#one piece chapter 544

[moongothic]

Seen at least one (1) person complain about Crocodile losing his "unique faceshape" (now having the same facial structure that 90% of OP men have) after episode 1086 came out and like

To be fair, yes, the shape of his head HAS changed since his first appearance in The Year 2000. The thing is, Toei's latest Crocodile Offering is frankly more in-line with how Oda drew Crocodile during Impel Down and Marineford than ever before. Like yeah he looks different, but this change isn't new

But that comment really did make me think about how FUNNY it is just how different Croc really looks from his first appearance, like. The evolution in how Oda draws the bastard is so facinating to me

These are from chapters 155, 160 and 205 respectively.

No massive changes happening here in the middle of the arc, but you can kinda tell that Oda was definitely still figuring out how this asshole was supposed to look as he got further into the Alabasta (which is perfectly normal), which just makes That First Appearance look even funnier with time because. Who the fuck is that lmaooo

But then we get to see him briefly during Miss Goldenweek's cover story, this being from the cover of chapter 413! All things considdered, bastard hasn't changed that much, still looks pretty much the same as in Alabasta. His head is maybe a little less elongated than before but still, chin is quite pointy still

And now we're in Impel Down at chapter 540. Again, dude looks about the same as he did before...

But it really doesn't take long for Oda to start reshaping this bastard's entire head at this point

Chapters 544, 546, 578, and cover of chapter 584

The chin is easily the most obvious part, but you can tell Oda kind of defaulted to giving him that same ol' evenly square-ish head most his conventionally attractive characters have during these story arcs (instead of the elongated shape he originally had).

And then we have the latest appearances, from 1082 and 1100

I do feel like comparing these to what's come before would be a little unfair considdering his health and eyesight and how those affect the artwork itself, but. They're there, for comparison's sake

But the point is still there. Crocodile's face shape has changed since his first appearance, but it's not like Toei was behind that, the change was (mostly) gradual and from Oda himself. And it mostly happened in 2008, so it's not new by any means either

So really, all Toei did was just update his character model because ⬆️ is more accurate than ⬇️ for One Piece right now

Regardless. The sheer difference between the two is hysterical to me

#Moon posting #OP Spoilers #Sir Crocodile #💚 All Crocodiles are Beautiful 💜 #💚 Reblog if the Man in the Bottom Image is as Handsome as the Man in the Top Image 💜 #For the record this is not like a serious post #I just genuinely find the evolution in the character design interesting and funny and wanted an excuse to post about it #And people who prefer the Original Pointy Crocodile are Valid #He DID have a more unique face shape and it is a shame he's lost that uniqueness over time thanks to Oda #(Also aren't crocodiles the sharp pointy ones and alligators the ones with wider snoots? Arguably the OG design is more crocodile-like then #I am simply not immune to conventionally attractive evil men. I am quite boring in fact. #OP Meta #My favorite funny minor change is that his hair seems thicker than it was originally but Oda draws him with more lines on his face #So he simultaneously looks older and younger than he did in his original appearance

[sporesgalaxy]

ok so maybe you've heard about this already but one piece has some... ups and downs in its portrayal of trans people and the MAJOR down is the cover story in chapters 543 and 544. it's about what's happening with sanji while luffy's in impel down and let's just say it will get referenced negatively a few times in the future as well. just a heads up

yeeep yep I knew. its not the only iffy thing about the cover stories for the scattered crew, but also none of it is entirely new. i can't take it too hard after meeting Ivankov though (and those cover stories are a while after we meet Ivankov)!!

The genderfluid commune rules. One Piece does a lot of exploring the concept of freedom and this seems to be a wholehearted endorsement of gender nonconformity as a grand expression of freedom.

they also literally fuck up the giant helljail. They existed as an out-of-sight oasis of joyous self-expression in a complex designed to opress and torture social deviants. and then they busted out of the complex.....

The lgbtqs bashed their way out of hellprison bro....fucking awesome.... <- crying

Anyways, as someone who grew up in the early 2000s (this part is from 2009 btw) it's been really fascinating to see One Piece reflect the yet-unquestioned assumptions embedded in gender politics of the time, while still being overall very ideologically progressive. Ivankov vs. Sanji's cover stories is a great microcosm.

#1pc #asks #1pc discussion #1pc lb

[grassyhorizon45]

Changed. || Marauders -06

A quick 3 min per chapter Marauders Era fanfic starring Faith Solace as reader × Sirius/Remus, and Minuet McGonagall (an OC of mine hehe)

Warnings: None :>

Words: 544

Minuet's POV

It felt like forever since she last saw her sister.

At least, as a sister of course.

Minerva had gone on a solitary vacation last summer. Minuet agreed it was well deserved and promised to take care of herself while she was gone.

But what she hadn't realised was how much she'd missed Minerva until she had to treat her like a teacher for 24 hours.

"Minnie…… You know you're not supposed to be here right?" Minerva said softly.

"I know…" she squeezed her tighter. "But I have a free period and I couldn't resist the urge to……"

"Say hi?"

"Y- you're not gonna scold me?"

"I'll let it pass this time," said Minerva, stroking Minuet's head. "But I have class in a minute so you can't stay here much longer."

"Aw… Not even to rub your ears?" she tried.

"Tempting, but not this time Minuet," Minerva laughed.

"Okay."

~

"Huh, where did you go? Severus asked if we wanted to hang out," said Lily.

"Well, I got nothing better to do so… Sure!" she replied softly but with excitement.

"Yay! Ah, there he is," Lily pulled Minuet towards him.

"Severus! You remember McGonagall right?" Lily said enthusiastically.

"Wait- but I thought you said he wanted to hang out with us?" Minuet questioned. 

Lily smiled, "Of course he does."

"Hi…" Severus greeted shyly. The group picked a cosy corner in the courtyard to chill, study and chat.

"So I may have only just pieced this together but your name's McGonagall right Minuet?" Lily asked,  eyes twinkling. 

Something clicked in Severus' head too, the smile proved it.

"Uh, yes. Why?" Minuet answered.

Snape & Evans exchanged glances.

Severus spoke first, "So Professor McGonagall is your-"

"Mother?" Lily guessed.

Minuet cracked up, hard. "Nop~"

"But then, are yall family?" asked Severus.

"Mhm, she's my big sister." 

The other two went "Oooo~"

"But shh," said Minuet. "I don't want people to know qwq… especially those bullies," she muttered.

"We won't tell a soul," Lily promised.

"But," Severus started to point out shyly, "It's obvious though…."

"Oooo, but they can't confirm it!" said Lily who was so full of energy today.

Minuet and Severus were the quiet ones in the group while Lily held them all together with her cheerful and caring positivity. But strangely, Lily was only like this around them; with others, she was just as quiet.

Severus was the guy to always get bullied, in and out of class. According to Lily, he even got bullied on the train here! :(

He said he assumed later would be the same because-

Slytherin had flying class with Gryffindor.

~

"Put your hand over your broom and say 'Up!'," Madam Hooch instructed, demonstrating how to properly mount a broom.

Minuet got it within the first few tries, along with a few other Gryffindors and Slytherins.

In the middle of class, Madam Hooch received an urgent owl.

"If I see one broom in the air when I get back, you're gonna get it from me," she threatened as she left, her yellow eyes glistening in the sunlight.

Lily and Minuet were discussing Quidditch when Severus yelled, "Hey! Give that back!!"

Sirius Black, one of the bullies, had cast Wingardium Leviosa on Severus' broom.

Minuet's instincts kicked in.

"Stop. Right. There," she hissed.

Previous chapter | Next chapter

#marauders #fanfic #madam hooch #flying broomstick #lily evans #severus snape #sirius black #bullies #professor mcgonagall #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry

[kimchicatlover]

Golden retriever

Chapter 1: Impulse

Tags: Mystery, crime, action, internal conflict, writing style: prose.

Pairing(s): Platonic/Gen (Original Character x Original Character)

Warning(s): Mentioned homicide.

Synopsis: You are sitting on a park bench reading a news article about a recent string of crimes. You know who did it.

Word count: 544

The air was,

refreshing.

Much better than in your apartment, where the distinct scent of rotting meat and spoilt milk lingers long after you've removed said items from the fridge.

A fine Saturday morning.

The park was crowded,

yet not in a negative way.

No, it wasn't

stuffy,

humid,

noisy.

Instead, quite the opposite.

Finally some time to unwind.

You take a deep breath

and flip open your newspaper.

Scanning the headlines briefly, for you were never one to have a long attention span, a familiar name catches your eye.

"Damian Johnson," you read it aloud, the name rolling in your tongue. Looking at the sky, you try to remember where you've heard it.

To no avail.

You read on.

Well, that wasn't what you were expecting.

"Damian Johnson, wanted for homicide."

It clicks.

Damian Johnson used to be your acquaintance.

Something settles

in your stomach.

Your breathing

goes ragged.

You're blinded

by Damian's

face flashing in

your mind.

You're hallucinating.

By now, you're breathing was sent into overdrive. People in the park were staring. You didn't care. Couldn't care.

