#selkens

[writingamongther0ses]

The New Pet

Summary: Zavir is having a very rough day. The warlord's pet is probably having a worse one- at least they have a giant monster to befriend. Based on @flashfictionfridayofficial's prompt of Galaxies Away. It was either this or aliens deal with Earth's oceans.

Today was a horrible day for Zavir.

Scratch that, it had been a horrible month. Starting when he had been told- he hadn't even volunteered, he had been told like he was a common soldier- that he was going to be sneaking onto the ship of the most feared warlord in the universe.

To be fair, Pix Gui Haban was in a good mood. It was dangerous when he was in a good mood. That was when he wiped out species. Zavir's mission was to sneak on board and where and when Haban was attacking next. The part that was kept quiet was figuring out why the warlord was in a good mood.

There could be a few reasons. One, the Light just shone down on Haban. Two, Haban had just succeeded in a new conquest and the good mood lingered. The third was most horrifying.

Gui Haban could be in a good mood because he got a new pet.

Generally, new pets weren't a problem. Most species in the universe liked having animal companionship. The issue with Haban's pets, however, was that the Pix's pets were people.

Haban liked to kidnap members of rare or dying races and keep them until he got bored. Only four had ever escaped Haban's grasp, and that included Haban's sister, Gui Ava. Their stories were horrifying. Zavir's stomach turned whenever one let out a new piece of info.

So, yeah. The secret part of Zavir's mission was seeing if Haban had kidnapped a new person. If he did, he would have to figure out how to get them out or at least get the information out so the Federation could figure out how to rescue them.

That led into the horrible day.

Sneaking in had been easy. Zavir had trained himself to look like he was meant to be there. The trick was not secretly panicking. The issue was when he had to start poking around and stealing information and then accidentally triggered the alarms.

There was way too many alarms. He knew Gui Haban was a paranoid man, especially considering his species' history of civil war, but this felt like too much even for him.

Either way, guards started rushing around. Zavir flattened himself against the wall, trying to count the number of guards.

Then the wall had opened behind him.

Zavir fell back with a yelp. He should've expected this, considering Haban liked hidden doors. (Ava had complained about it many times, with her brother using them for dramatics or to stalk his prey.) Instead of a hallway, however, he found himself falling down a shaft, his tail aching as it whacked into the walls as he tried to slow his fall. It didn't work-

SPLASH.

Most species were weak to hydrogen hydroxide. Zavir's race, the Selken, were not. But that didn't mean that they liked water. Rather, it was the opposite- hydrogen hydroxide matted and tangled their fur to such a painful degree.

The minute he was submerged, he began to swim up. He looked around as he moved. He could see what looked to be glass, like something at an actual zoo and a feature of the quarters of the "pets". The hydrogen hydroxide meant that there was a few species that could be kept in here.

Then Zavir made the mistake of looking down.

He shrieked the minute he realized he was being stared at. The monster, because his frazzled mind couldn't think of what species it was, was huge. It stared at him with huge, beady eyes, like it was considering whether or not to eat him. That was all he could take in because the hydrogen hydroxide was rushing into his open mouth, of shit he was going to-

SPLASH!

He barely felt hands grab his arms and yank him up. In his daze, he thought he saw one of those hands move forward and make...make...make...okay, he was hallucinating. There was no way someone was stupid enough to shoo a giant monster.

Then his head breached the surface.

The person he hallucinated shooing grabbed his collar and started dragging him along. Zavir barely felt his back hit something soft in his haze.

The last thing he saw was green eyes, staring at him with concern, and then the silver collar she wore, the tag announcing her planet and species. His last thing was well, guess we know he got a new pet.

What was a human?

[pampushky]

Creature (Both Haunted & Holy)

Vinsmoke Sanji/Reader - chapter 1 - 2.2k

As you resign yourself to a fate of misery at Arlong's hands, your journey unknowingly starts with the appearance of a green-haired swordsman.

Warning: This chapter does have descriptions of non-consensual sexual encounters, along with mentions of possible forced prostitution. Be smart. Don't force yourself to read this if it'll trigger you.

ao3 | series masterlist | masterlist | next part

Notes on Selkenfolk, from the Journal of Dr. Crocus of the Roger's Pirates Pod; the selkenfolk family. There is a large emphasis on the chosen family, however this may vary based on the type of selkie. According to the selkies of our crew, we are considered their pod, which delighted Roger to no end. It must also be noted that selkenfolk can hold their breath for a very long time, usually up to nearly two hours if they're trained and prepared properly. For defense in their humanoid form, which differs greatly from the selken and seal form, they have a set of retractable claws on their hand. While their claws are strong, they have to be properly cared for, or else they will become brittle. They are also rather sensitive to sunlight, as their entire eye is black, to see better in the deep water they are normally found in. Their humanoid form will resemble their seal form, with their skin the color of the pelt, and having freckles/dapples matching it, as the selkies Pell and Coth of our crew do greatly resemble leopard seals, even while more humanoid. They are rather protective of their pelts, which while rather durable, can be used to manipulate a selkie should the wrong person get ahold of it. According to Coth; "A stolen pelt is a fate worse than death--- it is a sentence to eternal servitude."

The rooms under Arlong Park were always musty. It’s a consistent smell that’s always seemed to cling to your skin, no matter how many times the fishman may let you bathe or go on “walks”. Straw mattresses, mildew, and molded-over heels of bread, along with a dryness that was unusual to a place inhabited by fishmen. But that was a special case, it was made to be that dry just for you. 

It’s not as if the conditions were meant to be pleasant, anyway. The 'walks' were you being chained to a post, or kept by Arlong’s side in the middle of the day, usually when the sun was at its highest, with nothing to shade your sensitive eyes. Arlong enjoyed watching the way you suffered. It’s not as though he was completely ignorant to what a selkie such as yourself needed— though your skin was a mottled gray, resembling the pelt of a common harbor seal as did the rest of your pods, it didn’t mean the sun didn’t burn you after enough time under its rays, or that you enjoyed being out during the day. Your tongue was dry, from the continued deprivation of water and proper food, eyes were in a constant state of watering from how bright everything was around you. Arlong fed you just enough fish— however rotten they may have been— to keep your hair shiny and soft, the way he liked it, and gave you enough food to keep his favorite parts of you soft. But there was never enough to help you gain strength or muscle. If he ever suspected you were trying to grow stronger, the food would disappear until you were so weak you were unable to stand.

You will not run, he had told you, the moment he had taken you from your small island home, just along the calm belt in the North Blue, You will not run or it will be twice as bad for your pod, little one. 

A pretty little doll to sit on his lap, to be shown off, and toyed with later if he so desired. Muzzled and chained, clawed hands kept dull, and your pelt hidden away in a trunk somewhere in the park. You held no power here, his captive empress of the sea. Nothing for you to fight back with or a purpose to even try, but there was the promise of your home being destroyed should you even try to escape, reminders of your mothers' screams filled your mind every time the ocean beckoned, your pelt lazily left out on Arlong's bed when he left you after chasing his own pleasure. 

But it was for your village. To keep it safe. You had to keep it safe. Your brothers were just pups, your baby sister hadn't even opened her eyes yet when you had left. You had to protect them. Arlong would not hesitate the moment you moved out of line. He would destroy them all, for the crime of trading with humans and marrying among them, like your older sister had. You remember how devastated your mothers looked, holding each other as you were dragged away, a heavy metal collar fastened around your neck, a wail on your lips as your mothers both reached to you for a final time, screaming your name as they were held back by Chew and Kurobi. The last you heard of them was their roars of rage and pain.

It was that same night he broke you in, as you cried silently for your pod’s grief, crying for someone to help. The same night he left a grievous bite along your shoulder to claim you. You are mine and no one else’s, he snarled, smiling with your blood on his teeth as you thrashed beneath him, hitting and trying to wriggle away from him, so small under him, so helpless. No one will have you like this now. He had you map the currents of the waters he dominated. You were a gifted selkie, after all, blessed by the Mother of the Sea, rumored to be able to conduct the waves themselves and make it rain with your voice. That was not true of you, not yet, not when you had only started your training a few months before. Nevertheless, the currents were old friends of yours, swirling around you whenever you swam, invigorating you the longer you stayed in the depths before you were pulled back up by the chain on your wrist.

