#sea thatch

[ktheqw]

from the tropical north snow and ice greet a stranger no racism to be known

a calm freedom watching the sea_thatch with new eyes noises so foreign

to appreciate the difference coming to love the ways of ice and snow no longer foreign, my home

[azural83]

The way these would've slayed the box office if they were released today...

[hannahbarberra162]

Heat Transfer, Chapter 2

On Ao3

The other chapter

You're on the ship and you weren't eaten...yet. Who knows what these humans want from you?

Here's a video of what Baby was trying to do on the pipes

You came to consciousness slowly in a metal cell within a wooden room. The metal bars were widely spaced but still brought a chill to the air. It smelled musty, like it didn’t get cleaned or aired out much, making you scrunch your nose. The cell was almost empty, with only yourself and a few blankets inside. Even with the meager blankets, you were still freezing. Rings were built into the wall of the cell, but nothing attached to them. There was some water in a container available to you, but you were too cold to drink right now. 

Looking beyond the bars, the room didn’t have much in it either. There was a bench built into the opposite wall, but other than that there wasn’t anything to indicate anyone lived here. Maybe this was where they kept their live prey. The Harpy hadn’t eaten you yet, but maybe it wanted a live meal instead of a passed out one. You were at a huge disadvantage, but you weren’t going to let the Harpy win that easily. You were a warrior by blood, and you’d fight to the death.

You figured you were on the large boat you’d seen by your island but you weren’t sure how much time had passed. You were groggy and slow, unable to think as well as you normally would. You curled up as small as you could, covering yourself up with every available material. Just the top of your head poked out of the bundle you’d made of yourself. It was slightly better, but not enough. 

After a while, Fireman came into the room with more blankets in his arms. You watched him with anger as he approached you, but you didn’t move. Not yet. Let him get close and you’d save your energy to strike at him. But the Fireman seemed to have enough sense to put the blankets on the ground and push them through the bars of the cage with a rod he brought with him. He crouched down to your level, giving you a frown. He started talking to you again, pleadingly, but you still didn’t know what he was saying. He made a pantomime of a small box and gestured to himself, as if you would now understand what he meant. You narrowed your eyes, flicking the tip of your tail in annoyance. You didn’t take the blankets. He pushed them even closer towards you with the rod. You turned your head away from him, almost completely hidden by the blankets. He sighed and stood up, you heard footsteps and the door open and shut. 

You did take the blankets after he’d gone, but you were still cold. You’d have to wait until the daytime to make any kind of significant movement. The blankets smelled strange, like many different people. One smelled like Fireman, you detected the ashy scent. Another smelled like the wildflowers that bloomed in the spring on your island. It was pleasant, you moved that one up by your face. You weren’t sure what the message behind the blankets was, but you were glad for their meager warmth.

It was nearly dawn when the door opened again, but this time you perked up immediately, your tongue flicking out to taste the air. Fireman was back, and he brought cooked meat with him. You knew they were feeding you to fatten you up for the Harpy, but you needed your strength if you wanted to inflict damage on the creature before it devoured you. Perhaps you could still die an honorable death. Fireman held out the food in front of him on a plate, near the iron bars. You moved closer to him, bringing your blankets along, but he pulled it back before you could get close enough to the meat. You could feel the heat radiating off of him, making you want to curl around him again. 

“Ace,” he said, pointing to himself. After he pointed to himself, he handed you a piece of the meat. You snatched it from him and ate it, licking your hand afterwards. “Ace,” he said, repeating the motion towards himself. He fed you another piece of meat, getting even closer to you. Ok, his name was Ace. He did it a third time before you got annoyed. You were hungry and not in the mood for games. You wanted the whole animal, not just these slivers. Maybe he just wanted you to say it?

“Acccccceee,” you said back to him. The word was foreign on your tongue, but you could approximate the sound. He raised the corners of his mouth, baring his teeth to you. Normally when animals did that, it was a sign of aggression. But you had a feeling he was pleased with you, his eyes were almost shut from how he was baring his teeth. He yelled out an exclamation and you held out your hand for meat. He gave you another morsel.

“Acccceeee,” you said again, pointing at him and then asking for more. He spoke to you in a sing-song voice, pleased with you again, and handed you another piece. You wouldn’t mind learning human if it got you whatever this animal was. Ace didn’t smell like the meat, you didn’t think he cooked it. Maybe you could get to Meatman again. 

“Accee,” you said a third time, holding out your hand. But this time he didn’t give you anything, to your annoyance. “Ace,” he said again, pointing to himself. Then he pointed to you. He did it again, pointing to himself and saying his own name and then pointing to you. Oh, he wanted to know your name. You didn’t think he’d be able to say your Naga name, he lacked the tongue dexterity. So you told him the nickname your sisters called you. You pointed to yourself and said “Bayybee.” It was a little weird saying it, it wasn’t like you’d ever said your own nickname before. You repeated it again, and held out your hand expectantly for a bit of meat. Ace cheered, causing you to shift backwards. But you still remained close to the bars, you were still hungry and you saw he had more meat.

You cut to the chase. You pointed to Ace and said “Ace,” then to yourself and said “Baby.” He clapped for you, saying something to you that ended with your name. It seemed like he asked you a question, rubbing his jaw, but you didn’t care because he put the rest of the meat through the bars. You finally unhinged your jaw for a warm meal.

Ace POV

Ace felt more pity for you now that he knew your ‘name.’ No one had named you, you just knew of yourself as a baby. You were a little lost Sea Naga, left to fend for yourself on some island. It was a cute name though, Ace thought. He would just call you Baby, since that’s what you were used to. It was a little unnerving watching you unhinge your jaw to eat, but Ace wasn’t in a position to talk about dining etiquette. And frankly, it reminded him of Luffy, which made him smile.

It was the early morning, the ship was about to set sail. Ace felt bad putting you in the Moby’s jail, but there wasn’t anywhere else for you to go right now. He and Deuce were going to make a crate for you, to be put into Ace’s room. Ace knew you needed more heat than the jail was providing you, and he could keep you warm. But right now he didn’t want you roaming the ship or being left unattended. The rest of the crew didn’t know about you yet, and he didn’t want you to be scared. Or worse, hurt. He watched you lick your hands, promising to himself to feed you as much as you needed. You were so thin and devoured anything you’d gotten from them in a flash.

