#tree charter

[rabbitcruiser]

James Oglethorpe was granted a royal charter for the colony of the future U.S. state of Georgia on June 9, 1732.  

[packedwithpackards]

Genealogy chart within Tommy Adkins' letter to Bob Mills. Originally shared on this blog in Nov. 2022.

[reasonsforhope]

"Rewilding in Scotland has created a more than 400% increase in jobs, research has found amid calls for it to continue.

Research by Rewilding Britain shows 35 jobs have been created at one site alone in the Highlands since 2008.

The research found there has been a 412% increase in jobs at 13 major rewilding projects covering almost 60,000 hectares, including sites owned or managed by charities, communities, private landowners, and public bodies.

Full-time equivalent jobs across the sites increased from 24 before rewilding to 123, across sectors including hospitality, estate management, ecology, environmental monitoring, rewilding interventions, recreation, and education.

The largest recorded rise in jobs was at Trees for Life’s 4,000-hectare Dundreggan estate near Loch Ness in the Highlands, a former deer stalking estate.

Since 2008, some 35 jobs have been created in addition to the sole previous position, while volunteer numbers have risen from zero to 100.

A rewilding centre was opened at the site last year and an open invitation has been extended to Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio to visit it after he backed a campaign for Scotland to become the world’s first “rewilding nation”.

All the sites are more than 100 hectares in size and are part of the Rewilding Network managed by Rewilding Britain.

The research found combined volunteer numbers at the sites increased from zero to 435...

The Scottish Government has been urged to commit to nature recovery across 30% of land by restoring habitats including peatlands, native woodlands, wetlands, rivers and seas, with no loss of productive farmland.

Kevin Cumming, rewilding director at Rewilding Britain and deputy convener of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, said: “These remarkable job creation figures show how rewilding can turbo-charge social and economic benefits, while offering hope for reversing biodiversity loss and tackling climate breakdown.

“This is yet another powerful illustration of why the Scottish Government should declare Scotland a rewilding nation.

“The opportunity is huge – for jobs and local economies, better health, food production, access to fresh water and clean air.”

The alliance’s Rewilding Nation Charter – including representations from more than 20 organisations – has been signed by thousands of people since it launched in the spring.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Restoring Scotland’s natural environment is a key way that we can help address the twin challenges of nature loss and climate change, including many of the interventions championed by the Scottish Rewilding Alliance.

“We welcome this evidence of employment in rural communities and will consider this research as we continue to work towards our commitment to protect and restore 30% of Scotland’s land and seas for nature.

“Our £65 million Nature Restoration Fund has committed nearly £40 million since 2021 to unlock the full potential that nature restoration projects can bring to communities.

“The fund has supported local businesses, helped landowners with pollinator projects to boost food production and supported improved access to green spaces throughout Scotland, alongside restoration of our marine environment.”

The charter can be viewed at www.rewild.scot/charter."

-via The Independent, June 19, 2024

[nasa]

Six Answers to Questions You’re Too Embarrassed to Ask about the Hottest Year on Record

You may have seen the news that 2023 was the hottest year in NASA’s record, continuing a trend of warming global temperatures. But have you ever wondered what in the world that actually means and how we know?

We talked to some of our climate scientists to get clarity on what a temperature record is, what happened in 2023, and what we can expect to happen in the future… so you don’t have to!

1. Why was 2023 the warmest year on record?

The short answer: Human activities. The release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere trap more heat near Earth’s surface, raising global temperatures. This is responsible for the decades-long warming trend we’re living through.

But this year’s record wasn’t just because of human activities. The last few years, we’ve been experiencing the cooler phase of a natural pattern of Pacific Ocean temperatures called the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This phase, known as La Niña, tends to cool temperatures slightly around the world. In mid-2023, we started to shift into the warmer phase, known as El Niño. The shift ENSO brought, combined with overall human-driven warming and other factors we’re continuing to study, pushed 2023 to a new record high temperature.

2. So will every year be a record now?

Almost certainly not. Although the overall trend in annual temperatures is warmer, there’s some year-to-year variation, like ENSO we mentioned above.

Think about Texas and Minnesota. On the whole, Texas is warmer than Minnesota. But some days, stormy weather could bring cooler temperatures to Texas while Minnesota is suffering through a local heat wave. On those days, the weather in Minnesota could be warmer than the weather in Texas. That doesn’t mean Minnesota is warmer than Texas overall; we’re just experiencing a little short-term variation.

Something similar happens with global annual temperatures. The globe will naturally shift back to La Niña in the next few years, bringing a slight cooling effect. Because of human carbon emissions, current La Niña years will be warmer than La Niña years were in the past, but they’ll likely still be cooler than current El Niño years.

3. What do we mean by “on record”?

Technically, NASA’s global temperature record starts in 1880. NASA didn’t exist back then, but temperature data were being collected by sailing ships, weather stations, and scientists in enough places around the world to reconstruct a global average temperature. We use those data and our modern techniques to calculate the average.

We start in 1880, because that’s when thermometers and other instruments became technologically advanced and widespread enough to reliably measure and calculate a global average. Today, we make those calculations based on millions of measurements taken from weather stations and Antarctic research stations on land, and ships and ocean buoys at sea. So, we can confidently say 2023 is the warmest year in the last century and a half.

However, we actually have a really good idea of what global climate looked like for tens of thousands of years before 1880, relying on other, indirect ways of measuring temperature. We can look at tree rings or cores drilled from ice sheets to reconstruct Earth’s more ancient climate. These measurements affirm that current warming on Earth is happening at an unprecedented speed.

4. Why does a space agency keep a record of Earth’s temperature?

It’s literally our job! When NASA was formed in 1958, our original charter called for “the expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space.” Our very first space missions uncovered surprises about Earth, and we’ve been using the vantage point of space to study our home planet ever since. Right now, we have a fleet of more than 20 spacecraft monitoring Earth and its systems.

Why we created our specific surface temperature record – known as GISTEMP – actually starts about 25 million miles away on the planet Venus. In the 1960s and 70s, researchers discovered that a thick atmosphere of clouds and carbon dioxide was responsible for Venus’ scorchingly hot temperatures.

Dr. James Hansen was a scientist at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, studying Venus. He realized that the greenhouse effect cooking Venus’ surface could happen on Earth, too, especially as human activities were pumping carbon dioxide into our atmosphere.

He started creating computer models to see what would happen to Earth’s climate as more carbon dioxide entered the atmosphere. As he did, he needed a way to check his models – a record of temperatures at Earth’s surface over time, to see if the planet was indeed warming along with increased atmospheric carbon. It was, and is, and NASA’s temperature record was born.

5. If last year was record hot, why wasn’t it very hot where I live?

The temperature record is a global average, so not everywhere on Earth experienced record heat. Local differences in weather patterns can influence individual locations to be hotter or colder than the globe overall, but when we average it out, 2023 was the hottest year.

Just because you didn’t feel record heat this year, doesn’t mean you didn’t experience the effects of a warming climate. 2023 saw a busy Atlantic hurricane season, low Arctic sea ice, raging wildfires in Canada, heat waves in the U.S. and Australia, and more.

And these effects don’t stay in one place. For example, unusually hot and intense fires in Canada sent smoke swirling across the entire North American continent, triggering some of the worst air quality in decades in many American cities. Melting ice at Earth’s poles drives rising sea levels on coasts thousands of miles away.

6. Speaking of which, why is the Arctic – one of the coldest places on Earth – red on this temperature map?

Our global temperature record doesn’t actually track absolute temperatures. Instead, we track temperature anomalies, which are basically just deviations from the norm. Our baseline is an average of the temperatures from 1951-1980, and we compare how much Earth’s temperature has changed since then. 

Why focus on anomalies, rather than absolutes? Let’s say you want to track if apples these days are generally larger, smaller, or the same size as they were 20 years ago. In other words, you want to track the change over time.

Apples grown in Florida are generally larger than apples grown in Alaska. Like, in real life, how Floridian temperatures are generally much higher than Alaskan temperatures. So how do you track the change in apple sizes from apples grown all over the world while still accounting for their different baseline weights? 

By focusing on the difference within each area rather than the absolute weights. So in our map, the Arctic isn’t red because it’s hotter than Bermuda. It’s red because it’s gotten relatively much warmer than Bermuda has in the same time frame.

Want to learn more about climate change? Dig into the data at climate.nasa.gov.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[intheupside]

Survey Says: Guilty pleasure TV?

A lot of people aren't too proud of some of the TV shows they may watch, whether it's some bad reality show or a teen drama.

I wanted to know what Penguins players' guilty pleasure TV shows were for this Survey Says, and it turns out there's a lot of reality TV fans in the locker room (or now formerly of the locker room, in the case of some of the recently-traded). Here's what they all said.

Owen Pickering: I love "Gossip Girl." I'm so into it right now. I started two weeks ago and I'm two seasons in. It's so good.

Matt Grzelcyk: "Love Island," but the U.K. version. My girlfriend started watching it, and it's one of those where you don't want to admit, in the background, but then you start asking questions a little bit. Then I just watched the whole season. That's one I hate to admit.