A good selkie, Arlong purred, a finger brushing over your cheek. Such a good selkie for me, telling me exactly where the undertows form. His nose had cut a groove in your cheek that night, as he had rutted into you, panting and grunting like a wild beast as he finished, leaving you a sticky, bleeding mess, weeping on the straw mattress of the ship's brig after a 'successful' excursion. 

So here you were chained, forcefully sitting on Arlong’s lap as Nami walked up to the pirate, a smirk on her lips as she tossed some treasure his way. The Marines had already made lewd comments about you. Ogling your body, laughing at how your lace, nearly see-through top only barely covered your form, and how your shorts hardly did anything to hide the bites along your thighs. You were his pretty little doll, wearing whatever he chose for you, and if you didn't? Well, he wasn't above making you walk around naked, sitting on his lap for all to see, but not to touch, demonstrating your pretty sounds for his crew when you had refused to wear what he chose, begging for something more concealing. How had he responded?

"Isn't my selkie lovely?" Arlong had crooned, shoving two fingers inside you, despite your screams. He had bound your hands above you, shoving a towel in your mouth to quiet your cries, pumping in and out of you. Chew looked over, tutting at the tears running down your face, and the way that you thrashed, hips jutting forward with each harsh pump. Arlong only grinned, his thumb finding your clit and rubbing it in tandem with his fingers. Your hips jutted forward, and your head sagged onto your shoulder as he forced an orgasm out of you, grinning dangerously as you came, spraying all over his hand, whimpering and trying to jerk away from his continuing touch. 

"She's yours for the night if you pay enough," Arlong grinned at Nezumi, letting you slump to the floor, numb to the laughter and predatory eyes on your body as the marine began to negotiate.

Nami’s gaze fluttered over you, and you looked away, eyes down. It was an unspoken agreement. You were friends, and allies, due to both of your situations, and you both attempted to make each other's sufferings better. You had spoken with her, in desperate confidence after she had found you the first time, left on a straw mattress in the basement cell under the main building. You were so similar, yet different. But you both acted for others. To keep your pod safe. For her to liberate her village. Forever branded by the monster who had caused your terrors, and forever invisible to the marines who were meant to help you.

The only respite was swimming. Bring dropped somewhere in the ocean, followed by however many of Arlong’s crew, just to keep an eye on you. But they knew you wouldn’t run. You had tried, early into your capture, and your grandfather paid the price, Arlong dropping a necklace that had belonged to him before you after he had pinned you to the wall, declaring that whenever you swam now, you would do it with iron shackles around your wrist, a thick iron chain securing you the ship, only allowing you to swim as far as the chain went, the crew able to pull you out of the water at any given moment, should they so desire, hurting you as they did.

But you pushed it away, shaking off the loss of your pelt, and held your breath as you had been taught by your mothers. Diving deep, deep into the ocean, feeling the waves churn around you, the way they pushed and pulled. You were free here. Able to memorize the dances of the water, and able to trace them out on paper, sloping arrows in deep blue ink on Nami’s wonderful maps. The most detailed currents were around Seal’s Drop, your home village, where you had played for years before you were taken. Sometimes, it was like the shackle wasn't there, when you went deep enough, the pressure making you dizzy in your humanoid form, and it was as if your mothers were swimming beside you, until your arm was pulled, forcing you back into the brightness of the day, laying on the deck as you were taken back to the park.

Nami’s gaze rested on you for just a second before she spoke to Arlong again. Another successful mission, more treasure to be gained, and some small-time pirates duped into helping her, along with getting a brand new ship for the fleet, one that could easily blend in with luxurious boats meant for the wealthy that lived in the east blue. Arlong grinned widely, sharp teeth on full display as he threw his hands into the air, looking down at the map that Nami passed him, a look of awe on his face as he traced out the shape of the Grand Line.

The call for a party had you keeping your head down lower. Parties meant Arlong drinking. Which meant forcing drinks down your throat, and an unpleasant night ahead, with puncturing bites and deep bruises. Your stomach churned at the thought. You would end up sick, no doubt, ending up retching and puking with Arlong having his way as you struggled, whimpering for him to stop. Arlong loosely put his hand around your throat and squeezed just enough to make your breath hitch, pulling you out of your mind.

“C’mon now my little selkie, it’ll be fun,” A malicious grin spread across his lips, sharpened teeth on full display. “Consider it a celebration of your recent success.”

“Of course,” You nodded, only looking at his teeth, avoiding his eyes. He hated it when he thought you weren't looking him in the eye.

“Make the arrangements—” Arlong stood up from his seat, ”And put my darling selkie away in the shade for a bit, she deserves a bit of rest,” a finger ran over your chin, “She’ll need the energy. For now, Nami, come with me, we have much to discuss.” His voice was sickening to you, and his touch made you shudder.

And then the green-haired man was brought in. And his eyes bored straight into yours, even as Arlong held you by your waist, fingers sinking into your skin so hard you knew it'd bruise. And when he’d pushed himself into the water, you couldn’t help but gasp, instinctually jumping forward, stopped by the hand around your waist. You were jerked backward, hitting your head on the corner of Arlong's chair, a small laugh bubbling from his lips as you rubbed at your head, whimpering. 

“Awh, did you find him cute?” Arlong had a vicious smile on his face, one finger tracing over the claiming bite he had made, pinching your chin and making you look up at him. “I’ll just have to remind you of who owns you. Maybe in front of him.” 

A shiver rolled down your spine, as you watched Nami pull the man from the water, flinching when you saw how hard he had been punched. But the moment he looked up, his eyes were on yours, before focusing on Nami, as the fishman gave news about Cocoyashi, sending her away to do what he needed, and dragging him away.

It wasn’t gentle being led to the cells, and you were thrown in with him, eyes on the floor, curled into a tight ball as your chains were fastened to the wall behind you,  the green-haired man in the corner across from you, eyes staring right into your soul. You only fell back into your mind, thinking of the kelp forest you and your older sister had learned to swim in.

[unown-acolyte]

Hello, Ede!

I spent a lot of my childhood and early teens running around the Alph ruins. You might recognize my dad who worked there a couple of years ago - Professor Selken, a thin bearded man with dark hair? What I want to say is that Alph has been a big part of my early life and that I admire your connection to the Unown. I was just wondering if you can or want to tell me anything about your life from when before you fell asleep

(@legendofzacian)

I am afraid I do not know your dad. I woke up recently and have avoided other people so far. As much as I want to know about the world as it is now, a part of me does not want to let go of the past, so I have left my chamber little and only at night so far. It is not easily accessible without teleporting, so I am not surprised that I have not been found.

Enough gloom, though! It does make me happy to learn that my home is still lived in in some way.

My life before was not the most exciting, but I did enjoy it. I was near the end of my training to be the Unown's new warden, which mostly involved keeping them entertained. They can be surprisingly silly! Although they can use telepathy to see the outside world, the Unown seemed to want my opinions on all kinds of things. They often asked me to draw things for them, especially faces of both people and Pokémon.

@legendofzacian

[444names]

Names generated from all the marked locations in TES:IV Oblivion

Abindo Abing Abusek Aersian Alhom Aller Allsplewel Alwitartow Ambel Amehregatts Amend Andair Andlead Apscial Arboy Aredming Arety Arlor Arockent Arrage Artlan Askine Atands Atbred Atchoming Aterelecor Athwenmin Atrot...

