#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.

[reyaint]

🥭🍎 - @dreamyshifts

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date: december 24, 2024. (9:03pm

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— 🥭 TROPICAL LUSH MANGO … what adds the most dynamic, vibrant color to your DR? a person, a place, an activity, a part of your identity—its presence lights up your existence there like sun rays on a blank canvas

Gonna be real, I have a lot of drs and attachments to people/places in each one.😓I'm very indecisive so for now I'll just name a few🫶🏼

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑲𝑷𝑶𝑷 𝒅𝒓𝒔

Yeah, so my cat hopped on my desk and deleted everything I just said so yeah fuck that. Anyway. Most of the time unless I date a soloist or someone in my group I end up making my s/o(s) the same person in different looks because I'm picky yet indecisive and can't choose. They'll definitely make me happy to the point it's addicting. (I can't do slow burns😓) They will light the room no matter where they are.

It's also probably my necklace. It has a crystal on it and something for each family member who has passed. I have this in my CR, but I wanted to add this, too: a ring for my uncle, a carved portrait for my pawpaw, a wing for my brother, and a paw for my dog. Just kind of a memorial I guess.

plus haiqin...literally just everything.

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑯𝑶𝑮𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑺 𝒅𝒓𝒔

it's gotta be my s/o and family tbh. we're all very close-knit so I feel every moment we spend together when I'm not at Hogwarts will be colorful. moments of elegant and comfortable attire, sitting in the library or outside reading or practicing forbidden magic passed from generations. or dancing in the enchanted ballroom of our manor.

randomly showing up to higher more extravagant events despite my family being well secretive and hidden. people know us. but they don't know us.

in Hogwarts, probably the balls and dances. or the Slytherin group. Though I'll probably be around the Golden Trio a lot too, getting into shenanigans. I'm just excited about everything.

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑶𝑵 𝑹𝑰𝑫𝑬𝑹 𝒅𝒓 @lalalian

everything. just EVERYTHING. i'm excited to see aethergarde and the other things. meeting my dragon and the people i scripted in😓the dances and celebrations. whoever i end up scripting as my s/o will definitely be the highlight of my time too.

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑭𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑲𝑷𝑶𝑷 𝒅𝒓 (inspired by @lalalian)

the life. literally just the life. the prosthetics and all the new technology. how concerts will be and traveling. clothes. again my s/o. there's just that certain feeling of mystery to it.

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑶𝑹 𝒅𝒓

The marvel cast. I can't say much else. the fame and whatever else too. but I really just wanna meet sebastian stan okay😓meeting fans and everything else. the movies and shows i'll star in sounds colorful too.

My fashion line on the side🤗

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑪𝑹𝑰𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑨𝑳 𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑺 𝒅𝒓

Reid and Garcia. morgan too ig. Garcia is literally the light of every room during every case. I love her so much. Reid is gonna be my s/o so obviously (no prison arc for the man bc I can't handle it) Rossi is probably gonna be a father figure for me. I'll be attached to him. Alvez who we'll meet later Im excited. doing cases and saving people. I wanted to work in law enforcement anyway.

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑬𝑬𝑻 𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑬𝑹 𝒅𝒓

the vibrant nightlife and just the CARS. I mixed this dr as a street racer and kind of fast and furious x oceans 8/11/12/13 bc heist movies. doing undercover missions in parties or galas then speeding away in our cars. the races themselves and my team. I can go on and on.

— 🍎 SHINY RED APPLE … what are you the absolute best at in your DR? the thing that, when people need help with it, they let out the most gigantic sigh of relief when you walk in the room—everyone knows you do it best

Again. lots of drs. but I've kept my skills similar bc yeah.

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑲𝑷𝑶𝑷 𝒅𝒓𝒔

musical ability. just music; instruments, singing, dancing. LIKE it's my dr if i wanna be the best I will be. I scripted my positions to be relatively the same in all my kpop drs. people want a certain song? i got it. a choreography fix? i got it. randomly good at random things like drawing or fashion design.

