#looks for a tropical heist

[fashion4standusers]

pieces by Fanci Club

[hayaku14]

nothing more tragically hilarious than kaito excitedly taking shinichi out to a surprise date only for it to be at tropical land

[robocracker]

so i had a dream last night that they dropped the trailer for shadow and bone season 2, except it was only about the crows, and alina. who had abandoned her original plot and joined them, instead. and it was heist time! and we even got to see jesper and wylan’s first meeting, which was really intense for some reason? and i was about to go looking for it to revisit some of the details, but i’ve only just remembered it was merely a dream, which. sucks.

[heian-era-housewife]

Synopsis | Tired of being overlooked by your handler (and longstanding crush) Shiu Kong, you decide it's time to show him what a knock out you really are. Will a trip to the aquarium finally help open his eyes?

Content | g/n assassin!reader x shiu kong, fluff, swearing, cigarettes/smoking

Word Count | ~3.5k

Prologue ○ The Date ○ The Photos

Most assassins start out the same. Down on their luck. Blessed, or cursed perhaps, with a particular set of skills. Nothing that could be considered useful in a typical workplace, of course. Lonely. Desperate, maybe. A bit apathetic.

Then, one way or another, the opportunity presents itself. An offer that comes to them in their most vulnerable hour. A chance to meet two needs at once:

The first is money. Afterall, murder for hire doesn't come cheap. For someone who's had so little for so long, that kind of payout is hard to ignore.

The next is acceptance. Let's face it. The would-be assassin is usually a bit odd. And that "particular set of skills" mentioned earlier? They tend to fall firmly in the "red flag" category. So when those skills are met with intrigue and your peculiarity is given worth, you suddenly find yourself being valued. And who doesn't want to feel needed?

Yes, most assasins start out the same and you were no exception. These, plus your friendship with one Toji Fushiguro, are what led to your humble beginnings as an operative for notorious handler Shiu Kong.

You always had a knack for stealth. Sneaking up on people, going unnoticed, it seemed to come naturally. Perhaps that's why you always felt a little invisible. While Toji was a master of speed and weaponry, you could melt from the shadows like darkness itself. So, when Toji brought you in on a high-stakes heist, and you more than proved yourself as a capable (not to mention frighteningly lethal) ally, Shiu held out his hand and gladly welcomed you aboard.

Shiu was, in many ways, your opposite. Classy and sophisticated. A smooth talker with a gift for persuasion. Bit of a politician, really. You, on the other hand, were a classic maverick. Loose cannon with a loose tongue. Slipshod and off-color. You were friends with Fushiguro, after all. But, if you and Shiu had anything in common it was your keen eye for detail. He- an ex-detective with the skills to match. A regular Sherlock Holmes. You- a master of stealth and duplicity. A proverbial "fly on the wall". It became somewhat of a game to sneak up on your handler. What a thrill it was when the man who noticed everything was rendered flustered and shaken by your unexpected presence. It was through these little games, and your rapt observations, that you began to fall for the man who liked cheese and tropical fish.

And it was these same circumstances that led to your current predicament. Heart racing. Stomach in knots. Hand in hand in front of the Okinawa Aquarium with the very man you just kidnapped aprehended.

But now wasn't the time for nerves.

Pulling him along, you dashed up the long stairs before you, laughing as you looked back over your shoulder to see the sophisticated man stumbling along behind. He joined you in laughter, free hand grabbing at his fly-away tie, struggling to keep up. He looked boyish. Full of life. Hardened features and tired eyes giving way to playful innocence. Gaining his stride, he played along, chasing you the rest of the way up the stairs garnering a squeal from you where the toes of his dress shoes nabbed at your heels.

"Two please!" You gasped, catching your breath as you reached the ticket counter first.

"Please, let me." Shiu offered, patting his pockets. "Just gotta find my-"

"Money?" You finished, waving his own leather-bound wallet as you pulled it from your pocket with a cheeky wink.

"You little-"

"Thanks, boss!" You said with a wry smile. "I'll get us next time." Behind his annoyance, he could hardly conceal his smile. This strange date had barely begun, and he already liked the sound of "next time".

You reached for the pocket of his suit jacket, replacing the stolen wallet and swapping it for his pack of cigarettes.

"You know you can't smoke in there, you gonna survive?"

"Thief." He accused, snatching back the little red and white box.

"Addict." You shot back.

"Narc." He glared. "I'll be fine."

"Whatever you say," you shrugged, reaching up to fix his tie. Then, with a wink, "just let me know if that mouth of yours needs a distraction..." Shiu blushed a deep red that spread from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. "...'cuz I brought gum." You finished cheekily, unwrapping a stick and popping it into your mouth before snapping a small bubble between your teeth.

You really were dangerous, he thought to himself. Not just in the silent assassin sort of way, but in a way that could leave him more damaged than any weapon. You were a heartbreaker.

"What are those?" You asked, doing little to hide your disgust.

"I used to catch these. As a kid. Back in Korea." A distant look in his eyes reflected a memory you could not see. But that didn't stop you from imagining. You smiled thinking of the serious man as a young boy, exploring tidepools and combing the beach for shells. You wondered if his upbringing contributed to his interest in fish. You wondered what he was like as a child. If he grew up to be the man he wanted to be. You wondered-

"They're sea cucumbers, by the way." He said, pulling you from your daydream. "Crazy little things. No face, no limbs, just a digestive tract."

"Weird. So, what do they do?"

"Not much, really. Pretty much just eat, shit, and lay around."

"Oh, so just like Toji." You said with a grin.

That got him laughing. "You want to touch one?" He waved you closer. Truth be told, you'd been maintaining your distance for a reason. As an assassin, you had a high tolerance for the gross and grotesque, but something about the little turd-like creatures made you oddly squeamish. "C'mere." He said.

In an instant your hand was in his as he gently pulled it under the frigid water. Sliding his hand over the back of yours, he lifted two of your fingers and guided you down the length of the sea cucumber's back. It was soft and rubbery. Almost velvety in places, contracting like a muscle under your fingertips as you and Shiu drifted over.

Despite the unique sensation, you found it hard to focus on anything other than Shiu's touch. The warmth of his hand under the cool water. The confidence he'd gained just by entering the aquarium.

He was too rapt in the moment to realize he'd moved in closer. It was like a dream come true. Minus the slimy cucumber. But, you had to admit, even that was starting to grow on you.

The next hallway opened up to a kaleidoscope of bright colors and shimmering light. You had to shield your eyes a bit just to take it all in. Thousands of vibrant tropical fish swam in all directions, darting in and out of equally vibrant corals. A sign overhead read, "Sea of Tropical Fish". Your mind jumped to the image of Shiu's dating profile, "tropical fish" listed under his interests. His only interest.

Your chest swelled as you turned to look at him, hoping to glimpse the approval on his face. Instead, you found yourself standing alone, Shiu no longer behind you.

"Chromis viridis." You heard him mutter.

Where the hell was he?

"Chaetodon lunula."

Oh. How'd he get over there? The suited man was crouched, childlike, toward the floor of the exhibit. Entranced, it seemed, by what he saw.

"Zebrasoma veliferum!" He breathed in excitement.

"Boss...?" You approached slowly, not intending to startle him...this time. "Sh-Shiu?" You offered tentatively, never having used his given name before. It dripped from your lips like honey.

He spun around, eyes wide, a sharp frown hardening his handsome features. For a moment, you thought he might scold you for your breach of formality.

"Scarus spinus." He said jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at the tropical display.

"Come again?" You asked, beyond confused.

"Scarus spinus. The Greensnouted Parrotfish." He said thoughtfully. "I don't have this one at home."

"Wait, wait, wait." Your eyes shot open, gleaming in the brilliant light. "You've been over here spouting off the Latin names of all these fish??"

He nodded. A sense of pride washed over him as he awaited your words of praise at his impressive display of knowledge.

"Oh my God!" You stared at him in disbelief. "Shiu Kong..." His smile broadened. "I can't believe it! You're a gigantic fucking nerd!"

His face fell flat as you burst into raucus laughter. He stood, brushing his tailored slacks and turned to walk away, cheeks once again taking on a rosey hue.

"No, no, no, come back here, you!" You said, grabbing his wrist and halting his hasty retreat. "You don't get to walk away that easy. I came here to learn about fish, and you're going to teach me!"

He cast you a cinical look as you wiped a tear of laughter from your cheek.

"I'm serious." You said, smiling up at him. "Show me what you got, "Jacques Cousteau".

Setting his bruised pride aside, he told you the names of the tropical fish. Which ones he had, which ones he didn’t, ones that he wanted, and ones that were highly endangered.

You learned about mouthbrooders who held their babies, sometimes hundreds of them, deep in their mouth- throats and gills expanding to accommodate their many offspring.

You learned about corallivores. Fish that eat coral through a variety of adaptations. Some, called "excavators", even had human-like teeth and molars.

