#northern sea devil

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #754

Krøyer's deep sea anglerfish!

The largest of the deep sea anglerfishes, females typically reach 77 cm (30.3 inches) but are able to grow up to 120 cm (47 inches)! Free-living males only hit 1.3 cm (0.5 inches), but upon attaching to a female and fusing onto her side, a mature male can grow in size to 16 cm (6.3 inches).

[a11sunday]

TAGS REDONE.

.　　. 　 ˚　. SOMETIMES IT TAKES MORE COURAGE NOT TO FIGHT ⸻ makino.

.　　. 　 ˚　. DUTY VERSUS FAMILY ̗ WHAT WILL BECOME OF JUSTICE ⸻ monkey d. garp.

.　　. 　 ˚　. I AM THE MAN WHO WILL BECOME KING OF THE PIRATES ⸻ monkey d. luffy.

.　　. 　 ˚　. TAKE ME OUT TO SEA WITH YOU ! A DESIRE TO LIVE ⸻ nico robin.

.　　. 　 ˚　. PRIMADONNA GIRL ̗ ALL I EVER WANTED WAS THE WORLD ⸻ perona.

.　　. 　 ˚　. I AM FIRE ITSELF. YOU CAN'T EVEN TOUCH ME ⸻ portgas d. ace.

.　　. 　 ˚　. A MAN WHO HAS COOKED ON EVERY SEA IN THE WORLD ⸻ red leg zeff.

.　　. 　 ˚　. LOOKS LIKE IT WAS A LITTLE TOO SPICY FOR YOU ! DEVIL OF THE BLUE SEA ⸻ sanji.

.　　. 　 ˚　. THEY CALL HIM THE DARK KING ̗ THE PIRATE KING'S FIRST MATE ⸻ silvers rayleigh.

.　　. 　 ˚　. I WILL BECOME A RELIABLE DOCTOR WHO WILL CURE ANY DISEASE ⸻ tony-tony chopper.

.　　. 　 ˚　. TO BECOME A BRAVE WARRIOR OF THE SEA ⸻ usopp.

.　　. 　 ˚　. PASSION BLEEDS RED ̗ I CAN SEE THE CORE OF YOU ⸻ riku viola.

.　　. 　 ˚　. I WAS BORN WITH A SWORD IN ONE HAND AND YOUR HEAD IN THE OTHER ⸻ clover d. iselda.

.　　. 　 ˚　. LIKE A RELENTLESS BLADE IN THE DARK ⸻ kazumi haru.

.　　. 　 ˚　. PURE LUCID EVIL ̗ I'D SLEEP ALL RIGHT WITH ALL THAT ON TOP OF ME ⸻ nina liu.

.　　. 　 ˚　. AND THE SEA HAS A BELOVED WHOSE NAME ALL NIGHTMARES KNOW ⸻ otorobashi akai.

.　　. 　 ˚　. BLUE LIKE THE SKY THAT HOLDS GROTESQUE DIVINITY ⸻ quetzal d. luna.

.　　. 　 ˚　. RIDING THE NORTHERN WIND INTO TOMORROW ⸻ zephyr.

.　　. 　 ˚　. LET ME GO MAD IN MY OWN WAY. LET ME LIVE WITHOUT ABANDON ⸻ zhi hua.

[herpsandbirds]

Thanks for doing the aussie animals post!! Thorny devil's are just the cutest lil things in the whole wide world. But, out of curiosity, could we get a list of your favourite snakes? Possibly a top 10? (Specific order isn't necessary)

Top 10 Snakes!!!

This is really difficult to narrow down. I truly love snakes.

I'm just gonna give you 10 favorite snakes off the top of my head...

Elephant Trunk Snake (Acrochordus javanicus), family Acrochordidae, southern Thailand

photograph by @rupertsreptiles

Black-banded Trinket Snake aka Red Bamboo Snake (Oreocryptophis porphyraceus), family Colubridae,Thailand

photograph by Thai National Parks

Fea’s Viper, Azemiops kharini, family Viperidae, from China

Venomous.

photograph by 王锦泽

Wagler’s Temple Viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri), female, family Viperidae, found in SE Asia

Venomous.

Photograph by Don Champlin

Yellow-bellied Sea Snake (Hydrophis platurus), family Elapidae, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa

Venomous.

photograph by Tyrone Ping

Tentacled Snake (Erpeton tentaculatum), family Homalopsidae, Thailand

Aquatic and piscivorous.

Rear-fanged, mildly venomous.

photograph by Jonathan Hagström

Kenyan Sand Boa aka Egyptian Sand Boa (Eryx colubrinus), aberrant color/pattern, family Boidae, found in northern and eastern Africa

photograph by @coldblooded_syndicate

Dragon Snake aka Javan Mud Snake (Xenodermus javanicus), family Xenodermidae, Java, Indonesia

The only member of its genus.

Semi-aquatic and semi-fossorial.

photograph by Rachel Cheong

Hairy Bush Viper, Atheris hispida, family Viperidae, from central Africa

Venomous.

photograph by Mark Kostich

Oregon Red-spotted Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus), family Colubridae, Oregon, USA

photograph by Dan Loida Buama-Hyman

[soliloquent-stark]

hey liv!! do u have any stevetony fic recs??

hi!! thank you for asking me this!

because — do i have stevetony fic recs?... OH DO I?!?

i had to really hold back A LOT because i have hundreds of recommendations in my bookmarks, but here are some of my favourites. this post would be insanely long if i included tags, warnings, or summaries, so i hope the categories help a bit but make sure to only read what you're comfortable with as there are plenty of angsty and smutty fics :)

thank you to all of the authors for your wonderful work; you're so appreciated!

it's a bit arbitrary but i considered 'long' anything over 15k

stevetony fic recs masterpost!

short fics — gen/teen

this is our place, we make the rules by @areiton

Forgive The Winters, Keep No Records by @carsonian 

May This Be Love by lellabeth

i would always be yours by @tinystark616 

One Final Surprise by @carsonian

i'll be by your side (when you cry, cry, cry). by frostfall

don't dream it's over by @robertdowneyjjr

submerge me in your will by captainstars (@capnstars)

Paper planes are meant to fly by masterlokisev159

Motherlode by nanasekei

the perfect blend by @downeylove, @robertdowneyjjr

for better or for worse by @earliebirb

the depths of some divine despair by @meidui

Atlas by nanasekei

There he was, like double cherry pie by Wolfsheart (@mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea)

short fics — explicit/mature

The Longing and Yearning by @sineala

always winter, always spring by Mizzy

there are still beautiful things by @meidui

and so begins by romanoff

this love came back to me by @meidui

love can do some damage by parkrstark

my pain fits in the palm of your hand by @meidui

Patriarch by spqr 

In This Valley of Strange Humors by jellybeanforest 

seven years in heaven by @meidui

long fics — gen/teen

Paved With Good Intentions (I'm on the road to hell) by itsallAvengers (@intelligentbees)

the things we invent when we are scared by nanasekei 

Clouds Over A Century Sky by @suitofhumour

Taking the Plunge, a Stitch at a Time by janonny

Nobody Panic, Everything's Fine by itsallAvengers (@intelligentbees)

long fics — explicit/mature

you'll remember me by @areiton

almeno tu nell'universo by @silkspectred

Slipping off the Page into Your Hands by @sineala

All of Your Lonely Sieges by whenasinsilks

Where Our Restless Monsters Sleep by Mizzy

Drawn to You by jellybeanforest

do you fondue? by calciseptine

The Devil in Us All by @sineala

Keep Boredom at Bay by @kandisheek

Of things lost in time by erde (orphan_account) 

The Northern Cascades by @resurrectedhippo

Only Natural to Harden Up by @carsonian

Operation Spank Bank by @fohatic

don't know why it took me so long to see by goodmorningbeloved (3799steps)

the girl with the modern face by @isozyme

I Wanted It To Be You by complicationstoo (@ifmywishescametrue)

Falling For You (Hook, Line, and Sinker) by @festiveferret

Last Stop Before Malibu by justanotherrollingstony (adoctoraday) (@therollingstonys)

Under God by @isozyme

Thrust Issues by @sineala

Indulgence by @festiveferret, One and Five Nines (Obani)

A Guiding Hand by @kandisheek

down the rabbit hole by @starvels (dinosaur)

There's an App for That by Annie D (scaramouche) (@no-gorms)

(what is hate) but jilted love by LemonGrenade

He Knows More Than You Do by @chibisquirt

with a decent happiness by torigates

Throw a Little Hot Rod Red in There by @festiveferret, SirSapling

seaside lovers by @areiton

[hl-obsessed]

my first fic rec ever! faves from the faves: ✨ and fics i would die for: 💎✨

Have I forgotten how to love; remind me once again by Harrystylesisgod24

(M, 108k) After a serious accident, Harry suffers from a case of retrograde amnesia where he hasn't only forgotten the fact that he is a part of the world-famous band, One Direction, but his fiancé, Louis Tomlinson, as well. Despite being immensely grateful for Harry being alive, Niall, Liam, Zayn, and especially Louis, struggle with accepting that Harry might never remember the many things they experienced together; hell, even their friendship is forgotten. And Louis can't quite push away the crippling fear of Harry not remembering that he loves Louis with all he got. Not that any of that is going to stop Louis from reminding him over and over again.

