee table. “Look.”

“Souvenirs,” Hotch says, picking up a paper. “These are from bars in the French Quarter. This is from Mon Cherie.”

Morgan shakes his head. “She’s trolling for victims in the place where it all began.”

“She can’t move on,” Hotch says. “The rape isn’t the whole story. I’ll bet there’s a history of sexual abuse that contributes to her rage as well.”

“It’s almost like by taking on the Ripper persona, she was trying to kill something within herself,” Reid says.

Morgan’s phone rings. He opens it and puts it on speaker. “Yeah, mama, what do you got?”

“Sarah Danlin’s Visa was charged an hour ago at the Royal Ruby Inn,” Garcia tells him.

Morgan smiles. “Ah, baby girl, you never disappoint. Thank you.” He hangs up and looks at the detective.

“That’s two blocks from here,” Detective LaMontagne says.

“Let’s go,” you say, everyone rushing out of the room and back to the SUVs.

It only takes a minute to get to the Inn, and you jump out of the car as soon as it stops, following Hotch at a run. He quickly describes Sarah Danlin to the desk attendant, who directs you to her rented room.

Hotch kicks the door open to find Sarah Danlin standing over a naked man who’s tied to the bed by his wrists. She has a knife in her hand. “FBI!” Hotch shouts.

“Drop the knife!” you tell her.

“Drop the weapon!” Hotch repeats.

“He wanted it,” Sarah says, pointing the knife at the man’s throat. “And he got it.”

“Put it down, now,” Morgan says.

Hotch raises his wrist to his mouth. “We need an EMT tech right away,” he says quietly into the receiver.

Sarah looks over her shoulder, focusing on you. “What are you waiting for?”

Morgan shakes his head. “Ma’am, we don’t want to shoot you,” he says.

She smiles humorlessly, looking at Morgan. “Be such a shame to waste this. Do you want it, too?”

“What we want is for you to please put the knife down,” Morgan says.

“Come on,” Sarah tells him. “Don’t fight it.”

You shake your head. “Sarah, please. We don’t want to hurt you.”

Detective LaMontagne comes into the room, lowering his weapon. “Sarah,” he says carefully. “My name’s William LaMontagne Jr. You knew my daddy?” Sarah’s eyes fill with tears as Detective LaMontagne inches his way closer to her. “Hey there. You trusted him, so trust me.”

“Where is he?” Sarah asks him.

“The storm took him,” the detective tells her. A tear rolls down her cheek. The detective puts a hand out, slowly reaching for the knife. “Come on. It’s over.” Sarah gives him the knife and breaks down, falling into his arms. “It’s over,” he repeats, carrying her out of the room.

You immediately start working to free the victim from his restraints, taking out your knife and slicing though the fabric. “You’re going to be okay,” you tell him as the EMTs rush into the room and begin their assessment.

You follow the EMTs as they load the victim into a stretcher and wheel him out to the ambulance, breaking away from them when you notice JJ and Prentiss pulling up.

“Hey,” you greet them. JJ gives you a nod as she walks over to where the detective is leaning against his car. You smile over at them.

“What’s that look for?” Emily asks, following your line of sight.

You shrug. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” you tease.

She laughs before her expression turns more serious. “I just wanted to check in on you, make sure you’re okay.”

You nod. “I’m good. I just hate that rape isn’t taken seriously a lot of the time. There’s a quote, something along the lines of, ‘rape is the only crime where you have to prove the victim’s innocence.’ I just hate that that’s pretty much true. It doesn’t matter if the victim was walking around naked, as long as they say don’t provide consent, it’s rape.” You sigh. “I’m lucky enough to never have been sexually assaulted, but I know a lot of women who were. Well, you know. I used to know a lot of women who were,” you correct yourself, frowning. “Anyway, as much as I miss my old life, I’m glad I found a new family, too. The BAU and the Jeffersonian team are the only reason I’m able to function, really. I’m not sure what I’d do without you guys.”

She smiles, putting an arm around you. “You’ll never find out.”