Suddenly, you can

Hear your heartbeat

Pounding in your ears,

Drowning out

Everything around you.

A million mixed up thoughts.

"Why would he-",

"Does anybody know-",

And most importantly,

"Where is he?"

That, you know.

Turning on your phone, you scroll to Damian's contact. You find his address.

"Now what?"

You can't just go up to his house, he's a murderer.

"Tell the police?"

They would suspect you to be an accomplice.

"Sit here and do nothing?"

Good idea.

"Ugh, you're useless."

After deeming the little voice in your head unreliable, you set off to..

To do what, exactly?

You're heading to HIS HOUSE? THE MURDERER'S HOUSE?

"Relax. He'll probably recognize me."

He won't let you in. Hell, if he did I would be concerned.

"Why?"

His wanted poster is LITERALLY IN THE NEWS. Plus, did you see his bounty? Sweet, sweet money!

"What? Why would I look at the bounty. You materialistic piece of-"

Before you knew it,

You had arrived.

Swallowing, you

raise your fist

against the door.

Mustering up the

courage, you

knock, albeit

too softly.

"Fuck," you mutter, a little too loudly.

The door clicks open, yet the owner - Damian, it was so hard to see him as a murderer - is hidden behind the door, cowering, apprehensive. In the short time he stayed in touch, you had noted that the boy was like a golden retriever, always wanting to please, and he was adorable. Wait what, adorable? Hold on-

"Go away," the voice was coarse, as if the- uh, Damian, hadn't slept well.

Yeah, 'cause he was busy murdering people.

Attempting to

shut the door

in your face,

you shove your

foot in between

the gap.

Nice thinking.

"Damian," your voice sounds foreign to you, as if someone was controlling you, "I'm not with the police."

There was no way that you could've reacted so smoothly in such a stressful situation. You silently thank whoever had possessed you.

A pause.

The door cracks open,

Just enough so that

Damian can see you.

"It worked."

#Writing #My writing #Action #Mystery #Crime #Prose #Golden retriever*

[polizwrites]

WIP Update - 27 Sep 2022

I had an amazingly productive week  - I touched 6 fics (2 WIPs & 4 new works) for a total of 4273 words!

I posted a new chapter of the  Stucky--> Stuckony non-traditional a/b/o @psychiccatpanda and I have been collab’ing on to Ao3 - we’ve got the final chapter & an epilogue in draft as we speak!. I also posted a Stony ficlet  here on Tumblr for last week’s  @flashfictionfridayofficial that also  filled an SRB square.  I also posted two fills for the Stuckony Summer Stockings that will be revealed on  Saturday!

I’m stiil at 14 active WIPs  (with a couple of maybe TBCs)  with my current   deadlines being  @suck-tember, and the October writing challenges I hope to participate in:  @fictober-event,  @flufftober & @whumptober.  The @reforgedzine  deadline is also looming large. 

See below cut for the WIPs  (arranged more or less by bingos/challenges/etc) I am working on  -   feel free to send me prompts or plot bunnies as well as asks regarding any of these projects   (or any other WIPs I’ve got out there) – they really help feed the Muse and keep me motivated!

Stuckony Summer Stockings [due 25 Sep]

This fun gift event (run by the  @stb-bingo mods) lets you share prompts for others to fill.  There’s an initial anonymous reveal on October 1st, then the creator names will be revealed on the 8th.

I wrote a quickie Stuckony smutfic that came in at 587 words and a longer domestic fluff WinterIron kidfic with potential Stuckony endgame that it came in at 1374 words.  

Suck-tember [ Runs thru 30 Sep]

As you might guess from the name,  @suck-tember  is a writing event focused on oral gratification.   I read through the list of prompts and decided to try to combine a few with my bingo squares.  I’ve posted 1 so far  (Day 2: Swollen) and would like to try for 1 or 2 more - maybe the alternate dialog prompts? Here they are if anyone would like to throw me a pairing/plot bunny:

A. “How does it taste?” B. “Have you done this before?” C. “What are you waiting for?” D. “Take a deep breath.” E. “You look so pretty like this.” F. “Open wide.”

Reforged - A WinterIron Zine [Deadline 12 Nov]

I got accepted to submit a  1k-3.5k fic for this project, and have submitted a basic idea & completed my first checkin.    Am poking at it little by little; it’s sitting at  2531 words - so over two-thirds done word-wise.   Plot wise? That’s still TBD…  I have very broad strokes in mind that are going to be tricky to get done in the words I have left…   :: eek::  Got some good feedback from the @reforgedzine   mods that I need to respond to - much appreciated!  

Avengers Bingo [AvB] (Runs thru 24 Dec)

Seven fills posted (5 to Ao3)  and 0 WIPs - I decided to further challenge myself on this 16-square card by pairing up each square with a unique combo of 2 original MCU Avengers, with the final square being PolyVengers. With the help of the STB Enthusiasts Discord folks - I’ve got all 16 squares  planned out, at least in terms of who to write about, and half of them have some sort of idea or crossover square to go along with them. Feel free to toss other plot  bunnies my way…  

* A3 - Reunited  -  posted   Making a Different Call   this morning - an Endgame-compliant Natasha POV retelling of reuniting with Clint.  It  came in at  364 words 

* B1 - Death - thanks to last week’s  Flash Fiction Friday prompt   [#FFF168 Sleepless Nights],  I put together Moments Where the Words Don’t Reach  - a short Steve POV  piece set post  A:IW that also combines my SRB Bruce Banner and MWAPB Crying squares.  It came in at 544 words and will be posted to Ao3 sometime in the next week or two.  

* B3 - Road Trip  -  Bruce & Thor  - Post Grandmaster, pre-Thanos  space shenanigans

* B4 - Age Gap   - Thor/Tony - possible crossover with TSB One Night Stand  (obvious title: Thunderstruck)

* C1 - Opposites Attract - Clint/Thor  - there was a fun Tumblr  headcanon going around about a Bumbling Foreigner whose ignorance of  local customs  results in him flirting with/proposing to the prince -  this seems like a perfect matchup!  

* C3 - Reincarnation AU  -  Natasha & Tony  - post-Endgame.  

* D1 - Friends w/ Benefits  - Clint/Steve - crossover with MWAPB Hawkeye/Clint Barton and possibly SRB - Never Have I Ever

* D2 - Romeo & Juliet AU  -  basic idea:  Steve (jock) & Tony  (geek) trying out for title roles in R&J - despite their respective  FWB groups thinking it’s a terrible idea.  Title:  Two Polycules, Alike in Dignity

*  D3 - Bed Sharing  -  Bruce/Natasha - AoU compliant.

Man With a Plan (Steve Rogers) Bingo [MWAPB] (Runs thru 31 Dec)

Ten fills, 2 WIPs and several Vague Ideas/potential cross fills with other bingos.  Prompts cheerfully accepted!  

* B3 - Farmer’s Market  -  crossover with TSB Doing Groceries. Moodboard + ficlet?

* B4 - Powerless AU  - Pivoted to combine this with my SRB  FREE square for a bingo, along with the Stucky Bingo Friends to Lovers square for a  “let’s get married for health insurance”  ficlet  - In Sickness and In Health is coming in at 1035 words and will post Friday,

* I1 - Steve is here for TFAtWS  - this might go well with my BBB  “Oh, hell no"  square - Steve trolling  Bucky & Sam by sending the old man in with his shield?  (moodboard & ficlet?)

* I5 - Dogsitting - possible crossover with  BBB “Run”  square - Steve & Bucky dogsitting for Lucky?  (moodboard + ficlet)

* N1 - School AU/Teacher AU  - if I decide to continue on with Technicalities   - I could fill this square  :: ponders::

* N3 - Online shopping - this might be fun as a crossover with BBB Thighs  Sam buys a revealing swimsuit for Bucky as a gag that gets Steve in a tizzy.

* N4 - Soulmates -  got inspired by a dream to start a Stucky fantasy AU (magician!Steve/ensorcelled!Bucky) that @bill-longbow  is collaborating on with me.  This will also fill my Stucky Bingo AU: Supernatural square.  We’re currently sitting at 1640 words  (984-ish of which are mine). Current Last Line:  "My men will accompany you back to Brookline in the morning.”

* G4 - Canon Divergence post CA:TWS - possible  crossover with BBB  Kill List – Bucky wreaking havoc on Hydra bases and  Steve & Sam catch up with him

* G5 - Friends to Lovers -  might use this for Chapter 3 of Mutual Pinning

* O1 - Crying - see AvB Death square above

*  O2 - Sex Pollen  -  Teenage Groot pollen =  aphrodisiac  hi-jinks. Quill & Gamora  warn the  couple (stucky)/throuple (Stuckony)  ahead of time, so no  dub-con.

* O3 - Hawkeye/Clint Barton  -  see AvB - Friends w/ Benefits  above.

StarkBucks Bingo - Round 3  (SBB_R3) - Ends 31 Dec

5 fills, 1 WIPs and several Vague Ideas - soliciting plot bunnies or other kick-starters.

* B1 - “I wouldn’t mind wasting my time on you.“  - Possible crossover with  BBB - KINK: Seduction Mission?  