There You Are by lovelarry10

(E, 82k) Harry’s entire life has fallen apart - in one night, his carefully planned future is suddenly uncertain.

Then he meets Louis.

where the tide takes you, i will follow by @pinkcords

(E, 54k) There’s no way around his departure, their inevitable fate. Harry will leave and he will return to London and when he sits in his new flat, wherever it might be, he will think of this summer and the warmth the sun brought him and the way it felt to be loved. He will compare all his future relationships to Louis and when they fall short, he will be disappointed. Harry knows this.

Or, Louis lives in Gloucester and Harry tries to find a way to stay.

waiting for the tides to meet by @nauticalleeds

(E, 60k) Louis lets out a deep breath, thinking about Harry’s soulmate. Thinking about how Harry’s soulmate is probably as beautiful as Harry, some person that Louis cannot compare to, and how the universe has chosen them to be Harry’s. Fuck the universe. “Fuck you,” he calls out to the universe. He’s aware of how crazy he sounds.

Maybe he is crazy, with how he’s falling for Harry. And fuck that, too. 

Soulmate AU. Everyone is born with heterochromia — one eye is their own eye colour, while the other is the colour of their soulmate's. It's only when they meet their soulmate for the first time that their own eyes match properly.

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by @kingsofeverything

(E, 109k) Louis’ life is steady and calm, moored by his marriage, and tied to his hometown, but after a chance encounter with another man, it’ll never be the same.

somewhere in between lightning by @nauticalleeds, @shiningdistraction, jassy117​

(E, 99k) A summer gone wrong (or very right) when, under Liam’s persuasion, Louis finds himself drunkenly applying for Love Island, and getting accepted. Oh, well. A summer spent on an island paradise couldn’t be all that bad, right?

Escapade by @haydolce

(M, 146k) In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He's rich. He's handsome. He's reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.

💎✨ Take My Breath Away by @realitybetterthanfiction

(E, 154k) Top Gun AU

love is a word, you gave it a name by @larrydoinglaundry

(E, 158k) After two decades in brutal show business, Louis Tomlinson is trying to restore his tranquility of mind in the peace of Northern Europe where the sun barely sets, Maria's bar is always open, and young Harry has an irresistible spark in his eyes.

✨ Shadow Dances by @itsmotivatingcara

(M, 101k) Louis Tomlinson has a begrudging gift, he’s able to communicate with the spirits of the dead. FBI Medium AU

Tired Tired Sea by @mediawhorefics

(M, 113k) As a B&B owner on the most remote of all the British Isles, Louis Tomlinson is used to spending the coldest half of the year in complete isolation, with his dog and the sea as sole companions. Until, one day, a mysterious stranger on a quest to rebuild himself rents a room for the winter.

For the Right Reasons by @juliusschmidt

(E, 106k) Bachelor AU

Late Night Talking by @kingsofeverything

(E, 53k) Louis Tomlinson has a new album coming out and a second world tour on the horizon. Promo season gets underway with a stop at Late Night Talking, the late night show hosted by Harry Styles, and Harry Styles just happens to be the man who blew a chance to date Louis a decade ago.

technicolor by @creamcoffeelou

(E, 81k) When the small town of Twin Lakes begins experiencing a string of serial murders, a team of detectives is called in to help. Louis is the head of the team and meets a hard-headed psychic who everyone else seems to believe is the one who will solve the case.

Louis isn't so sure.

The slow-burn, hate-to-love, crime au where Harry is a psychic, Louis is a detective, and the world is against them.

This Wicked Game by @cherrystreet

(E, 70k) An AU in which The Bachelor is gay, Louis is a contestant, Harry is the bachelor, everyone drinks a lot of champagne, the entire world gets to watch them fall in love, and no one plays by the rules

Like Water Over Fire (Like Water On Fire) by @mcssymon

(M, 119k) Prince Harry has 46 men and 13 weeks to find the husband of his dreams, Louis has a limited amount to time to live out a royal fantasy. They might just be exactly what the other needs.

Say Something by @kingsofeverything

(E, 105k) At fifty years old and recently divorced, Omega Harry Styles isn't interested in dating. When his doctor suggests a heat and rut matching service, he signs up out of necessity. It’s the only use he has for an Alpha in his life.

Twenty-eight-year-old Alpha Louis Tomlinson aims to change that.

Let Our Hearts Collide by @crinkle-eyed-boo

(M, 77k) When Harry, a lonely transit worker, saves the life of the handsome commuter he's been secretly pining for, an innocent mistake results in Liam Payne's family believing that Harry is engaged to their son. In the Paynes, Harry finds the big family he's always longed for...and a love he never saw coming.

A While You Were Sleeping AU

💎✨ Love After the End of the World by @mercurial-madhouse

(E, 162k) “Wait. Just so I’m clear in me fucking noggin,” Niall says. “An international worldwide takeover is well under way and the only thing standing between having hot showers and a second end of the world is us five fuckers?” 

***

Society shattered when all electricity suddenly cut off across the globe, plunging the world into darkness. Now, Prometheus Industries is the sole remaining supply of power, a saving grace to those who survived Lights Out. As fugitives in no-man’s land struggling to break into Prometheus HQ, death lurks around every corner for Louis and Zayn. Things get complicated when a routine recon falls apart and Louis collides with Harry and his mates Niall and Liam, survivors with their own agenda.

When staying alive is already a constant battle, the deadliest weakness is to be in love. For Harry and Louis, finding each other sits on top of the endless list of What Else Could Go Wrong.

(story sadly has been delated form ao3. link to download here)

✨ Stranger Stars by shaylea

(E, 212k) Five years ago, Africa offered a grieving Louis Tomlinson an escape from an England he couldn't tolerate. Now it's become home as he leads overland tours across the continent with his best friend and driver Zayn Malik. What's meant to be just another ordinary six-week trip from Cape Town to Nairobi turns into anything but, when future lawyer/current photographer and songwriter Harry Styles and his friends join Louis' latest set of passengers.

Gemma's Dad (Could Use A Guy Like Me) by @lululawrence

(NR, 83k) The summer before Louis and Gemma's senior year of college was supposed to be their last big hurrah before they graduate college and become Real Adults in the workforce. They had it all planned and it was going to be filled with mornings skateboarding, afternoons at the pool, and evenings hanging out with as many of the neighborhood kids they grew up with as they can.

Of course, Louis wasn't planning on getting home and learning that Gemma's dad had gotten the house in the divorce and was dealing with things by focusing on work, the house, and his newly planted garden. It becomes obvious early on that Harry is a bit lost and Gemma is worried about him. To help both of them, Louis is more than happy to help Harry find himself again.

As the summer goes on, the adventures and day to day happenings allow Harry and Louis to spend a lot more time together than either of them ever anticipated and Louis finds it more difficult to keep his growing feelings in check than he ever thought it would be. After all, there wasn't a chance that Harry would ever be interested in Louis... right?

red hands by @dystopianharry

(TNU, 133k) "I’ve never told anyone," Harry murmurs, voice so soft no one else would be able to hear, if it wasn’t just the two of them.

“But you’ve told someone,” Louis says firmly. “And that’s not gonna fucking happen around here. You don’t speak a word of it, or someone’s going to kill you, and we can’t let that happen.”

