#d/zeal

[hanamukes]

Kiss me like you mean it

[sneek-m]

"Harmonics" by Julia (CV: Aimi) & Shizuka Mogami (CV: Azusa Tadokoro) [THE IDOLM@STER MILLION THE@TRE GENERATION 12 D/Zeal, 2018]

[wondrousmay]

May’s music recommendation:

Hanamuke no Tori by D/Zeal (THE iDOLM@STER Million Live!)

Shizuka and Julia’s overlapping voices in this song is just so beautiful. It’s my favourite part of the song (and I just really love this song!!!) ❤️💙

You can listen to the full song here and I highly recommend checking out the live performance of this song by their voice actresses too! It’s phenomenal!

[starlightsylph]

Lady Zealous Kalta | Paladin of Tyr | Oath of Vengeance

[shalom-iamcominghome]

Person with no whimsy: Why are you trying to trick g-d with loopholes? 🙄🙄🙄🙄

[stylized-corpse]

Tonight! Ratpiss is playing A Varning from Montreal alongside Vestigio, Zeal, Warkrusher, Absolut, Total Nada, Tàrrega 91’, and Terminal Filth!

[femboyishcharm]

i am once again begging astarion to quit successfully negging my poor tav

[townofcadence]

🌺 to Artair for Reverb, Caesar, and Steph, please!

Flower for your Muse

"I tried not to go too crazy." Artair rubs at his neck, before he offers each one:

Reverb

It's a mostly green and white bouquet, with a splash of orange and yellow near the center. The outer edges are dappled with strawberry blossoms, twined around long stalks headed by white and yellow blooms of chinese chives. At the center is an orange crown of flowers that hang from the bottom of the stem with a frond of wild green to top plant; they were a few crown imperials, bundled together, almost as wild as his hair when disguised as a human.

Ceasar

Ceasar's is more colorful, an array of cool and warm purples. The largest flowers, Roses of Althea, come in both pale, cool purples almost lilac in shade, and warmer ones that are almost pink, with red near the base of the petals. It is a type of hibiscus, and that is evident by the base where a small pistil grows. To contrast against the pastel brightness, there are also flowers so purple and dark they almost appear black. The edges of the dark geraniums are more saturated, rimming them like neon in a brighter, more intense purple. And throughout the bouquet are white basalm flowers in small white clusters with petals that almost look like ruffled fabric.

Steph

The bouquet is an array of long stalks of wild arum, in all manner of saturated, bright colors, mostly yellows, reds, pinks and whites. They are surrounded by a collection of small wild daisies, white with bright yellow eyes that help the arum pop brightly. the whole of them are tied together with akoko, the leaves a sage green, but dotted with strange looking blooms with small appendages surrounding what looks like the bud, almost giving it a strange, alien appearance.

[solselah]

✨SECRETS ?✨

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

PILE 1 : So someone wants to tell you

SO BAD that they are scared of intimacy & being Open !! For them it doesn’t matter WHO you are it has been a persistent issue for them in life. They are trying their best to hide this from you , you can tell they don’t want to sabotage the beginning of something Amazing! They are holding back communicating to you that this is an issue they deal with. They tend to run when things get a little hard & they are TRYING to hold that back from you! They just don’t want to have to move on because of it. Honestly your understanding would touch them in a way they never felt before , prompting them to at least try to be transparent!! They are afraid of the karma they will receive from keeping this from you !! You can always ask to have a conversation and see how that goes as far as I see , it can go pretty well & encourage healthy habits!!

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

PILE 2:

Awee this is so adorable !!!

You have a lover or crush who secretly is in love with you (Too?) but the love where it’s so Mushy so sweet & pure!! They speak to their guides & ancestors/God about you!! They explain to them that you take such good care of yourself & Your just the definition of love for them! They leave this a secret because they want the seduction to like never END ! It just spices the dynamic up 100% they secretly watch you , definitely does not seem weird more so like if you’re walking by they are checking you out! they are looking for sure! You’re what we would call a

“secret lover”✨

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

PILE 3: soooo …. I’m getting two scenarios one is that There is some one intending to do magic on you !! I’m getting their name starts with the following

(N,L,S,U,D,C) for this next scenario you could be practicing mirror magic or Doing beauty spells which currently help your self love journey out 100%!!

I’m also seeing someone could be jealous of the results of these spells … it seems to also be some form of mirror magic / Beauty magic they want to “Reverse” I truly hear that someone is jealous of your looks! You’re looking like a baddie always / your looking handsome always & they really just can’t take it! The energy I’m feeling from them is Very bored & Powerless! Like this attempt to Put magic on you … or attempt to reverse yours!

this persons magic WILL NOT dare leave the 3D haha ! Little do they know your ANGELS are on GO ! & you have this natural connection to KALI MA who has been fighting these battles alongside you those that you can’t see fully ! Don’t you even worry. This persons magic is so petite & kind of already Got blocked by their own guides 😬 that’s how you know it’s petty!!

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

PILE 4:

The secret being hidden from you is the change you’re about to go through !! I’m not permitted to say too much but I will say it will have everything to do with public scenery , Party scene , and entertainment!! You will be stepping out a zone you haven’t left since maybe high school or even middle school for some !! This will change your personality and character for the better !! People wont even recognize your maturity and new zeal for life !! I’m so excited for you to experience this change and enjoy it as much as you can !! Later in life things will slow down in the sweetest way! For those who have been apartment hunting and looking for a HOUSE , this is coming in sooner than you think!! Also quick reminder to Someone make sure you Update your important information

License , certificates , Paper work etc , you may have someone who wants to double check so I would even make some copies if possible! Its always Beneficial to be over prepared than to be unprepared in totality. :)

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

Hope you enjoy ✨

IG: @soleccentric

[petermorwood]

Plot Wheels

I showed a couple of examples, one old, one modern, on this post.

