#Dynamic Number Insertion for Ads

[sweetsuburbanlegends]

Grocery Store - Frozen Foods

Summary: You run into Hotch after your first few days at the BAU.

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x f!Reader

Word Count: 1.9k

A/N: Eep! I'm planning for this to be a series of oneshots in the same universe of little domestic moments.

Warnings: put the self in self-insert, brief mention of disordered eating (blink and you'll miss it), hotch mention's haley's pregnancy (blink and you'll miss it), a lot being said without being said ig, hotch having massive hands because i said so

The grocery aisles, on a late Saturday night, are predictably empty, still the open space that had been brimming with people only hours before unnerves you. Though you know it’s not true by the sparse cars in the parking lot, it feels as though you were the only one here and that’s not what you wanted when you'd packed up for the short trip over. 

The silence hangs heavy in the air, as if the place is holding its breath, waiting to kick you out of it into the dark of the night so it can get some rest in preparation for the Sunday morning crowds. 

Your basket hangs in the crook of your elbow and you find yourself wandering between aisles slightly aimless, eyes not really seeing as you look around. The anonymity of the place would usually settle you, calm your racing nerves but right now, mixed with a weekend off from work, with a long stretch of a few days left to fill, it makes the air around you feel like vegetable shortening. 

You find yourself in the frozen goods aisles, hoping the chill and rush of the cold can help to ground you when a familiar voice calls out your last name. You turn in its direction. 

“Oh!” Even when you’re off from work, work seems to find you. “Agent Hotchner, sir, hi.” 

“Evening,” he smiles at you politely. Though he’s out of his high collars and suits, his voice betrays none of the vulnerability you feel is dripping from yours at having been caught outside of work. “Rather late for groceries, isn’t it?” 

You look down at your basket, “Just some essentials, sir.” You catch him looking over to the shelves of ice cream to your left, and you let out a nervous laugh, afraid to be caught in a lie you never told, “And an indulgence or two.”

He nods, eyes flitting over to meet yours. “Good.” 

Something about this, seeing Aaron in jeans and worn-down shirt, out of the office and where a passerby would mistake you for two acquaintances, makes you feel childish. The similarity between right now and the times you’d run into your elementary teachers outside of school is hard to miss. It’s the same jarring feeling, like the Earth had wobbled on its axis for a moment, thrust you into a pocket of air where rules didn’t seem to apply anymore. 

Even when you were little, you were a stickler for them. Wanted, needed, to keep everything in its right place. Your mother always told you stories of your seemingly disproportionate anger, screaming and crying tantrums over the slightest things left out of place. 

“And what’s your poison of-” he cuts himself off, tilting his head to read the label on the tub. “Non-Fat, All-Organic, frozen Greek yogurt…” his words trail off, a stitch forming between his eyebrows. 

You smile at him sheepishly. 

Despite the carefree ease that accompanied most of your childhood, you’re not sure if you’d like to go back to it. You’d rather the burden of responsibility, the burden of control, rather than the unbridled rage you feel was coursing through you at almost any given point in time when you were younger. 

“Intriguing.” 

You laugh before you get a chance to reel it in, and heat rushes to your face seconds later. The waters were still murky, around the team, but Aaron especially. Despite everyone’s best efforts to make it seem otherwise, there was still a line drawn between you and them. And they held safety in numbers, an elusive entity that spoke a language of its own. 

Aaron, as your Unit Chief, only added another layer of complexity to the dynamic. His reputation was famous, infamous in other circles, and it only made you approach each and every encounter with him with hesitancy, scared to get too close and not close enough, balancing on a knife’s edge. 

“Forgive me if I’m prying, Agent,” his voice draws you away from your thoughts. “But-but…why the-why-” 

You shrug, gnawing at the inside of your lip. There’s a burning hole in the pit of your stomach, and an exhaustion washes over you suddenly. “It’s…uh,” you laugh again to buy yourself some time. “I like the taste.” 

Aaron pauses a moment too long, and you watch him as he looks you over, at the things in your basket, the circles under your eyes. “I find that hard to believe.” 

It scares you how easily he managed to read you. The spinach and unsweetened plant milk in your basket, the clear indications of what your teenage self would call ‘trying to be good’. 

The condensation starts to form on the tub in your arm, sticking to the sensitive skin of your inner arm. 

“And-uh,” you clear your throat, look around anxiously eager to flick the spotlight away. “What’s got you making the midnight journey?” 

The intentional look he was holding on you disappears in favour of a more general politeness, “Same as you.” He turns to the freezers, opening the door and taking two pints of Ben & Jerry’s, holding them in each hand to show you. “Indulgence.” 

“Chocolate Therapy?” The label on each pint is the same. 

“You’re surprised.” 

You stammer for your footing, the sudden boldness a shock to yourself, “I-uh, sorry, sir, it just-” 

The sound of his laugh cuts you short, muted and barely perceptible to anyone else had they been walking down the aisle, but at this time of night, it’s only you and him and the fuzzy sound of a Top 40s station filtering out over the speakers. 

“What is it, Agent?” He smiles now, properly. The effect is jarring, feels like something you shouldn’t be seeing. “I don’t strike you as a chocolate man?” 

It’s hard to find an answer to that. The day had been long, drawn out, you’d barely processed the weight of it, the weight of the week that preceded it, before running into Aaron and striking up this strange vertigo of an encounter. 

You wish fervently for the ease the rest of the team has around each other, to be able to summon up a witty, smart answer in a matter of milliseconds and the confidence to say it as well. More often than not you’re left bumbling, hands grasping pathetically at little soap bars of words that all seem inadequate. 

“Take a guess.” 

“Sorry, sir?” 

He gestures to the containers to your left, “Take a guess, Agent.” 

You want to rebuttal, apologize profusely maybe, and go back home and pretend none of this had ever happened. Instead, you look over to the freezer, raking your eyes over each label, hoping you can gather your thoughts in a somewhat coherent manner, to come out of this nightmare of a place relatively unscathed. You gaze back over to him and see him watching you intently. There’s a small pint to your right and you make a snap decision before you think too much of it and risk looking daft, “An Éclair Affair.” 

“Really?” His face is still unreadable. Nodding, you fight the urge to stutter and change your answer, this dreadful conversation already taking a turn towards treacherous waters. “Hm.” 

The fridges beside you switch on with a soft hum, their frequency slightly higher than that of the buzzing fluorescents. Your mouth fills with blood, the inside of your cheek chewed raw by the time he speaks up again, “Good.” 

“Good?” you can’t help but repeat, wincing at how dull and parrot-like it makes you look. 

He nods, the edges of his mouth curling up and his eyes twinkling in the harsh light. He looks down at the two pints he’s holding stacked on top of each other in one hand, “They’re for Haley. She’s been having cravings recently and…” he gestures vaguely with the hand holding the containers. “She’s very specific.” 

You wonder if he knows that his shoulders curl just slightly when he talks about her, that the hard flint of his face smooths over, bricks falling away. You wonder if they’re things he’s schooled himself out of doing and is just letting slip here, or if they’re truly forces of habit. 

“She’s got good taste, sir.” 

The rush of your victory is still coursing through you, a flicker of hope at the end of the tunnel, a promise that it can and will get better. 

You see Aaron struggle for a moment, opening his mouth once, twice, before saying, rather bluntly, “You should get what you want.” 

“I-what?” 

With his chin, he gestures to the container in your arm, “Indulge. Properly, I mean.” 

You fumble for an answer, something right. So much of your new life, your new job, has made you feel you’d never do anything properly ever again. “Is that an order, sir?” 

He lets out a soft exhale through his nose, shaking his head as he looks down. To your delight, the corners of his mouth twitch up. Looking up again, he says in a serious tone, “Get the full fat stuff, Agent.” 

When you laugh this time, it isn’t followed by twinges of guilt, of fear. It bursts out easily from your throat, and the sheer nothingness that you feel is heady. You see yourself mirrored in Aaron, in the slow, rumbling chuckle he lets out. Despite his composure, you see the tips of his ears turn red, your feelings about this whole thing this evening mirrored in him. 

It was strange to see him up close like this, with the weight of his authority lifted off his shoulders. It’s like watching a marble statue spring to life in front of you, pockmarks rippling up on top of previously smooth surfaces. 

Aaron keeps looking at you, expectant. The tub grows heavier in your arms, and you shift it higher up. You wonder if you’re just imagining the weight of the decision laying in front of you, the push and pull between should and could. 

It has been a long time since your teenage years, since fainting in the shower and brushing out clumps of your hair, but you think that that girl will always be with you, for better and worse. It’s a wonder to you that nobody saw it coming, your insatiable thirst for control spiraling greater and greater until college where it followed your every thought, manipulated your every move. 

“Agent?” 

You know Aaron well enough at least, to know that he wouldn’t be offended if you didn’t change your choice. He was private, not cruel. 

Your eye catches another flavour, and before you let yourself think too much of it, to think yourself out of it, you open the fridge door and switch. The rush of cool air is gratifying, the wash of a good night’s sleep after a long day. 

Breathing out softly, you look back to see him shift the containers in his grip, “I’ll see you Monday, Agent.” He nods at you, polite and professional as always. 

When he rounds the corner at the end of the aisle, the ice cream catches your eye, a stark contrast to the other things in your basket. The low timbre of Aaron’s laugh rings out in your ears again, the anvil crushing your chest lifted. 

