#Carmel op

[v-67]

One piece Spoiler alert!!!!

Twist I wasn't expecting but still not surprised kinda thing

Did Big Mom eat them?

And Mother Carmel's ability, the devil fruit power was transferred to Big mom

So now I'm kinda curious about how would that work

And If it works by eating a particular part of body, does that mean that idiot Blackbeard ate whitebeard????

I hope nothing resorts to cannibalism

But nothing happened to Whitebeards body

So HOW

And did Big mom actually eat mother carmel

I'm still on assumption so idk

Let's see

Episode 830-844 somewhere

15th January, 2024

[op-smash-or-pass]

OP smash or pass

[misqnon]

ch 866

ohh...this is SO fucked up...

ngl..i dont QUITE understand what happened here. she turned the fire into a "sun god"? (it looks like the little weather guys big mom has) but what did it do?? linlin was stopped by the semla right??

😦 bro...NO WAY SHE ATE THEM BY ACCIDENT....BRO?

[fritoley]

Warrior's Honor - Masterlist

Status: On-Going

Ultimate Masterlist

Description: Ten years ago, a mother and daughter walked into the throne room of Katolis' castle in search of aid. The daughter peeked out from behind her mother's skirt at the others, feeling overwhelmed by the grandeur of the space. Suddenly, a woman named Sarai approached the mother, speaking with her briefly before turning her attention to the child. Sarai kneeled before the little girl, asking her what she wanted to learn. The girl replied that she wished to learn how to fight. Now, Emelyn works hard in the Katolis Crownguard, protecting her beloved kingdom from the wretched elves and dragons of Xadia. But when a band of Moonshadow elves invade Katolis and kill King Harrow, she and her companions are thrown on a journey to take the Dragon Prince, who was presumed dead, back to his mother. As they embark on this perilous quest, Emelyn begins to question the true intentions of those around her and wonders who her allies really are.

a/n: i'm gonna try and finish posting everything that I have already written and then do some major edits while waiting for the s3 novelization so pls bear with me :P you can expect all of s1 and 2 <333

Season 1

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

[stupidstupidratcreatures]

i didnt know they put raw onions on hamburgers until like 12 hours. ago

[mastomysowner]

MOTHER CARMEL, acrylic on 5"x7" panel by WAFALO (shop opens 12/2 - 12/9)@awfulowafalo

[grainjew]

Nikaposting Pt 1: Crypto-Religion

This is the first of a series of posts about Nika & associated religious practice in the One Piece world. As I write and post the rest of the series, I’ll add links to this header.

Pt 2: Symbology & Syncretism | Pt 3: Joyboy was Shandian | Pt 4: Sun God Tropes

Enormous credit to @oriigami for being my discussion partner through all of this and having a substantial influence on the final product. Check out our ao3 series Joyful for a narrative rather than analytical take on the Nika tradition, and definitely go read her OP blog @kaizokuou-ni-naru for meta and translation fun facts.

-

The Nika Cult is a Crypto-Religion

Terminology note: I will be using cult in these posts in the sense of “cult of worship,” rather than in the modern pejorative sense. Additionally, I tend to use “tradition” rather than “religion” as a general term, because “religion” is a messy and difficult to define concept, while “tradition” is much more inclusive of traditional practices, folk beliefs, and cults of worship that may not be considered religions by Western scholarship.

Raise your hand if you saw Kuma’s church and Bible, concluded “oh, the Nika stuff is basically One Piece Christianity,” and moved on with your life.

It’s an easy assumption to make, and for all I know authorial intent may well stop there. I’m not Oda. I’ll never be able to guess what goes on behind those fish eyes of his. But a second look at the worldbuilding around both Nika and Christianity in One Piece brought me to a very different conclusion: that the Nika cult is a crypto-religion and is, in Kuma’s case, using the outward appearance of Christianity as camouflage.

First of all: We have ample evidence that Christianity (or some variation of it- I’m fascinated by the implied existence of such things as One Piece Jerusalem and the One Piece Council of Nicea) does exist in the One Piece world, and is both fairly widespread and quite legal. Flevance was pretty explicitly Catholic (Law went to church as a kid), Miss Monday and Mother Carmel masqueraded as nuns to imply harmlessness, many if not most of the graves shown in the series are crosses, whatever Usopp was on about with that exorcism equipment, and, yes, Kuma’s church and Bible.

Even mentioning the Nika cult, on the other hand, is grounds for the government to assassinate you with extreme prejudice.

A crypto-religion is what happens when a religion is suppressed to the point that its practice is grounds for exile, torture, and/or execution: Some people will convert. Some people will flee into exile. Some people will die. And some people will outwardly adopt the dominant religion, but will continue to practice their own traditions in secret; ie, they’ll create a crypto-religion.

One of the more famous examples of this is the post-Spanish Inquisition crypto-Jews of Spain and Portugal, who converted to Christianity in public but kept what Jewish traditions and rituals they could in private. To this day, descendants of these conversos whose families have been Catholic for centuries are discovering that their family tradition of lighting two candles on Friday or not eating pork on Saturday are in fact the legacy of a violently suppressed heritage. There are countless other examples of crypto-religions throughout history, both among Jews (my own personal field of knowledge) and among other traditions (for an example that would be known to Oda, the crypto-Christians of Japan).