The old wheel was one of several supposedly used by "Perry Mason" writer Erle Stanley Gardner, and while the photo on the other post is an exercise in squinting, this website has the transcribed information from at least four wheels.

Here they are, though some - "servant", "heroine's maid" - are showing their age, so tweak and update as required.

I wouldn't suggest relying heavily on these - but at the same time, Gardner produced 119 or 82, the number varies, Perry Mason novels and according to Wikipedia at the time of his death was the best-selling American author of the 20th century.

So he may have been onto something after all... ;->

*****

A: Wheel Of Hostile Minor Characters Whose Function Is Making Complications For The Hero

These folks put obstacles in the hero's way and make it difficult for them to reach their goal.

1. Hick detective. 2. Attorney. 3. Newspaper reporter. 4. Detective. 5. Business rival. 6. Rival in love. 7. Father of heroine. 8. Blackmailer. 9. Gossip. 10. Meddlesome friend. 11. Suspicious servant. 12. Hostile dog. 13. Spy. 14. Incidental crook. 15. Hotel detective. 16. Thickheaded police.

B: Wheel Of Complicating Circumstances

1. Hero is betrayed to villain by spies. 2. Every move the hero makes takes him from the frying pan and puts him into the fire. 3. Heroine's maid is a spy. 4. Father of heroine is hostile to the hero. 5. Detective believes the hero is guilty and tries to arrest him/her at a critical time. 6. Hero commits an incidental crime. For example, he/she is caught speeding and is arrested. 7. Witness mistakes hero for villain. 8. Hero violates the law and is sought. 9. Heroine's mind is poisoned against the hero. 10. Some character is not as represented. 11. Rival in love tries to discredit the hero. 12. Zeal of hick cop upsets plans.

C: Wheel of Blind Trails By Which The Hero Is Misled or Confused

1. Witness lies. 2. A document is forged. 3. A witness is planted. 4. A client conceals something. 5. A client misrepresents something. 6. A friend pretends to betray the hero. 7. The villains assistant pretends to betray the hero. 8. A vital witness refuses to talk. 9. False confessions. 10. Genuine mistakes. 11. A witness takes flight. 12. A witness is kidnapped. 13. A witness commits suicide. 14. A witness sells out. 15. Planted clues. 16. Impossible statements.

D. Wheel of Solutions

How the hero surmounts the obstacles thrown in his way.

1. Gets villain to betray himself through greed. 2. Gets the villain to, of his own free will, plant additional evidence. 3. Plants fake evidence to confuse the villain. 4. Fakes circumstances so the villain will think he / she has been discovered. 5. Tricks the hero's accomplice into confessing. 6. Villain is hoist by his / her own petard. 7. Villain killed while he / she is trying to frame someone. 8. Gets villain to overreach himself/herself. 9. Meets trickery with horse-sense. 10. Squashes obstacles by sheer courage. 11. Turns villains against each other. 12. Traps [tricks?] villain into betraying a hiding place. Hero either a) creates a fake fire, or b) gives him / her something else to conceal, or c) makes it necessary for the villain to flee (and so must take something out of the hiding place).

[hanamukes]

Hrnn........... them............................

[hannahbarberra162]

Under the Microscope, Part 9

18+ MDNI on Ao3

All the other chapters

Sabo's back :)

Ty to @gouraminnow for beta-ing and letting me borrow their braincell.

Your POV

You were happy for Ace, you truly were, but now that the experiment was a success you needed to get moving. You weren’t able to find out exactly when Sabo would be returning but Ace had told you his ship had already set sail for the island. In order for Ace to uphold his end of the bargain, you’d have to leave very soon otherwise you’d risk leaving while Sabo was returning. Instead of preparing for a sea voyage, Ace wanted to show you every single one of his old techniques and a few new ones as well. You also wanted to leave the island because you were worried Ace was going to burn it to the ground - and you along with it - in his zeal to show off his regained powers.

“I had so much time to think about new moves in Impel Down, whaddya think about this one?” Ace yelled, burning a blaze in an outward stretching spiral, nearly reaching where you stood on the porch. He’d been demonstrating all his moves to you, asking what you thought of each one and expecting you to tell him what you liked about each. 

“Very, um, interesting. Different from the last one that was also a spiral but with a cannon in the middle. But, Ace, can we pack up?” you asked, wringing your hands. You didn’t think Sabo’s ship was on the horizon but you itched to check with your magnification. Ace tilted his head quizzically.

“Pack?... oh, right. You wanna head out before Sabo comes, yeah. Sure, we gotta check on Striker first. Sabo’s been running it every so often but with how much he’s been gone lately it might need some minor maintenance. It’s on the far beach, we can look at it now,” Ace said, already brushing off his yukata from the dirt and soot he’d accumulated burning the plants. Ace waited for you as you ran up to where he was in the smoking field in front of the house. The smell of charred vegetation permeated the area as you walked side by side down the rocky path towards the far beach. Ace had a bounce in his step and was humming to some unknown tune while you walked together. 

“Thank you,” Ace said, facing forward while he walked next to you.

“Ah, you’re welcome. I’m glad it all worked out,” you replied happily, patting his back affectionately. You hoped your paths crossed again once you were free, you’d come to enjoy Ace’s company a lot during your stay on the island.

“I won’t tell anyone how I got my powers back. I’ll leave it as another unsolved mystery on the Grand Line. Because, you know, if anyone found out, well…your life would be even more over than it already is,” Ace said with a smile while your own dropped.

“W-what? What do you mean?” you asked, kicking a pebble down the path.

“Well, what do you think would happen if the Marines found out you’d made a Logia devil fruit? Or Kaido? Or Big Mom? I think even Shanks would be interested. Now that you’ve made one fruit, the possibilities are endless, right? You could make any kind of fruit, or anything else, really. You’re a powerful resource to have control over,” Ace said, pushing his hair back from his forehead. You felt sweat trickling down your back as your heart rate increased. In your haste to get away from the island, you’d been short sighted in your thinking. Ace was right, if anyone - if the World Government found out - you shuddered thinking of the possibilities. Your vision narrowed as you thought about the implications of your completed work. What had you been thinking, bringing another devil fruit into the world? You’d already caused so much destruction and devastation and now you’d provided the means for even more. 