* B3 - AU: Canon Divergence -  combining this with TSB Canon Divergent: Nobody Dies   by pulling together some leftovers/discards from “ Ain’t No Party Like a ‘Saved the Universe’ Party”.  Clearing the Air is currently coming in at 770 words and will get posted sometime next month.  

* I2 - Mistaken Identity - crossover with TSB K5 - Protectiveness -  “The Mechanic, The Soldier & The Artist” - mob/assassin AU with a Mr. & Mrs. Smith twist?  

* I4 - Canon: Avengers Academy  - will probably do Stuffed Marvels sketches of Tony and Winter, as I know very little about the game/canon.  

* I5 - Matchmaker Bots - possible crossover with TSB Occupational Hazard

* N2 - Blanket - Thanks to the July BBB Discord party , I have an idea for combining this with my TSB   AU: College square and BBB Funeral square.

* G3 - “This might as well happen.” Going to see if I can squish this into a Stucky –> Stuckony spur-of-the-moment threesome fic inspired by a series of posts with @needyoucap over on the STB Enthusiasts Discord server that in turn led to their WIP  Steve & Bucky’s Sexy Bucket List.  My version (alternating POV)  is sitting at  1049 words and will also fill my TSB square  Hindsight.  

* O1 - Royalty - crossover with TSB - IronWidow  &  BBB   AU: Arranged Marriage -  pick Lady Natasha’s Consort and Lord Steve’s Companion  back up?

* O6 - AU: Biker  - Grease 2  fusion  anyone?  😁  I watched the movie a couple of weeks ago and took notes -  It’s not gonna be a faithful adaptation, but hopefully fun - tho am having a tough time deciding who is Michael (probably Bucky, tho a case could be made for Tony)

Hero Hardships Bingo  [HHB]  (Runs thru 31 Dec)

One fill so far  with a few Vague Ideas …

* I3 - Unimaginable Grief  – I‘m thinking an post-Endgame Rhodey POV would work nicely here…

* O3 - Dating a civilian -  this would fit perfectly with another chapter of Takin’ What They’re Givin’ (‘Cause I’m Workin’ for a Livin’) , for which I currently have a basic plot point or two rolling around in my head.

Bucky Barnes Bingo - Round 4 [BBB_R4] (Runs thru 7 Jan 2023)

Ten fills,  four WIPs  & ideas for everything except one square  - Working on a Column B bingo to start.

* B2 - Funeral - see SBB N2 - Blanket  above

* B3 - Sam Wilson|Falcon - this would be a good candidate for a continuation of After One Or Two False Starts

* U2 - AU: Roommate  - Still wanting to use the Meet Ugly prompt: 02. I bought a house three months ago but I’m finally moving in and discover you’ve been squatting because you’re homeless    – probably WinterHawk with  recovering!Bucky being the squatter in Clint’s apartment building.  

* U4 - AU: Arranged Marriage - will probably pick Lady Natasha’s Consort and Lord Steve’s Companion  back up for this one.  

* U5 - Kill List -  see MWAP  - G4 - Canon Divergence.  Post CA:TWS above

* C2 - “Oh, hell no” - possible crossover with MWAP I1 - Steve is here for TFaWS

* C4 - KINK: Aftercare -  possibly MWAP Sex Pollen or  TSB KINK: Concubine

*C5 - “This might as well happen” -  Used this for the Sept BBB Round Robin  (crackfic - Emperor’s New Groove inspired)  wrote 276 words toward it  - not sure if/when it will post,  but will add a link when it does.   😁

* K1 - Thighs - combined this with with SRB Game Night  and HHB Hiding Discomfort for a 3 Prompts --> Summary game  that I may turn into a BarberShop Quartet (Steve/Bucky/Natasha/Sam) ficlet.  (tho the HHB prompt will probably get saved for Whumptober, if I participate)

* K2 - Comics - sew the  Stuffed Marvel Classic Comics Bucky Barnes I drew up for Bucky’s birthday.  

* K3 - KINK: Edging  - crossing over with TSB KINK: Orgasm Denial/Edging & I finally got a start on the WinterIron PWP for this (Bucky POV with toy play and Tony as a power bottom)  Hanging by a Moment is sitting at 96 words at the moment.

* Y2 - Never the fall that kills you -  this might be the title for a reverse hanahaki WinterIron prompt from @lacrimula-falsa ….  

* Y3 - “Run”  -  see MWAP I5 - Dogsitting above.

* Y4 - KINK: Seduction Mission - crossover with SBB - B1 - “I wouldn’t mind wasting my time on you.”  

* ADOPTED1 - Peggy Carter -  potential WW3some shenanigans ahead - another 3 prompts --> Summary inspiration  currently  395 words into a  Peggy & Bucky conversation at the moment.  

Steve Rogers Bingo - Round 2  (SRB_R2) - Ends 31 Jan

Eleven fills posted & 1 WIP   – happily accepting plot bunnies here as well.  

* A1 - Never Have I Ever -  see AvB  Friends with Benefits

* A4 - Touch Attention/Denial  - See BBB Peggy Carter square?

* B2 - Mile High Club -  this seems made for Stony sexy shenanigans…

* B3 - Bruce Banner -  see AvB  Death above.

* C1 - Arranged Marriage - combined this with last week’s Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FF169 Meeting of the Minds] for  Making Their Own Arrangements - a Stony ficlet where Tony (and Steve) discover a potential upside to having their family and friends pick their perfect spouse.  It came in at 476 words and will be posted to Ao3 sometime next month. 

* C3 - FREE -  see MWAP Powerless AU

* E2 - Comics Nomad Steve  - SWC sketch of Nomad!Steve

Tony Stark Bingo - Round 6  (TSB_R6)  [Ends 28 Feb]

Five fills and six  WIPs at the moment -    with  Vague Ideas for almost every other square. 

* S1 - Whiplash -  used this for Chapter 6 of  Flawed Hypothesis,  which posted on Ao3 last Friday and came in at 1253 words. 

* S2 - Canon Divergence: Nobody Dies - see SBB AU: Canon Divergence

* T1 - One Night Stand - see AvB - B4 - Age Gap

* T2 - Doing Groceries - see MWAP B3 - Farmer’s Market

* T3 - Pepper Potts/Rescue -  remix of sabrecmc’s  Indecent Proposal

* T4 - KINK: Concubine - possible crossover with   BBB C4 - KINK: Aftercare?

* A4 - AU: College - see SBB N2 - Blanket

*A5 - Scott Lang  - @27dragons​ shared an interesting plot bunny during last weekend’s TSB Discord party that I may end up using; that or a follow up to A Piece of the Action

* R1 - Tony’s Poor Life Choices  - @somesortofitalianroast​ had the excellent idea to turn this on its head - now that he’s with [partner of your choice] - he’s making fewer poor life choices?

* R2 - IronWidow -  next chapter of Lady Natasha’s Consort and Lord Steve’s Companion ?

* R3 - Dancing -  This will fill  Chapter 7 of  Flawed Hypothesis -- it’s in more-or-less final draft form at 1061 words and will finish the fic, with an Epilogue coming in at 702 words with an accompanying (and amazing!) graphic created by my lovely and talented collaborator, @psychiccatpanda​!!

* R4 - Occupational Hazard - see SBB I5 - Matchmaker Bots

* K1 - Endgame Fix-It  -  had a semi-cracky idea for this over the weekend and pounded out a ficlet where Tony does a bit of solo time-traveling.   Rhodey Had a Point  is coming in at 511 words and will get posted sometime next month. 

* K2 - Secret Admirer -  carried this over from last round so I could try my hand a remix of Seeds of Love  (WinterIron hanahaki fic by the super-talented @hddnone).  Potential title:  Wraps Around My Heart, Refusing to Unwind

* K3 - KINK: Orgasm Denial/Edging -  see BBB KINK: Edging 

* K4 - Hindsight -  see SBB “This might as well happen”

* K5 - Protectiveness -  see SBB Mistaken Identity

*ADOPTED1 - Movie Retelling -  I was also inspired this weekend to fill this square (mostly because there’s an AU: Western square on the list I want to adopt!)  I didn’t quite get it done before the party closed, but Tested to the Breaking Point - a Rhodey POV of the panic attack scene from IM3 - is coming in at 713 words and will get added to my Scenes from a Friendship  IronBros series  before the next TSB Discord party. 

Stucky Bingo Round Four [SB_R4] (Ends 31 May 2023

Two fills and two WIPs with a couple of other vague ides.

* I5 - Friends to Lovers -  see MWAPB  Powerless AU above.

* O4 - AU: Supernatural - see MWAPB Soulmates  above.

I also adopted the Writing Format: Remix one of your fics  square  – am thinking of taking one of my Stony or WinterIron  No Powers fics and adapting it to a Stucky pairing – if you have any requests - hit me up!  

