#sailing solo around the world

[captainamorysailing]

A Breakup Tale and Future Sailing Plans Ahead | Sailing Solo Around the World | S02 - EP23

In this video, I will share my breakup tale and future sailing plans ahead of my sailing adventure life. I'll share my personal life story, the real breakup story & my next plans with you while sailing solo around the world on my boat.

Are you ready to sail around the world with me? Join me on this emotional journey as I share my personal breakup story and my future plans for sailing solo around the world. I'm thinking of buying a bigger boat, a catamaran, to have more people join me and fill the gap of loneliness. This video is not just about adventure; it's a personal share and catch-up with my audience. Stay tuned for more updates on living on a sailboat and sailing around the world.

[mrskayathefrog]

it's not the sea that does it though, it's the company. My family lived on a boat during my formative years, and despite a few long stretches at sea we did not do any of that upon returning to land.

love the sailing boat discourse and all but i have to say being on a ship for a prolonged time does change a man and i don't mean in a hardened but wisened sailor kind of way i mean that everytime my brother returns from sea after a few months he has to be reintroduced into society like some sort of feral beast. being on a boat might not give you scurvy but it WILL erode your impulse control and ability to react normally to any situation whatsoever. that's just what months of hard work and inability to leave while the ground moves does to a mf

[fanfictionismyaddiction]

Charmed in Monte Carlo

Word count: 1.2k

Pairing: Lando Norris x reader

Summary: During a solo vacation to Monaco, Y/n's evening at the Monte Carlo Casino takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious flirtation leads to a charming and playful encounter

______________________________________________________________

Y/n had been planning this solo trip to Monaco for years. No one had ever been available to join her, but this time, she wasn’t going to let that stop her. She booked the trip, packed her suitcase with the finest summer outfits, and hopped on a plane to the luxurious city she had long dreamed of.

When she arrived, the bright Mediterranean sun greeted her, casting a golden hue over the pristine streets and sparkling water. Y/n immediately felt at peace, like she’d made the right decision to come here on her own. The first few days passed in a blissful blur of exploration. She strolled through Monaco's elegant boulevards, shopped at chic boutiques, dined in gourmet restaurants, and sat at sun-soaked cafés, content to people-watch as life unfolded around her.

Each café stop became its own little adventure. She sipped espresso in Le Café de Paris while tourists flocked to the nearby casino, and at a quieter spot near Port Hercules, she watched as yachts sailed in, glittering against the sapphire waters. She couldn’t help but imagine the lives of the people who owned them—what their stories were, how they spent their days. There was something about Monaco, the intersection of old-world charm and modern luxury, that felt intoxicating.

On her fourth evening in Monaco, she decided to visit the famous Monte Carlo Casino, the ultimate symbol of the city’s elegance and charm. This was the part of the trip she had been most excited about. She wanted to experience the casino’s history, glamour, and its opulence firsthand, even if she wasn’t much of a gambler.

Dressed in a sleek, fitted black dress with a plunging neckline that showed off just enough to be intriguing, she felt a surge of confidence. She paired it with strappy heels and a bold red lip, knowing she looked good but not caring if anyone else noticed. This trip was for her, after all.

The casino’s entrance was grand, with an air of exclusivity, but Y/n walked in as if she belonged there. Inside, the crystal chandeliers sparkled like diamonds, and the floor was abuzz with the sound of laughter, the clatter of chips, and the whirl of roulette wheels. Y/n’s breath caught in her throat for a moment, taking in the sight of it all. The grandeur was even more overwhelming than she had imagined.

Not wanting to jump straight into the gaming tables, she headed to the bar and ordered a cocktail—a French 75 to match the elegance of the night. She found a spot by the side, leaning against a pillar, the perfect vantage point to indulge in her favorite pastime: people-watching. From her spot, she observed glamorous couples dressed to the nines, elegant women draped in couture, and men in sharp tuxedos throwing around bets like they were nothing. It was fascinating.

"Looks like someone’s lost in thought," a smooth, amused voice said from behind her, startling her slightly. She didn’t turn around, deciding to play along.

"Is it that obvious?" she replied, taking another sip of her drink, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"Only because you’re doing that classic lean against the pillar, drink in hand, gazing out like you’re in a Bond film," the voice continued, warm and teasing. "All you’re missing is a tuxedoed guy with a bad poker hand."

Y/n chuckled, keeping her gaze fixed ahead. "Are you volunteering for the role?"

There was a brief pause, then the man behind her laughed, the sound rich and genuine. "Not unless you’re looking for someone to dramatically lose all his money at blackjack. Though, I’m better company than most Bond villains."

"Confident, aren’t we?" she mused, entertained by his playful banter but still not turning to face him.

"Confidence is key, or so they say," he responded smoothly. "Besides, I couldn’t help but notice you standing here, looking like you belong in a movie yourself."

Y/n raised her glass to her lips, hiding her smile. Whoever this was, he was good—too good. The kind of flirtation that felt practiced but was enjoyable nonetheless. "A movie, huh? Does that mean you’re the mysterious stranger who makes me an offer I can’t refuse?"

"Something like that," the voice agreed, now sounding closer, almost as if he’d shifted behind her. "Though, I’d settle for a laugh and your company over a drink."

"Well, you’ve managed to get me to laugh already," Y/n replied, feeling a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with her drink. She glanced sideways but still didn’t turn around, enjoying the anonymity of their conversation.

"I’d call that a win," he said, clearly smiling now. "Do I get a bonus if I keep you laughing?"

"Maybe," she teased. "But it depends on how good you are at keeping the mystery alive."

"Oh, I’m very good at keeping secrets," he said, his tone dropping playfully. "But I’ll let you in on one: I’m not usually this charming. I’m just trying to impress the most captivating person in the room."

Y/n snorted softly. "You’re laying it on thick now."

"Hey, if it works, I won’t apologize."

They went back and forth like that, the conversation flowing so naturally it felt like they’d known each other for ages. Y/n was curious but also didn’t want to break the spell by turning around. Whoever he was, he was making her laugh, and she liked the mystery of it all.

Eventually, though, her curiosity got the better of her. After yet another playful jab from the man behind her, she finally turned around, ready to face the charming stranger.

Her breath hitched when she saw who it was.

"Lando Norris?" she blurted, her eyes widening in disbelief.

The British Formula 1 driver stood there, leaning casually against the bar, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. "In the flesh," he said, raising an eyebrow. "You weren’t expecting me, were you?"

Y/n stared for a second, still processing the fact that one of the most famous young drivers in the world had been flirting with her for the past ten minutes. "I… definitely wasn’t," she admitted, her surprise morphing into laughter.

"Well, I’m glad I could provide some shock value," Lando teased, clearly enjoying her reaction. "But if it helps, I was enjoying being the mysterious guy behind you. You know, no fame, no racing cars—just a guy in a casino."

She shook her head, still smiling. "And here I thought I was just talking to some regular guy trying his hand at flirting."

Lando’s grin widened. "Oh, I am definitely trying my hand at flirting. Famous or not, that part’s all me."

Y/n laughed again, this time more relaxed. "Well, you’re doing a pretty good job. I’ll give you that."

"Only pretty good?" Lando raised his eyebrows in mock offense. "I was hoping for at least 'very good.'"

"Let’s just say the jury’s still out," she teased back, feeling a lightness in the air between them.

Lando tilted his head, considering her words. "Alright, fair enough. But how about I buy you another drink, and we’ll see if I can sway the jury in my favor?"

Y/n smirked, raising her glass. "You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr. Norris."

[cavegirlpoems]

Hello, new follower here! I saw you mentioned you worked on several RPGs, may I ask what those were? I'm always looking to find new cool RPGs!