Thanks for reading, if you liked it, please consider leaving some feedback! I obsess and re-read reblogs and comments constantly.

Masterlist here.

[arthelia]

🎯Benjamin Poindexter Rarepair Rec List🎯

The upside of being obsessed with a ship (in this case MattDex) that has only a relatively small amount of fanfiction is discovering & reading stories with even rarer pairings you may never have given a shot otherwise... and discovering some absolute gems along the way. Here are some of my favorites (please mind the tags/warnings/ratings!):

Dex/Buck Cashman: the bird and the hunter by mikaminato @kanashikute

"A pretty face is a useful face, Poindexter," he answers, smiling again. "Like yours? Like yours is useful, Cashman?" The rifle shifts and the barrel settles against his cheek, almost like a caress, cool metal on warm flesh. "You said it. Not me." He laughs softly at that, breath ghosting against the rifle as he leans just a fraction into the contact. It's a dangerous play, and one that pays off as Dex's hold eases up by a hair. "And there are a lot of other pretty things I can do with my face." (Or, Poindexter and Buck Cashman making out. And some mind games. That's it.)

(This one is so, so good, I've read it like 5 times so far!) 

Billy Russo/Dex: the nickname thing. by @monicfever

Billy starts calling Dex pet names — completely unserious ones. “sweetheart,” “soldier boy,” “Sniperella.” Dex HATES it. Doesn’t show it, but his eye twitches every time. Until one day Billy doesn’t say it, and Dex starts to spiral.

(Extra kudos for the (from my personal experience) very accurate portrayal of someone (especially with BPD) spiraling about the behavior of another person.)

James Wesley/Dex (all three are set in the same universe, I think):  guy.exe by symbidex @comedyaoi

Dex felt himself lose focus as he watched Wesley work the knife, his sleeves pushed up to his forearm. He never realized how strong Wesley was, how formidable he was. He knew he was big, taller than Dex, but he was so used to Wesley fading into the background for Fisk. He was probably often underestimated, his true power not yet realized until it was too late. Dex wondered how many times Wesley had been pushed to the side, ignored, until it was too late. “Have you ever killed before?” Dex asked, looking at Wesley’s hands gripping the knife. Dex finds a new North star.

The author has written more stories with the same pairing, so if you like this one, be sure to check out the others as well!

Frank Castle/Dex: Killshot (something like a death wish) by CuthalionB (multi-chapter) 

In the middle of a mission, an agent catches Frank's eye. Unusually skilled and unnecessarily lethal.

Foggy/Dex:  Band-aids Don’t Fix Bullet Holes by rawrasaurus @millennialtrashjigglypuff (WIP, multi-chapter) 

Foggy Nelson has had a Pretty Crap year—getting shot, getting kidnapped, getting imprisoned by a vindictive art dealer turned crime lord with great taste in clothing. But if there’s one thing Foggy has always been good at, it’s getting out of tight spots. The dirty blonde sharpshooter he acquires along the way is just an added perk. AKA: How Foggy Nelson saves himself, saves Matt Murdock, and manages to get a disturbingly attractive murder-boyfriend in the process.

(I’d also like to use this opportunity to draw attention to a MattDex fic (also WIP) by the same author, because I absolutely adore this story. It’s a little bit more light-hearted than a lot of the other fics and I love the Daredevil/Bullseye vs. Matt/Dex dynamic so much here! If you haven’t read it already, definitely check it out: I'll be your number one (with a bullet) )

Not really a ship but a well-written and dark story about Dex's time in gen pop during DDBA featuring Dex and a male OC (not a reader-insert). Heads up: this is non-con! Matt makes an appearance at the end (separate scene, he isn’t involved in the non-con):  How to Hang a Witch by Anonymous

Dex is taken to the general population section of the prison per Fisk's orders. Things go as badly as they can. He receives a lifeline in the form of one Matt Murdock.

This story has MattDex but also features Frank/Dex and Matt/Dex/Frank. Dark & also features some non-con elements: Deep, dark waters by LillilX (WIP, multi-chapter)

There he lies, Bullseye, at the Devil’s mercy. He took Foggy from them, from a world that needed him, from him. He took several other lives in his deranged outbursts, he’s a psycho, he’s a wild animal. He’s broken beyond repair and Matt knows, that under God’s ever-watching eyes, he deserves to die… but even though it’s God’s will he intends to heed, it’s the devil’s appetites to which he complies. Or, the one where Matt decides to get retribution for Foggy's death, in the most twisted way.

Another Matt/Dex/Frank: Matthew 18:21-22 by Sam_Haine @hainethehero (I am not quite sure if it’s a oneshot or a WIP)

Matt forgives Dex as both him and Frank realize they've all been played by the Fisks.

Special mention:

This is technically MattDex and also not set in the MCU, but it also features Elektra Natchios/Matt Murdock/Dex, and it is so well-written I had to include it!: Devil In The Details-Verse by @carrion (completed Series) 

The year is 1982 and Elektra is not dead. Instead, she's working for Fisk alongside bullseye. Almost everyone's hunting for daredevil but only a handful of people are hunting for Matt Murdock and sometimes it just so happens that people's motivations intersect. They've both got their sights set on Murdock, but Elektra's the only one who can get through to him, even if that means dragging him down with her.

---

Happy reading!

I tried to tag everyone, sorry if I missed someone!

[hey-august]

August, if you ever wonder if some of your readership would like to hear your thoughts about Buggy and Reader in a poly relationship with either crossguild or Shuggy… WELP. There’s at least one.

I just want that clown to smooch me and also several other men who may or may not scare the shit out of him or incite deep feelings of rage in him. He’s very smoochable and I’m willing to share (and I just like to think about the added hilarity with any of these characters still in the picture)

omgggg yes!! I deeply adore the dynamics of all those relationships. The clown is just so...adaptable? Blendable? Sharable? Adorable.

I do have some Shanks x Buggy x Reader headcanons to share!

But first, for Cross Guild x Reader needs, I so strongly recommend @discordantwritings stories here (I'm pretty sure Our Precious Assistant Pt 2 changed my brain chemistry) and @turtletaubwrites' Numbers Game, which just started and is so good already. ❤️❤️❤️

Nowwww, let's talk Shuggy x Reader.

Word count: ~1.2k Warnings: NSFW, MDNI, shanks x buggy x GN!reader, mix of fluffy and smutty thoughts, teasing, oral reader + m receiving, insertion sex, threesome, some praise, sorry for anything that's extremely ooc

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Date Nights

The first time you had a planned date with Shanks, Buggy sailed away so “date night” became “date week.” Buggy was jealous and embarrassed, which you both expected. You were annoyed at first, because this had been planned and discussed, but talking with Shanks calmed you down. This was new territory for all of you and it would take time to navigate. So when Buggy came back, no one made a fuss about it. If anything, you and Shanks were a little softer and a little kinder with the clown. Buggy picked up on the acceptance in your actions and it made him feel better. This also kicked off weekend-long dates, which you all look forward to.

One of your favorite dates with Shanks was when he took you to a town he frequented. The afternoon was spent strolling Main Street and shopping, although that was more of an excuse for Shanks to show you off. The evening ended at a cozy pub where he regaled you with alluring tales. Even though you heard some of them before, listening to him talk puts stars in your eyes. An expression that simply melts him.

Your favorite Buggy date was actually a party on his ship. You two were inseparable the entire night and the highlight was singing along to music at the end of the night. “Singing.” You were both bottles deep and could hardly get full words out, but the (hazy) memory of laughing and giggling your ways through the inebriated performance while holding on to each other always makes you smile. Buggy often catches that particular goofy grin on your face and he just adores it.

Buggy and Shanks also spend time together, which is surprising-not surprising. Buggy might claim that he’s upset with Shanks and needs to go yell at him, or wants to gloat about something. Shanks tries to entice Buggy with the promise of shiny goodies and treasure. Everyone knows it’s a farce, but it’s how they show they care for each other. There’s no denying the sparks in their eyes afterwards.

Petty Arguments

When these two get together, their inner children teens come out in full swing. And so do the jokes and petty arguments.

Shanks messes with Buggy any chance he gets. Teasing comments, swapping his nearly empty drink with Buggy’s fuller glass, dumb jokes.

He’ll also tease you, but in the form of cheesy pick-up lines. “If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together.” “I was feeling a little off today, but you've turned me on again.” “Did you do something to my eyes? I can't seem to take them off you.”

Buggy can’t stand when your attention is on Shanks for too long, so he’ll try and out-do the other pirate. He has a repertoire of card drinks and sleight of hands, which often do the trick.

Shanks knows what Buggy is doing and teases him. “I know you’re a performer, but there’s no need to make a scene.” Buggy didn’t like that one.

There was the one time Buggy challenged Shanks to a juggling challenge. When Shanks declined, Buggy was ready with his own comeback. “It’s not because of the arm, it’s because he doesn’t have the balls.” Surprisingly, that spurred Shanks into joining the 2-man competition.

Speaking of being competitive…

Sex with them individually is nothing like having sex all together.

At first, you were often at the mercy of the two men who were intent on proving how well they could pleasure you. Once, they wanted to see who was better at oral and could make you cum the most times. The more orgasms you had, the less lucid you became and the competition turned into finding out who would you beg to fuck you. Even though the countless orgasms emptied your head, you remembered that this all started with oral and you didn’t want to mess with the rules of their contest. When they realized you were trying so hard not to whine and ask for their dicks, they started asking you. - “Baby, want me to fuck you? C’mon, don’t you want to feel this inside you?” - “You look so good on my tongue, but you’d look better on my cock. Tell me you want it.”