Baalmokens Baasecrus Baassitte Banatel Bandes Bants Banust Bardeck Barfrol Bargo Barthery Baturet Bayous Bayout Becids Beckanda Becoade Becreswen Berpen Blader Blettshad Blics Blift Blinhall Blodcradle Blows Blueed Blues Bolad Bonew Bonunt Boodired Booter Boringmine Bottlad Bregylarfry Brehern Brind Brine Brots Browinedmis Busherperen Cadle Calke Callsont Candisa Cappleakera Carken Carkend Carkfarfro Cartatre Caveds Cedminkeren Chaysta Chmank Choloorroll Chomingoome Chots Clagia Claked Clated Cleasteliff Clowhides Coadooder Coaseetone Colabawn Colleafrone Comblagior Comblooderm Copples Coven Cover Covered Coverega Crest Cretyminell Croatim Croxey Crumalach Culwarn Curazan Curefughcre Cused Cyrock Darked Dartorm Daverah Dedming Dedmists Deragny Derey Derfrock Destim Dirust Ditersed Divild Doodel Doodged Dunts Dzondow Dzonewesek Eastan Eatair Eceselood Eckerpel Ecrelion Edmine Emeherow Ensen Ented Faculuntack Facupty Fandast Fardinkhey Fatheatch Fireat Fiste Fiveynota Flagasete Flead Floderostra Flord Flowlan Foldav Foldho Forcamed Forthelasek Froslo Fyron Gagiande Garsfo Glasek Glernets Gleyel Glynorn Gnorn Goble Gobleret Gondard Gones Gonesewey Gonibel Goteds Grager Grassail Greasts Greheyaw Gride Grinn Guics Hackan Hackhomp Hadend Halous Hamblicus Hapstopsed Harrent Hasesou Haunding Haunealosta Hausested Haval Heaston Helas Herbecoll Herfive Hightaine Hightersil Hights Hinety Hintick Hithore Holemine Holow Holveidder Homberey Homblor Homedming Hordran Horedge Horreen Howline Hring Impil Inewes Ingellood Inhaf Inhalholl Insilverms Ireak Islenaces Jimpy Joblanded Jobleasts Kerive Kinfee Kinha Kinsine Knightine Kninen Kvahtimed Kvall Labek Lance Lanceah Lapsel Light Litard Lited Loodrall Lorboder Lovirel Lunder Maged Mands Mappron Marre Marres Marroutcol Matedming Matertlap Maylle Mazon Medming Meravahts Minga Mokeleande Moketch Monds Morde Mothest Mount Moured Mouttle Nacalsol Nampy Neloss Niand Nibeckhele Nibek Nibern Ningedming Nirthwely Nisle Niveyaw Nolad Nomin Nonda Nonindiil Noriusted Notellet Noter Notterots Nowlashatim Nustertus Ogweleveist Oldabitming Omeada Omontonon Oncest Ondiing Onger Onone Onturenia Onyoutle Ouggle Ouned Ounts Ouran Pallatch Pallibelly Parclawen Pitminquict Pling Plunglesone Plunn Poine Popproleds Poset Pridern Prine Proppriand Quance Quandaven Ralhorn Raniber Reepingreed Regiand Relan Rester Reswedmine Rickent Rinhall Rocken Roldasering Rortarke Rosill Rossewt Rotchal Rottlen Rounibek Runetchaled Rustedmil Sagen Scarms Seciall Sedmine Seleace Selken Sepinets Serbellave Sested Shabayisius Shale Shapscandle Shaured Shests Shigh Shincambea Shitincen Shito Shrepwater Shrock Sideak Sider Sideste Sidew Simption Skine Slipscarged Slord Smandis Smuckhom Sonlynn Squesecoal Squits Stempy Stick Strickana Strine Stroblacen Strocken Surey Swendste Tacal Taleadave Tallibert Taloved Tapscan Tatbrius Tavline Teleyll Terykter Theisleepty Thwen Thwens Timptireet Tinge Tiong Tiverpenik Tomins Toomornamon Torand Tordruma Torselothit Tracus Trado Trage Tragondst Traladoge Tralempen Trandow Tredmancarn Tregyle Trelo Trian Tricialead Trictaken Trielken Trock Troebele Trokellict Tross Trowharch Twatursin Twoodir Twyllas Udedunkhel Ulwincrus Ulwine Useldcres Valdt Valick Vedmin Vellynort Vicit Villow Vingrad Virus Vitornand Vlanigh Vlawinded Vlick Wamen Waraund Wedmin Welbe Weleatus Welow Wents Werets Werfiew Weyll Wiilla Wings Woorazonyx

Same thing but higher order.

Abanda Abandirt Abandle Acrost Aerial Agedmine Agelda Alletedmine Ambleakneck Ancres Ancrets Angalo Anulus Apple Arcoastrand Argon Argonia Arpent Arpentail Arrery Atarusted Athroater Atrolavicus Atrollagea Aurustedman Ayish Ayisheoth Ayisheoths Azural Baash Barrius Basing Batius Baturasecul Bawnet Beastaff Beenmead Beenmine Beldhouse Bellen Belleted Belley Bellmoor Blacen Blach Blans Bloat Bloate Blood Bloodead Bloodean Blooded Bodead Bogwatch Boots Bordered Bother Bowlinda Bramp Braver Braverhom Bravern Bravicus Brelict Brelion Brittler Brota Bulwar Bulwarield Cadle Camondonel Campy Candstor Canus Capse Capstoot Captiver Caveyond Cedrock Ceyata Chand Chanda Chapelley Chest Chornander Cland Clough Coastater Collagea Collaps Colle Colly Copsed Corbone Counted Cover Crest Crossandone Cruma Crust Cuptorbek Cyrock Darkfat Daseculots Dasel Deepscornal Dered Deseral Deserch Desercliff Desertower Desolatar Diricts Dirtue Dister Dividewatch Doome Doubleak Doublepe Dragonia Dragutted Drakel Draken Drunn Eastand Eastrich Echome Edguardava Edguardinge Eleakmine Elemen Elepe Emplew Estoots Exhaunt Exhaunted Exhaust Facial Fallindre Fanacasek Farror Feedstor Felgagedman Fiela Fieldt Fighlanda Fighlans Fights Finsela Fishatte Fisheoths Flast Flater Flecial Floodman Floodwill Flower Foamira Fores Formercliff Forsius Forst Frond Fyrel Fyrelict Garlast Garlun Garlundered Garlunderel Gater Gaters Gerber Ghost Glada Glerock Gnolly Gobling Goldcorbek Gooded Gotted Gravil Greak Green Gutter Hackheast Halman Hamelict Hance Handelepe Harmallen Haust Hayne Heart Heistirus Heldhouse Herleakmilk Hermalaw Highlans Highter Hightinge Hights Hillach Holly Horun Horunes Hotem Howlin Hroad Hrotch Illack Infest Infests Inhabite Inhabitine Inhal Inhalman Insidewatch Isleed Isted Istrell Jensa Jension Kements Laken Larbowling Larsh Larsimer Leveleah Leveleman Levelepe Leyatate Liber Lingmine Lingreaken Lornal Lostfire Lottleman Malletorbek Marand Maraudere Markved Matrel Mazor Mehrun Mehrunn Mongreed Morandstar Mosling Mossess Mountainian Mounted Nagast Nagastal Namine Narfins Natul Nenay Nendir Nenyand Newland Nikelone Ninenal Nisinkhole Nonunga Norther Northerleak Northinbone Numbe Officide Officides Ogreedumph Ogreyland Olanken Oldcorbek Omedmine Oments Ondoned Onedmine Orrow Orrowhavern Outher Outhered Overial Pantheart Pants Parthing Patrenegade Patrond Patrony Patross Pinna Piukand Piukandit Plack Plackdir Pother Prina Prine Promiscal Punken Questbrid Quicked Redmine Regyl Renmare Repairich Rickwood Rivering Rivers Rugdum Rumaraudere Rumber Rumbleak Sageldt Sagensa Sainia Savlia Scallia Scallin Scarcane Scinine Sciningmine Secrest Secrose Seculots Seekindai Sentius Septiver Seral Serian Serict Serin Serine Sering Serpales Serpenia Serted Sertedmine Seveleah Shaft Sharobatius Shatte Shatted Shattedmine Sherock Shetcomb Shetcomber Shetcome Shrinda Shring Sidewater Silord Silverial Silverine Silvern Silvers Sisted Smallion Somedmine Southead Squand Squander Standit Standits Stands Starnet Statatarn Stong Strap Stried Suician Suitorsfont Suitorsius Swamp Swelle Systead Systed Tarenegade Tarus Taversity Telen Telenglynn Thead Theartlaws Theldt Therock Thinbone Thole Threenmine Throated Throt Throtandit Tiben Tibena Tided Timatrel Timatrosier Torber Torsimer Trand Tridge Trolatater Trond Uderbek Uderedmine Udersity Ultim Underpent Unive Univeringo Unmark Urall Urasekmoor Vahtacus Valle Varob Varond Varsime Veyard Veyawik Vinda Vindawiin Vlask Vlastatarn Vlastrap Walke Warief Wateredge Wateredmine Weatures Weetwater Wellmoor Wenderted Wendredmine Westbridge Weynonunga Weynonwyll Weynot Whited Whitmongres Witharm Woodman Woodrun Woodrunn