OK so, off the top of my head: TTRPGs: -Wolfpacks & Winter Snow (osr weird fantasy paleolithic with too much historical research) -Dungeon Bitches (PbtA dyke-punk dungeon-horror full of sex and body horror) -Esoteric Enterprises (osr modern-day occult gangsters/urban exploration) -Haunt/Hearts (romantic lyric game about a lesbian ghost) -The Yellow Curtain (experimental metafiction King In Yellow/RevStar) -Deep Morphean Transmissions (dreamscape conspiricy noir surrealism in a setting kept secret from the players ooc) Modules/Settings/Adventures: The Gardens Of Ynn (whimsical fantasy in a ruined extradimensional garden, procedurally generated osr) The Stygian Library (whimsical fantasy in a haunted extradimensional library, procedurally generated osr) Dead Girls In Sarkash Forest (feminine horror with tragically undead protagonists, mork borg for riot grrls) Wounded Hungry & Forgotten (a mini bestiary for Dungeon Bitches) Black Lung (Dungeon Bitches in the industrial revolution, again with too much historical resarch: out any day now i promise) Wargames: The Dolorous Stroke (experimental detailed skirmish game based on medieval romances with knights going on quests) Black Death Walking (narrative campaign skirmish game set in the 15th century with zombies and satan) Currently In Progress (in various stages of done, titles subject to change, may or may not actually get finished): Black Death Rising (osr religious horror with zombies, fascists and satan all trying to kill you, same setting as Black Death Walking) The Bleeding Gullet (a body-horror OSR setting in a giant mutant-filled chasm that makes you violently ill if you try to leave it) In The Black Cloister (experimental solo wargame where you explore a ruined nunnery/vinyard full of weird monsters) Sunset Seas (nautical osr adventure where you sail around exploring various increasingly weird islands on the edge of the world)

[captainsvscaptains]

Round 2 Part 4 Poll 4

Propaganda

Ged's a wizard he's bisexual and he loves his boat so much. He's sailed around the world on his beloved little boat and learned everything about sailing even though he could've just used magic because it brought him joy. I just like him a lot. Also he talks to dragons

Jonny is an immortal (die and come back, regenerative immortality) pirate who commandeered the Aurora for himself and the woman who made him immortal. She proceeded to make several other people immortal, who all joined the crew, until they threw her out the airlock (several times. She left of her own free will as a result of this). Jonny declared that, as the original member, he was captain now. Everyone decided to ignore him. He introduces himself as ""your humble captain"" every performance, and every performance Tim (another crew member) and usually the entire audience yells "first mate!" He once said "so she came to the closest thing we have to a captain: myself" only for it to cut to the situation in question to show that he had no control at all. Even the starship doesn't see him as the captain (she's sentient. Also a lesbian! I love her). Captain struggles aside, he's so fun. He once committed every single crime on a planet (except the sex crimes). He had an arrest warrant out with the reason "just arrest the fucker". He has a whole post-patricide harmonica solo. He's fantastic

[undergaunts]

It’s Nice To Have A Friend

Sebastian Sallow x Reader (non-specific gender / house)

Summary: You’re eleven when you first meet Sebastian Sallow. His sister introduces him to you, after finding yourself in the same boat as them, sailing across the Black Lake towards the colossal castle ahead.

Rating: Mature (not extremely detailed smut but it’s there when the characters are aged 18+)

Word count: 2.1k

Read on AO3 or below the cut <3

You’re eleven when you first meet Sebastian Sallow. His sister introduces him to you, after finding yourself in the same boat as them, sailing across the Black Lake towards the colossal castle ahead.

He’s short, with a chubby face, freckles splattered across pale skin like stars in the night sky, mousy brown hair a windswept mess on his head. He doesn’t say much, just gives you a shy smile, and you decide you much prefer his sister, who is chatty and kind and makes you feel less nervous.

You don’t speak to him much, until a few days later in your very first Charms class, his sister introduces you to their new friend; a skinny little thing of a boy, with white-blond hair and deep bags under his unusual eyes. Somehow, from then on, the four of you fall into a comfortable friendship, and you thank whatever magical entity that is looking down on you for not letting you continue on alone.

*

You’re twelve when you decide Sebastian Sallow is your best friend. He’s laughing at something you’d said, the dim light of the Undercroft reflecting on his face, cheeks turning red from the joy you’ve brought him.

And you’re laughing too - you’d tried not to, to keep a straight face to make your comedy hit harder, but it’s impossible with him around. You’d like to sit in here with him forever, to make hilarious jokes about your teachers, to chat about Quidditch - to just enjoy each others company.

There’s a light shining in his eyes, something you don’t think you’ve seen before, and it’s that moment you decide he is your best friend in the entire world, and how lucky you are to have him.

*

You’re fourteen when you develop a crush on Sebastian Sallow.

You almost don’t recognise him after your summer break. In fact, you walk straight past him, and only realise it’s him when you recognise his voice.

The warm weather has done wonders. He’s grown a foot, lost all of the puppy fat around his cheeks. He’s tanned, hair sun-bleached and you swear his eyes are more golden, too, surrounded by long, beautiful lashes. He pulls you into a hug when he sees you, and you feel your heart skip a beat, stiffening in his hold.

You curse yourself. He’s your very best friend, so you spend the rest of the year trying desperately not to let yourself fall in love.

*

You’re sixteen when you realise you’re hopelessly in love with Sebastian Sallow, and spend the a month crying into your pillow, realising what a fool you are for letting it happen.

You’d done so well for two years - convincing yourself you only liked him, and definitely only in a platonic way - but the day when he punches another student square in the face for saying something horrific about you (so disgusting it made your stomach churn when you overheard it), and he threatens to do it again, if anything even remotely similar was said, you realise you’re in love with him.

It’s stupid, really. You can’t bear to face him for ages afterwards, but he eventually corners you after a solo study session, and apologises for what he did, thinking you hated him for it.

It’s not that, you say, and then thank him for standing up for you, because no one else does.

He hugs you, like he’d done multiple times before, but this time you don’t stay still or lose your breath. You melt into him, pressing your face into the crook of his neck, eyes closing and relishing the comfort of him.

You want him to hold you like this forever. You want him to kiss you, to sweep you off your feet and promise you he’ll never let go.

But after a moment he pulls back, patting the top of your head like you’re a puppy with a stupid, lopsided grin, and leaves you standing in the middle of the Library, ready to fall to your knees with heartache.

*

You’re seventeen when you finally tell Sebastian Sallow that you’re in love with him.

You hadn’t planned it. In fact, you’d planned to never tell him. You’d take this secret to your grave. You’d decided he’d marry, probably one of your fellow seventh years (afterall, he was a massive flirt, and it wouldn’t be hard for him to start dating someone, if he wanted), and have kids with whoever he chose, and die happy.

You, on the other hand, were to spend the rest of your days pining, wishing for what could’ve been, if only you were brave enough.

But it’s a cold Winters day when you see him on a date with girl from your house, in the middle of Hogsmeade, holding her hand, and right there you realise you can’t take it anymore. The thought of him with someone else, let alone him actually being with someone, turns your stomach to knots, and you feel vomit rise in your throat.

You don’t realise, but he spots you as you run past, heading up towards The Old Fool. He excuses himself from his date, and follows you, calling after you.

You don’t hear him. You let your feet carry you, straight into the graveyard, and breathless, you topple onto the wet grass.

It’s dramatic. It’s stupid.

And then Sebastian is crouching in front of you, and you might think he was a ghost in the moonlight if you hadn’t got his face memorised like the back of your hand.

You apologise, and he asks what for? For ruining his date, you say. He scoffs, and says it was rubbish anyway. But you looked like you were enjoying it, you retort, and his face reddens. It was a mistake, he shakes his head, he certainly won’t be taking her out again, what a bore.

You catch yourself, before you say something idiotic, like you never find me boring, but then he sits down in front of you on a worn down stone, cross-legged and concerned, taking a hold of your hand, squeezing it, as if he could provide any comfort, unaware he was the source of your pain.

And as you look at him - he’s painfully beautiful, and you’re painfully in love - you decide you truly don’t think you could take a lifetime of wanting over him. His heart pulls you in, and Merlin be damned, if he decides to leave you broken on the cobblestones, at least you tried.

So you tell him. You tell him you’ve loved him for years. He’s your very best friend, but you’re in love with him. And you’d hate for it to change anything, but you just had to tell him. You can’t bear seeing him with anyone else. It’s not fair, and you’re sorry, but it just isn’t.

Instead of walking away, or ridiculing you, he laughs.

You’re reminded of your times in the Undercroft, making each other giggle and playing games for hours on end.

You’re reminded of that first day you met, and the first time your year was allowed to Hogsmeade and he took you straight to Honeydukes to treat you to varying sweets.

And the year you stayed with him and his sister for Christmas. And staying up late to watch the New Years firework, watching rainbows reflect in his eyes. All versions of him collide in that moment. All of Sebastian Sallow, is sitting there in front of you. Laughing.

The laughing makes you nervous, embarrassed, regretful, but there’s no time to worry. He leans forward, and presses his lips against yours. Gentle, wanting, love. All you’d ever wanted. Entirely him.

It’s short, but only because he pulls back, to tell you how long he’s waited for you to say that. How he’s loved you since that very first boat ride. How he could never imagine you loving him, of all people. Terrible, awful him.

This time it’s your turn to laugh - terrible and awful certainly not words that come to mind when thinking of him - and you feel stupid for not telling him sooner.