P.O Joseph: "Gossip Girl" is great. "90210," "Californication," "Entourage," those are just some.

Marcus Pettersson: You know, I do watch "Love Island." My wife has probably watched "One Tree Hill" 100 times, I have watched that with her. So maybe "One Tree Hill" or "Love Island." We also watch "Paradise Hotel," a show in Sweden.

Sidney Crosby: I don't watch any reality TV at all, I barely watch shows. I don't have any guilty pleasure ones.

Drew O'Connor: I don't like the reality ones as much, I'll watch once in awhile. Probably "New Girl." If I need something to watch, I'll throw "New Girl" on for a couple episodes.

Sam Poulin: I'm watching "One Tree Hill" right now. I'm not obsessed with it yet, but it might become like that.

Vincent Desharnais: I really like the comfort shows like "The Office," "Friends," all those shows I can binge watch over and over again. I know all the seasons.

Ryan Graves: I used to like "The Bachelor," but I haven't watched that in years. I actually like "Big Brother", too. But the ones now are trash, like "Love Island" and those ones. No good. I liked "One Tree Hill."

Bryan Rust: "Friends." It's on Nick at Night still, for like three hours a night. It's played on repeat basically every night.

Phil Tomasino: I'm not into that stuff, reality TV, you know? Honestly, I don't have one. I'm a very serious TV show critic. I don't have a stupid one. I watched "Too Hot to Handle," the first season. Didn't watch it after, so I wouldn't even consider that a guilty pleasure.

Matt Nieto: I'm watching "Love Is Blind" right now, that's it right now.

Boko Imama: "South Park." Just a nice little background show that I like to have on.

Joel Blomqvist: One of those "Love Island" shows back home, or something. I've watched a season.

Jesse Puljujarvi: (Equipment manager Jon Taglianetti chimes in, 'He watches the Mormon wives show.') NO! I don't have any.  

Kris Letang: Does it have to be tacky? "Lucifer."

Tristan Jarry: Probably "Yellowstone," or any murder mystery show. I watch a lot of those on the plane.

Blake Lizotte: It's not really guilty pleasure, but I'd say "Friday Night Lights."

Alex Nedeljkovic: I used to watch "The Bachelor." Maybe "How I Met Your Mother." My wife's into that Vanderpump show. 

Jack St. Ivany: Oh, "Gossip Girl." We watched it in college, like all our roommates did. We acted like we hated it but I loved it. It was a great show.

Kevin Hayes: I don't watch it anymore, but my favorite show growing up was "One Tree Hill."

Noel Acciari: "Below Deck," all the charter ships and sailing.

Valtteri Puustinen: I watch so many Finnish TV shows, not much from the U.S. or Canada. One Finnish TV show, I've been watching all my life. It stared in 1999, and I've been watching it maybe 20-something years -- It's "Salatut elämät" (a Finnish soap opera that translates as "Secret Lives")

Anthony Beauvillier: "How I Met Your Mother," and "One Tree Hill."

Rickard Rakell: I watch "Paradise Hotel" right now. It's a Swedish reality show kind of like "Love Island."

Ryan Shea: I have seen "Love Island" a couple of times, it's so catchy. At first I watched it because I thought it was kind of crazy, the whole concept of it. But it's actually catchy.

Cody Glass: "Gossip Girl" is a big one. I've been grinding "How I Met Your Mother." And "Ted Lasso" is always a feel-good one.

Michael Bunting: I was actually huge into "Love Island" in Toronto, a lot of us would watch that. I'm kind of off of it now. But you know what? The last one I watched was "Love is Blind."

Erik Karlsson: I watch all of them. "Love Island," "The Challenge" is really good. I stopped watching "The Bachelor" and "Bachelorette," I'm over it.

tanger watching lucifer and erik watching ALL the reality tv shows is so on brand

[demie90s]

🎫 ᴘᴀꜱꜱᴘᴏʀᴛ ✈️ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ🎫

(Something about a spoiled gf really hits)

꒰ 🍒 ꒱ Nika Mühl x READER ꒰ 🍒 ꒱ MASTERLIST

Part 1, ALL PARTS

⭑ pairing: Nika Mühl x reader (rich!fem!reader)

⭑ summary: After another W on the court, Nika’s ready to celebrate—in Croatia. You think it’s just a little family trip for her and her sister… until you find out the whole damn team, coaching staff, and media crew are coming too. Of course, you’re footing the bill. But who’s complaining? Definitely not Nika.

⭑ genre: Rich fluff, chaotic humor, softcore spoiling, travel chaos, team antics

⭑ warnings: Swearing, rich girl antics, mild delusion, jet-setting behavior, Instagram captions that bite

⭑ word count: ~ 0.7k

You didn’t even get to sit down post-game before Nika was tugging your sleeve like a child in Target.

“Let’s go to Croatia.”

You blinked. “…Huh?”

Her eyes were gleaming, cheeks still flushed from the win, messy bun half-untied and jersey clinging to her like she belonged on a billboard. “To see my family,” she said sweetly, “We haven’t been back since Christmas. I miss them.”

You nodded, already reaching for your phone. “You wanna take your sister too?”

Nika tilted her head. “No, babe. I mean everyone.”

You froze mid-text.

“Everyone?”

“Everyone.”

The locker room door creaked open just as KK, Azzi, Ice, and Aubrey barreled in, music playing off someone’s speaker. They were mid-celebration, towels whipping and voices echoing. Nika just looked over and pointed.

“Yeah. Them. Coaches. Media team. Jana. Inês. Whole squad.”

“…You want me to take the entire UConn program to Croatia?”

“Uh-huh.”

You blinked again. Nika smiled wider. You were dangerously in love.

“Okay.”

—

You booked the charter that night.

No commercial. No long lines. No customs chaos. You didn’t even blink when the travel agency confirmed you needed three full rows of first-class pods, a yacht-like Airbnb in Dubrovnik, four sprinter vans, two private chefs, and a backup stylist. This wasn’t a trip. This was a movement.

KK was the first to post.

@kkarnold2: GIRLY POPS IN CROATIA 🇭🇷✨ don’t ask questions just know it’s giving elite program energy

The internet lost its mind.

Comments rolled in like water:

“IS THIS A SCHOOL TRIP OR A FASHION SHOW?”

“Who tf is funding this???”

“Not KK casually posing in front of a villa like she own it 😭😭😭”

“Someone said spoiled rich girlfriend y/n supremacy 😭”

“Y/N got that Sofia Richie aura I fear.”

You didn’t even notice. You were too busy telling the sprinter van driver to detour through the scenic route because Nika liked the ocean view. She was curled up beside you, braided hair resting against your shoulder, already live-streaming while half the team yelled in the back about who got aux next.

Aubrey was threatening violence if someone didn’t play Beyoncé.

Jana was trying to teach Inês a TikTok dance that clearly required more coordination than she had.

Azzi was fake-texting Coach Geno, pretending to ask if she could wear a bikini on the beach and showing everyone his all-caps reply: “NO.”

—

By the time y’all got to the Airbnb—a seaside cliff mansion with glass floors and lemon trees—KK was already filming the “MTV Cribs” intro and pretending the marble staircase was hers.

“I’m standing in the foyer of my $12.6 million vacation home,” she said with a straight face. “Shoes off, bitches.”

Nika looked over at you and mouthed: thank you.

You just shrugged and said, “You’re lucky I like your face.”

She kissed you right then and there, right in front of the team. No warning. No lead-up. Just one hand in your hair, lips soft but certain, like she knew she was the only person in the world you’d do this for.

KK screamed. Ice nearly fell off the balcony. Paige shouted from the hot tub, “ABOUT TIME.”

Nika pulled back, smiling. “You didn’t even flinch.”

You licked your gloss and smirked. “This isn’t new to me, sweetheart. You are.”

—

Dinner was chaos.

Jana accidentally ordered six pounds of squid.

Ayanna somehow started a heated debate over whether or not Sprite tastes better in Europe.

KK tried to convince the media team to film a fake reality show called “UConn: Overseas and Overdramatic.”

You didn’t talk much, just scrolled your phone and occasionally fed Nika from your plate. She was wrapped up in a silk robe with sunglasses on indoors like she was born in this life. You leaned over halfway through and whispered, “Y’know I would’ve taken just you.”

She smiled without looking. “I know. But this makes it better.”

Later that night, Paige found you two curled up under the stars with a blanket wrapped around you both. You were showing Nika old baby pictures your mom had sent, and she was mocking your 5th-grade bowl cut like it didn’t make you bite your lip every time she giggled.

“Y’all are disgusting,” Paige muttered.

“Don’t be mad,” you said without looking up. “Some of us are in our soft era.”

Nika kissed your temple. “She said what she said.”

—

By the time the trip ended, the tag #PassportPrincess was trending. Every girl on the team had posted at least one thirst trap in matching white dresses on the yacht. One of the assistant coaches got a tattoo. The media crew uploaded a vlog called “Day in the Life of the Richest D1 Team to Ever Exist” and your comment—“y’all better not post me eating that lemon peel”—became the pinned top like.