You learned about parrotfish who make mucus coccoons before they sleep to protect themselves from parasites and predators.

Most importantly, you learned that Shiu was so much more than what meets the eye. Smart and patient, charming and quirky. His serious nature and mob boss persona all just a front for a man whose essence was smoother and softer than silk.

"So, do you name them?" You asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your fish! Do you name them?"

He laughed, waving off your question with a look that would fool no one. Certainly not you.

"You totally name them!" You jeered, nudging his ribs with a teasing elbow.

"One. One!" He caved, finally. "My first fish, 'Lucky Strike'."

"Like the cigarettes?" You said incredulously.

"Like the cigarettes." He agreed. "He's a silver arowana. Some people call them 'cigarette fish'. Maintaining their health is said to bring you luck."

"Hah!" You laughed. "How fitting. You said he was your first?"

"Mhmm. 15 years and still young. We've been through a lot together."

"That's...really sweet, actually."

Display after display led to more illuminating moments.

Your favorite areas were those that were dark and hushed. The dim light casting everything into monochrome, filtering through the water in soft lines like a film noir. Shiu's warm breath fanned your ear and neck as he spoke, low and quiet in these muted spaces. His face so close you could smell his aftershave. His hand now a constant presence in yours, as though he feared letting go might mean losing you to the shadows.

It was in one of these darkened hallways, bathed in dreamy blue light, that you caught your first glimpse of a massive spotted fin.

Gliding noiselessly by a large window, a tail, inky black and as tall as you, blocked the light momentarily as it drifted by. You tensed, startled by the unexpected sight, shrinking wordlessly into Shiu's arms, his chest shaking softly against your back with silent laughter at your trepidation. But as the hallway ended, the laughter stopped, both of you forced to hold your breath at the sight that followed.

From the second floor of a gigantic room, glass stretched wall to wall, floor to ceiling, you watched as two gargantuan whale sharks slid past each other in lazy circles. The creatures were stunning. Each the size of a city bus, they dwarfed the hundreds of fish that shared their tank and the dozens of people who had come to see them. Their beauty was unrivaled. Their magnitude, unbelievable. Every upturned face hung, slackjawed, in their shadow. Every awestruck eye was on them.

"Hey," Shiu hummed, lips intoxicatingly close to your ear. Goosebumps sending shivers in waves over your skin as he spoke. "Did you know there are over 80 species of coral in this tank?"

"Shiu Kong, you absolute nerd!" Your words came out as something of a choked whisper. "You're the only person here who cares about the damn coral!"

"You think?" He asked sincerely.

"I think you're missing the bigger picture." You laughed softly, gesturing to the giant fish before you.

"Or maybe," He said, bringing his cheek to rest against yours as he held a hand out indicating the tank's entirety, "you're only seeing part of it."

As you pulled your eyes away from the sharks, you began to see more of what he meant. An entire world of oceanic technicolor, rich in intricate detail, each as fascinating and beautiful as the next. Maybe you really did need to broaden your view.

Or maybe, you thought to yourself, settling further in Shiu's embrace, the best view was standing right behind you.

The tip of Shiu's nose was mere inches from yours. Steely eyes gazed warmly into your own as you stood, captivated by one another. Every feature, every crease, every striking detail as clear to you as ever. You felt like you could reach out and-

Bonk

"Crazy, right?" He said, stepping out from behind the 2-foot-thick acryllic.

"It's like it's not even there!" You shook the pain from your fingertips where your hand had jammed the crystal clear material.

The acryllic pillar was part of an educational area beyond the main ocean tank and served as an example of what the tank itself was made of. Despite its thickness, it appeared as thin as the average window and was so clean you could easily fool yourself into believing it wasn't there at all.

Beyond this lay a room of other hands-on displays and activities including-

"Origami!" You chirped, bouncing over to the station clearly intended for younger participants.

"Yeah...I don't think we need to-"

You shot Shiu the most soulful puppydog eyes you could muster, sidling up to the small table where a friendly attendent stood, teaching kids and parents how to fold tiny paper sting rays. He was utterly powerless.

20 minutes and several crumpled pieces of paper later, Shiu held in his hand a perfect paper sting ray and you- well... yours was... you tried.

"Stay close." Shiu said, not giving you much of a choice as he wrapped his arms around you. "Don't want you disappearing on me," he whispered into the shadows.

The final section of the aquarium, "Journey to the Deep Sea" was an immersive exhibit with almost no light, housing only those creatures who lived on the sea floor. Tank after tank featured deepwater sharks and wide-mouthed groupers, fish with no eyes and luminescent corals. Each creature more alien than the next, so bizarre they seemed like the work of fiction.

You were about halfway through this final floor when you noticed a shift in Shiu's behavior.

At first you chalked it up to nerves. Perhaps the real reason he held you so tight was not for concern of you slipping away, but for fear of the dark that he dared not mention, or an uneasiness brought about by its grotesque inhabitants.

In time, shaky hands became shaky arms. Squinted eyes against the darkness took on a pained expression, and his speech changed from informative quips to downright nervous rambling. "Mr. Composed and Sophisticated" appeared to be slowly falling apart, and it wasn't until his jittery hands left yours in order to take up desperate search of his pockets that you understood the reason.

The poor man was in dire need of a smoke.

“Shiu.” You said gently, working his hands in your own. “We're almost done, okay?” He looked confused. Hurt, even.

“I…don't want to be.” He admitted, an unsteady hand grazing the back of his neck.

“Me neither.” You smiled.

It wasn't the whale sharks or the giant manta ray that got his attention. Not the dolphins and their tricks, nor the many types of exotic sharks. It was the tiny spotted garden eels emerging from their sandy burrows. The glass shrimp that were nearly invisible with their transparent carapace. He liked the small and nameless fish you could find at any pet store. Even the sea grass, which you doubted anyone had ever cared about, earned a look of admiration from the modern-day mobster. He had an eye for the unseen and a heart for the unfavored. It was no wonder he had been such a skilled detective.

As you watched him take it all in with wide-eyed wonder, you realized too late you'd been tossed overboard- swept out to sea. Caught up in the tides of affection and left drowning in the deep. Without even trying, he had you- hook, line, and sinker.

It was both to your horror and your unwavering joy that you found yourself desperately, hopelessly, shamelessly, and inescapably in love with Shiu Kong.

Choosing his words next words carefully, he mused, "So…remember that gum you mentioned earlier-"

His eyes went wide as your lips interlocked, your palms on his cheeks, fingers framing his ears. Then, closing his eyes, he pulled you in hungrily, passionately. One hand on your back, the other on your hip. Drinking you in with an unquenching thirst. You wondered if others might condemn your indecency, then realized you didn't care. This is why you brought him here. This is what you wanted. All these years of playing "gun-for-hire" it was all for him. The man who was tired of drinking alone. Who smelled of fine whiskey and cheap cigarettes. Who was so full of contrast and contradiction. The one who found beauty in the the places no one thought to look.

The man who liked cheese and tropical fish.

Shiu stirred, throat dry and eyes bleary.

What time is it?

Twilight shone through his parted curtains, bathing him in deep blue. For a moment, he felt like he was back in the dewey atmosphere of the Okinawa Aquarium.

The Aquarium.

Shiu scrambled out from under the covers, looking for his phone. 5 am. No messages. He looked down to see his usual sleepwear- a white t-shirt and pair of boxers.

Was he losing his mind? Had he dreamt the whole thing?

In the bathroom, no amount of face-splashing nor mirror-staring could help him recall how he'd gotten home, what happened after the date, what happened after the kiss...

His entire ride to work was a dreary blur. Memories of stingrays and jellyfish swam through his mind's hazy periphery, but sitting at the forefront was you. You with his wallet and that cheeky smile. You with your hand held warmly in his. You with your eyes so full of the ocean's depths. Surely it wasn't all just in his head.

Right?

At work, Fushiguro made no mention of his absence. Everything was exactly as he had left it. Staring blankly at his computer, worthless dating profile still up on the screen, he stiffened as you melted from the shadows behind.

"Still on that old thing?" You gestured to the screen.

Shiu stared, lips parted, scanning your features.

"Speechless, huh? I get that a lot." You winked. "Did'ya do anything fun this weekend?"

He gulped. Mouth dry. He thought he had. Now he was forced to admit it had all been some maladaptive daydream. A desperate wish conjured up by his own drunken loneliness.

"I...I don't know..." He said with a faraway look.

"Ah well," you said with a wave as you bounced toward the door in a cheerful saunter. "They can't all be memorable."

Casting his gaze downward, a small black and white something caught Shiu's eye.

A bit of paper sat upon his desk. In the low light of the office it looked like trash at first, something he had crumpled up in frustration. But as his eyes adjusted, he was able to make out the vague features of a small, poorly folded bit of origami in the shape of a-

"Sting ray..." Shiu whispered to himself, thoughts firing fast.