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑯𝑶𝑮𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑺 𝒅𝒓𝒔

my ability with magic. considering the fact my family has access to magic we probably shouldn't have...I'm ahead of most people. my spells and hexes never fail, i never miss. they always work how i intended, never make a mistake.

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑶𝑵 𝑹𝑰𝑫𝑬𝑹 𝒅𝒓 @lalalian

Again. probably magic and my archery skills. I never miss, think katniss everdeen but I can do more tricks and shit. like my bow is my secondary weapon, but I'm still just as good with it as the scythe/sword (whichever i end up choosing) also just my skills with my dragon ig. idk how to get into detail about it tho.

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑶𝑹 𝒅𝒓

my acting skills. i can pull off any role. i'm versatile. i know all my lines and never forget them. directors know if they hire me for a role, they're getting what they wanted. many of them even make changes for me. my fashion line is very unique as well, someone wants a specific outfit? they're getting it.

༊ೃ⁀➷𝑰𝒏 𝑴𝒚 𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑬𝑬𝑻 𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑬𝑹 𝒅𝒓

my skills in racing. i'm the best drifter out of my team and can outrun any law enforcement. the fastest driver and never damage my car. with the heists i'm good at getting whatever we need whenever it's needed.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪. excuse my bad writing. I'm tired as hell and have been busy lately. my mom has to get knee surgery so i've been more busy than usual. this has been on the back burner. also if I didn't do the prompt right I apologize.🥹

[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

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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.

[tranquilitybasehotelcasino]

How is kylo connected to the insurance agency? I feel like thats a p important part of the movies so it'd have to be in real life, right?

The ceo's sugarbaby?

hold on a second i’ve given this some thought

first order financial is technically based out of london and is helmed by a weird reclusive founder that apparently never leaves england and only communicates with his acting CEO (hux, who is a british transplant miserably living in new york city and is clearly some form of nepo hire because no one gets promoted so high that young but he runs the place like the fucking navy so you can’t ever bring it up or he’ll make your life hell) through suspiciously grainy skype calls with spoofed IP signatures. a lot of people think he actually lives on some tropical island with no extradition policy just in case first order blows up but no one has proof of it

kylo cycles through a lot of jobs and places and circumstances between the ages of sixteen and twenty-six, including but not limited to; one single semester of college (web design), a year in an apartment in los angeles in which he did not pay rent once, two weeks of illegally living out of his car in a national park, a job at a gas station, a job at a subway, a job at a subway inside a gas station, a short stint in the marines (dishonorably discharged), a moment as a very peripheral member of a heist crew followed by three months in a canadian jail, a job as a taxi driver in brooklyn (fired for recklessness after one final unhappy customer), and a small period as a moderately employed construction worker

during a stretch of time which he still modestly refers to as a “gap year” but was actually like eight months of doing drugs in italian nightclubs when he was twenty-three kylo meets a girl who introduces him to a guy who introduces him to some other guys who encourage him to drop the twitch channel idea and go all in on the contract killer thing. not only is he willing to do it he also ends up being unexpectedly good at it. he learns a couple other languages and hones his skills and after a year or so he changes his name and heads to the UK to try to figure out how to advertise his service without getting like put in prison forever or some such thing

in the process of this first order is going through some complicated internal power struggles predicated on the fact that basically the entire business is one big insurance scam and the crux of this is that snoke’s business partners are trying to oust him. his solution to this is to hire the first person he can find that’s willing to take them out and offer them however much money they want for it. kylo makes like a million dollars in one go but snoke is so rich he doesn’t care. kylo does whatever for this guy because he pays more than anyone else; snoke becomes a repeat customer and gets used to having an attack dog that will take out anyone that threatens his schemes

the guy willing to commit misdemeanors to expose first order’s massive fraud operation is of course poe, who has gained kind of a reputation for very loud and disruptive investigative journalism and activism in multiple cities. he’s extremely persistent and determined but not very subtle about his efforts so basically everyone at first order that is high up enough to know about the fraud knows someone is on their trail. snoke assumes poe is being fed information from someone on the inside (he isn’t, he’s just good at looking for stuff in places no one else does) so he sends kylo to the US to stake the place out and see if he can’t 1. find out who the mole is and 2. eliminate poe, but poe gets arrested before kylo can finish the job, bringing us to the top of the movie. this last bit is mostly because i was laughing really hard at the idea of kylo showing up in new york after very few people were told he even existed only for hux to realize that his boss’ pet hit man is the terrible driver that he once pulled strings to get fired from a taxi job in brooklyn.