Unfortunately (fortunately?) there was no clear winner. Buggy was between your legs yet again, with your fingers entwined in his hair and your head was flopped to the side. You said “please, want you inside,” but they couldn’t agree on who you were talking to. Shanks is adamant that you were looking at him, but Buggy calls bullshit and claims you were talking to him because he was the one making you feel good.

There are sessions where you and Shanks focus more on Buggy. It took a lot of time for Buggy to feel relaxed enough to accept the attention, but you two wore him down and won him over. He’ll rarely admit it, but Buggy loves being sandwiched between you and Shanks. The feeling of sinking his cock into you while he’s stretched around Shanks is so overwhelmingly delicious that Buggy gets greedy. He can’t get enough of moving his hips so he can fuck you and fuck himself on Shanks’ cock. The sweet moans and whimpers he releases are intoxicating. Buggy’s often the first to cum in this position, but Shanks will continue to fuck you through Buggy, knowing how to maneuver Buggy’s hips and thrust until you climax.

In turn, there are the moments where you and Buggy cater to Shanks. He never gets tired of watching you and Buggy fight to suck his leaking cock. The way you struggle to throat his member while Buggy focuses on smearing his face paint on Shanks’ thighs and balls through sloppy kisses is a vision that gets Shanks hard at a moment’s notice. Buggy’s attention is fierce and demanding - he’s trying to unravel Shanks entirely. It's a power trip thing. Whereas you balance that heat with restrained touches. When Shanks cums in your mouth, you always share with Buggy and make sure to show Shanks that you both swallowed his entire load. Seeing you hold Buggy by his hair and squeezing the clown's cheeks to present his empty mouth is a sinfully beautiful encore.

Your favorite times are the ones where you get to spoil Shanks and Buggy. You tend and care to their needs. Your gentleness wipes away their fierce competitive streaks. You make sure that you give them both a surplus of attention and shower them with desire. If you’re riding or under one, your hands and eyes are on the other. You pour praise and compliments until they’re overflowing. And the way it overflows is music to your ears. They turn the praise to you and to each other. - “You look amazing on Buggy’s cock.” - “Get on Shanks and make him feel good, I wanna see that sweet face you make.” - “Pretty thing, you’re taking him so well.” - “Good job, you know how to make him moan so loud.” - “You’re going to make him cum, keep going.”

The cuddles after these sessions? Heavenly. Amazing. Buggy, who normally takes up the entire bed, sleeps so peacefully when you and Shanks are on either side of him. Sometimes, when Buggy passes out first, you’ll claim the middle spot and wake up to the two pirates wrapped around you. It’s a little sweaty and a lot comforting.

[lemotmo]

Hi!! This took me way too long to write (Accidental deletes, frustrations and general busyness) but here's my ask on Bobby and his death and the good it'll do for the show.

[Disclaimer: I do not think Bobby is dead, I think he's alive in a government lab or something. They were way too vague about his death for me to be 100% certain of his death. But the show will be treating him as dead and for the sake of my analysis and speculation of the show, Bobby is dead. He's dead in the show and my essays, but he's alive in my heart.]

Bobby being dead is going to insert new life into the show, which is great for the longevity of the show. No show succeeds by being static and 911, being a primarily firefighter show struggles with this. There's no immediate promotions within the station - it's firefighter and then captain. For example - medical shows, over a timeline of 8 years. a doctor character would be an intern, a resident and then either a fellow or an attending by the end of that time period. That's a lot of change. The structure of the LAFD in the show doesn't allow for that much change. Even the nonfirefighting aspects of the show, dispatch and police, both Maddie and Athena, have maintained the same positions in their careers for years. Nothing has changed much and as much as I hate Bobby's death, if there's one thing it does, it's forcing change in the show.

I'll cover the captaincy and dynamics part in another ask, but in this ask, I'm going to focus on time. 911 has been an ensemble show technically, but there is an undeniable focus on Bobby and Athena, which is especially apparent in seasons 7 and 8 - at least 55% of season 7 and 50% of season 8 is focused on either Bobby and Athena.* And even prior to that, excluding the pilot season, a large chunk of the season premieres and finales were focused on Bobby and Athena.** Now with Bobby dead - Athena's main scene partner - the show now has to showcase other characters in the hole that the time created. Even if Athena keeps 25% of that show time, there's still an extra 25% for the other characters that they just weren't getting before. Which is good especially for Hen, Chimney and Eddie who just didn't get many storylines during seasons 7 or 8, and in the case of Eddie where in season 8 where he got the time, his storylines were sloppily done and underwhelming. Bobby being dead means that more time can be dedicated to these characters.

I'd love them to take Bobby's death to start introducing probies to the 118 again. We haven't seen a probie since season 4 and 5 with Ravi and this would be the perfect time to add one to the circle, especially with the new captain. I'd also love for Ravi to become a permanent member of A Shift especially since it's highly likely that Eddie will swap over to being a firefighter paramedic. I will say that I am not a fan of adding another main character to the bunch - the show could barely balance 7 over the past two seasons, so I'm not actually hopeful that they could balance 7 again. We'll see though, they managed it over seasons 2-5, they could do it again.

Anyways, I hope you have a great day!! (I'll probably send in my thoughts on captaincy later today!)

*https://www.tumblr.com/lemotmo/785727308109627392/i-agree-that-abc-clearly-has-a-plan-q-it-feels?source=share (I accidentally deleted my part of the ask detailing the stats, and I didn't feel like doing it again, so anonymous blog's ask was a lifesaver.)

**I cranked the numbers and seasons 4,5,6,7 and 8 all had premieres and finales where the major focus was on either Bobby or Athena. (I count 6x01-6x03 as a complete opener because the episodes lead directly into one another and it follows the structure of other 3 episode premieres. 1st episode tells us what the characters are up to with the introduction to the major emergency at the very end, episode 2 is dealing with that emergency with a twist at the end and then episode 3 is dealing with the twist and wrapping everything up. Season 6 follows this pattern, so it's a complete premiere in my opinion.)

Hi!!! Sorry for responding to this so late, but real life kept me running around in circles. 🙄 I needed a Tumblr break!

Okay, first of all... I kinda do believe that Bobby is dead dead. I hate it 😫, but yeah... I've accepted it at this point. Just wanted to share that as well.

Your theories are very interesting. I have to admit that I've also been thinking beyond the Bobby of it all. With Bobby gone, there is an imbalance in the 118 and the show. I suspect they will play upon that fact and really let us feel this 'imbalance' in the first few episodes.

It'll definitely take some time for the 118 to get their footing back and their new Captain to really become THE Captain, because Bobby's shoes are hard to fill. But I do think that Chimney will step up to the plate and eventually it'll feel like the 118 of old again: different no doubt, but also the same in many other ways.

I'm fascinated in what this all means for the core four. Bobby and Athena had a lot screentime in this show. With half of the couple gone, that focus will have to be divided among the others. I'm hoping for more focus on the core four and their partners: Hen and Karen, Chimney and Maddie, Eddie and Buck.

I really like Ravi, but I don't think they'll make him main just yet. He'll probably stay on as a recurring character for now. 911 already has issues with balancing their main character stories as it is. Adding another main character after such a big character death is simply not a good idea. I'm not ruling out that he'll be main eventually, but I don't think it'll be in season 9.

Again... I'm only speculating here. I could be dead wrong and Anirudh will be pronounced as main tomorrow or something like that. 😆

Thank you for sending me your thoughts and speculations. You know I love reading them. 😁

Have a great day!

[ask-mdxtadc-crossover]

ASKS ARE CLOSED

OVERVIEW

Hello! Welcome to the Murder Drones x The Amazing Digital Circus Crossover! Before proceeding, please read this to understand the basic dynamics so far.

ASKABLE CHARACTERS

Thad N V Lizzy Uzi Caine & Bubble Pomni Jax Ragatha Zooble Gangle Kinger

GUIDELINES & RULES

NO NSFW - I am a MINOR and am very uncomfortable when it comes to NSFW. I'm okay with suggestive jokes, but nothing outright sexual. Violence is ok, this has Murder Drones in it lol.

MY ART - My art is free to use for your icon, edit, or even a repost. My only requirement is that you give credit through tagging me.

SHIP TALK - Only ships I will be leaning for are Jesterdoll (Ragatha x Pomni), Abstragedy (Gangle x Zooble), NUzi (N x Uzi) and Vizzy (V x Lizzy). I will not tolerate ship discourse or being bashed for liking these ships and adding them to the story. They are far from the main focus, but they are there.

BE PATIENT - Not all asks will get answered, some might be similar, and some I won't know how to respond. Also, sometimes I get bouts of lackluster motivation or I might accidentally fixate on something else. Don't yell at me </3

MAGIC ANONS - These are okay, and sometimes encouraged! But I will be picky about how long whatever it is lasts. Also, more than one Magic Anon cannot be active at a time.

You can call me Multi or Rory, and my pronouns are She/Her!

[Rules are subject to change!]