"Pardon?" You paused in the doorway.

Confidence returning, a growing smile flickering across his face, he asked, "Do you want to grab a drink with me later?"

A bashful hand flew to your mouth as you feigned your reserve. "Mr. Kong, are you asking me out on a date?"

"You can save the theatrics." He said with a sly grin. "This one's on you, remember?" He said, searching his pockets.

"Looking for this?" You held up the leather-bound wallet with a teasing wink.

"You little-"

Darting from the room in a fit of laughter, Shiu went to give chase before pausing and returning quickly to his computer. He hovered for a moment over the still-open dating profile, considering, before making up his mind.

As he ran from the room, long legs quickly catching up to your stride, leather dress shoes nabbing at your heels, two words remained on the illuminated screen:

Account deleted.

Special shout out to @heian-era-househusband who not only came up with the idea for the ending of this story, but listened to me gripe, moan, and reread this horrendous tale for WEEKS until we were both blue in the gills.

Fun fact (if you're still here): Mr. Househusband proposed to me at an aquarium, in an underwater tunnel, surrounded by sea lions. He is now and forever more my one and only aquarium date. And I have been known to steal his wallet on occasion.

Fin.

[analogwriting]

It Comes in Waves

Chapter 1: Tsunami

Trafalgar Law x gn!reader tw; ace's death. i know, we're starting off strong as shit. word count: 3k prev|next

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Portgas D. Ace. Also known as ‘Fire Fist Ace’ or even the commander of the second division for the Whitebeard Pirates. Also…a great friend of yours. A friend you had run into several times over your years at sea. A friend that let you cry on his shoulder and who had cried on yours. The memory of you meeting flashes in your mind. A simpler time. Before he had all his alternate titles. Before he was even his own captain. 

You were on a tropical island. It was small and reminded you of your home island, but it was just a pitstop for you to get rest and something to eat. You had hunted down some small wildlife and gathered some fruit that seemed to be edible before beginning to roast it over a fire you created. 

While it was cooking, you worked on setting up a place to sleep. However, you heard something from behind you. Pulling a knife from your belt, you threw it as you turned around. 

“Whoa! I come in peace!” An alarmed, male voice chimed. You turned to see a man standing there. He couldn't have been older than eighteen. So, more of a boy. You noticed that he dodged your attack well, so he wasn't a complete idiot. There was a small cut on his cheek. Not quite quick enough but still impressive. He was lucky it was a warning shot anyway.

“Well, maybe you shouldn't sneak up on someone.” You folded your arms, taking in the boy before you. Disheveled black hair, tanned skin, dressed like a punk. You could tell easily that he was a pirate, perhaps at the beginning of his adventure.

“I didn't really mean to. I was just following the delicious smell of food.” A wistful look crossed his face before he frowned. “A bird flew away with my food.” He looked at you with puppy dog eyes and you sighed, shaking your head. 

“Fine. I'll share. Consider it my apology for attacking you. I'm a bit on edge.” After all, you had just narrowly escaped the navy on your most recent heist. You wouldn’t have been surprised if they had somehow found you, even if they were pretty dense.

The man's face lit up, wasting no time as he plopped down next to the fire you had going. “I have some sake I can share.” You shake your head. You couldn't risk letting your guard down right now. “I'm fine. Help yourself.”

You moved to your food, beginning to divvy it up for the two of you. You handed him his share before settling with your own. “I'm Ace, by the way,” he said, a mouthful of food. 

You told your eyes at his lack of manners. “Y/N,” you said simply, beginning to eat. 

He asks you a couple more questions, but notices you guard some of your answers, so he maneuvers to more simple questions and talks about his own journey. He eventually brings up his little brother - a kid named Luffy. From the sounds of it, he seems quite the handful. He mentions how he's the world's biggest crybaby, but he wants to become King of the Pirates. 

You can't help but feel admiration for the kid who has yet to set sail.

You knew just about everything there was to know about one another. He is your best friend.  And now, it looked like everything was going belly up for him. You were about to lose one of the few people you held close. Again. Why did you have to keep losing people you cared about?

You stared at the video that was being casted from a transponder snail in Sabaody. You were there taking care of a few loose ends from your most recent mission. It dawned on you just how long it had been since you'd seen Ace. You'd been cracking down on your own agenda, not exactly keeping up with current events. It had easily been…at least six months? 

You noticed another familiar face on screen. Monkey D. Luffy. Captain of the Strawhat Pirates and Ace’s baby brother. The one he had told you about and the one you had eventually met on your own. One that you ran into often just like you had Ace.

You had just seen Luffy and his crew not too long ago. It was right here on Sabaody. They helped you take down a human auction house. They were saving a friend of theirs and this was something you did on the regular. Freeing slaves and making slaveholders suffer. Celestial Dragons hated you, and you hated them.

You had been doing this for about a decade, so you had a pretty high bounty - close to a billion. However, you have always been extremely careful to cover your identity. You had a whole disguise set up. A special cloak that covered all of your features. That’s all they had photo evidence of. Your first and last name donned the poster, but you went by your middle name on your average day. You lived a double life that no one knew about.

No one except Ace that is.

You're pulled out of your thoughts as you hear voices begin to raise. You blinked, coming back to earth and looking around. That’s when you realize the videofeed had been cut off. Everyone was starting to raise their questions and concerns. What the hell was going on now? What happened to Ace? To Luffy? You heard those questions being asked around you, so you knew the feed cut before anything happened.

“I need to get out of here,” you mumbled to yourself. You needed to get to Marineford and fast. Unfortunately, your boat that was akin to Ace’s striker, your ‘navis’ as you called it, was much too slow to get there in time. “Even if I call to the sea…” No, still too slow. Time was against you. You cursed silently to yourself, feeling yourself beginning to unravel. This couldn’t be happening. You couldn’t be losing him.

That's when you felt a hand on your shoulder. You tensed. Knife in hand, you turned around quickly, pressing it to the throat of whomever was dumb enough to lay their hands on you. It didn’t matter if all around was chaos. You didn’t even care if this had been any other day. You weren’t a fan of being touched by strangers. Who was?

The owner of the heavily tattooed hand was tall. You were face to face with his chest. A logo of some smiling jolly roger. You looked up, glaring at the man only to find him glaring right back at you. Who did he think he was? He was the one that touched you. Not the other way around.

You took note of the long sword he carried and his lanky frame. Did he even know how to wield this sword correctly? Or use it in general? Your eyes trailed to his at before resting once more on his face. Something…felt familiar. Had you seen him before?

“You greet everyone like this?” There was a hint of a smirk that was just enough to make you want to punch him. His calm demeanor he had whilst you had your knife to his throat also drove you mad.

“Just those that touch me without permission.”

He took his hand away, putting them both up in a surrender motion. “Apologies.” He looked at you once more, taking you in. There was a hint of recognition in his eye and he looked like he wanted to ask something before deciding against it. He looked up to where the video feed had been.

“You know him?” Then he glanced back at you.

You stared at him, blinking several times as you processed his question. You tried to form words but nothing was coming to you. Too many questions were trying to pour out all at once. All that came out was, “What?”

“Well, I'm heading that way and you seemed pretty distraught about it so I figured I'd offer a ride in my submarine.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. Who the hell just did something like that? “You don't seem like the kind of person who does things out of the kindness of his heart.” There had to be some hidden motive. Some other reason that he wanted to offer a ride. Was this some kind of human trafficking ploy? They sure were getting creative these days. It was disgusting.

“Suit yourself,” he said, turning away. What if he was just offering out of the kindness of his heart? Or maybe there was some hidden motive but…you couldn’t risk it. You had to save Ace. You had to save Luffy. Or die trying. “Okay, fine.” He turned, looking as you spoke, smirking. “That’s what I thought.”

Oh, this was going to be a nightmare. Your fist just might up in his jaw. Why would someone just offer a stranger a ride into a war just on a whim? And why were you accepting it? You had to be just as crazy.

“Let's go then,” he said, once more pulling you out of your thoughts. 

Silence fell over the two of you as you walked, delving once more into your own mind. Would you make it on time? Could you save your friends? Why was this man helping you? Why were you trusting him? Is it because you had nothing left to lose? If you lost Ace and Luffy…you’re not sure what you’d do. They were the closest thing you had to family since…

“We’re here.” You were yanked back to the present as the man in front of you spoke. Your eyes landed on the yellow submarine. You blinked. That’s right…he had said that. It was just registering that he had mentioned it earlier. You were such a mess, you didn’t even question it. What the hell was a pirate doing with a submarine?

“Last chance to turn around. You’re stuck once the door closes.” The man smirked at you and you felt the need to punch him in the nose. You didn’t even bother saying anything as you headed inside. There was no turning back now. This was your only chance to reach your friends in time. 

You were told to keep close to the man, which you didn’t argue. You assumed he didn’t trust you…though he invited you on his ship? This whole situation was weird.