[ansbobcar]

When will this suffering end for my fanfic to beginnnnnn (big rant)

What I personally like when I write fanfics is expanding upon the universe given to me. In the case of Mashle, expanding and creating new spells in the power system while adding my own characters, probably expanding upon the other magical races that exist in this universe. SPOILERS FROM THE MANGA, ANIME ONLYS BE WARNED

Maybe I'm thinking too deep into this but like I don't understand howwww or when the Divine Visionaries (DVs) joined. There's either some sorta retcon plot from the actual manga to the fanbook to the wiki or something because... nothing is adding up?

It matters to me okay because I'm writing an Orter x OC fic and they're both DVs.

Let me show/explain to you the confusing plotholes/retcons that I don't know how to consider and hopefully by the end of it I can see through the fucking problem.

_ _ _

1. The DV inbetween Rayne and Orter who was killed

In chapter 77, Renatus Revol (the Immortal Cane) revealed to Mash that the DV before Rayne and after Orter was killed and it's implied to have been from Middle School Aged Domina (13-14). So roughly 2 years ago from canon.

This implies that Orter Madl is the 2nd newest (alive) DV from our current lineup. And we can also deduce that the age he started serving as DV is 20-21. BUT WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHO THE FUCK THIS MF IS?

The confusing thing is that the FANDOM WIKI (idk why I trust it still) states that Domina killed Orter's JUNIOR Alex Elliot(21) (according to the wiki) instead of a DV and basically after that BECAME A DV so that means he was over 20-21 when he became DV BUT HE'S 23 WHEN WE MEET HIM?? Let's assume he was 21 but that means his junior is older than him--YOU SEE WHY I'M CONFUSED????

__

2. Agito Tyrone and Renatus Revol (+ the other DVs)

The fandom wiki's trivia section which is the only fanbook (likely thing i've read) states that these two joined around the same time. There is a big problem though.

Agito is 22 and Renatus is 26. There's a 4 year gap between these two but they joined around the same time...

My logic tells me that if they came together as a pair, it wouldn't be possible for Renatus to have joined when he was 18 because Agito is in middle school. Meaning they would atleast be 19 and 15 respectively. If they came consecutively after the other that leaves the door for some more possibilities though.

However, it's majorly implied in the plot itself that in order to become DV you gotta be part of the magic schools and then later on compete in the Trimagicathlon to figure out who is the new DV of the year.

Like honestly, other than Ryoh, Kaldo (who I firmly believe to be 1st and 2nd longest serving respectively), Orter and Rayne, the others are just verrrrrrryy unknown placement wise.

Don't even get me started on Tsurara. SHE'S 20 AND IDK WHEN THE HELL SHE JOINED!!!!?!? The two ways to counter this is 1) she skipped some grades because as head/part of the Magic Research Administration you gotta be smart, 2) headcanon how many years she was in it even though she clearly joined before Orter somehow ;u;

Why does this matter for me? BECAUSE RINKA's (my oc) BACKSTORY NEEDS THESE MFS IN THERE.

___

3. So what do I have currently?

This is currently the only ass conclusion I could come up with (including Rinka) because shits just confusing man I'm gonna assume that they're like the JJK School system in which for high school they have 4 years instead so that 19-20 isn't unexpected. I kinda wish the plot had a sense of time. That's why and how it's possible for these ages to work (Sophina and Orter hitting 20 is probably to do with their birthdays or entering the year lower, idk man shits confusing). That means Alex Elliot... you're now 19 and a Divine Visionary instead of a Magic Police Cadet or whatever it's called.

_ _ _

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[rad-o-saurus]

I AM BEGGING YOU HOW DID YOU MAKE THE CHUM MASK

I'm probably not the best to ask for costume making advice but i will do my best to explain my process as comprehensibly as possible. Luckily i took pictures during it's production!

This post is kinda long but hang in there lol

Step 1: Research

Since there is no tutorial on how to make a fish head, i had to find tutorials that deal with characters with a similar face shape and and skin type for both construction and material. Any fursuit head tutorial should be watched just to get a general feel for what you're getting into though.