WinterIron - No Powers AU  –  Stony No Powers AU

————

On other creative fronts:  I have a  Comics Bucky Stuffed With Character figure in progress. Am also gearing up for a classic monster/horror con in October and a  superhero con in March - so am focused on building up stock for both.  Plus I have to make space for Marvel Trumps Hate -  the preview week starts 16 Oct!

if  you’re looking for one of a kind gifts for the holiday season, check  out Stuffed With Character   over on Facebook for a full list of my designs (now over 80!).   They’re  mostly Marvel and monsters, but I have some Star Wars, Star Trek, DC   and Disney figures as well. Plus I love to take custom design  requests  for any fandom!

#writing stuff #WIP Update #WIP Wednesday #Shameless Self Promo

[victorie552onepiecespeedrun]

Reading One Piece pt 297: On Fate

Chapter 544

Thoughts:

- Fpos/cs: Sanji in a dress!!! His hair is amazing, his make-up is abysmal and honestly I’m scared. I don’t understand why they put him in a dress if he didn’t want to have one. It makes me remember childhood traumas and I would rather not

…Well Sanji, at least you don’t have fish stockings?

- how many rings can a person have, calm down Blackbeard

- Blackbeard is making a very important speech. I guess I’ll type all of that

- “After first meeting you, I soon found out that you were the one who defeated that former Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile, over there, Straw Hat Luffy!” *cue annoyed Crocodile*

- I wanted to become one of the Seven Warlords so I figured the best way to show the Government that I was the man for the job was to bring them your head” not a BAD strategy I must admit

- oh, he wanted to attack Luffy at Water 7. Wow, there was disaster after disaster in that place, imagine adding Blackbeard to the mix D: we would have to say goodbye to One Piece, really lucked out on this one, Luffy

- “But Fate… protected you!” …um, no, Ace and dumb luck protected him

- “Ace has been chasing me because I committed a terrible crime aboard Whitebeard’s ship. And by curious coincidence, he was your brother! Because I said I was going to kill you, he was unable to turn back! You see? If he let us go, not only would he defile the name of Whitebeard… his own brother would be killed!” …It kinda sounds like what I just said but it’s said by Blackbeard so I don’t like it. It also seems to me like it was Blackbeard who lucked out – his plan worked, he only just kinda shrugged and traded Luffy for Ace because why not, and if Ace’s already there…  

- “There’s no such thing as a coincidence, there’s only Fate.” “You’re a very lucky man.” “Captain doesn’t need your head anymore.” “Your brother fought bravely!” I applaud a loyal crew but they annoy me too. Also, Champion, why would you say that last thing to Luffy, it’s plain stupid

- “You’d better remember to thank Ace at his grave! If he hadn’t shown up then, you’d be dead now.” HOW ABOUT NO and Blackbeard, don’t act like Ace showing up was some divine intervention or something, he was Literary looking for you all over Grand Line

- “THEN WHY DON’T YOU TRY ME NOW!!??” *WHUP*  ha! Told you to leave Luffy alone!

- NO WAIT DON’T FIGHT SHIT ABORT MISSION!!! SHIT SHIT SHIT

- “Blood? Isn’t he made of rubber?” He is!!

- “That’s enough! You have to control your temper! Remember what you’re here for!” oh thank God for Jimbei, he’s stopping Luffy!

- “Don’t waste your time and energy fighting him! It’s not going to help you rescue Ace!” yeah!

- why is everyone just looking at that conversation, DO SOMETHING PEOPLE (strong people that is. Prisoners and guards should stay down)

- Crocodile speaks

- (why are they standing and talking. If Blackbeard isn’t here for Luffy, then why is he here. All of this feels very dangerous)

- “You’re Blackbeard, right? I heard some no-name pirate from Whitebeard’s ship had taken my place… but this is strange.” Crocodile’s asking why he’s here, he should be at Navy HQ. Well, YEAH

- “Everything is going according to my plan. Which I’m not telling you” ok then. Smart of him

- “Fine, I don’t care anyway” gee, ok

- Magellan is here! For a moment I was actually really happy about it. But he’s not here to rescue Luffy from Blackbeard of course. I have a very short memory

- and just like that everyone is moving again

- RUN RUN RUN to the higher levels!

-  “Awakened zoan types” …didn’t I read about that somewhere. I think that’s important

- guys, I think Shiryu deserted. He wasn’t planning at helping guards at all. Oh, what a betrayal

- (I’m not really surprised, he was a prisoner on LEVEL 6, but I also kind of am - WG indoctrination runs deep after all)

- Cameras are down. Everything is falling apart in this prison. I’m smiling so much my face hurts

- “Nothing is going our way! How could a single intruder spark all this mayhem!?” *maniacal laugher*

- on Level 2, Buggy and Galdino are up and at them again :) Blackbeard sure helped them here

- uh?

- “I’m gonna rescue Ace no matter what!” “Haha… I won’t say you’re wasting your time. Nothing’s impossible in this world.” …?  ? ??  ???

- “Sky Island existed, didn’t it? It’s the same with One Piece! It definitely exists!” is he…

- “Ha ha! Just you wait and see!” he’s walking past them

- “In a few short hours we’re going to put on a show that will shake the world!” …he went to do his own thing. Time to move on.

- (I feel very uneasy right now. We should not leave Blackbeard like that. He’ll be trouble in the future)

- Our pirate group feels as uneasy as me but there’s nothing to do about it now. To Level 3!

- …Magellan vs Blackbeard? Is this really happening

- damn, that poison works on them

- “Hannyabal… You did well holding them back for so long. You better not die. You’re the only one… fit to succeed me!” !! What a plot twist. WHY do I have to have feelings about prison wardens and their working relationship???? Is this really necessary???? Oda???

“Straw Hat!! You will not set one foot outside of this prison!”  

rOP 296  rOP 298

#one piece #one piece speed read #one piece reaction #I hated dresses and skirts as a kid but I like them now #my mom had to put with a lot of angry yelling and finally gave up completely and for what :D #stay strong Sanji #Blackbeard is very annoying to me and I will NOT shut up about it #he scares me a little #why did he fall down like that from Magellan poison #I know it didn't knock him out #anyway #Blackbeard's Manifesto #when will they actually break out #chapter 544 #one piece chapter 544 #544 #spoiler #spoilers #have a nice day #rOP 297 #I bet theorists had a field day with that chapter in the day #dread of future events

[animebw]

Reading One Piece: Chapters 544-545

-”You should thank Ace at his grave! If it wasn’t for him, you’d be dead now.” Yeah, just one problem with that, Teech...

-”Then why don’t you try me NOW!” ...Ace’s brother is even more reckless than him.

-FUCKING SHIT HE ACTUALLY MADE LUFFY BLEED

-”Don’t waste your time fighting him! Don’t let your emotions control you!” Oh hey, remember all the way back in chapter 1 when Luffy’s ego and recklessness got him in serious danger? The more things change...

-”But do you really want to know, Sir Crocodile?” “Honestly, I don’t really care.” Loooots of unspoken tension in this little exchange.

-JESUS CHRIST SHIRYU IS TERRIFYING

-”I won’t say you’re wasting your time. Nothing’s impossible in this world.” And just like when they first met, Blackbeard’s just as optimistic as Luffy. Only this time, we know that optimism is being weaponized toward bloody, bloody ends.

-”Life isn’t worth living if I’m not the one inflicting pain!” lmao

-Um. Jesus. Magellan took Blackbeard down in a single goddamn move. What the fuck.

-”Don’t die on me, Under-Warden! You’re the only one fit to succeed me!” hahahahahaha camaraderie among the enemies is fucking terrifying

-”Behind us... there’s not a single person left standing!” Guys, this arc is fucking insane.

OH GOD PLEASE DON’T DIE IVA

-FUCK FUCK FUCK EVERYTHING’S LITERALLY FALLING APART

-”I’m sure glad you guys are okay!” Luffy I love you

-craaaaaaap they’re sending the ships away

-YOOOOO LET’S GO MR 3

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #one piece #one piece manga #luffy #monkey d luffy #zoro #zoro roronoa #nami #usopp #sanji #tony tony chopper #chopper #nico robin #franky #brook

[ao3feed-lawlu]

by hampuusi

Law has no real reason to rescue Luffy from Marineford — but he does it anyway. He doesn't know (doesn't want to think about) why, but he knows this: Strawhat Luffy must not die.

Words: 544, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: One Piece

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Trafalgar D. Water Law, Monkey D. Luffy

Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law

Additional Tags: Pre-Relationship, Marineford Arc, Character Study, I say pre-relationship but this is more like... pre-anything really, just a tangle of feelings Law can't put into words yet

#ao3feed #fanfic #lawlu #monkey d. luffy #trafalgar law

[mismaeve]

♕ Burning Lights ♕

Chapter 6 of the Burning Lights series Pairing: Katherine Pierce x Elijah Mikaelson Warnings: None POV: Katherine _________________________________________________

Charlottesville was cute for a small town. Katherine had asked the concierge for directions for the nearest park, and as she walked around looking for a place to sit and relax, she felt herself slowly unwind. She picked a secluded bench nestled in neatly between shrubs and flowerbeds. Katherine sat down and enjoyed the pleasant silence. She closed her eyes for a moment, relishing herself in the serenity which surrounded her. She took a couple of deep and soothing breaths and opened her eyes again. If there ever was a moment to contemplate one’s life, it was now.