Ace had gone back to your cave in the few hours you’d been passed out. He had seen some of your meager belongings and thought you might feel more comfortable with some of your items. He had left your knife and the baskets in the cave, you wouldn’t need those anymore. He did bring a couple of furs and some bones you’d used for decoration. He’d put them in your crate when they were done building it to make you feel more comfortable when you were in there. He wanted to remain with you when the boat started moving, he knew you wouldn’t be familiar with the sensation. 

Sure enough, when the anchor was raised and the ship began sailing, your long ears twitched and you looked around wildly, as if searching for the cause within the room. Ace wanted to reassure you by holding you, but he didn’t think you’d want him near you right now, you looked angry. He couldn’t stay for long, as the Second Commander, he had to lead some navigation efforts for the Moby now that they set sail. So he sat near the bars of the cell, gently heating the room to rid it of the morning chill. You grew more and more agitated and as the air warmed, you started slithering around the cell, perhaps looking for a way out. 

Ace knew you only wanted to go back to your island because it was familiar, not because it was a wonderful place for you to live. You’d soon realize they wanted to help you, to nurture you, not to hurt you. He sighed and stood up, he had to get to work. He’d be back later for you, after he and Deuce built the crate. He wasn’t sure yet how he’d transfer you yet, he might ask Marco or Thatch to drug you. He didn’t want to have to force you to do anything, that would not give you the right impression of them.

He’d spoken to Pops about you, how he’d found a baby Sea Naga and wanted to keep you. Pops was mildly interested, allowing you to remain on board as long as you didn’t prove to be a problem. 

“Have you ever seen a Sea Naga before Pops?” Ace asked while sitting on the yonko’s shoulder, kicking his feet.

“About twenty five or so years ago I encountered a Sea Bitch -” Ace frowned. He would have to get Pops to drop that name, he didn’t want you hearing it. 

“- she was absolutely magnificent. Strong, cunning, ruthless, nearly got me with her spear. Finally I was able to pin her down on the deck, but it took a lot to do it.” Pops had a wicked gleam in his eye as he spoke, he must have enjoyed the fight. Ace took in the information but it didn’t seem like Pops knew a lot about them, just what he’d seen. He was going to ask Marco or Izou to look for information in the library on Sea Naga. Maybe they’d be able to find something useful.

The morning passed slowly, Ace wanted to be done with his work and go back to you. He was worried you’d be scared and lonely, he wanted to reassure you. Finally, by mid morning, he was able to take a break. He stopped by the kitchen to pick up more roasted chicken for you. Thatch had been cooking meat non-stop, hoping to fatten you up, saying it depressed him to see you so thin. Ace wasn’t complaining, he’d gotten to eat a lot of meat before getting caught. But he knew the majority was for his little Baby. Opening the door to the jail, he called to you that he brought meat but was met with a sight of …nothing. The cell was empty with blankets strewn on the floor. Fuck.

Your POV

After Ace had sufficiently warmed the room and you’d eaten a hot meal, it was time to move. It was nearly day time, you could use the warmth you’d gotten to hide away from Ace and the Harpy. You needed to get off the ship before it sailed too far away from your island. If it was still close, you could probably make it back to the island even in the frigid water. All you needed to do was find a way down to the water undetected after you determined where the island was. Or, you needed to survive for a few weeks. You’d last seen Typha about a month ago, so someone was going to stop at the island looking for you within the next month or two. And you couldn’t wait for them to come find you. 

Escaping would be a little trickier than you first thought. You’d figured out quickly that the cell had been made for someone much larger than yourself. With your winter weight, you were able to squeeze your human half through the bars and your tail followed suit. Once you were out of the cage, you slithered across the wooden floor. It was colder than you anticipated, but you could make it. Turning the knob like you’d seen Ace do, the door opened into the narrow hallway. No one was there, but you could hear many footsteps coming from above. Humans were on the move, you needed to be careful. You weren’t sure where anything was, including any windows. 

You moved down the hall, trying to find something that might help you. It was dark with many doors. You couldn’t understand the order of anything. You didn’t really understand the purpose of many of the rooms, but you didn’t stop to ponder the strangeness of humans. As you reached the end of the hall, you heard steps coming closer, so you went into the closest room. 

Quietly shutting the door, you glanced around in confusion. You weren’t exactly sure what the purpose of the room was. It had a porcelain and metal fixture, like a little chair with water at the bottom. There was a window and you looked out it hopefully, but could only see the ship slicing through the sea.

There was another adjoining fixture with knobs. The other knob opened the door, what did this one do? You turned one carefully and water came out of the spigot. Incredible! Maybe humans had some good ideas. You touched the water and realized it was getting warmer. The water couldn’t come from nowhere, you heard it moving. Touching behind the fixture, you detected the water was moving behind the wall.

Prying the piece of wall off the frame, you saw a hollow area with tubes running up and down. One of them was warm and led further down into the ship. You smiled.

Ace POV

Ace was so fucked. He’d promised Marco over and over that you wouldn’t escape, that you’d be totally secured, and that he would take care of you. And he’d already lost you. Ace had enlisted the help of Thatch and Deuce to try to look for you inconspicuously on the ship so no one would notice anything was wrong. Although, Ace had a suspicion that if someone else found you, he would find out quickly with some strong language or…screams maybe. 

They’d been searching for over an hour and hadn’t made any progress in finding Baby. Ace was getting worried that you’d found a way off the ship into the frigid waters below or that you’d gotten hurt somewhere on board. He tried to get Stephan or Kotatsu to help find you by smell but Stephan wasn’t smart enough to understand what he wanted and Kotatsu wasn’t interested. Ace was going to have to swallow his pride and ask Marco for help. Ace took a deep breath before entering Marco’s office.