There’s no way the Nika cult could have survived except in cryptic form. If it ever had physical infrastructure in the form of temples or pilgrimage sites, the government would have sought them out and demolished them long ago if they were not adequately disguised, especially in World Government member states like the Sorbet Kingdom. Likewise, anyone foolish enough to speak publicly about Nika will be summarily assassinated.

In fact, I have doubts that the Nika cult ever existed outside cryptic form, at least in a significant or long-lasting manner. It was specifically introduced as a slave tradition, likely nigh-exclusively oral, practiced in secret either from its inception—if Nika was a figure created by slaves, including the buccaneers—or for a very long time—if it was the cultural or ethnic tradition of the buccaneers, which spread from enslaved buccaneers to non-buccaneer slaves because Nika was a figure that resonated with them. I tend the favor the second option, but either has merit.

As @oriigami said when we were talking about this, Kuma has a church. Kuma has a bible. Kuma worships a god about whom absolutely nothing is written except in the oldest texts.

Additionally, I’ll expand on this more in pt 2 of this series, but the pendant Kuma leaves for Bonney, a large circular sapphire surrounded by eight smaller circular sapphires, matches the circular symbol inset into the crosses of his church. Bonney immediately identifies the pendant as a sun even though it really doesn’t look like one, and it can be surmised therefore that it’s a Nika amulet, and the sun with disconnected rays a Nika symbol. Following this read, and especially because this symbol occurs across the world in other contexts (see pt 2 for my thoughts on that), its presence in the church is a very careful bit of architectural sleight of hand on the part of whichever of Kuma’s ancestors built the place- echoing a very common practice of real-world crypto-religion adherents to mark the true nature of their allegiances and houses of worship in ways only those in the know might recognize.

And on a storytelling level, Kuma’s entire presence in the narrative and in the world has been a tragic saga of appearing to be one way until he’s revealed, again and again, to be the opposite. It makes thematic sense for him to be fooling the world about his faith as well!

[sarah-bear706318]

Chasing Storms and Finding Love. Chapter:2

Summary: When Tyler's baby sister joins him and his team for a season she seems to catch the eye of a certain StormPar member much to her brothers dismay... will she listen listen to her big brother or follow her heart?

Pairing: Scott Miller X fem!reader, Tyler Owens x sister!reader

Warnings: Sneaking around, Pissed off Tyler, Love Struck Scott, ALOTS of kissing, A little age gap, Cussing, Drinking, Storms(duh), Falling in love, Slow burn

@nikkicloudie

If you wanna be tagged in future parts let me know!

The next morning you are awaken with banging on the door, seeing as you are not a morning person this was not the wake up call you wanted. "Tyler get the fucking door" you say still half asleep.

BANG BANG BANG

"Tyler get the damn door " you yell again to your brother turning over to see his bed empty. You groan while you get out of bed and stumble to answer the door, when you answer it you see your brother ready for the day with a big smile on his face. Your face not so friendly.

"Sorry I forgot the key, but I come with coffee" he says with a beaming smile trying to make you less mad, he knows how much you hate mornings so he's hoping the coffee will stop you from yelling to much. "You know instead of banging on the door like the swat team there are these things called phones you could have called loser" you say letting him in the room.

"Yeah I forgot that too" he says putting the coffees down on the table in between the beds. "Whatcha get me" you ask reaching for the coffee. He rolls his eyes knowing how picky you are about your coffee "Just what you like and how you like it an Iced Caramel Macchiato 2 pumps extra caramel made with almond milk extra cold foam and carmel drizzle" he says

"You are the best big brother all is forgiven as long as this coffee taste right" you say taking your first sip to check it. "You are so forgiven this coffee is better then sex" you say closing your eyes at the taste. "That is not something I never want to hear you ever again" your brother says.

You roll your eyes taking another sip of your coffee and picking up your phone to look at the time seeing that its a little before 7. "What time are we heading out?" you ask your brother. "I told the crew to meet us at the diner next door around 8 figure we can have some breakfast and make plan for the day. I also have something to talk to the crew about. You think you can be ready to go by then?" "Yeah I'll be ready by 7:55" you say with a smile while still sipping on your coffee.

True to your word you were ready to head out the door at 7:55. You knew this would be your first time on the Wranglers Youtube channel so you wanted to look cute, and you were hoping to see the tall cute guy from last night. You opped for a cute messy bun and light make up with one of your many UT Austin longhorn shirts and some shorts. You grab your bag and phone and head out with your brother to meet the crew.

As you're walking down stairs you see the cute tall guy with the ballcap from last night, and you cant help but smile.

Scotts POV:

Scott and Javi are standing by StormPar's truck when they see Y/N and Tyler making their way down. Scott feels the breath from his lungs get sucked out and his heart stop. "Hey Owens" Javi says as soon as the 2 of them get within speaking distance. As Y/N get closer Scott get his first up close view of her and all he can think of is how drop dead gorgeous she is.

He can see the freckles on her nose and cheek, the dimples when she smile, her pink full lips(man all he can think about how they would feel against his own lips) her bright green eyes. He can see the little nose ring along with a couple piercings in her ears and the tattoos she has on her legs and arms . He's not normally a guy that goes for girls with piercing and tattoos but she pull them off very well and looks classy not trashy. He catches himself wondering what other tattoos and piercings she may have that he can't see.