*

a dystopian au in which harry, an ex-soldier who’s escaped from his government run camp, accidentally stumbles across the biggest rebel movement in the country, and louis, one of the rebellion’s mysterious leaders who appears to hate him, seems to simultaneously have an obsession with keeping him alive. or: harry is wanted for treason, niall hasn’t changed in four years, liam is always smiling, and louis is angry. like, really angry.

another dream but always you by @nobodymoves

(M, 66k) Harry is a Dreamwalker; he has the ability to visit people in their dreams and help put them on the right path. He's assigned to Louis, who's struggling after the break-up of his band. It's an unusual assignment from the beginning; Harry has a crush on Louis, and Louis's subconscious immediately decides Harry is the love of his life. When Dreamers cast Harry as their love interest, he can usually redirect them, but Louis is insistent on being Harry's boyfriend, and despite knowing they have no future, Harry wants to keep up the charade.

Shake Me Down by @agreatperhaps12

(NR, 208k) Harry's new to college, fresh out of Catholic school and conversion therapy camp, and Louis runs the campus LGBTQIA organization.

Nameless Night by green_feelings

(E, 155k) For their 18th birthday, every person receives a letter that reads a simple date. That is the date you'll meet your soulmate.

Harry and Louis have different beliefs, live in different worlds and have different dreams, hopes and fears. Yet, they're not so different from each other when it comes to love. When their paths cross, there is no doubt they belong together. Except for that one, essential difference: they didn't receive the same date.

Or, a fic about differences that make no difference at all: Harry and Louis are soulmates. In every way possible. Featuring Niall as a role model, and Liam and Zayn as a different kind of role models.

Light, Spark and Fire (series) by green_feelings

(M, 239k) Or, Harry’s working on taking Louis’ walls down, until he builds his own up.

Jump Before We Fall by green_feelings

(E, 114k) Louis and Zayn's lives revolve around running a hotel by the sea, Harry is a student who wants a life far from home for just a little while, Niall doesn't know where life leads him and Liam thinks he has already found all purposes in his life.

✨💎 my heart is breathing for this moment in time by usedtothebeach

(E, 160k) When Louis first saw Harry at the 2010 X Factor Auditions, he thought he was watching a peculiarly special stranger. But Harry has known Louis ever since he was five years old.

Because Louis has a rare genetic disorder that causes him to Time Travel to important moments in his past and in his future - and to Harry, always to Harry. When they're put into a band together, it seems like everything Harry has been waiting and wishing for has finally come true. Except for the small fact that Louis doesn't know that Harry is in love with him- that Harry's always been in love with him. Fate, it would seem, is just getting started.

A story about growing up and growing together, and the impossible love that makes it all worthwhile.

✨ you were in my dream by @harruandlou

(E, 59k) Louis woke up after having a sexy dream about his best friend’s boyfriend’s best friend resolved to never think about it again. He hardly knew Harry, so what difference would it make? But when they are thrown together only a few days later, Louis had to admit, his subconscious might have been onto something.

Desperation Was My Sanctuary by @insightfulinsomniac

(E, 102k) As a PhD student and transplant to New York City, Louis is struggling for both money and companionship. His roommate, Zayn, introduces him to a friend who is involved in New York City's sugar bowl. Reluctantly, he signs up for a sugaring app knowing he’s probably the least conventional sugar baby on the market. If he can find a sugar daddy who will pay his bills without asking him to sacrifice his own preferences and boundaries, he might just be willing to earn a bit of extra cash by faking a relationship with a millionaire.

At the age of 35, Harry’s spent his entire adult life devoted to his career as a fashion designer. With his label, Eroda, steady and flourishing, he finally has time to settle down. When he reflects on his adult life, he realizes that he’s never been in a relationship and therefore feels behind. Shy and insecure in his inexperience, he turns to a sugaring app to manufacture a “test relationship” on his terms.

Turns out, they’re both looking for something unconventional.

A smutty, non-traditional strangers-to-lovers story about finding yourself, friendship, safety, sexual discovery, and an unexpected collision with tender, profound love.

Of Mates and Men by bananaheathen

(E, 630k) In which, Louis and Harry meet as best men for their best friends' wedding... well... sort of.

Or, the one where Harry's just moved back from New York and Louis doesn't believe in romance.

Or, I guess... the one where Zayn and Liam are getting married.

✨ Next to your Heartbeat (where I should be) by jaded25

(M, 130k) "We were meant to be but a twist of fate made it so we had to walk away"

All it takes for them to fall in love is one night. All they have to do is wait one year to see each other again.

Yet, when Louis returns after his year abroad, the boy who's got his arms wrapped around Harry isn't him. It isn't a stranger either, which should make walking away all that easier. After all, friend's don't lust after their mate's boyfriends.

Technically, doing the right thing should be easy - but when has Louis ever been known to taking the easy way out?

✨ For As Long As I Can Remember (It's Been December) by green_feelings

(E, 128k) After recovering from a severe accident that causes Harry to lose his memory of three years, he moves to London to start his life over as a star chef. Little does he know that when he falls in love with Louis at first sight, it’s not the first time they meet.

Featuring an unintentional game of hot and cold, Harry chasing memories that won’t come back, Louis burying himself in work to try and forget what he can’t forget, Liam being torn between two of his best friends, Zayn as a moral compass and Niall saving the day with good music and brutal honesty.

✨🌸🌸🌸✨

part 2 (30-50k)

[ghostselkie]

The nevermore characters if they were pinnipeds (seals and seal adjacent animals)

Look seals are my favorite animal, this post was a long time coming. The reason I expanded it to the whole clade is cause some of the cast just don't vibe with any true seals. Lenore - Ribbon seal: Cause color scheme. Also ribbon seals are one of my favorites. They just look so interesting.

Annabel - leopard seal: One, leopard seals are absolutely beautiful creatures. It's okay if you disagree; pistols at dawn and I won't be needing back up. Two, I heard some one say that leopard seals have "the eyes of an angel, and the mouth of a devil." If that doesn't describe Annabel, idk what does.

Duke - California sea lion: Immaculate vibes.

Pluto - Fur Seal: Cause fluffy boys. Their fur is giving the energy of Pluto's dysphoria jacket.

Morella - Bearded seal: Vibes mostly. Also their whiskers remind me of her freckles.

Berenice - Walrus: Cause teef.

Eulalie - Ringed seal: They are some of the cutest seals that exist. Also their range includes the northern most part of Japan.

Prospero - Mediterranean monk seal: The man is Italian. Though, interestingly enough, their range does not actually include Italy, but monk seals are endangered, so I wanted to include them.

Montresor - Elephant seal: THEY ARE ASS HOLES!!!

Ada - Harbor Seal: They are the most common type of seal, but don't tell her that.

Will - Grey seal: Vibes.

[mariacallous]

As war rages between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, it is hard to envision an end to the conflict. For decades, though, a growing movement of Palestinian and Israeli women has not only envisioned a peaceful coexistence, but also demanded it.

Just three days before Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack, thousands of women from two peacebuilding groups gathered at Jerusalem’s Tolerance Monument for a rally and march. Israelis from Women Wage Peace carried blue flags, and Palestinians from Women of the Sun flew yellow ones.

Members of the two groups traveled to the Dead Sea—believed since ancient times to have healing qualities—and set a table. Women from both sides pulled up chairs as a symbol of a good-faith resumption of negotiations to reach a political solution.

Women Wage Peace formed in response to Operation Protective Edge, which was Israel’s 2014 invasion of Gaza in the wake of then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s failed effort to restart final status negotiations.

“We, Palestinian and Israeli mothers, are determined to stop the vicious cycle of bloodshed,” reads the preamble to their campaign, the Mother’s Call. This campaign was nine months in the making, and it involved aligning around a single agenda that demands a political solution within a limited time frame.

They set the table to show the importance of dialogue and women’s involvement in decision-making. But in the war between Israel and Hamas that has started since then, women’s voices are largely missing from negotiations and consultations.

Ensuring women’s participation isn’t about equity or fairness or a show of inclusion. It’s about winning the peace.

In 2014, Laurel Stone, then a researcher at Seton Hall University, conducted a quantitative analysis of 156 peace agreements over time. She found that when women are decision-makers—serving as negotiators and mediators—the probability of an agreement lasting at least two years increased by 20 percent. The probability of the agreement holding for 15 years increased by 35 percent.

Many studies show that women tend to be more collaborative, more focused on social issues over military issues, and less likely to attack those who hold differing views. With women at the table, the potential for risk-taking behavior and attacks on perceived enemies may be lower. In diverse teams, decisions are more likely to be based on facts than assumptions.