“But you s-said you wouldn’t -” you whispered, grabbing Ace’s bicep and stopping him mid step along the path. 

“And I won’t, I promise. I can keep a secret, trust me. Almost nobody knew I was Gol D. Roger’s son until I was executed for it.” Ace said, his hand on the back of your neck as he looked you in the eyes. You had grown to trust Ace, you wanted to believe his promise but you weren’t sure how far he’d go against his own brother. He pushed your neck so your head leaned forward, placing his forehead gently against your own.

“I’m gonna help you, you don’t have to worry. Me ‘n Sabo are gonna keep you safe, no matter what,” Ace said, his hand keeping your foreheads touching. Ace’s words felt like a solemn vow more than a promise. Your anxiety churned as he mentioned Sabo, his brother’s return souring your mood even further. Ace’s casual acceptance of your desire to get off the island had you worried - either he wasn’t really going to help you or he truly didn’t think you’d get far from the island. You pulled back with your neck and Ace released you, giving you another smile as you grimaced.

“ ‘Course I’m gonna help ya, you’ve given me my life back. ‘N I’m stronger than I was before I died, I’ve been working on my haki. So with that, my power, and Sabo, no one’s ever gonna hurt you again. And just wait till you meet Luffy, he’s gonna love you too,” Ace said, his smile widening across his freckled cheeks. You bit your bottom lip as you heard the conviction in his voice. It felt like the net around you had tightened even as Ace was bringing you to his boat.

Approaching the shore, your heart sank as you saw the small craft bobbing gently on the waves. It was a fine boat but it was tiny . You only saw a single seat, directly over a charred metal pit caked in soot. The pit was likely the means of propulsion for the craft, powered by the Mera Mera user. Which left…not much room for you to sit. Not only that but prior experience told you that the smaller the craft was, the worse your sea sickness would be. You’d been so ill on the larger ship with Sabo, you couldn’t imagine what a multi-day journey on Striker would be like for you. But if you wanted your freedom, you were going to have to try. Ace had waded into the water where Striker was anchored and was admiring his boat, running his hands over the hull.

“Isn’t it awesome? Survived Marineford, too. Deuce ‘n me made it together, I’ve told you about him. I can’t wait to introduce you two, I know he’d like you. Sabo won’t admit it, but I’m the better sailor of the two of us. Like yeah, he stole that ship when we were 10 -”

“What?” you tried to interject. Stole a ship? As a child? You knew your question wouldn’t be answered anytime soon since Ace was already fixated on a subject and yammering. You’d have to clarify what he meant later, after Ace’s thought had run its course. 

“But that barely counts, I was the Commander of the navigation division for Whitebeard, that’s gotta count for something. Had like 200 crew working under me, navigating the main ship and all the smaller craft too. And I took Striker to Wano and back, sailed all over the world, Alabasta, everywhere,” Ace continued talking as you chewed on a fingernail. You’d never really put thought into what it meant to be a Yonko Commander but it made sense Ace would be in charge of others. He’d also mentioned being the Captain of his own crew during some of the stories he’d told you about his life. You could see why people were drawn to him - to his charisma, his charm, his easy but firm leadership style. You’d grown attached to him yourself but that didn’t mean you wanted to spend the rest of your life together.

“Yeah, she’s gonna need a touch of work, not too bad though. We gotta go back to the house anyway, gotta pack things for the trip. Gonna need food, water, clothes, things like that. Don’t need any blankets anymore though, you got me to keep you warm,” Ace said, beaming at you. You were now chewing through another nail as you thought of the long journey ahead of you. 

“Where’re we going, anyway?” Ace asked, walking through the water back to shore. Your mouth twisted in thought as you realized your plan had more holes than a sieve. You couldn’t go to your home island as you didn’t want anything to happen to your family when Sabo came looking for you. You might be able to go to an island with a  Marine base, but it’s not like Ace could drop you off at their front door given his background. You could get dropped at a random island but you didn’t have any money to get back to a Marine base and you weren’t sure Ace had any either. While scrambling to think of alternatives, Ace ruffled your hair.

“Eh, we can go find Law, he’ll know what to do. You might be able to hitch a ride with him for a while until Sabo finds you,” Ace suggested. You perked up at the idea of staying with Law on his submarine. Maybe he’d discuss the applications of his fruit with you…or maybe the two of you could work on combining your powers and doing something really interesting…maybe you could publish your findings…your name next to Law’s on an article would really boost your career…

“You might want to get those hearts out of your eyes. He’s dating Luffy now,” Ace teased, shaking off his wet feet on the beach.

“I wasn’t thinking about kissing him!” you scoffed as your face heated at Ace’s suggestion.

“Nah, you were probably thinking about asking to write an article together,” Ace correctly guessed, making you flush even harder. “Actually, maybe we should find Luff first, I’m not sure what Law told him or didn’t tell him, he likes to maintain an air of mystery,” Ace said, rolling his eyes. “But no matter where we’re going, we have to hit the house first, I gotta get my clothes, my hat, my Log Pose, lotsa stuff,” Ace said. 

“Hey Ace, um, you should know, I get seasick when I’m on boats,” you said, hugging your arms across your chest.

“Ah, that’s no big deal, lotsa people do. Half an hour after we set sail you won’t feel it anymore. I’m a great sailor, you’ll see,” Ace declared. You hummed - you had plenty of confidence in Ace’s ability to pilot his boat but not so much in your own ability to remain conscious during the duration of the voyage. It was a calculated risk you had to take to get off the island. Heading back to the house on the worn path, Ace started walking faster and faster until he was practically running back to the house. 