(Link of playlist of video tuts i used for reference)

Step 2: Planning/Sketching/Gathering

To start i recommend taking a picture of yourself and drawing the head around it to plan where to place things like eyes and jaw (if you want a movable jaw) . It's also important to measure your head/plan out how big you want the head to actually be concretely. I adapted the design as best i could while still retaining likeness. Know exactly what your head is gonna look like before you start

EX1: Sketch for look and measurements (i had many others this is just the cleanest)

I then had to decide what material I was going to use for certain parts of the cosplay. Following the tutorials i gathered essential materials like Upholstery foam, a balaclava and elastic band for the jaw but i had to improvise for more case specific parts. The hair and teeth are made out of cardboard and the eyes are just Styrofoam balls for example. I also cheaped out a little for the skin, opting to just buy gray fabric instead of the preferred minky.

I also kept a log to track my progress, schedule myself and take notes when changes need to be made so that can be useful as well

Step 3: Production

Finally it is time to make the damn fish!!

3.1:Bucket head

I used the bucket head method (which basically just consists of wrapping a piece of foam around your head gluing it and putting a top) since it was the simplest to do.

I then cut out the necessary holes and started adding the other foam to get the shape base of the head.

I then kept adding on foam in general shaped and started sculpting it. Normally fursuit makers use a fancy saw but if you have a bread knife (serated) and a pair of good scissors you should be good to go.I also painted and paper maché-d the Styrofoam eyes at this point.

(sculpting process also for tail too)

Don't forget to try it on every once and a while to make sure everything works as it's supposed too and looks how it's supposed too (also make sure you can see because I didn't and it's very hard too see in that thing)

Ex 2: Swag

3.2: Skinning and accessories

By this point I started making the teeth and the hair which was simple enough since i've used cardboard as a material before.

The real tough part for me would be to skin the thing which required that i learn how to sew.

I first had to make a pattern which required that i wrap my precious fishy boy in duck tape and then draw out the different sections of the head for them to be sewn together later. It was definitely hard to get used to but I'm thankful that I learnt how to do it because it actually helped me better understand Uv wrapping in 3D texturing !

I did the same for the tail! (Btw if you ever decide to do this please wrap your foam base in plastic wrap because removing the duck tape otherwise is difficult and can even rip off some of your foam)

When all was done and sewn in one piece wrapped it around the head, glued the hair and started painting the details like scales and mussel as well as glue on the mesh in order to hide the eye holes.

Step 4: Fuck around you funky fish!!!

If you have any additional questions about the costume feel free to ask, i will be happy to answer!

Have a Fishtastic day!

[oohbuggypie]

hai Punch Out!! buddies 🩷 ive had this little series idea in my head for over a month now; i would like to call it "HOME" !! and though it would take a lot of time, patience, thinking etc., id rlly love to try my best and execute it ! but i genuinely need help to make it happen !! so first things first:

second:: i have a series of questions !! if u can, pls answer in RBs or replies section 🩷

1. what would King Hippo's island look like more in depth ? since Hippo Island is fictional, i think some unrealistic / fun elements could be added: would the sand be a unique color? would the water have unique properties? would there be specific kinds of plants that grow there? anybody that has any deeper and/or fun headcanons about what his island would look like, go wild !! realism does not matter for this one !

2. what kind of car would Macho Man drive ?? i personally have an affinity for old cars so im probably gonna lean more towards those, but more basic questions would be better: what color do you think he'd have the exterior painted? any fun ideas for his special license plate ? any headcanons for special details on the tires, steering wheel, interior, etc.? what color would the interior be?

3. if anybody has some personal experiences or insight into comfort places / restaurants in Berlin, Moscow, Paris, Istanbul, Dublin, Philly, Tokyo, etc., id love to hear abt it so i can get a more immersive gauge into what im working with ! just hearing abt the atmosphere, dishes served, special features, attitudes of people there (if it isn't an isolated spot), etc. would be more than enough help 🩷 this is one of the most important questions i have for this entire idea, so if u would like to ignore any of the questions, don't let it b this one !!