ㅤ

She was human now, she had allowed that reality to set in the day after she had met Elijah. But was she really human? Unlike in 1492 when she had been as human as one could possibly be, it was different now. She had been a 544 year old vampire before Elena Gilbert had shoved the cure down her throat causing her to loose her immortality and turn human. Did anyone really know how the cure worked aside from the very obvious? Were there any side effects? Say if she were to get hurt, would vampire blood heal her? And more importantly, if she wanted to be turned back into a vampire, would that be possible? Katherine sighed. These were the questions that were really important to her, questions she needed answered in order to get a picture of how she should live her life. Sadly for her, no one had any answers seeing how Katherine, to the extent of her knowledge, was the first vampire ever to be cured of vampirism. Not even Elijah could provide her with any insights. She had to know for sure whether she was human or simply a cured vampire. She supposed she could ask Elijah to lend her a hand in figuring this out. She could cut herself and then have his blood heal her to see if it would work. 

Say it would work and his blood would heal her, it would also mean that she could turn again, wouldn’t it? Katherine didn’t like this, too many variables, too many gaps. She wanted to live, no matter whether she was vampire or human. If only she would know for certain that it was possible to turn back into a vampire. It would provide her with a sense of security. That was settled then, she’ll tell Elijah of the experiment she has in mind, and then she would take it from there. Assuming he would go along with it..Why wouldn’t he? It’s not like she’d ask him to turn her, just a drop or two of his blood to heal a pesky little cut on her finger. As simple as that, no muss no fuss. 

ㅤ

And if it didn’t work and his blood wouldn’t heal her? A heavy sigh escaped her lips. Katherine wasn’t one to panic or brood, so if his blood wouldn’t heal her, she would deal with it then. Just like she had dealt with things in her past. Even though becoming human was the last thing she ever wanted to do, she would deal with it. Katherine didn’t believe in self-pity or self-loathing, she didn’t believe in moping around or wallowing in one’s misery. No, that wasn’t her. She was a survivor. She knew she would survive this because she had survived worse. If she had to live her life as someone who couldn’t be healed by vampire blood, then she would live accordingly. After all, that’s how humans lived anyway. She glanced over to where people were taking their daily strolls in a park, slowly, casually, seeming carefree and serene. She would bet her life that none of them knew of any supernatural existence. Were their lives better off that way? They didn’t know that they could be healed by vampire blood. They lived their lives as always, and if something happened, sickness or accidents or you name it, they went to a doctor who would do their best to patch them up and send them on their merry way. She would have to do the same. Katherine nodded to herself, worst case scenario and Elijah’s blood does nothing, she will live, she will take care of herself as best she can and she will try her absolute best to make a life for herself. What was so bad about a ‘white picket fence’ type of life anyway? Okay, maybe not that, but a penthouse in New York sounded appealing, or a Malibu beach house.. And who said she would have to stay in the States? She could leave for Paris or Barcelona, hell, she could move to Bali and live out her life on the beach with a tropical drink in hand. A tiny smile crept up on her lips as she listed all the possibilities. Her brow furrowed some as she felt something flutter inside her stomach. A tiny voice in her head said that she was missing something. Something or.....someone? 

ㅤ

With a heavy sigh, Katherine slouched on the bench she was occupying. Elijah freaking Mikaelson. Now that the Original vampire wasn’t looming over her shoulder, she figured she could allow herself a moment of brutal honesty. Currently, Elijah was being a royal pain in her ass, preaching about the perks of her having turned human never once permitting her to express her feelings on the matter. She expressed them alright but he didn’t seem to hear it, he dismissed them as one dismisses ramblings of a lunatic. That appeared to be the case with their other issues as well. Elijah Mikaelson, the man who claimed to know what’s best for her. As if. If he could spare a fraction of his time to actually listen to her and take her feelings into account, maybe then they could move forward one way or the other. But for as long as he remained set in his ways, she didn’t stand a chance at being heard, let alone accepted. She could live with his rejection, but what she couldn’t live with was him refusing to let her be her own person. My Katerina, he used to call her and at the time it seemed kind of sweet but she was more than that. Katerina was innocent, naive and believed in true love. She had lost her innocence the night she had fled for her life trying to escape Klaus, and if anything of that innocence was left after that, it had shattered into a million pieces when she found her entire village and family slaughtered. She stopped being naive once she saw just how cruel the world could be, so in order to survive in it, she had to become crueler still. She wasn’t just Katerina, she was also Katherine Pierce. Strong, wilful, resilient, smart, cunning, independent, confident, fierce and brave. She no longer needed to rely on others, she didn’t need a hero and she sure as hell didn’t need to place her faith in anyone else other than herself. Her faith was in herself and her alone. Yes, she had been forced to do some despicable things to survive, she had manipulated and she had lied, and she had killed. So freaking what? She refused to believe that the noble Elijah Mikaelson hadn’t done the same and worse. His brother had. Elijah wasn’t noble, he was a hypocrite as far as she was concerned. 

ㅤ

Katherine bit her lip. And yet.... If she closed her eyes and evaded all her reason, she knew that she loved him. She wanted him. But she didn’t need him. Katherine Pierce sighed and allowed herself a moment of innocent daydreaming. If Elijah managed to pull out the stick stuck up his ass, listen to her and allow her to be herself, she could consider giving him a chance. Even him apologising, sincerely so she knew he meant it, would go a long way. Katherine chuckled lightly, wouldn’t that be a sight to behold - Elijah Mikaelson on his knees begging her to forgive him. Her smile slowly turned into a sad one as she knew better than that. She knew heaven and earth would move before Elijah would even consider begging her for anything. He once told her that him wanting to believe her was like a disease, maybe her loving him was her disease. Maybe the sweet poison that was Elijah Mikaelson had poisoned her so deeply to her core, that no antidote would ever rid her of it.  

She had decided to stay for a moment longer, not really thinking about anything. There was only so much heavy thinking one could do before their mind threatened to run away screaming. She let herself enjoy the last moments of peace and quiet before getting up to head back to the hotel. As dusk settled over Charlottesville, Katherine entered the fancy hotel they were staying at. 

_________________________________________________

#kalijah #kalijah au #katherine x elijah #elijah x katherine #katherine pierce #elijah mikaelson #katerina petrova #tvd #tvd fanfiction #tvd fandom #the vampire diaries #kalijah fanfiction #kalijah fic

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

What are your favorite chapter titles in One Piece?

okay this ask made me realize i’ve been paying ZERO attention to chapter titles this entire time and i was bored anyways so i went back and flipped through quite a lot of volumes, so, anyways here’s a long and very non-exhaustive list of chapter titles i think kinda slap, right up to the chapter i am currently on (933). yes there’s a lot here. one piece has a lot of chapters. 

(some of these are just in english or partly in english so. obviously i will not provide translations for those.)

Chapter 1: ROMANCE DAWN - 冒険の夜明け/bouken no youake (‘Dawn of Adventure’)

Chapter 41: 海へ/umi e (‘To Sea’)

Chapter 57: 夢在るがゆえ/yume aru ga yue (‘Because of a Dream’)

Chapter 81: 涙/namida (’Tears’)*

Chapter 144: 雪物語/yuki monogatari (‘Snow Story’)

Chapter 215: Last Waltz

Chapter 254: 夜明曲/ōbaado (‘Aubade’, lit. ‘Dawn Song’)

Chapter 291: ここにいる/koko ni iru (‘We are Here’)

Chapter 333: 船長/kyaputen (‘Captain’)

Chapter 370: 一人じゃない/hitori ja nai (‘You’re Not Alone’)

Chapter 397: 未来へ届くように/mirai e todoku you ni (‘In Order to Reach the Future’)

Chapter 419: 英雄伝説/eiyuu densetsu (‘Legend of Heroes’)

Chapter 426: 風待ちの船/kazamachi no fune (‘A Ship Awaiting a Good Wind’)

Chapter 428: 帰ろう/kaerou (‘Let’s Go Home’)

Chapter 482: 朝がくる/asa ga kuru (‘Morning Comes’)

Chapter 487: 命の唄/inochi no uta (‘Song of Life’)**

Chapter 500: 歴史の残り火/rekishi no nokoribi (‘The Embers of History’)

Chapter 544: 地獄の釜の蓋もあく/jigoku no kama no futa mo aku (‘The Lid of Hell’s Cauldron has Opened’)

Chapter 558: 弟/otouto (‘Little Brother’)

Chapter 572: The Times They Are a Changing - 時代は変わる/jidai wa kawaru (‘The Era Changes’)

Chapter 579: 勇気ある数秒/yuuki aru suubyou (‘A Few Seconds of Bravery’)

Chapter 601: ROMANCE DAWN for the new world - 新しい世界への冒険の夜明け/atarashii sekai e no bouken no yoake (‘Dawn of Adventure for the New World’)

Chapter 648: タイヨウへと続く道/taiyou e to tsuzuku michi (‘The Road that Continues Towards the Sun’)

Chapter 742: いつでもキミのそばにいる/itsudemo kimi no soba ni iru (‘Always by Your Side’)

Chapter 767: コラさん/kora-san (‘Cora-san’)

Chapter 887: どこかで誰かが君の幸せを願ってる/dokoka de dareka ga kimi no shiawase wo negatteru (‘Someone Somewhere is Wishing for your Happiness’)

Chapter 907: 虚の玉座/kara no gyokuza (‘The Empty Throne’)

Chapter 933: 武士の情け/bushi no nasake (‘A Samurai’s Mercy’)

*This one necessitates a little explaining- it’s also the title of the volume. It’s a double meaning. 涙/namida does mean ‘tears,’ but it’s also pronounced the same as nami da (‘It’s/I’m Nami’). This is the chapter where Nami breaks down and finally asks Luffy for help. 