TAGS MASTERLIST

#ask - Self Explanatory #update - Fic Updates #blog update - Anything other updates related to the fic #magic anon! - When a magic anon strikes, and during the duration of the magic anon #[insert number] asks left - Number of asks left on a magic anon #ooc - Misc posts

[More will be put here as they become relevant]

EXTRAS

Murder Drones Character References

This blog is run by @rory-multifandom-mess (Dividers by @sister-lucifer, @bernardsbendystraws, @thecutestgrotto, and @saradika-graphics! Show these amazing designers some love!)

[gardenoflupins]

For the ask game!

I’m really curious about the ones you labeled “the bear“ and “canine”. Adding “The” at the beginning of a name always makes things sound so much more ominous to me 😅

Of course, I love all your stories, so if you have one that you’re particularly excited to talk about, I’m all ears!

Hello, thank you for asking ❤️

Firstly, I feel the same about the word “the”

I know I was only supposed to share a small section but I went a little overboard. Also the snippets aren’t edited and are subject to change!

The Bear is an apocalypse au where the zombies are referred to as the infected and act a little differently. Remus and Sirius enter a sort of chaotic war zone so they lose each other. While running for his life, R finds a little creature on its own

When he finds S again, S is against taking the bear kid with them because they’re already struggling and thinks the kid will just die in their care.

Because of the trauma of surviving the last few years, their personalities and relationship dynamic have changed as they both become morally grey and border on the line of hating and loving each other. Remus thinks this is his chance to start new with Sirius (insert marriage bandage) but they don’t know anything about kids and many issues occur.

The child is a little on the mute side and R doesn’t know his name so he just calls him Bear in the meantime (much to Sirius’s displeasure)

🦋 But these actions will have consequences 🦋

I’m going to show small snippets that describe their energy:

Now, moving onto the Canine WIP

Honestly, I’m really into the concept of this fic right now. It’s a non-magical world, except a very small number of animagi families still exist in secret. Sirius is an animagus who stays hidden in his dog form because of ✨reasons✨. He wounds up in the shelter but he’s too vicious so they want to put him down. Knowing this, Sirius needs to think fast and manipulates the very next visitor into adopting him, which happens to be Remus (who was originally there to adopt a cat). In this fic, Remus has no idea that Sirius is actually a man but they develop a close bond with each other regardless.

Sirius serves as his protector, especially against certain people greyback

And also, my favourite section:

This fic is still wolfstar! Just later *ominous vibes*

[aprilblossomgirl]

We Are - a mid-term break.

(written just right before episode 9)

We Are, to me, is such a nice depiction of a university slice-of-life romcoms that actually live up to the very core of university life, a quite fluffy one, but still. Sixteen episodes? That's a sixteen-week semester for you. Well, to be precise, fourteen weeks courses, one week of midterm, and one week of finals. I'm sure the actual episodes didn't really go by the actual semester weeks (episode 7 shown that they were just transitioned into a new semester, but still on the same academic year). Anyway. You get the concept.

Note: If this show is not up to your alley, please just scroll through, I'm not putting this under a 'read more' :)

The first thing that I love is that the show took its portrayal of university life pretty seriously. Note that, I mean seriously by heart. You may want to question the accuracy of some elements and that's fair enough, but may I say they didn't deter my enjoyment of the show. Any elements they thought of adding, they did it right, so far at least.

Like, I know it's the right slice-of-life drama with university setting with all those assignments, deadlines (with actual deadline talks and stress), pin-up sessions (if you went to art/architecture school, you'll get it), grading, consulting with the professors, painting studio, clay workshop, architecture model making, art exhibition setup, group works, volunteer camp, cross-faculty activity, football, drinking nights, group lunch or lunch date at faculty's canteen, 'hanging out' on campus or nearby cafe or bar, and some more other things that I might miss.

Second: I really ADORE the friend groups and their friendship dynamics!!! I feel like this is the actual heart and soul of the show. Sure, honestly, I might have decided to start this show mostly because of Winny Satang (well, you know me), yet here I am, falling in love with the whole gang and by extension, the whole cast. It really surprised me how well they worked with the friendship side of this show. Everything just falls and blends naturally with the story. Understandably, with such big cast with numbers of main, side and supporting characters, I should expect there would be some proportion on their highlight. But (and I hope I am not too biased here) so far, I can say that the highlights are still within the range of proportional to the story.

And... I guess this is attributed to the line of actors, which you cannot say they're new to the field, that the chemistry among the characters just happened so organically, which is such a pleasant to see. I'm still amazed that I could see the Peem-Q-Tan-Chain-Pun's group (with special bond between Q-Peem) happens alongside Phum-Beer-Mick-Tan's group. (Bless you Tan for bridging the two. And later, Pun-Mick instant bonding.) And then insert Toey-Matt duo, and now we have a complete chaotic mix. Oh, but also remember we have Tan-Fang-Phum, Phum-Peem-Toey, and Q-Peem-Fai among them. Well, not all are exactly friendship links, but, talking about groups dynamics, we just cannot ignore the trios. Okay now, don't make me write my (love) notes for each individual character.

And finally: the love lines! I cannot and do not plan to write a lengthy description on how I love having all the four (going five?) different pairs. But I will just say I adore how each of their love lines intertwined very well with the friendship dynamics that happened along the way. The story of each pairs doesn't feel forced blending with how each group, to which they are bonded with, creates their stories. The friendship and the romance here are not two sides of the same coin, but rather are two layers of pictures, each with certain opacity that allows them to overlay perfectly creating a whole new complete picture. Not that anything others haven't said but I just need to say it in my own way, nonetheless.

That said, in short: long live slice-of-life romcoms!

We Are, by this mid-term, is truly a work of hearts (I still wanna cry if I think about the refilming part) and I cannot wait for the finals (please don't come too fast, though). As much as I need the show to finish strong, I need it more to finish warmly.

Second half of the show, I am ready! <3 <3 <3

*Note: Taking the academic terms more seriously, I knew by both logic and heart the second half of the 'semester' could either go better or go wrong and in no way I could predict which will happen but I do wish with my whole heart for the first. However, regardless of how it eventually goes, it won't erase the wonderful first half that I've had this far.

[schmedterlingfreud]

I was tagged by @ma-chi1993 thank you so, so much! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) 💚​💚​

Three Ships: - GerIta (Hetalia); they are the simple Perfection. Among my Hetalia ships, GerIta will always be my Number One, the Sacred and Untouchable One. Culturally, historically, and romantically speaking… they are absolutely perfect for each other. I love how different and complementary their two personalities are. I love how a rigid and stoic personality like Germany finds comfort and peace in a more soft and sweet and easy-going personality like Italy's, who helps him to mature, to express himself, emotionally speaking. And I love how a fearful character like Italy finds comfort and courage in Germany's bond, in his strength. A unique love -- and not necessarily romantic -- that will always have a special place in my heart. 🍺​🍝 - UsUk (Hetalia); choosing another of my Hetalia ships -- sorry, guys, my world literally revolves around two fandoms (xD) -- is very difficult. I choose UsUk for everything this ship has given me on an emotional level, and because it has allowed me to express myself a lot on a creative level. I love it because I see and experience these two characters in very different ways, depending on the thousand universes in which we can insert them -- and note well: I ship "Alfred and Arthur", not "America and England"! But, regardless of how you see them, I love their conflictual dynamics, I love their differences, I love everything that distances them and, at the same time, brings them closer. I (sadly) find myself having a personality very similar to England's, so I love the sense of comfort and peace that gives me the thought of having close to me an energetic and positive character like America. Very self-indulgent? Yes. But who the F cares, right? (u.u) I also love the more tragic side of their past bond, their family history, and also the romantic side that you can develop in an AU context in which the two boys/men are almost the same age and without family ties. A very magical ship ❤️​💙​ - Luberto (Luca); another perfect representation of "opposites attract". I really appreciate the "growth factor" of Luberto -- I don't know if it makes sense, saying it in this way (xD). I love the innocence from which it starts, I love the strong and indestructible friendship that they develop. And yes, I also love the fact that, seeing Luca and Alberto as young adults/adults, you can also develop a romantic side to their relationship. Just like it was true for Italy and Germany, Luca and Alberto are among the very few characters that I can see perfectly under the true definition of "soulmates". That feeling that makes you say: "You will always be my only true one, until the end of the universe". I also love the fact that they both help each other grow through their mistakes, their mutual closeness, but also their distance. I love the fact that they don't always understand each other, but at the same time they learn how to love their differences. I love the constancy of that underlying friendship that remains solid and perfect even without adding the romantic side. I love the fact that they both always have something to teach and learn from each other. I love the fact that, despite the possibility of being lovers, they will always remain best friends forever. "Growth" is the key word that made me fall in love with this perfect ship. 🐟​🛵

First Ship: - LawLight (Death Note); what do you want me to say? L and Light were the first characters I read fan fiction about, and they were one of the main reasons I actively became part of the ✨fandom world✨. Looking back at them now, with my adult and mature eyes, I see many more shades in them than when I was young, when for me they were simply the couple of: "Yes, I hunt you, I have to kill you, you're my enemy, but deep down I love you". I still see so much potential in L and Light's relationship -- despite the obvious toxicity (xD) -- and I continue to love them and their interactions, always conflicting, always intricate, always complex. Maybe, that's true, to remain IC there should be very little space for real romance between two cold and mental characters like them. And this is why, among the "Death Note" ships, I prefer the MelloxMatt. But L and Light were my "first ones" so they will always be the most special ones. 🍎​

Last Movie: I don't remember the last "new" movie I saw (maybe it was "Inside Out 2", so last summer!), but last night I re-watched "The Corpse Bride" while I was having dinner, just to keep my company.