“C’mon! Let’s go!” Ace cheered happily, urging you to also go quicker. Even though this was all part of your plan, your feet felt like lead as you plodded back to the house.

Sabo’s POV

Things were different than Sabo had expected upon his return to the island. Sabo knew you weren’t going to run up and kiss him (though he’d imagined it many times) but he didn’t think he would be greeted by…no one. Walking up to the house, he saw charred vegetation along the path, reminding him of what his room at the RA had looked like before he’d gained full control of his powers. The porch was likewise scorched, though Sabo didn’t remember leaving it in such a state. Setting the crate he was carrying on the wooden slats, Sabo was about to push in the door to the house when he saw…Ace…on Striker…zooming by on the far side of the shore. Sabo blinked. He was dreaming, he must still be back on the ship and in his bed.

Ace kept sailing by, passing the RA boat Sabo had sailed on during the voyage. He pulled Striker to a stop, hailing the ship. Shortly thereafter, he turned the boat towards the shore and turned his legs to fire to start the engine. Even from afar, Sabo could tell he was shirtless and wearing his iconic orange cowboy hat, his hand keeping the hat from flying away in the wind as his smile shined so bright it rivaled the sun itself. Sabo laughed, this was a great dream. He didn’t think Ace would want to hear about it but he’d write it down when he woke up so he could reflect on it later. 

Except.

Dream Ace stopped Striker close to the shore and waded to the rocky beach, grinning so wide it almost looked maniacal. Ace’s chest bore the scar of his near-demise but he seemed to be bearing it proudly with his red beaded necklace accentuating the mark. 

“Saaaaaaaabooooooooooo,” Ace called in a sing-song voice, putting his hand by his mouth to accentuate the noise. Sabo started walking towards him, nearly tripping off the porch, flailing slightly. Maybe…he wasn’t hallucinating. Which meant… well, Sabo wasn’t sure what exactly. Sabo thought it was his brother but grabbed his pipe just in case. 

“Saaaaaaaabooooooooooo,” Ace repeated, now jogging towards his sworn brother. 

“Ace, you’re kind of freaking me out, what’s going on? How were you piloting Striker? Where’s Sunny?” Sabo asked, meeting Ace halfway down the path to the beach. Ace gave Sabo a shit eating grin and Sabo knew that he had been up to something big. 

“Nice to see you too, Sa D. Bo,” Ace replied, not answering any of Sabo’s queries. Sabo narrowed his eyes but gave his brother a back breaking hug anyway, laughing when Ace spun him in a circle. The truth would come out eventually and Sabo was happy to see Ace feeling better, smiling, laughing and even wearing his old clothes. Something had shifted for the better during his absence.

“Alright, put me down, shrimp,” Sabo demanded, pushing Ace backwards. 

“You’re only 2 cm taller, baby boy,” Ace replied. He was shifting from foot to foot in his old leather boots, excited about something. Sabo had a feeling he wasn’t going to be as excited when he whatever Ace had cooked up.

“So how were you on Striker? Used a heat dial or something?” Sabo asked, trying to get information out of Ace.

“Or something is right,” Ace said, turning his first two fingers into fire and pushing his cowboy hat further up his head.

“I - Ace - what are - Ace -” Sabo searched Ace’s face to try and understand what was happening. 

“Sunny fixed me! She made me another Mera Mera! Now we can really find out who’s stronger,” Ace said flexing his muscles. Without warning, Sabo’s eyes filled with tears as the enormity of the moment settled on his shoulders. Sabo grabbed Ace and pulled him back into a full body hug, openly crying on his shoulder while Ace patted his back. “ ‘S alright Babo. She really did it, I’m fine. Didn’t blow up or anything. I’m back,” Ace said quietly, comforting his brother. Sabo was still crying as he pushed Ace away and wiped his runny nose on his sleeve. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief, now that Ace had finally turned a corner in his life. They’d made it, they’d suffered for so long together and now Ace could finally move on, they could be together like they used to, just three brothers, nothing standing between them, no amnesia, no dying, no wars, no fruits, nothing but them and Luffy, ready to take on the world.

“A-ace! What the fuck are you talking about?! She made you another fruit? How - why - Ace - that’s so…INCREDIBLY STUPID!” Sabo finished with a yell. His own hands were shaking as he felt anger wash over him despite the sense of felicity he’d felt just moments before. Ace was laughing, his hand scratching the back of his head.

“It’s not funny you shithead! What if you had died -” Sabo pulled his hand back to punch Ace in his stupid face.

“But I didn’t!” Ace giggled, easily dodging the hit.

“What if you’d gotten injured? Or suffered other effects?” Sabo now had his pipe in his hands, approaching his brother in a battle stance.

“But I didn’t!” Ace said, still smiling despite crouching down, happily readying himself for a fight.

“And what about Sunny? How on earth did you get her to agree to this? I know she wouldn’t have done this on her own without you telling her to,” Sabo pushed, wanting to hear the whole story. Ace’s smile faltered and his eyes flicked to the house for a moment. Sabo stood up, anger forgotten for the moment as he started worrying about Sunny again. “Ace, what did you do?” Sabo asked imploringly, now leaning on his pipe.

“ I didn’t do anything, she was the one who came up with the deal,” Ace said, already crossing his arms defensively. Sabo sighed, they were in for a long discussion.

“Ace, please. I need to know what’s going on, don’t leave me in the dark,” Sabo pleaded. “Besides, I brought more coffee for the house, I know the two of you drank through what we had,” Sabo said, trying to bribe Ace into sitting down. They weren’t far from the building but Sabo needed Ace to focus on what was happening, not on his apparent recovery of his power, though that needed quite a bit of discussion as well.

“Fine, but you’ll have to be quiet, she’s sleeping,” Ace replied, linking his arm in Sabo’s as they ambled the short distance back to the house. Sabo turned his head to Ace, eyebrows drawn.