When you touched down in the States, Nika leaned over and kissed your cheek one last time before getting off the jet.

“You’re really insane for this.”

You tucked your sunglasses on. “Only for you.”

She paused, grinning. “Next trip?”

You raised a brow. “Greece? Paris? Turks?”

She snorted. “Nah, just wanted to go to Target.”

You nodded. “I’ll get my keys.”

And that’s how the most expensive group vacation in college basketball history ended—with you pushing a red cart through the toy aisle while Nika danced to the store playlist.

Life was good. And she was worth every penny.

[tiny-space-platypus]

Part 5 Not your average field trip

Previous

Dani had learned that rich people school is SO much different from regular school in the past month and a half. She was actually learning something here unlike the school she used to go to where she'd just sit bored most of the time. She had learnt quite a bit actually. Something that really angered her was realizing that her class bullied Mr.Brother mistaking, bad attitude, Damian Wayne. Though they never actually touched him, just rumors, rather awful jokes, and mean spirited memes. Apparently being a Wayne meant he was practically immune to physical bullying. Something about the others being afraid of his family ruining theirs. Did the Waynes have that much power?

Whatever, Dani has decided she was going to be this boy's friend. So instead of hanging around the other kids she hung around Damian her protective core claiming him as a friend meaning she'd protect him.

Talking to him was almost insufferable though. He was soooooo uptight till Dani started noticing his sketches. Well, that was something they could actually bond over since talking wasn't working. So Dani started bringing her own sketch book though her drawings were mostly blueprints like her brother, she also did like just drawing regular things as well. They might not talk when they spend time together (both finding each other's voice insufferable) but they did share drawings and sometimes even blueprints that the Dannies worked on together. Damian had even admitted they were good! Her brother and her even getting a compliment out of Mr. Always scowling Damian Wayne! Dani got way too excited over that almost falling out of the tree she was dangling from. He compared her to Mr.Grayson Wayne, she huffed when he told her that wasn't a compliment.

Today was like every other day of school. They'd sit in class, do whatever they need to then go out to recess like the rest of the kids. Dani would play games with the other kids for the first half then go sit at the tree with Damian to draw. She was always sitting in the tree hanging upside down. Dani insists it's the best way to draw but Damian doesn't believe her. She's just weird. Anyways today Damian decided to talk with Danielle. "Are you excited for the field trip?" Dani looked down at Damian confused. She didn't know there was a field trip and certainly didn't pay for her spot. She wasn't sure if she could pay for it. "Field trip? I didn't get anything for a friend trip. Did we have to pay for tickets?" Damian scoffed at Danielle not knowing anything about the field trip. They had been talking about in class for a week now. "No you don't need to pay we're going as a class to an aerospace museum. I thought you'd be excited." Just by the look in Danielle's eyes he'd released he messed up. Not that he had upset her but he had hit something she was going to non-stop talk about for the rest of recess. He groaned internationally, at least her rambling was intelligent.

Apparently Gotham academy loved going on field trips and today was supposed to be one of those days. They were going to go to Metropolis to go see The BEST aerospace museum so Dani was excited. She loved space about as much as her brother did after all. Her and her class all got on the bus together and happily chartered with each other, Dani of course sat next to Damian. They were close now after all even if their relationship wasn't built on talking. Damian rolled his eyes at her since she was practically shaking with excitement. Damian and her spent time before the bus ride started doodling for each other then when everyone else got on the bus Dani became much more social with the other students. Telling them about space and aircraft and all sorts of constellations, even drawing them out for them. Everything was going great!

But of course, she was a Nightingale and this was Gotham and things have been going too well for too long. Apparently the weirdo and his gain of fruitloops is the Scarecrow and his goons. As soon as the bus started down the main road the bus was hijacked and forced off course to a graveyard that the Scarecrow used as his base. Dani frowned as they ran over graves and that whenever one of her classmates moved a gun would be pointed towards them. She wasn't afraid they'd actually use it though, they had no intent to kill them if she read their emotions right. She noticed how whenever they threatened someone Damian tensed but in a way that felt more like he was ready to fight not run. Interesting.

Dani was going to wait, she knew that heroes were coming eventually so they wouldn't be missing too long. Then one of the goons mentioned something about them being subjects. Experiments, they were going to be their experiments. Danielle refused to be an experiment again.

Damian had pressed his panic button as soon as the bus was taken over. He could have done something, could have taken out every one of these goons and could have had them back on track to their field trip but that would have blown his cover. He can't blow his cover, he can't put his family in danger. He'd have to wait for the others, he'd have to wait to be rescued.

It was interesting watching Danielle's reactions, she didn't seem scared at all. Actually the only time she seemed any sort of upset was when they ran over grave stones mumbling something about disrespect. Then in an attempt to scare them more the goons brought up the tests they were going to do on them. How they were going to use fear Toxin on them, a new branch of it and they were the first test subjects. Danielle tender at that then tried to get up only to be pulled back down by Damian who was looking at her with a 'what the fuck are you doing?!' Causing her to just smile at him, it was different from her normal smile, this one didn't feel human. This one felt threatening, Damian barely managed to pull her down again. Whispering urgently to her. "Danielle don't- The bats will be here soon, they'll deal with them. Don't kill yourself"

Danielle begrudgingly sat back down next to Damian who now refused to let go of her hand so she didn't do something stupid. So now they were stuck waiting.

It took another 15 minutes to get to their location though they weren't off loaded from the bus. Instead the emergency exit was pressed against a mound of dirt and someone was guarding each one of the emergency exits. They took the role called lists from the adults, guess that was how they were going to determine who it reacts best to. There was a gas canister attached to the top emergency exit. Both Danielle and Damian just stared at it though nothing happened, nothing was coming out frustrating the goon who was supposed to control it. Damian then noticed Danielle's hand growing colder and colder.

They threw in a gas grenade into the bus hitting the adults in the front with gas before stuttering and stopping completely. When the second one was thrown in the one on top stuttered dripping out the concentrated fear toxin.

Dani was creating ice over the exit points for the gas preventing it from spreading but it was slowly getting harder to hold as more grenades were thrown in. This would be so much easier if she could transform but she couldn't do that here. Her reading was probably already going through the roof meaning the GIW- No focus. Just prevent the gas from getting more people. Prevent more people from becoming experiments. She got colder. She looked at Damian for a second then tried to pull her hand away as another grenade was thrown in, instead of the pale yellow of the others this one was bright blood red. Danielle breathed some of it in before freezing that one too. Blood bloom gas, they had blood bloom gas. She choked on it about as much as Damian did. He squeezed her hand as he began to hallucinate. He then attacked her just as the bats finally began to show up taking out the goons and of course losing Scarecrow.

Danielle was holding her own against Damian who was currently trying to tear out her throat. Both now tussling on the ground. Both of them breaking ribs, blackened eyes, broken noses, the works as they battled. This would have been fun if they weren't both poisoned. Maybe when all is said and done Damian would agree to fight her again. Without poison.

Eventually though they were pulled away from each other. Batman holding Damian down as he sprayed something into the kid's face. Danielle almost attacked Batman for it till Damian calmed down and held onto the bat. She hadn't been paying attention to the Red one looking her over and asking questions. She was still breathing heavily from the poison and fighting. His voice caught her attention.

"Ms, are you alright?" RR asked as he touched the red trails left from the blood blooms under her skin. It wasn't a kind of poisoning he's seen before. She flinched away when he touched the trails. Danielle mumbled "Will be, it hurts though"

"We're going to get you to a hospital alright?" It took Danielle a solid 10 seconds before processing what RR had said. The look of pure panic on the little girl's face worried him. "No! No hospitals, No doctors!" Danielle could not go to a hospital, if she went to the hospital they'd realize she wasn't human and if they realized she wasn't human she'd be put back into a lab and Vlad and the GIW.

Danielle was now hyperventilating, causing RR to back track. "Alright, no hospitals. We won't take you to a hospital. Do you know where your home is, we can take you home." Danielle slowly got up and looked at RR then at Damian who was still holding onto Batman. She still looked a little panicked. "Is he going to be alright?" RR looked over at Damian and smiled softly. "Yeah he'll be alright, do you know him?" RR already knew that Damian had been keeping tabs on her but he still wanted to know what she thinks of his brother. "We're friends. Or maybe we were friends, I did break a few of his ribs" she paused and looked away from Damian then back at RR. "Can I go home? Please?" RR was still looking at Basn and Damian but did start to respond. "Yeah after-" he turned to look at her and she was gone. Huh, guess the kid's a meta.

As soon as RR said she could she turned invisible not listening to him complete his sentence. He said yes and that's all she needed. Danielle flew home where Danny was still in the middle of an online class. When she was him she immediately grabbed onto him sobbing. Dani sobbed then passed out mumbling something.

Slight problem, this wasn't Danny. This was Jason who was now very confused and concerned. Dani in her slightly delirious state went to the wrong apartment building. Seeing what she assumed was her brother she just let herself in not even trying the key. So now Jason had a kid in his safe house, who didn't have a key or set off any of the alarms, who looked like hell, now passed out on his couch.