"Hey Javi and clipboard" Tyler says to the 2 men with a nod of his head. Scott rolls his eyes at the nickname and before he can say anything Y/n starts to speak "Tyler that was so rude" she says and smack her brother. His smile gets even bigger hearing her voice and the southern twang it has to it and also putting her brother in his place.

"Hey sorry about my rude ass brother I'm Y/n its nice to meet you" she holds her hand out to him "I'm Scott nice to meet you Y/n". Scott shakes her hand and he swears he feels electricity go through his body, and he sees a blush forming on her cheeks. You both held each other's gaze until Javi cleared his throat

"Hey Dr. Owens nice to see you again" he sees Y/n playfully roll her eyes at the formal title "Nice to see you too Javi but you do not have to call me Dr. How have you been" she asked while giving Javi a quick hug, Scott cant help but feel a twinge of jealously run through his body watching Javi wrap her in a hug.

"I've been good, its great that you're going to be here for the next few months, looking to be a great season and having someone with a PhD in the field will really come in handy for us" Javi says

"Us? Scott and Y/n say at the same time. Scott looks to Javi while Y/n looks to her brother both with a confused face.

"Yeah that's what I wanted to to talk to the crew about over breakfast" Tyler says looking between his sister and Scott. "While I was getiing your very very complicated coffee order" Tyler starts but is cut off by you, "Its really not complicated but go on" Y/n says to her brother "It really is but anyways Javi and I ran into to each other and started talking about how all the radars and data are giving reading of this being a very big season and maybe teaming up for some chases might be a help to both teams" Tyler says looking at his sister.

"First I've heard of it" Scott looks to Javi who puts in his hands in the air and says "It was just an idea and I was going to talk to you and run it by you this morning, so what do you think, Y/n is hella smart" Scott looks a tad annoyed by not being included in the first place but if he works with the wranglers that means he can spend more time with Y/n. Scott looks over to Tyler and his sister.

"So you have your doctorate in meteorology?" Scotts turns and ask Y/N

"Yeah I graduated from UT Austin just a couple months ago, I also studied a environmental science for a few semesters"

Scott stands there for another moment thinking. Working with Tyler and his crew was not something he wanted to do, they were reckless loud and got on his last nerve, but having someone with your educational background could be a big help. And getting to get to know you better would make it alot worth it.

"Fine but don't make me regret this either of you" Scott says looking at both Javi and Tyler Pointing his finger at them. When Scott looks over to Y/n he sees her are already looking at him with a smile, and he feels his heart skip a beat.

"Great I'll go talk to my crew and I'll let you know what they say" Tyler says has he reaches to shakes Javis hand then Scott's.

"It was nice to meet you Scott hopefully the crew is okay with everything and we'll be seeing a lot more of each other" Y/n says with a smile reaching to shake his hand again

"Yeah lets hope" Scott says with a smile reaching for her hand.

As Tyler and Y/n walk away Scotts eyes follow her. As much as he hated the idea of working with Tyler and his group of misfits he hoped the rest of the hillbillies would be on board he really wanted to spend more time with Y/n.

"Man don't even think about it" Scott hears Javi behind him.

"Don't think about what" Scott ask trying to act normal, while still looking your way

"Owens is very protective of his baby sister and he would kill you for even thinking about her"

Scott didn't reply he just kept his eyes on you watching away and heading across the parking lot to the diner. He could handle Owens.

Y/N POV:

As You and brother walk away and to the dinner your mind and body is filled with excitement, hopefully the crew would be ok with everything and you could spend more time with Scott.

Seeing Scott up close made your insides like jello. His tall muscular build, his blue eyes, dark hair, his chiseled jawline, his beautiful smile with the cutest dimples his deep voice, and man did he have arms for days. All you can think about about is how good they would feel wrapped around you and his lips on yours...

Tyler sees the small smile and a dopey look in your eyes and he doesn't like it. Scott of all people has caught his baby sisters eye and from what he could see she has caught his eye too.

"No" is all you hear as your brothers voice breaks you from your day dream. You look over to your brother and see him with a stern look on his face.

"What are you talking about Ty"

"I saw the looks you and clipboard were giving each other and its not happening not with him"

You came to a stop and looking to your brother. One thing about you is you don't take took kindly with people telling you want you can and can not do. You are a grown ass woman and could do as you please.

"Well Tyler last I checked I am a grown woman and do what I want, see who I want and make my own choices, now I'm hungry so stop playing big brother and hurry up" you say staring down your brother.

"I mean it Y/n no not him not happening"

"I mean it to I'm hungry hurry your ass"

Tyler rolls his eyes and points his finger at you "This isn't over" "Whatever" you say walking past him to go meet the crew and get some food.

As you make it to the diner you turn to look over your shoulder and see Scott looking at you, he shoots a wink and smile and walks to the other side of StormPars truck. You say a silent prayer the crew goes along with teaming up with StormPar!