“Marco,” Ace began by giving his best puppy face to the First Commander, who was busy in his office looking over patient reports. It worked sometimes.

“No, yoi.” Marco didn’t even look up. 

“I haven’t asked for anything yet!” Ace huffed, but then remembered he would shortly be asking for a favor. “What if I came up just to say hello?”

“You didn’t. It’s something to do with that Naga. I already told you that I wasn’t going to help you with it -”

“Her,” Ace interrupted.

“With her yoi.” Ace made his eyes as big as he could and bowed his head slightly.

“Please?” Marco looked up from his paperwork and cocked his eyebrow. Ace kept the smile he felt inside from showing on his face, he knew Marco would help. He used his manners so rarely that when he did it made an impression. 

“Fine. But then you’ll have to do what I originally suggested. I don’t want this to become a regular occurrence or a problem.” Ace sighed at Marco’s words, a contrite look on his face.

“Thank you. And I’ll admit, you were right,” Ace said to a smug looking Marco. If there was one thing Marco liked to be told, it was that he was right. “We can’t find her, I think she’s still on the ship. The bars were too far apart for her and she squeezed through. Can you please use your phoenix form to smell for her, you have a more sensitive -”

“I already figured out what you want from me yoi. She’s not going to be happy when she sees me, I’ll get something ready.” Marco stood up from his old office chair, stretching his arms. 

“Yeah, why is that?” Ace said, scratching the back of his head. He knew you didn’t like when Marco carried you off, but you didn’t like him before that, almost on first sight.

“Ace, what is my Zoan form?” Marco asked patiently but condescendingly, like he was talking to an idiot.

“Um, a bird?” Ace wasn’t sure where Marco was going with this.

“And what do predatory birds eat?” 

“Small animals, fish, other birds, snakes…oh.” Ah. It now made sense why you didn’t like Marco. He just hadn’t connected all the dots yet. Well, when he figured how to communicate with you, he’d tell you Marco wasn’t going to eat you. Until then he’d keep the two of you apart. After Marco found you, that is. 

“I don’t take it personally. Let’s find that snake yoi.” Marco shifted completely, the Phoenix already on the hunt.

Your POV

You were angry and upset at being kidnapped but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t like it down here. You were somewhere deep in the bowels of the ship, curled around various tubes with warm water running through them. You’d slithered through the hollow walls trying to find the source of the hot water, eventually ending at some kind of machine. Your sisters had described the strange things humans had made, but never something like this. You figured it was designed to bring hot water to various locations, but for you it was practically a new cave. It was dark and warm and dry and you absolutely loved it. You would have to figure out what to do around food and water, but you’d worry about that later.

You heard humans getting closer, but that didn’t bother you. They’d been coming and going all morning while you warmed yourself. You distantly heard Ace talking, but you ignored it. He was the one who took you, after all. Flicking your tongue out, your eyes darted to the closest hatch. You smelled the Harpy and it was coming nearer. You stayed put, hoping the Harpy was moving through the ship like all the other humans had. You could hear it talking to other humans, probably telling them how it wanted you to be cooked. They stopped in front of the hatch and you raised up. You looked above you - climbing up was much harder than climbing down, but you had to try. 

You released your tail from where it was wrapped around a particularly large pipe and reached for the wooden frame above your head. Since you could constrict, you could climb up the pipes, it just took a while. You pulled yourself further up the pipe with your hands then started constricting the top of your tail right below you. You were in the process of bringing up the rest of your tail when the hatch opened, light pouring into the dark space.

The Harpy spoke to the other gathered humans and you reared back to strike. A human hand reached in and you bit it before they could react. You weren’t sure whose it was, but you heard a pained yelp so you knew you’d hit your target. You resumed trying to climb upwards through the narrow shaft above you.

Unfortunately, the Harpy reached in and grabbed your tail quickly, faster than you imagined possible. You felt a prick in your tail, similar to a thorn sticking to you. You hissed loudly, but the Harpy released you just as quickly, speaking to the humans again. You seized the chance, trying to move upward again. No one reached for you, you were confused by what was happening. You felt…calmer, actually. Tired, too. You stopped trying to climb upward, content to relax once more on the pipes.

Ace POV

“How long do the effects last?” Ace asked, cradling Baby in his arms. Once you fell asleep, he’d pulled you out from on top of the water boiler. He was kicking himself for not looking there sooner, of course you’d go to the warmest part of the ship. Even in your sleep you were trying to wrap around his body, it was cute. He felt bad for what he was going to have to do, but there weren’t any alternatives. You’d bitten Thatch again and that was one time too many. Thatch was annoyed at himself for getting bitten again, but not at you. His arm swung uselessly while he walked.

“Probably about three hours for her, maybe more,” Marco replied. “She’s smaller than the men I usually dose it for, but I’m not sure about her Naga physiology, so I didn’t change the doseage. She’ll be fine yoi. Thatch, I think you’re going to have to wait it out again. I can’t find any agents to counteract the venom yet.” Thatch groaned.

“You just don’t appreciate your arm until it’s gone,” the chef lamented. “I’d just gotten all the sensation back in my right arm too. Ace, I'm blaming you if dinner sucks.”

“I’m sure Baby is sorry, she’s just scared” Ace offered, not worried about the food for once.

Ace was glad Thatch wasn’t holding a grudge, he knew some people on board who would have demanded you be thrown off the ship. Not that he would let that happen, but it would cause tension on board. 

“You’re calling her ‘Baby’? Not very original yoi,” Marco chimed in.

“No, she told me that’s her name. I taught her to say ‘Ace,’ and she told me her name is ‘Baby.’ I don’t think she has a real name. I thought I would keep it the same since it’s what she’s used to.” Marco hummed.

“I’m not sure she’s actually a baby. She seems too intelligent for a child, too aware of her own limits. I think a child would have dived into the sea and tried to swim back.”

“Then why is she so small? That’s not normal I think,” Ace asked.

Marco shrugged, “we’ll have to find out yoi. I’m just saying she might not be as young as you think.” Ace thanked his fellow Commander for his assistance, promising this wouldn’t happen again. Ace brought you back to the holding cell of the Moby, where you’d been before. Since the day was spent looking for you, he hadn’t had time to start your crate. He’d do it tonight, while you were hopefully asleep.