So this time, you lean in to kiss him, and you decide you’ll never love anyone else.

*

You’re eighteen when you have sex with Sebastian Sallow for the first time.

You’d spent weeks, months, being patient. Hours spent kissing, exploring, teasing, tasting…

But each time it got to the point of no return, Sebastian had, well, returned.

Nights dreaming of him, even days dreaming of him. Many a magic history class spent imagining all the things he might do to you. All the things you’d do to him

He was yours (and proudly so - you couldn’t get him off of you, always holding your hand or wrapping his arm around you in front of your fellow students), but not entirely. Not yet.

So you finally ask him. He’s taken aback, sitting on the grass just outside the walls of Hogwarts on a fine Spring day, squinting as the sun almost blinds him. He’s god-like; shirt sleeves rolled up around his elbows, exposing his toned forearms, brows furrowed and hand pushing his hair off of his damp forehead.

Are you sure, he questions, and you nod. He asks again, and you still nod.

Then he pauses, with a long breath, and then admits he’s worried.

What about? you ask, sitting forward, closer to him.

That I’m going to hurt you, he says, with such honesty you feel like you’re being thrown against a wall.

You reach for his hand. You promise him he won’t, there’s no way he ever could, you’d tell him if he was, you love him, you want this, more than anything.

The fear melts off his face, and he smiles.

So later, you meet at outside the Slytherin common room, and head to the Undercroft, ensuring no one else is there, or able to get in. Entirely yours.

It’s awkward, as most first times are. He’s all long limbs and shaky hands and you’re fumbling at his shirt buttons, eyes glazing as he touches you in the way you’d always dreamed. As his confidence grows he finds a better rhythm, biting your neck, slipping hands under waistbands and tugging clothes away from skin.

He mutters a transfiguration spell under his breath, and a large crate becomes a bed. You don’t realise it, until much later, too focused on him to even care.

Touching him is something else entirely. The moans you can elicit from his lips are utter filth, and you think you might burst at the seams just from that.

But then, once you’re both ready, and he double, triple checks you’re still absolutely certain, he makes love to you, holding you tightly, gripping at skin so tight he might leave bruises, but you don’t care, you don’t care, not one bit.

He makes you come undone, once, twice, unravelling like a loose piece of thread on an old scarf, and he follows you not long after. All those years you’d spent at Hogwarts, and this was the truest magic of it all.

So you lay there (finally realising the bed beneath you, with a slight giggle), with his arms wrapped around you, leaving kisses along your skin, basking in the afterglow of the most wonderful thing you’d ever done, and ever hope to do again.

And he whispers that he loves you into your neck, as sleep lulls you, warm and inviting, your back tucked against true love, personified.

*

You’re twenty when you marry Sebastian Sallow.

He’d proposed on the shore of the Black Lake, where you’d both first met, stuttering over his words and almost in tears, nervous to his very bones. But of course you’d accepted, eagerly.

It’s a small, intimate, wedding, with only your closest friends in attendance, at the Sallow family home in Feldcroft. You swear to care for him, to stay by his side. You swear to love him, for the rest of your days, and Merlin, do you mean it.

You celebrate into the evening, until the stars shine in the sky. You thank everyone for coming as they leave, and then finally, you and Sebastian are alone. Married.

He smiles at you, the moonlight dancing across your faces, then takes you in his arms and pulls you close. You melt into him, pressing your face into the crook of his neck, eyes closing and relishing the comfort of him.

You want him to hold you like this forever. You want him to kiss you, to sweep you off your feet and promise you he’ll never let go. Just like you had wanted all those years ago.

Only this time, you’re absolutely certain he will.

[mackjlee9]

Not sure if you already got an ask for this but

Leon and werewolf reader? 😱

How about... Vampire!leon x werewolf!reader also I have no idea what this genre is tbh

Vampire!Leon Kennedy x Werewolf!Male!Reader [?]

Masterlist.

Resident Evil

An unspoken rule had been established in this world. Each agency holds a specific type of creature to avoid conflicts, these agencies go out of their way to never meet up, only under impossible circumstances they could work together as one.

So no one is happy when they're squeezed together in the conference room under the President's command.

Everyone wondered how serious the situation had to be to have them mixed in a room like this, but not a single one of them could refuse the job, especially when they were under the President's orders.

Vampires and Werewolves were natural enemies, it was just how their instincts worked. Witches and Wizards had the same issue, they were similar, but so different as well. And here they were, vampires and wolves in the same room, breathing the same air, it was suffocating.

"I need everyone here to listen, this mission is essential for humanity's survival, and you have to work together on this," well, there was a reason by working under the President's orders meant neutral ground, no conflict should even exist under these conditions.

Everyone could work with anyone, and they had no right to refuse.

"Agent Kennedy, Agent (L/n)," both males watched how the president signaled for them to approach his seat. They stood on either side of him, while President Graham grabbed a pile of paper sheets next to a rather smaller one, and handed them to his bodyguards, "If you have a paper, you may leave."

(M/n) and Leon looked at each other for a moment, before watching how everyone left the room, only leaving them two with the president, both bodyguards standing by the closed double doors.

"Your abilities are needed, gentlemen," he stood up from his chair and reached to the whiteboard behind him, turning it around, and showing images of people and maps with paths marked. A close follow-up on times, when they arrived, when they left, and with who, "You have been paired on this mission because of your physical abilities, skills, fighting style, and solo efficiency," the president grabbed the smaller pile, only containing four sheets, two for each.

Everything they needed to know was there. They read silently, realizing that this job could turn out horribly wrong.

//////

Even if the mission was anything but smooth sailing, they had managed to get the first half of it done and were now heading to the next destination. But something was... Off.

They immediately realized that they had entered wizard territory, and they planned to immediately turn around and leave, but that wasn't something they could do anymore.

Their ankles had vines wrapped around them, preventing them from moving an inch, and soon, wizards of all kinds and elements began surrounding them. With gritted teeth, (M/n) raised his hands up, not wanting to shake the beehive any further, and Leon released his knife, doing the same as his wolf partner.

"Well... This is gonna be a problem."

And being chained to the walls, confined in a single room together was definitely a problem.

"That it was," (M/n) sighed and looked around the room for the thousandth time, never seeing anything different, never noticing any changes. Neither of them knew how long they'd been kept locked there, they would've tried to escape but they figured they will be fine soon... Hopefully.

Whether they had been there for hours, a few days, or a week, they didn't care, they had been trained to be able to survive these types of situations, but one was doing better than the other.

Every now and again, someone would toss them a bottle of water and a piece of bread, something that didn't work to give them energy or strength, but kept them somehow alive. The wizards knew what they were and were giving them things they knew wouldn't satiate their hunger.

And (M/n) noticed that he was holding better than Leon was, he was getting hungrier the longer it passed, but he was doing alright, but Leon? He kept licking his lips, his eyes had turned a bright red and he was avoiding eye contact, adding the fact that he had drowned that water bottle in an instant, looking still just as thirsty as ten seconds ago before he drank that bottle whole.

Even so, Leon was able to hold a small conversation with (M/n), although there wasn't much to talk about, and well, a little teasing to distract him wouldn't hurt, would it?

"So, is it true that a vampire's bite works as an aphrodisiac?" (M/n) asked with a smirk on his face, only making the blond scoff, looking into his (e/c) eyes with his once blue ones.

"Is it true that all male wolves have a knot on their cock?" Well, he wasn't expecting that question.

He cleared his throat for a moment, looking away, staring at the roof above their heads, feeling his face heating up a bit as he thought of a way to change the subject.

But the chain rattling behind Leon caught his attention. He looked down at him again, noticing how he had leaned forward, his pupils dilated and sweating quite a bit, his eyes fixated on him- on his neck.

(M/n) laughed and shifted on the floor, finding a more comfortable position as he observed Leon with amusement.

"Oh~?" (M/n)'s tone of voice made Leon snap back from his trance, huffing when he made eye contact with him, glancing away, but still able to hear the sound of his heartbeat speed up, "I thought us wolves always smelled like wet dogs, as those of you so kindly say, and it's not appetizing."

Well, Leon wasn't gonna tell him that he actually smelled kinda nice and didn't stink, otherwise, he would've commented on it after being locked in that room for however long it's been.

"Beggars can't be choosers," was all he responded, his jaw clenching right after when (M/n) laughed, his nose picking up the sweet scent of his blood, his eyes staring right where his pulse is, and the chains holding him back rattled again as he moved forward.