Last Song: Nazhmi Na Knopku by Chernikovskaya Hata (... my current obsession)

Currently Reading: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Lyman Frank Baum

Currently Watching: Nothing, but sometimes I re-watch random episodes of "Breaking Bad" and "South Park".

Currently Eating: A mug of my beloved instant coffee

Currently Craving: Nothing in particular... maybe another coffee? ☕

Thank you again for the tag (💚), and I'm tagging:

@sigdom @mari--lace @nordic-italian-german

@faunabel @hondakiku @bachint

[unperceivable-future]

Narcissus [Chapter 1/?]

Hawks/Keigo Takami x Reader

Content warning: My own take on the Hanahaki Disease. English is not my best language. Foul language. Angst. May not feel like a Reader-insert considering that Reader has a given quirk and other parameters (except for appearances) [I'll be updating the list as I go]

Synopsis: In a world where humans have further evolved into having redundant traits, you are simply trying to survive life while assisting the Winged Hero.

Note: I did not expect comments and got a bit jumpscared lmao 💀 I absolutely have no clue how this story pans out. I'm just here to write a bit of angst and geek out. A part of me does feel bad that the MC has a bit of a character and backstory and not a super blank slate but I also enjoy having a certain dynamic between Hawks and MC. There is a bit of a projection here unfortunately.

0 1...

===============

You bite back a snort when Hawks' eyes widen at the statistics in front of him.

"Oh shit, that's actually quite a lot." He mumbles under his breath as he reads through the financial report.

"Are you...are you sure these are all for me?" He turns to you, baffled at the numbers. 

"Seems like it, they're all your fans." You shrug in amusement.

"Sucks to be popular huh." One of Hawks' veteran sidekicks chimes in.

The last Thursday of the month is often when the revenue comes in. When Hawks' agency is paid for all the hero work Hawks and his sidekicks have pulled through. Next day is when salary is distributed amongst the staff and...

Monday, first Monday of the new month is when a portion of the revenue is put through a charity system that helps people get their surgery to remove any traces of Hanahaki illness that's caused by Hawks' pretty existence.

The system is rather intricate, involving psych doctors that quite literally use their quirks in determining who is the cause of such a flowery mess of a disease to approve such financial aid.

"I told you to not drink your ass off this weekend." You taunt your boss who cradles his head in his palms.

This always happens. Hawks does something big, makes a grand appearance in the public doing cool heroic villain take downs then do a bit of fan service and celebrate the big victory with his office staff and sidekicks on the weekend then get a bit wasted and regret it by Monday morning as his popularity comes biting him back on his ass.

Normally he gets away from financial punches such as these by rapidly taking down villains without a lot of the public spectating him, his sidekicks barraging in the scene for clean up as he moves to the next villain. That also means less people seeing him and getting the idea that wow, this man is GREAT! Let me just fall in love with him real quick!

But as of late, he has been making a lot of appearances as more daring villains show up and take up his time, attracting viewers and all the shebang. Then added by a little bit of misfortune where he gets invited into interviews he could not turn down since...well, they produce revenues and good public image and that money goes to bettering the agency and of course, goes to helping his unfortunate fans that catch feelings like it's the flu in winter seasons.

It is a balance, really, Hawks is a big believer that a hero's presence itself should be able to put citizens at ease but it does come with a price and in this case, a fairly hefty one.

"Pidge?" Hawks calls you out and you can already guess what he's about to ask of you.

"Yes?"

"Two shots of espresso, please."

"Right on it." You turn to his sidekicks who are fighting back their snickers as they look at the PowerPoint presentation of last month's damages caused by your boss' presence.

"You guys want anything while I'm at it?" You ask them, knowing damn well that they are also fighting a hangover from the weekend's shenanigans.

"Water."

"Coffee."

"More alcohol?" Everybody turns their heads to the youngest and newest sidekick.

"Take it from us, kid, more alcohol doesn't actually get rid of hangovers. It just delays the inevitable." Hawks advises, finally lifting his face from his hands.

"I think it's also worth pointing out that you're on the clock...?" You point flabbergasted at the rather ballsy request.

"Okay, wow, geez I guess I'll just have orange juice then. Damn." The newest recruit mumbles sarcastically, his youthful humour finally coming out of his shy shell.

"Good. Now let's discuss about this month's patrol route." Hawks sighs and clicks for the next slide to continue the monthly briefing and you make your way to the cafeteria to grab the heroes' beverages.

Working with Hawks, after proving yourself by sorting out the administrative side of his business and in turn saving his then crumbling sanity, is not actually that bad. He is chill when the day is chill, he keeps his cool even when the day goes wrong and he learned to stop micromanaging everything and learned to trust that his employees will be able to keep up and keep the system up and running. Over the years, he found the perfect momentum along with his team and knows when a mishap is a mishap and when to actually let go of someone because they are ruining the equilibrium.

He always claims that it was all you, that how you helped set up his office and all the admin side of things is what eased his mind. You personally think that he simply matured and let go of his overly-independent personality.

It made an unlikely partnership between the two of you where there is mutual respect but not in a way that you respect Hawks because he is your boss then he treats you with bare minimum kind of respect because you did things for him through beck and call. It was mutual respect where you both actually work in tandem and you get the perks of calling him out when needed and him being able to actually have someone who does not put him up a pedestal and inflate his head, something like a friend even.

"How was patrol?" You ask, munching on your lunch. Hawks and his sidekicks have just come back from their afternoon patrol just in time while you're on your lunch break, his sidekicks heading to the cafeteria to get something to eat.

"It was hot outside." Hawks yawns and stretches his wings. You hum in response when your phone vibrates.

"Who?" He leans curiously when he notices you tapping on your device singlehandedly.

"Some dude I matched with." You respond nonchalantly, typing up a response as to why you were not in a rush in meeting this man you have been chatting with for the past three days.

"Don't you think you're rebounding too quickly?" Hawks asks.

It was an embarrassing ordeal, having gone through a cordial break up with your partner of one year only to call in sick as you sneeze and cough up petals of lilies. The painful realisation that your ex-partner has moved on quicker than you could when they started to discuss about healthily distancing and setting up boundaries in order to salvage some semblance of friendship. Embarrassing and a punch to the ego, you suppose even when they claimed that they occasionally cough up petals that look eerily similar to the first ever flower they have given to you.

"If I drown myself with men, there's nothing deep to feel." You try to make yourself sound poetic which earns you a snort from the winged hero.

"Yeah and you're probably causing these men to throw up flowers because you've been turning down the second dates." He points out.

"They don't know me well enough to cough up anything." You retort, setting your phone down.

Despite the gruesome and useless trait of coughing up flowers whenever you feel some semblance of unrequited love or care (or when the parameters dwindle and become unresolved), it is quite merciful that such illness only manifests when you feel strongly about it. Maybe it is the self-limiting nature of evolution, that no matter how crazy the body can behave it will always loop back to the baseline so that a petty crush does not decimate your lungs. Biology sure does work in mysterious ways but you would like to thank whoever is out there for making the Hanahaki Disease to follow a negative feedback loop rather than a positive one.

You let out a sneeze, covering your nose and mouth when you feel something lodged in your throat. You get up and leave the lounging area in a hurry, Hawks shooting you a concerned look knowing for a fact that you have not yet gotten over your ex.

It happens, people fall in love and when it goes both ways they do not fall sick. Sometimes people start getting sick even when they are in a relationship, a symptom that their union is tilting to its end. Other times when people feel so unhappy about the circumstances of their dynamic with their partner, they cough up petals as if a warning sign that the couple better start sorting themselves out.

Scientists believe that the social nature of humans is what caused such an evolutionary trait, that with a good and stable union leads to good offsprings eventually. This makes sense, really, because better offsprings are produced from compatible parents. You could imagine how much less generational trauma there should be if your parents got along well.

Others believe that someone or something out there is playing matchmaker, theists and those who believe in fate and destiny. But regardless, the truth remains that the illness seems to exist to supposedly benefit the social personality of Homo sapiens. The tribe is stronger in numbers and when there is less conflict, after all.

Though the whole ordeal is a little bit dramatic, you won't lie. It's not like people are stupid enough with their emotions that they need to cough up a whole ass lily just to remind them hey! You got an unsorted out feelings for this person! Get your shit together, dude! But you digress, sighing as you hack out yet another petal of lily---a sore reminder that a cordial break up will always leave lingering and unresolved feelings at first.

[littleshysheep-at-da]

All my Persona Series Ships!

(Felt like Posting this here, keep y’all Updated. I made this as Google Doc to send to people when I know they also like Persona so I don’t have to say it everytime)

I actually am a crazy Shipper, strongly dislike when people don’t Ship or break my Pairings, and am OTP/OT3 for life. I just also have Self Restraint and Common Sense, so I understand Shipping's all about fun (and doesn't have to be Canon Compliant or make sense) and to not be an asshole to other people having their own fun.

Also adding Sexuality/LGBTA+ Headcanons for ones I have them for (but I don't have them for every Ship or Specific Character). Also yes I am caring about Name Order here.