While men are more likely to be fighters in war, the work of holding families and communities together more often falls to women, and according to some studies, it’s women who more frequently stand up for a return to negotiations, civilian protection, and an end to violence.

“We learned from the cases of Northern Ireland and Liberia,” Yael Braudo-Bahat, the co-director of Women Wage Peace, told Foreign Policy. Women’s active participation greatly strengthened these peace and recovery processes.

Ahead of the formal talks that led to the Belfast Agreement in Northern Ireland, Catholic and Protestant women’s groups formed the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition and gained two seats at a table of 20 in formal negotiations. As one of the few groups that moved beyond the sectarian divide, its members were seen as honest brokers. They represented civil society concerns and helped ensure that the agreement included commitments for social healing and integration.

Because the brutality of war falls disproportionately on women—they frequently are the first to go hungry, serve as the de facto caretakers, and become the victims of increased gender based violence—they are often committed to finding a path to peace even when male leaders won’t compromise.

During the Second Liberian Civil War, women played a heroic role by successfully pressuring male decision-makers to negotiate. The documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell, directed by Gini Reticker and produced by Abigail Disney, popularized the incredible story of how women convinced the warring parties to attend peace talks in Accra, Ghana.

“We were the ones watching our children die of hunger … we were the easiest targets of rape and sexual abuse,” said Nobel Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee, the founder of the Women for Liberia Mass Action for Peace grassroots movement, which played a major role in pushing then-President Charles Taylor to sign a peace agreement in 2003. This common suffering among women formed the basis for unity across political and religious divides.

In Israel and Gaza, women will need to play an important role in the implementation of any new accord between Israel and Palestine, Braudo-Bahat said. Her organization’s partnership with its Palestinian counterpart, Women of the Sun, has remained steadfast, even after learning that her co-founder, Vivian Silver, 74, was murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7.

“We continue our plans—we work together, and we don’t hide it,” she said. “It might be dangerous to the Women of the Sun, but they are so courageous.”

Although many Palestinians want peace, for others, “peace is normalization,” a member of Women of the Sun wrote to Foreign Policy via WhatsApp, choosing to go by the initials M.H. to preserve her anonymity and safety. Some Palestinians think that “it’s something shameful to be dealing with Israel,” she added, because it could imply that the Israelis’ treatment of, and policies toward, Palestinians are tolerable.

“I believe we should actively engage and collaborate, even if some label it as normalization,” M.H. said. “I am committed to working toward a better future for us.”

International law is on the side of these women. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, adopted unanimously more than 23 years ago, urges all member states to increase the participation of women in peace and security efforts, and highlights women’s essential role in preventing war, protecting civilians, and negotiating lasting peace.

Despite Israel’s deteriorating track record with regard to women’s rights and roles as decision-makers, women are involved in the war as politicians, members of the military and civilians. Women in politics have made important advances for gender equity, although among the 32 cabinet ministers sworn in a year ago, only five were women. One of those women ministers was dismissed amid the recent closure of the Ministry for the Advancement of Women.

The reality for women in Gaza is far more challenging when it comes to holding leadership positions. Women generally do not participate in public political activities or hold public office, although Hamas appointed 23-year old Isra al-Modallal as its first female spokesperson in November. She told the Guardian newspaper that she is not a member of Hamas or any political party.

At the start of the conflict, Hamas had just one woman, Jamila al-Shanti, 68, serving as part of the organization’s 15-member political bureau. Al-Shanti, who was also a founder of Hamas’s women’s movement, died in an Israeli airstrike on Oct. 19.

“You can hear amazing rhetoric and lip service, even from the Palestinian leadership,” Dr. Dalal Iriqat, an assistant professor at the Arab American University in the West Bank, told Foreign Policy. “But when it comes to practice, I always find a scarcity of women in decision-making.”

Women’s organizations in the Palestinian territories and in Israel have a rich history of political engagement, however. Palestinian women created social structures such as health clinics and orphanages for displaced Palestinians following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Following the Six-Day War in 1967, with traditional political structures in tatters and both Gaza and the West Bank under Israeli occupation, women of every social class stepped up.

It was through the networks they formed that a new cadre of women activists emerged as a force in December 1987, when Palestinian frustration with Israeli rule broke out in a popular uprising that became known as the First Intifada, or “shaking off.” Underlying this largely nonviolent Palestinian struggle was a collective social, economic, and political mobilization led by women.

Palestinian political leadership acknowledged women’s centrality in the Intifada, which paved the way for negotiations with Israel when it included three women—Suad Amiry, Zahiria Kamal, and Hanan Ashrawi—as part of the delegation that participated in the Middle East peace talks that culminated with the Madrid Conference in October 1991.

Ultimately, though, exiled Palestinian Liberation Organization leaders shunted the Madrid framework to begin secret negotiations with Israel that resulted in the security-focused Oslo Accords and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. Under their leadership, Israeli occupation, and the failures of the Oslo Accords, democratic ideals and women’s rights eroded.

Israel and the United States have discussed a potential role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza after the military operation. The Palestinian Authority has three women ministers, including its minister for women’s affairs, though women still struggle for equal opportunities and freedom from violence.

“Women usually refrain from being [an] activist in politics,” said an activist in the West Bank who withheld her name for security reasons. “Women are frightened to be involved in political activities, because they will be put in jail or be subjected to any kind of violence.” And the conditions are much worse for women when funding is restricted, as well as under Hamas, she said.

Serena Awad, a Gazan nonprofit worker who is now living in Rafah, told Foreign Policy that Gazan women are directing and managing many aspects of the humanitarian response. These women work for the United Nations as well as in health, cultural, child protection, human rights, sports, and legal organizations.

“I have lived through six aggressions, and every time, I wait for my turn to die,” said 24-year-old Awad. “What I want the world to know is that women in Gaza are like any other women—we study, go to work, have our own family, but we suffer.”

Israeli and Palestinian women working as peacebuilders say they need more international support. Women’s organizations are notoriously underfunded in the best of times, with only 0.4 percent of global gender-related funding going directly to women’s rights organizations, according to calculations by the Association for Women’s Rights in Development.

During crises, women’s rights often take a back seat. Women of the Sun’s 2024 budget is approximately $100,000, and Women Wage Peace’s budget is approximately $1 million, according to the organizations’ representatives.

Women’s groups are more likely to be effective during negotiations and during the implementation of recovery programs when they have access to external funding. During the peace process between Sudan and South Sudan, for example, South Sudanese women were highly mobilized as delegates, but some had to pause their involvement so they could go back to earning money.

In addition to funding, democratic countries have a role to play by insisting on women’s participation in negotiations, said M.H. of the Women of the Sun. She and other peacebuilders say that the United States and the United Nations should be more active in promoting women as counterparts, negotiators, and experts.

“By will, things can happen,” M.H. told Foreign Policy “And if the US says it [that women should be involved in negotiations], it can happen.”.

Talks convened by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt to end the conflict between Hamas and Israel are underway. These countries and other regional players—including Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority, have previously created national action plans that recognize the unique impact of war on women and their crucial role in promoting peace, culminating in 107 countries worldwide forming national action plans to empower women.

Still, news coverage reveals little or no evidence of efforts by these countries to promote women’s participation in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The U.S. State Department is “working to ensure the expertise of women from civil society and in government is incorporated in any process related to the current conflict in Gaza,” wrote a spokesperson in an email.

If the political will for participation exists, both Israelis and Palestinians have a robust list of women advocates from which to draw for official and nonofficial negotiations and discussions. A diverse list of 12 Israeli and Palestinian women who are qualified to participate in negotiations was provided by the 1325 Project run by members of  Women Lawyers for Social Justice—known in Israel as Itach Ma’aki—to the U.S. Embassy and other embassies and international bodies.

“At least one person will be engaging in Track 2 and 3 efforts, and she was approached through us by an international body,” said 1325 project co-director Netta Loevy, referring to nonofficial negotiations and consultations.

Braudo-Bahat, meanwhile, urged policymakers to involve women in discussions now—not after violence ends. “The day after the war is yesterday … we need to start now,” she said.

Back in Gaza, the water tastes like poison; it’s freezing, and Awad, the 24-year-old nonprofit worker, keeps losing weight. She asked almost a dozen Gazan women leaders what they think should happen to resolve the war and to ensure that women participate in negotiations.

No one could give her an answer. They were busy responding to humanitarian needs, and telecommunication and internet services were out.