Leon tries to hold onto his sanity, but the way (M/n) continues to tease him about him being hungry, is making him mad. (M/n) feels in control, and he enjoys watching Leon slowly lose control over himself, but the feeling of superiority didn't last long.

With a loud grunt, Leon's arms shot forward, the chain breaking off the wall, hanging around his wrists as he launched himself to (M/n), keeping the wolf pinned against the wall, bearing his fangs at him, drool dripping down the corners of his lips.

Despite obviously being hungry and losing most of his self-control, Leon was still not latching onto his neck to drink his blood, and (M/n) could hear the sound Leon's nails made as they scratched the wall behind him.

"I don't wanna... Do something I... Might regret..." He mutters with gritted teeth and ragged breath, (M/n) looks into his red eyes, the crimson color covered by the black of his pupils and he sees the blond swallowing his saliva way too often.

He can smell Leon's desire, his hunger, and his need for him, for blood- for his blood.

Leon closes his eyes tight and groans when he hears (M/n)'s heart beating faster, his scent getting stronger.

Leon held his breath and slowly commanded his body to back away, but the small rattle of chains made him open his eyes. (M/n)'s neck was right in from of him, his nose almost gracing his pulse.

"I'm gonna rip your head off if you don't stop when I tell you to stop," his words were threatening, but his voice was so sweet and gentle that Leon almost couldn't understand what he had said.

He licked his lips, releasing a whine when his tongue touched (M/n)'s neck, his hands wrapping around the chains still holding the wolf captive just as a way to be able to ground himself. Leon took a deep breath through his mouth, almost moaning as he tasted (M/n)'s scent on his tongue. He dragged his tongue across his fangs and leaned closer, piercing through (M/n)'s sensitive skin, not caring about the pathetic whimper he released at the warm and sweet taste of his blood.

(M/n) frowned at the pain, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle, and soon his body shivered, making him bite his lip to hold in the growl that wanted to escape. He felt his body on fire and the little nudge he felt of Leon's knee in between his thighs let him know why.

"So it... Does work as an... Aphrodisiac, eh?" He mumbled trying to make humor of the situation, but the way Leon continued drinking his blood wasn't helping, "Fuck- Leon..."

Tightly gripping the chains, Leon ripped them off the wall, hearing them hit the floor as he wrapped his arms around (M/n), straddling his hips and slowly retracting his fangs, licking the blood dripping from them. He leaned down to lick the blood around the wound, and he watched how it started healing by itself.

Of course, wolves have enhanced healing, he should've known.

He nuzzled in the crook of (M/n)'s neck, the wolf sighing and leaning against the wall, his hand lazily resting atop Leon's thighs.

Extended ending.

Hours later, the door was pulled open, revealing the unexpected sight of those two cuddled together. And the wizard looked up at her superior, wondering what she should do.

He sighed and signaled her to make a portal, it would be a way quicker way to get them out, they couldn't disobey the president's orders after.

"Send them away, Amelia." She nodded and started casting her spell, watching them being consumed by the purple portal.

As soon as they woke up, they realized they were outside. They weren't sure why or how, but the scroll floating in front of them told them what they needed to know.

"Well," (M/n) made eye contact with Leon, and he saw his cheeks pink, his eyes back to their pretty blue, shining under the sunlight, the sight almost left him breathless, especially when he saw Leon's shy smile, "We- we have s-stuff to do..."

They got up in complete silence, I didn't know vampires could blush...

"Leon..." He called the blond, turning toward him, and he looked at him with wide eyes, "Do you wanna... Go out sometime?"

Leon's giggle caught him off-guard, but a smile grew on (M/n)'s face when he saw him nodding.

[sharks-n-bones]

FLOYD IS FINALLY HERE!!

Sorry it took so long, guys!! I was kinda struggling with this one and work has been kicking my ass 😭 Anyways!! Without further adue, I give to you

Floyd

- This boy is not a survivalist but he's trying his best

- He was still doing his solo career when the world began to flood. Like most, he didn't realize how serious it was at first. He didn't realize until he found the concert venue he was supposed to preform at completely submerged

- He started heading for higher ground. He figured if the water kept rising, he'd have to make a raft. He'd make a boat, but he'd never made one before, and a raft seemed like it'd be a bit easier

- When he got far away enough from the rising water, Floyd set about building his raft. He got some help from a few other trolls that were in the area, which he greatly appreciated

- He finished his raft just as the water got close enough to brush against the edges of it. So he made sure everything was tied down, pushed his raft into the water and set sail

- Floyd was proud of his raft, honestly. He'd built an awning to protect himself from the sun and the rain, a little water purifier made from branches, stones and a couple palm leaves, a small cooking pit made with stones and branches and some metal he'd found, and a couple storage containers. He'd also managed to make himself a comfortable bed! Overall, he was happy with his raft

- Sailing was honestly pretty nice. Storms were a bit rough on the raft, but he was usually able to find an island afterwards and was able to fix any damage. He'd even made a couple growth plots for fruits and vegetables! He may not be a survivalist, but he at least knew he needed at least a somewhat balanced diet if he didn't wanna get scurvy

- He spent most of his time at different islands. Once he found one, he'd stay there for a week or two, relaxing in the water and gathering resources until he eventually had to set sail again. He would just live at one of the islands for a while, but he wanted to find his brothers and make sure they were alright. It'd been so long since he'd seen them, and he missed them. Sailing on his own was lonely, too, and his brothers would be good company. (He also never forgot the promise he'd made to Branch about returning to him)

- He spent a couple months doing this little routine of his. Sail for a while, find an island, relax and gather resources for a few weeks, set sail, rinse and repeat. Occasionally, a couple techno trolls would peak up from the water and offer him some help, which he often took them up on, if for nothing else than some company and conversation. It was peaceful, but he couldn't wait to find his brothers

- He also noticed a few things as he sailed. For on, he got this awful rash on his neck. He's found some plants on a couple islands that helped with the itching and soreness, but no matter what he did, it wouldn't go away

- He also noticed how dry his skin would get. Going in the water helped a lot, and he was working on trying to make lotion out of coconut oil. Surprisingly enough, his hair and fur was looking better than ever, despite him not being able to use any products other than coconut oil since the flood started

- Eventually, another techno troll came out of the water and struck up a conversation before noticing the rash on his neck. The troll went quiet for a moment before asking to see Floyd's hands. Confused but curious, Floyd complied

- The ocean troll spread Floyd's fingers and his face looked like a strange mix between relief and somber. That was when Floyd took notice that the webbing between his fingers looked ever so slightly longer

- When Floyd asked if the techno troll was alright, they sighed and told him a legend. A legend of sirens and their history with technos. A legend of how they were locked away after the elder technos feared their powers. How they'd escaped their prison around the same time the flood hit. Of how they pumped the ocean full of a deep and ancient magic that altered the bodies of those who lived on land to better help them adjust and survive life in the ocean

- Floyd had been surprised, and rightfully so. He looked at the webbing between his fingers in a whole new light. Soon enough, he might not even need his raft to survive. It was strange to think such a thing was possible, but the proff was right there in the changes that were already occurring to Floyd

- He was sailing again, looking for another island or any ships that his brothers could possibly be on, when a huge storm hit. It was an intense one, he'd never sailed through one so big! He furled his sail and held on tight, trying to keep things together

- Then, he spotted a ship. A troll in a cloak and scarf peered over the edge and asked if he was alright. Before he could respond, though, a huge wave made contact with his raft and crushed it to splinters, throwing him and everything else into the dangerous waves

- He coughed and spluttered as he tried to keep his head above the water. He was a good swimmer, but he doubted anyone but techno trolls could swim in these waves. His head dipped below the water again when he felt strong arms wrap around him and pull him to the surface. He gasped for breath and the next thing he knew, he was laying on the deck of the mysterious stranger's ship

- He coughed and spluttered as he caught his breath, and the feeling of fabric being placed on his shoulders made him look up. The stranger had wrapped his scarf and cloak around Floyd and was now fishing for the remains of his raft with his hair. The troll had a strong build and muted colors, with purple skin and blue hair that faded to green at the tips

- Floyd stood right as the stranger hauled the last of what he could onto the boat. Floyd thanked him, and the stranger offered him a smile. He introduced himself as Creek, and Floyd introduced himself in return

- Creek helped him grab his supplies before leading him to the lower levels of the ship. He made some food and cocoa to warm them up, and they got to talking. Floyd learned that Creek had been a survivalist before the flood, living on his own in the woods. Floyd mentioned how he was just working on his solo career when the flood hit