-Persona 5 (and it’s many Spin-Offs):

Akira (Gay) x Goro (Demi)

Ann (Lesbain) x Shiho

Haru (Bi) x Ryuji (Bi)

Futaba (Ace) x Yusuke (Ace Pan)

Makoto (Lesbain) x Kasumi (Bi)

Toshiro x Eri

Sojiro x Wakaba

Sae x Kawakami

Tae x Chihaya

-Persona 3:

Hamuko (Bi) x Minato (Bi)

Aigis x Hamuko or Minato

Ryoji x Hamuko or Minato

Fuuka x Natsuki

Mitsuru (Lesbain) x Yukari (Bi)

Junpei (Straight) x Chidori

Shinjiro (Bi) x Akihiko (Bi)

-Persona 4:

Yosuke (Bi) x Souji (Pan)

Yukiko (Bi) x Chie (Lesbain)

Naoto (Nonbinary) x Kanji (Pan)

-Persona 2:

Tatsuya (Bi) x Jun (Gay)

Eikichi x Miyabi

Ship Numbers (because Autism)

P5 = 9 | P3 = 7 | P4 = 3 | P2 = 2 | Total 21

Gender Breakdown 18/21 Ships

(not counting Kannao or Aigis and Ryoji)

M/F = 7| M/M = 4 | F/F = 7

Other Ship Notes:

I personally DO NOT see the Protags as self inserts. I think they all have their own personalities. So I don’t really have any self insert ships were I ship them just because I want to date a character, but I do understand some people have those.

Akira and Goro are a massive call back to Tatsuya and Jun from Persona 2, and Tatsuya and Jun are written with the intent to be romantic. Though I think after the third semester I usually don’t have to explain why I feel like Akira and Goro is an obvious Ship, it’s one of those you can totally have a different preference but you understand what I'm getting at right?

I reeeally hope I don’t have to explain that Futaba and Akira are in sibling dynamic so Shipping them would be gross.

Kasumi’s infatuation with Akira makes ZERO SENSE. The only people who see through your delinquent deguise is Goro (because soulmates narrative foil) and Ryuji (who doesn’t see through he’s just a good boy who trusts everyone), so Kasumi seeing through it makes NO SENSE. If she were to follow anyone around saying “Senpei” I think it would be Makoto.

Rise’s feral one sided thirsty crush on Souji is very funny to me (and I love playing it for comedy) but I don’t think he would ever reciprocate it. Her love just feels a bit too superficial, and Souji has too many issues of not being seen for himself for me to like it as a Ship.

I do think Yukari had a crush on Minato and I think Minato would be willing to try dating her, but I feel their love languages would be too different and it would end in disaster. Minato seems like the little actions and subtle comfort where Yukari seems like she would want big romantic gestures (something Mitsuru would do for her).

I will say with all Persona Romance Routes I am very much not a Fan of the Pandering that is “Girl likes you for no real reason” (it’s honestly just a boring Romance to me) and would’ve liked if more of the Girls just weren’t Romanceable so we could just have more Male/Female Friendships. I feel (aside from the stand out VERY BAD ones) a lot of the Romance Routes aren’t that bad, just don’t mesh well with the Tone and Tension of the rest of the Game (they’re kind Mundane and Boring in comparison to the Relationships I ACTUALLY Ship). But my Opinion on Persona Romance Routes as a whole would be a completely different discussion than Ships.

Update cause I forgot:

It’s necessary to say this so I don’t get Canceled; Hamuko and Minato are Canonically Two Halves of the Same Soul, some people choose to see that as Siblings and some people choose to see that as Soulmates. I used to prefer Siblings but now I prefer Soulmates. Either is fine but don’t mix em is all.

When I say Kasumi I usually actually mean Sumire. Sorry it’s partly cause it’s a Spoiler and partly cause I never got in the Habit of calling her by her Real Name. So unless Specific Context assume when I say Kasumi I mean Sumire. I just don’t feel like going back and changing it everywhere I’ve said it.

[uncannytimecandy]

heres the garfield essay. im really only posting it because its been haunting my drafts since May 2024. fair warning: this is obnoxiously long

----

I have NOT seen enough hate on this movie.

Like I've heard OF the critiques but I haven't heard any of them first hand. Which is great cause that means I just get to make them myself.

Fair warning!!! This is stupidly long

If I really wanted to I could make hours of content ripping this movie to shreds and leaving nothing left but it's pitiful malformed bones.

To fully preface, I heard it was bad before I went to go see it. Maybe going in blind would have changed how I felt, but I promise really did want to enjoy it. I love Garfield, I wasn't super into the comic strip but I grew up watching Garfield shows, movies, specials, basically there is a Garfield-shaped place in my heart.

Ideally, this would be an internet friendly numbered list but since all of the problems are deeply interlinked it's hard to divide into different points, but let's try anyways!

i. The IP

The movie is awful at hiding the fact it's using the IP as a cash grab. People like Garfield, if we make a Garfield movie, people will come see it. To be fair, they were right. I wouldn't have seen this movie otherwise but it sheds light on a bigger problem we've been seeing for a long time. We have so many remakes and sequels because they can guarantee a fanbase. New, original ideas are a risk and not worth investing in. This is why all movies these days feel so lifeless. This is no longer someone's passion project, this is a product to sell.

Honestly, it's a well known thing at this point. Going into depth here would just be a disservice to all the people who could say it better than me. No need to dwell.

But why is THIS movie worth mentioning? The new money-focused way of film making is no secret, they don't HAVE to hide it, but the movie seems INSISTENT on making you acutely aware of its brand (and deals) every single frame.

The opening scene having a close up on Jon's Sony headphones, the Fed Ex Truck at the end, the Walmart app, the Netflix Spoof (spoofing would be excusable if the rest of it wasn't so blatant), the OLIVE GARDEN*, etc, etc. It just kept going.

I've heard the same critique of the Sonic Movie, but personally I didn't mind it then. The Olive Garden not-ad was at least wrapped into a joke I found decently funny. It's annoying in concept but didn't ruin my experience.

Now Garfield is no stranger to merch, you can buy a Garfield branded (insert anything you care enough to find). There is an OBSCENE amount of Garfield merch. The movie having a couple brand deals isn't totally left field, however, that's usually merchandise you buy AFTER you've seen, an hopefully enjoyed, the movie. (I have a lot of feelings about companies releasing merch for a piece of media pre-debut)

It's one thing when it's in a live-action show or movie. Those products exist in real life, this is a realistic setting, my immersion isn't broken. (Don't worry it can still be blatant and annoying)

Knowing a team of animators had to model, render, and animate every single brand deal is ABSOLUTELY immersion breaking.

Quite Frankly. This is an old and retired point and a better reflection of modern society than the ways this movie personally wronged me.

ii. It's a bad Garfield Movie

The main thing I've heard mentioned is that if it was a regular animated cat movie, it would be fine**, but it's a bad Garfield Movie.

This is hard to break down cause most of it I plan on going over later. The first two points were the most obvious so I wanted to get them out of the way.

To summarize, it butchers every single aspect of Garfield that made it so beloved in the first place. The characters, the dynamics, the themes, all of it. It just isn't Garfield.

This is where things get messy.

iii. Garfield (The Characters)

One really big issue I had with this movie, as a movie and not as a Garfield entry, is that it doesn't know how to have flawed characters. As I break down this movie that will be a reoccurring theme.

Garfield is a HORRIBLY flawed character. He is selfish, lazy, unsympathetic and borderline cruel. These traits are shown in strip after strip, there's really no point in debating it.

The thing is, THE POINT if you will, is that we love him anyways. He is the part of us we all relate to without actually being able to express. He is as honest as we wish we could get away with and as lazy as we all wish we were allowed.

Taking a step back, I get it. It's a kids movie and it's iffy to have the titular character be such an awful role model. Once again, Garfield is continuously awful and abusive to the people around him (I am not hating, but you can't deny it). Toning is down for the sake of audience makes sense to a degree, but the thing is no one MADE you make a Garfield movie. You CHOSE to use an IP with an asshole MC. If you didn't want Garfield, then DONT USE GARFIELD.

It makes the MC wishy washy and hard to read. He is mean and "real" but... not too mean, cause that would be bad. He is manipulative, but not too manipulative.... he's still nice to them... actually you only ever see him being nice... he just SAYS he's mean and then never shows it.

Worth noting, if the movie wanted to reinvent Garfield in that direction, I wouldn't mind. The narrative of Garfield being all bark and no bite would be sweet, that he's all "mean and nasty" but can't help himself from being kind to the people he cares about. It would be a fresh take, the problem is the movie can't COMMIT to that narrative and you have to just ASSUME that's what they meant in order to find any satisfaction in it.

iii.i. Odie

He gets a little subsection all to himself.

Odie in the movie also suffers from no longer resembling his original comic self. ESPECIALLY in his relationship with Garfield.

In the source material, Garfield is NASTY to him. He's always kicking him off the table, insulting him, and throwing him under the bus at every possible chance.

Odie is a drooling idiot who falls for it every time cause he's a "stupid dog".

Once again, I get it. Having Garfield beat up his weird kind of brother is a weird message to send out to children. Toning it down isn't really the problem.

Actually, seeing them get along is really sweet and was fun to see.

But he perfectly shows off the main point here, Garfield introduces him by saying something along the lines of Odie being his useless lackey. If this was done right, it would have been fine, great even! This constant contrast between how Garfield SAYS it is and how he ACTUALLY acts. It would be a fun gag.

INSTEAD, it feels like Garfield just... forgot... that he hates Odie. As the movie goes on he isn't mean to him or talks down to him even once. If this had been intentional, like "Oh they didn't used to get along but now they do" or "Garfield is nicer than he seems" ORR "LITERALLY ANY ACTUAL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT" it would have been great! A good spin on a classic character!