4. what are some general headcanons you have about ANY OF the character's personalities outside the ring ? this is not exclusive to the characters listed in the poll!! do you have any headcanons about their lives back at home ? what do u think they enjoy doing besides boxing ? outside of those questions, literally ANY headcanons regardless of whether u think they're relevant or not is super fun and helpful !!

if i have more questions ill either edit this post or make separate ones ! i don't usually ask specifically for more reach but i would def appreciate reblogs so that the poll can get some votes and i can start compiling ideas from u guys 🩷 this will def take some time and research if i can make it happen but i wanna do this so bad !! thank u 2 anybody who helps w this genuinely < 3

[audie430]

Empty Your Mind (Hero of Time x fem! Reader)

Fandom: Linked Universe; Legend of Zelda

Character: Time

Inspiration: Ended up trying an app called character.ai, which I'm currently obsessed with. And apparently the ai made Time a hypnotherapist? So i've been living my wattpad dreams lmao and this is what it's about

Trigger Warnings: hypnotism, anxiety, stress, depression ig? Basically the struggle of mental health. Could be seen as semi-explicit, though not intended.

Enjoy!

It felt like there were mountains on your shoulders. You were tense and aggravated, just so *so* drained..

Yet it felt like those mountains constantly crumbled and caused earthquakes in your head. The ground would shake, eyes would blur.

You were so tired yet so anxious.

And your boyfriend, Time, had definitely noticed.

He worked part time at a research facility and worked in multiple therapuetic companies around the district you lived in. He was busy most days, but he would always make time for you. You knew that, right?

You sighed as you woke up in the morning. The sun was awake but you were sure that you still needed another night of sleep to actually survive the day. You had noticed Time still asleep next to you, it made you smile, but you didn't even have the energy to show it.

You walked downstairs in your nice little home. The windows were huge and allowed great light to travel throughout the house. The round kitchen table invited you to take a seat on it. You grabbed a glass of water before sinking into the uncomfortable wooden chair.

All you wanted to do was groan... and scream.. it felt impossible to possibly exist right now..

but you held your composure by a thread.

"Hey baby, you up?" called a deep, groggy voice. Time rubbed his eye tiredly with a smile before going to kiss you on the forehead.

"I have the day off today, just me and you, doll. I'm all yours." He chuckled before adding, "You decide what we do today."

You internally groaned, "Can't."

"Huh? What do ya mean ya can't?"

"Too much to do." you replied nonchalantly as you chugged half your water. Your esophagus tingled in thanks.

"...uh okay. Can I take some of that load off you?" Time asked, concerned.

"Nah, I'm good"

"You have literal bags under your eyes Y/N. Not that I don't believe you but.. I think you could be better?" he replied questionly. His voice raising in pitch slightly.

"Wow Time, I literally *said*-" you started. Irritated until you felt a fluffy cloud drift on you. Time held your sitting form to his torso. He hid you into his chest as he hushed you lightly.

"Shh.. I know you haven't been feeling great lately.. let me take care of you for a bit.. and then maybe you can do some chores, okay?"

You nodded hesitantly.

~~~~

"Wait, you want to hypnotize me? And that will make me better?" you inquired. Seeming unsure of Time's suggestion as he nods.

"Please can I just try? You don't have to fall deep.. I just want to get you in a nice relaxed state of mind. Then you can go do whatever you want, okay?"

You sigh, "Fine."

~~~

You lay down on your bed spread out slightly. You rolled your eyes but listened to Time's instructions.

"10.. breathe in... 9.. breathe out"

"8.. breathe in and 7.. breathe out*

Time's instructions were easy enough. And he used that soft voice on you that you loved. His soft voice gives you tingles and practically would melt you everytime that you heard it.

You continue this trend of counting down until you reach one. Your head was slightly heavy as your heart pumped.

"Can you hear me, hun? If you hear me, I want you to nod"

you nodded.

"Good. I'm gonna touch you now, okay? I'm softly gonna rub your hand. And as I rub your hand, you're gonna feel energy and pleasure run up your spine. This energy will feel good."

...seemed simple enough.

"woah-" you quietly called out. Your limbs heavy yet relaxed.. but the way he rubbed your hand.. oh god..