“Why’s she sleeping? It’s the evening, she never naps now,” Sabo asked as he picked up the crate and brought it inside, putting it by the stairs. 

“Well, uh, I had to um…drug her,” Ace said sheepishly, stomping up the steps to the house and throwing himself on the couch after forgetting his own directive for quiet.

“Drug her? Why? I thought you’ve been keeping her from working too much?” Sabo asked, wondering why he thought Ace was up to the task of preventing someone’s self destructive habits.

“Um, well, see…the thing is…she wouldn’t stop throwing up,” Ace replied uneasily, trying to hide his face from Sabo by pretending to inspect the couch.

“Ace! Why didn’t you ugh that’s serious! Is she sick -” Sabo’s mind was racing with potential viruses and illnesses that Sunny could have contracted on the island.

“Yeah, she got seasick. She told me before I took her on Striker but I didn’t realize how severe it was. I wanted to bring her back earlier but she kept wanting to stay on the boat longer and longer until I put my foot down and brought her back. Even after she was on land, she kept vomiting and vomiting. Had to carry her into the house she was so weak. So I panicked and…drugged her,” Ace said in a hurry, looking upstairs as he spoke.

“That’s not gonna help her you fucking idiot! She needed medicine! And I thought we were done drugging her!” Sabo was frustrated at both of them - Ace for his lack of medical knowledge and Sunny for her stubborn attitude staying out on the boat when she clearly couldn’t handle it.

“I know, I panicked. I didn’t know what all the stuff in the medicine cabinet was for and Sunny was too sick to help me. She’s fine, by the way, I was checking on her,” Ace mumbled, crossing his arms again. Sabo didn’t want Ace to feel worse than he already did, he probably did the best he could under the tense circumstances.

“It’ll be OK, Ace. Thank you for checking on her, I’m sure she’s fine. But we can’t just drug her to sleep to solve all our problems,” Sabo said evenly as Ace snorted.

“How did you get her nails for the vivre card then?” Sabo’s face turned bright red as Ace quirked a brow.

“How do you know I had a vivre card made?”

“Please, Sabo. I’m stupid but I’m not an idiot. You did, didn’t you?” Ace said, tipping his hat back off his head and stretching his feet to rest on the coffee table in front of him.

“I mean yeah, I did,” Sabo huffed, pulling the paper out of his pocket.

“Gimme some of it too, she’s grown on me. She’s like the opposite of me - she’s really smart but she’s also an idiot. Self destructive, can’t fight or defend herself, makes bad choices. Needs watching,” Ace declared. It warmed Sabo’s heart that Ace had taken you under his wing as well, just as he suspected would happen. Sabo ripped the paper in half and handed one to Ace, who folded it and put it in his shorts pocket. Sabo’s attention wandered over to the bar, where there seemed to be some kind of experiment set up with a multitude of cups and bowls filled with liquid.

“What’s she doing over there?” Sabo asked while walking to inspect it himself, curious about the contents of the containers.

“Those are her pets, don’t touch ‘em,” Ace said flatly. Sabo saw that there were several notes scrawled with the words “ ACE DON’T TOUCH >:(“ near the containers. Sabo chuckled as he read the increasingly angry notes from Sunny.

“Let me guess, you touched ‘em,” Sabo said, putting down a note detailing the violence Sunny would inflict upon Ace if he bothered ‘Mita’ and ‘Condra’. 

“How was I supposta know they’re not just water?! I drank a few, so what? She got mad at me, apparently she was messing with them, changing their genes or something,” Ace said, pouting on the couch. Sabo started opening the cupboards, looking to see what needed to be restocked. To his surprise, most staples were still there except for rice and potatoes, which were completely gone.

“Sabo, can you make me something? I’m hungry,” Ace complained. 

“What have you guys been eating? It doesn’t look like much has been touched here -”

“I make potato salad for lunch and Sunny makes jambalaya for dinner,” Ace answered, already salivating at the thought of food. He had come to the island and was leaning on his arms, watching Sabo take ingredients out of the cupboards.

“Those sound good. What else did you guys eat?”

“No, that’s it. Potato salad for lunch, jambalaya for dinner,” Ace stated. Sabo blinked several times, trying to understand.

“You ate…the same thing…every day…for nearly a month? Just potato salad and jambalaya? That’s why there’s no more rice or potatoes?” Sabo inquired, barely able to process the information.

“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Ace said, rolling his eyes. “We didn’t know how to make anything else, so that’s what we ate. ‘S pretty good though. Could actually go for some jambalaya right now, do you know how to make it?” Ace asked, rubbing his chin. Sabo closed his eyes, willing himself to drop the issue. He didn’t have it in him to discuss why the two of them ate….he’d teach them how to cook a third dish another time. Sabo opened his eyes and looked at his happy, healthy, hungry brother. They were quiet for a moment, staring at one another.

“So. It worked? The fruit - it’s - it’s the same? You’re back?” Sabo asked hesitatingly, watching the joy rise in Ace’s face as the tension melted away.

“Wanna find out? I know I can kick your ass, I’ve seen you using my moves. Lemme show you how they’re really supposed to be done,” Ace taunted his brother, rising off the couch and stretching as a cocky grin plastered itself on his features.

“Pff. Please, I’ve been doing things you’ve never even dreamed of, Portgas. I’m this close to awakening it before you can,” Sabo said, pinching his forefinger and thumb together. He wasn’t, but he knew it would annoy Ace.

“Is that so? Come outside and say that to my face,” Ace said, spreading his arms wide as he walked towards the exit. Sabo gave Ace a wicked smile and promptly tackled his brother out the door, the two of them on equal footing at last.

Your POV

You dreamed of immense fire, a blaze big enough to swallow the island whole. But no matter how hot the fire became, you were never burned completely. You were so drowsy but at one point you woke to the sounds of Ace and Sabo yelling and fighting. Peeking out the window, you saw the two of them in a completely scorched circle, yelling and ranting at one another.