[cuppakasha]

Stratus Saturdays — Selkies (Races pt. 2)

Diverse, skilled, adaptive, savvy and rich in tradition, selkies are as much a part of Akaiya as the world is a part of them

Selkies are a magical humanoid race native to the ocean planet Akaiya. They have existed for centuries, alongside the Nekai fishfolk and the Aladephi featherfolk. Over generations, selkies have especially felt the ebbing away of magic in the world; more and more selkies have nonmagical children, eventually leading many families and even whole clans dying out as they lose their magical edge in protecting their homes, territories and cultures. To combat against the unknown reason as to why magic is fading, many clans adamantly and fiercely cling to their values, traditions and people to avoid their worst nightmare: being destroyed and left floating out aimlessly like regular humans.

Selkie magic is the attunement to light, and expressed in two ways: lightcasting and transformation.

Lightcasting is the bending and transformation of existing light into different forms, or changing how light interacts with an object. This lower level of light magic can be attuned to and practiced by non-selkies. Examples include: illusory magic, blinding explosions, fireworks, small-scale auroras, diffusion and concentration of light into beams, changing colors, signals, portable glowlamps, anti-piracy lasers and lighthouses.

Transformation is unique to selkies and cannot be attuned to, and a selkie that attunes to another type of magic can still transform even if they can no longer lightcast. Selkie forms (called an ukaa) are hereditary and require a selkie to have attuned to a favored clothing focus (called a hano'ukaa), which could be any durable, organic wearable and range from actual coats, cloaks, hats, scarves, gloves, boots, belts, jewelry, pauldrons and other armor, and even undergarments. Selkie transformations are described as a "true form light": their human form, like a beam of light, is focused through a "prism" (their ukaa) to broaden, narrow and change their shape into their animal form. They have the physical capabilities of the animals they turn into, but the actual animals and people can recognize them as being different as if having an uncanny valley effect.

While all selkies acknowledge each other as kin, they divide themselves into clans, traditionally by their aquatic form. Selkies in Rose Stratus aren't limited to just seal transformations; most semiaquatic mammals can be a selkie form! Some clans found in Rose Stratus are:

Larpueneq (Ribbon House) - a larger clan of ribbon and bearded seals

Kuuvi (Tusked Warriors) - Walrus and sea lion folk known for their bravery and stubbornness

Itaayo (Blackfish Wearers) - a travelling clan of killer whale and pilot whale forms

Aw'nari (Toothed Lightweavers) - a smaller clan of narwhal selkies that are more in tune with lightcasting and mysticism, living under the auroras of the frigid northern seas

Rorikai (Finned Tricksters) - Roguish dolphin selkies that are adept at illusory lightcasting

Koyabaana (Gentle Fat Swimmers) - Manatee and dugong selkies known for pacifism and kindness that live in estuary port towns

[starving-dropartist]

Fakemon starter!

[saltyfaielina]

Dr. Selken meets Dr. Coffee

@rariteehee

Edit: I just realized I forgot Dr.Coffee's fuckign glasses

[cocokoalatea]

Two trolls I've designed! The one on the left belongs to Tsukarehime Selken belongs to @saint-mayhem

[dubirddressup]

Dillon

[interfusor]

Peter Fonda’s first screen credit. He’s playing Joey Selken in a 1962 episode of Naked City.

[gochujangst]

Oooo for Uriel (Selken dude, Salem's possible brother?) I'm gonna give him tattoos that glow because he utilizes the Hydrogen in his bloodstream. so he gets dangerously dehydrated, but pretty powerful once he uses his Quintessence.

[pampushky]

Creature (Both Haunted & Holy)

Vinsmoke Sanji - Chapter 25 - 5k

As you leave Drum Island, you reflect on a few things about your life. Kureha, shockingly, joins you.

ao3 | series masterlist | masterlist | next part

For the foreseeable future, Luffy has been banned from ever trying to operate something with wheels. Zoro cackles when you tell him this, your hair much too messy for him to take you seriously until you pull him down by the collar of his jacket, snarling in his face that he had better pray that he never gets injured to the point of needing a wheelchair like you and Sanji had. The memory of your near trip down a flight of stairs as Luffy attempted to drift your chair while he was pushing it still haunts you, and the fact that Luffy had even managed to get Sanji to topple out of his chair, ass over kettle, doesn’t lend to any argument that your captain makes that he won’t do it again.

Zoro doesn’t need much convincing after that. To your captain’s credit, he has the decency to look at least a bit apologetic, trailing one of his feet in the snow as he apologizes, as though he is a young boy and not a seventeen-year-old. When he sees Nami wheeling you to the castle’s storage room, Sanji is at your side. You’ve been told that you will have at least a few more days in the chair, much to your displeasure, but Kureha and Chopper are stubborn. You just wish you could have had a bit more of a say in your treatment, but you can’t even argue when the old woman mentions you putting yourself through chronic fatigue, especially with Sanji backing her up, hands on his hips as you grumble about being able to walk. 

It’s out of love, yes, but you’re allowed to be annoyed with him, dammit! And speaking of which….

“Ma moitié, could you take a look at this for me?” Sanji looks at you over his shoulder, while combing through the castle’s extensive library, searching for more cookbooks and any books on foraging and nutrition he can get his hands on. You reach upwards, and weigh the book in your hands, looking at him a bit curiously as he continues to scuttle up the ladder to find more. It’s leather-bound, with yellowing pages. The front is detailed with the crudely-embossed image of what looks to be a selkie in their selken form or maybe a merperson. It’s honestly hard to tell, with just how crude the image is. 

The title and around half of the table of contents are missing, yet most of the book seems to be intact, with none of the actual information gone. You can see ‘ O’Hara Printing’ on the back page, with a date from nearly fifty years ago stamped on the paper. It’s when you find the copyright with the same date, that you finally find the title. Commentary on the Selkenfolk Way of Life. How exhilarating— but certainly not what Sanji was looking for in this room. 

“That’s odd,” You mumble, and close the book, flipping it over in your hands as you examine it. “There’s no contents, it’s missing…  are you sure this is a cookbook, Ji’?”

“I just thought I saw your—oh, what’s the name of it—”

“Selken form?”

“Yes! That— I saw it on the cover. It could be helpful. Or amusing to debunk, later,” He looks over his shoulder at you again, a pretty smile on his lips as he looks down at you, a few books in his hands. 

You look down at it again, tilting your head to one side as Sanji places a kiss on the top of your head, settling into the chair beside you, one of his hands loosely holding your own as he leafs through a few of the cookbooks he’s found. It’s oddly domestic, something you’d never really experienced in your years as a teenager in your village, or in your imprisonment with Arlong. Occasionally, you feel him rub his thumb over your knuckles, while you fidget with the rings on his fingers. 

The book itself seems rather accurate, detailing things about Selkenfolk culture that you yourself had come to forget in the two and a half years you hadn’t been involved in it. The fishing, the importance of pods, and many other things you find yourself missing as you scan the pages. Naturally, there are some things that are incorrect, as would be expected in a fifty-year-old academic text, but it’s mostly correct. You could even update it, perhaps, add it to the small bookshelf in the galley. 