Next

[scribeofmorpheus]

"Tell her I'll bring him back."

Please, for the love of god, look at all this datamined content from Veilguard by @ northgalis!! (There's also dialogue trees and letters by Varric!)

The fact Morrigan, Mythal fragment and all, is both surprised by Rook's mercy and genuinely pleased that Solas' story ended in a place of love!!! The secret romantic you are, Morrigan!

And this also frames Rook's choice to save Solas and do the regret missions as something Rook does out of admiration and maybe pity for the Inquisitor.

My Rooks both admire the Inquisitor. First Rook saw her as a bastion of strength and hope, second Rook can't sleep at night because of how fucking romantic and tragic it is to have fallen in love with the quintessential trickster god in all of Thedas while being Andraste's chosen.

And then there's Varric's letter to Charter!

I am not okay! We could have had it all! And technically we still do. It's just deep in the game files :'(

[jjjjeonww]

yoon jeonghan and his ridiculous ways of trying to make you his valentine.

~~7 years of jeonghan's life was spent pining over you, and each year on each valentine day had a special yet ridiculously cute way of him trying to make you his valentine. author's note: just a special something for valentines!! i know im like late to post something but i haven't had anyyy motivation for the past week so i guess this is an apology! pls enjoy <3!! tags!: ( @wonkierideul ... my nini <3 ) ( @kissbyoon first person that came to mind when i was writing this LOL!! my lili <3 )

every valentine's Day for the past seven years, jeonghan had been trying to find increasingly ridiculous ways to ask out his long-time crush, you. his friends would tease him mercilessly, but he remained undeterred, convinced that one day his grand gestures would win your heart. and here is all the silly ways he has tried! (and the way he had finally won you over)

Year 1: jeonghan's first attempt was hiring a skywriter to spell out "jeonghan loves y/n" in the sky above your college campus. however, the pilot had terrible penmanship, and the message looked like a string of nonsense scribbles. you just shook your head and chuckled when you saw it. Year 2: for your second valentine's day (as friends, you said.) , jeonghan tried to recreate their first meeting by "accidentally" bumping into you, hoping to sweep you off your feet. he rented a fake ambulance and hired an actor to play a stuntman. however, the actor lost his nerve at the last second, causing the crane to crash into a nearby tree. you just watched the chaotic scene unfold and couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous spectacle. Year 3: in your third year (again, as friends.), a group your mutual friends surprised you with a coordinated dance routine in the campus cafeteria. unfortunately, none of them had any rhythm or coordination, and it looked more like a pack of drunk penguins flailing around wildly. you tried to hold back your laughter as she watched the disastrous performance. Year 4: jeonghan had sent you a life-sized teddy bear holding a heart-shaped box of chocolates, with a note confessing his love. the problem was, the bear was so large that it wouldn't fit through yourr apartment door. you had to call maintenance to help you get it inside, and by the time they were done, the bear was missing half its stuffing. Year 5: for the fifth year, he had a billboard erected in your hometown, declaring his love for all to see. however, he forgot to account for the fact that your hometown was a small, conservative community. the billboard was vandalized with graffiti within hours of being put up. you saw a picture of it online and face-palmed at the ridiculousness of it all. Year 6: jeonghan chartered a hot air balloon to take you on a romantic flight. you were supposed to fly over a scenic valley, but the balloon got tangled in a grove of tall trees. instead of a romantic view, you had a bird's eye view of the inside of the canopy, with branches scratching the balloon. you couldn't stop giggling as you both slowly descended, the balloon deflating around them. Year 7: for your seventh valentine's day, he wanted to do something truly special and heartfelt, without the usual grand but ridiculous gestures. he spent weeks planning the perfect, cute way to ask you out and confess his seven-year (and counting) love for you.

on the morning of February 14th, heonghan showed up at your doorstep holding a single red rose and a small, heart-shaped box wrapped in shiny gold paper. when you opened the door, he the gift to you with a nervous smile.

"y/n, heh morning. and happy valentine's day!" he began, his voice trembling slightly, "so... i know i've tried to express my feelings for you in a lot of silly and ridiculous ways over the years and i know you've rejected me countless times, even when it wasn't valentine's... but this year, i wanted to do something simple and from the heart."

you opened the box to reveal a handwritten note inside, with a cute doodle of the two of you holding hands. "i drew this picture of us together because i want to be by your side, always. i want to go on adventures with you, share laughter and tears, and face whatever comes our way."

jeonghan looked up at you, his eyes filled with sincerity and love as you read the small note: "dear y/n, you are the most amazing person i know. your kindness, your intelligence, your beauty inside and out - it's everything i could ever want in a partner. i love you so much, and i want you to give me the chance to be yours. i don't just mean it just for valentine's day, i mean it from the bottom of my soul. i hope one day you give me that chance, where you can lay your soul bare and naked to me, for i have done the same to you. xoxo, your future boyfie, jeonghan!"

he took a deep breath after he saw your eyes drifting back to him, "so y/n, will you please go on a date with me? not just today, but every day, for as long as you'll have me?"

"you finally decided to do it simply hm?" you replied, eyes drifting down to the note again. jeonghan chuckled and nodded, "yeah..." you giggled and kissed your index and middle finger before tapping his cheek. then you placed your lips to the same spot where you had tapped it with your index and middle finger. he couldn't speak, it was as if you had broken him, well you did. now he's like a robot that can't function at all! his hand went up to his cheek, "oh my gosh... was that real?" you laughed and hugged him, "yes it was you silly." his hands instantly wrapped around you and he whispered, "finally, you're my valentine..."

[ltwilliammowett]

In door no. 10 we have a couple today. The US Brig Niagara and HMS Bounty, aren't they cute together?

More about them here:

The Bounty was a British three-master on which one of the most famous mutinies in maritime history took place on 28 April 1789 near Tonga. Since then, the story of the ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ has repeatedly become the subject of novels, non-fiction books, films, theatre plays and radio plays.

The merchant ship, built in Hull in 1784 and originally used as a coal freighter under the name Bethia, was purchased by the British Admiralty for an expedition to the South Seas. After extensive modifications, it set off on a voyage to Tahiti in 1787 under the command of Lieutenant William Bligh of Spithead to bring cuttings of the breadfruit tree from there to the Antilles. After their exploits, the mutineers settled on the remote island of Pitcairn. Off its coast, they set fire to the Bounty.

The Bounty here, however, was a replica from the 18th century built in 1960 and 1961. It was built especially for the film Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). The ship was sometimes referred to as HMS Bounty II or variants thereof to distinguish it from the original, but neither the abbreviation HMS, which is reserved for British naval vessels, nor the numbers were part of the ship's name. After being used in several other films, she was used for charter and adventure trips with passengers and as a museum ship.

Unfortunately, she sank off Cape Hatteras during Hurricane Sandy on 29 October 2012 with the loss of two crew members.

The U.S. Brig Niagara, otherwise known as Flagship Niagara. This version here of ‘the Brig’ is a replica reproduction of Oliver Hazard Perry's relief flagship during the American victory at the Battle of Lake Erie on 10 September, 1813. All iterations of this ship were constructed within the sheltered natural harbour of Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania including this version which began construction in 1988. Her first sailing season commenced in 1992 and has been sailing nearly continuously since.

[kingofthecotas]

empirical | 470 words

for the one-word prompt for rpf summer camp

“Look,” is the second thing Pecco says to him, “he’s stable.” 

The first thing had been that Valentino had had an accident. 

Stable is a lovely overarching word that covers all manner of horrors. Marc would know. 

It’s far too fucking early on a Sunday morning for this; they haven’t even rolled open the garage doors, fired up the bikes for warm up, and here Pecco is, in Marc’s motorhome, telling him that Valentino is stable.

“I don’t know all the details, but Luca is still going to race, probably, so not bad—”

“What happened?” Marc asks, even, measured, instead of why are you telling me this? He knows there’s something this weekend, otherwise Valentino would have been in Assen, a bright black hole at the edge of his consciousness: a twenty-four hour race, perhaps; he’s becoming fond of those. 

And Pecco winces. “Ah, he was racing in Spa. Something happened down the straight at the top of the hill. His car went over the barrier and hit a tree.”

Marc manages not to flinch. He can’t, not in front of Pecco—but Pecco is the one who came to him. Pecco is the one telling him that Valentino had an accident, but he’s stable. These things always look terribly spectacular and sound spectacularly terrible, but a closed-cockpit GT car is certainly safer than a bike, and Luca hasn’t rushed for the next flight out of Groningen. 

“Okay,” he says after a too-long pause, and catches the flicker of Pecco’s expression. Fuck. “Look, can you—can you let me know if you hear anything? I know I don’t—” 

Don’t have the right to ask, maybe. Don’t have the balls to reach out. Valentino never—fuck, Valentino never texted, never called, but he’d known, somehow. He’d known enough. He’d asked someone. 