“Are you kidding?! That’s your hiken? They don’t call me Fire Fart Ace, put muscle into it -” Ace said as he exploded a column of fire towards his brother.

“- shut the fuck up! Unless you want to be thrown by my talons again, get over here you wet rat looking ass!” Sabo yelled at his brother as he ran into Ace, headbutting him in his chest. Ace kicked his brother in the stomach, causing both of them to turn to fire and separate once more.

“Pfff please. Talons or not, you’re never gonna -”

“Otebisha!” Sabo cut off his brother with another hiken followed by a stream of fire that traveled upwards towards the house. Ace watched with his mouth agape, then he grinned. You didn’t like that grin.

“Yeah? Going high up? C’mon Sabo - hikyaku!” Ace’s legs turned to fire as he blasted into the air to continue fighting his brother. You yawned, you still felt woozy from earlier in the day. Maybe they’d kill each other - or not - but you wanted to go back to sleep. You just hoped Ace remembered you were in the house if they burned it down. Laying back down, you closed your eyes and were fast asleep before Sabo’s next counter attack.

At some point, you felt a touch on your forehead, testing your temperature.

“ ‘G’way Ace, don’ wan’ potato salad,” you grumbled. You wanted to go back to sleep, even though you’d been sleeping for hours. 

“I don’t have any to offer you,” a voice replied. Your eyes popped open as you realized it wasn’t Ace with you in the room.

“Hi, Sabo,” you said quietly, moving to sit up in bed. Your voice was scratchy from all the vomiting you’d done that morning.

“Hi, Sunny,” Sabo replied, staring at you as he sat on the bed, arms crossed. You shivered under his gaze, it was colder than you’d remembered. You’d seen this intensity before but it had never been directed at you. He’d never been at a loss for words either, his sudden silence a departure from the chattiness you were used to. “Ace informed me you’ve been quite busy in my absence,” he said, facial expression icy as he spoke.

“Um, yeah, I mean, I think - I guess so. He, um, told you? That I, um, made the, um, Mera Mera?” you stammered out your sentence, bringing a nail to your mouth to chew on. Sabo intercepted your hand and pinned it down to your thigh, preventing you from engaging in your bad habit.

“Mmm. Quite a decision. And his end of the deal was that he was supposed to take you where?” Sabo asked, tilting his head. You bit your lip, your eyes bouncing around Sabo’s face to try to find a shred of mercy in him. 

“Um, I didn’t, um. I didn’t get that far, he - I - um, I didn’t, um, I was on Striker -” Sabo frowned at you and your blood ran cold.

“Stop. I warned you not to try to leave the island, did I not? I warned you not to work too hard, did I not?” Sabo asked, gripping your chin between his gloved fingers. He was forcing you to look into his face as he eviscerated you with his words. You felt tears pricking the corners of your eyes but you willed them not to fall.

“Y-yes, you did,” you replied as Sabo held you in his gaze for a few moments longer. You desperately wanted to jerk yourself away but you knew better than to play when Sabo was like this. Finally, he let go and sighed, holding his head in his hands. 

“Sunny, what were you thinking?” Sabo asked, exasperated. He picked his head up from his hands and gave you a tired look. You guessed he’d already heard what had happened from Ace but all you felt was relief that the Sabo you knew was present again, not the Flame Emperor that had scared you nearly to tears. “No, really Sunny, what were you thinking? I mean, of course I’m grateful that Ace has his Mera Mera and that he’s got his powers back, but how stupid can you be ?” You winced as Sabo’s words struck your core. 

“I didn’t think -”

“Yeah, I know you didn’t think, that’s the problem. You’ve changed the foundations of the world! If anyone knew what you can do, what you’ve already done - the potential is limitless -”

“-but Ace said he wouldn’t tell anyone,” you said quietly. Sabo rolled his eyes and stood up to pace the room.

“Ace won’t tell anyone, I’m not worried about him. But that doesn’t keep you safe, someone’s going to put everything together. So, unfortunately for you, we’re going to have to go back to the RA headquarters sooner than I anticipated. Ace is planning on leaving the island and you’ve shown me that I can’t leave you here alone,” he said, giving you a pointed look. You looked down at your shaking hands, feeling your anxiety climbing higher the longer Sabo spoke. 

“I already called the ship, they’re waiting for us to get our things together to leave. I brought you more clothes so you don’t have to pack as many as you’d normally need. And, ah, Koala explained to me that bras don’t just come in small, medium, and large, so I hope everything fits,” Sabo explained, a faint blush tinting his cheeks towards the end of his statement. You gave Sabo a small smile, hopeful he was done reprimanding you. He looked at you, almost pityingly, and cupped your cheek with his gloved hand.

“I just…I really am thankful for what you’ve done for Ace. And your accomplishments are…beyond my wildest imagination. I knew you were a genius, but what you’ve created is…astounding Sunny. I just wish you’d done things differently. That you trusted me more, told me what was going on,” he said, rubbing your cheek with his thumb. You felt small and stupid, how could you have thought your plan was going to work? That you’d out maneuver the second in command of the Revolutionary Army? 

Sabo let go of your face and reached into the interior pocket of his suit, revealing a small wooden box. “I had this made for you, I hope you like it,” he said, putting it in your palm. You opened the container gingerly, gasping when you saw what was inside. It was a silver bangle bracelet and the shanks looked like intertwining vines. Adorning the vines were a few stylized flame flowers, like the ones found on the island. Your fingers shook as you picked it up out of the box. You didn’t think you’d ever seen jewelry so fine, much less been given any.

“Oh, Sabo. It’s lovely,” you said, turning the bracelet over in your fingers. “Are you sure it’s for me?” you asked, unsure that you deserved such finery. Sabo’s face softened as he watched your reaction to his present. 