- Slowly but surely, they grew closer and built a routine. Floyd was good at fishing, so he caught a lot of their food while Creek would forage when they reached an island. He taught Floyd a lot about foraging and surviving, and Floyd appreciated it

- Floyd also helped make repairs to the ship when needed. He learned quickly how to make, fix and repair things while on his raft, and fixing up Creek's ship was the least he could do after he'd saved his life

- When they weren't busy working and gathering supplies on islands, they'd relax — either on the deck of the ship or in the water, just overall having a good time. Creek's company was nice. He had a calming sort of atmosphere around him that Floyd couldn't help but enjoy

- One day, as they were sailing, they came across an absolutely massive ship. It was so big that other ships were able to dock to it. Hell, there were even areas for troll-sized ships to dock! Curious, they decided to dock and board. Creek had put on his cloak and scarf, covering his face and hair. Floyd asked why, confused, and Creek said he'd explain some other time. Floyd didn't push it

- After traveling up an elevator to the main deck of the ship, their eyes simultaneously widened. It was a floating restaurant on the sea! No wonder people were docking here

- They walked around for a bit, just exploring, before they found an area on the bar for trolls to sit and eat and decided to head there. After finding and empty table and sitting down at it, a vacationer who introduced herself as Brandy handed them a couple menus before stating that her husband would be around shortly to take their orders

- It didn't take Floyd long to find out what he wanted to try, and once Creek had also decided, they fell into an easy conversation. They spoke about the flood, the weather, the islands they'd visited before they met, anything and everything

- Then, a voice spoke up from beside them. An oddly familiar one. The voice was asking what they'd wanted to order before Floyd glanced up and they both paused. Blue skin that matched his own. Purple hair. Same smile. Floyd grinned and leapt out of his chair to hug the troll. One of the ones he'd been searching for. One he hadn't seen in 20 years.

- “Spruce!!”

[dojae-huh]

Unconditional: lyrics

Well, for once we have lyrics fully in English, so we can be sure there are no mistakes in translation from Korean.

Preface.

I believe, at least for now, at the start of Jaehyun's soloist career and his first steps into songwriting, we can be sure he writes about his own experiences, or he agrees with lyrics created by others that resonate with him personally. a) He said so himself in an interview (how he used the feelings he felt and the pictures he took as inspiration for writing), b) in the past he referenced/played on repeat songs that matched the current situation of his relationship with Doyoung, c) so far, all the themes from his solo songs and songs from "J" matched what we can observe about Jaehyun and his onlook on Doyoung.

In other words, even if Jaehyun sings about a girl from California (an imagined scenario, never happened) it will be about "it was destiny" and "lets stay together till death do us part" and not about picking up chicks for a one night stand or having girlfriends around the world.

Met this girl from California, something 'bout her aura Got me good at sticking around Send a shout out to her mama, raising up a queen

Tbh, I think it's Taneasha's part. Jaehyun is close with mama Kim though.

'Cause damn, she is the woman, no doubt Who got fire taste? Dominate When she on that paper chase

"Paper chase" can't be Jae's lyrics as well. Too slangy. Yet, we know a bunny who is constantly working and earning money (with the nickname "young money"), who dominates all sides of showbusiness.

Skip the drama, double dutch She's an eight rounded up

And we continue with slang. "Double dutch" is 1) "talk or writing that is nonsense or that you cannot understand" and 2) "a game played by jumpimg up and down through two ropes that are being turned by two people holding the ends"

"rounded up 8"="10" (like in math 5.8->6)

Considering the lyrics about "A-list" later, the love interest is not perfectly beautiful by the usual standarts, but sure is in Jaehyun's eyes.

I've been falling since the day I made her mine Oh, we locked all the way, yeah

We can see that. Lemonade, she's golden She deservеs to be loved with no limit out loud

This looks to be written by Jae. (as well as the previous part)

I just, I just bought my baby Prada Got another for hеr, straight from the store Fly her 'round the world so she can hang by the shore That's my baby, that’s my sugar I don't need no honey on the side

By Hyun this time? Hyun and Jae? Heh. Another style here.

That's unconditiona-nal For her, I'd break the law, just take me straight to the court Buy a billion roses and I'd still get her more

This sound like Jae again. Jae is ready to go to the end of the world for his love interest.

She's fine, she's mine, I gotta praise the Lord This thing, we got's That's unconditiona-nal She's fine, she's mine, I gotta praise the Lord This thing, we got's That's unconditiona-nal

Reminds me

"You wanna be mine, baby (Roses) I said you wanna be mine, baby (Roses)"

Baby, I'm just gonna say it, not even an A-list Can turn my head from where it is now I'm rocking through the stages 'til we're old and gray Ain't afraid to say it loud (Loud)

Also sounds like Jae. An image of sailing from one stage to another till old age. Not clear here if it is a stage of life or music stages.

That's unconditiona-nal

Jaehyun's love is complete and not limited in any way. Pure love, given without asking for anything in return.

--------------

OK. Lets list the possible references: lemonade (lemonade mate), met in California (Lost in California), meerkats (in the MV), idol life (music stages), paper chase (pursue of money and career), golden (Golden light?), gifting Prada (the bag Do got and paraded around), hang by the shore (Doyoung likes the sea), rounded up 8/(not) A-list (Do doesn't think he is idol handsome), Jaehyun not being afraid to love confess/flirt/compliment.

The theme: found the one, continues to fall in love deeper, ready to break the law and spend the rest of his life together, wants to talk about his love openly. The same theme as in most other songs by Jae.

[bijouxcarys]

Beautiful boys. I love them to death.

Brian is so 😍😍😍

I highly recommend, if you haven’t already, going through their discography—beginning to end. ( @celestial-dragoness I’m looking at you girl) There are some real gems stashed away in there that don’t get enough attention. Here’s some:

Great King Rat (Queen, 1973)

Liar (Queen, 1973)

Modern Times Rock n Roll (Queen, 1973)

White Queen (As It Began) (Queen II, 1974)

Some Day, One Day (Queen II, 1974)

The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke (Queen II, 1974)

Nevermore (Queen II, 1974)

The March Of The Black Queen (Queen II, 1974)

Flick of the Wrist (Sheer Heart Attack, 1974)

Lily of the Valley (Sheer Heart Attack, 1974)

In The Lap of the Gods (Sheer Heart Attack, 1974)

Bring Back That Leroy Brown (Sheer Heart Attack, 1974)

Seaside Rendezvous (A Night At The Opera, 1975)

‘39 (A Night At The Opera, 1975)

Drowse (A Day At The Races, 1976)

The Millionaire Waltz (A Day At The Races, 1976)

Long Away (A Day At The Races, 1976)

All Dead, All Dead (News of the World, 1977)

Mustapha (Jazz, 1978)

Let Me Entertain You (Jazz, 1978)

Sail Away, Sweet Sister (The Game, 1980)

Dancer (Hot Space, 1982)

Back Chat (Hot Space, 1982)

Cool Cat (Hot Space, 1982)

Put Out The Fire (Hot Space, 1982)

It’s A Hard Life (The Works, 1984)

Machines (Or ‘Back To Humans’) (The Works, 1984)

Princes of the Universe (A Kind of Magic, 1986)

Don’t Lose Your Head (A Kind of Magic, 1986)

One Year of Love (A Kind of Magic, 1986)

Was It All Worth It (The Miracle, 1989)

Breakthru (The Miracle, 1989)

Scandal (The Miracle, 1989)

The Invisible Man (The Miracle, 1989)

Headlong (Innuendo, 1991)

Bijou (Innuendo, 1991)

Innuendo (Innuendo, 1991)

I Can’t Live With You (Innuendo, 1991)

I’m Going Slightly Mad (Innuendo, 1991)

Let Me Live (Made in Heaven, 1995)

Made in Heaven (Made in Heaven, 1995)

Mother Love (Made in Heaven, 1995)

Too Much Love Will Kill You (Made in Heaven, 1995) — though I recommend Brian’s solo version. I prefer that to the Queen version.

And remember… if you ever listen through their discography, make sure it’s chronological. Beginning to end.

And also… if you’re interested in context around certain songs or what was going on at the time… I’m your gal.

If I were on mastermind, Queen would be my special subject.

[captainamorysailing]

Sailing Alone from Puerto Aventuras Bound to Cancun Mexico - Solo Sailing - EP09

Watch me sailing alone from Puerto Aventuras Bound to Cancun Mexico in this episode. I leave Puerto Aventura bound north for Cancun, an 80nm journey against a 1-2knots south flowing current of the Gulf Stream. The going was slow & the sailing was challenging. The plan was to stop in Puerto Morelos to wait out a storm. When the marina staff untied my lines because of some COVID restriction, I yelled and protested, but the wheel of bureaucracy won't be broken today. Hasty & disdained, I had to continue sailing ahead of a category 4 Hurricane affecting the Southwest of Guatemala & Belize, but we still got it wrong with 30nm knots winds & tons of rain.