“Nothing has changed, but what can we do about it? All we can do is waiting and praying for this to end,” Awad wrote to Foreign Policy through WhatsApp, which only works for her about once every four days.

Iriqat, the Arab American University professor, has one wish: “That someone considers that if women are in charge, and involved, a more strategic agreement could hold.”

[north-blue-hearts]

Heart of Gold

CisFem Reader x Trafalgar Law

CW: ptsd, trauma, depictions/implications of suicide and suicidal ideation, language, violence, blood, canonical character death, mature themes and events 18+

@mfreedomstuff

Chapter 19: Figuring it Out

The experiments had been a success.

You’d stepped onto the sandy beach ahead of Law, watching anxiously as he made his way down to the gangplank and then to the island. He was good at hiding his emotions, maybe not as practiced as you, but close enough. You were worried for a moment that he wasn’t faring well, but with continued reassurances and time spent on the island you were less worried.

Over the course of several weeks the two of you had traded more parts than just your hearts.

It had been a little macabre, but deeply intimate. Law’s devil fruit made it possible. You held his lungs in your hands, watching them fill and empty with air. Despite the differences between the two of you, the size of the organs themselves weren’t too different. When Law removed your lungs you couldn’t help but gasp.

It felt like it should be impossible to breathe with your lungs in your hands. Outside the confines of the Ope-ope no mi, it would have been, but you set his in your chest, as he set yours in his.

Still the island accepted you.

Liver.

Stomach.

Still the island accepted you both.

You’d even returned all organs back to the other, trying to disembark onto the island, but it was the same as before. You couldn’t make it halfway to land before the panic was settling in your bones and making everything difficult.

What you knew for certain was simple enough. So long as one of your organs wasn’t in your body, you could step on dry land. If someone was in possession of your organ they could also step on dry land. You could even carry your heart in your hand and step off the ship without any ill effects.

While the parameters were clear, the reasons made no logical sense to either one of you. Law’s theory about your body being a set, and that set being the “issue” made sense enough. It seemed to be the case, but it still didn’t explain why.

Four months into it all, and the results had repeated themselves on half a dozen islands. No exceptions. The only scraps of land you could set foot on with your own heart in your chest were sand bars or a place like Sabaody. A false island, or one without a magnetic field.

It seemed that maybe that magnetism was the key.

“The good news, I know someone who can help.” Law explains, letting the book just rest on his face as he leaned back in the chair. You’d been tearing through a library in the northern seas for the last two weeks when you’d mentioned magnetism as a possible key.

“Someone you do not like,” you say pointedly, and Law just sighs.

He sets the book aside and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I have to deal with him, I don’t have to like it.”

“Is this,” you pause running through the list of names in Law’s alliance. “Hmm… it can’t be Luffy, you explained his devil fruit in detail. I still haven’t heard of a rubber-man fruit,” you mumble. “It must be Eustass Kid then? The captain of the other crew.”

“Yes.”

“You must respect him.”

Law gives you an incredulous look, but you don’t do more than smile. “When you really don’t like someone, you have much to say on the matter. But your begrudging respect is often punctuated with a laconic nature.”

“I talk about Luffy.” He points out and you nod.

You grin. “Are you saying, Captain, by your own admission, that you like Luffy?”

Law starts and then stops, growling in frustration for a second before narrowing his eyes. “It’s… difficult to dislike him.”

You smile, setting the book down you were reading and lean closer to Law. “He reminds me of a story.”

“Another ancient tale?”

You nod. “I’ve told you about the ones surrounding my situation. Some tales saw it as a gift, others a curse.” Law nods, and you continue. “Do you remember the one where it was a gift from a god?”

Law tilts his head. “I think so. Something about the god seeing that jewels and other things delighted the people so they bestowed a gift on their mortal friend. According to the story the first person who was gifted with the ability could almost manifest things on demand.”

“And so the god bestowed upon their friend all the signs of their friendship. Gold that sparkled like the sun itself, and diamonds that glittered in the warm light.” You repeat the words of the story. “There’s something in there about how soft these things were, more taffy than stone, but that might just be some sort of idiom lost to time.”

“And you’re bringing it all up now, because?”

You shrug. “When you talk about Luffy, it makes me think about that story.”

“He’s not a god.”

“You’ve said yourself he seems to work miracles.”

“He’s - it’s a kind of insanity.” Law insists and you laugh. “What?”

“Just something I remember from my youth. I can’t remember who said it, but the words are still with me.” You purse your lips a bit and compose yourself before grinning. “How insane the logic of gods must be, to mere mortals.”

“Ugh. It sounds like something he’d say.” He groans.

“I’ll… meet him someday, won’t I?”

Law quirks an eyebrow at you. “Luffy?”

You shake your head. “The other. You said your alliance was going to deal with him, among other things.”

“Ah. Yeah. You don’t have to.” He assures you. “Even with the alliance, I won’t force anyone on my crew to face him. There’s… a longer history in there for some of them. Penguin almost lost an arm because of him.”

“I… I think I want to.” You assert after a moment. “Morbid curiosity, perhaps.”

“You saw the old wanted poster.”

“Mm, yeah, I meant… if his voice is the same.” The soft huff of air and the slight pull of your lips gave away how silly the idea seemed to you, but you shared it all the same. “People being born with uncannily similar features is expected. Life is diverse and variable, but not infinitely so, at least not in the ways that humans can perceive. So someone looking similar, even several someone’s, especially with centuries between, isn’t all that much of a stretch.”

You rub your arms, suddenly chilled at the memory of a voice you hadn’t heard in a very long time. “But to hear that voice again.” You look at Law with an apologetic expression on your face. “It’s scary in its own way, but I don’t feel like I could rest easily until I knew.”

“It’ll be okay.” Law says reassuringly. “I wouldn’t have formed this alliance if I thought otherwise.”

“A doctor, a miracle worker, and a mechanical engineer enter into an alliance,” you say, with a smile. “Oh, I suppose it was suppose to be walked into a bar.”

Law nearly snorts a laugh. “No, it was fine the way you said it the first time. You’ve been on the crew for long enough to pick up on their bad sense of humor.”

“So it seems.”

“Have you thought more on the other thing?”

“Your offer?” You question and he nods.

“I don’t want you to feel pressured. It’s okay if you decide not to.” Golden eyes regard you carefully.

A month ago Law had suggested you move into his room. Your belongings were few, and there was room in his quarters for you both. You’d been practically living in there as it was anyway, hours and hours of research. You’d certainly become close, but aside from a kiss here and there, you hadn’t done much since the fireworks.

There’d been too much to do, and all the researching and experiment had held both of your focuses.

Things were settling down, and you’d asked Law for time to consider his offer. In truth you just wanted to have your own space until you’d managed to sort out at least the parameters of what was going on, if not the key to solving it all.

Solving the mystery of your body’s reaction to islands, and beyond that how to reverse your own immortality, was going to take years. With all that you’d sorted out to this point that much was clear.

It made practical sense.

It made emotional sense too. The feelings themselves were there, they hadn’t diminished. If anything you felt yourself longing in a painful way at times. You’d even confided in Ikkaku, and your concern had been such she hadn’t even teased you - at least not while she was helping you talk through it. As she had said, you were sunk, there was no going back now.

“I accept.” You say after a moment, watching relief wash over Law. “It’s objectively the wisest move, and, well, honestly…” You can feel your face heating up as he comes over to your chair. In lieu of looking up at him you hold out your hand, shivering a little at the tender touch of his fingers curling against your palm.

The sweet shiver slips down your arm and you can’t stop the huff of a contented sigh escaping from you. You can feel the smile on Law’s lips as he presses a warm kiss against the top of your hand. He leans over the chair and you can feel your body warming up just from the proximity.

“Honestly?” He prompts, and you internally chide yourself for being so easily flustered. It’s become harder and harder to maintain your composure around him. There was no release of tension in that first sweet kiss, things only got worse.

Or better, honestly. But worse in the sense that you couldn’t just stuff down the feeling and the strange need. The desire to be near him, the way your gaze lingered on his lips, the warmth in your skin as your body demanded more.

“Honestly it seems… I am greedy.” You say the words clearly, even if your eyes refuse to turn toward him.

He doesn’t tease you too terribly, the warmth of his lips against your skin as he kisses the crown of your head. “Greedy for me?” He prompts, finger under your chin, turning you easily toward him. You’re facing him, eyes shifted down, well aware of the hooded gaze waiting for you to look up.