[jessmindspace]

Side Stories

Quick summaries for the side stories I post about here!

Murder Motel

Genre: Period episodic mystery/spy series

Synopsis:

Set in the early 1980s and focuses on a couple who does domestic spy work for the government, Vic and Katya North.  Something more like an anthology or series, so focused on various missions and mysteries from the 1980s-early 1990s.

Breakout story is that they get an anonymous tip that there’s some suspicious stuff going on at an out of the way motel, so they go there to check it out.  It’s implied that there have been some disappearances around the area, and that this motel might be involved somehow.  The staff are all a little bit off, and the owners are so friendly that it comes across as eerie.  When Katya finds some jewelry that was shoved behind the furniture in their room, she recognizes it as a very expensive brand, and Vic discovers what looks to be a cover up for a murder.  There’s further evidence that the hotel employees/owners were involved in a murder (or a slew of them), and that they’re not exactly who they seem...

Tags: #murder motel

Swapped

Genre: Thriller

Synopsis:

The story starts with an incident where a tropical storm unexpectedly hits a cruise ship and capsizes it. Survivors are eventually rescued and taken to a nearby island where they’re hospitalized. A lot of them have suffered trauma from the incident, but one of them seems to be taking it to a whole new level as he refuses to respond to his name and keeps saying he’s not himself.

The patient gets his hands on a mirror and is able to see he is in fact another man; Reed Mitchell was a steward on the ship who had been working on cruise ships for a while in order to travel on the company’s dime. He sees that he’s now in the body of one of the passengers–who passed on when Mitchell took over–Antonio Salvatore. Reed/Antonio is thrown into the world of The Mob as he discovers he's now the son of a powerful mob boss who is grooming him to be his heir of his criminal empire, and has to figure out how to navigate his new life without letting on that he's not who everyone thinks he is anymore.

Tags: #swapped story

Scapegoat

Genre: Heist Thriller

Synopsis:

Basic premise is that a criminal–Julien St Martin–who started out doing a lot of white collar thieving gets arrested for murder.  He kills a drug cartel kingpin after the government had been doing a long term op to arrest the cartel leader and put him on trial.  They quickly grab him and arrest him, intending on using him as a scapegoat for the fallout that takes place with the cartel’s higher ups scrambling for power, saying he was an assassin sent by one of the cartel rivals.

Public defendant appointed to him–Josephine “Jo”–finds out about what really happened when she talks with Julien, then does her own digging at his insistence. The trial is rigged from the start and Julien is given the death sentence—more to brush him under the rug so the black ops team can bury their mistakes—and Jo decides to help him escape.

They meet up with Julien’s mentor/father figure for thieving, except they have a new objective now: go after the black ops team leader to expose his corruption while also taking down the cartel.  And maybe make some money along the way by cleaning out the new cartel leader’s large art collection.

Tags: #scapegoat story

Wild West Story

Genre: Old West

Synopsis:

The gist of the story is that it's set in a mining town or where they were building a railroad. A US Marshal named Booth Wildwood is sent to apprehend a criminal who was hiding out there and acting as one of the workers. He stays at the sheriff's house while investigating (who also happens to be his brother-in-law) and trying to figure out where this criminal is hiding.

This setting has also expanded into something of an RP World with a friend of mine! This one focuses on a gang of thieves and murderers, a woman who gets caught up with said gang, and a sharpshooter who got roped into working for the leader of the posse he used to be friends with after the leader saved his life.