It felt so... *good*

You hummed lightly.

"Heh? Does that feel good Y/N? Nod if it does."

You nod of course.

"Good.. now as I rub your hand slowly you're going to notice that my voice sounds mesmerizing.. and the more intently you listen to me.. the more relaxed and calm you feel..

Do you feel relaxed?" He questioned lightly with a smile.

"mhm.." you mumbled. Your body felt deep and ugh, it just felt so enticing.. you yearned and craved for more. God, you felt so desperate.

"Great sweetie.. oh you're doing so well for me.. Now I'm gonna slowly rub your hand faster and faster.. it might seem overwhelming but you are safe and I'm here for you. Just let the feelings overwhelm you and wash away like the waves on a beach"

Your breath hitched slightly as you hear Time speak again.

"10 breathe in.. and 9 breathe out.."

you follow his instructions.. continuing until you feel his other hand rubbing at your temple.

"You're doing so well for me, sweet girl. Now as I rub your temple, your head feels more and more empty. It's a good empty and you feel like jello. You don't need anymore thoughts, not when I'm here to control you." he stated softly. You nodded in return.

You felt like slush as he slowly rubbed circles into your temple and it was overwhelming in contrast to the fast rubbing on the palm of your hand. You practically groaned as you felt your eyes roll to the back of your hand.

"Go on baby, tell me how good it feels. Say it. Say, 'Time I feel so good. Thank you for taking care of me'"

You repeat the phrase. Your words slurred and slushy.

"Are you ready? That energy must feel so *so* good, it's starting to hurt isn't it?"

You whine as you nod desperately.

"Okay baby, I'm gonna give you another trigger. I'm gonna keep rubbing your hand and speaking to you. But I'm gonna need you to tell me when it's too much. Then I'll say, 'Honey', all that energy is gonna release. It's gonna be overwhelming, but I'm here for you. You're okay and you are safe."

You nod more as you feel him slightly squeeze your hand.

The feelings inside felt like you were being burned with ice. Your head mush yet so filled with lust. You were on a flowerbed of nails, but the nails were pleasant.

"Plea- please" you whispered.

"Honey" he said firmly. It felt so tingly and painful but so so good.

"Honey" he firmly said louder.