[catastrxblues]

articles and news on what’s happening in west papua are so appallingly scarce that i could rarely find any except a few before this. as an indonesian, i didn’t even know any of this is happening in the first place until a few months ago because rarely any of the big news outlets have ever brought it up, much less in a scale that is necessary to gain the world’s attention. SO PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT, one article at a time if it seems too much (which is what i'm currently doing too).

i think it’s important to note that while indonesia has been loudly advocating for palestine’s freedom, it has also been committing silent acts of violence against the people of west papua and exploiting them for years and silence those AND others who have tried to bring it to light.

things included in the thread ->

ARTICLES :

freewestpapua.org *the link isn't working at the moment but op has included screenshots in the tweet!

west papua : a history of exploitation (al jazeera)

courtesy of amnesty international

OTHERS :

amnesty international - "sudah, kasi tinggal dia mati" pembunuhan dan impunitas di papua (in bahasa)

BOOKS TO READ :

'the road : uprising in west papua' by john martinkus

'an act of free choice : decolonisation and the right to self-determination in west papua' by pieter drooglever

'merdeka and the morning star : civil resistance in west papua' by jason macleod

’see no evil : new zealand’s betrayal of the people of west papua’ by maire leadbeater

‘freedom in entangled worlds’ by eben kirksey

‘poisoned arrows’ by george monbiot

‘papua blood’ by peter bang

’west papua and indonesia since suharto’ by peter king

pdf available :

’the united nations and the indonesian takeover of west papua’ by john saltford

’west papua : the obliteration of a people’ by carmel budiardjo and liem soei liong

FILMS TO WATCH :

rebels of the forgotten world (1991)

blood on the cross (1999)

freedom for west papua (1999)

papua merdeka (2002)

west papua — the secret war in asia (2007)

forgotten bird of paradise (2009)

strange birds in paradise — a west papuan story (2010)

west papua — a journey to freedom (2011)

mama malind su hilang (our land has gone)

benny wenda — oslo freedom forum (2012)

isolated (2013)

courage is contagious — TEDx sydney (2013)

the road to home (2015)

punks for west papua (2016)

run it straight (2016)

act of no choice (2019)

paradise bombed (2023)

investigative tv reports :

inside indonesia’s secret war for west papua — ABC news (2020)

selling out west papua — al jazeera (2020)

INFOGRAPHICS :

amnesty international

brief history

2017

2018

[girlactionfigure]

⚠️ IRAN PREPARES, HOME FRONT CHANGES, SPECIAL FORCES VIDEOS - Tuesday afternoon - events from Israel  

...‼️The United States detects preparations in Iran for a missile attack on Israel. (Amit Segal - Ch. 12)

⚠️HOME FRONT COMMAND.. as of today (Tuesday), at 14:00: added restrictions in new and wide areas throughout the country until Sat. Oct 5, 20:00.  The reason for this change is the item above.

.. Restriction on activities and gatherings: Carmel (Haifa and wide area), Wadi Ara, Menashe, Samaria (West Bank), Sharon (Central cities), Dan (Tel Aviv), Yarkon, Shefala (Beit Shemesh and wide area), Jerusalem (and wide area), and Shfela.

.. Educational activities can ONLY be held in a place where you can reach a protected space in time with capacity in case of an alert.

.. Gatherings and services can be held with a limit of up to 30 people in an open area and up to 300 people in closed spaces.

.. Workplaces can operate in a building or place where you can reach a protected space in time with capacity in case of an alert.

.. Infographic: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC0110202493864

.. Police: The Israel Police is prepared to implement the directives of the Home Front Command to the general public, following the change in the defense policy in the last hour.  Civil discipline saves lives.

❗️PUBLIC ROSH HASHANA PRAYER EVENTS CANCELLED.. The impression is that this is a warning about a more specific and immediate event, not about a general escalation from Lebanon.

.. Mass hataras nedarim at the Hotel cancelled.

.. Event at the Sultan’s Pool cancelled.

.. The Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Places Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitz calls on the public to take cautionand observe the mitzvah "and be very careful for your souls" - to obey the instructions of the Home Front Command and not to come to the Western Wall plaza tonight.

.. Message passed on to the Hasidim in Gur: Do not come today for prayers to the city. and prepare for the possibility that they will not be able to come to Jerusalem for the holiday.

▪️SPECIAL OPS.. Since the beginning of the war, the IDF has conducted dozens of targeted operations in areas near the border in southern Lebanon in order to dismantle Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.  The soldiers identified and breached underground access points near the border area, exposed extensive weapon caches, assembly areas for terrorist operative operations, and more. During these operations, the troops also collected valuable intelligence and methodically dismantled the weapons and compounds, including underground infrastructure and advanced weaponry of Iranian origin.

The troops also uncovered and destroyed underground infrastructure, struck thousands of targets and hundreds of weapons storage facilities, tons of explosives, and hundreds of living areas for operatives, command centers and more. 

Footage of IDF raids on terror targets in Lebanese territory: https://bit.ly/3ZLNw4x

Footage of the destruction of terrorist infrastructure in the area of the border: https://bit.ly/4gM9wCs

There are many more videos linked here -> https://t.me/idfofficial/10605

❗️TZAV 8.. IDF: In accordance with the situational assessment, the IDF is calling up four additional reserve (combat) brigades for operational missions in the northern arena. 

▪️AIR TRAVEL.. The airport is working as usual at the moment and there is no change in the airspace.