You found yourself thinking of Ace again. It was only natural. Currently, you had no idea if he was alive or dead. You hoped for the best but expected the worst. God, it was like that theory about a cat in a box. Without seeing him, you had no idea if he was alive or dead.

Memories flashed in your brain as if they happened yesterday. When you met Ace’s crew for the first time. When you met his second crew. All the nights you stayed up drinking with him. (You had eventually given in and trusted him enough to let your guard down.) You remembered when you told him that you finally met his brother on the sea. Man, he was so excited and positively radiant after hearing that news. He had immediately set out to go find him shortly after that. 

All of those memories passed through your mind, each one of them hurting you more and more. It was almost too much to handle. You had already lost so much and you thought that you were done feeling this way but…here it was again. It hurt…so much. It was never easier. No matter how many people you saw that you cared about die before you…it never got easier. You tried your best to keep your distance from people but Ace was warm both inside and out and it slipped past your defenses faster than you could blink. He introduced you to a new family. 

Many times he asked you to join the Whitebeard Pirates and you told him the same thing each time.

“I still have too many things to take care of on my own.”

The man scoffed. “C'mon! You say that every time, y/n! If you join us, we could help you!” You looked at him, shaking your head. “You know this is something I have to do on my own. The less people involved, the better. Besides, you promised me you wouldn't tell anyone or try to get involved in any way.”

Ace whined, folding his arms. “Yeah, but that was before you told me what you were up to!” He rolled his eyes, clearly unhappy with you. You frowned, sighing. It was the same argument every time you parted ways. He wanted you to join his crew so that he could help you wish your mission, but you couldn’t bear to see anyone else you care about die.

He looked at you again and sighed. “I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't push you.” He looked down to his feet, unfolding his arms. 

Your own face softened and you shook your head. “Don't say sorry, it's not your mistake.” He looked at you as you said those words, chuckling softly. You said them every time he apologized. It was your way of saying that it was okay. That the feelings he was feeling were valid. That his emotions and actions caused by them were valid. It was something that your father had always said to you when your emotions were too much and you were apologizing for things that were out of your control.

“I may join one day…” You paused. 

“It's just not the right time yet, I know,” Ace finished for you. You offered an apologetic grin and he returned with his own, warm one. 

“We're here.” A voice pulled you out of your thoughts once more and you looked at the man who you boarded this vessel with. It was then that you realized that you didn't know his name. You opened your mouth to ask when he interrupted. 

“There's a war going on out there. Be vigilant.”

You nodded, closing your mouth. Now wasn't the time for formalities. You felt a sinking feeling in your chest - something wasn’t right. 

As you headed to the top deck, you felt your chest growing heavier and heavier. This was bad. You could hear all the pain from outside already. You could feel the anguish. It was almost too much to bear. It was enough to make your head spin, to make you want to lose the lunch you didn’t have.

When the door opened and you stepped outside, you were taken back. Taken back to when your own people were taken from you. The sounds of fighting, the smell of blood and metal in the air. The screaming, the anguish. You wanted to scream yourself. It was almost too much to bear. Even though it was over a decade ago, it still had an iron grip on you.

From the corner of your eye, you saw a flash of blue. You looked over slowly, noticing blue flames. Marco. He was Ace’s crewmate. He caught your eye, a dark look of guilt passing over his face before looking away. It was a moment, but that was all you needed to confirm your suspicions.

You suddenly felt like you couldn't breathe, like something just sucked all the air out of your lungs. Your legs felt shaky and you felt sick. The world was spinning. Ace was gone. A man you loved like a little brother. Gone. And there was nothing you could do to bring him back. You were going to be sick.

“Y/n!” You blinked, looking up and seeing the man you had traveled with. “Get it together!” He motioned across the battlefield and that's where you saw Luffy. It was like something sparked inside of you. You were suddenly able to move again. He was your lifeline right now. You needed to focus on saving him. He wasn’t gone yet. 

You nodded at the man before you before turning back to look at your friend. You could tell he was completely shut down. It reminded you of yourself all those years ago. You’d lost everyone you loved and completely shut down. You don’t remember what happened while you were shut down. You were on autopilot for so long. Barely living.

You noticed he was in the arms of a fishman. Ally? You had to hope so or this was going to be difficult. Seeing how he was heading straight towards the submarine and the man waving them down, it seemed safe to assume an ally. Then you saw an admiral attack them. You ran towards the edge of the deck, pressing a hand to your necklace and withdrawing a long spear. You outstretched your free arm, taking aim right over the fishman’s shoulder and throwing it.

It flew through the air, hitting the admiral in the shoulder. Not near enough to kill him but at least enough to deter him for a few moments so the fishman and Luffy could make it safely on board. The next thing you knew, you were ushering the wounded into the submarine and to the infirmary.

“You look like you know about basic medicine,” the man said, laying the two men on operating tables. 

You nodded, unable to really speak. “I can't hear your head rattle,” he said. 

“Y-Yes,” you stammered, taking a deep breath. Your father was a doctor, after all. You studied under him and read many of his textbooks. You’d also been on your own with no doctor all this time, so you had plenty of time to study and put your skills to use.

“Good. Then you're going to help me.”

And with that, the operation began.

[sagurus]

Sure! When you have time I would love it if you any interactions between Saguru and any of the Gosho girls. It doesn't have to be shipped or whatever, but it's just because I've read so many of his interactions with the Gosho boys and I feel like the girls are underrated in that sense. I love crack and I love Saguru and I adore your writing and edits :)

Hey anon from 2018, lmao. You're right, there really do need to be more interactions between Saguru and the girls. I have a WIP I started recently that I feel really shows Aoko's acuity. It's not crack, but instead a tense interaction between two friends.

Eventually this'll make its way to AO3, but for now, here it is:

--

“So, Saguru-kun…”

Saguru finds himself bracing. Aoko has seemed to be in a strange mood the entire evening. He’d almost wondered if she was irritated with him at first, or maybe just more disappointed about Kuroba’s last-minute cancellation than she wanted to let on. But their plans had gone as expected otherwise; they studied, watched a show Aoko had been excited to show him over some reheated leftovers, all without incident. Now they’d settled in the living room, occupying themselves with their own activities.

But now, as casual as she was trying to seem, Saguru detected an underlying tension.

“Yes, Aoko-san?” He kept his eyes on his book.

“Did you know that Aoko’s dad thought Kaito was KID once?”

Saguru’s entire train of thought stuttered to a halt. Every thought vanished — and then his mind raced with questions. For what reason was she bringing this up? What kind of reaction was she expecting?

Her gaze was drilling into him, he could tell. She hadn’t turned away from her video game, but she had to be concentrating on him in her periphery. The sensation of it raised the hair on the back of his neck..

He turned the page, but wasn’t reading anymore.

“Did he? I’ve never heard anything about that,” Saguru said mildly. His heart rate was elevated. He focused on breathing normally.

“Yeah!” Aoko said, and she said it with a giggle. A feint. “He told me that and I thought it was so strange. Sure, he’s obnoxious, but he’s not stupid Kaitou KID.”

It was best to leave space in the conversation. He didn’t say anything, waiting for Aoko to continue.

“Anyway, Dad got a look at him at one heist, and he was sure he looked like Kaito. So to prove him wrong, I asked Kaito on a date!”

“A date?”

“Yep! I mean, thinking back that was pretty silly, but it got him to come. But isn’t that so weird? That he’d even think for a second that Kaito was KID?”

She sounded so cheery. The version of herself she put on in class when she was getting along with everybody. Masking away her acute intelligence and calculations. He used to think she wore her feelings on her sleeve - and to an extent she did. But these days he knew that there was plenty she kept under wraps. She and Kuroba were truly quite the pair.

“It does seem like a strange conclusion for the inspector to come to.” He tried to keep his voice neutral as he could. “How did the date go?”

Aoko stuck her tongue out, and for the moment turned her eyes back toward the screen, organizing her character’s inventory. “Oh, you know. Bakaito. He was his normal annoying self, but he showed up on time. We met up at Tropical Land and had a lot of fun! We saw a 3D movie and everything.” She paused, then added, “Actually, I even handcuffed us together. Which was probably overkill, honestly.”

Great minds think alike.

“And the heist?” Saguru asked.

“Oh, the heist still happened. And Kaito was with me the whole time.”

“Well, I imagine that remedied the inspector’s suspicions?”

“Yeah. Dad never said anything about it again.”

The conversation lulled into silence, but the tension in the room was palpable.

“It’s just weird. That’s the only time Dad has ever had a suspect. Honestly, I don’t get why he’d even entertain the idea.”

Saguru hmmed, hoping it sounded like agreement.

“I mean, Kaito is way too young to be KID. Everyone knows Kaitou KID has to be in at least his forties.”

“That does seem to be the most prominent theory,” Saguru said neutrally. It wasn’t the most satisfactory response, he knew. But he could toe this line, if he focused on the commonly-held beliefs and not his own hypotheses and opinions.