“I’m…  being teased.” You pout as he urges your chin up, bringing your gaze up to his, one way or another.

“A little.” He admits and your eyes shift up at the words. His gaze sinks into your first, but you can see the light coloring of blush dusting against his skin. It’s subtle, but reassuring in its own way. “But I am greedy for you.”

He leans down, your gaze shifting from his eyes to his lips, watching them form the shape of sweet words that slipped so softly between them. “So be as greedy for me as you want.”

[calabria-mediterranea]

Civita, Calabria, Italy

Civita is hilltown town in Calabria in the heart of the Pollino National park, in Southern Italy's Calabria.

In Civita, Calabria, the history centers on an Albanian community fleeing from the Turks. While a precise arrival date is not known, the first Albanian explorers most likely came to the area in the 1470s. The “new” arrivals brought their language and culture with them, settling throughout the Pollino Mountains.

In keeping with Civita’s history, the local religion and village architecture reflect Arbëreshe culture. Just off the main piazza stands the Italian-Albanian Mother Church dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta. Its parishioners follow the Byzantine rite as part of the Eparchy of Lungro, an Italo-Albanian diocese in Calabria, subject to the Holy See. The Baroque structure features many elements of the Byzantine church, such as the beautiful iconostasis in walnut and olivewood, numerous icons and frescos.

Civita maintains its original layout, with neighborhoods of old two-story stone houses with large fireplaces situated along narrow lanes. Interestingly, the facades of several homes resemble faces, with a long chimney for the nose and windows for eyes.

The chimney stacks are another characteristic of the village, each unique design giving that personal touch to the habitation.

This village of fewer than 1,000 also boasts the dramatic natural setting of northern Calabria’s Pollino Mountains, part of Italy’s largest national park. One of Civita’s highlights is the Gole del Raganello, a deep canyon carved by the Raganello River, which flows to the Ionian Sea. From Civita’s enviable position of 450 meters (1,480 feet), views of the expansive river valley extend all the way to the sea!

From the oldtown, you can hike down the side of the canyon or take a jeep to the Ponte del Diavolo. This Devil’s Bridge has the familiar tale of having been constructed by the devil in exchange for the life of the first soul who crosses it. Being cleverer than the diavolo himself, the local landowner who made the pact with the devil tricked him by sending a sheep, instead of a person, over the new structure.

Photos by Un Trolley per Due and Calabria: The Other Italy

Follow us on Instagram, @calabria_mediterranea

[catb-fics]

If you had to go on holiday with each of your Van's where would you take each one?

This has been sitting in my inbox for ages and that holiday ask I had earlier prompted me to post it! I’m intending to write full headcanons for each of these but here’s my ideas so far. Let me know if you have any thoughts xxx

💗 Dad Van - Disneyland - getting more excited than the kids about meeting the characters, Mickey Mouse ears, rollercoasters and Disney magic, cuddling up to watch the fireworks

❤️ Red Van - Ibiza - sneaky Mediterranean hookups whilst the band are playing Ibiza Rocks, messy club nights, sun cream and skimpy bikinis, cocktails and pool parties

🖤 Prof Van - Italian Riviera - meandering around art galleries and museums, hot hotel room sex, sipping champagne by the pool, slinky evening dresses and dinner dates, getting fucked on the balcony

🧡 Prof Bond - South of France - idyllic little rustic farmhouse in the countryside, good food and wine, picnics and feeding each other strawberries, lazy afternoons by the river whilst he reads poetry to you

💖 I’m With the Band Van - Reading festival - not a holiday as such but a weekend away, up on Van’s shoulders to see your favourite bands, getting silly drunk and stoned together, sharing a sleeping bag as Van ‘conveniently’ forgot to pack his

💙 Ice Cold Van - Las Vegas - an assignment of Van’s to track down a high profile target but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of your surroundings, casino nights, tuxedos and designer gowns and glitz and glamour, fucking on the roulette table

❤️‍🔥 Devil Next Door Van - Llandudno - trip down memory lane, British seaside holiday vibes, fish and chips on the pier, fun at the arcades, paddling in the sea, maybe a visit to Mary and Bernie’s

🤍 Single Dad Van - Lapland - Santa visit with the kids, husky dog sled rides, cosying up drinking hot chocolate, magical moments viewing the Northern Lights together

💜 Pure Van - Paris by night - admiring the city landscape from the rooftops, being wined and dined in lavish restaurants, sultry club nights, watching the sunset together

🩶 Playing Hard to Get Van - summer camper-van road trip with all your friends - sunbathing and skinny dipping in the lake, ice cream and BBQs, getting sneakily fingered on the back seat in a sundress

[bestiarium]

The Marool [Scottish folklore, Shetland folklore]

The Marool is a marine monster hailing from traditional lore of the Shetland Isles in Northern Scotland. They are deeply malevolent creatures, and their evil demeanour is reflected in their frightening appearance: the Marool is a fish-like monster bearing a crest of burning fire on its back, and has a head dotted with many eyes.

It often appeared at times when the seafoam was phosphorescent (note that ‘mareel’ is the local term for the glowing phosphorescent appearance of the water at night, it’s possible that the word ‘marool’ is derived from this term). These creatures were known to be active during storms, when their wild triumphant singing could be heard at sea.

This monster is also called the Marsgum. As is the case with several other mythical sea monsters, the Marool is based on a real marine animal, namely the common monkfish (Lophius piscatorius) also called an angler fish or sea devil.

Sources: Saxby, J.M.E., 1974, Shetland Traditional Lore, Norwood Editions, 208 pp. Edmonston, T., 2022, An Etymological Glossary of the Shetland & Orkney Dialect With Some Derivations of Names of Places in Shetland, Bod Third Party Titles, 180 pp. Bane, T., 2013, Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology, McFarland, 428 pp. (image source: Montjart on Deviantart)

[statecryptids]

OZARK HOWLER- ARKANSAS

The Ozarks are a range of low mountains found primarily in Northern Arkansas and southern Missouri with portions extending into Oklahoma and Kansas.   Their origins lie in the late Paleozoic when sand, silt, coral, and shells built up as layers of sludge on the bottom of a sea that covered  what would eventually become the American South. Over time these sediments hardened into rock- sand became sandstone, silt became slate, and the shells and coral became limestone- and the movement of tectonic plates pushed them upwards into a low dome-like plateau.  Over the next 485 million years rivers and rain gradually eroded the soft rocks into canyons, cliffs, and caves that have provided habitat for bears, bobcats, otters and other Southern wildlife along with more unusual creatures like blind cave fish, collared lizards and endangered grey bats. And perhaps a cryptid or two.

According to legend, the people of the Ozarks have been haunted for decades by the unearthly screams of a beast dubbed the Black Howler.  Those who have caught a glimpse of the monster describe it as a dark-furred cat nearly the size of a bear. Other reports claim it has glowing red eyes and demonic horns sprouting from its head.

Explanations for the beast range from a normal, though unknown, species of large cat to something more supernatural. A few people have even compared the beast to English and Welsh legends of black dogs, cŵn annwn, hellhounds, and other supernatural beasts that bring misfortune to those who see them.

More skeptical people have speculated that the Howler is simply a misidentified cougar. Though these big cats are believed to be extinct in this region, it’s possible that a small population has survived. Or perhaps a few lone individuals have wandered in from other areas. This theory is bolstered by photos from trail cams showing creatures that strongly resemble these animals, and by similar cases of “phantom big cats” occurring in areas of the US where they are not normally found.

Though some claim that legends of the Howler go back generations, cryptozoologist Loren Coleman has found that the first reports of the beast originated from posts on online forums in the late 1990s. His investigations indicate that the “folklore” about the beast was a deliberate hoax to mock the widespread reports of chupacabras and bigfoots that were becoming increasingly widespread at the time thanks to the advent of the internet. Hoax it may be, but the Howler has since become a popular piece of Ozark folklore and sightings are still regularly reported.

 The Howler is especially significant as one of the first urban legend monsters to be created online, laying the groundwork for later, more famous internet creatures like Slenderman, The Rake, Momo, and Trevor Henderson’s Siren Head.

RESOURCES

[candlelightisland]

URL Song Tag Game <3

Thank you for the tag, @bubblysimming! I love these!