Tags: #wild west story

[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

[fashion4standusers]

Jacket by DarkwearClothingCo on Etsy

[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.

[the-sonic-crew]

Ay I'm back with more OCs I made in Pulse

Stone Ezekiel

Stone is an EX member of the Assassin Alliance, having retired on his own terms. He is located on West Side Island, working in a hair salon he opened. He isn't very talkative, being a selective mute. He is also the one who works on Stephen and Dahlia's hair and fur the most. He is also in a relationship with Stephen (Gayass boys lmao). He isn't one to be underestimated, having the ability to hypnotize others and also is really good at sneaking up on people (He also has a rifle under the countertop). He is very judgemental, a simple stare a dead giveaway of what he's thinking.

_______________________________

Makoa Kuna

He is a local resident on a tropical island off the coast of South Side Island. He is the cousin of Terrence, and it shows from having the same markings on his forehead. Of course he is not proud of it, which was the reason why he moved to the island in the first place to get away from people who try to pry into it, absolutely DESPISING those types of people. He has a laid back attitude and usually won't be afraid to speak his mind. He, just like Stone, is no pushover, as he can flash step, has immense strength, and the ability to shrink down anything, living or nonliving. He is also a close friend to the Siamese cats, a bit terrified of Stephen considering that he is Terrence's vessel and doesn't want to see the psychotic dog again.

Stone Ezekiel

Sonic

Sonic would respect Stone’s quiet, no-nonsense demeanor but find the judgmental stares amusing or intimidating, depending on the situation.

He might jokingly call Stone “Salon Assassin” and be intrigued by his hypnotic abilities and mysterious past. Sonic would keep things lighthearted, even when Stone stays reserved.

Tails

Tails would be curious about Stone’s selective mutism and try to communicate in a way Stone finds comfortable, like through notes or tech.

If Stone’s past as an assassin came up, Tails would approach it cautiously but be fascinated by his precision and skills.

Knuckles

Knuckles would be both intrigued and wary of Stone’s assassin background. He’d respect Stone’s strength and combat skills but wouldn’t trust him fully at first.

Knuckles might challenge Stone to a sparring match, only to be unnerved by how easily Stone could sneak up on him.

Amy

Amy would probably visit Stone’s salon and admire his work, chatting away even if Stone remained quiet. She’d find his judgmental stares either hilarious or mortifying, depending on the context.

She’d try to get him to open up, respecting his boundaries but occasionally teasing him about his seriousness.

Shadow

Shadow would see Stone as a kindred spirit in terms of quiet intensity and sharp skills. The two might communicate silently and still understand each other perfectly.

Shadow would respect Stone’s decision to retire from the Assassin Alliance and his current peaceful lifestyle but would also recognize his lingering edge as a formidable fighter.

Rouge

Rouge would enjoy frequenting Stone’s salon for her own grooming needs and likely tease him about his judgmental looks.

She’d be intrigued by his assassin past and hypnotic abilities, possibly attempting to recruit him for heists or other missions.

Eggman

Eggman would see Stone’s abilities as a potential asset but would be frustrated by his muteness and unwillingness to follow orders. Stone’s judgmental stare would unnerve Eggman to no end.

Team Chaotix

Vector: Vector would try to pry into Stone’s assassin past, but Stone’s judgmental stares would eventually make him back off.

Espio: Espio would respect Stone’s skills and quiet demeanor, seeing him as a fellow stealth expert.

Charmy: Charmy would bombard Stone with questions, only to be met with silence and a pointed stare, which he’d either find scary or hilarious.

Makoa Kuna

Sonic

Sonic would be drawn to Makoa’s laid-back attitude and likely tease him about his connection to Terrence. Makoa’s fear of Stephen would intrigue Sonic, who’d promise to “have his back” if Stephen ever showed up.

The two might bond over island life and share lighthearted banter.

Tails

Tails would be curious about Makoa’s shrinking ability, possibly asking to study or test its limits. Makoa might find Tails’ enthusiasm endearing and indulge his questions.