**This is the Binks no Sake chapter and the finale of Brook’s flashback, which makes it ILLEGAL that it’s called that.

#jonny answers #do i.... tag all of these chapters #i guess i probably should #ch 1 #ch 41 #ch 57 #ch 81 #ch 144 #ch 215 #ch 254 #ch 291 #ch 333 #ch 370 #ch 397 #ch 426 #ch 419 #ch 428 #ch 482 #ch 487 #ch 500 #ch 544 #ch 558 #ch 572 #ch 579 #ch 601 #ch 648 #ch 742 #ch 767 #ch 887 #ch 907

[tisfan]

State of the Fic Report; Week 36

Word Target 11,000 words per week

The Getaway - 902

Sweet Hitchhiker (my first attempt at a Sterek piece.) - 2,178

Dangerous Beauty - 2424

MRBB (Tony/Loki) - 365 and done

Scorpion King AU - 585

ComteHawk - 1392 and done!

MRBB (Thor/Tony) - 592

Kinktober Prompts - 8638

MRBB (Stuckyony) - 238 and done

Venatori - 593

MRBB (WinterIron) - 629

Bingo - 544

Dark Sun - 1560

Space Dock - 618 *outline*

Total Words: 21258

Support your local author:

Ko-fi / tips / short commissions - My two long commission slots have been grabbed, so those are closed for right now. I’m always open for short pieces, see my Ko-fi page for more details

Patreon - includes the same 2 chapter advance on Venatori my new Demon!Bucky fic, will also now be adding a 2 chapter advance on the Scorpion King A/B/O fic, plus original fiction, plus prompts, options to get felties and other goodies (allows smut / adult content)

Etsy Shop - get your felties here - I have recently redone my shop and I offer custom work. Purchase off the shelf or inquire for a custom listing.

As a reminder, I am an actualfacts writer, so you can look over my book catalog here. And if you want any of these as hard copy, signed LET ME KNOW and I can order some copies and ship them to you for the same price as the catalog (it just takes a little longer)

I have a few copies of books still in house: Whetting the Appetite, one set of Sandbridge, 2 sets of my College coming of age trilogy (On a Roll, Got the Blues, and Classic Blunder)

If you’re interested in my m/f urban supernatural series (3 books) or my fantasy m/f romance (2 books) let me know, I have e-copies (.mobi and .pdf) of those, and will sell them for whatever you want to pay.

#tisfanweekly #word count #fic report #support your local author

[manuscripts-dontburn]

North and South

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell

First published: 1855

Pages: 544

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 5 days

I suppose my expectations were just way too high and so this did not make it among my favourite books, but I enjoyed it as long as it lasted (except for few chapters which were frankly wearing me out) and I was not a particular fan of the simplicity of the plot (it just took too long). Still, I am glad I have read it.

The Arrival

Author: Shaun Tan

First published: 2007

Pages: 132

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 30 minutes

There are no words written in this book, but the story it tells is extremely rich, poignant and powerful. The drawings are magnificent, capturing a wild fantasy of the author as well as emotions like confusion, oppressive fear, flickering hope and eventually unbridled joy. Beautiful piece of art.

The Return of the King

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

First published: 1955

Pages: 436

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 5 days

M-A-G-N-I-F-I-C-E-N-T.

Tilly and the Map of Stories

Author: Anna James

First published: 2020

Pages: 448

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 4 days

What a wonderful ending to a wonderful story. Definitely a book for any child to read, to love and grow with.

The World That We Knew

Author: Alice Hoffman

First published: 2019

Pages: 400

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 3 days

Just like a beautiful tree, this books seems a little sapling that grows and grows until it becomes intricate, touching, honest and emotionally raw, yet curiously quiet in its mood, web of stories that all look at what it mean to live like a human being. Too many stories set during WW2 rely on shock-value, on clichés and the more you have read the less impact they tend to have. Alice Hoffman, however, manages to bring something new and rather than on horror focuses on what little beauty and wonder the people living back then could perhaps find around them, even at those worst of times. It is bittersweet and moving and at no point does it feel like emotional blackmail of the reader. Thinking about it, this book gave me everything The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah failed to give.

Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France

Author: Leonie Frieda

First published: 2002

Pages: 464

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 28 days

Fascinating woman for whom I still have little sympathy, even after understanding her childhood traumas, her personal humiliation and dedication to her children. This book is well-researched, but sometimes the mess of the 16th century France gets simply too much to read. I had to take long breaks to get through some of the chapters.

Egg and Spoon

Author: Gregory Macquire

First published: 2014

Pages: 496

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 5 days

This book was a surprise to me. I picked it up because I am a sucker for anything Russian history and folklore related and even though the beginning seemed a little too slow and (as I mistakenly thought) headed into a very simplistic direction, however, the pace took up speed and it all became a wild whirlwind of imagination, humour and delight. Perhaps this could be classified as one of those rare "middle-grade books for adults" because I believe a reader of any age might find enough to engage with in it. I enjoyed this immensely.

The Midnight Library

Author: Matt Haig

First published: 2020

Pages: 288

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 2 days

This is a very nice book that I could relate to in many ways and so some of its points and statements hit really, really close to home. It is one of those books that you can simply pick up and its uncomplicated narrative can relax your mind and make you appreciate your life - or at least parts of it. It felt warm and cosy and I enjoyed my reading experience. Why not 5 stars then? The writing style is too simplistic for my taste and there is something about contemporary novels which simply does not interest me. So anything in contemporary setting neds to be super exceptional in all of the other ways. This was not exceptional. But it was nice all the same. P.S. I finally feel the desire to read Walden after this.

All My Friends Are Still Dead

Author: Avery Monsen

First published: 2012

Pages: 108

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 5 minutes

Do you have absolutely nothing to do? Why not thumb through this one? It may make you smile a little.

The Crystal Bible: A Definitive Guide to Crystals

Author: Judy Hall

First published: 2003

Pages: 400

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: x

I have not read this book from start to finish - I don´t even think that is how it should be read - but I have looked up pretty much every crystal I own. It is a lovely volume and I think that even if you do not believe in crystals as a means of healing, you can appreciate it simply for what the stones can symbolize.

Christmas at Thompson Hall and Other Christmas Stories

Edited by: Anthony Trollope

First published: 1882

Pages: 207

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

How long did it take: 3 days

While the first story in this small collection is mildly amusing, the rest, unfortunately, seemed completely pointless. I failed to see any humour or wit in them, and what more: there was nothing that would evoke Christmas atmosphere in them. It was just... so boring.

The Toymakers

Author: Robert Dinsdale

First published: 2018

Pages: 468

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 23 days

I picked up this book thinking it would put me into a Christmas mood and instead it gave me depression. It is also, way too long, often times I felt like it would never end. That said the imagination of the author is wonderful, his writing sensitive and his choice of topics very interesting. Expect a lot of SLOW family tragedy rather than something uplifting (though it has its moments). Man... I just feel tired now....|

#booklr #wrap up #December 2020

[avenariush-blog]

Week 10 Blog

Reading this book is like riding a roller coaster. Sometimes you hit two chapters you like, two chapters you don’t like, and one of each. For me, the continuing theme of boredom comes with the abstract art chapters. With chapter 29, that boredom is back again! However, in 30, we get to go behind the scenes and look at some pop art as well as conceptual art to even the tide. In this blog, I will analyze main points from chapters 29 and 30 of the textbook, while relating them to the experiences of my own life.

When I look at The Gate by Hans Hofmann (p. 518), I see what I describe as “nothingness”, in a negative tone. It is an oil on canvas painting that primarily is made of rectangular painted boxes in green, blue, grey, white, yellow, and red. Before last week and watching the “I Could Do That” video, I would say, I could do that! However, after watching, I see something more than nothing. I see skill as it takes a high skill level to paint straight edges with oil on canvas, I also see Cubism in this as well with the rectangles. It’s still not my favorite, but I can at least appreciate it.