“I wonder who Kaitou KID actually is. Whoever it is, I really can’t stand him. I’d like to give him a piece of my mind for all the trouble he’s causing everybody.”

“That’s fair of you.” Saguru wouldn’t condemn KID himself. But he’s already made clear to her that he doesn’t share the same hostility. “What with KID’s talent, I wouldn’t be surprised if the public never comes to know his identity.” After a moment, he amended, “Not to imply the task force is lacking in talent or capability. Your father has prevented many thefts from coming to fruition.” Never mind the fact KID so far still hadn’t truly stolen anything regardless. “But no matter how successful plans are on this side, KID has still proven successful as an escape artist, if nothing else. We’ll just have to see if ever he’s caught, or we get a hint.”

“It would be nice, though,” Aoko said, and Saguru had a hard time reading her tone. “To know who it is.”

What was she trying to accomplish here? It felt like she was fishing. Like she wanted a specific response from him. She might want him to agree that it was a ridiculous idea, confirm that the suspicions were completely unfounded. But he couldn’t imagine lying to her outright. But on the other hand…

“Have you ever suspected anyone of being KID, Saguru-kun?”

Ah.

“Well,” he said.

He couldn’t bring himself to lie to her, but he certainly couldn’t tell the truth. Saguru wouldn’t betray Kuroba like that; Kuroba may not trust him, but Saguru wasn’t going to confirm Kuroba’s own impressions.

And it wouldn’t just be betraying Kuroba. It would be a betrayal of one of Aoko’s closest friends.

No winning. Catch-22.

He forced himself to turn the question over in his mind, as slowly as he could allow without seeming as if he took too long. It wasn’t like he’d obtained any real proof. Other than observable evidence that Kaito wasn’t KID. And the DNA proof he’d destroyed. Of course, Saguru knew, but technically he’d proved the opposite.

“You’ll laugh, but I actually suspected Kuroba once myself.”

Aoko paused her game. “You did?”

And now the tension amplified exponentially. Did she know? He’d suspected before that she might. With how perceptive she was, how could she not have at least considered it?

Even then, that didn’t mean he could confirm it. Kuroba was the only person who could do that.

Steady. “Yes, well. I did test the theory, and my suspicions were proven false.” Based on the happenings, anyway.

“How did you test it?”

Saguru crooked a slight smile now. Casual. Easy. Amused. “Much like you, I handcuffed myself to him just before the heist began.”

She still didn’t say anything.

“So, in both of our cases, the heist still went on. So that would appear to clear Kuroba’s name on two different accounts,” he said lightly.

“Yeah, I guess it does.”

She’d slipped a little, seemed more pensive than casually amused. She recovered quickly. “It’s so funny that both of you thought it was Kaito.”

The way she continued circling, the way she persisted… on some level, she must know.

Aoko asked, “What made you think it was him, anyway?”

At least the capacity of the labs was something he wasn’t at liberty to discuss. “Probably proximity bias,” Saguru said. It wasn’t entirely untrue. “KID has a tendency for elaborate magic tricks, and Kuroba is certainly the most talented magician I’d ever met.” And then, after a beat: “But there’s plenty of talented magicians out there.”

Aoko hmmed, and fell silent again. Saguru imagined her putting him under a microscope, considering everything he said. Everything he didn’t say.

She unpaused her game and resumed playing. “Yeah, Bakaito could never be KID,” she said.

But all Saguru could think was that there was no way she didn’t know how false that was.

[s10127470]

The Best Thing About The Garfield Movie

So yeah, i just watched The Garfield Movie this past Friday night.

And all in honesty (and you're all probably gonna hate me for this).....I actually really like this film.

The story is solid (but I'll touch on that a little more when I get there).

The animation is really great. I'm always down for CGI animation actually being allowed to feel animated and this is the best the Garfield characters have looked in 3D.

It's basically night and day when you compare it to The Garfield Show and that CGI trilogy from the late 2000s.

Most of the characters are pretty solid and likeable.

My favorites were definitely Odie and Otto.

And the voice acting was actually really good all around.

Yes....even Chris Pratt as Garfield himself.

The movie's not perfect though.

A little bit of the humor can fall flat at times.

The villain is kind of weak despite being a classic, over-the-top villain.

Which is weird given the director's track record when it comes to villains.

And while Jon was fun to watch, he sadly wasn't around for much of the movie.

But all-in-all, I think this movie is a really good time and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who's a fan of Garfield.

However, if you've seen any of the reception towards the movie (largely from the critics), it hasn't been talked about in a very positive light.

With the biggest criticism being that the movie doesn't feel like Garfield.

Which to that I have to say....

BALDERDASH!

And I feel like the critics saying this are only familiar with the comics strips and not really anything else with the orange cat.

While yes, the movie doesn't quite feel like the comic strips, it does harken more to the adaptations, specifically the ones from his golden age during the 1980s.

The major criticism towards this movie is that it doesn't feel like Garfield, especially with the whole heist plot.

And while that may be the case when using the comics as a basis, but when looking at the adaptations, this actually isn't all that far off from what Garfield usually gets up to.

He's hanged with a tribe of tropical island natives inspired by 50s American culture while having to stop an erupting volcano.

He's had to escape a crew of ghostly pirates on Halloween night.

He's gone to Hollywood.

Yeah, Garfield has been going on exciting and wild adventures for a LONG time.

Hell, look at The Garfield Show.

The fourth season had several story arcs!

These included the likes of Garfield going to a school for witches, having to stop an army of alien robots from invading Earth, and going on an African safari and trying to save a pair of rare white lions from scheming poachers.

Also, that last arc I just mentioned was responsible for introducing us to the man....the myth....the legend himself....

This criticism has also been leveled towards the character of Garfield himself.

And I honestly feel like a lot of critics don't quite get the character of Garfield.

While yes, he's lazy, cynical, sarcastic, gluttonous and mocks just about everyone around him.

But that's not all his character is.

I can't believe I'm actually using him, but The Nostalgia Critic during his review of Garfield & Friends gave what honestly may be the best description of Garfield as a character.

That being while Garfield may enjoy being a lazy pessimistic, that's not what he's really like.

Although he's described as being lazy, Garfield is shown to be surprisingly more playful and energetic than you would think.

And on top of that, he'll usually go out of way to do stuff like creating huge ass sandwiches to eat for himself or think of unique and creative ways to mess with Odie, Jon and Nermal.

And despite the fact that he mocks damn near everyone around him (especially those close to him), he'll actually go out of his way to save them if they're in danger.

Basically, the best way to describe Garfield is that he's a character who ironically works hard to be lazy.

He won't exercise, but he'll dance and play.

He may be lazy, but he'll actually go the extra mile for something he wants.

He mocks people, but knows if they weren't there, life would be pretty boring for him.

And this part allows me to segway into what I think is the best part of The Garfield Movie: it's heart.

Yeah, The Garfield Movie has legitimately heartfelt moments where the characters get to reflect on their emotions towards those close to them.

Like Otto and his unwavering love for his Ethel and more specifically, Garfield and his estranged relationship with his father Vic.

Yes, I am a sucker for stuff like these.

Probably because I just appreciate just how sincere they come off as, and I appreciate them more because they're usually not ruined for a sake of mediocre joke.

But anyway, these moments really do favors the characters, especially Garfield himself.

One thing I really appreciate about his adaptations is how they make Garfield a little more multifaceted.

While he does still have his trademark traits and quirks, he's allowed to show other emotions as well.

He can be happy, sad, excitable, afraid, downtrodden, caring, angry.

Garfield is able to show that he isn't just lazy and cynical.

And although it was only shown in the beginning montage, I do appreciate that movie does show that Garfield does legitimately care for Jon and Odie, which is something that you rarely see in the comics and even a good chunk of the adaptations.

Once again, it kinda harkens back to the 80s adaptations, specifically the series of specials made between 1982 and 1991.

I guess to give you guys some examples.

In Garfield in the Rough, when the trio find themselves attacked by the panther that escaped from the local zoo, Garfield took shelter up in a tree while Odie and Jon were forced to take cover in the car. But that only got them so far as the panther was able to break the driver-side window. And when Garfield noticed this, he literally jumps from the tree, onto the panther's back, and proceeds to claw and scratch the big cat in a rage!

Yeah, Garfield literally fought a feral big cat for the safety of his owner and dog!

That takes fucking courage man!

Or how about in Here Comes Garfield, where Odie gets sent to the pound. And while Garfield was happy about that, he realized just how empty and boring life would be with Odie. And so, he decides to go rescue him, especially more so after finding out Odie was scheduled to get FUCKING EUTHANIZED!

Oh yeah! There was a Garfield adaptation where Odie almost got put down!

You realize how insane that sounds, right?

And despite his best attempts, Garfield ends up getting locked up with Odie.