C - Candles, Daughter

A - All My Love, Noah Kahan

N - Nebraska, Bruce Springsteen

D - Devil I Know, Suki Waterhouse

L - Lilac Wine, Jeff Buckley

E - Everlong, Foo Fighters

L - Limelight, Rush

I - Illicit Affairs, Taylor Swift

G - Good Grief, Hayley Williams

H - Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen (Jeff Buckley version)

T - Tenerife Sea, Ed Sheeran

I - If We Were Vampires, Jason Isbell

S - Simple As This, Jake Bugg

L - Like A River Runs, Bleachers

A - Appointments, Julien Baker

N - Northern Attitude, Noah Kahan

D - Dreams, Fleetwood Mac

[arkashas]

do you have any fic recs? i trust your taste lol

sooo sorry for taking so long anon!

you’ll see a lot of one-shots and shorter pieces here because i don’t really have the patience for longer fics. the ones listed here are all well characterized, introspective and i have a preference for fics which evoke the dreamlike and heightened quality of the show so there’s some softcore horror in here too, though i’m not really fond of “dead dove” stuff, just be mindful of the tags.

hannibal x will:

songs of experience by borevidal

strange state by halotolerant

the vigil by achleys

a white-walled room by rodabonor

ananta by canis_m

drops by more_night

appreciate the company by fallenangelsneverfade

how pale and wanton thrillful by mokuyoubi

place the fetter by zombieboyband

cascade by teaberryblue

the arrangement by the countessolivia

(this author is so good at making the fondness they have for each other come across....they just Get It)

longitude by orphan_account

parfait by softmoth

towards the door we never opened by depths of green

wrong turn by weconqueratdawn

climb into my arms with blood on your clothes by sordiddetailsfollowing

(i just put this one in because i find it hilarious)

roses (are falling for you) by orphan_account

gallery by berlynn_wohl

leashing machiavelli by pragnificent

the heart’s topography by contorno

hierarchy of needs by xzombiekittenx

(this is self indulgent on my part because it’s hannibal leading his own cannibal nation in a post-apocalyptic world and i love evil mastermind hannibal who gets everything he wants... hashtag problematic :/)

daylights savings by thebeespatella

instinct by bluecarrot

bourbon. by gazing

sugar fuel by northern

lampyridae by elusive_eventuality

only the tender meat by isagel

faces of god by eremji

the hollow man by artificer

da capo by makokitten

strange bedfellows by amare

bloodletting by damnslippyplanet

the graceful art of falling apart by euphrasie

becoming by jujubiest

you with those nails, me with this cross by thebitterkitten

til it bore an apple bright by crazyamoeba

trotline by colonel bastard

assiette by coffeandcas

when can i see will again? he often thought. by berlynn_wohl

a sea-spell by gleamingandwholeanddeadly

we rise in the dying by euphrasie

and so i raise me up from sleep by bendingsignpost

lost at sea by karillith

safe home by falls_the_shadow

stuck in rewind by bonesandscales

caveat by cesare

the bee made me shiver like a rag by stereokem

from the sea by treacle_a

when the devil smiles back by goldenusagi

jingle-knells by thisbeautifuldrowning

falls the shadow by littlesystems

not hannibal x will / gen / centered more on other characters:

kiss me quick by caissa

doddici settimane by tiersein

the apprenticeship by miss_aphelion

ring the bell backwards by essenceofmeanin

pianoforte by magical_destiny

the hinges of human sympathies by brunetteauthorette99

round and round we go by thestarvedghost

the one where you fly and i don’t by skvadern

barter, my sweet reaper by subtlenuage

the price of fame by yggdrastiles

the proposal’s refusal by thelazybaker

running like water by macneiceisms

(i wasn’t going to put an ongoing fic in here but it's SO GOOD. but just keep in mind it hasn’t been updated for almost 2 years. so good though)

all sad words of pen and tongue by fatal_drum

beat the devil’s tattoo by bluesyturtle

an inheritance by coffeeandoranges

[velvaetalt]

jailbreak husbands

“you got me!?” ⛓️ “yeah, i got you, leo.”

[ on spotify ]

Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls — Suicide Romantics by Des Rocs — Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene by Seafret — Train by Brick + Mortar — Me and My Husband by Mitski — All the Pretty Girls by KALEO — California by The Delta Saints — Strangers by The Kinks — R U Mine? by Arctic Monkeys — The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy — FUCK YOU HEATHER by boyish — Northern Attitude (with Hozier) by Noah Kahan — Way Down We Go (Recorded at Spotify Studios NYC) by KALEO — The Only Thing by Sufjan Stevens — Movement by Hozier — The Garden by The Crane Wives — Stuck In The Middle With You by Stealers Wheel — Interlude: I’m Not Angry Anymore by Paramore — Infra-red by Three Days Grace — Devil Town by Cavetown — Up To No Good by The Hoosiers — Dear Fellow Traveller by Sea Wolf — Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy & Foxes — The Chain by Fleetwood Mac — I Follow Rivers by Lykke Li — Hard Came the Rain by Rag’n’Bone Man — Take Me to Church by Hozier — I Hate Everything About You by Halocene & Violet Orlandi — Fourth of July by Sufjan Stevens — Howlin’ for You by The Black Keys — Come with Me Now by KONGOS — Golden Dandelions by Barns Courtney — Nothing Personal by Des Rocs — No Good by KALEO — Very Good Bad Thing by Mother Mother — Creep by Radiohead — Psalms 40:2 by The Mountain Goats — Romantic Homicide by d4vd — Sinners by Barns Courtney — Hold Me Like a Grudge by Fall Out Boy — Love Like You by Caleb Hyles — Come a Little Closer by Cage The Elephant — Left Hand Free by alt-J — John Wayne by Lady Gaga — FOR YOUR LOVE by Måneskin — Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol — Exit Music (For a Film) by Radiohead — Secret Worlds by The Amazing Devil — Banks by lincoln Dear Arkansas Daughter by Lady Lamb — Paul by Cavetown — Beautiful Crime by Tamer — Ebb and Flow by The Dead Tongues — Too Late To Say Goodbye by Cage The Elephant — Christmas Kids by Roar — Never Love an Anchor by The Crane Wives — Something in the Orange by Zach Bryan — Hell and You by Amigo the Devil — Vulture Culture by Fangclub —I Bet on Losing Dogs by Mitski — The Winner Takes It All by ABBA — With Or Without You by U2 — Passenger by Deftones — Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons — Bad Romance by Lady Gaga

[theimperiumchronicles]

Happy STS! What are your characters' favorite songs? Bonus: Why that song?

Happy STS, sweet Tori!!! <3 <3

I'm having to think on this week's question, so I'm going back to this question from last week when I was traveling because I DO have an answer to it for many characters. I hope you enjoy! <3

@theimperiumchronicles

Abriella - This Is Me by Keala Settle from The Greatest Showman - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B076Q58K3T?trackAsin=B076Q4B5BM&ref=dm_sh_55e1-fe51-7805-e105-5bb61

Reason - Abriella spent the first 23 years of her life running from the Crone that her mother Ariel had hidden her from her true father with. When her powers couldn't be controlled, the Crone tried to kill her on Ariel's orders. Through the love of Cruz, Dez, Talon, Deacon and Olly, she came into her own and has learned to be strong and that she is loved for who she is. Now she is apologetically HER.

Cruz - Indestructible by Disturbed - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B076Q58K3T?trackAsin=B076Q4B5BM&ref=dm_sh_55e1-fe51-7805-e105-5bb61

Reason - The chorus is basically him

Indestructible Determination that is incorruptible From the other side A terror to behold Annihilation will be unavoidable Every broken enemy will know That their opponent had to be invincible Take a last look around while you're alive I'm an indestructible master of war

Leandre - The Light by Disturbed - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0108UP3A8?trackAsin=B0108UP8IK&ref=dm_sh_6dae-24cc-b938-74e1-75260

Reason - In the past, Leandre was captured during battle and held prisoner, tortured, and discovered that he had been betrayed by his wife. He was left in the dungeon of his captors to die. He was lost in his mind for a long time after he was rescued by Mithos and Andronicus. It took time, but through the healing he went through and the love and support of his friends, he found strength he didn't know he had. Then once Abriella came into his life, he found someone that saw a light in him that he did not even realize that he had. Now he still battles his demons, but he wins.

Leandre & Yael - Northern Star by Chris Mann - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B01DQ6NNMG?trackAsin=B01DQ6NOJS&ref=dm_sh_a426-c1e7-528d-9d59-5b946

Reason - Leandre is her Northern Star, her anchor in rough seas, her harbor in the storm

Lucifer - Villain by Theory of a Deadman - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0057ZSKE6?trackAsin=B0057ZSNUC&ref=dm_sh_bc17-d0dd-2a97-5bcc-6f2f8

Reason - Come on, it's Lucifer...isn't this one kind of obvious?