.. Israir is expected to operate flights using six leased planes over the holidays, to help maintain aviation continuity. 

🔅 SHARE US WITH A FRIEND! Send the URL below —>

🔅Telegram   - https://t.me/Israel_Realtime_Updates

🔅WhatsApp - https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjYDi9it88kDyyI1lyeHkT

🔸X (twitter) - https://x.com/IsraelRealtime

🔸Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558471625976

❗️IRAN MISSILE THREAT - Tuesday afternoon - events from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

( VIDEO - Home Front advice for holiday synagogue service - make sure to know the path to a protected space, have enough time and capacity. And what about the children? )

⭕HEZBOLLAH JUST FIRED 4 LONG RANGE MISSILES AT TEL AVIV.. a few minutes ago - they missed, hitting the sea.  No alarms due to the wide miss.

‼️The United States detects preparations in Iran for a missile attack on Israel.  On this basis, Israel has raised Home Front restrictions in the center and Jerusalem areas.  

.. The Pentagon: Satellite images show that Iran has prepared a large number of ballistic missiles to attack Israel.

.. IDF reminds:  defenses are NOT perfect, you MUST follow Home Front commands and take shelter when instructed.

.. The US Embassy in Israel asked its employees to stay at home and be prepared to go to shelters.

.. British Foreign Secretary Lammy announced that Britain is negotiating with its Iranian counterparts and calls on that country to exercise restraint in the midst of growing tensions in the region.

.. Reuters: Oil prices jumped 3% amid reports that Iran is planning to attack Israel.

📌HOME FRONT COMMAND..  center, Tel Aviv and wide surrounding areas, Jerusalem and wide surrounding areas, Samaria

.. Educational activities can ONLY be held in a place where you can reach a protected space in time with capacity in case of an alert.

.. Gatherings and services can be held with a limit of up to 30 people in an open area and up to 300 people in closed spaces.

.. Workplaces can operate in a building or place where you can reach a protected space in time with capacity in case of an alert.

��PUBLIC ROSH HASHANA PRAYER EVENTS CANCELLED..

.. Mass hataras nedarim at the Western Wall cancelled.

.. Event at the Sultan’s Pool cancelled.

.. The Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Places Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitz: do not to come to the Western Wall plaza tonight.

.. Message to Hasidim in Gur: Do not come for prayers to the city. 

❗️SPORT EVENT CANCELLED - Soccer / Football between Beitar Yerushalayim and Maccabi Haifa.

🔹IDF spokesman: "Iranian firing on the State of Israel will have consequences - I will not say more than that."

🔹IDF spokesman Brigadier General Hagari: "IDF fighters found a "plan for the occupation of the Galilee" by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanese territory.”

🔹US Central Command: 3 additional US aircraft squadrons are on their way to the area, and one of them has already arrived.

🔹The US continues to transfer military equipment non-stop to the region.  Huge military transport planes land in Jordan and Syria almost non-stop.

🔹Haifa Municipality: In light of the unusual security situation, the city council meeting scheduled for tonight is postponed.

🔹Russia to Israel: withdraw the troops from southern Lebanon immediately.

♦️ONGOING TARGETED ATTACKS in Lebanon cities.

♦️TARGETED ATTACK in Khan Yunis, Gaza on a vehicle.

♦️SYRIAN RADAR.. A radar position of Syria that attacked and destroyed a short time ago by the Air Force in southern Syria.

[cyborg-squid]

Cake Island Arc is a story about generational trauma, right? right. charlotte linlin, abandoned on eblaf because she's too big, raised by an orphan-seller to be sold later, then abandoned (in Charlotte's eyes, since she doesn't know what she did) by her second mother and all her friends, treated as an outcast because of her crimes.

so then it goes on to make sense that she'd be so obsessed with the idea of every species having a "seat at the table", this deliberate attempt to get back what she had during her childhood, unaware of her own greed and hunger destroyed it. which she then goes on to again, as her entire new realm is made of candy, reflecting both her inner child that she never grew out of, and the fact that it exists solely as something for her to consume, which she literally does during her rampages, even taking back and eating the literal souls of her children... much like Mother Carmel, trafficking in kids for profit. both their children are simply means to an end, especially with Big Mama's use of her children's marriages as a way of spreading her diplomatic influence...

... which brings us to the second family at the heart of Cake Island, Vinsmoke and Germa66. which, my god, could not be more direct about how fascist it is lol. and how, much like Big Mama, it views it's kids as mere tools, tools of domination and conquest, and are similarly using Sanji as a marriage tool for an alliance with Big Mama. and i don't know what else to say here that hasn't already been said, about the very in-your-face similarities between these two families, and how it's the kindness of two of their respective members, Pudding and Sanji, through which the alliance is formed, then broken, then formed again better into a true relationship, now not between two 'families' built on exploitation, but between two individuals who found, if not love, then a connection between them.

and there's also something about it, in the entire Cake Island arc, that the member of Mama's family presented most valorously, next to Chiffon+Lola and Pudding, is Katakuri, and part of what seperates him from the rest of the Big Mama lieutenants, as well as other OP antagonists Luffy fights, is that he truly cares about his siblings and the family that he is a part of, while their own mother treats them as nothing more than disposable. and he's shown through both this and his sheer combat skill, being able to go toe to toe with Luffy, with almost matching abilities, as being worthy of respect, to both Luffy and to the viewer, to the point where at the end of the fight, Luffy covers Katakuri's normally hidden mouth with his hat. not the Straw Hat, to be fair, but even the secondary hat is still a symbol.