Maybe even share it with your crew, your pod, and try to celebrate the holidays that your family once had. An altar to the Sea Mother could be nice, you think, as you flip to the next chapter.

“Well, how is it?” Sanji’s voice breaks you from your concentration, and you realize it’s dark out, as your partner leans over you slightly, his visible eye gazing down at you with utter adoration. “Not….terribly, incorrect,” you stretch, and set it on the table, as Sanji starts to wheel you back to the room with your cots. Your back feels stiff, and you grumble, as he continues to push you, “I may need to correct some things in there, but, there’s some stuff I… kinda forgot about,” 

“Like what? Tell me,” Sanji opens the door with his back to it, backing into the room before lifting you up from the chair, even when you insist you can manage the few steps to the cot you share. 

“Minor holidays, feasts, things like that,” You loop your arms around his neck, as he sits you on the edge of the cot, helping you ease out your pants, and playfully pressing a kiss to one of your knees, “Even had some pictures of the dogs we had on my island… though there were a few I didn’t recognize… I do miss the dogs…” You arch your back a bit, trying to get the tension from your shoulders, and Sanji, ever observant, brings his hands up to cup your shoulder blades for a second, before letting his hands start to work out the knots. He even chuckles when you let out a little trill, slumping into his chest as he continues. How did he always seem to know where you needed the most attention?

“That a bit better?” 

“More than a bit,” you sigh, and keep yourself leaned on his chest, grumbling when he makes you sit back up so you can change into a larger sleep shirt while he goes to change himself. You take the moment to admire him, with his back turned to you. The work on the ship had only served to make him more muscular, the muscles under his skin seeming to ripple when he did a few little stretches to loosen up. 

And then you see the wound on his back, still healing, though he doesn’t need to bandage it anymore. It goes up just a quarter of his back, maybe a third of his spine. But it’s obviously giving him a bit of pain, as you see how stiff his movements are around the area, and how careful he is when he twists a bit, pulling a t-shirt over his head and wandering back to you.

When had he gotten that? He looks down at you with a confused grin, when he sees the look on your face.

“Hey pretty, what’s going on in that head? You haven’t changed your shirt yet,” He kneels down at the edge of the cot, resting his arms and head on it as he looks at you with worry. 

“I didn’t know your back was hurt,” You whisper, and Sanji frowns, getting up as he realizes what you mean. He turns back around, so you can have a better look at it, now that he’s closer, though he does look at you over his shoulder. 

“It doesn’t hurt much, it’s just a bit tight right now,” Sanji shivers a bit when your fingers brush over his skin, just under the shirt. The stitches feel harsh against your fingertips, unfamiliar and grating to the otherwise smooth expanse of his back. “Lapahns managed to get a good hit in. S’why I was in a wheelchair.”

“Oh.” You keep your fingers on it and feel oddly remorseful. Would he have been injured the same way had you not been so careless with your own well-being?

“Kureha had to hold me down when we fought off Wapol. Said I was one wrong move away from being paralyzed,” Sanji admits this to you quietly, and you stiffen, hand freezing where it is. “…it was worth it, to keep you and Nami safe, though,”

Quietly, you shake your head, pulling your hand from his shirt, and then tugging on the hem, to have him look at you. Sanji had almost paralyzed himself for your sake? The thought fills you with terror, and… a bit of anger. 

“Please… never do that again,” Your voice comes out as a low murmur, too shocked and too terrified of how your partner had so hypocritically risked changing his life in such a major way while telling you not to do the same the day after. “…You can’t do those things and then say I’m not allowed to do them.”

He freezes, feeling you lock up as you hold the front of his shirt, head bowed as he stands between your legs. There’s the sound of something tiny falling. Then another. And he soon realizes that you’re crying, fat tears falling onto the floor and onto his feet, while you hold onto him desperately, as if he’ll disappear the instant you let go. He kneels, wincing still as his lower back aches, and cups your face.

You shouldn’t cry over him, not him, not the unwanted prince, the starving child on a rocky island. Not you, wonderful, beautiful you, with your obsidian eyes, and pretty dappled skin, with white freckles that form your original constellations. Everything about you is so ethereal to him, from the most mundane moments, like when you’re drooling on him when you sleep, to how you would conduct the waves, to push other ships away, not wanting to get into a skirmish. He loves watching you wring seawater from your hair after fishing every morning, grinning when you notice him looking, or how you watch your grandfather’s vivre card flutter in your palm when there’s a quiet moment on the Going Merry. 

Everything about you is so ethereal. You’re a divine creature, shaped by the waves, blessing him with your presence. He doesn’t deserve to stand beside you, to have you look at him so fondly, to be so kind, and to treasure him, Sanji Vinsmoke, so lovingly, trusting him at your most vulnerable to care for you. 

You shouldn’t cry over him. 

Yet you do, with large warm tears that fall on his palm. You look at him with utter devastation, your dark eyes cloudy with grief for a future that never occurred, but a grief nonetheless. Those big dark balls of obsidian, stare straight through his very being as the bond between the two of you tightens, and then explodes with emotion. Anger. Worry. Terror. Sorrow. It makes his stomach drop as you shake your head in his hands, and he can feel your claws pricking at his skin as you hold him, too lost in the moment to realize you’re possibly hurting him. 

Sanji relents, then, and puts his head to your thighs, regret’s pungent scent rolling off of him like a deep fog. 

“Forgive me,” he weeps as he says this, his tears starting to fall as you bring your hands to his head, gently massaging his scalp. 

“Of course,” you pull his head back up, to look at him, cradling his cheek in one hand while the other swipes his bangs out of his eyes, tracing the curl of his eyebrow delicately as he looks up at you with regret. “Please. Find the will to stay, and be healthy, with me.”

“No grave could stop me from crawling back to you,” Sanji whispers, hands shaking as they try to find a place to rest on your torso. 

“Never make me bury you so I don’t have to test that,” you hold his face, a wet sniffle escaping your mouth as he presses his forehead to yours, hands on your waist as he keeps you close, guilt and regret soaking your mind as he holds you.

“Never,” He promises, “You’ll never test that.” 

You fall asleep in Sanji’s arms, legs loosely tangled together with his chin on top of your head, snoring softly as you occasionally let out little trills in your sleep. The sun peeking through the blinds doesn’t wake you. Even the shrieking of Luffy chasing Chopper through the halls— it’s all background noise as you doze peacefully in your cot. Sanji does crack an eye open— he checks just to make sure you’re still asleep, and right as he’s about to let himself slip back into the peaceful bliss of unconsciousness, someone kicks the door in, and any chance of falling back asleep is violently dashed on the floor as you shoot awake, and reach for your weapon that isn’t there, only—

Tide is there. Flying into your outstretched palm, while a very surprised Zoro looks at you with wide eyes, his hand still held forward as if he was going to give you the weapon, while his other hand holds the door open, jaw dropped. While you’re positioned with Tide at the ready, and Sanji’s foot solidly placed in the door where Zoro’s head had been just a second before. 

It’s a very long pause. Long in Straw Hat terms, at least, meaning it takes a few seconds before Zoro and Sanji start an argument, shouting and wrestling on the ground the moment Sanji gets his foot out of the door. You don’t really pay it mind, more concerned over how Tide had flown into your hand, humming in your palm…. sounding annoyed? The pitch of the hum is low, and the metal of the trident is ice-cold, vibrating in your palm just enough to make your skin go slightly numb as you stare at it. Tide is annoyed, almost pouting as you examine it until Sanji and Zoro’s argument grows loud enough to distract you from trying to understand your weapon. 

“Can you not do this in here?” You sigh, just as Sanji and Zoro’s scuffle nearly goes under your cot, the two men looking up at you, as if they just realized you were still there. Sanji has the decency to look embarrassed, while Zoro looks more confused as to why you haven’t left yet. 