When it comes to abstract art, I actually liked looking and learning about the drip technique that Jackson Pollock used on page 521. This is a relatively new technique as he used it in 1947 and he also was innovative as he, “…engaged his whole body in the act of painting.” This means simply that he, “…controlled the placement of the drips and splatters through the motion of his arm and body.” It looks as you might imagine, like someone took a paint brush and flicked it a ton on a blank sheet of paper. Look at the photograph on page 521 of Jackson Pollock to see what I mean! I also enjoyed Tahkt-i-Sulayman I by Frank Stella (p. 528) as it was a polymer and fluorescent paint on canvas piece which was bright and vibrant in color. It looked like a bunch of protractors in different shapes lined up differently. It reminded me club colors in Miami, bright yellow, green, blue, orange, pink, and red, also like some of the Miami Heat throwback jerseys. For that, I liked it.

Gliding into something newer, we have pop art in chapter 30. Pop art is simply art that becomes popular with the public due to its recognizable image. The biggest example of this that I found happened to be the Campbell’s Soup (Tomato) can from 1968 by Andy Warhol. The design of the label is so basic as the top half is red and the bottom half is white, with inverse colored text on each side reading “Campbell’s condensed tomato soup.” However, that simplicity is what makes it recognizable and able to stick around for over 50 years. When someone tells you to grab the Campbell’s soup, your mind probably knows exactly what it is looking for (because of the simplicity). Brilliant idea for marketing (business major).

The last piece that I enjoyed was Untitled by Dan Flavin. It was a pink, yellow, blue, and green fluorescent light square across a corner (p. 544). The corner behind the checkerboard look-alike fluorescent lights, reminded me of the MGM Grand casino and hotel in Las Vegas. I often see the aerial snapshot of the MGM Grand as I watch UFC events or boxing matches and this image reminded me of the corner shaped building of the MGM grand at night, as the corner was bright in color and it faded out towards the edge. Compare the image to the MGM to see what I mean!

Overall, I would say that I was able to enjoy this art more because of that video last week. I also was able to make connections to stuff from my own life in these minimalist or abstract pieces to further enjoy them.

[duhragonball]

Camp Nanwum Update: 9969

My goal was 25,000 words for this month, and I’m not even halfway there, with only eleven days to go.  But I’m actually a little ahead of schedule.   

The plan was to write 500 words a day for 28 days, and then make up the balance on the other two.   Tomorrow is one of the catch-up days, and my objective is to try to hit 6,000 words.   I’d like to break my one-day word-count record, which I think is a little north of 6k, but I’ll be satisifed if I end up with a number that starts with a 6.  

If I fail, I’ll just use Sunday to pick up the split.    The goal, though, is to be at 17,000 words by Monday morning.   Then I’ll do something similar next Saturday, and I’ll be in good shape. 

What I’ve been finding is that by forcing myself to write 500 words every day, I’ve ended up writing separate scenes more than complete chapters.    I’m concerned that I won’t be able to assemble all of these pieces into the actual fic.   Some of them may be redundant, or they just won’t fit together.   It may be for the best, though, because writing throwaway dialogue can at least help me refine what I actually end up doing.    But the theme this month is that I’m just sort of flying by the seat of my pants.   I haven’t even edited all of last November’s word count, so there’s no way I can plot chapters the way I’m used to doing.  I’m trying to take solace in the word count.    I got stuff on the page, and I can fix it up later, and that’s all that matters. 

The advantage of this is that I can use all of these eighteen story fragments as prompts for this marathon run I’m doing tomorrow.   With that in mind, I’m going to list the word counts or each, so I can better keep track of how much I’ll have added to any of them.

890

645

530

513

520

550

530

593

544

528

549

521

521

524

515

556

522

518

Uh, I still gotta write my 500 words for today.  

???????

That’s somewhat encouraging, now that I’ve got this laid out in front of me.   I should be able to expand a few of those, and boost my count tomorrow.   

#camp nanwum #/ #// #/// #//// #gotta watch jojo too but i won nanwum last november and didn't miss an episode so i think i can handle that #kind of wishing i'd done this 6k sprint on april 6 instead #but i'm better off this way #the liveblog would have distracted me otherwise #as it is i'm still tempted to break out some captain ginyu episodes to work ahead and that's not the plan #gotta stick to the plan

[zorosearrings]

Does Zoro have Conquerors Haki? A theory based on trios

One Piece has a habit of grouping characters into trios and the person included in in these trios is Luffy who is a member of three different important trios

1. Luffy, Sabo, and Ace

2. Luffy, Law, and Kid

3. Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro

Within the latest chapter 924 it was revealed that Eustass Kid is a user of conquerors haki just like Luffy is and less well known Ace

So far, the characters Law, Sabo, Sanji, and Zoro have not been shown to possess this power which leaves two of these trios to have 2/3 members to have conquerors and the monster trio with only 1/3 

If this pattern has any merit than it would mean that either Zoro or Sanji would be secretly a user of conquerors or have it as a latent ability not yet awakened but I believe there is greater reason as to why it would be Zoro

But why Zoro? 

In episode 544 the strawhats all witnessed Luffy using his haki to take down thousands of fishmen and most of the strawhats were surprised at this ability including Sanji

Zoro however smiled and said this, which very well might imply he expected his captain to have it and if Luffy did not then well...he would have to step down

Zoro mentioned earlier in the series the reason he follows Luffy is because he considers Luffy to be stronger than himself and that makes him a man worth following and calling his captain. If Zoro has conquerors and is aware of this incredibly powerful ability he wouldve been disappointed to hear Luffy does not have it as well and has dropped on the power level scale. Which explains his comment above “Thats what i needed from my captain.” Pleased to hear his captain has the same ability he (possibly) has as well

So why hasnt he used it yet if he does have it?

Quite simply, its because Zoro was trained by Mihawk 

Mihawk is a tactical fighter who fights using the least amount of power and energy he needs in order to defeat his enemy seen during his original fight with Zoro when he used a small knife to defeat the latter. Pre-timeskip Zoro was an extremely reckless fighter who would go all out with almost every enemy he faced ending most fights covered in his own blood. Post-timeskip Zoro has barely been injured compared to his younger self, a significant improvement that allows Zoro to conserve his energy and hide his true strength to gain an edge in battle

In conclusion

I feel that since the timeskip Zoro has not gone all out and Oda is waiting to introduce an opponent that is worthy of Zoros 100% to reveal the true extent of his two years of training with the worlds strongest swordsman. Considering the fact Mihawk is rivaled by Shanks, a notable user of conquerors. Zoro is going to need to have an incredible ability stronger than anything hes ever used before in order to complete his dream and finally become the worlds strongest swordsman

#one piece #roronoa zoro #i noticed a pattern and i went wild #its a theory ive believed in since ep544 #to me its either haki or zoros just like a straight up demon #long post

[possiblypeachy]

manufactured.

--; summary: The XK-100 model was designed to be many things: charming yet brutal, elusive yet blunt, gentle yet commandeering. What she wasn't designed to be was deviant. But, being so advanced can come with a cost.

You decide what that cost is.

> part two

[determinant factors are in italics]

[warnings that apply to this chapter are in bold]

--; pairings: connor x xk-100, captain allen x xk-100

--; word count: 2.1k

--; themes: slow burn romance, angst, violence, platonic fluff, eventual smut

--; warnings: depictions of violence, death, suicide

--; note: hola mis amigos! this is the first piece of writing that i’m actually putting up here so go easy on me please and thank you! pardon any horrendous mistakes and/or terrible explanation of plot points :( 

in places this story will deviate (haha deviate) from canon. this allows me to weave my lovely little xk-100 model into scenarios that can help shape her personality for future installments. also, it gives me a chance to dabble with her interacting with minor characters that don’t get enough love!

if all goes well, i’d like to make this into a kind of ‘choose your own story’ type read bc i love me a good challenge and i want to give it the true d:bh feel. it’ll take a while to fan the options out but i’m a fast worker when inspired ;)

anywho, feel free to shoot me a message to ask me questions about this or give me suggestions! i’m also open to requests for now so hit me with your best shot, kiddos.

without further ado, enjoy!

[apolgies if this looks shit on mobile/anything really. i'll clean it up later :)]

—————

The first thing she felt was something clicking to the back of her head. Streams of code filled black vision: a start-up process. Lines upon lines of binary were read at a speed that was inhuman, registering her programming and purpose. Though a crucial process, the small camera watching her saw nothing of what was going on behind those white eyelids-- not even a twitch to signal that she was functional.

Then, narrow eyes flickered open, much like a light bulb turning on after years of no use. Pale irises were revealed to the room, intricate patterns of ice and frost weaved around her pupil. They were shadowed by a line of dark lashes, removing the possibility of deducing what she was thinking by way of looking into her eyes. Yet the contrast between the light and dark made her hold an aura of allure. Even he, someone who had prepared for her to look like this, was momentarily hypnotised. Nevertheless, a pang of discomfort was felt when his gaze finally fell to her static form. She appeared detached from the world -- cold. She would be perfect for her job.

From his seat, her overseer leant down to a microphone. “Can you hear me?” A male voice reached her sensors and the LED on the side of her head sprang to life, glowing a calming blue. Tentative eyes watched her through the camera. His heart rate increased when her LED began circling-- processing. This was make or break. They'd tried to make models like her far too many times before but failed; she hadn't looked intimidating enough, she couldn't make sense of her own complexity, her thirium pump hadn't been wholly compatible. God, he'd seen so many of her previous attempts shutdown before they were even able to speak.