[bl00dalchemist]

Your art def tastes like the kind of Carmel that’s really good but sticks to your throat makes you choke, but you still eat it because it tastes good. That jelly guy has no idea what he’s talking about.

I'm pretty sure jelly op meant something good but i really couldn't place the feeling bc i've never had that jelly KJDNFBNJ

ALSO THANKS

[stalkerkyoko]

op has some awful people

mother Carmel being one of them holy shit

[penelopegarciasapprentice]

I got to agree with OPs mom here. Citrus flavors are definitely not 'grief-y' enough. They are like edible happiness and sunshine. Chocolate and carmel, plus molasses and cinnamon. Those are comfort foods and flavors. These are the things that are better to eat when sad.

My mom accidentally joined a grieving support group (long story, she’s not grieving tho) and she’s missing it this week while visiting me and she’s VERY concerned that Lorraine, who very kindly offered to bring a baked good like mom usually would, will NOT bring the correct kind of dessert, she says citrus tarts aren’t “griefy” enough

[fritoley]

Warrior's Honor Chapter 4: Feints within Feints

Summary: Viren's suspicious behavior inspires talk of conspiracy.

Word Count: 2.5k

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The days following the funeral were filled with clear blue skies, and the people of Katolis couldn't help but feel a sense of bitter irony. The Crownguard soldiers milled about aimlessly, unsure of their next move now that the throne was vacant. The once-bustling halls and rooms were now eerily silent, and even the library where Emelyn had sought refuge seemed to be holding its breath. Emelyn spent hours poring over a dusty old tome titled "Katolis Law" but left in frustration, taking a book with her. She let out a deep sigh and leaned against a nearby pillar. The morning light filtered through the window, bathing the cardinal carpets in gold. The past two days had been like a blur to Emelyn, and it seemed that the entire kingdom was still processing the tragedy.

"This book is so confusing," Emelyn muttered to herself. She glanced back down the corridor toward the library where she had come from. "Orphans are supposed to start new dynasties, but how are we supposed to find—?"

"Emelyn?"

Perking up, she turned around to see a woman standing before her. The woman had graying ginger hair tied in a braid and freckles on her face and arms. She nervously smoothed down her flour-stained apron with her hands.

"Mom?" Emelyn started. The woman hesitated, but her face flushed bright red as she ran toward the Crownguard. Emelyn stood, taking a few steps before her mother slammed into her, throwing her arms around Emelyn's neck.

"Mom, I—" Emelyn tried again but was cut off when Carmell sobbed, desperately stroking Emelyn's hair. Emelyn stared at the opposite hall momentarily, stunned, until her eyes watered, and she buried her face in her mother's hair.

"Mom," Emelyn repeated, laughing. She pulled away, looking her mother in the eye. "I meant to see you earlier, but—"

Carmell wiped her eyes and smiled, though her eyes were filled with worry. "No need," she said, her voice cracking. "I heard what happened."

Emelyn half-smiled. Carmell looked down at the book Emelyn held and said, "What's that? Are you trying to become a cleric now?"

Emelyn chuckled as she glanced at the book, then looked back at Carmell. "I'm trying to find something on who's supposed to take the throne when there's no one else in the royal family."

Carmell nodded in understanding and began walking, gesturing for Emelyn to follow. "So, you're talking about when Viren declared himself as the next ruler?" Carmell's voice dripped with disdain as she mentioned Viren's name.

"Yes," Emelyn groaned. "Something doesn't feel right, so I thought that maybe I could hit him with law and order?"

Carmell chuckled. "Just be careful, love. Viren is a very powerful man, and he's deeply committed to Dark Magic... just like his daughter."

"Mom," Emelyn protested. "Sure, Claudia studies Dark Magic, but she's not like that!"

Carmell's expression grew somber. "That may be true for now, but who knows..." She trailed off, gazing out the window as Emelyn stood at her side.

After a brief pause, Emelyn inquired, "So, how did you come to know about my injury and everything else?"

Carmell grinned, glancing at Emelyn slyly. "Soren filled me in after the funeral."

Emelyn groaned aloud and rolled her eyes. "That figures."

Carmell chuckled to herself and added, "It's intriguing that the person I converse with most often is not my daughter, but her closest companion."

"Mom!"

"I wish you would come by the kitchens more often and let me know you're okay," Carmell teased. Emelyn couldn't help but laugh as Carmell poked her in the side.

"I know, I'm sorry. I've just been really busy with work," Emelyn replied with a tired smile. "But now that things have calmed down, I'll make more time for you."

"What do you mean?" Carmell asked.

Emelyn's smile faded as she hugged herself. "The royal family...they're gone. I couldn't protect them." Emelyn turned away, hugging herself. "I'm a complete failure."

"That's nonsense--" Carmell gently interjected.