And in the approaching hours to his demise, Garfield reminisces on the good times he's had with Odie (accompanied by an admittedly sad song).

And when it's finally time and Odie gets dragged off to meet his maker, Garfield actually starts shedding tears.

And finally there's Garfield On the Town, where Garfield gets lost in the big city. And during his journey, he stumbled upon his childhood home (an Italian restaurant that's now abandoned) and more importantly, was reunited with his estranged mother, who he hadn't seen since he was a kitten.

And during this special, we see a much more caring and gentler side of Garfield.

So yeah, that's all I have to see for all this.

Think I The Garfield Movie is pretty solid film overall and I can definitely tell that the people behind it really cared about Garfield and truly understood what makes him such a lovable character.

Unfortunately, I believe this film does have the issue of being obviously more geared towards the fans.

Which is not a bad thing.

But if the reception towards The Super Mario Bros. Movie taught anything, not everybody's gonna appreciate that.

But in all-in-all, I'm kinda glad this movie exists and I wouldn't mind rewatching every once in a while.

And I'm more glad that Mark Dindal has finally returned to directing animated films after not doing so in almost 20 years.

And while it may not be a good as Cats Don't Dance and especially the godsend that is The Emperor's New Groove, for a grand return to animated directing, this ain't half bad.

And even if you don't like this film, I think we can all agree on that it's leagues better than the last film Dindal was unfortunate enough to direct.

[daisyachain]

CasaPapel toes the line with justice/rightfulness. Salva organizes the heist as revenge for his dad’s wrongful murder, the participants are mostly the somewhat downtrodden within their own context (on the run, women, immigrants, lower-class), the police are generally despicable. It also seems(?) to be making the point that the heist doesn’t serve any purpose, it’s money for money’s sake. They have no intent to redistribute, just to have fun.

Developing countries are the paradise for the successful con artists from early on, seen as lawless tropical havens where no one will track them. Their massive stocks of cash can go further with the lower price point. The obvious miss is not really commenting on the way that this is taking advantage of people who actually live there who get a raw deal with weaker currency and institutions. So far so par for the course.

Subtler, it misses the ways that the institutions of eg Panama collaborate with or are used by the rich living in developed countries at the expense of citizens. By throwing themselves on the mercy of those institutions, the main characters align themselves with these rich and powerful. The thieves’ taking advantage of developing countries to hide their riches while contributing nothing aligns them with the elite they’re ostensibly trying to stick it to.

Third, the thieves are specially shown living as rich, obnoxious tourists and expats (Nairobi and Helsinki excepted. Darlings.). Salva is wearing his stupid shirts, Tokyo is dissing the place she’s chosen to live, Denver and Stockholm are being a nuisance, Rio is just straight up racist about it. Rio and Tokyo’s neighbours are treated to one super gratuitous ‘look at me helping these underprivileged kids haha’ before they lead a bunch of gunmen directly to a town where most of the residents are indigenous. They’re going out of their way to be tone deaf

[herrmania]

It's Bandcamp Friday And I Have Things On Bandcamp If You Are Looking For Something To Buy

Happy Bandcamp Friday!

If you're shopping for some new instrumental electronic music, I am proud to present a link to my latest album, Getaway.

Provides the perfect soundtrack for your next heist, high speed chase, secret lair, or tropical vacation.

[influencermagazineuk]

Anticipating the Future: What to Expect in GTA 6

GTA 6 The gaming world is buzzing with excitement as Rockstar Games gears up for the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI, or GTA 6. While the developers have been tight-lipped about the specifics, there have been numerous leaks, rumors, and educated guesses about what players can expect in this next installment of the iconic open-world game series. First and foremost, fans can anticipate a new location. Each GTA game has introduced players to a fresh and expansive environment, and GTA 6 is no exception. Rumors suggest that it will be set in Vice City, a fictional take on Miami. This change of scenery promises new opportunities for exploration, crime, and mayhem. The shift to a more tropical setting could also influence gameplay mechanics, such as the introduction of water-based activities like boating and swimming. Rockstar Games is known for its immersive storytelling, and GTA 6 is expected to continue this tradition. The game is likely to feature a compelling narrative with complex characters and morally ambiguous choices. Some rumors even suggest that players might take on the role of multiple protagonists, similar to GTA V, providing different perspectives on the story. One of the most exciting aspects of any GTA game is the vehicles, and GTA 6 is expected to deliver a diverse range of cars, motorcycles, planes, and boats. The game's setting in a sprawling metropolis should provide ample opportunities for thrilling chases and epic stunts. Additionally, Rockstar is likely to introduce a host of new weapons and gadgets, allowing players to wreak havoc in creative ways. In terms of graphics and realism, GTA 6 is poised to push the boundaries of what's possible in open-world gaming. With the power of next-gen consoles and high-end PCs, players can look forward to breathtaking visuals, enhanced physics, and a level of detail that makes the in-game world feel more alive than ever. Rockstar has always been known for its attention to detail, and this extends to the game's radio stations. Music is an integral part of the GTA experience, and fans can expect a diverse soundtrack spanning various genres and eras. The radio hosts and commercials, which have become iconic in the series, are likely to be just as memorable in GTA 6. Multiplayer has been a significant part of the GTA series since the introduction of GTA Online in GTA V. GTA 6 is expected to take online play to new heights, with even more immersive and expansive multiplayer modes. Whether it's cooperative heists, competitive races, or simply causing chaos in a shared world, the multiplayer component of GTA 6 is sure to be a major draw. While GTA 6 promises a lot of new and exciting features, it's also essential to remember that the game will likely continue the series' tradition of social commentary and satire. Expect to see the game tackle contemporary issues and poke fun at various aspects of modern society, all in the irreverent and often controversial style that GTA is known for. Grand Theft Auto VI is shaping up to be a game-changer in the world of open-world gaming. With a new location, engaging storytelling, an array of vehicles and weapons, stunning graphics, an eclectic soundtrack, expanded multiplayer, and the series' signature satire, GTA 6 is poised to set a new standard for the franchise. While the official release date is still a mystery, the anticipation continues to build, and fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the moment they can dive into the criminal underworld of GTA 6. Read the full article

[the-firebird69]

Tropical Storm Idalia Public Advisory

The storm doesn't really seem to be heading that way but if you have some technical equipment it looks like in a little and a sun is right it's like a small vortex caused by Cuba and the wind going east to west and it creates a little swirl which is pushing it a little to the east and for some reason they think that the current will change we don't think so. And even Tommy F says you're sitting there bothering him saying stupid s***'s going to happen to him and others and other people hate you. Now there's a huge amount of ships going north and it's pushing the winds Northwoods a little and that will stop that's only temporary and it's probably what happened and the only kind of North east east and it kind of sucked it up a little bit and the ships will be passed in about an hour small ones are going now so it's going to start changing back and it's going to smack it to the West earlier today the ships were going up and the process was started and the Santa's looked and said these ships are heading there and they're not going to be because that's all we can get up there right now and it doesn't matter cuz the storm takes forever who said this I wonder if our friend's right if it's going to knock it to the east maybe to Louisiana and that's where his people are because they'll go up and the winds will go up north east east and it'll go west Northeast east west get half day at a time so he sat down with his people and analyzed it and he said they're coming through here here this time we think and then I'll add more and more and finally he said I don't think we have a chance of getting it in Florida but it might go to Texas which is not as bad he doesn't like it and it was flooding last time and he said it's not hurricane heist in Texas and said other hurricane where they had a flood and I thought it was in Texas but I could be wrong they looked it up and it is not Texas no it is and they said wow and the money is now going out because of the high hopes song and Mac bought a car and has to go back in because it's the money that was used here and he said wow this is terrible and and other money that Hera was using they think here so it's going to be a madhouse and tons of people are coming out of the woodwork and they're going down to a stereo really it's Marco Island and evergreen City Island and you're saying it's milk and they said how can it be milk and it is and that's the question it was last time it's impossible it should not be milk but it looks like apocalypse and a female at that and it's kind of low for milk and they said what kind of creature is it well it's a mix so that might explain it but leatherback has a chest so they're wondering what it might be and it could be a cracking cuz they look similar my versions and the kraken would be lower might even be underneath so they're saying it's cracking milk and that makes no sense they can do that so they're going to take a look and it's a huge huge monster and they don't know what all this is for there's a lot of it way too much

Thor Freya

Olympus

It's a huge day for me there's tons of things happening it's all getting lined up I can't wait for it to get going and I'm pretty sure the storm won't go near him. I pray it won't. And we need to get these ships out of here they do eventually move and we see how it is we think that these people preach them and then turn it to aliens and it's from radiation and they say it's radiation on board and they do some nasty things they pull Singapore up they attacked New Mexico they attack DC and several other places South Africa there's two more we can't think of it he thinks it might be Star Trek and for some reason they go to deep space I'm sure exactly why the big ship is not out there they think it's because they secure Voyager to protect themselves and it's two of them and they put the ships together Tommy F and the other left and it looks like they came back only one of them I think and it looks like the actor disappears but it's a trick and they trying to retrieve the data it doesn't seem like they did.