Ace put your body on the nest of blankets he’d reassembled for you. The tip of your tail tried to wind around his arm, keeping him close, but he pulled it off carefully. Walking to the far wall of the cell, he brought a chain ending in a large shackle over to your limp form. He locked it around your neck carefully, pulling your hair out from under the collar.

“Sorry, Baby. I can’t have you escaping or biting anyone again. I’m sorry.” He rubbed his thumb over your brow apologetically. He wished you understood why he was doing these things.

“Sorry for this too,” he whispered, pulling a muzzle out of his back pocket. It was hastily made, Blamenco helped him make something usable for the short term. Ace placed it over your mouth and jaw, tightening the straps behind your head. Once in place, he locked it as well. Marco told Ace in no uncertain terms that you couldn’t keep biting crew members, especially before he found a way to reverse the effects of the venom. Ace knew things would smooth out in the future, once you got comfortable. But for now…..he looked at you sleeping soundly and pulled a blanket over you. He had work to do.

Your POV

You woke up back where you started. Your throat was dry and scratchy, you wanted to unhinge your jaw to stretch it. Trying to move your mouth, you brought your hands in a panic to your face as you realized you couldn't move your jaw. There was something strapped on it, keeping it shut. Your fingers frantically sought a way to take it off, but it was stuck on your face. You tried shaking it off, and felt an unfamiliar weight pulling on you. There was a collar around your neck, chaining you to the wall. It gave you enough slack to move in the cell, but not much else. You tried yanking it off the wall, but you weren’t strong enough to break it. You were filled with panic and dread as you realized you were trapped. For good.

Sea Naga didn’t cry. Only weak humans cried. Your sisters told you that many times. So if there were small drops of water that fell on the blankets as you prepared to meet your fate, you didn't notice them.

[arc-hus]

Thatch House, Eleuthera, Bahamas - Brillhart Architecture

[the-shipping-forecasters]

Treasure Atlantis: Legend of the Lost Iron Road to Groove (animated films)

Because one topic wasn't enough, this week we've opted to try and talk as many classic animations as we can. Covered in this episode are:

Atlantis: Lost Empire

The Road to El Dorado

Treasure Planet

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas

The Emperors New Groove

The Iron Giant

Wallace and Gromit (Briefly)

Join us, as James unlocked a new crush, Nick takes his daddy issues to new and exciting heights, and Grace finally has a turn with being the responsible adult in the room.

If that sounds your jam, you can have a listen here:

Or here

Or even here

PS, if you simped for Eris AND Helga you have the same animation lead to thank (and he has excellent taste)

[quinloki]

Birthday Request Event

"It's my birthday and I'll write what I want to \o/"

Gift Details ♥ Reader: Dealer's Choice (afab!reader) Character: Thatch Kink: #2 Praise Kink Prompt: Dealer's Choice (I winged it and oh... oh my gods.) Gift Giver: @khadoxofthemlems

Summary: Is it possible to have a praise-war between you and your new beau? Most certainly.

Content Notes: I... I don't know. Incorrect use of icing. implied smut. It's really sweet and also like, WHEW.

This birthday party is 18+, consensual unless explicitly stated otherwise, and BYOB

“Your icing work is so pretty!” You had beamed a few weeks ago, watching Thatch decorate the birthday cake for the month. He’d squeezed the tube too hard, red in the face and completely off-guard, and it had been how the two of you ended up getting closer together.

Thatch wooed you like an old man, and you teased him for it, but the intent was adorable. He’d bring you flowers from the islands, or make icing flowers around the edges of your food. You’d tug his scarf when no one else was nearby and steal a kiss, causing his face to go red again.

Everyone teased Thatch more than you, but the chef seemed to revel in it. The sea dog was a romantic at heart, and he loved all the praises you lavished on him.

After your first night together, a quiet evening of searching hands and soft kisses and hours of worship between the two of you, Thatch asked if he could do something self-indulgent. You agreed, and agreed a second time when he said it would have to happen in the galley.

Now you’re sitting on wax paper laid out over a table, naked and smiling as Thatch is making icing-flowers around you. His ears are red as you’ve already started praising his work.

“At least now I understand why your hands were so steady on our first night.” You muse softly as you watch him work. “And so… precise.” You say pointedly and watch Thatch’s fingers twitch.

This time he manages to keep his cool and not squeeze half the icing onto the flower, but you can see his ears flush red. He clears his throat a little, looking up at you with a smirk.

“What I would give, so that everything in my life was as sweet as you,” he replies, standing up enough to kiss you. You can feel the heat rush through you, your heart fluttering at the sweet words and warm kiss, struggling to keep your breath and yourself steady.

“How’re your legs?”

“Fine, nothing is uncomfortable.” You assure him. “I told you, I can sit like this for hours. My flexing hasn’t disrupted your flowers, I hope?”

Thatch looks around and then shakes his head. “Not even a little.” There’s a devious grin on his face as he nuzzles into your neck, goatee teasing your skin before his lips do. “I wonder if those little flexes will disrupt the decorations I put on you.”

“O-on me?”

Thatch smiles at you and you feel your heart thump heavy in your chest. He picks up a different piping bag and begins to wind thin green “vines” up from the flowers around you. The thin lines of frosting are a little cold, but they were very thin, and thus very light, sitting atop the fine hairs on your thighs and sending odd shivers into your skin from what was an impossibly light touch.

“Stay still, my sweet.” Thatch admonishes lightly, focused on his work. “I don’t want to make any mistakes.”

Something in his tone warms your core, and the confidence you had a few moments ago is slipping away. You were certain you had the chef wrapped around your finger – a little praise, a shy look, and Thatch melted to your will. You weren’t leading him on, it was pleasant for both of you, but now you felt a little like a thief caught by their own trap.

“Th-Thatch.” You whisper softly as the vine twists and turns up your thighs toward your hips.

“Yes, mein törtchen?” He answers, not looking up from his work.