“I’m sure, Love. Here, let me put it on you,” he said as he held his hand out. You delicately placed the band in his palm and held out your wrist. Opening the bracelet, Sabo put your wrist in the middle and closed it, a small snick the indication that the lock had caught. Turning the bracelet over on your wrist you admired its beauty but were struck by a sudden feeling of wrongness. You felt weak, like you were waterlogged and unable to move your limbs. You pulled on the bracelet to open it and take it off. It didn’t budge. 

“Sabo, please take this off,” you said, tugging on the bracelet. It no longer felt like a bracelet, but a shackle. You were getting increasingly frantic, trying to pry open the bracelet where it had locked. Sabo’s frown had returned as you clawed at the bracelet.

“No. I already warned you what would happen if you tried to escape. The bracelet is imbued with seastone and it won’t open without the key. Stop trying to take it off, you’ll only hurt yourself,” Sabo said firmly, unmoved by your distress.

“Sabo, please, I’m sorry - next time I won’t - I won’t try again, please, I’m sorry!” you wailed, now trying to pull the bracelet over your hand, impeded by your thumb joint. Sabo stilled your movements by putting his hand over your wrist.

“I’m glad you’re sorry, but that’s not enough. I told you that if you tried to escape it would make us both unhappy, that I would have to restrict your freedom. Show me you can be good and I’ll consider taking it off. Until then it stays on,” Sabo said, standing up from the bed and crossing the room. 

“I wish you trusted me more. But until you do, this is how things will be,” Sabo said, exiting the room and shutting the door. The sound of a key in the lock was the last thing you heard before you broke down in heavy sobs.

Taglist: @mfreedomstuff @epochal-oracle

[probablyasocialecologist]

Thousands have hit the streets in NYC, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and dozens of other cities. A DC protest organized by Jewish activist groups drew thousands, and hundreds were later arrested, including two dozen Rabbis. An estimated 25,000 people showed up to a rally in Chicago. These events show no signs of stopping, with many more planned across the coming days. These actions have gone beyond marches, with protesters showing up at the offices and homes of politicians demanding a ceasefire. Six activists were arrested at a pro-Palestine rally outside the Boston office of Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). A large crowd demonstrated outside the Brooklyn home of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Jewish protesters showed up outside the Brentwood house of VP Kamala Harris. IfNotNow members have held sit-ins at the DC offices of Schumer, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA). Former staffers for Warren, Sanders, and Senator John Fetterman have publicly urged the lawmakers to back a ceasefire. On October 25, tens of thousands of students across more than 100 North American campuses united in a walkout to demand an immediate ceasefire, an end to unconditional support for Israel, and university divestment from the corporations funding the occupation of Palestine. On the night of October 27 Jewish activists shut down Grand Central Station, leading to the arrest of over 300 people. “This is bigger than we’ve ever seen,” US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) Executive Director Ahmad Abuznaid told Mondoweiss. “This is the result of decades of work that we’ve put into this movement, and I think some of it is connected to the [George Floyd protests of 2020]. There was so much racial, social justice, anti-war building in that moment.

[...]

“The man broke my heart,” Palestinian-American comedian Maysoon Zayid told Politico on October 23, “I never in my life thought the empathizer-in-chief would sound the way he did. The Palestinians were given no humanity. Joe Biden should spend every breath he has condemning Israel’s genocide with the same zeal he condemned Hamas’ massacre of civilians, that same zeal. And we get nothing. 1,000 children are dead, and we get nothing.” “It’s really crazy to me that the Democratic party destroyed 20-years of worth of good will with Muslims and Arabs in just 2 weeks, losing an entire generation that was raised in the progressive coalition, possibly forever,” tweeted author and activist Eman Abdelhadi. “The rapidity of it, the finality–it’s astonishing.” “While Republican disregard for Muslim and Arab lives is clearly on display, some Muslim and Arab Americans also feel like the Democratic Party largely takes their vote for granted, though Democrats’ policies never reflect as much,” writes Dana El Kurd in The Nation. “One Arab American friend expressed to me that, at least under Republican administrations, ‘Arabs could find allies’ in their opposition.”

[myfanfic-urfantrash]

C, Z, S for omega aventurine?

Some more Aventurine! :D

cw: omegaverse, nsfw

Cycle - What are their ruts/heats like?

His heats can be debilitating where he can't move from his partially made nest and has a hard time eating. He typically spends his heats alone not trusting anyone to not take advantage of him during his most vulnerable time. This can be tough on him if he wants a knot but doesn't have the energy or strength to use a toy on his own. If he does have a partner though he'd rely on them to help him out be it from helping him eat or giving him the knot he wants with a toy.

Scent - What's their scent like? Is is strong? Light?

He smells like ripe passion fruit. His scent isn't that strong but because he uses cologne to mask his scent it's even harder to catch. The cologne he uses does compliment his scent quite well so if one does manage to figure out his true scent of passion fruit it just makes them like it more.

Zeal - What gets them going when it comes to their mate?

What gets him going is when his mate cares for him. Their genuine care for him makes him feels so overwhelmed by emotion that he just has to show his mate how they make him feel. It's not all at once though it's more of a gradual rise with each bit of care and affection raising the invisible meter until he bursts.

[whencyclopedia]

Odo of Bayeux

Odo of Bayeux (d. 1097 CE) was the bishop of Bayeux in Normandy and half-brother of William the Conqueror (r. 1066-1087 CE). After the Norman conquest of England in 1066 CE, Odo was given vast Anglo-Saxon estates and made, as the Earl of Kent, the second most powerful man in England after the king. The bishop-earl often acted as regent whenever William travelled to Normandy, and he is also the most likely candidate as the sponsor of the Bayeux Tapestry which, made between 1067 and 1079 CE, records the key events of the conquest and presents Odo in a prominent role in the drama. After the conquest, Odo fell out of favour with William, possibly by promoting himself as a candidate for Pope. Ambitious and immensely rich, Odo is portrayed variously as a talented and just ruler or a ruthless pillager of lands and monasteries, depending on which medieval source one favours.