Well exhausted too we need to take a rest

Hera me two Zues yup ok

Ok

Olympus

[fashion4standusers]

Jacket by DarkwearClothingCo on Etsy

[love-miss-whitney]

This is me AFTER pulling off a successful heist and escaping to a tropical island to live like a queen! 👸🏻💸✨(Swipe to see me DURING the heist featuring my Money Heist uniform 🧨😂) . . . travel blogger, travel photography, travel the world, travelgram, trendy outfits, tropical paradise, tropical island Mauritius island, Chinese fashion models, Asian style diary, Asian babes, 小清新 chinese girls, 少女 Chinese models, oceans, Asian women style inspiration, Asian models, Asian girls, Asian beauty, Asian fashion style goals, Chinese style diaries, Chinese fashion influencer, pinterest outfit board, Mauritius restaurants, mauritian food, ocean, women fashion style influencers, outfit inspo, that girl aesthetic feed, capsule wardrobe, Chinese makeup look, Mauritius food, ile Maurice food spots (at Mauritius) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpvS88CrxHW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[analogwriting]

It Comes in Waves

Chapter 7: Breaking Waves

Trafalgar Law x gn!reader word count: 2k a/n: it's been a while since i've seen punk hazard pls don't slaughter me lmao first|next

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been a year. A year since the races. A year since you saw the Heart Pirates. You were starting to think that fate was mad at you for ignoring her signs earlier. After all, three times the charm and you ignored it. You were pushing for four and probably were too greedy. You didn’t dwell on it though. It was probably for the best. They were safer that way.

You were throwing yourself into your work once more, but also on the search for information. You realized that you had a new ability, but without anyone from your home to show you how to use it, you had to figure it out yourself. You hadn’t had the chance to use it yet either. Not safely, anyhow.

You also thought about Luffy a lot in recent months. You wondered how he was doing. How his training was going. You knew he was due to meet up with his crew soon. You wished you could be there, but you wanted to give them their moment. You would see him when you saw him. That’s how your relationship worked, after all. You were excited to see him again. He was in rough shape the last time you saw him.

Now, you found yourself on Punk Hazard. You'd heard about the admirals that duked it out and destroyed the island. But apparently that didn't stop people from conducting human experiments on children. Truly disgusting. You were here to free those kids and take them all home. You had found an island that had reported their kids missing. Naturally, they reported it to the navy around the island, but they didn't do anything. Probably getting paid off. You assumed they had come from there. You’d get to the bottom of it either way. This is what you did, after all.

“Holy fucking shit balls, it’s so fucking cold as fuck.” You were bundled up, your well known cloak donned. You were currently in your disguise. The persona you embraced when you went on these heists. You pulled your cloak tighter around you. You were from the North Blue, yes. But, your island in particular was tropical and your people were just more adapted to such environments. The colder environment was not for you.

You pulled your scarf up over your face and grumbled to yourself. You had to remind yourself you’re doing this for the children. 

A scream tore through the air. Then another. And another. The cold forgotten, you ran towards the noise, rounding around the corner of a hillside. You stopped dead in your tracks at the scene in front of you. People running and screaming and…

Was that…a giant axolotl? 

What the hell was it made out of? It was giant and purple. It looked like a gelatinous liquid. People were running away from it, which was a giant animal so it made sense. Then you saw it touch someone and it seemed they were petrified into stone and your eyes widened. You had to be fucking joking. What the hell was this? How the hell was this happening? This was something you hadn’t seen before.

You stared, trying to think of what to do. Next thing you realized, it was nearly on top of you. You started to make silent apologies to the children you never reached. To Law, for not being able to join his crew. To Bepo, for breaking your promise. To Luffy, for leaving him too soon just as his brother did. Even to Ace, for not living out your life to the fullest. 

Then you imagined your father. Your people. Your island. You couldn't die here. You had so much more to do. Your mission was far from over. You had so much you had to do. 

While your life was flashing before your eyes, one shot forward from the recesses of your mind. One that you hadn’t had remembered in years. Everything that happened erased a lot of good memories from the past. It was you getting caught by your father for eavesdropping. Sure, it happened a lot. But this one in particular was important because it consisted of two important people.

A blond man covered in hearts and feathers with a grumpy child with splotchy skin.

Oh, you had to be fucking joking. 

You closed your eyes and laughed. This had to be fate punishing you for not taking her signs sooner. You sighed, saying those words that always brought you comfort as you watched this axolotl grow closer to you and you tried to find a way out.

“Don’t say sorry, it’s not your mistake.” 

--

Across the island, there was a group of three watching everything play out on a video transponder snail. They all seemed satisfied with what was going on with the video thus far. The poison axolotl forming and beginning to wreak havoc. 

“What the hell is that?” Someone chimed. The trio looked over to the makeshift jail they had that was currently holding a few prisoners. Luffy and a couple other strawhats, Law, and two marines. “Well, that’s my invention!” Caesar chimed. “No shit.” The clown grimaced at the lack of hype for his invention. “No need to be so rude,” he said.

“It’s my ultimate weapon. It can turn people into ash and stone. Permanently paralyzing them but they’re still alive.” He cackled. On screen, it showed just that; people being petrified and forever immortalized in stone. The ones chained up watched in horror. 

Then someone stepped into view. Someone with a very recognizable symbol on the back of their cloak. Vergo blinked in confusion. “Is that who I think it is?” He narrowed his eyes to study the symbol. “Well, if it isn’t the faceless bounty.” 

“Is that person important or something?” Luffy chimed, not knowing who the person on screen was in the slightest. It wasn’t surprising since he wasn’t one to read a newspaper or really care about what was going on around otherwise.

Smoker looked at Luffy. “You really don’t know who they are?” He shook his head. “He’s the last person to keep up with events,” Franky said.

Luffy just sat there, waiting for someone to answer his question and Law finally spoke up. “They’re a faceless bounty because no one has ever seen their face. Their bounty is over a million because they’ve spent the last decade fucking with the marines and Celestial Dragons. They break into human auction houses and free the slaves and they’ve even been to different islands to free people.”

“Well, sounds like a good person to me” he said with a shrug, looking at the person on the screen. Then his eyes widened. “WAIT DID YOU SAY THEIR BOUNTY WAS OVER A BILLION?” His jaw dropped and Law nodded. “That’s so cool!” He looked at the screen. “I want to meet them!” He cackled.

Vergo groaned, shaking his head. “They’re a damn cockroach is what they are,” he spat. “They’re the only one left of their people and they’ve done nothing but cause us trouble since they escaped.” He grimaced as he watched the screen, most likely devising a plan on how to wipe them out.

“Last one?” Luffy asked, curious. Was this person like Robin? He looked over at Robin before looking towards Smoker as he spoke. “Yeah. Over a decade ago, the Celestial Dragons caught wind that their people had some healing power and wanted to enslave them all. It was a massacre. Few made it out alive and the rest died shortly after being enslaved. It was never confirmed if they actually had some healing ability. They were the only ones to escape slavery alive and have been causing havoc ever since.” 

Law’s head snapped up as Smoker spoke. Hold on…what? He stared at the screen before them. Your words rang through his head from around a year ago. When you mentioned what happened to your people. He was never able to find out more about that. You had left before he asked any questions and he couldn’t find a single lick of information about your people. 

It was as if your island never existed at all.

His eyes shot back to the screen as he stared at the video. There was no way that was you. He was in complete denial. This was purely coincidence. There was no way that fate would bring you back to him just so he could watch you die. Fate could be a cruel mistress, but this seemed especially so. “Traffy?” Luffy asked in a low voice, noticing the look on his face. A look that he knew well enough.

Then, he heard those words. Those damn words that confirmed everything. A single sentence that you said to bring yourself comfort and to those around you.

“Don’t say sorry, it’s not your mistake.” Then the screen went black.

Oh, he felt like he was going to be sick. His stomach dropped to his feet as he just stared at the black video feed. He had no doubt in his mind now that it was you. He was in happy denial then you had to go and say those damn words. He didn’t know what to do at this point. There were so many things he had wanted to talk to you about and just…didn’t. Just another person he cared about - gone.

“Well, that’s one less pest in the world.” Vergo put a hand on his hip, seemingly pleased with the results of the video.

Law absolutely wanted to tear him apart right now but he currently couldn’t even move. His mind was blank and, for once in his life, a plan wasn’t anywhere in sight now. You had thrown a catastrophic wrench in his machine and he had no idea what to do.

“Traffy?” Luffy’s voice came again and Law’s eyes moved towards him, but he was silent. “Did you know them? Were they important to you?” he asked, his voice still soft. He could recognize the look on his face a mile away. Law just stared at him. How was he going to tell Luffy that it was you? That the person on the screen was another important person that he lost.