“Y-You’re not… making any more… flowers?” You’re struggling to not shiver from the sound of his voice.

Thatch stops, swirling a vine just inside your thigh. So close, he’s so close and you’re so wet, he has to know, you’re certain of it. He straightens, hand gently caressing the side of your face as he gives you a soft smile.

“But you, are the flower.” He says softly, slowly closing the distance between your lips and his. “No baker would make a flower on top of one that’s already perfect.”

Thatch’s hand is on your thigh as his lips capture yours, devouring your surprised squeak as icing smears against your skin. A deep kiss and needy hands were the start of your evening, and hardly any of the flowers survived the night without some sign of the passion shared between the two of you.

Not even you.

Check out the event - requests are accepted until 7/31/2023 EST

[nickysfacts]

Turns out Blackbeard was just a big thieving drinking softy!

☁️☠️☁️

[covrettcreative]

Where You Want To Be

Seen near Soufriere, St. Lucia.

[minecraftdreamer]

Morning broke with honest clarity over the cove as the sun climbed just enough to sift its light through the mist hanging to the towering cliffs. The water, evident in the way of tropical dreams, lapped against the gentle shore where the jungle, thick and seemingly ancient, held court over the sand. Tiny houses with palm-thatched roofs dotted the margin where land argued with sea—a silent testament to human touch in the vastness of nature.

A solitary dock reached out into the calm, a wooden finger pointing to the horizon, where the sea and the sky conspired in shades of blue. No boats were tied today. It was a day of rest, or a day of waiting—for the fish, the weather, the passage of time itself. The world was in no rush here. The palm leaves whispered secrets of the endless summer as they danced on the light breeze, a subtle reminder of movement in the stillness.

In this corner of the world, life was less a series of events and more a continual present, an expanse of 'now' that demanded nothing but to be acknowledged, a place where yesterday's struggles were as transient as the evening tide. Here, existence was its purpose, and the minutes were not counted but lived, one soft wave upon the sand at a time.

[thebelgischpleindays]

Hiddensee Island, Germany - 30.07.23

[juliaanoia]

There's this artist residency program in September when you can just live in a small cottage by the sea in a small danish harbor town and GOD do I want that, I want that so bad. I'll have to put the whole entirety of my literary pussy into this application and pray to any god who's willing to listen that there won't be too many applicants so I stand a fighting chance

[thecreativemillennial]

Disney characters as power rangers

[hauntingblue]

Still havent got over how ace looks like his mom. The eyes man

[hannahbarberra162]

Heat Transfer, Ch. 1

On Ao3

Summary: You're a half blood Sea Naga, happily living by yourself. Until a group of humans mistake you for a baby and kidnap you, taking you back to their ship. You're kept like a pet, but you need out of your gilded cage, and fast.

A special thank you to a wonderful Nonnie who not only inspired this work but is also beta-ing it.

I know X reader is a stretch since the reader is so specific. It's basically an OC written from second person.