Experience the thrilling adventure of solo sailing from Puerto Aventuras to Cancun amid a storm! Join me on this daring journey as I navigate challenging waters and face the elements head-on. Watch as I battle against a strong south-flowing current and brave the intense winds and rain of a category 4 Hurricane. From Puerto Aventuras to Cancun, this video captures the essence of solo sailing in adversity. Don't miss out on this epic tale of resilience and determination on the open sea. Tune in now and witness the ultimate test of courage and perseverance!

[malobo-wolf]

Octonauts OC

(I got a comfort character for my comfort character)

I drew this guy in my last post, though I did get his hat wrong. Meet Barnius Polar Bear! (I'm not sure if he's even an OC since he's just an airheaded version of Barnacles).

He's going to be one of the polar bears I'm adding for an AU of mine.

Character lore info below:

Character Lore:

Note: the brother being referred to here isn't Barnacles.

Uncanny resemblance: He looks just like Barnacles apart from the eye color.

Adventurer with a purpose: Just like his brother, he sails around the world exploring the sights and finding a cure to an illness.

Personal therapist of Barnacles: He will act as the person that comforts and hears out Barnacles' problems and worries.

Time of meeting: Barnacles will meet Barnius during the Above and Beyond series. A moment where Barnacles is alone at the Octopod since everyone is busy with fieldwork (similar to The Bamboo Rescue episode). Barnacles then decides to go on a solo patrol with the Gup-A and while on a patrol gets caught on Barnius' fishing line.

Smart Himbo: He's good at what he does but becomes a total himbo when learning new topics or generally socializing.

Extreme Introvert: He is completely alone in his boat with Barnacles being his first friend outside his direct family.

The younger one: He is younger than Barnacles.

So close yet so far: Barnius and his older brother live opposite to where Barnacles and Bianca lives (My explanation for why they never met until now).

Above and Below: Barnius is a sailor while his older brother is a pilot (I might actually add this guy soon to give Dashi a copilot in the Octoray).

Opposites attract: Barnius' brother has the complete opposite personality to him but they get along very well.

Trivias

I based him of book Barnacles being white all over with blue Accessories.

I got his name from Barnacles' name change from the other Octonauts dubs.

[bluebird167]

The Little Mermaid AU.

This was actually a rough draft of Heart’s Content which was a straightforward re-telling of the Disney film but I decided to scrap it and try for something more original. Still I wondered what you all would think of it, so I re-read and re-edited it to fit with the new cannon and well..Here it is.

In a kingdom located in Denmark, Prince Alastor prefers to spend his days sailing and exploring rather than at court, despite his advisor Husk insisting that he should focus more on honoring the wishes of his deceased parents by settling down with a nice young lady and starting a family. One day while sailing over seas he hears a beautiful voice singing from fathoms below and commands it to be followed. No one else can hear the voice though but one sailor suggests that what the prince heard may have been a mermaid, specifically Lucifer's daughter for it is said that no one on land or in the sea has a voice as lovely as hers. The sailors then proceed to tell Alastor about King Lucifer who rules over the ocean and the mer-people, and how there was a time long ago when mer-people could be seen rising to the surface but then suddenly, they stopped coming. That the sea king had forbidden them from ever rising to the shore again after he lost his queen. Alastor is intrigued by these stories but Husk just brushes them off as nautical nonsense.

Meanwhile, deep on the ocean floor in the merfolk kingdom, King Lucifer and his brothers and sister in-laws Baron Belphegor, Lady Seras, and Lord Stolas are celebrating the anniversary of their nation's founding by having each of their daughters sing in a concert for their people. The concert is conducted by Lucifer's advisor and court composer, the sea-imp Moxxie and Belphegor's daughter Bee, Seras's daughter Emily, and Stolas's daughter Octavia perform magnificently but Lucifer's daughter is not present for her solo bringing the concert to a halt and enraging Lucifer.

As it turns out, Lucifer's daughter Charlie had forgotten about the concert because she is a mermaid who dreams of life on the land and spends most of her time swimming around the surface, collecting human items that occasionally fall from ships, and trying to learn about the humans. Unfortunately her people do not care for the surface or humans, and often look down on her and mock her for her interests. Calling her “odd”. The only ones who support her are her friends Vaggie who doesn't quite understand her fascination but wants her to be happy, and Blitzo a land-imp who gives her information about the human objects she finds. Or rather information that he's concocted in his own head. As he's telling her that a fork she found is used for combing one's hair and that a pipe she found is used for music, she suddenly remembers the concert and hurries home.

Elsewhere, Adam the sea-wizard and his loyal follower Lute are plotting revenge against Lucifer for banishing them and transforming Adam from a handsome merman to a hideous cecaelia. When Adam notices how head-strong and rebellious Charlie is, like her late mother, he suspects that she may be the key to Lucifer's undoing and tells Lute to keep an eye on her.

When Charlie returns home her father reprimands her for missing the concert and going to the surface, reminding Charlie that humans killed her mother Lilith years ago. Charlie then protests that the humans who killed her were pirates and that she believes that not all humans were like them. However Lucifer is xenophobic toward humans, viewing them as nothing more than savages. He forbids Charlie from ever going to the surface again and she leaves distraught. Lucifer then assigns Moxxie to watch over Charlie and keep her out of trouble, much to the sea-imp's dismay.

Moxxie follows Charlie and Vaggie to a secret grotto where she keeps her collection of human objects. Vaggie comforts Charlie and asks why she's so interested in the surface world anyway. The sea princess then responds that she gets it from her mother and that Queen Lilith always believed that the humans and the merfolk could live together in harmony if they tried to understand each other, so she would visit the surface as often as she could and then tell her daughter about her adventures. Charlie also reveals that her father once supported her mother's dream and even had a special music box made for her to show his support but that was lost along with her mother's life. Charlie then confesses that she secretly wishes to live in the surface world and have her own adventures, and wonders if maybe the humans would be more accepting of her "odd" nature than the merfolk are.

Moxxie is horrified by this discovery and makes his presence known. Charlie quickly pleads with Moxxie not to tell Lucifer about her collection or her secret wish. Moxxie promises not to but tries to convince Charlie to forget her strange hobbies and focus more on music and her singing. The conversation is interrupted when Charlie sees a ship floating overhead and curiously, swims up to investigate. She swims closer to the ship and spies on the sailors aboard who are celebrating Alastor's birthday. She watches the young man play the flute and dance with his cat Kee Kee and the crew, further intriguing her. During the party, the prime minister Zestial tells the prince that he must find a bride and take up his father's crown, then tells him that he is planning to arrange a marriage for him and the duchess Verosicka. Alastor and Husk both protest, insisting that both his father and mother would have wanted him to marry for love. Zestial counter-argues that despite that, the prince doesn't have anyone to love. Alastor tells them that the woman he falls in love with will be someone who's different. Someone who's "odd". Hearing this, Charlie is instantly smitten.

A storm suddenly hits and when the crew cannot steer the ship to safety, Alastor risks his life to get everyone on board including Kee Kee over to the lifeboats, choosing to be the last one to get off. Just as it's his turn, lighting strikes and the ship breaks apart. Alastor is tossed overboard and knocked unconscious. Charlie saves him from drowning and drags him to the shore. The storm ends by morning and Charlie checks to see if Alastor is still alive. When she sees that he is, she sings to him. Alastor begins to stir and the two fall in love.

Alastor dazedly begs Charlie to stay but she is forced to leave when she hears Husk coming. However Charlie vows to find a way to be with him and Alastor vows to find the woman who saved him. All of which is witnessed by Lute and as Adam spies on them through her eyes, he boasts on how he can use these star-crossed lovers to his advantage and that the reason for his transformation and banishment was that years ago, he and Lilith had been arranged to marry but she fell in love with Lucifer, choosing to marry him instead. Out of jealousy and revenge, he arranged for Lucifer to be killed by pirates but Lilith pushed her husband out of the way, taking the killing blow for him. He then remarks that Lucifer’s lovely little princess would make a charming bride.