“Sorry, my pearl,” Sanji goes to pull himself up, only to have Zoro pull on one of his legs, causing him to smack his face on the edge of the cot, and the wrestling starts again. Kureha even walks in at one point, and then turns on her heel and leaves, returning a minute later with Nami. You flinch at the sound of her smacking their heads together. “Ow…. Nami, must you be so cruel to me?” Sanji whines, sprawling himself dramatically in your lap, and looking between the two of you with puppy-dog eyes. 

“I will, when you’re annoying the entire crew,” She doesn’t even spare him a glance, and leaves, discussing with the older woman what supplies the castle can spare to be packed onto the Going Merry. You only sigh, setting Tide down on the cot, and scratching your partner’s scalp as he sulks over Nami lecturing him while Zoro lays dazed on the floor. 

Two hours later, you’re dreading an appointment with the head doctor. You’ve been hobbling around the room, and you’re certain she’ll be able to tell. Granted, you’d done this under Nami’s watchful eye, while Sanji groaned about you putting your well-being at risk to the point that even you were a tad annoyed at your partner. 

But oh, how amusing it was to watch him crumble into dramatics the moment he could sense your feelings, groveling at your feet and begging for forgiveness. Part of you is worried, as to why he seems to think you will abandon him after every small slight, but that’s for you to uncover later. You watch as Kureha walks into the room, without her bottle of plum wine, and looks over your chart, after checking the state of your muscles and wounds.

“You’re allowed to start using crutches for walking long distances,” Kureha is flipping through something on a clipboard, frowning as she does so. Tide is leaning against the wall, glinting slightly in the sunlight. “.....however, I’m going to have you hold off on using any of your abilities for at least a week.” 

“Really?” You slump a bit in your chair, sighing heavily. “But I feel fine— I’ve been able to walk around the castle just fine,” 

“Which you shouldn’t have been doing,” Kureha scowls at you, and you let out a little ‘ha….’ you scratch the back of your head nervously. “But, I am forgiving,” 

You sit there a bit awkwardly until she clears her throat, looking at you. “I… want to ask you about Chopper.”

“...yes?” 

“He needs to work in the field, his talent would be squandered staying here,” She looks almost sad, as she says this. “...do you understand what I’m trying to say?” 

Quietly, you nod. The little reindeer obviously needs to socialize more, and you can’t help but feel an odd twinge of empathy. You’re both in the same boat, albeit for different reasons. You’ve been given a second chance at life by the Straw Hats, and it seems, Kureha wants to give that to Chopper— a chance to truly see the world, and to find the good in humanity. . 

“But he won’t do that on his own. He’d stay here his whole life if he could.” Kureha sighs, and looks at you evenly, her eyes much too somber for the same woman who had called Luffy a ‘monstrous condom-like man’ after watching him bounce off the ground after falling two stories, “...if I were to pack and leave supplies for him in a certain bag… could you ensure that he gets them, and brings them aboard the ship?”

“Of course,” You nod and watch as she sags in relief. For a second, she shows her age, over a century old, before she straightens again. 

“Wonderful. Now describe how destitute your ship is, so I have an idea of what I need to get you to leave!”

The pink clouds of snow that hang around the summit of the mountain are quite possibly the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. It’s like a giant cherry blossom tree, something you’d only seen in books and stories. The Selken Isles were too cold to have anything like that grow there, but your mothers had seen one, once, while on their honeymoon in Wano. Sion had even shown you some of the vibrant pink petals she’d preserved between two glass panes, framed and hung on the wall above their bed. 

But this?

It’s ginormous, turning the entirety of the mountain into the trunk of the mighty cherry blossom tree, taking the very breath from your lungs as you stare at it while the sleigh slides towards the hidden bank where you’ve docked the Going Merry. Sanji’s wonder scratches at you through the bond, and you look over at him, to see him staring up at it in awe, while one of his hands gently grasps at your own. 

You want to pluck the flakes of pink snow from the sky as they fall and press them between two panes of glass to keep forever, to show them to your own children one day, to speak of your freedom in the world by your courted’s side. The mere idea of the present moment one day being cherished memories— things to tell to your pups one day— makes you shudder, partially in shock at your boldness by thinking such thoughts, but also in excitement, for what could be, all with Sanji by your side.

So you happily take his hand, and watch the pink cloud of snow, basking in the light of the bond and the sweetness of the moment.

No one comments when Chopper wails when he finally gets to look at it properly. The crew just gathers around him, watching it with him until Drum Island fully fades from view, and is a speck on the horizon, still glowing a beautiful pink in the distance. You manage to nudge him to the boy’s dorm, but even as you go to the girl’s dorm, you find Usopp sleeping on the other bed, yours originally at the start of this journey, though… you do suppose that it had been around three weeks since you’d slept there. 

“Kinda…. Thought you’d be sleeping with Sanji,” Usopp says sheepishly, already gathering his bonnet and moisturizer to head back to the boy’s dorm. 

“No, I was, you can take this room if you’d like,” You only laugh a bit back, and sit on the bed beside him, “....most of my stuff is up in Sanji’s room, anyway. Kinda… only have my clothes, pelt, and my journal.”

Tide hums angrily from where it rests against the wall. 

“And you— don’t get angry, I already apologized for not taking you with me,” you whine, picking up the trident. The humming stops immediately, and it almost seems to purr, as you hold it. Vivi and Usopp only look at it over your shoulders, both confused and intrigued by how it talks. 

“You… understand that thing?” Usopp asks warily as if he’s waiting for it to make some angry noise. But it only keeps making that rumble-like crackling, and you swear so that you can hear the sound of crashing waves in its purr. 

“Kinda,” you let it slip through your fingers, twirling it as slow as you can, before setting the butt end down on the floor. “Its like… rumbling. All tones and context.” You demonstrate this by letting out a low rumble of pod, happy, safe, and gesture to Usopp. “Did you get that?”

“Being totally honest… no, only… you said family, right?” 

“Pod, but, close enough. Would be closer to saying found or chosen family,” You shrug, but take the last crewneck of yours from the drawer, “All yours to move into, Usopp.” 

Sanij is waiting for when you come back into the boy’s dorms, already setting the hammock up the way the both of you have found most comfortable. Sanji is practically a human furnace, with bony knees and ankles, and you’re slowly starting to gain the natural selken plushness back, while also greatly needing deep pressure therapy. So you lay happily on the bottom, while Sanji settles his face next to yours while laying on top of you, both arms managing to worm their way around your waist while you intertwine your legs. 

Call it codependent all you want– you’ve never slept better since your village was burnt to the ground, so you’ll take cuddling with your partner over horrifying nightmares every single time, thank you very much.

“What’s this?” Sanji watches as you fold the crewneck, and place it in his top drawer. All of his clothing, even the two pairs of sweatpants and the three hoodies he owns, are hung in the wardrobe against the wall, leaving the drawer open for you to claim with your admittedly meager amount of clothing. Your pelt is the only thing that gets hung up with his different suits and dress shirts– the rest is folded neatly and spaced out between two drawers that you’d claimed. 

“Crewneck. Old thing, but Noijko gave it to me… still smells a bit like the marmalade she used to make,” you murmur, and pull out one of Sanji’s hoodies to sleep in. “...I don’t really have much when it comes to clothing, just some stuff Nami, Nojiko, and a couple of other women in the village gave me,” 

“We could get you more,” Sanji helps you into the hammock and leans back as you take your place, nestling on top of the sheet you use to protect the bottom from any stains, while Sanji pulls a warmer blanket up past his hips, face settled next to yours as you play with some of his hair. 

You let out a small chuff at that, and shrug, as you listen to the sounds of Luffy and Chopper getting ready for bed. Zoro is taking watch, and you can already hear him shuffling around in the galley above, likely drinking from the pot of coffee Sanji leaves out every night to aid whoever is pulling the long haul. “Don’t really need much else.”

“But do you want anything? Like a sweater, or a hoodie of your own,” Sanji pulls at the hem of the one you’ve borrowed from him, grinning, “Not that I mind. You look better than I do in this. But I could ask Zeff to send one, for wherever we stop next. He’d be happy to, I’m certain,”

“That’s your dad, right?” You tilt your head a bit, managing to fight off the purple hue of your blush, as Sanji plays with the hem. 