Warnings: Soft / normal yandere, pet-ification, some whump, eventual romance.

~~~

The first thing that alerted you to their presence was the smell of a fire on your island. You’d been swimming earlier that day and had smelled a ship coming close, the distinct scent of old, well cared for timber carried by the currents, but that wasn’t anything new. Ships sailed near your isolated little sanctuary sometimes, but very rarely docked there. It was small and uninhabited, with few natural resources that sailors would want. It didn’t hurt that there were rumors that Sea Naga lived nearby, ones with a particular thirst for human flesh.

You lived on a normally pleasant summer island, but it was winter at the moment. It had been a particularly harsh winter, you’d had a hard time hunting and finding anything worthwhile lately. But it was almost over, spring would be coming soon and the fishing would get better. You were the thinnest you’d been in a long while, but you weren’t worried, you knew you’d make it through. You’d been doing it your whole life. You returned your gaze towards the direction of the fire, trying to smell how many humans had come. But following the scent of smoke came the most delicious, mouth watering, succulent smell you’d ever sniffed. It smelled like meat but better . You’d eaten meat cooked over the fire before, it was tasty. Your sisters preferred raw meat and fish but you tried to cook it if you could get enough brush for a decent fire. But nothing you’d made had ever smelled like this. 

Maybe if you ate enough of what they had you’d be able to gain weight before one of your sisters came to visit. They always brought you some kind of animal to feast on, but that was part of the problem. Your three older sisters were full blooded Sea Naga, they were large and strong and vicious and everything you wished you were. You, however, were only a half blood, half Sea Naga, half human. Your mother had abandoned you after your birth and Maela, Typha, and Tsuna took it upon themselves to raise you. They’d handpicked your island and brought you there when you were a baby. They taught you everything you knew, how to survive, how to hunt, how to strike at enemies. They even taught you some of the human words they knew, including your nickname “Baby.” You knew they loved you very dearly, as you did them. 

But you weren’t a baby anymore. You were a full grown adult, albeit a very tiny one in terms of Sea Naga. You felt stifled by them sometimes, but there wasn’t anything to do. You couldn’t leave the island, you’d be vulnerable to the cold and to other predators. You didn’t have a spear forged from an underwater volcano like they did, and you could barely control the waves. You had potent venom and agility in the water, but that wasn’t enough to make it on your own. So you stayed on the island, happy and lonely in equal parts. The smell wafted past you once more and you became more determined than before to put your hands on that meat. You needed to show your sisters that you could make it on your own, you didn’t need them coddling you anymore.

You surveyed the sky - it was going to be nightfall very soon. Since you were cold blooded, the night was a hard time for you. If you were caught out in the cold for a prolonged period, you’d lose your strength and fall asleep, freezing to death. Your sisters had always warned you about this time of day, about how tempting it was to leave the cave. They warned you it wasn’t worth it, that the risk was greater than the reward. But the smell was so alluring, it was calling to you like a siren song. Decision made, you wrapped yourself in your warmest furs and slithered to the entrance of your cave. Your cave was strategically chosen - the land path to get to it extremely narrow and water on both sides. Aquatic creatures wouldn’t be able to traverse the land and it was too narrow for most walking creatures to cross without falling into the water. Luckily for you, you could do both with ease.

Tongue flicking out, you found the trail and set off. You wanted whatever meat they had, and you were going to get it. Luckily, you had years of stalking animals under your belt, you knew you could watch the humans undetected.

Ace POV

“Someone’s watching us,” Ace said, mouth full of food. A group of Commanders were sitting near him on logs, enjoying a peaceful meal by the fire.

“Yeah, we know,” replied Thatch, not taking his eyes off the meat he was rotating over the fire.

“Well, don’t you want to see who it is?” Ace put his meat down for just a moment, trying to determine exactly where the other person was using his haki.

“No, yoi. There’s only one person and they’re not attacking. It doesn’t matter.” Marco said, indifferent to the situation. But Ace’s curiosity was piqued, he didn’t like unanswered questions.

“But there’s no one else on the island. No houses, no nothing. So who is it?” Ace continued.

“We don’t care,” replied Izou offhandedly, already drinking sake.

“I’m gonna go find out.” Ace declared, grabbing another skewer of meat.

“This is how those people die in the snail films we watch,” Thatch commented. “Someone thinks they hear something and go off into the woods and bam! They’ve been eaten by a Kraken.”

“Or a Sea King.” Added Vista.

“Or a Humandrill,” Izo chimed in. The Moby needed some variety in the snail films they watched, Ace thought to himself. Regardless, he started off to find whoever (or whatever) was watching, bringing his meat along for the ride. He didn’t want to search on an empty stomach, after all. It was a colder night, but Ace didn’t mind. He was literally made of fire, the chilly air wouldn’t bother him in the slightest. Tromping through the brush, he saw a worn path that someone had obviously used many times. Following it, he came to an open field edged by dense underbrush. He felt the gaze coming from behind the shrubs, but they weren’t quite big enough to conceal a person. 

He came closer to the shrubs and heard a soft hiss. Interesting, he thought. Normal snakes, no matter the size, weren’t enough to set off his observation haki. He’d heard there were Sea Naga in the area, which were definitely capable of setting off his haki. But Sea Naga were large, nearly as large as Sea Kings, and wouldn’t be able to hide in such surroundings. Intrigued, he put down one of his skewers near the brush and backed off. If nothing happened, he’d push forward. But he had a feeling that whoever was watching was more interested in his food than him. Not a sure bet, just a hunch. 

Ace backed off and concealed himself behind a dead tree. He watched and waited, used to this type of sting from his days with Luffy. The sky was completely dark, just the moon and stars providing light. Something darted out, grabbed the meat and quickly retreated. Ace pursued, curiosity still unsatisfied. What on the seas could it be? Ace ran but was a step behind whoever it was.

“Wait, who are you?” Ace asked while running. “I don’t want to hurt you!” Ace yelled, cupping his hand over his mouth. Marco was right, whoever it was wasn’t attacking, maybe they were just hungry. He could give them more food dammit, they just had to stop running. Er, slithering? As Ace started to gain on the other being, he realized it wasn’t exactly a human. The top half was, he could see the hunk of meat gripped in humanoid arms. But below the torso was the winding body of a Sea Naga. But Sea Naga were enormous, and he’d never heard of a pygmy Sea Naga before. Maybe it was a baby, trying to forage for food in the winter. Ace felt sympathy, he knew what it was like to struggle for food in the harsher months of the year. He ran faster, trying to catch up to the baby, not focusing on where he was going. The baby slithered towards a cave and in the dark of the night, Ace slipped on mud, falling into the cold water to his right.

Your POV

The human chasing you had fallen into the water. You leaned over the pool, watching bubbles rise. He’d chased you for the entire way back to your cave to your annoyance. You were hoping you’d be able to get the food and run, to see if you liked it and would survey for more later. But no, this human decided to chase you, maybe to hunt you. If one of your sisters were here, they’d have told you to fight him in the clearing, not to lead him back to your dwelling. But it was getting colder by the moment and your time was dwindling. You needed to be back in your cave under your furs or risk being frozen to death. You didn’t have the time to fight this human, and quite frankly, weren’t sure you’d win. He looked strong and seemed confident in his abilities. So you took your chances and slithered back to your cave, hoping the human would cease to follow. Which he did now that he’d fallen into the water. 