After Charlie returns home, her behavior makes her father and her cousins Bee, Emily, and Octavia suspect that she has fallen in love. Moxxie tries to convince her that the sea is where she belongs and points out all the wonders of it, but she only dismisses his words and swims off. On land, Alastor is pressured into a dinner with the duchess Verosicka but he quickly realizes that she’s a vain woman only wants to marry him to become queen and rejects her advances. This upsets Zestial who believes in marriage for convenience but Husk proposes a compromise, that they give Alastor some time to fall in love and find a woman to marry before betrothing him to the duchess. Alastor reluctantly accepts but reveals that he’s in love with the one who saved him and wants to marry her but the only clue he has to find her is her beautiful voice and eyes.

At first Lucifer is pleased with the idea that Charlie has found love and asks Moxxie who the lucky “merman” is? Unfortunately Moxxie accidentally reveals that Charlie saved a human and that he is the one she is in love with. Lucifer is furious and forces Moxxie to take him to Charlie's grotto. There Vaggie has surprised Charlie with a small, marble statue of the prince that she found on the ocean floor and the princess gleefully starts to talk about how she'll sneak away to the surface to visit the prince. But Lucifer appears at the grotto and is enraged by her plans. Charlie tries to explain but Lucifer refuses to listen and destroys her collection of artifacts in a misguided attempt to protect her. Charlie swims away to cry and Lucifer is left feeling guilty for his actions but convinced that it was for her own good.

Once alone, Lute approaches Charlie and tells her that Adam has great power which he uses to help others achieve their greatest desires, and that she was once a land creature who dreamed of life in the sea and Adam made that dream real. Charlie knows nothing of Adam or of his past with her parents, and she's so devastated by her father's actions and feels so alone in her own world, that she agrees to go see him. Moxxie and Vaggie spot Charlie with Lute and follow them to Adam's lair. When Moxxie realizes who Charlie is about to meet, he rushes to warn her but Lute silences him and Vaggie.

Adam tells Charlie that the only way to be with Alastor is to become human and he offers to turn her into one for a month and if she can win Alastor's love and receive a true love's kiss from him before the sun sets on the final day, she will remain human forever. But if he doesn't then she'll turn back into a mermaid and be Adam's prisoner. He also demands that Charlie give him her voice as payment for the potion. At first Charlie is hesitate to accept, unsure if she can leave her father, family, and friends forever or give up her voice as it is her last connection to her mother. But Adam manipulates her by saying that she never really belonged in the sea to begin with and no one down below will ever truly accept her. And he convinces her that giving up her voice will be no great loss because she'll be the most beautiful human woman anyone has ever seen and that she will dance more gracefully than any other. In the end Charlie accepts the deal, Adam then takes her voice and locks it away in a nautilus shell, and gives her a potion that turns her tail into legs. Vaggie and Moxxie quickly get her to the surface before she can drown.

They meet Blitzo by the shore and Charlie is thrilled at finally becoming a human while Moxxie is mortified and almost goes to tell Lucifer what happened. But Vaggie and a now silent Charlie persuade him to instead help them as this is the only chance Charlie has at being truly happy. Blitzo finds some discarded rags and cloth to cover Charlie’s body with, just as she’s found on the beach by Alastor. He doesn’t think she’s the one who saved him due to her no longer having a voice but something about her beautiful eyes draw him to her so he decides to take her to the palace, inviting her to stay as his guest.

Inside, Rosie the headmistress of staff and Niffty the maid, take care of Charlie and see that she is treated like royalty. Giving her a suite and baths, dressing her in gowns of silk and muslin, weaving pearls into her hair, all the while Charlie is fascinated by the new world around her. In the evening, a banquet and ball is held in hopes that Alastor will choose a bride but none of the young ladies attending interest him.

When Charlie enters the room, Alastor is astonished by her beauty and invites her to sit with him and Husk at the banquet table. Charlie attempts to impress him by brushing her hair with a fork and blowing Husk’s pipe like it’s an instrument. All the guests laugh at her but Alastor finds her “odd” behavior charming and smiles at her.

Moxxie and Blitzo sneak into the palace to keep an eye on Charlie but the royal Chef Pentious mistakes them for being crabs and tries to cook them for dinner. They retaliate, leading to a brawl that disrupts the meal but luckily Blitzo escapes out the window while Charlie hides Moxxie in her room. After dinner Alastor teaches Charlie to dance and despite her clumsiness, she still moves with grace and charms him even further with her eloquent eyes. As Husk, Rosie, and Niffty watch them dance, they are pleased to see the prince so happy and suspect that love is in the air.

The next day, Alastor takes Charlie on a tour of the kingdom, going to shops and stands, introducing her to his neighbors and good friends, and he is further impressed with how she responds to everything with such an innocent and playful fascination. They end the day with a picnic on the beach which Charlie enjoys but as she watches the tide, she starts to become homesick and dips her feet in the water. Alastor notices that she's sad and understands that she misses her family. He comforts her and opens up to her about how he lost his parents and misses them. To cheer her up, he gives her a present, one of the many artifacts that his father brought back from his days as an explorer and to Charlie's wonder and joy, the gift is her mother's music box. She embraces him and they almost kiss but Alastor backs out, still longing for the "one" who saved him.

As Adam continues to spy on Charlie, he starts to become anxious. He tells Lute that he gave Charlie a month to win Alastor's heart because he knows that the prince is expected to marry another woman by the month's end and is sure that humans never break an arranged marriage. Still, he sends Lute upward to make absolutely certain that the kiss doesn't happen.

As the weeks pass, Alastor and Charlie grow closer. They go horseback riding, they climb mountain tops, he takes her sailing, and she listens to him whenever he talks about how he doesn't want to be king and that he's not sure he will be as good at running a kingdom as his parents were. Not one day goes by where they are not together yet Alastor still does not even make an attempt to kiss her. But while she spends her days with Alastor, Charlie spends her nights dipping her feet in the ocean and visiting with Vaggie who misses her terribly but is glad that she's happy. One night as Charlie comes back from the beach, she over hears Zestial and Husk arguing about Alastor's betrothal to Verosicka and she fears that he may love another. Rosie and Niffty figure this out and comfort Charlie, assuring her that Alastor does not like Verosicka at all and that they truly believe that if he ever married anyone, it'll be her. Meanwhile, Lucifer and his family have been searching the entire ocean for Charlie and Moxxie the remorseful sea king breaks down to his brother in-law Stolas about how he knows Charlie and Moxxie's disappearances are his fault and that he failed them and Lilith. Stolas however assures him that Charlie and Moxxie will be found and that his sister knows how much he loves and tries. Still Lucifer cannot help but constantly say "What have I done? What have I done?"

On the day before the last day of the month, Alastor takes Charlie on a romantic boat ride in a lagoon. A secret spot where his father used to take his mother and he tells her how his father met his mother while exploring the middle east and how different she was from all the other woman he had met before. That she was "odd" just like how his father was "odd" and they fell so much in love that no matter what they faced, no matter what stood in their way, they would always find each other. He then confesses that he wants a love like that and that is why he cannot consent to an arranged marriage. He also confesses that he considers himself "odd" and that he thinks Charlie is wonderful because she's "odd" too. Moxxie takes advantage of the moment by working with Bltizo to create a romantic atmosphere and again they almost kiss, but Lute ruins the moment by tipping the boat over.

Furious at Charlie's close success, Adam decides to take matters into his own tentacles but going up to the surface and appears to a jealous Verosicka, who is sulking over the fact that the prince would prefer a “little mute" over herself. Adam offers Versoicka a solution and gives her specific instructions to follow. That night, Husk suggests to Alastor that "Far better than any dream girl is one of flesh and blood, one warm and caring, and right before your eyes." Alastor takes this advice to heart and realizes that he's fallen in love with Charlie. He decides to forget his dream girl and marry Charlie instead but before he can tell her how he feels, he is approached by Versoicka who is now wearing the nautilus shell containing Charlie's voice around her neck. She uses the voice to bewitch Alastor to forget all about Charlie and marry the "one with the voice."

The next morning Charlie learns that Alastor has decided to marry Verosicka today, much to the joy of Zestial and the confusion of Husk, Rosie, and Niffty. Charlie tries to get Alastor's attention but Versoicka does everything in her power to keep him from seeing her, and when the staff questions him about Charlie, he claims not know such a woman. Heartbroken, Charlie runs off in tears, sobbing by the shore as the wedding ship departs. But Blitzo suspects that something is up and decides to do a little snooping. He spies on Verosicka and sees her conversing with Adam through a mirror, in which they reveal that they've been using Charlie's voice to keep Alastor in a trance and that Verosicka must not let Alastor see his true love or the spell may weaken. Blitzo quickly warns his friends and they devise a plan, Vaggie will take Charlie to the wedding ship, Moxxie will get Lucifer, and Blitzo will stall the wedding.