Tails would also empathize with Makoa’s desire to avoid people prying into his past.

Knuckles

Knuckles would appreciate Makoa’s strength and straightforward nature. The two might share a mutual respect, especially if they ended up sparring or working together.

If Makoa ever opened up about his forehead markings, Knuckles would listen without judgment.

Amy

Amy would try to reassure Makoa about his markings, seeing them as a unique and beautiful feature rather than a curse.

She’d likely drag Makoa into social situations, trying to help him feel more comfortable around people.

Shadow

Shadow would respect Makoa’s desire for solitude and his ability to speak his mind. However, Makoa’s fear of Stephen might seem like a weakness to Shadow, leading to some tension.

Makoa’s flash step and immense strength would catch Shadow’s attention, possibly leading to a sparring match or reluctant partnership.

Rouge

Rouge would be fascinated by Makoa’s shrinking ability and laid-back personality, possibly seeing him as an ally for her schemes.

She might tease him about his fear of Stephen but also try to dig into the story behind it.

Eggman

Eggman would see potential in Makoa’s shrinking ability and try to manipulate him into joining the Egg Empire. Makoa would likely refuse, possibly using his powers to thwart Eggman’s plans in creative ways.

Team Chaotix

Vector: Vector would attempt to recruit Makoa into the Chaotix, intrigued by his abilities and straightforward nature.

Espio: Espio would admire Makoa’s flash step and laid-back demeanor, seeing him as someone who values peace but can fight when necessary.

Charmy: Charmy would ask a million questions about Makoa’s shrinking powers, likely testing Makoa’s patience.

[5mind]

The Grinch is still at large, running amuck around the city, cackling as they continue their holiday heists. The red velvet sack they are carrying around is bulging pretty heftily too with their stolen goods, a string of lights hanging out like a cheerful line of intestine.

Those five bots haven't been too close to catching them yet. Pity. They'd find that to be quite amusing. But that's all right. There's still time.

The cold one has kept them busy, though. Kept them moving. It's a good thing they're quick on their feet, otherwise he might have caught them a couple of times. He's left them in a scramble at least a handful of times now, slipping on ice in a mad dash to get away while baubles were flying everywhere, cackling in their wake. Quite frankly they were surprised he hadn't caught onto who they really were at any of those points. Fool.

These boxes of baubles and tinsel, though....

Who just leaves all this sitting out in the middle of the sidewalk like this?! Not even homeless people do this. The Grinch just... stands there for a moment or two... with their hands on their furry green hips, contemplating this weird happenstance.

"Now who," they say in what is obviously their best impression of the Grinch's voice, "would leave such precious holiday goods just... sitting here for the pickings? Could it be a generous citizen of Bayfloat? Or could it be... the authorities!!!!! Ehehehehehehe!"

With a nasty cackle, the Grinch kicks over the boxes and makes to run away. But does the act of kicking over the boxes set off the trap?!

@the-haunted-office

Despite their numbers, the mechanical squadron had the disadvantage of both having their arms full with their own holiday plans and having to deal with some very targetted attacks courtesy of a certain scorpion. The units themselves couldn't exactly maneuveur through large crowds so freely either.

Coldsnap, on the other hand, could. Although it was more like he crowds maneuveured around him due to the physically frosty (even for the season, given that they are in the tropics) air around him. He'd come so close it had almost felt mocking.

But none would come as close (for now) as the rube-goldberg contraption of a trap that had just been set into motion. Before the contraption was even halfway done, a robotic avian attempts to swoop in at the furry green fiend.

A girl in frills, armed with a toy gun that she held by the barrel like it's a club, leaped out. It's a surprise attack!

At some point, both of them seem to have forgotten that they still had a trap in motion. Uh oh! This doesn't look too good for anyone!