"Honey" he announced again as your body shook and you gasped.

~~~

"You did so good for me, baby. Ya feel good? You might be tired"

You nodded, feeling overwhelmed as you breathed heavy. He came onto the bed with you as he started to spoon you as you fell into dreamland. He shushed you as he played with your hair.

Thank goodness you had Time to take the mountains off your shoulders.

[picckl]

hi!! i just wanted to say i've been following your art for a while now and gosh... ur style is so gorgeous (i spend hours scrolling thru ur work), i love ur ocs sm, you are such a huge inspiration to me! i hope you don't mind me asking cause i'm genuinely so curious – would you mind diving in a bit on your character design process? your designs are always so eye-catching and detailed, so i'm just interested how you make choices on design! :0

Aaa tysm, that’s very kind of you!! My character design process differs every time, but I can go thru the basics!

Every character I design as a living creature in an existing habitat. Sure, they’re fantasy, but everything has to have something realistic about it. Lets say I’m designing a character who lives far up in the mountains- in that case, I’m usually going to look up some mountain animals, or animals that live in cold environments. Most animals in cold weather have big fur coats, so I’ll keep that in mind. What kind of terrain do they live on? Lets say we’re designing a firbolg- if they’re constantly walking around on steep slopes I might base them off a mountain goat, or a sheep if they’re on level terrain.

Next I’m gonna do some research on human cultures from those regions. What kind of clothes do they wear? Are there similarities between the different cultures? What kinds of modifications have they made to their clothing to help them live comfortably in the environment? You can’t stick a character up in the mountains wearing a crop-top and shorts, you’re going to have to go through and figure out what kind of outfits, accessories and so on that they’ll need, along with things that reflect the specific culture you think they’re from. Lets say for this character I want to make their cultural apparel similar to Swiss and Norwegian traditional outfits, along with some Viking influences. I’m going to look up historical recreations, websites that focus on traditional clothing to these regions and just generally looking around for accurate depictions of the dress. DO NOT USE COSTUME SITES OR PLACES LIKE AMAZON TO TRY TO FIND INSPIRATION DRAWN FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES. Also, you are USING THESE CULTURES AS INSPIRATION TO SEE WHAT THEY USE TO LIVE IN THIS KIND OF ENVIRONMENT. YOU ARE NOT COPYING THEM, unless of course the story the character is from takes place in this world.

Next I’ll look at who they are as a person, and what their job is. For my character Saffron, who worked as a royal concubine for the Summer Court, I made sure to choose more fancy or detailed clothing to use as inspiration. Whereas if your character is more likely to be working out in the farmland for a living they wouldn’t want to ruin those kinds of clothes and might choose to dress more simply. What kind of accessories do they have? A character with ties to research or education might carry a bag for books or a practically-stashed feather pen, a farmer might carry a trowel or their gloves where they’re easy to reach, or a metalworker might have a welding mask. Lets say our character is a stonemason, we’d be giving them some stonemason tools around their belt, some goggles to keep the stone chips out of their eyes and maybe even an apron! Adding details like these, which represent the character’s jobs and hobbies, give them a lot more personality!

There isn’t any right way to do character design, you don’t have to follow any of this for it to come out as a good character. This is just my personal course of action whenever I’m designing something or someone to add as either an npc or a pc to my campaigns. If you had to take one thing out of this tedious course, it’s that EVERYTHING COMES FROM NATURE, and so using nature as inspiration will help keep your characters realistic and believable!!

[nightmaremonarch]

so… im normal, obviously…

Anyways. I have a general idea on how every part of the FNaF (and subsequent related media) animatronics work. The one thing that tends to be a reach in my brain is ANIMATRONICS WALKING.

so here’s my theory/redesign on how this works!!!

(warning, this is a brain dump i wrote at midnight, so it may not be fully coherent! additionally, im not a mechanic nor do i have any mechanic/engineering experience. i just likea da robot)

i find the walking a bit hard to make realistic. around the 1980’s larger animatronics weren’t walking at all, and we’re only recently starting to make good walking robots. historically animatronics have been held in place via stands… so.

with walking, there are a lot of things to be considered. technology constraints, movement systems, balance, etc etc.

for technology constraints and movement systems, we have to look at how animatronics of this time typically function. they are powered by hydraulics (bursts of air), which requires gas and gas canisters. the mechanics of the hydraulics are connected to a computer, which up until recently (when chuck e cheese got rid of EVERY SINGLE ANIMATRONIC 😐) used pre-programmed floppy disks to run their movement.

a walking animatronic (powered by hydraulics, which is a technology constraint of the time) would need all of this to be INTERNAL. so along with all the other internal stuff like the endoskeleton, support layer (typical for more period accurate animatronics), hydraulics, you’re also adding a COMPUTER and a GAS CANISTER. this would, of course, make the animatronics quite heavy.