Anxiety. Worry. Tension. “Yes. I can hear you.” All those emotions dissolved-- cascaded from his conscience like the most beautiful waterfall he could ever witness--  and he leant back in his chair, instead filled with relief. A sigh that could've praised God itself left him before he moved to look at the live feed of her again. She was completely unmoving-- no blinking, no twitching of her eyes, no breathing. Instead, she was waiting.

“What's your serial number and model name?” The worry rose in him again as his sight glanced to the tablet before him, filled to the brim with information on her. All his team's plans for her, her I.D. and registration codes, who she was going to be given to, her abilities, her materials-- all of it-- stored on one tablet. Everything had to be checked. She had to confirm that all of her components were functional. If she said one wrong thing, she would be deconstructed and analysed.

The android's voice was smooth and unwavering-- unaware of the pressure placed upon her. Perhaps one could describe it as scheming. Hearing it laid a blanket of unsettling calm across those around yet it was beguiling-- mysterious. “#572 236 091 – 31. My model name is XK-100.” Her expression still showed nothing. Good.

The robotic arms whirred around her and created gentle streams of wind as they welded white plastic parts together, ensuring that her body was sturdy; she needed to be as durable as possible. Two of them spun on their pivots to receive an arm-- already constructed and able to move when tugged in a certain direction and therefore, hopefully, functional. Rather than screwing it into place, it clicked as though it was a dislocated bone being fixed. When the arms let go of it, it hung at her side-- lifeless.

He wasn't lifeless, however. Oh, quite the contrary. Having been working on this project for near to seven years now, he felt like a little clap and chuckle wouldn't be deemed all too unprofessional. They'd been planning an android like this for almost a decade: an android who was capable of taking down an entire riot single-handedly if the need arose. Her team had programmed tiny aspects of her day in, day out. Many sleepless nights were spent animating her custom expressions, blueprinting the structure and materials of her frame, weaving code into her artificial mind. By admittance of the former CEO of CyberLife himself, she was perhaps the most intelligent android they had yet made-- and that was Kamski's words from years before. Now, if she didn't possess that whirling LED on her temple and her posture wasn't so stiff, people could peg her as more life-like than some humans.

He spoke again. She picked up on the thrilled waver to his voice and committed it to her short-term memory stores. “Move your head.” As asked, her head craned from one side to another-- eyes yet to follow the direction of movement naturally. Then, she stopped rather suddenly back at the centre. The camera swerved to the front of her and lifted itself to her eye level. “Now, move your eyes.” Her eyelids jolted into motion and she blinked erratically-- even her brows furrowed. He felt as though he was intently watching her trying to remove something from the surface of her eyeball; it was uncomfortable, yes, but inevitably natural. Then, her sight began to sweep across the sterile room, recognising the area as Manufacturing Room 2462-B in the CyberLife Tower. Blinking was rhythmic yet not too unnatural. She was beginning to appear more human. Uncomfortably so.

The team working on her understood that she would be some of CyberLife's best work but, from what he could gather, they hadn't expected her to look so... alive. At least, he didn't.

“Good. Now, tell me your introductory text.”

“Hello. I am a first generation XK-100 android. I am designed to assist Special Weapons and Tactics units in high-risk cases. Alongside being much more durable than humans, I am able to process and successfully predict reasonable outcomes for scenarios-- if given enough verbal or physical queues. I am familiar with S.W.A.T training programs and have an accuracy rating of 96% when in optimal conditions.”

Cases of deviancy had been on the rise and more and more police cases were being taken over by S.W.A.T units. Their only downfall was that they were a mainly human organisation, thus making it more and more difficult for them to track ever developing deviant androids. With her on missions, their success rates would soar-- or so the team who had made her hoped.

“My battery allows me to work autonomously for 212 years and I do not require food or water to survive. Due to the nature of my programming, I am required to make frequent reports to my higher-ups on the condition of my software and, every 2 years, I must undergo a renewal of my permit to bypass the 'American Androids Act, subsection 544-7'-- which allows me to carry weapons as long as I have human supervision.” Her speech paused for a moment and her overseer watched with baited breath. Had her vocals malfunctioned? They couldn't have. She wasn't supposed to stop speaking. Fuck, fuck, fuck! They'd almost had--

“Would you like to name me?” An exhale. Thank the Lord. Perhaps she was already developing mannerisms? She was designed to integrate into a team-- to be adaptable-- and humans didn't take well to stiff androids. It would help her fit in; they'd aspired for her to be like this yet she seemed to be learning quickly-- faster than they'd suspected.

Her other arm clicked itself into place before he spoke and pale skin began to bleed across her plastic body, coating her in practically human layers of pores and tones. Black hair sprouted from her scalp and flopped down into its default style: short, gently waved, and middle-parted-- convenient for her designated career yet not unfamiliar or strange to humans. She began to exude a strange type of stern attractiveness-- every colour that she possessed merging together to create an amalgamation of, what he could only say was, foreign beauty.

“Yes. Your name will be set to...” His eyes flickered down to the tablet before him, “Kassandra.”

Unnervingly, her icy eyes stared straight into the camera. It was as though she was maintaining eye contact with him. Then, her lips twitched somewhat before forming an ever-so-slightly lopsided smile. The smile was charming but seeing it painted across the features of a half-built android was concerning to him. It didn't put him at ease. Rather, his expression tightened. But he couldn't look away from her, seemingly caught in the frost that built in her irises.

“My name is Kassandra. I am pleased to meet you.”

He shivered. All his previous excitement appeared to have dissipated and nothing came through the speakers installed in the ceiling for a few moments. The camera was stationary, positioned before her. He almost felt a degree of sympathy for her; she-- Kassandra-- looked, sounded so... real. Out on the field, she would develop her own habits, her own ticks, her own sense of humour-- just like a human. Yet, her only goal was to detain people-- to kill, on occasion-- and he knew that would never change, no matter how alive she appeared. They programmed her to be like this. He programmed her to be like--

One of her legs were put into place, the socket being filled with an echoing 'clunk!' noise. Said sound made the overseer cough and return to his own mission, watching skin spread over her newly installed limb. She was simply an android. The morality of it all didn't need to come into the equation. “Can you move your arms?”

As Kassandra mindlessly followed his requests, new limbs being added and her programming being tested, he couldn't help notice her becoming smarter even here. Her gaze conveyed emotion-- enquiry, determination, amusement. She had begun to tap her fingers together while waiting for her next instructions. The LED on the side of her head would circle and flicker to yellow more often-- as though she took things into more consideration than the average android.

Finally, she stepped off of the podium. Bare feet padded across the sterile floor of the manufacturing room and paused to allow their owner to briefly scan the room. Now, she had full access to her files, his files, CyberLife's files-- everything. Her LED circled yellow once then returned to blue. She looked back to the camera. “What should I do now, Stephen?”

Stephen-- his name. God, she was analysing him and he wasn't even there. Kassandra likely knew where he was in the building, his age, his annual salary, the millions of possible things that he could do within the next few seconds.

Possibility #762: he turned his microphone back on and cleared his throat to hide his rising stress level. “The conveyor belt to your right will transport you to a specially designed loading bay. A small team of S.W.A.T members will pick you up and take you to your base of operation. You should be working under an... 'Allen'-- 'Captain Allen', so report to him as soon as you arrive.” There was a pause. The half-blue half-yellow LED on her temple was accompanied by a mildly confused expression. “Good luck out there, Kass. I'm glad you're finally functional.”

“I, too, am glad that I am able to move, unlike my predecessors.” Kassandra gave the smallest nod to the camera before leading herself to the conveyor belt. Behind the lenses of the camera, Stephen laughed-- the kind of tired laugh that came through your nose. For him, it was kind of like watching his really unsettling child go off to university, despite the fact that she'd only been operative for two hours at most. Maybe it was because he was one of the few constants in the team as they planned her out. Perhaps she'd already enraptured him with her strange, otherworldly charm. Either way, a sense of bittersweetness resided in his heart as he watched her pick her way into the outside world.

Kassandra took a mindless step onto the belt and it began to whir. “Goodbye, Stephen.” Click, click, click. Slowly, it lurched into motion, reeling her away from the room.

SEARCHING . . . . . .

       'Appropriate ways to say goodbye'

LOADING RESULTS . . . . . .

     i.   “I hope to see you again soon.”

       ii.  “Have a nice day.”

      iii. “Say 'Hi' to your kids for me!”

  iiii. “I'll miss you.”

Then, she disappeared from sight-- shipped off like trained-to-kill merchandise to that... Captain Allen guy. Stephen continued to stare at the camera for a small while, absently bringing his flask of coffee up to his lips and taking a long sip.

His lips pursed.

“I'll miss you too, Kass.”

#detroit become human #dbh #detroit: bh #dbh x oc #dbh connor x oc #connor x oc #dbh captain allen x oc #captain allen x oc #dbh fanfic #dbh writing #writing #rk800 x oc #dbh imagine #xk-100 #fanfic #dbh connor x reader #dbh captain allen x reader #captain allen x reader #connor x reader