You thought humans could swim, you’d seen some of them doing it before. Maybe this one just didn’t know how, he was sinking down quickly and not even fighting it. Watching him drown, you bit into the meat in your hand. And, oh stars, you’d never had anything like it. It tasted like the stars above were being born in your mouth, like heaven was showing you its celestial favor. It was juicy, tender, succulent, and from an animal you couldn’t place. You unhinged your jaw and swallowed the rest whole, not wanting another second between you and the immaculate meat in your hand. You licked your fingers with your forked tongue, savoring every droplet of residual flavor before slinking into the pool to get the human. If you saved his life, he would want to get you more meat. Or you’d make him. Anything to get that taste again. 

You easily caught up to his sinking form, you were much faster in the water than on land. His limbs and hair were flowing freely in the water as the last few bubbles escaped his lips. Curling your tail around his midsection, you swam up back to the top, bringing him with you. Breaching the top of the water, you pulled the two of you into your cave. Your cave was small but homey, you’d been working on it for years. Obviously, it had no windows, but you’d smoothed the floor with stones to give a pleasant cool feeling on your scales. You had a few baskets you’d made, furs from animals you or your sisters had hunted, your knife, and various bones your sisters had given you as gifts. You even kept a small remnant from your first molting. You tried to keep your cave somewhere you enjoyed being, since you had to spend so much time in it during the winter.

There were small hydrothermal vents in the water near your cave, meaning the water was warm in some spots. Now that you were out of the water though, you were freezing. You left the human on the ground, you knew they were warm blooded and you’d have more time to help him undrown or whatever they called it. You quickly threw off the now drenched fur you’d been wearing, and gathered every warm skin you had in the cave. Wrapping yourself up, you heard the human coughing up water. Looking at your fully covered form and his naked torso, you sighed, knowing you’d have to give up at least one fur for the human to survive. You slithered over to him, unwrapping the bottom most fur around the paddled tip of your tail. 

You had excellent night vision, you didn’t need the sun to see what he looked like. If you stretched out, you were nearly as long as the human. You hadn’t seen a human up close before, you’d only seen sailors from afar. You’d never actually seen any male up close either, now that you thought about it. Male Sea Naga were half the size of female Naga and rather timid. Your sisters would never allow a male near your island and would kill any who tried. You were pretty sure it was a man, it didn’t have breasts like you and your sisters. You took your time inspecting him. He had markings on his face, chest and upper arms, little dots that reminded you of the sea shore. He had short black hair unlike your own longer blonde locks. His arm had some kind of writing, but your sisters never taught you human letters, only Naga. On his back there were some bones crossed over a face, it looked like some of the flags on the ships. His ears were little and not very sensitive, you decided after putting a claw carefully in one. Overall, he was acceptably good looking. Different and a little alien, but alright. He was breathing evenly, you saw no need to wake him. 

As you covered him in the fur, you made an incredible discovery. This human was hot . Not warm, not toasty, but hot. Your sisters always told you humans were a little above room temperature when eaten, but not this warm. He was already dry, having burned off the moisture from his body heat. You were pretty sure this wasn’t normal for humans, but you weren’t going to look a Sea King in the mouth. Practically wriggling in excitement, you wrapped yourself around him trying to maximize the amount of your surface area touching him. You wanted to absorb as much of his body heat as you could so you took off all your furs. You didn’t need them being this close to the fire man. Being near this human felt like basking on the most blistering part of a black rock on a scorching day in the middle of summer. You wound yourself around him carefully, making sure not to constrict his breathing. Between the blaze of a man you were wrapped around, the delicious meal you’d had, and your long day, you were practically a puddle. You felt your eyelids drift close, and you snuggled your arms tighter around the human. He smelled very pleasant too, like a fire made from driftwood. You’d decide what to do with him when you woke up. You could always bite and asphyxiate him later if you needed to. 

Ace POV

Blinking his eyes, Ace determined he hadn’t died, which was always positive. The last thing he remembered was the creature watching him drown with a neutral expression. Obviously, the creature had brought him back to the surface and to its cave. He studied the creature now wound around him a little closer.

He had been right, it was a baby Sea Naga. It was extremely thin, skin stretched tight over its ribs. It looked emaciated, like it wouldn’t survive through the winter. It was tenderly wound all the way around his body, probably relishing in his body heat since it was cold blooded. It wasn’t constricting him, it was softly snoring in his arms contentedly. Its little forked tongue was flicking out every so often, and a long ear would twitch when his arm brushed against it. It was…cute. Its top half was humanoid, looking like a sad lost child with long tangled blonde hair. The bottom half was consistent for Sea Naga, a muscled black and white striped tail ending in a paddle-like tip. It was fast on land, but underwater it would be like lightning. It gripped him tighter in the throes of whatever dream it was having. 

Ace felt pity for the creature. It was obviously starving and wasn’t going to survive without intervention. And it had saved his life, for no obvious reason. Ace wanted to find the rest of the crew and see what they thought about adopting the little Naga. He could probably convince them that they could tame it and keep it. Though rare, Sea Naga were extremely powerful and were known to be highly intelligent. Once grown, they could control the waves and were fierce warriors. If they treated it right, it would fight for them in the water once it grew. Decision made, Ace carefully sat up, holding onto the baby with his arms. He rested its head on his shoulder, almost like when he would carry Luffy when he was a kid. It didn’t stir, so Ace picked up the loops of its tail and stood up. Ace frowned at the weight of the creature. The baby was very light, it needed to be fed a nutrient rich diet if they wanted it to live. 

Ace walked to the entrance of the cave and looked around. He couldn’t see the fire anymore, he’d run after the baby for quite a bit. Instead, he chose to use his haki to assist in locating his siblings. Finding where he needed to go, he began the trek back to his brothers, to show them his incredible find and convince them they needed to keep it. 

Your POV

You were on the move. Well, you weren’t, but the human now holding you was. Groggily waking up from one of the best rests you’d ever had, you reared back, preparing to bite the human. But he just patted your head gently and said something in human language to you with a smile. Taken aback by his demeanor, you looked at him quizzically while he continued to talk to you, like you understood him. You didn’t know human, only a few words your sisters had taught you, so you weren’t sure what he was telling you. Looking around, you realized several things very quickly. It was the middle of the night, you were far from your cave, it was cold outside, and you didn’t have your furs. Like it or not, the only way you’d survive the night was if you continued to be held by the fireman. He was still producing heat, enough to make you comfortable in the cold night. You would never ever admit it to your sisters, but you were scared. You had never been at the mercy of someone else before and it wasn’t a feeling that you liked. The man was taking you back to where the other humans were and you weren’t sure you could get away from them all. You tried to think about what your sisters would do, but they would probably laugh and swallow the men whole without a second thought. 