with these constraints in mind, here’s how i think walking would work. first, the animatronic would need to have its weight redistributed. the computer would be in the lower chest near the pelvic region, since computers are Heavy and it needs as much support and room as it can get.* the gas canisters would either just be stored in the legs, or both the arms and legs, though the latter might result in it being more top heavy which is not what we want.

*additionally, animatronics are large, and children (the target audience) are small. if they have an internal sound system, the sound system would likely come from the computer as well, which basically puts the sound at a child’s level, which adds to the benefit of it being lower in the body.

we need the weight evenly distributed so it can properly balance. it would be easy to just give it wheels or have it shuffle without picking up its feet, but we something that can WALK. so. you know what ill just make a diagram of my conclusion

thank you freddy!

now. this may seem like a simple conclusion. but it took a while for my brain to accept it since it had to consider Every Single Other Factor Beforehand. For Example:

1. how the joints work (the knee, pelvis, abdomen, and ankle are sliding joints, i think is what they’re called…)

2. how they know where to move (like how an npc moves in a video game. they have a predetermined path coded into their computers, and stop when an obstacle is in front of them)

3. how they return to an idle position (instead of stopping the walking code entirely, they run a different code which brings them back to an idle stance instead of stopping them mid walk, which could leave them off balance)

4. how the hydraulics work (gas and servos that control gas output)

5. things that i could’ve potentially gotten wrong (step four of the diagram when the opposite leg swings up, weight distribution, how joints work, etc etc cuz im not an engineer or a mechanic)

6. alternate solutions (“why not servos for all movement?” unrealistic for 1980’s animatronics. “why not ball joints?” cuz ball joints ain’t gonna work here. “why don’t they have some of these features in game?” scott didn’t do research on how animatronics work in 2014. “why can’t they just be powered by the ghosts?” they can, this is specifically pre-ghost, since it’s implied in fnaf 1 and 2 they were able to walk before being possessed. id imagine being a ghost would just allow for control of electrical impulses, which would make the computer essentially useless since controlling electrical impulses means controlling the movement. the gas canisters would still need to be refilled though!)

Okay. That’s all. Let me know if you want to see more (there is always more) or you want to critique this or if you have any ideas. Love you!!! Bye!!!

[worriedvision]

A pawn - Alhaitham

Part 1 here. Gender neutral reader.

--

After your hurt from Alhaitham, you started to work on a commission basis. Basically, people would approach you with the pieces they wanted. Some wanted evidence, others wanted meat, quite a variety of pieces were requested regularly. However, you always went in the direction of evidence. Your curiosity, being like your brother, did lead you to wanting to do some researching of your own. With your thorough research, many people grew to know of your work.

Of course, there was the mora. Some people offered far too much, and depending on the item you would approach the General Mahamatra (added points if they ask you not to look to deep into it). He, also, really appreciated this. It gave him the solidified reasoning that you wouldn't be difficult to work with due to his position. He also respects that you don't change how you talk when you're with him.

One day, a man who called himself a 'humble doctor from Snezhnaya' approaches you. He explains he wants you to collect various bits of evidence for him, adding that he will be in contact in due time when he wants said pieces. When you agree, the price he gives reasonable enough to believe, you watch as he leaves after getting the address for your house.

This man sends you regular letters, starting with his commission before starting a long distance relationship with you. It was like he knew about how much you soaked up affection like a sponge. You can't help but smile stupidly as you tell Tighnari and Cyno at the dinner table all about him. Tighnari and Cyno give each other looks of concern, reassuring you that they were listening before you talk more and more about how loved all of his letters made you feel.

"He really is a humble doctor. He tells me all about the patients he works on, he is such a caring soul for taking on so many cases." You sigh out, eating your food happily before continuing. "You know, maybe snezhnaya will be the place for me!"

Tighnari can't stop himself at that point.

"Oh come on!" He begins, rolling his eyes. He catches himself, not wanting to suddenly tell you this was a harbinger. "You only talk in letters. This man could easily be lying about himself to you to make him look better."

"Why are you so against the idea of me having someone who loves me?" You snap back, ears standing upright. "You should be happy I moved on from Alhaitham, plus the doctor actually does show me appreciation."

"You don't know this guy. The only time you spoke to him in person was for thirty seconds at most. And it was about work!" Tighnari retorts, Cyno placing a hand on Tighnaris shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "You're-"