“Mhm. Good old lad, but, still a bastard of a man though,” Sanji chuckles, forehead against your shoulder. “What about your grandfather?”

“I… don’t really know him,” you feel embarrassed. Feann had talked about him, of course, and you’d had a few den den mushi calls with him, with time split between you and Toha, as the main children who could talk. “He’s… well, that was the first time I met him, back in Lougetown. I… honestly forgot about him, until I saw him. I thought he died, like the rest of my pod.”

Pell… was still an unfamiliar figure in your life. He was that strange voice on the other side of the line, with your mother’s accent and rasp, the picture on the wall that Feann had pointed to, with her in his arms as a tiny pup, with Coth, your grandmother, beside him. You had his number— you could easily call him, ask him for advice, just as he had told you to if you needed anything, but… it felt so odd. To reach out to someone and ask such intimate questions of him when he was practically a stranger. Everyone seemed to know him better, the infamous Blackfin Pell, the navigator and helmsman of the Roger’s Pirates. Scourge of the Depths, Storm King Pell, and Emperor in the North Sea, among other titles he had earned during his time there. The flags of his crew were hung proudly from the rafters of your childhood home, some bearing the scars of battle, while stories of his adventures lulled you to sleep at night, whispered by both of your mothers. 

Yet he was just… Pop, to you. 

The man in the picture. Who lived across the grand line from you, far away in Lougetown with your grandmother, and then, without her, the woman who had died years before you were born. The man who had the same wild, dark hair and charcoal patterns on your face, with splotches of pale grey around his mouth and neck. The man who’d retired to live a low-profile life at the mouth of the East Blue, pulling a few strings here and there to get to that point. 

The last link to your mother, Feann, and so many other things you now desperately wanted to reconnect with. 

“Hey… you don’t have to call him,” Sanji whispers, sensing the turmoil in your mind through the bond. “I’ll ask Zeff. We should… probably look at getting some more money, soon, anyway.”

“Is it… weird I don’t know him?” 

“I never knew either of my grandfathers or grandmothers,” Sanji shrugs. “Every family is different.” 

“...I guess,” you sigh, and take your hands from his hair, just as he loops his arms around your waist, slightly propped up so he can look at you. “I’ll… call him after all of this Alabasta stuff is over.” “It’s all up to you,” Sanji whispers against your cheek, sleep heavily coating his voice, as he soon starts to snore softly against your shoulder. But you stay up for another thirty minutes, kept awake by how little you truly knew of your grandfather. 

Across the world, in a prison where a certain terror of a fishman is kept, an old man of sixty-eight walks freely amongst the halls. Alarms blare, and guards cry out before they’re frozen or boiled the moment they cross his path. There’s no hesitation, and not one single person has been able to come within five meters of this man.

The sea-prism-stone bars of a cell start to rattle, before bursting after an explosion of steam and ice so quickly changing that there had never been a chance for the bars to hold, to begin with. He steps 

An old selkie looks down upon a sawfish fishman with a noticeably crooked nose with a kindly smile. He offers him his hand, to help him stand. He waits patiently, watching as the fishman eyes him warily. But hesitantly, and after a minute of contemplation, Arlong takes the offered hand from Blackfin Pell, not that he knows who his supposed savior is. The instant the fishman takes it, half of his body boils while the other half freezes.

Arlong the fishman crumbles, and purposefully, still alive as the old selkie’s face turns cold. 

“For Seal’s Drop. And for my poor, sweet Feann,” Pell utters, watching as his eyes widen in fear and recognition before his body is shattered and strewn across the cell floor in chunks of frozen fishman. 

Pell lets out a loud, guttural scream of sorrow, the skies darkening with storm clouds, thunder rolling right on top of the prison as it starts to pour. Pell doesn’t take any mind to this, crying as he falls to his knees, only wishing that he could have brought back his daughter, her mate, and lost grandchildren with the death of the man who perpetrated their tragic ends, and the suffering of his only surviving grandchild left. 

[mirachayapanther-blog]

[cuppakasha]

Prelude

The inlet was silent, save for the ocean rhythmically rippling onto the shore. The Rust Twin, now waning, lent a sliver of His light to the sea but it didn’t pierce beyond its dark surface. 

The young selkie looked down from his driftwood terrace to the ocean meters below him. The tides were high tonight, the coral palisades submerged below the surface, and the guard was changing; it was time. 

He perched himself on the bleached banister, looking back one last time into his small chamber. The acrid scent of the whale-oil lamp wafted from the room long after being extinguished, and the flotsam embers in the small sandstone hearth suffused the walls of ancestral tapestries and woven maps with a dying incandescence.

He adjusted his crimson scarf—his selken ukaa, the magic focus used to channel his transformation like light through a prism. Beneath the worn fabric, the Larpueneq clan's intricately beaded collar necklace weighed heavily around his neck. He shook away the guilt from taking it; his anaba told him it was his birthright, that in time it would be his to use just as his forebears had for centuries. Anaba—his eyes pricked at the memory of the elderly woman from earlier that evening. She didn't try to stop him; instead she embraced him, a blessing wrapped in incense-soaked leathers, the hearth and the home, and every part of his mother he wished he could remember. He knew she'd look after his sisters when he disappeared.

He jumped, diving down into the moonlit ocean as his scarf trailed behind like the tail of a comet. 

The sea silently gave way, welcoming the diver, covering his entrance with a calm lapping wave.

Seafoam and light enveloped him—a second skin, akin to sliding into the sleeves of his favorite patchwork coat. It was like slipping into a dream, deep beneath dim waters where nothing could follow. He felt the tugs of his satchel and scarf momentarily drag before conforming to his other form—no longer the young man trapped by the pressures of his clan, he became the ribbon seal bound to the ocean alone.

And the ocean carried him beyond the only world he’d ever known.

[mrkrndvs]

A Kind of Emoji

A reflection on using emojis as a way to provide visual information.

I have dived into my latest #IndieWeb venture of saving links on my own site. I thought that I would simply use the Bookmark post kind to save my links, but I soon realised not every link needed some form of commentary and/or extended quotations. For those where the link and quote/summary was enough, I started labelling as a Li…

[thenewsrabbit-blog]

LegalShield Honors Its Top Independent Associates with Lady of Justice Awards at Annual LevelUp Convention

Check out the latest post https://thenewsrabbit.com/legalshield-honors-its-top-independent-associates-with-lady-of-justice-awards-at-annual-levelup-convention/

OKLAHOMA CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–LegalShield, one of North America’s leading providers of affordable legal plans and the IDShield identity theft solution for individuals, families and small businesses, is holding its annual LevelUp Convention this week at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. Every year, LegalShield’s experienced, new and aspiring Independent Sales Associates from all 50 states and Canada come together to engage with motivating speakers, get specialized professional development training and benefit from rare networking opportunities.

“We are proud to count so many enthusiastic associates among the LegalShield family. They play a crucial role in the success of the company, and we are thrilled to recognize them for their dedication and hard work,” said Jeff Bell, CEO of LegalShield. “Each year at the LevelUp convention, we take time to present our best Independent Associates with awards in several key categories.”

The top 10 Associates in each category will receive the crystal Top Producer and Top Recruiter awards. The No. 1 in each category receives the unique and coveted Lady of Justice award, so named to remind recipients of the reason LegalShield was formed: to make justice accessible to everyone by offering affordable legal counsel when they need it. This year’s recipients are listed below.

Top Recruiter, Personal: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who have secured the most new recruits during the calendar year.

Michael Colella, recipient of the Lady of Justice award

Michael Fedick

Alex Shahid

Joshua Lockhart

Geoff Cragg & Diane Kephart

Emma & Gregory Itkes

Kenny & Tabatha Spurlock

Elayne Whitfield

Millie L Baker

Jeffrey Jansen

Top Recruiter, Power Team: This category recognizes the Top 10 associates who, as Power Team organizations, have secured the most new recruits during the calendar year.