“We don’t know that they’re dead, Traffy.” The two stared at each other. “The screen just went dark - that could mean anything!” 

“Highly unlikely,” Caesar said. “The air is going to become extremely toxic around them and they’re going to be petrified. Failure is inevitable.” He cackled again. Luffy glared at him. “You don’t know that! You’re gonna pay for this!” 

As much as Law wanted to believe Luffy, Caesar was also right. He’s worked with the clown these last few months. If he said success was highly unlikely and failure was inevitable…then he believed him. And with his luck of losing people close to him, it also checked out.

He took a deep breath. He couldn’t lose his cool and composure now. He knew that if he threw out his plan that he had been devising for so long because of you, you’d be pissed. He also knew that he couldn’t let anything happen to Luffy either because, again, you’d be pissed. You cared for him like a little brother. He could see that in Amazon Lily.

He needed to follow through with his plan, wrap this up, and…find your body.

“We can collect their body and still get the bounty,” said Monet. “They’re worth a lot of berries and you could use it to fund your research further.” Caesar nodded. “Once we dispose of these pirates and the air is no longer toxic, should be just fine.”

Hearing them talk about you in such a manner lit a fire in Law’s eyes. There was no way in hell he was letting them do that to you. He was going to get out of this and he was going to find you.

[reve-writes]

—illicit affairs. | spy x family yor briar x thief!reader.

you bumped into a familiar assassin during one of your heists.

PERHAPS IT WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA TO ATTEND THE BALL. A bounty — a plentiful one, to be specific — had been placed for your head, and you had heard whispers that someone hired the Thorn Princess herself to take you down. You doubted that you were going to die today. Death, if all went according to plan, would come to you once you were retired and living in a remote tropical island somewhere far, far away from this mess.

You weren't known to be wrong often, but today, you might be.

A stiletto blade was pressed on your neck, and another threatening to pierce your spine from behind as you were washing up in the bathroom sink.

You looked up at the mirror to find a pair of crimson eyes.

“Thorn Princess,” you said, smirking arrogantly as if you weren't caught in a predicament with little to no possibility of surviving. It annoyed the assassin slightly. “Are you enjoying the ball?”

She scowled. “Why are you here?”

“I'm... enjoying the ball?”

This time, she put down the stiletto blades, holding them docilely by her side. You continued washing your hands, as if the cold press of the blade against your neck earlier hadn't made you sweat, hadn't made your hands shake ever-so-slightly.

“It's like you want to die,” she protested, going to lock the door of the bathroom, sticking a paper in front of it with messy strokes that read: UNDER REPAIRS.

“Do I?” You feigned ignorance. “I'm simply sneaking into a ball held by someone obscenely rich that they would barely notice a few jewellery missing from their collection.”

“With a bounty placed on your head by the previous rich person who noticed the missing jewelleries,” she added, “who also hired me.”

“Have you come to kill me, then, princess?”

“That's still up for consideration.” She shrugged. “I haven't officially accepted the job. I simply told them that I'd look into it first.”

“Aw,” you said, pitching your voice higher, “you care about me!”

Her cheeks flushed, and her gaze averted from you to the floor. You found yourself unable to look away, tracing the planes of her face. You had met her often before, but there was something about the bathroom light that somehow highlighted all of her best features.

“I'll let you think that,” she sighed.

“I'm getting back to the party,” you said, attempting to push past her, but she spread her arms, prohibiting you from reaching the door. You took a small step back, finding yourself standing face-to-face with the Thorn Princess.

She shook her head. “You have to leave.”

You crossed your arms over your chest. “I have some stuff with my name on it.”

“And a certain death waiting for you.”

You took one of her hands despite her protests, pulling her out of the bathroom, remembering to take off the makeshift sign that she had stuck earlier.

In total, it took you about twenty minutes to stuff various hidden pockets in your outfit with precious jewellery and trinkets. You had offered some to the assassin, but she opted to keep watch instead. She had also found you a less troublesome, less risky exit.

You lay down on the roof of a house twenty minutes away from the ball. The Thorn Princess sat down next to you.

“We make such a good team,” you said, exhilarated. “If assassination starts to suck, you know where to find me.”

For the first time, she chuckled. The sound made your heart swell and beat a little faster. She tugged stray hairs behind her ear. Her pair of crimson eyes seemed brighter under the moonlight.

“I don't know where to find you,” she joked.

“Well,” you thought about it for a second. “You're right.”

She chuckled, again, and you wanted to etch that sound forever in your head. Up close, it was hard to believe that she was an assassin. She seemed so ordinary and innocent, but you knew what she was capable of. You had seen the crime scenes.

“You're pretty,” you blurted out.

She looked down, blush spreading across her cheeks.

“You are, too,” she replied sheepishly. This time, you were the one with a blush. You cleared your throat, looking up at the fading night sky. Your heart felt heavy. Morning was approaching and with it, gone was your time with the assassin.

You moved to sit behind her, placing a thin, golden necklace on her neck and fastening it. Your fingers brushed against her nape and you swore goosebumps rose on her skin.

She placed a hand over the pendant, a gilded rose.

“Consider it a thank you for helping me tonight,” you said. “See you next time, princess.”

With that, you were gone. She watched you disappear from the edge of the rooftop, already looking forward to your next unorthodox meeting.

“See you next time.”

[ ]

[varietysky]

hello! i saw your tags on my post about the brownface in horrible histories, and one of them mentioned that you have a theory of a resurgence in brown/blackface around that time, and if you'd be willing to talk about it I would love to hear your thoughts? It seems like an interesting (really terrible, but interesting) topic and so if you wanted to share your theory I'd love to listen!

AAAHHH okay!! So my theory on this will come at the end. the initial observation is that brown/black/yellowface was apparently okay around 2009-2011, because there were several instances of it that are just,,, not talked about? I don't know how to out a readmore on mobile so... Heads up, this is a long one. I didn't include any pictures of the examples, but you can look them up fairly easily.

I didn't grow up with Horrible Histories, so I didn't know about any of that until getting into ThemThere through Ghosts. But HH came out during that time, so that's one.

My mind then instantly goes to RDJ in Tropic Thunder. I was never okay with him in that role, and I was surrounded by people who tried convincing me that it was fine and why it worked (even other Black people were telling me this. Which is a good place to say that this is all in my opinion, as an individual Black person. Some POC seem fine with depictions of brown/black/yellowface in media. I am not one of them 🙃) Tropic Thunder came out in 2008 I just found out, but it's close to that 2009-2011 era I'm talking about. Edit: forgot to mention that RDJ's character is an actor who is in blackface, as a "method acting" thing. This means we get to see RDJ in blackface for a majority of the movie :)

Next Caller! One of the Monty Python dudes made a movie with Heath Ledger and Andrew Garfield, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). I saw half of it on Netflix a couple years ago. One of the characters (not played by Heath or Andrew) did blackface, and it was explained in the movie that they were trying to be in disguise. I don't remember, because I shut off the movie after that. I was bored with the film anyway, so that was the last straw for me. No one talks about this movie??? Despite it being one of Heath Ledger's last films I think.

Next! Again, my range of 2009-2011 may have to be expanded to 2008-2012, because this next film Cloud Atlas came out in 2012, not 2009 like I previously thought. Regardless, Jim Sturgess (best known for Across the Universe) plays a character who appears East Asian, meaning he wore prosthetics to change his eye shape. And you wonder like... Why not hire an East Asian actor for the role? Unlike the other titles listed here, I haven't seen Cloud Atlas, so if anyone knows what bullshit excuse was used to rationalize this, please let me know.

Finally, we actually come to one of my favorite shows, Community. And no, I'm not talking about the episode that was removed from Netflix last year when brands were pretending to care about BLM. I'm talking about an episode in Season 3 (which aired in 2011 or 2012) when Chevy Chase's character was in brownface as part of a heist plot in the episode.

Here's where my theory comes in. During this period, which can now be extended to 2008-2012, many of these examples were rationalized in canon by having other characters tell them they're wrong. It seemed that the creators were like "Look, the other characters are saying it's wrong! This is a bad thing to do!" And yeah, it is. But you know it's wrong. And whatever satire you're trying to do is failing. It comes across as the creators not truly understanding why blackface (and brown/yellowface) is wrong, and just use it for cheap shock value. In the case of Horrible Histories and maybe Cloud Atlas, it seems that the creators genuinely didn't mean harm and were just ignorant. But again, 2008-2012. We knew that it was wrong then. So why do it?

TL;DR: Something foul was in the air during 2008-2012 that led creators to use black/brown/yellowface for shock value, or because of their own ignorance on the matter. Either way, it's lazy writing, it's tired, and it's not talked about enough why this was happening back to back during this era. I'm sure most of the people involved have their regrets. (I say most, because I don't think RDJ regrets that role at all.)