"But it's true!" Emelyn burst out, whipping around to face Carmell. "I literally gave my life fighting for King Harrow's, but it wasn't enough. And what's worse, it hasn't even been a day since he trusted me with taking care of the princes, and now they're dead, too!" Emelyn let her hands fall to her sides and looked at her feet. "I failed in the one job I had as a Crownguard."

Carmell took a moment to observe Emelyn's anxious movements before asking, "How do you know?"

"What?" Emelyn asked, looking up. 

"How do you know they're dead?"

Emelyn furrowed her brows. "Viren told us so at the funeral. What do you mean?"

Carmell let out a deep sigh and crossed her arms. "Think about what you just said, Emi. Really think about it."

Emelyn paused, her mind racing. Then, it dawned on her. "You don't think--" Emelyn started.

"That's exactly what I think." Carmell placed a hand on her daughter's cheek. "Those boys are smart, and if they escaped the castle grounds, the most likely place they'd be is at the Banther Lodge." Carmell pointed at Emelyn's chest. "And who should be there waiting for them?"

Emelyn stared at Carmell for a moment, smiling broadly.

"Mom, you're a genius!"

Emelyn reached out to embrace Carmell, who laughed. "Well, it's not scholar-level science!"

Emelyn pulled away and ran down the castle hall, yelling, "Thanks!"

Carmell watched as she turned the corner, then laughed to herself. "Oh, Emelyn," she murmured with a smile. "Sometimes I wonder if that Soren is rubbing off on you..."

With a shake of her head and a chuckle, Carmell walked back to the castle kitchens with her hands in her apron's pockets. 

"Alright, Millie," Emelyn briefed as the Golden Eagle perched on the horse before the Crownguard. Emelyn adjusted the saddle on her stallion and said, "We're going to the Banther Lodge. I need you to look ahead to see if Callum and Ezran are inside. Make sure that nothing jumps out at us, too." Emelyn reached up and patted Millie's back. "You think you can do that?"

Millie screeched.

"That's a good girl!" Emelyn cooed, but when Millie screeched again and flapped her wings, Emelyn couldn't help but wonder if there was more to her behavior. Suddenly, a voice from behind caught Emelyn's attention.

"Looks like your bird was trying to make sure nothing jumps out at you."

Emelyn whipped around to see Iris walking toward her with a smirk.

"Iris! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Emelyn exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Iris answered, dismissively waving her hand. "What are you doing?"

"I'm heading to the Banther Lodge," Emelyn replied as she adjusted her horse's saddle. Millie, her horse, glared at Iris with her hazel eyes.

"The Banther Lodge? You're not planning to search for the princes, are you?" Iris inquired suspiciously.

"No," Emelyn answered nonchalantly. "I'm going to stay there for a few days to go mud-sledding."

Iris looked at Emelyn, confused. Emelyn sighed irritably. "What do you think?!"

"Emelyn, there's no point. The princes are dead!" Iris said.

"Do we know that for sure?" Emelyn questioned, folding her arms and resting against her horse. The stallion let out a frustrated neigh.

"Yes!" Iris yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. "The High Mage told us so at the funeral!" 

"How do we know he wasn't lying?" Emelyn shot back.

"Because--" Iris groaned, dropping her head in her hands. "Why in the world would he lie about something like that?"

"Because he wants the crown for himself!" 

"Wha-" Iris stared at Emelyn, her left eye twitching. "What the heck are you talking about?!"

Emelyn rolled her eyes, then turned to mount her horse. She didn't have time to argue with Iris; the princes were in danger.

"Look, when I come back, I can debate with you all day, but I need to find Callum and Ezran more than I need to be here. I'll be back with the princes by tomorrow morning."

Emelyn slipped her boot into the stirrup as Iris groaned. The latter rubbed her eye, then said, "You know what? I just remembered. The High Cleric is waiting for you in the Throne Room."

Emelyn froze mid-hoist, glancing back at Iris. "Opeli? I wasn't aware of this."

"That's because I just told you, dummy," Iris said.

Emelyn sighed, her feet returning to the stone floor of the courtyard. As she passed Iris by, she said, "If I'm not back in 10 minutes, just put the horse back in the stable. I don't need him frying in the sun."

Emelyn left the scene, leaving Iris with Millie and the horse. The Golden Eagle glared menacingly at the Crownguard, who immediately took the horse's reins and led it back to the stables. Iris glanced up at the bird and scoffed.

"Don't look at me like that, you stupid bird," Iris sneered. Millie's eye narrowed in suspicion, and then she took off into the sky, gliding to the window of Emelyn's room.

Emelyn pushed open the doors to the Throne Room to find Opeli at the war table. The High Cleric looked up at the sound of Emelyn's metallic footsteps and smiled. She hurried around the table and approached the Crownguard, placing her hands on the soldier's shoulders. "What a coincidence, I was just thinking about you. Come." Opeli motioned for Emelyn to follow and walked back to the war table.

"What…?" Emelyn muttered in confusion, but she shook it off and took her place on the other side of the table. The markers representing the Moonshadow elves were still present, bringing a dull pang to Emelyn's gut. Anything even remotely related to the royal family was a reminder of the tragedy she failed to prevent.

"What's the problem?" Emelyn asked, pushing the feeling of regret and failure to the back of her mind.

Opeli sighed. "Viren wants a coronation. Tomorrow morning."