This is a problem with other characters I'll discuss, but Odie is special.

In a weird way it feels like the writers are trying to apologize to Odie for his original existence. Odie is not only treated with respect for once, but he's suddenly smart and always coming in clutch, (which would work as a gag if he was a pre-established idiot). Suddenly everyone loves him and he's the favorite and he is a fast thinker with every solution.

In the movie, Odie is pretty removed from the plot in a way. He is always coming in with a solution (like the tree rope or the cheese scene) but his actual character never gets to shine. He's still very clearly a plot device with almost no real personality or motivation.

These factors together make Odie feel like some weird self-insert oc that isn't allowed to do any wrong. The whole team feels very "And Bumblebee!" (in his defense, it's hard to see which one of them is Bumblebee, but we will get to that)

iii.ii. Jon

He also deserves his own subsection.

Full disclosure, a lot of my thoughts and feelings about Jon and his relationship with Garfield are inspired by the 'What The Internet Did to Garfield" video essay that's decently popular and also seeing the Gorefield phenomenon happen in real time online.

As a horror fan, it's endlessly fascinating to me.

However, I was not really expecting the movie to open that can of worms, (it's a lot of worms). It would have been COOL, sure, but I'm not so disillusioned to think themes like eternal punishment, and the artist being overtaken by the creation, to grace my children's movie.

But it still was jarring to see Garfield not be mean to him LIKE EVEN ONCE. He's a little inconsiderate sure, (like 6000 worth of takeout) but overall they get along.

Now, even though I am an AVID fan of Gorefield-esque content, I LOVE seeing them bond.

I just need to bring up this strip. It means so much to me.

So even though I enjoy the torment, I love seeing the other side of the coin where they are family. Even though they never stop pointing out each other's flaws but Garfield never runs away and Jon never throws him out. Every additional year the comic runs, you can be sure that they still live under the same roof and stay together.

It's timeless, really.

And if you think about it, with how present it is in the comics and the origin of it, Jon and Garfields relationship is pretty much the central point of the comic.

I dont hate the way Jon is represented in the movie. He's still a cartoonist (which I thought was really sweet and I appreciated) and he isn't so boyfailure at every single one of his endeavors.

The trailer and the opening scene is really promising. Jon and Garfield origin story, getting to see how they met and why they both needed each other at that time, seeing them play off each other and grow together.

However, after the first 15 minutes or so, Jon is ENTIRELY swept to the side. He's dropped to B plot (at best!!!! more like D Plot) almost INSTANTLY.

It's disappointing.

Not only does the narrative not care about him, but after the opening, GARFIELD doesn't care about him. It seems like Jon no longer holds ANY emotional weight in his life. GARFIELD DOESN'T NEED HIS DAD TO SHOW UP AFTER YEARS!!!! JON IS HIS DAD!!!!!

It's somehow even sadder than the eternal tormenting angle.

IV. VIC.

I hate him so much. He's literally the worst. He's the hardest to rag on because I don't know where to begin. Overall,

He doesn't fit.

But it's so much more than that.

Let's start of the surface.

IV.I. I hate the way he looks

Like, he looks fine, I guess, but GRAHHH

He haunts me.

As an individual character, it's fine. He's big and scraggly and also... Looks like Garfield. It's pretty easy to read WHO he is and WHAT he's like.

But he's a little too ... human... like he doesn't move like a cat. Garfield walks on two feet and is fairly anthro but still has cat anatomy and occasionally sleeps or walks like a cat.

He does share this traits with this other side character dog we get to see, so he's not totally singled out but what REALLY bothers me is that it minimizes the only concrete Garfield character trait that we got to keep. That he's fat.

Vic is NOTICABLY bigger, and by a lot. Which makes sense in a Dad = Bigger visual reading. But it just makes one of Garfields central traits... not mean anything. There's even a gag where Vic can fit through a vent and Garfield can't, which would be funnier if it didn't point out such an obvious flaw in the writing. If Vic also ate a lot and that was like a special traits they shared than MAYBE, but no. Vic has been seen struggling to feed himself and his kid. He Is poor and turned to a life of crime just to eat. AND Vic even makes fun of Garfield for being fat and how food motivated he is.

----

Okay I lost steam and am never going to finish this. I dont remember the other half of my argument and remembering would require me to re-watch the movie (I WILL NOT BE DOING THAT) so wrapping this up a year later.

Only a half-argument because turns out I was totally wrong and a fake Garfield fan but wanted to mention it anyways

I always thought Garfield walking on two feet was because he was so domesticated and human-like. And that's why Arlene walked on all fours. (my point was that Vic SHOULDN'T be on two feet but i looked into it and turns out there is some alley cats who are bipedal so ... whatev....)

**ALSO MENTION GARFIELD ALREADY HAS A MOVIE ABOUT REUNITING WITH HIS ALLEY CAT PARENT AND IT WAS DONE BETTER THE FIRST TIME

and my the only other argument i remember IF YOU WANTED TO HAVE FARM ANIMALS... YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO MAKE NEW HALF-BAKED OCs.... GARFIELD AND FRIENDS HAD A WHOLE CAST OF THEM R I G H T T H E R E. (this was unfortunately really just wishful thinking on my part. I remember getting really excited in the theater when they mentioned a farm just to be really disappointed. I'm willing to admit this was just personal preference. JUST SAYING IF UR GOING TO NOSTALGIA BAIT-)

i just miss them sometimes (WHAT? IS IT A CRIME??)

anyways if ur rooting around looking for hate on this movie, I hope this will suffice.

I wrote most of this in a blind rage when i got home from the movie so. its very passionate but not very well done. I went to see it with a pretty girl so it was still a good time, I just wish we went to go see a better movie :P

[gatheredfates]

SEA'S COMMUNITY COMPENDIUM UPDATE

Second update in a weekend? Wild! I wanted to push this one out before I went back to work and my capacity to update the Compendium would diminish. However, huge thanks to those who submitted new resources to the Google Form — it's appreciated! 🪻

As of 04/14, I have added the following resources (in no particular order) to Sea's Community Compendium for FFXIV Creatives:

LARGE SCALE

CARBUNCLE PLUSHY'S FFX|V FISH TRACKER APP — A website focused on tracking fish windows, bait, guide videos, and fish trains for community events.

PASSIADB — A list of houses for sale in Final Fantasy XIV, how many lottery bids are on each, and where to contribute using the PaissaHouse XIVLauncher plugin.

MISC

@stars-and-clouds thought they could escape me in their tags. "I have more resources!" Oh, I found them. I found them. (affectionate). All of the below are created by them!

ISHGARIAN POWER HEIRARCHY — An exploration of the power dynamics of the Ishgardian theocracy and High Houses.

A QUICK REFERENCE OF THE EORZEAN UMBRAL AND ASTRAL ERAS — A visual guide providing a summary of each Umbral and Astral Era.

Want to submit? You can either fill out the google form here, send me an ask with the relevant information contained on the Compendium, or join my Discord at SEAFLOOR (21+ only)!

As a reminder, the answer to the question of "Is my resource/community applicable to the Compendium?" is almost always a resounding yes. I want to know what's out there. I want to feature your project!

However, for the sake of clarity, I'll pop the FAQ from this post below in a read more for you to check out if you're worried. ✨

I want to put my community on the compendium but we have an application process. Is this okay?

Yes! Just note somewhere in your application that's a requirement. The only thing that is mandatory for the Compendium is that you must be open to new members or have a public-facing/accessible facet. There's no point advertising a community if no one can join it in some way!

I want to put my community on the compendium but I only have x number of members —

Also totally okay! People don't start with large communities. Activity is a must but, whether your server has two or two thousand members, if you're looking for new people to join, I'd love to help you find people.

I want to put my community on the compendium but I worry its too niche?

Okay, and? If your Eorzean Fishing Alliance has four members but you roleplay every second weekend, I still want to know about it.

What resources/communities can I add if I'm not the owner of them?

Mutual consent is extremely important to me, so anything that isn't a large-scale community OR a publicly accessible resource must be endorsed by the owner/admin/moderators in order to be added to the compendium. I operate under the assumption that a resource posted to a public space (tumblr, googledocs, youtube, etc) is open to all. A large-scale community is one with a significant member count or openly advertises itself as being accessible to everyone for whatever purpose it serves. If in doubt, please get in touch with me. I'm happy to contact your community owners for you!

How active does a community need to be?

If you find a community has not been active in about two/three months, send me a message and I'll take a look at it. Communities have ebbs and flows, especially event spaces that may take hiatuses depending on member interest/life events. I'm not strict in my implementation provided a space isn't dead. If a link or anything is broken, absolutely contact me about that.

I have [insert a question not stated here]?

No drama! Send me an ask or use the #Compendium channel in my Discord!

[darlingandmreames]

ariadne and/or arthur for the character ask game !

Why not both?

Arthur

How I feel about this character

Love him. Violent baby boy. Gender envy. Bitchy asshole. I adore him.

All the people I ship romantically with the character

Eames! That's it lol. I don't tend to multi-ship very much in general, and for Arthur in particular, I am solidly an Arthur/Eames truther

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Probably Ariadne. You can see the foundation of a sweet mentor/mentee relationship in the movie and I think they would go on to become very good friends. Their coffee/wine date bitch sessions are Legendary

My unpopular opinion about this character

I...don't know that I necessarily have one?