The fireman was talking to you incessantly and rubbing your back. Maybe it was a human thing, but it felt alright. Your sisters weren’t often physically affectionate with you, but that was their way. He carried you towards the men, who perked up at his arrival. They were animatedly talking amongst themselves, probably about you.  You so desperately wanted to leave, to never see these humans again, but if the fireman put you down you wouldn’t be able to get back to your cave before dying. You were stuck. You’d have to wait until daytime when it would be warm enough to escape. You just had to outlast them for the night, that was all. 

One of the men in particular was activating your fight or flight. There wasn’t anything abnormal about him, he looked like the rest of them. But something about him reminded you of a bird of prey, like the stories of harpies your sisters had told you during your childhood. They hadn’t wanted you leaving the island or wandering too far from your cave, so they told you stories of harpies, half human half birds, who preyed on Sea Naga foolish enough to ignore the warnings of their sisters. You believed them when you were a kid, but not anymore. He looked at you and you reared back, hissing. He raised an eyebrow and spoke to the fireman, who held you even tighter when responding.

One of the men came towards you with a curious but open expression on his face and something in his closed hand. He smelled the best out of all of them, like the meat you had in your belly. He opened his hand to reveal more of the meat and held it out to you expectantly. You waited a moment to see what was going to happen, but he didn’t move. You tentatively reached out to take it, and he cooed at you to continue. You swiped the meat quickly and shoved it all in your mouth, swallowing it whole. You flicked your tongue to his outstretched hand, trying to find more, but you’d eaten it all. Fireman patted your head, which was getting irritating. Your sisters had done that a few times when you were young, but not constantly. The meatman reached for you again, but this time without food. You weren’t expecting it, and instinct kicked in. You bit him.

Ace POV

“Ow! Goddammit!” Thatch yelled, yanking his hand back. He was shaking it as blood trickled out of two puncture wounds. 

“It’s not her fault, you startled her!” Ace yelled back, gripping the baby tighter. He was pretty sure Baby was a girl but it was hard to tell. Most Sea Naga were female, but not much was known about them. Not many people encountered them and lived to tell the tale. 

“I’m not saying it's her fault, I’m just saying it hurt. Actually, it doesn’t anymore. My hand is completely numb. And it's spreading.” Thatch was pinching his forearm with his other hand, trying to determine where the sensation ended. Marco leaned forward, now interested. The first Commander had been the biggest opponent to bringing her on the ship. Marco said that it was a bad idea, that pets were a lot of work, that Ace was already busy, and lots of other things Ace didn’t really listen to him. Ace knew in his heart he needed to save Baby and he was going to do it. 

“Really, that quickly yoi?” Marco asked, moving towards Thatch. The baby curled tighter around Ace, hiding her face in Ace’s neck. Ace cradled her head with a hand, soothing her.

“Yeah, check it out, almost my whole arm is numb now.” Without warning, Marco used a talon to slice open Thatch’s arm, blood pouring out of the wound. Before Thatch reacted, Marco healed it just as quickly. 

“Oi! What if I wasn’t numb? Coulda used a heads up,” grumbled Thatch. The little baby was shaking, wound so tight she was almost cutting off Ace’s circulation. Poor thing.

“Can you feel your arm now yoi? Now that I’ve healed you?” Marco asked, still prodding Thatch’s arm. He ignored Thatch’s question completely. 

“Nope, still numb, and I can’t move it.” Thatch said, swinging his numb arm.

Marco whistled.  “I’ve changed my mind yoi. Bring her on the ship. I want to extract some of that venom. It’s a powerful anesthetic.” 

Ace grinned. “See? She’s already useful. And this is only her baby form, imagine how powerful her venom will be when she gets older. Besides, we can’t leave her, right Thatch? Look how hungry she is, she’s practically bones. She’s gonna need someone to feed her back to health.” Ace knew he was manipulating the chef, but Thatch didn’t need much convincing. 

“How could we leave this tiny little baby behind? To starve and freeze to death on this wasteland of an island? Of course she’s coming with us,” said Thatch, almost offended at the thought of leaving her. Ace smiled and rubbed his face on the top of the baby’s head.

“Alright, I’ll take her back to the Moby now. She’s coldblooded and it’s cold yoi,” said Marco, turning to Ace.

Baby POV

You regretted ever ignoring your sisters. You regretted every time you told them they were overprotective, that they were overbearing, that you were independent. You wished you had listened to their advice and had stayed in your cave during the evening. Because they were right. Harpies were real. 

The man who set your fangs on edge transformed into a Harpy straight from your nightmares as a child. Now you understood why the fireman brought you back. This was all a trap and you were too stupid to see it. They were going to feed you to the Harpy. Small Sea Naga were a favored treat for Harpies, according to your sisters. Even though it meant your death, you quickly unfurled from the fireman and tried to slither away as fast as you could. Which unfortunately wasn’t very fast due to the cold. But you weren’t going to stay and become Harpy food and meet a humiliating death. You tried to run but the Fireman caught you by the end of your tail. He was talking to you, looking confused as you thrashed, trying to get away. You tried constricting as well but it was to no avail. The more you fought, the more tired you became until you barely had any fight left in you. The fireman frowned at you and patted your head once more. You would have bit him if you could have mustered the energy. 

The Harpy transformed into its full bird form, frightening you into a final burst of energy to make an escape. Unfortunately it caught you in a talon immediately, gripping you by the end of your tail, leaving you to dangle pathetically as it took flight. The fireman was in the other talon, watching you with interest. You had to hand it to them, they got you. You just hoped your sisters found them and killed them, their crew, and sunk their ship in your honor. 

The Harpy climbed higher into the sky and it was too cold for you to bear. You’d never been this frozen in your life. The air itself was chilled but you were now being whipped by winds as you were flown to the Harpy’s nest. You knew you’d pass out soon, you weren’t meant for these temperatures. You let out one loud sad hiss as you lost consciousness. At least they’d given you a tasty last meal.

Aces POV

Ace felt bad as he watched the baby pass out. He knew she was confused and scared, unsure why they were taking her. The lack of heat was probably uncomfortable for her but Marco assured Ace she’d be OK. Marco was giving them a lift back to the ship, which was better than the long walk and ride on the dinghy they would have had to take. The baby did not like Marco specifically - Ace wasn’t sure why. She’d gone wild when Marco transformed, and even worse when they’d taken flight. Ace was going to make sure she was comfortable in the crate they would set up for her. Lots of blankets, pillows, heating pads, anything he could find to make her feel warm. He would have slept next to her again but he had a feeling she wouldn’t be happy when she woke up and he didn’t want to be bitten. She would get used to them, to being on the ship. She’d come to love them, he thought, and they’d love her too.

[voluptuarian]

Why are so many Lovecraft-inspired games about private detectives?? I think there's a single Pinkerton agent in all his stuff and nothing closer to PI, everybody else is a college student, a college professor, or an occasional non-scholastic nerd like an insurance agent or an engineer. Give me a game about a 50 year old professor of linguistics.

[cantagirldrawinpeace]

I love them!!!

one piece sketchbook dump (july/august.2024)