Emelyn scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I know. I've tried to hold it off, but the rest of the council is too concerned with the fact that the throne is empty." Opeli's hands clenched into fists. The anger written on her face was evident— anger and pain.

"We can't let it happen," Emelyn agreed. "Opeli, I think the princes are alive. Viren must've been lying about their deaths so he could take the crown."

Opeli looked up. "Are you sure?"

Emelyn shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past him. I was just about to go to the Banther Lodge to look for them."

Opeli's expression grew serious as she contemplated the situation. "Regardless, we can't do anything until we have proof," she finally stated firmly, her brows furrowing in contemplation. Emelyn's face fell at the words, and she quickly interjected, "Then let me go, Opeli. I can find them—"

But Opeli cut her off, her tone stern. "No, Emelyn. Viren is monitoring the castle's every move, under the guise of ensuring the elves have truly left Katolis. If your suspicions are correct, Viren may be attempting to cover up the truth about the princes' whereabouts."

Emelyn let out a sigh of frustration, feeling overwhelmed by the situation. Opeli, noticing her distress, continued with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "However, when King Harrow received the news of the Moonshadow attack, he sent a letter to General Amaya at the Breach; the Standing Battalion was sent to the Banther Lodge to meet the princes."

Opeli glanced at Emelyn, whose chest swelled. There was a chance that the princes were alive, and General Amaya was on her way to confirm it. The past three days have been some of Emelyn's worst, but finally, there was a win in her sights. Emelyn tried to keep her hopes down as she said, "So what do we do now?"

Opeli smiled softly, catching the slight waver in Emleyn's voice. "We wait for them to arrive." As they approached the Throne Room doors, Opeli advised, "In the meantime, you should go get ready for Viren's coronation. Go polish your armor or whatever you Crownguard do before a big event." Opeli paused, then chuckled. "I never thought I'd say that."

Emelyn smirked. "What, the Crownguard part, or Viren's coronation?"

"Both," Opeli replied with a smile.

Dawn had finally come. Citizens of Katolis had begun to gather in the courtyard, awaiting the coronation. Standing at the entrance, Soren observed hundreds taking their places. He took a deep breath, savoring the refreshing morning air. Amidst the crowd, he noticed Emelyn leaning against a wall with a look of disapproval etched on her face.

"Red," Soren called, making his way toward her. Emelyn looked up and, upon recognizing Soren, saluted him with two fingers.

"Hey, why the long face?" Soren asked, mimicking Emelyn's posture. Emelyn sighed.

"Nothing," Emelyn answered flatly.

"Oh come on, I know that look," Soren prodded, playfully poking Emelyn in the side. She swatted his hand away.

"I said it's nothing, okay?!" Emelyn snapped. Her eyes flared with irritation as she glared at Soren, who recoiled in surprise.

"Woah, okay, sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he said, rubbing his stinging hand as he stepped back. Perhaps he was being too cheerful too soon, but he didn't know what else to do. As he watched Emelyn cross her arms over her chest and furrowed her brows in frustration, he longed for the opportunity to cheer her up properly.

After a few minutes, Viren appeared on the balcony, adorned in simple yet elegant robes. Emelyn's fingers dug into her arms upon seeing the High Mage, a small gesture that Soren picked up on.

"People of Katolis," Viren began, his voice projecting with confidence. The crowd fell silent. "King Harrow's death has wounded us deeply, but the loss of his sons— our princes— is a greater injustice. By eliminating both heirs to the throne, our enemies sought to leave us without a leader."

Soren observed the crowd, their eyes fixed on Viren, their breaths held as they awaited his following words. "It would disgrace Harrow's memory to allow the kingdom he loved to be lost in darkness." The High Mage lifted his arms regally and proclaimed, "Though it is a heavy burden, I will humbly take up the battle in Harrow's name. I will become Lord Protector of the realm!"

The entire courtyard gasped in shock. Even Soren was surprised; he didn't realize that his father was willing to take the crown to exact revenge on the evils of Xadia. Emelyn, on the other hand, spat. "Typical, ain't it? Because calling yourself the king would be too obvious."

It seemed to Soren that she knew something he didn't, but he didn't dwell too much on it.

As Viren turned and kneeled, High Cleric Opeli stepped forward, holding Harrow's crown. Her brows were knitted together as her eyes darted across the crowd, desperate for someone to speak up. When no one did, She closed her eyes, sighed deeply, and slowly lowered the crown to Viren's—

"Stop the coronation!"

Everyone whipped around to see two soldiers barreling into the courtyard on horses. As they slid to a stop, one raised her hands and moved them wildly as the other spoke. Emelyn gasped.

"Stop the coronation," Commander Gren of the Standing Battalion shouted, translating for General Amaya's rapid signing. "The princes are alive!"

Soren's eyes widened, and he turned to look back up at Viren and Opeli. It seemed that Opeli hadn't finished the ceremony because she was gazing at General Amaya with satisfaction, the crown still in her hands. Opeli's eyes shifted from Amaya to Emelyn, who returned the knowing look with a smirk.

Okay, so there was definitely something she knew that Soren didn't. Soren then noticed that his father had stood up and was now glaring at Amaya with an anger Soren rarely saw.Ooh, Soren thought, sucking his teeth. That's not going to be good.

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