“Just—let me know,” Marc finishes, a feeble thing for what he means by it. 

“We will fly there after the race, maybe.” It doesn’t make sense, what Pecco’s saying. Marc doesn’t need to know this, doesn’t expect to be told it. “Can Álex take the rest of your things?” 

“What?” Then, “I can’t fly to Belgium, Pecco.”

“Two weeks until Germany.” 

“Pecco—” This is ridiculous. Valentino will not want to see him—Valentino doesn’t fucking like him. Valentino hasn’t spoken to him directly in five years.

Valentino’s car flipped over a barrier and hit a tree. 

Valentino didn’t text, didn’t call. But he’d asked. He’d cared enough to ask. 

“Ask me after the race,” he says, because Pecco may be in an acquiescent mood now, magnanimous after a sprint win in his beloved cathedral, but when the tyres come to Marc at around twenty past two this afternoon, he surely won’t be. Which would be as good an escape as any. 

Pecco nods. “I will add your name to the flight charter.” He stands and leaves before Marc can argue.

[rabbitcruiser]

Bridget Bishop was the first person to be tried for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts on June 2, 1692.

[foxbirdy]

I did a group q&a for my crew yesterday while we had an Americorps rep doing a field visit for us, & truly 90% of the career advice I can give to anyone trying to work in natural resources is to do cowboy shit. Be a linecook at the Grand Canyon, because that will let you take that job running snowcat runs in Yellowstone for the winter. Then you can find a raft company that will train you to guide for free. Then throw your name in to be an aurora borealis tour guide in the Arctic Circle. Work as a gardener in a national forest nursery. Be a deckhand on a charter sailboat. Be a backpacking trip leader. Get on a trail crew. Be that guy that gets paid to look for woodpecker nests in forest disturbed by a hurricane. Be a ski lift operator. Be that guy who drives a Carolina skiff down the Everglades to find baby alligators. Cut down invasive trees with a machete in the jungle. Be that guy who drives up and down 101, hiking into the old growth to plant microphones that listen for spotted owl calls. Be a backcountry ranger. Live in a tent on a desert island looking for invasive crazy ants. Most of these jobs allow you to "live for free," gaining experience and a modest paycheck while having housing provided for you. It compiles and compiles and compiles until you know how to do a little bit of everything, and know where you want to take that. And you get to do cowboy shit!

[girlactionfigure]

SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

Many anti-Israel protestors claim that the terrorist groups they support are merely anti-Zionist, not antisemitic.

The evidence shows otherwise.

Let’s take a look.

THIS IS A HAMAS FLAG...

…in the middle of New York City. Some Hamas apologists will tell you that Hamas no longer intends to exterminate all Jews, because in 2017, they “replaced their [openly genocidal] charter.” Well, lucky for you, Hamas is here to set the record straight. See, after releasing their “new” charter, Hamas co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar assured the media that the 2017 document did not replace their original 1988 charter. 

Since 2017, Hamas has made openly genocidal calls toward Jews. In 2018, Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV media channel predicted “the cleansing of Palestine of the filth of the Jews.”

In 2019, Hamas Political Bureau member Fathi Hammad said, “You seven million Palestinians abroad, enough warming up! There are Jews everywhere! We must attack every Jew on planet Earth –- we must slaughter and kill them, with Allah’s help.” In 2021, Hammad called, via Al-Aqsa TV, for the Palestinians in Jerusalem to “cut off the heads of the Jews.”

BTW, THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY THINGS THAT THE ORIGINAL HAMAS CHARTER SAYS...

"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem)."

(Article 7)

Pretty explicitly antisemitic, wouldn’t you agree?

THIS IS A HEZBOLLAH FLAG (AND A HAMAS HEADBAND)..

…in the middle of New York City. Like Hamas, the entire purpose of Hezbollah’s existence is the destruction of the State of Israel. Unlike Hamas, however, Hezbollah, for decades, has carried out violent terrorist attacks against Jews not just in Israel, but also in the Diaspora.

Hezbollah’s most notorious attack was the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), the largest Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The attack took 85 innocent lives. Before October 7, the AMIA bombing was the single largest antisemitic massacre since the end of the Holocaust.

Given Hezbollah targets (non-Israeli) Jews worldwide, could it be that their problem is with Jews, not just with Zionism?

THIS, AGAIN, IS THE HEZBOLLAH FLAG...

...at the Princeton University encampment. If you’re still on the fence about Hezbollah’s true antisemitic intentions, fear not: Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah is here to clarify them for you.

“If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice, I do not say the Israeli,” Nasrallah stated. Just anti-Zionism, huh?

Then there’s his infamous threat: “If [the Jews] all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.” 

We get the message loud and clear.

THIS IS "JEWISH" VOICE FOR PEACE, GLORIFYING THE HOUTHIS...

...using a photo that very clearly showcases the Houthi banner, which states, “God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam.”

“A Curse Upon the Jews” is pretty straightforward antisemitism, don’t you think? 

The Houthis are also personally responsible for ethnically cleansing the last Jews out of Yemen. Just anti-Zionism, eh?

THIS IS A PALESTINIAN FLAG WITH VARIOUS PORTRAITS, INCLUDING THAT OF YAHYA SINWAR...

…in the middle of New York City. If orchestrating the October 7 massacre, the biggest antisemitic massacre since the end of the Holocaust, is not evidence enough for you, there are other indications that Sinwar is not exactly a friend of the Jews.

In May of 2021, for example, Sinwar led a rally, in which the crowd was encouraged to chant, "We will trample on the heads of the Jews in front of everyone..."

There is also, of course, his infamous threat: “October 7 was just a rehearsal.”

Sinwar is the head of Hamas, which we’ve already established doesn’t really like Jews.

THIS IS A PFLP FLAG (AND A HEZBOLLAH FLAG AND A HAMAS HEADBAND)...

…in the middle of New York City. See that red flag? Yeah, that’s the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. PFLP flags are all the rage at pro-Palestine protests. Marxist Jihad. Super fun.

Yet, while the PFLP claims to advocate for a secular, democratic Palestine, the reality is much darker. When, for example, the PFLP, with the aid of West German terrorists, hijacked Air France Flight 139, en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, they infamously separated the Jewish from the non-Jewish passengers.Yes, you read that right: they separated the Jewish from the non-Jewish passengers. Not the Israeli passengers from the non-Israeli passengers. The Jewish from the non-Jewish passengers.

The non-Jewish passengers were let go. The Jews were kept hostage. That’s a pretty clear message.

THIS IS A PFLP FLAG...

…at the University of Pennsylvania encampment. If you’re still not convinced this is antisemitic, the founder of the PFLP, George Habash, quickly was there to set the record straight: “Killing one Jew far away from the field of battle is more effective than killing a hundred Jews on the field of battle,because it attracts more attention.”

You read that? He said “Jew.” Not Israeli. Not Zionist. “Jew.”

The PFLP live-streamed the October 7 massacre, and, as of several months ago, Israeli intelligence estimated that the PFLP was holding the youngest hostage, one-year-old Kfir Bibas, and his five-year-old brother, Ariel Bibas, hostage.

THIS IS A PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD FLAG (AND A PFLP FLAG AND A HAMAS FLAG)...

…in the middle of New York City. Palestinian Islamic Jihad participated in the October 7 massacre. More than that, however, their entire ideology is antisemitic to the core.

See, Palestinian Islamic Jihad believes that a proper reading of the Quran indicates that Muslims are in an eternal struggle with their forever enemies, the Jews, and that the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians exists because of this eternal struggle. 

To recap: Palestine or no Palestine, Islamic Jihad’s ideology dictates that Jews are the eternal enemies of the Muslims.

Sounds antisemitic to me, but what do I know?

For a full bibliography of my sources, please head over to my Instagram and  Patreon. 

somehow we’ve normalized weekly antisemitic hate marches in broad daylight

[twistedheartsclub]

Marked for the Hoard Male Dragon Shifter X Female Reader PT2

🖤 Author’s Note Marked for the Hoard is an original dark fantasy romance story featuring obsessive love, ancient magic, and a dragon shifter who has waited centuries for his mate. This is not fanfiction — the world, characters, and lore are entirely original. At the heart of the story is Y/N, a modern girl unknowingly descended from a bloodline once bound to dragons. When she returns to her ancestral homeland, she steps straight into the territory of Vaeroth — a powerful and obsessive dragon shifter who has watched and waited for generations.His name, in the old tongue, means “keeper of ruin” or “the one who waits beneath ash.” He is the last of the great drakes. And he has chosen her as the final piece of his hoard. She was never meant to come here. But now that she has, Vaeroth will never let her leave.

⚠️ Warnings: yandere love interest · kidnapping · obsession · forced proximity · possessiveness · dubcon · marking/bonding · psychological manipulation · monster lover · nonhuman anatomy · breeding kink themes · ritualistic claiming · emotional dependency · primal behavior · isolation · fantasy violence

PART ONE HERE

“Y/N!”

A voice—familiar, broken.

She froze.

Through the trees, Maya appeared, face pale, eyes wide.