[kerplunkmedia]

Nightlife Trends: Your Night out with Heist Nightlife

Nightlife has always been a cornerstone of urban culture, and staying ahead of trends is crucial to making the most of your evenings. Heist Nightlife, we are redefining what it means to enjoy a night out, combining cutting-edge trends with timeless vibes to deliver an unparalleled experience.

Nightlife Trends and Tips are

Here’s a deep dive into the hottest nightlife trends and some tips to elevate your evenings

1.The Rise of Themed Nights

Themed nights are making a big comeback. Whether it’s retro vibes, neon parties, or live music events, the right theme can set the mood for a memorable night. Heist Nightlife has mastered the art of themed evenings, offering everything from 90s throwback nights to tropical tiki parties.

Tip: Stay updated with our calendar to ensure you don’t miss the next big event. Arrive early for the best spots and themed cocktails that complement the night.

Check Our Another Blogs MRP Nights in Pondicherry. Affordable Nightlife in Pondicherry

2. Signature Cocktails Taking Center Stage

Gone are the days of generic drinks. Nightlife enthusiasts now crave unique, handcrafted cocktails that tell a story. At Heist Nightlife, our mixologists craft signature drinks that not only taste amazing but are also Instagram-worthy.

Tip: Ask the bartender for a custom twist on your favorite drink. Pair it with our curated bar bites for the ultimate flavor experience.

3. Immersive Lighting and Visual Effects

Lighting plays a pivotal role in setting the ambiance, and cutting-edge clubs are now using immersive LED setups, lasers, and projection mapping to elevate the experience. Heist Nightlife boasts a state-of-the-art lighting system that transforms the space into a visual masterpiece.

Tip: Plan your night for peak hours when the lighting effects are at their most dynamic. Snap pictures or record videos to capture the vibe!

4. Fusion of Food and Entertainment

The modern nightlife scene has evolved to include gourmet food alongside live performances, stand-up comedy, and DJ sets. At Heist Nightlife, we blend world-class cuisine with electrifying entertainment to cater to all your senses.

Tip: Make reservations for special dining and entertainment nights to ensure you get the full Heist experience.

Check Our Another Blogs Top 5 Best Pubs in Pondicherry

5. Sustainability in Nightlife

Eco-conscious practices are no longer optional. Sustainable sourcing, waste reduction, and green design are becoming key considerations in nightlife venues. Heist Nightlife is committed to implementing eco-friendly practices while maintaining the highest quality of service.

Tip: Look out for our eco-friendly initiatives and join us in making nightlife more sustainable.

Why Choose Heist Nightlife is Best Nightlife ?

Heist Nightlife isn’t just a venue; it’s an experience crafted for those who crave the extraordinary. Step into a world where music, ambiance, and energy blend seamlessly to create unforgettable nights. From its chic interiors to its eclectic mix of global beats spun by renowned DJs, Heist Nightlife sets the stage for an escape.

Located in the heart of the city, Heist Nightlife offers a perfect blend of luxury, entertainment, and community. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone or just unwinding after a long week, our venue promises to make every evening unforgettable.

Check Our Another Blogs Party in Pondicherry: Experience the Thrill of Heist Nightlife

Key Features:

Top DJs and Live Performances: Dance to beats spun by renowned DJs or groove to live bands.

VIP Lounges: Enjoy exclusivity with premium service.

Curated Ambiance: Designed to dazzle and relax, perfect for any occasion.

Heist Nightlife Pondicherry

9, SH 49, near Orange Restaurant, Lawspet, Puducherry, 605008

Contact Number :+91 8098985050

Final Tips for a Memorable Night at Heist Nightlife

Dress to Impress: Adhere to the dress code for seamless entry and picture-perfect moments.

Arrive Early: Beat the crowd and claim your favorite spot.

Stay Connected: Follow us on social media to stay updated on events and offers.

Safety First: Arrange transportation ahead of time to ensure a stress-free night.

Embrace the Night with Heist Nightlife

Step into a world of unforgettable experiences. Whether you’re looking for high-energy parties or laid-back lounges, Heist Nightlife has something for everyone. Let’s redefine your nightlife together