Early Life

The year of Odo's birth is not known, although some historians suggest around 1030 CE, however, we do know he was the half-brother of William, Duke of Normandy, sharing the same mother, Herleve of Falaise, daughter of a wealthy merchant in Rouen. Odo's father was the Norman noble, Herluin de Conteville. William, in a highly unusual appointment, made his teenage brother bishop of Bayeux in 1049 CE. According to William of Poitiers (d. c. 1090 CE), often a flattering recorder of Norman deeds:

This Odo, bishop of Bayeux, was known to excel in affairs both ecclesiastical and secular. In the first place his goodness and prudence is witnessed by the church of Bayeux which with great zeal he set in excellent order and embellished, for though yet young in years he was more mature in capacity than older men. Next, he served all Normandy and added distinction to it. In synods concerned with the affairs of Christ, in councils where secular matters were discussed, he was outstanding both for his discernment and his eloquence. All were agreed that in munificence he had no equal in all of France.

(quoted in Allen Brown, 39)

Continue reading...

[naffeclipse]

Apex Polarity Personality Quiz

This is a small little thing for fun I made in order to have an excuse to make more things for Apex Polarity and its wide aurora of AUs and variations on setting and Y/Ns.

1. Claws, teeth, ravenous appetite, equally as devouring gaze.

To you these qualities describe -

A. A dangerous wild animal

B. Potential husband

C. The stalker who keeps leaving dead things at your address

D. All of the above

E. Are you in danger?

F. Circle if you need help

G. Yes

2. What you look for most in a partner

A. Obsessive feral devotion

B. Good with kids

C. Humble

D. Passionate

E. Good hunter

F. Bear trap level cuddler

G. Serial mental note taker on everything you say and do

H. Overprotective to a fault, perhaps very much at a fault.

3. Your favorite pastime.

A. Immersion in nature and being out in the wilderness

B. A cold dip in the sea

C. Basking in the sun

D. Acting like you're a dolphin

E. Curling up in a warm space

F. Spending quality time with your loved ones

G. The joys of parenthood

4. Your preferred superpower (totally not escape methods)

A. Teleportation

B. Super speed

C. Invisibility

D. Shapeshifting

5. Your favorite animal/animal you resonate with the most

A. Arctic fox, phantomlike and swift, hiding behind snowdrifts when danger stirs. Your instinct is to avoid the grip of vices no matter how tempting, except perhaps if your stomach is involved.

B. Penguin, despite the cold weather and unforgiving ice, you are soft at your epicenter, from inside it radiates, and like a mirror you are equally as besotted by that which is as innocent and gentle.

C. Beluga, spun sweet and melodic, on your voice is carried the play of heartstrings like the gentle waver of quivering arctic waters and dancing sunlight. You sing and although it is fearless, the depths do not murmur in vain.

D. Seal, eccentric and woven into everything you do, you tend to stumble over your nerves but when in your element you are freed from all anxieties. The world may have taught you caution but In time you may learn to embody this grace wholly.

E. Narwhal, reclusive but mystical at the same time, perilously shy, and gentle but possessing fierce zeal in dire situations. Unfortunately, your likeness to a unicorn is reflected in others and far from many intentions are pure.

6. What is the most valuable in your eyes

A. Sentimental things even long years after they've run dry of their practical use

B. Shiny objects like rocks and trinkets

C. Natural wonders and displays of the world's phenomena

D. Food and guaranteed survival

E. Companionship

Score

Count how many like numbers you get (aka, all 4s, 2s, etc) and group them to find how many you got each. The highest quantity number is the winner.

(Important!) - Some answers can have multiple numbers assigned to them, in order of most indicative to least. Add these as well, their order has no meaning or weight on the score itself unless a tie occurs.

Further Explanation Guide

- Totaling - Count the amount of each number separately to see which one got the highest amount, if you get 7 4s, 2 3s, 4 1s and 6 2s, 4 is the winning number because there are the most 4s.

Example - Answered D on 1, D has the numbers 1, 4, and 3. Therefore you would add each a 1, 4 and 3 to the pool of numbers for your result.

- Ties - If you get a tie you use the highest favor number of each answer to settle it, or you can enjoy your multiple results. The most favored number is always the first listed.

Answer Guide

- 1. Claws, teeth, ravenous appetite, equally as devouring gaze. To you these qualities describe -

A - 4, 3 | B - 3, 4 | C - 2, 1, 4 | D - 1, 4, 3

E - 4, 1, 2 | F - 1, 2, 4 | G - 4, 3

- 2. What you look for most in a partner

A - 4 | B - 3, 1, 4, 2 | C - 3, 2, 4 | D - 4, 1

E - 3, 1, 2 | F - 3, 2 | G - 4, 1 | H - 2, 1, 3

- 3. Your favorite pastime

A - 4, 3, 1, 2 | B - 3, 2 | C - 2 | D - 3, 1

E - 4, 2, 3 | F - 3 | G - 3

- 4. Your preferred superpower (totally not escape methods)

A - 4 | B - 3 | C - 2 | D - 1

- 5. Your favorite animal/animal you resonate with the most

A - 1 | B - 3 | C - 1, 2| D - 2 | E - 4, 1

- 6. What is the most valuable in your eyes

A - 4, 3 | B - 1, 3 | C - 4 | D - 1, 2, 3 | E - 3, 2, 4

Results

📷 Polar Y/N - Mostly 4s

🐧 Harpy Y/N - Mostly 3s

🦭 Selkie Y/N - Mostly 2s

🧜 Siren Y/N - Mostly 1s

Let me know if anything felt inaccurate or incorrect. I tried my best while still not reading much of AP because of mental health issues making it really too taxing to read a lot like as in books or fanfiction etc. Most of this is based on the various AU posts for Apex Polarity. You can adjust stuff if you feel like it doesn't fit.