Then Jade, crying out her name as they raced toward her.

She collapsed into their arms, shaking.

“Where were you?” Maya whispered. “We’ve been looking for you for two days.”

Y/N opened her mouth.

But all that came were flashbacks—

The heat.

The mark.

The way his body moved over hers like something divine.

She gasped.

And fainted.

Later – The Airbnb

The first thing she saw was the ceiling fan.

Then the soft white towel wrapped around her.

Then her friends—hovering, frantic, voices hushed and panicked.

“She’s burning up—get the water going again—”

“Her legs—look at the marks—Jade, look at her neck.”

“I knew something was wrong, I knew it.”

Y/N blinked, dizzy. “He…”

“Shh,” Jade whispered, holding her face. “You’re safe. But we’re leaving. Now.”

“There’s a flight in an hour,” Maya said, already packing. “We’re not waiting for the boat. I called a pilot. I don’t care if it drains my savings.”

“Local police didn’t even try to look for you,” Jade muttered, angry and shaken. “They knew. They all knew.”

They helped her up. Into the shower. Her legs barely worked.

The water stung. The marks glowed faintly beneath her skin.

Maya cried as she scrubbed dirt from Y/N’s knees.

Jade wrapped her in a blanket like she was glass.

They didn’t ask for details.

They just got her out.

It was nearly dinner hour when they reached the airstrip.

The village streets were empty, just as Maya had hoped—windows shuttered, lanterns dim, fires lit indoors for the evening meal.

Tradition, the locals had called it.

But now? It felt like a trap. A warning.

“Be inside when the fire dies. Stay home. Stay safe.”

Y/N walked between them, wrapped in a long shawl, her face hidden beneath a wide-brimmed straw hat they’d bought that morning—before they knew.

She hadn’t said a word.

Her steps were uneven. Her hands trembled under the fabric.

The charter plane waited on the far edge of the narrow field, propellers spinning, the pilot waving them forward.

“Just keep your head down,” Jade whispered. “Almost there.”

Maya gripped her hand.

Every rustle in the brush made them flinch. Every shadow stretched too long.

But no one stopped them.

No voices called out.

Just the wind.

And the tightness in the air, like the sky itself was holding its breath.

Inside the small plane, the hum of the engine masked the sound of their heartbeat.

The pilot said nothing. Just nodded as they climbed aboard.

Y/N sat between them, silent, covered. The moment her seatbelt clicked into place, her whole body flinched.

Maya reached over and rested a hand on her thigh.

Jade leaned in, whispering low. “That couple we met? They said the locals still believe in the old ways. That every few decades a girl goes missing. Chosen.”

“Offered,” Maya corrected softly.

Jade swallowed. “They said he never lets them go.”

A gust of wind shook the wings.

The pilot rolled the throttle.

The plane surged forward.

Faster. Louder.

The island shrank behind them.

And just as the wheels left the ground—

A roar.

Not from the engine.

Not from the wind.

A roar that split the clouds.

Deep. Bone-shaking. Inhuman.

The pilot stiffened.

Y/N’s head snapped toward the window.

But all she saw was sky.

Burning gold.

The plane climbed hard into the clouds.

Inside, the hum of the engines buzzed like tension beneath the skin. The cabin shook lightly with turbulence as the island grew smaller beneath them—its cliffs fading into shadow, the shoreline swallowed by sea.

The pilot glanced back, his voice clipped, tight. “Three hours. If the winds hold, we’ll hit the coast just before sunrise.”

He didn’t say what coast.

He didn’t ask questions.

But his knuckles were white on the throttle.

“They’re not following us, right?” Maya asked, voice barely above a whisper.

He didn’t answer.

He didn’t have to.

Because they’d all heard the roar.

And Y/N, swaddled in silence, still hadn’t spoken.

She stared out the window, unmoving.

Not crying.

Not blinking.

Just listening.

Far Below – The Cliffs of Vaeroth’s Domain

The chamber was cold.

The silks scattered. The furs left tangled and empty. The scent of fire and sweat still lingered—but it was already fading.

Vaeroth stood at the mouth of the lair, hands clenched at his sides, his human form trembling with restraint.

Behind him, the Elder Woman spoke quietly.

“She was not meant to wake yet. The elixirs should have held her another day.”

Vaeroth didn’t turn.

“I left for a few hours. To bring her food. To gather the oils for the next bond rite.”

“She was not supposed to leave the mountain.”

“She was mine.”

The ground beneath his feet blackened.

Rocks cracked.

Smoke curled from his fingertips.

“She is not far,” the Elder said. “Her scent lingers. Her blood sings still.”

“She ran,” he growled. “And she was taken. While I was gone.”

His voice wasn’t loud—but it scraped like broken stone.

“She did not leave willingly,” the Elder offered gently.

But it didn’t matter.

Because to Vaeroth, it was theft.

And when something is stolen from a dragon—

The world burns until it’s returned.

He stepped to the cliff’s edge.

The clouds churned above.

And his wings—massive, black, gold-veined and terrible—unfurled with a snap that split the air.

“Find her,” he said.

“Before the stars forget my mercy.”

The wheels hit the ground with a jolt.

Y/N flinched so hard she bit her tongue.

The pilot guided the plane along a small coastal runway tucked between palm trees and cliffs. It wasn’t home. Not yet. But it was the mainland—a bustling little harbor town on the southern edge of Greece.

Three hours from the island.

Ten hours from home, with layovers and customs and no sleep.

But it was far enough to breathe.

“We’re safe,” Maya whispered, gripping Y/N’s hand as they stepped onto the tarmac.

Jade pulled her hood higher, adjusting the shawl again to hide her face. “We’ll book a flight from Athens. Get a hotel. Rest. Then disappear.”

Y/N didn’t answer.

Her hands shook.

Her skin burned.

And somewhere inside her chest, something shuddered violently—like a scream with no voice.

He knows.

The girls guided her through the airport. Customs. A car to the hotel. She didn’t remember most of it.

They got her into the room, turned on the AC, ordered bottled water and soft food.

Jade rubbed her back. Maya brushed her hair.

Still, Y/N said nothing.

But she felt something.

Like a thread being pulled tight.

A string snapping.

Like someone out there had just—

Roared.

Back on the Island

The Airbnb was empty.

No luggage. No scent of soap. No unwashed clothes or cell chargers.

Gone.

Every trace of her.

The village authorities offered only shrugs. The locals stared at the ground.

Vaeroth stood in the threshold, hands at his sides.

Andre—his second—shifted nervously beside him. “They must’ve taken her by private plane. It was too fast for the ferries.”

“Did anyone see which way?”

“No one’s talking.”

Vaeroth stepped forward once.

And the walls shattered.

The front of the Airbnb exploded outward in a burst of flame and force, sending debris across the grass. The floor cracked beneath him. Fire licked the stone.

“Find. Her.”

His voice was quiet.

Too quiet.

And the sky began to darken.

The hotel room was dim and still.

Soft linens. Heavy curtains. The hum of the air conditioner.

Jade and Maya had stepped out for food, leaving Y/N tucked into the bed. They’d drawn the blinds. Turned off the TV. Given her a melatonin and whispered promises.

“Sleep. You’re safe now. Just rest.”

But safety was a lie.

She dreamed of him again.

Not a memory—a sensation.

Of his hands holding her open.

Of his mouth on her throat, his teeth sinking in with claiming heat.

Of the way her legs had wrapped around him like instinct.

“You’re mine, little flame. Even now, I burn inside you.”

She felt him—again—between her thighs. Felt him marking her, like his body had carved itself into her soul.

And when he thrust into her, in the dream—

She screamed.

Y/N shot upright in the bed, drenched in sweat, screaming, sobbing.

“No, no—stop—*please don’t—*I didn’t mean to—”

The door slammed open.

“Y/N!” Maya dropped the takeout. “What’s happening?!”

Jade was there in seconds, climbing into bed, pulling Y/N into her arms. “It’s okay—you’re okay—it’s not real, you’re with us—”

But Y/N sobbed harder.

Because it was real.

Her body ached like she’d been touched again.

Bitten.

Used.

And worst of all—her stomach twisted with a heat that wasn’t fear.

It was want.

And that terrified her most of all.

Jade gently wiped her face. Maya got her a water bottle with shaking hands.

“You’re almost home, baby,” Jade whispered. “Two more hours. The flight’s soon.”

“Just hold on,” Maya said. “We’re getting you out of this.”

But Y/N’s eyes drifted toward the window.

And she didn’t say it out loud.

He’ll come for me.

Because some part of her wanted him to.

Lightning shimmered behind his wings.

Vaeroth soared through the clouds—all scale and fury, the night sky bending around his massive form. His eyes blazed gold, slashing through the fog and storm, seeking.

“Where are you…” he growled low.

He’d lost her scent three times—once near the harbor, again mid-flight—but it never faded completely. Not with the bond pulsing, bleeding magic through the sky like a flare only he could feel.

She was still his.

Still warm with his fire.

And now—

He saw it.

A glint of silver slicing through the clouds ahead.

A plane.