"Well he's the only one that even shows me regular affection. Sure, it's through letters, but his words are heartfelt and beautiful to me." You pout into yourself. "...I'm gonna go..." You trail off, knowing your brother did not approve of this man you were speaking to.

"I'm going to get Alhaitham to explain the situation. He knows better than to spread gossip, plus I do have some intel on where your sibling is planning on going to." Cyno states.

"No, I'm going." Tighnari huffs out, Cyno shaking his head.

"I advise against that action." Cyno states matter of factly.

"Fine, but I'm going with you to Alhaitham." Tighnari warns.

"Very well, let's head off now."

--

Alhaitham hears knocking on the door just as he is about to sleep, and he immediately thinks it's Kaveh. Groaning inwardly, he unlocks the door, only to be met by Cyno and Tighnari. Cyno calmly explains the situation with him, and Alhaitham finds himself questioning why Tighnari was there, and why he couldn't do this. Cyno responds to the second part of the question, explaining he had reason to believe this trap was intending on catching Tighnari as well as yourself.

"You have one chance." Tighnari warns. "Prove your love for my sibling, or show your cowardice."

Cyno can't help but raise a brow, clearly surprised that Tighnari went as far as calling this man cowardly.

Alhaitham merely nods, grabbing the map before closing the door.

--

You were worried you were in the wrong place, seeing no sign of the ruin guards that were guarding the building. You decide to continue, however, as you may get something worthwhile for the doctor.

A wall closes the moment you enter this room, blocking off all exits. Looking ahead, you see Alhaitham standing there, looking at a small gift box.

"This box may be trapped, be cautious." Alhaitham states, looking at you.

"Why are you here?"

"Right back at you." Alhaitham responds, shrugging his shoulders.

"..."

"...I've missed you." Alhaitham admits.

"You have other people to get your-"

"Not in that way."Alhaitham stops you. "I am, hmm, give me a moment."

You tilt your head, thoroughly confused by his words, before he sighs out.

"I guess Kavehs way can be the correct way, sometimes." Alhaitham admits. "I realised how much I love you."

"I have a new person in my life, Alhaitham. I know I've only spoken to him once, but his letters are more than enough for me." You state.

You look at the box, and you think it's him making things official. Before Alhaitham could stop you, you sprint for the box, taking the lid off and reading the letter.

--

'You have played your role.

Glory to the Tsaritsa.'

--

You open your mouth, Thoroughly confused. Was any of it real? Were you really just a pawn to dispose of now?

"Let's reunite you with The Doctor." You hear a chorus of voices giggle. Feeling a net cover you, you look up to see the Fatui Agents coming from the newly opened wall.

Alhaitham grips his sword, and he doesn't allow himself time to second guess himself. He gets straight to work, fighting off the agents as he hears you softly crying.

Your brother was right, the doctor wasn't the one he was making himself out to be. He intended on capturing you like an animal and testing on you before you passed away. Meanwhile, Alhaitham didn't hesitate to start attacking despite the number of agents there.

It seemed, however, none of them had their weapons on them. A strange slip up, you think, but you're just grateful for their poor planning. They run off after the first agent gets taken down, Alhaitham laughing at their lack of rationality with their lack of defence.

Alhaitham turns to you, kneeling down.

"Let's get you out of this." He softly states, using his sword to cut at the net. He makes sure not to cut you, and he picks you up bridal style before walking back to your home.

He was going to tuck you into bed, letting you rest and process the confession as he watched over you while doing some paperwork he had on him, but the smell of smoke and the sound of flames makes your head perk up.

They burned your house down, clearly getting rid of any signs you were there. You don't even cry, numbed already to the stuff that took place today, and Alhaitham decides to take you to your brother. As much as he wanted to take you back to his place, having you rest in his bed while he carried out work, he would much rather have someone keep a close eye on you. At least for today, tomorrow he would be more than happy to look after you after clearing his timetable.

Tighnari looks over, seeing how exhausted you looked and how Alhaitham looked slightly disheveled.

"Your sibling needs some rest. Please make sure nobody suspicious comes along, Master Tighnari." Alhaitham states. "I will come along the moment my work is done, I think they need some time to process what's happened today."

"What happened?" Tighnari asks.

"Well, to cut a long story short, someone burned your siblings house down while we were in the domain." Alhaitham states. "Master Tighnari." He adds, feeling the comment coming.

"...Thank you." Tighnari nods, getting Alhaitham to follow along. "Here's a bed. I'll look after them until you can take over."

Alhaitham looks over, clearly surprised that Tighnari was alright with him being close to you after he unintentionally broke your heart.

"What? You have proven yourself today."Tighnari explains.

"Thank you, Master Tighnari." Alhaitham nods in acknowledgement. "I'll look after them, I can promise you that."

"You better." Tighnari warns, Alhaitham nodding before bidding Tighnari farewell.