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon

I wish he had gone a little ape shit on Cobb. The scene in the warehouse gets close, but I wish we'd gotten to see just a little bit more of that (to the point that I may or may not have written a fic about it lol)

Ariadne

How I feel about this character

I really like her! I think she adds an interesting dynamic to the team as the only one who's not already part of this world to at least some degree

All the people I ship romantically with the character

Yusuf! I think they'd be a delightful and very chaotic couple that everyone adores, despite the number of headaches they cause

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Honestly I'd probably say either Yusuf or Saito (yes I know I also said Yusuf for romantic pairing, shut up). I think she and Yusuf would be wonderfully chaotic together, but I also just absolutely love the dynamic of "grad student and international billionaire are best friends." She brings Saito to some shitty sushi place near campus and then they go to a dive bar and no one else knows how to handle this.

My unpopular opinion about this character

As much as I love her, I don't think she's actually that well written in canon. She's a very clear audience insert whose dialogue is like 90% questions. There are the foundations of a really cool character but I think Nolan kinda dropped the ball in terms of what he actually did with her

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon

A little more development of her mentor/mentee relationship with Arthur and a little more time with her as she learns and explored the possibilities of dreamshare. I get why those things weren't in the movie (it's nearly 2.5 hours as it is) and I don't think they necessarily would've added anything to the story, but I do think they would have helped flesh out Ariadne as a character beyond just an audience insert

[bnhaobservation]

Keeping up with the Todorokis or, just me observing the Todorokis (Anime version): Ep. 10

So this is nothing else but a collection of informations, series by series, episode by episode about how the Todorokis appear in it, especially compared to the manga.

Ep. 10 Encounter with the Unknown (未知との遭遇 Michi to no Sōgū)

trasposition of

Chap. 13 Rescue Training (救助訓れ Kyūjo Kunre) Chap. 14 Encounter with the Unknown (未知との遭遇 Michi to no Sōgū) Chap. 15 Vs. (ＶＳ)

This episode goes back on giving us solely quick glimpses of Shouto but also a tiny bit of action.

First of all we've Shouto's explanation of what's going on.

The anime takes advantage of how Shouto needs the time to give his whole long speech to show us more glimpses of him. It's noteworthy that they showed him frontal where the manga preferred to show him from behind so as to put the focus on what he was looking. The anime didn't need to do it as it could alternate the scenes and insert more of them.

Shouto's dialogue remains the same.

Todoroki Shōto 'Arawareta no wa koko dake ka gakkō zentai ka… nanni seyo SENSOR ga hannō shineenara, mukō ni sō iu koto dekiru "kosei" (read: YATSU) ga irutte koto da na. Kōsha to hanareta kakuri kūkan, soko ni shōninzū (read: CLASS) ga hairu jikanwari... BAKA da ga AHO ja nee. Kore wa nanrakano mokuteki ga atte yōi shūtō ni kakusaku sa reta kishūda.' 轟焦凍「現れたのはここだけか学校全体か…何にせよセンサーが反応しねぇなら、向こうにそういうこと出来る〝個性〟（ヤツ）がいるってことだな。校舎と離れた隔離空間、そこに少人数（クラス）が入る時間割...バカだがアホじゃねぇ。これは何らかの目的があって用意周到に画策された奇襲だ。」 Todoroki Shōto "Are they just here, or in the whole school? Either way, if the sensors aren't reacting, then that means there's a quirk (read: guy/bastard) over there that can do that. An isolated space away from the school building, and a timetable with a small number of students (read: classes) in it. It's stupid, but not foolish. This was a deliberate and well-planned surprise attack with some kind of purpose."

Then we sadly move to the tiny glimpses.

There's one as Eraser Head tells Thirteen what to do.

Then there's another as the students start to leave.

Then one more as Kurogiri's Quirk starts to send the students away.

The anime cut the scene of Shouto moving apart from the others...

They however transposed Shouto capturing the Villains faithfully enough, they only added a bit showing Shouto's ice advancing but the part showing Shouto is the same though, if you want, Shouto's pose in the manga is a tiny bit more dynamic.

The anime also kept unchanged this tiny bit of dialogue.

Todoroki Shōto 'Kodomo hitori ni nasa ke nē na. Shikkari shiro yo, otona daro?’ 轟焦凍「子ども一人になさけねぇな。しっかりしろよ！大人だろ？」 Todoroki Shōto "You lost to a single child, huh. Come on! You’re adults.”

That's all for this episode.

[borrowedtimeandspace]

GT July Day 8 Bonus:

Slightly related to today's short story, my very dear and good friend @neonthebright shared a song with me recently that wasn't even on my radar. The second I heard it, my entire heart sank into Zepheera/Orrick feels. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out their love story in Zepheera's Origins, chapters 4 onwards specifically.

I'm a music lover first and foremost, and I've already associated certain songs with my star-crossed lovers. This one is less diegetic than ones I've put into the stories, but it still gave me big ol feelings. I figured I'd share if anyone else cares and is as masochistic as me.

The song was the re-imagining of "Just A Dream" by Nelly. Specifically, the recent re-recording.

Emotional flailing under the cut. Tl;dr:

From the get-go, it's an emotional song because this video is spliced with old footage of the original cover made almost 13 years ago. Footage of the late Christina Grimmie. The male singer Sam Tsui and the instrumentalist Kurt Hugo Schneider returned for the re-recording. The original cover is also outstanding, but the vibe from them both in this new version is much more somber and heavy with the loss of Christina. So that's already crying points.

Then there's the added dynamic of the male and female singers that immediately invoked in me the feeling of lovers who adore each other so much but cannot be together, which hits so much different than the single perspective of the original. Made it very easy for me to insert my most tragic M/F couple into their roles.

I want to preface my next statement by saying that I was not aware of Christina Grimmie or her death before this song was shown to me, and it is the farthest thing from my intention to disrespect her memory or her admirers with my words. That being said, the age difference between her 12-year-old footage and the others' re-recordings brings to my mind the entire reason Zepheera left Orrick to begin with. She was stuck in time, fated to be forever youthful, and was terrified by the notion of watching the person she loved age away while she stayed the same and had to deal with being left without him.

And don't even get me started on the lyrics! They're not always exact, but some of them just Hit Me in the Heart, guys. First there's the chorus, which they always sing together.

I was thinking about you Thinking about me Thinking about us What we gonna be Open my eyes It was only just a dream Travel back, down that road Will you come back? No one knows I realize It was only just a dream

Changing the gendered pronouns throughout (most) of the song to "you" adds a more personal touch in my opinion, not just relating this story to someone else but wishing that the subject themselves could hear them. Adds an emotional urgency to it for me.

Lots of Orrick feels in the first verse (skimming through the less relevant lyrics):

I was at the top and now it's like I'm in a basement Number one spot, now you find you a replacement I swear now that I can't take it (...) Now you ain't around, baby, I can't think (...) 'Cause I can still feel it in the air See your pretty face, run my fingers through your hair My lover, my life My baby, my wife You left me, I'm tied 'Cause I know that it just ain't right

I can vividly imagine things like this running through Orrick's mind, reeling after being left high and dry.

The second verse related to Zepheera less than Orrick's, mostly because it was initially written from the perspective of a man who pushed a woman away. Even so, there are a few lines that really stuck out to me and stabbed me right in the heart:

Another riding, I swear see your face at every turn (...) And I just hope you know that you're the only one I yearn for No wonder I'll be missing when I learn (...) Hey, you were so easy to love But wait I guess our love wasn't enough Going through it every time that I'm alone (...) 'Cause I was wrong

She knows that leaving Orrick behind was a horrible thing. She knows that, and she did it anyway because she couldn't face losing him the long way around. Not when she couldn't carry the burden of aging alongside him like normal people and partners do.

And if that wasn't enough, they hit us with this bridge:

If you ever loved somebody, put your hands up If you ever loved somebody, put your hands up And now they're gone and you're wishing you could give them everything

The second time this repeats, and I say this without judgement on Christina's crystal clear talent, the way her diction comes across made me think the lyric was "If you ever lost somebody" and just made Everything Hurt.

I have no good way to end this other than to reiterate:

[clouds-of-wings]

This seriously makes me want to pirate and adblock everything forever even more than I already want to do these things by default. It's all "plz watch my ads 😢 it's only fair, it helps me stay in business", but as soon as a given level of advertising is normalized and accepted by the customers, there's no stable equilibrium, instead the number of ads is cranked up to the next level, ad-free isn't ad-free anymore while you still pay as much as before, ads become unskippable, ads show up in places where they didn't use to be. Suddenly "fairness" doesn't matter anymore.

Meet me in the middle, says the unjust man. You take a step forward, he takes a step back. Meet me in the middle, says the unjust man.

Also, a source for the claim in the original post since a screenshot of a headline isn't really a source:

EA is prototyping in-game ads even as we speak (May 10th, 2024)

Electronic Arts has a long, storied history of trying to wring more money out of gamers after they’ve purchased a game — now, it appears, the company’s hard at work on its next generation of in-game ads. EA CEO Andrew Wilson admitted as much on the company’s Q4 earnings call: when an analyst asked about “the market opportunity for more dynamic ad insertion across more traditional AAA games,” he said the company’s already working on it. “We have teams internally in the company right now looking at how do we do very thoughtful implementations inside of our game experiences,” said Wilson.