Civilian.

Slow.

“Found you.”

He pushed harder, the wind shrieking across his wingspan, rain hammering against his scaled shoulders. He had hours before they landed. Maybe less.

But he would not lose her again.

Not now.

Not when she was carrying his mark.

Not when she was possibly—

No. He wouldn’t say it. Not yet.

Inside the Plane

Maya glanced out the window.

Dark sky. Heavy clouds. Distant flashes of lightning.

Something itched beneath her skin.

She leaned slightly, trying to see past the wing.

Nothing.

But the feeling didn’t go away.

The air felt heavier now.

Like something big was flying just beneath the clouds.

She looked to her side.

Y/N lay slumped in her seat, soft breaths coming slow and deep. The sleeping pill had worked. Jade had offered it with water, and Y/N hadn’t even protested.

But now?

Now Maya watched her twitch, her hand fisting the edge of her blanket, her brow furrowing.

Dreaming.

No—fighting.

Maya looked back out the window.

And though she saw nothing—

Something was watching.

She just didn’t know what.

The plane landed just after sunrise.

Bleary-eyed travelers shuffled through customs. No one looked too closely at the three girls—two panicked, one limp between them, her hood up, sunglasses hiding bruises no one wanted to see.

Jade flagged the first uniformed officer she saw.

“We need help,” she said, breathless. “She was taken. We just got back from—”

The officer didn’t hesitate.

Within ten minutes, Y/N was in a room with white walls, glass panels, and a woman in a navy blazer offering her lukewarm water in a paper cup.

Maya and Jade sat nearby, whispering. Nervous.

A nurse arrived. Then a doctor. Then someone from “International Affairs.”

Questions.

So many questions.

“Can you tell us what happened to you?” “Were you alone?” “Do you remember being assaulted?” “Was anyone else there?” “Do you feel safe now?”

Y/N sat in a chair by the window, her arms wrapped around herself, a hospital blanket draped over her shoulders.

She didn’t answer.

Her gaze stayed fixed on the sunlight creeping up the far wall. Pale and cold. Nothing like the heat of the firelight where he’d whispered into her skin.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

No one noticed.

Except Maya.

She squeezed Y/N’s hand.

“It’s over,” she whispered. “You’re home now.”

But Y/N didn’t feel home.

She felt hollow.

And somewhere inside her…

He was still whispering.

Elsewhere – A City of Smoke and Steel

Vaeroth stood atop a rooftop overlooking the glass heart of the city, his human form cloaked in shadow.

He had tracked the scent across the sea.

Through wind and storm and steel towers.

He could taste her in the air. Faint. Distant.

But here.

“She’s close,” he murmured.

His second, cloaked in mortal clothes, nodded from the alley below.

“They took her to a hospital. A clinic for trauma recovery.”

Vaeroth’s jaw clenched.

She had needed recovery.

And he hadn’t been there.

He looked toward the east, toward the sunlight reflecting off cold glass.

“I will find her,” he whispered. “And this time, nothing will take her from me.”

The fluorescent lights above Y/N buzzed faintly as the nurse pressed gauze to her shoulder.

The bite mark—his mark—had broken the skin deeper than anyone first noticed.

They’d cleaned it.

Stitched it.

Bandaged it like any other wound.

But no one could dress the hollow ache beneath it.

She didn’t flinch when they touched her.

She didn’t speak when they asked about the bruises on her hips, the fingerprints along her thighs.

Not when they asked about what happened in the woods.

Not when they gently asked if she remembered anything.

She just stared at the clock.

Its ticking felt slower than it should have.

A calm-looking woman in a blazer approached her afterward.

“We’re not going to pressure you, sweetheart,” she said gently, handing her a business card. “When you’re ready, we’ll be here. Trauma doesn’t move on anyone else’s timeline.”

Y/N took the card.

Didn’t look at it.

Didn’t look at her.

They gave her two prescriptions.

Painkillers.

Anti-anxiety medication.

A list of hotlines.

A pamphlet on “Reclaiming Yourself.”

And then they sent her home.

Just like that.

Outside – With Maya and Jade

“This is insane,” Jade hissed, arms crossed. “They’re just letting her leave?”

“She didn’t give them anything,” Maya muttered. “They can’t hold her. No evidence. No name. No charges.”

“She was kidnapped. She came back marked. She has burn scars—”

“I know!” Maya snapped. Her voice cracked. “You think I don’t know?”

They watched through the glass as Y/N shuffled toward them in borrowed clothes, hair down, hood up, eyes blank.

She didn’t even look real anymore.

Jade bit her lip. “Something’s wrong here. I mean, beyond trauma. I feel it.”

“I do too,” Maya whispered.

And above them, in the shifting gray clouds…

Wings passed.

No sound. No shadow.

But Y/N looked up.

Just once.

And the corner of her mouth trembled.

The car ride was quiet.

Y/N sat in the backseat, her head pressed against the window, watching the city blur by.

Maya drove. Jade sat twisted in her seat, glancing back every few seconds, whispering soft reassurances.

Y/N didn’t hear them.

Or maybe she did.

But all her body could register was the distance between her and the sea.

The further they drove, the more wrong her skin felt.

Like she was being pulled inside-out.

When they reached the apartment, she refused to get out.

“No,” she whispered, curling against the door. “I don’t want to go in.”

“Sweetheart, please…” Jade opened her door gently, crouching beside her. “You’re safe now. No one knows where you are.”

“You don’t understand,” Y/N whimpered, eyes wide and full of glassy terror. “He’ll come. He’ll find me.”

Her fingers dug into the seatbelt.

“Y/N…”

“I can’t… I can’t…”

And then she broke.

Collapsed into Jade’s arms, sobbing.

Maya came around the side and helped lift her, carry her in.

They fed her warm broth.

Held her until she stopped shaking.

Brushed her hair. Let her shower.

They dressed her in oversized clothes and tucked her into Jade’s bed, the windows shut tight and curtains drawn.

Jade whispered stories from their college dorm days.

Maya stayed awake, rubbing her back.

Eventually—

Y/N slept.

But something else woke.

Outside, the wind shifted.

The streetlight flickered.

In the shadows between buildings, where no eyes dared linger…

He watched.

Not in dragon form—not yet.

But close.

Too close.

Inside, Y/N stirred in her sleep.

Her fingers twitched.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

She didn’t hear his voice.

But she felt his presence.

Like smoke curling under the door.

Like breath on the back of her neck.

And when she rolled onto her side—

The faintest glint of gold sparked in the corner of the dark room.

Then vanished.

The apartment was quiet.

No music.

No chatter.

Just the faint clink of porcelain and the low hum of the refrigerator.

Y/N stood in the kitchen, sleeves too long, face washed pale. Her eyes were red-rimmed and unfocused as she poured coffee into a chipped mug. No cream. No sugar.

Her hands trembled.

Her hair stuck to her damp forehead.

And between her legs, she still felt warm.

Not pain. Not soreness. Warmth.

Like something had left a part of itself behind.

Her knees were weak.

Her chest hollow.

And she knew—without doubt—what had happened.

He had come.

She didn’t remember how.

She hadn’t screamed.

She hadn’t moved.

But he had been there.

His breath in her hair. His weight on her body. His voice—whispering worship while he claimed her again.

A tear rolled down her cheek and into her coffee.

She didn’t notice.

She didn’t drink.

She just stood there, holding the cup like an anchor in a world that had stopped pretending she was free.

Across the Apartment – Later That Morning

Jade rubbed her eyes and opened the apartment’s security app.

She checked the feed from the door camera—routine, barely awake.

And then froze.

There.

2:47 AM.

The camera had caught a figure.

Tall. Still. Barefoot.

He stood outside their door for seventeen minutes.

Not moving.

Then turned his head—slowly—and looked directly into the lens.

Gold eyes.

No glow from streetlights.

No reflection.

Just two molten, ancient lights staring through the screen.

Jade’s breath caught in her throat.

She grabbed Maya’s phone. “You need to see this.”

Jade stood at the edge of the kitchen, the phone still in her hand.

She couldn’t stop staring at the paused frame—the figure at their door, the impossible gold of his eyes glowing from the shadows.

She knew it was real.

And she knew Y/N knew, too.

But she didn’t want it to be true.

Y/N sat curled on the couch, knees hugged to her chest, coffee growing cold beside her. Her skin still felt hot beneath the oversized hoodie. The heat hadn’t faded.

If anything, it was worse.

Deep. Constant. Low in her belly.

Not arousal—something more primal.

Need.

She hated it.

She hated him.

But her body…

Her body remembered. Her body still wanted.

Maya sat beside her, cautious, quiet. “Y/N… did he come back last night?”

Silence.

Then—

“Yes.”

A whisper.

A breath.

Both girls froze.

Jade crossed the room slowly. “He was here?”

Y/N nodded once.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

“He was… inside me. I didn’t move.”

“Did he hurt you?” Maya asked, her voice breaking.

“No,” Y/N whispered. “That’s the worst part.”

They didn’t speak.

Not at first.