Brian Carruthers, recipient of the Lady of Justice award

Brad & Moira Roberts

Sean & Loren Mikael

Dave & Beverly Savula

Eddie & Varnessa Bails

Mike Humes

Ross & Cindy Chantrel

Timmer Halligan

Frank & Theresa Aucoin

Craig Hepner

Top Recruiter Growth, Personal: This category recognizes the Top 10 associates who have personally achieved the highest percentage of recruiting growth year over year.

Michael Colella

Jeffrey W Jansen, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Patrick Legrand

Charlie Fowler

Candida Dorsey

Kadie Karcher

Kimberlee D Thorne

Claudia Day

Aj And Lisa Diliberto

Veronica Barnett

Top Recruiter Growth, Power Team: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who, as Power Team organizations, have achieved the highest percentage of recruiting growth year over year.

Fran Alexander

Ron Chambers, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Emma & Gregory Itkes

Cleve & Dulcie Pickens

Frank & Theresa Aucoin

Terri Piazza

Bob & Denny Sappington

Dave Spangler

Bill Guyther

Lisa Bass

Top Producer: This award is presented to Associates who are in the field every day working to build their LegalShield business. The Top Producer category recognizes the Top 10 Associates in five distinct categories: Legal, IDShield, Group, Small Business, and Broker/General Agents.

Top Ten, Legal Plan:

Walter And Stephanie Crider, recipients of the Lady of Justice Award

Jenifer Williford

Tj Citta

Randy & Pam Wells

William & Miriam Anderson

Natalie Gutierrez

Scott & Ronda Ferguson

Keith & Emilia Wann

Jerome & Erika Clarke

Lewis & Joan Boyle

Top Ten, IDShield Plan:

Tj Citta, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Anthony Clinkscales

William & Miriam Anderson

Naomi & David Golnitz

Jerome & Erika Clarke

Reinhard & Marianne Stamminger

Marcia Salem

Alan & Sheila Plummer

Bert Calhoun & Fatima Salaam

David T Sheehan

Top Ten, Group Plan:

Jason & Kacy Lavender, recipients of the Lady of Justice Award

Alan Roman

Paul & Robin Dagostino

John & Lisa Schiller

Brian & Abby Parker

Brielle N Hoffman

Marty Gilano

Christa Aufdemberg

Jimmy & Sherry Parrish

Steve Baker

Top Producer, Small Business Plan:

Milliardaire J Griffin, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Sandy English

Cecilia Delarosa

Jerome & Erika Clarke

Eddie & Janelle Cobbinah

Susie Smith

Vicky Methven

Bob & Susan Joseph

Kadie Karcher

Diane English

Top Producer, Broker/General Agents:

Benefit Controls Of S.C. Inc (Thomas Gantt)

Bb&T Insurance Services (Randal Dickens)

Phillip M Ernest

Katie Akers

First Financial Cap Corp (Pervis Cooper, Tom Brick)

Lynn Ball

Barry J Olfern, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Brian Minyard

Christopher Kelly

Michelle Leckliter

Rank Advance, Personal: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who have personally had the most level advances.

Michael Fedick, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Mark & Carla Elkhill

Michael Colell

Alex G Shahid

Elayne Whitfield

Lynn Geistweidt

Benjamin M Notini

Emma & Gregory Itkes

Kenny & Tabatha Spurlock

Jim Tanner

Rank Advance, Power Team Volume: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who, as Power Team organizations, have had the most level advances in volume.

Brian Carruthers

Mike Humes, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Dave & Beverly Savula

Sean Mikael

Mikal & Christa Mekki

Eddie & Varnessa Bails

Frank & Theresa Aucoin

Brad & Moira Roberts

Ross & Cindy Chantrel

Fran Alexander

Rank Advance, Power Team Percentage: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who, as Power Team organizations, have had the most level advances in percentage.

Karen Beverly, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Craig Hepner

Jim Tanner

Jaya & James Crawford

Fard & Hannah Bell

Diane Clines

Jerry & Sallie Hasson

Paul Braoudakis

Inger Lemke

Ken Smith & Patti Davison Smith

Production Growth, Personal: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who have personally raised the bar with their efforts on increasing their percentage of member sales.

Melvin & Sharon Larry, recipients of the Lady of Justice Award

Linda Pitt

Brian & Abby Parker

Rhonda Gibson

Pete Katsaros

Paul & Robin Dagostino

Ernest H Shipman

John Millen

Kimberly B Berger Grooms

Tj Citta

Production Growth, Power Team: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who, as Power Team organizations, have raised the bar with their efforts on increasing their percentage of member sales.

Herman & Temeka Davis III, recipients of the Lady of Justice Award

Mike & Mary Bakken

Sherry & Thomas Branda

Timber C Mosley

Morgan & Marla Sharp

Alex Shahid

Emma & Gregory Itkes

Mark & Elizabeth Seguin

Linda Masoli

Jayme & Kirsten Doucette

Retention, Personal: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who have personally achieved the highest active membership rate.

Linda Pitt, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Lynn Duncan

Emily & Bennie Neal

John & Tiffany Sullivan

Paulette H Ladach

Paul & Robin Dagostino

Brielle N Hoffman

Mike Riches

Pete Katsaros

Pam Comstock

Retention Power Team: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who, as Power Team organizations, have achieved the highest active membership rate.

Ali C Sanders, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Mike Riches

Ross & Cindy Chantrel

Christa Aufdemberg

Jack Mattson

Nathan J Bourne

Inger Molver Lemke

Mark & Jennifer Riches

Gene L Leider

Linda Bowden & Alex Gardner

Fast Start Qualification, Personal: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who have personally achieved the highest percentage of recruits that Fast Start Qualify.

John & Tiffany Sullivan, recipients of the Lady of Justice Award

Cristin Nicole

Terri Piazza

Patricia Lapena

Christine & Pat Manning

Brandon Williams

Mark N Chernobelsky

Paula A Londono

Bayan Reed

Alex Shahid

Fast Start Qualification, Power Team: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who have, as Power Team organizations, achieved the highest percentage of recruits that Fast Start Qualify.

Joel & Kathy Davisson, recipients of the Lady of Justice Award

Timber C Mosley

Mark & Jennifer Riches

Joe & Gale Lovejoy – Shannon

Max & Racquel Pilet

Christine & Pat Manning

Obinna & Belinda Ndu

Bill Guyther

Tanisha Morgan

Mike Riches

Go Walk Your Community, Small Group: This category recognizes the Top 10 Associates who open the most small group (5-99 employees).

Marty Gilano, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Christa Aufdemberg

Beth & Ron Fincher

Jason & Kacy Lavender

Brielle Hoffman

Adam Thompson

Laura Selken

Jayme & Kirsten Doucette

Brian & Abby Parker

Terry Solimeo

Go Walk Your Community, Large Group: This category recognizes the Top 10 associates who open the most large groups (100+ employees).

Marty Gilano

Kimberly R Royal, recipient of the Lady of Justice Award

Kenny & Tabatha Spurlock

Shobi Raj

Nakeeta Tucker

Paul Archuleta

William & Miriam Anderson

John & Lisa Schiller

Brian Minyard

Tyler Wildman

About LegalShield

LegalShield is one of North America’s leading providers of legal safeguards for individuals, families and small businesses. The company also offers one of the industry’s most affordable and comprehensive identity theft plans, IDShield. LegalShield plans provide protection to more than 4.2 million individuals, and IDShield provides identity monitoring and restoration services to more than 1.5 million individuals across North America. In addition, LegalShield and IDShield serve more than 141,000 businesses.

For as low as $17.95 per month, LegalShield members get access to attorneys with an average of 19 years of experience in areas such as family matters, estate planning, financial and business issues, consumer protection, tax, real estate, benefits disputes and auto/driving issues. Unlike other legal plans or do-it-yourself websites, LegalShield has dedicated law firms in 50 states and four provinces in Canada that members can call for help without having to worry about high hourly rates.

For more information, visit http://www.LegalShield.com or http://www.IDShield.com