Blitzo enlists sea animals and Kee Kee to help him and together they disrupt the wedding and attack Verosicka. Vaggie and Charlie get closer to the ship but Lute turns herself into a shark and attacks them. Vaggie fights her, giving Charlie a chance to climb aboard. Alastor finally sees her, bedraggled and on the verge of collapsing, he starts to remember her and rushes to embrace her. Veroscika attempts to strengthen the spell over him but Blitzo rips the nautilus shell from her neck and breaks it at Charlie's feet. Charlie's voice is restored to her and Alastor realizes that she's the one. Tragically, just before their lips can touch, the sunsets and Charlie turns back into a mermaid. It's too late and Adam takes Charlie away, but Alastor is determined not to lose her again.

Lucifer confronts Adam and agrees to take his daughter's place and give him his trident, in exchange for her freedom. Adam agrees, he claims the trident for himself and turns Lucifer into a sea worm to Moxxie's and Charlie's horror. Charlie attempts to take the trident back to save her father but Adam restrains her. Alastor, having found them, shoots a harpoon at Adam to defend her and Lute responds by trying to drown him. Vaggie and Moxxie defend him and Adam attempts to kill all three of them with the trident but Charlie intervenes, causing the blast to hit and kill Lute instead.

Alastor and Charlie reunite at the surface and she urges him to get away for his safety but he refuses to leave her. The couple is suddenly pursued by an enraged Adam who controls the waters to bring them to him. He takes Charlie hostage and starts trying to drown Alastor, all the while taunting him about how once he's dead, he'll takeover not only Charlie's kingdom but Alastor's as well, enslaving both of their people, and pushing the final button by declaring that he'll make Charlie his replacement bride for Lilith. Furious, Alastor reaches for the harpoon he threw earlier and stabs Adam in the chest. In pain, he drops both them and the trident, and the couple use the trident to destroy Adam.

Afterward, Alastor and Charlie swim to the shore where he proclaims his love for her and they share true love's kiss. But then Charlie tells him that although she loves him too, they belong in different worlds and that they can never be together. Alastor pleads with her not to leave him, that they can surely find a way but she tearfully insists that there is no such way. She returns to the sea and is overjoyed to see her father restored to his true form, they embrace, and both apologize for the mistakes they've made. Charlie agrees to go home but asks to have one last look at Alastor first and Lucifer consents. Seeing the way Charlie looks at Alastor and the way he looked at her, reminds Lucifer of how he used to look at Lilith and recalls that Alastor had risked his life to save his daughter just as Lilith had given her life for her husband. Realizing that he was wrong and that he wants Charlie to be happy, Lucifer decides to change Charlie into a human for good, she runs into Alastor's arms, they kiss, and at some point marry, finally uniting humans and merfolk just as Lilith always wanted.

[scotianostra]

Happy 75th Birthday, singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Knopfler, born 12th August 1949, in Glasgow.

The Knopflers originally lived in the Glasgow area and Mark Knopfler’s younger brother David was also born in the city, his father was a Hungarian refugee who fled his home country in 1939, they have a Jewish heritage but Mark described his dad as a “Marxist agnostic”

The family moved to Newcastle when Mark was 7, where he was educated, he started making music aged 16 but it wasn’t till he formed Dire straits, with his brother in 1977 that he began to have success.

The band were signed to Vertigo Records in 1978 and recorded the album Dire Straits, which featured their first major hit single, “Sultans of Swing. Their follow-up albums include Communique , Making Movies featuring Romeo and Juliet and Tunnel of Love. In 1985 the band released its mega-selling album Brothers In Arms, which has sold more than 30 million copies to date.

Mark has collaborated with many of the world’s top acts through the years, and although he spent most of his life in England, he still holds an affinity with the land of his birth, of course many of you will know he penned the music to Local Hero, but Scotland has featured in some of his songs too. On his second solo album, Sailing to Philadelphia, the in the lyric of the first single pays homage to Edinburgh. The video also features Scotland, with the Forth Bridge and Road Bridge featuring as well as the streets of our Capital City. He also penned the music for the movie The Princess Bride and the Scottish

What is it.

The drinking dens are spilling out

There’s staggering in the square

There’s lads and lasses falling about

And a crackling in the air

Down around the dungeon doors

The shelters and the queues

Everybody’s looking for

Somebody’s arms to fall into

And it’s what it is

It’s what it is now

There’s frost on the graves and the monuments

But the taverns are warm in town

People curse the government

And shovel hot food down

The lights are out in city hall

The castle and the keep

The moon shines down upon it all

The legless and asleep

And it’s cold on the tollgate

With the wagons creeping through

Cold on the tollgate

God knows what I could do with you

It’s what it is

It’s what it is now

The garrison sleeps in the citadel

With the ghosts and the ancient stones

High up on the parapet

A Scottish piper stands alone

And high on the wind

The highland drums begin to roll

And something from the past just comes

And stares into my soul

And it’s cold on the tollgate

With the Caledonian blues

Cold on the tollgate

God knows what I could do with you

And it’s what it is

It’s what it is now

What it is

It’s what it is now

There’s a chink of light, there’s a burning wick

There’s a lantern in the tower

Wee Willie Winkie with a candlestick

Still writing songs in the wee wee hours

On Charlotte Street I take

A walking stick from my hotel

The ghost of Dirty Dick

Is still in search of Little Nell

It’s what it is

It’s what it is now

Oh it’s what it is

What it is now, now, now

films Local Hero and A Shot at Glory.

[adventuressclubamericas]

Adventuresses We Love - Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz You could say that Adventuress Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz was destined to go to sea. She was working as an engineer in the Gdansk shipyard when the Polish government announced a competition to find a female sailor to sail around the world. The trip was part of the government’s efforts to mark International Women’s Year (1975.) An experienced sailor, Chojnowska-Liskiewicz won the chance and started preparing.

She set out from the Canary Islands in March 1976 in her 32ft sloop, the Mazurek. The boat had been specially designed and built for this trip by her husband and his crew in Gdansk. Crossing the Atlantic, she arrived at her first stop – Barbados. Engine trouble meant she would rely primarily on her sails to maker her way south through the Caribbean to Panama. She’d spend the next five weeks in Panama fixing the engine, then slipped through the Panama Canal into the Pacific Ocean.

Chojnowska-Liskiewicz’s next stops were Tahiti, Fiji, and Sydney, where she was briefly reunited with her husband. Leaving him behind, she sailed up the coast, but had to put in at Portland Road, Queensland, because of kidney stones that forced a hospital visit. Once released, she made her way back to port only to find the Mazurek gone! The sloop’s anchor chain had broken and set her adrift. Luckily, the yacht was recovered before any further damage.

Chojnowska-Liskiewicz and the Mazurek made their way to Darwin where they prepared for the long voyage across the Indian Ocean. She reached the Mauritius and South Africa, then turned north. Her autohelm failed as she rounded the Cape of Good Hope, so she decided to steer manually the rest of the way, limiting herself to sleeping just two hours per day. Finally, in April 1978, Chojnowska-Liskiewicz sailed back into Las Palmas Gran Canaria, becoming the first woman to sail around the world solo.

Adventuress Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz died June 13, 2021. She was 84.

[who-is-page]

Life is hard! Consider buying my stuff!

My life isn't quite falling apart, but things have gotten really tricky lately. One housemate (and their super destructive, permanent houseguest) is refusing to pay their share of rent or utilities for the next three months, and another is refusing to pay their full share of rent for that same amount of time and is making us cover around $75 every month, and I'm having to double-up my hours at work while still being a full-time student (and also one of my professors, who we're 99% sure is using ChatGPT to generate her citations because none of them exist and we pointed this out, hates my guts and has been grading me really harshly and forcing me to go full-sail on every assignment to ridiculous degrees in order to pass this required class).

My spouse is working on getting full-time at their job, but it looks like they won't be able to until December, and we also have no idea how much rent is going to increase this year-- my guess is it's going to go up another $500, same as last year, to a total of $3,000, so things are gonna get really fucking bumpy until around January, probably.

So basically, if you like the work I've done, consider throwing me a tip on Ko-Fi or buying my stuff on Itch.io:

(Also I promise we have more stuff lined up that we want to polish and publish, life has just been super-duper fucking busy! There is so much more going on right now than what I've mentioned here, especially in terms of surprise medical bills and other horrible surprises. And we haven't forgotten about Inky Paws issue 2, either, which we're still hoping to have done by December and which will STILL always be entirely 100% free to download, no matter what our living or money situation looks like. That will never ever change, so please don't worry!)