Because what do you say to someone who’s been broken and bound, but not physically harmed? Someone whose soul is screaming while her body still aches for the one who did it?

Jade crouched beside her.

“We’re going to stop him,” she said.

“You can’t.”

“We’ll try.”

Y/N looked down at her hands.

“He’s still inside me. I feel him. I feel… hot. Like I’m still in heat.”

Maya covered her mouth.

Jade reached for her hand. “Then we’ll cool you down. We’ll find help.”

But outside—

The clouds had begun to gather.

Far Away – In the Caverns of Flame

Vaeroth stood beneath the mountain, eyes closed, breath deep.

And he felt her speak.

Not her words.

Just the voice.

The sound of her breath shaping syllables again. The moment her silence broke, the bond tugged.

His heat flared.

She was still in cycle. Still open. Still his.

He opened his eyes.

“No more distance.”

He turned to Andre.

“Prepare the gate.”

“She returns tonight.”

The TV flickered across the dark living room—bright colors, a laugh track, a world that didn’t know her.

Y/N sat on the couch, legs pulled close, the blanket clutched around her. Her head throbbed. Her body still pulsed with that low, molten heat. The meds weren’t working.

Maya and Jade had just stepped out. Just for a moment. The corner store two blocks down. Snacks, water, a chance to breathe.

“We’ll lock the door behind us,” Jade had promised. “We’ll be back before the credits roll.”

But the door clicked open anyway.

Y/N’s breath hitched.

The blanket slid from her shoulders.

He stood in the entryway like a shadow taking form.

Vaeroth.

Human-shaped. Ageless. Eyes like gold flame. His long hair fell loose over his shoulders, soaked with rain. He wore black from neck to boots.

But it wasn’t the clothes.

It was the presence.

He filled the room without moving.

She stood slowly, shaking. “How—how did you—”

“You left me,” he said quietly.

“You ran.”

There was no growl. No roar. Just heat simmering behind each word.

She stepped back. “Please—”

“I was gentle with you. I gave you silk. Fire. I whispered to you like you were divine.”

“I didn’t ask for any of it!”

His eyes darkened.

“But you took it.”

He moved faster than she could track—suddenly in front of her, gripping her wrist.

“I gave you my mark,” he snarled. “I bled for you. And you let them hide you from me like I was a curse.”

She yanked her arm. “You are.”

And that was it.

The moment snapped.

His hand struck her across the cheek—fast, sharp, ringing.

She gasped, stumbling, one hand flying to her face.

Silence.

Breathless.

Y/N’s eyes welled, a sob caught in her throat as she held her stinging skin.

And then—

She looked at him.

Wide, broken, burning eyes.

And Vaeroth’s chest hitched.

The fire behind his fury faltered.

He stepped back, stunned by her gaze.

“I didn’t want to—”

She flinched again.

He reached for her—

And stopped.

“Y/N,” Vaeroth said softly, voice cracking.

“I didn’t want to hurt you.”

She backed away, still clutching her cheek. “You already did.”

He stepped forward, hands twitching at his sides, torn between restraint and the storm in his chest. His face was twisted with something unreadable—half remorse, half rage.

“You don’t understand,” he said. “I need you. You were made for me.”

She shook her head, tears spilling now. “No. No, I wasn’t. You took everything—I didn’t ask for any of it—”

“Don’t lie to me,” he snapped. “You felt it. You still do.”

He reached for her.

She twisted away.

“Don’t touch me!”

But he did.

His hand seized her wrist, pulling her into his chest. His mouth found hers, crushing. Too hard. Too rough. His other hand cupped her jaw, holding her there as she squirmed, her fists pushing at his chest, her whimpers muffled by his kiss.

“Stop!” she sobbed, finally breaking away.

He panted, staring at her, his eyes wild.

Then she shoved him—hard.

He stumbled.

She turned to run.

But her ankle caught on the edge of the rug—her body tumbled, hitting the floor hard.

Before she could crawl away, his hands were on her again—gripping her hips, lifting her like a doll, her kicks useless against his strength.

“Let me go—let me GO!”

“I’m taking you home.”

He dragged her toward the window—then changed course, toward the fire escape.

“The roof,” he muttered to himself. “I just need the sky. Just need to shift—”

She screamed.

Fought.

But he was no longer hearing her.

His breath came fast. His muscles trembled.

The veins beneath his skin glowed faintly gold.

He wasn’t human anymore.

“You’re mine,” he growled. “And I’m done asking.”

The wind howled across the rooftop.

Rain had started to fall—cold and sudden, slicing through the sky like the edge of a blade.

Y/N kicked and thrashed in Vaeroth’s arms, her voice hoarse from screaming. He held her like she was nothing—like she weighed less than the storm around them.

“Let me go!” she cried, tears hot on her cheeks. “Please, don’t do this!”

He was shaking—not from effort, but from the transformation trying to burst through his skin.

His eyes were gold.

His fingertips were clawed.

His voice wasn’t fully human anymore.

“I warned you,” he said. “I begged. I kissed you like you were sacred. You spat on it.”

“You HURT me!”

He didn’t flinch. He just looked down at her, his face twisted with rage and something more tragic—like he couldn’t understand why she didn’t see it.

Why she couldn’t just accept it.

Behind them—

“Y/N!”

A voice.

Jade.

Then Maya.

They burst onto the rooftop, soaked from the rain, eyes wide as they saw her—held in arms that shimmered with dragonhide, gold glowing faintly beneath skin.

“Let her go!” Maya screamed, running forward.

Vaeroth turned, his voice deep as thunder. “She’s mine.”

Jade reached for her—but he was already moving.

Wings unfurled from his back, massive, leathery, trailing gold light at the edges. The wind from them sent both girls tumbling back.

Y/N reached for them.

“Help me—please!”

Maya screamed her name.

Jade lunged.

But it was too late.

With a sound like the sky splitting, Vaeroth lifted into the air, Y/N pinned to his chest, her scream tearing through the wind—

“HELP MEEEE—”

And then they were gone.

Swallowed by cloud.

Lightning flashed behind them.

And the only thing left was silence.

[vestaignis]

Живописные тропические закаты на острове Сайпан.

Остров Сайпан (Saipan) является самым крупным из Северных Марианских островов. Он расположен в Тихом океане на юге Марианского архипелага. Остров площадью 120 кв. км имеет вытянутую форму, все берега Сайпана причудливо изрезаны, на юго-восточной стороне дугообразный берег образует обширный морской залив, на южном выступе которого располагается международный аэропорт. На расстоянии около 300 км от восточного побережья острова расположен знаменитый Марианский жёлоб, самая глубокая океаническая впадина мира — 11 775 метров ниже уровня моря.

Атолл внесён в Книгу Рекордов Гинесса за самую постоянную температуру в течение года и суток. Этот показатель равен +27 °С, то есть тропическая летняя погода стоит 365 дней в году. Температура воды днем 25`C. Насекомых (мух, комаров) нет. Временами идут проливные дожди, когда за минуту можно промокнуть насквозь. Они обычно внезапно начинаются и также заканчиваются, длятся недолго, и дождь можно переждать под ближайшей пальмой.

Остров Сайпан небольшой, его можно обойти за 4 часа..На Сайпане, как и на прочих Марианских островах, нет городов в традиционном понимании этого термина. Центром острова считается Гарапан. Здесь самое большое скопление магазинов, кафе, ресторанчиков. А также здесь находится лучший пляж Сайпана - пляж Микро Бич.

Picturesque tropical sunsets on the island of Saipan.

Saipan Island is the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands. It is located in the Pacific Ocean in the south of the Mariana Archipelago. Island with an area of ​​120 sq. km has an elongated shape, all the shores of Saipan are intricately indented, on the south-eastern side the arched coast forms a vast sea bay, on the southern ledge of which the international airport is located. At a distance of about 300 km from the eastern coast of the island is the famous Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench in the world - 11,775 meters below sea level.

The atoll is included in the Guinness Book of Records for the most constant temperature throughout the year and day. This figure is +27 °C, that is, tropical summer weather is 365 days a year. Water temperature during the day is 25`C. There are no insects (flies, mosquitoes). At times there are torrential rains, when you can get wet through and through in a minute. They usually start suddenly and also end, they don’t last long, and you can wait out the rain under the nearest palm tree.

The island of Saipan is small, you can get around it in 4 hours. On Saipan, like on the other Mariana Islands, there are no cities in the traditional sense of the term. Garapan is considered the center of the island. Here is the largest concentration of shops, cafes, and restaurants. And also here is the best beach in Saipan - Micro Beach.

Источник:/telega.in/c/krasivye_mesta_turizm,//primoravtotour.ru/guide/marianskie_ostrova/sajpan/,/www.tripadvisor.ru/Tourism-g60716-Saipan_Northern_Mariana_Islands-Vacations.html, //tour.shamora. info,/cttour.ru/tury/sajpan/charter-na-sajpan/,/dxnews.com/ru/kh0-jr1fkr/,/dxnews.com/ru/KH0-K6WP_Saipan/,/mandarin-travel.com/country/saypan/.