Dez - Back From The Dead by Skillet - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B01FN74ZKU?trackAsin=B01FN7523E&ref=dm_sh_4ca6-d1ad-ffc3-9b21-264f8

Reason - Well he is literally back from the dead, so...

Anna - Kings & Queens by Ava Max - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B08MBDFL5T?trackAsin=B08MBCN4TR&ref=dm_sh_d574-a234-0a5e-3b36-2f9d9

@behindthesemasks

Most of the Mercenary Team - One For The Money by Escape the Fate - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B07Y6PBWHS?trackAsin=B07Y6P59MV&ref=dm_sh_e925-764b-a046-dc26-37786

Reason - These are not men who fuck around. They are battle hardened and ready for whatever is thrown at them. Ambrose and Nic have thrown a ton of shit at them. Already this trip has gone sideways and they are ready to rumble with whatever comes next.

@devil-in-the-details-ay

Yara - Halo by Beyonce - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B001KR9AP8?trackAsin=B001KR5RKA&ref=dm_sh_6143-4e7d-a6c8-fad3-b7bff

Reason - It's like it was written for her relationship with Astaroth.

Astaroth - Weight of Your World by Chris Mann - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B002IKE7D6?trackAsin=B002IKE7EA&ref=dm_sh_f948-783b-8211-113e-1d8a1

Reason - It's what he wants to do for Yara. He wants to help lift the weight she is carrying. He knows he has found his perfect counterpart, but she's let so much weigh her down, she can't shine like the diamond that she is.

@tapperhet-em

Meeri - White Flag by Bishop Briggs - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B07BHL6SGP?trackAsin=B07BHLSHVD&ref=dm_sh_7ead-0d78-2b84-b225-116e6

Reason - Her real family may have abandoned her, her uncle's soldiers may be hunting her, and she may doubt everything she ever thought; but she has Lorcan and Einar and their love. She is not going to give up, along with Elio and Tieran, they will figure it out, and they will persevere through this.

Einar - Rain Like This by Chris Mann - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B01DQ6NNMG?trackAsin=B01DQ6NPII&ref=dm_sh_a049-d558-2b51-dc0c-8a7dc

Reason - Einar and Meeri have been dancing around having a relationship for years. They've been more than friends but not quite lovers. Now everything is being tested with their current situation. Nothing is going to change his love for her or make him leave her; rather it is making him hold onto her tighter.

Lorcan - Love You Any Less - Rag'n'Bone Man - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B01N24MPTU?trackAsin=B01N24N72V&ref=dm_sh_7219-0d3d-0222-f175-fae0b

Reason - Lorcan has looked at everyone in the team as family for some time, but especially Meeri and Einar. He hasn't told them, but that is about to change. When things get dark, bonds will be tested, and truths will come out. Lorcan's love stands firm.

Einar, Lorcan, Elio, Tieran, Meeri - I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0035ZTROW?trackAsin=B0035ZRNCK&ref=dm_sh_6269-3a7f-35bd-1160-eab64

Reason - #1 Karaoke song for these idiots, and one that they mean to each other.

@the-andromeda-effect

Adira - Fight Song by Rachel Platten - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0189VVIC0?trackAsin=B0189VVN5W&ref=dm_sh_e615-bc97-d90e-c34c-2ba62

Reason - With Caliban, Theron, and her four guards, Adira is going to find herself again. Already she is finding herself stronger than she was under the thumb of Mircea. When he declares his love for her, the caterpillar will gain her wings as a true butterfly. She does have a lot of fight left and she will gain more people in her corner soon.

Caliban - Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B00JLJ0Y2U?trackAsin=B00JLJ185C&ref=dm_sh_9ad4-c468-26fe-6f85-0ce40

Reason - Cal had never thought he would want a serious relationship, but the longer he's around Adira, that is changing. She has touched a part of his heart that he'd shut off. Just by being herself, she is awakening feelings in him that are foreign, but that he is liking. As at the cabin, he will realize that he does love her, and that is the most dangerous thing for a man like him, but he doesn't care.

@magical-mistakes-vm

Vollrath - Under Your Scars by Godsmack - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B079V2GT86?trackAsin=B079TZ1142&ref=dm_sh_b44b-c25a-5067-ce38-40858

Reason - Both he and Mahala have scars of the past and fears that they have hidden behind masks and walls. He wants to be near her, but is afraid, and knows she is too. The song fits them perfectly.

Balor - Comeback by Chris Mann - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B01DQ6NNMG?trackAsin=B01DQ6NUGU&ref=dm_sh_950c-67a1-eb5d-7cf0-0eb4b

Reason - Balor and Vollrath have been at each other's throats for years. Vollrath has looked down on Balor, and considered him an outcast of the Coven, but that is all about to change. Balor is going to have his comeback, not only in the eyes of his little brother, but the Coven as a whole.

Mahala - Stand By You - Rachel Platten - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0189VVIC0?trackAsin=B0189VVJ3I&ref=dm_sh_1927-4a4f-42e1-9801-c94a0

Ermengarde - W.I.T.C.H. by Devon Cole - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0B5B74N18?trackAsin=B0B5B5S4VM&ref=dm_sh_7d21-9c4a-2cf5-c71f-2d6ae

@mystsoftime

Dante - One Call Away by Charlie Puth - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B014DIAG62?trackAsin=B014DIAMQG&ref=dm_sh_90e0-434b-1497-ccb9-3d3d8

Trevarius - Lions by Skillet - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B01FN74ZKU?trackAsin=B01FN758KQ&ref=dm_sh_d35c-c5b1-6ba9-1254-bb0f4

Renata - Unstoppable by Red - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B075NPQN8K?trackAsin=B075NR4D58&ref=dm_sh_5dc3-8012-fd05-604e-ed544

Enzo - Hurt by Johnny Cash - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B00AYBU7TE?trackAsin=B00AYBU9EM&ref=dm_sh_280a-efb1-01cb-ff58-bc679

@battlegroundofdreams

Morpheus - All Eyes on You by Smash Into Pieces - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B084JPTP28?trackAsin=B084JCW5ZV&ref=dm_sh_31a9-f11f-f5b3-fadc-52712

Lorien - I'd Come For You by Nickelback - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B001KQKC0Q?trackAsin=B001KQGG38&ref=dm_sh_7391-289e-8f25-b0c5-8a2fa

Melinoe - God's Gonna Cut You Down by Johnny Cash - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B073JT39P8?trackAsin=B073PNMZY4&ref=dm_sh_fac2-aeb3-33e1-0124-e7041

Rua - Umbrella by Rihanna - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B00689J512?trackAsin=B00689J5WG&ref=dm_sh_686f-0276-f5b4-bdb7-24753

@princess-of-thieves-id

Diyan - Heavy is the Crown by Daughtry - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B08XDB1G6D?trackAsin=B08XDGFT8J&ref=dm_sh_1ae5-d9c4-9b54-d4b9-488c9

Inara - Burn the Ships by King & Country - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0B5B74N18?trackAsin=B0B5B5S4VM&ref=dm_sh_7d21-9c4a-2cf5-c71f-2d6ae

Arik - We Found Love by Rihanna - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B00689J512?trackAsin=B00689J5WG&ref=dm_sh_686f-0276-f5b4-bdb7-24753

@whileyouwait-dm

Djall - The Fighter by Keith Urban - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B01DOO42BG?trackAsin=B01DOO42CU&ref=dm_sh_806e-2d0b-ece1-4b92-a5d58

Miriana - Safe and Sound by Beth Hunter - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B00C732JT8?trackAsin=B00C733KZU&ref=dm_sh_b58b-ad5f-a13c-4c2a-dfe0e

Eike - Unbreakable by Hedley - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B07GRGQZ9V?trackAsin=B07GRG6R7L&ref=dm_sh_5c48-c788-e84f-93fb-715b9

Bellator - Invincible by Pat Benetar - https://music.amazon.com/albums/B000TDG9N0?trackAsin=B000TDD0U0&ref=dm_sh_b980-b5b2-e336-66e4-435b1

Sorry, was getting really long, so stopped giving explanations. If you have questions on any of them, feel free to ask!

Hope you enjoy <3